Universal Audio’s amp sim pedals are an affordable route to convincing tube amp sounds

The one thing to note here is that you can only update the pedals’ firmware using the desktop app over USB. Which is probably for the better, since I’ve found that the Bluetooth connection to the mobile app can be a bit unstable. A recent firmware update improved the situation, but it still drops every so often.

The last thing to mention before we move on to the sounds is the build quality. The UAFX modelers are just absolute bricks. While any stompbox worth its salt is going to be pretty rugged and made out of metal (they have to survive being repeatedly stepped on, after all), these are in a class of their own. They’re quite a bit heavier than your average pedal, are cast from extremely dense aluminum and would definitely cause some serious damage if dropped on an exposed toe – barefoot players beware.

Alright, so we’ve established that they’re well built, feature excellent connectivity options (all three are stereo as well) and sound great, but what is it about the sound that sets them apart from the rest of the amp modelers out there? Well, the short answer is, the feel.

I know, that’s a bit nebulous, but there’s something about the way these pedals respond to your playing that feels more natural and authentic than many modelers, even those based on impulse responses (IRs). An IR can get you a great sounding amp or cab sim, but because they’re based on audio files, they tend to be less dynamic than the real deal. The UAFX pedals clean up considerably if you turn down the volume on your guitar, or play very delicately. And they creep into break up as you start playing harder.

They also take effect pedals incredibly well, which isn’t something you can assume in my experience, especially when it comes to dirt. My Fuck Overdrive and Part Garden fuzz pedals posed no challenge, and honestly the overdrive probably sounded better though the UAFX modelers than it does through my Blues Jr.

This is where we have to stop lumping the three pedals together, though, because they all sound incredibly different from each other. No one is better than the other, but your personal preference will dictate which is the best choice for you. Do you want crisp clean tones that you can pair with iconic spring reverb and vibrato? The Dream ‘65 is the ticket. Need super bright chimy sounds that be pushed into classic blues-rock crunch? Then it’s the Ruby you’re looking for. And if you want darker, dirtier sounds, go for the Woodrow.

Personally, I’m into the Dream. Its cleans are pristine and glorious. And when paired with the built-in spring reverb emulation it becomes a perfect machine for surf rock or more ambient styles where your pedalboard is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. It’s also an excellent vehicle for funk and soul where you want something sharp that will cut through the mix without stealing the spotlight.

Even though I have a board full of fancy reverbs and a tremolo pedal I’m head-over-heels for, I actually still found myself turning to the built-in versions of the Dream pretty frequently. The spring reverb here is as close to the real thing as you’re gonna get. It drips and rattles just like the spring in my Blues Jr and I don’t think I could pick it out as a digital effect in a blind taste test. The vibrato (which, again, is actually tremolo) is equally great. It has a warm vintage feel that is closer to the tube-power vibrato of yore, than my new-school tremolo.

I also think that the three different boost channel options and six different cab simulations give you the most tonal versatility of the three pedals. Pairing the stock boost with the GB25 cab delivers excellent clean tones even at higher volumes. But flip to the lead mod and go with the EV12 cab and you can rip a pretty searing solo.

The pedal even starts to break up a bit if you hit it with too hot of a signal. But it doesn’t clip the way that, say, a digital audio interface would. Instead, it kind of crackles just like a real amp might. It’s these nice little touches that make the UAFX pedals so convincing.