Two notes OPUS

The cab‑modelling pioneers take on the rest of the chain, right from the preamp input to the mics.

Two notes have acquired a strong reputation for their hardware and software speaker emulators, and now they’ve turned their attention to modelling the complete guitar‑amp chain, from the amp’s input jack to the mics on the speaker. The result is the OPUS, a compact device that could be equally at home on a pedalboard or a studio desktop, and it offers a small selection of preamp models that can be used in conjunction with a choice of valve output stage models, followed by their dynamic IR cabinet emulation. The device can store 99 presets, features MIDI integration plus USB‑C support, and allows detailed editing of the amp models via the Torpedo Remote app for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows.

Essentials

The OPUS is built into a surprisingly compact, tough steel case, with two turn‑and‑push encoders on the front panel above a small, very clear monochrome OLED display window. The input, located on the right‑hand side, can accept instrument, line or amp levels, as selected by a slide switch. (Note that if Amp mode is selected it’s essential that a suitable dummy load or speaker cabinet be connected to the output jack.) There’s also a USB port and a power inlet on this side, for the included laptop‑style brick PSU. Power requirements are 12V DC at 200mA or more.

The OPUS can optionally be placed between an amp and speaker (or load box).

On the left of the case is a 3.5mm TRS MIDI port (a MIDI DIN adaptor cable is included), with two more 3.5mm jacks accommodating an aux in and a headphone out. The main outputs are a balanced XLR DI with a ground‑lift switch and a quarter‑inch TRS jack. A dual‑mono output mode lets you select a point in the OPUS signal chain so that separate signals can be sent to the XLR and jack; for example, for tracking separate dry DI and processed signals at the same time. A micro‑SD card slot on the rear panel allows for additional storage of third‑party IRs in WAV format if the internal capacity of up to 512 user IRs isn’t enough.

The OPUS includes DSP and effects, including an enhancer that can enhance both highs and lows, a noise gate, a three‑mode EQ and a reverb with 12 model types. One of the keys to a really good amp emulation is the quality of the virtual cabinets, and the OPUS comes loaded with the exclusive Series‑O DynIR Cabinet Collection, comprising 32 cabs that include a selection from Two notes’ Artist series releases. For each cabinet, there’s a choice of eight mic models, as well as dual miking and front/rear mic positioning. There’s also an acoustic DI facility, with over 40 acoustic impulse responses available.

The preamp section is based on five classic amps and is intended to cover all styles, from super clean to high gain. Foundry offers a clean...