Sunset Stack

Sunset Stack – Driftlab Audio
Driftlab Audio

Sunset Stack

Windows only
VST3

British high gain. Full signal chain. Cascaded tube stages, a passive tone stack that scoops like the real thing, power amp sag — in one plugin that responds the way a real amp would.

High gain amp modeling British tone stack 4 Cabinet modes Power amp sag
Amp Simulator  ·  Guitar
Sunset Stack plugin UI
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Overview

High gain character. No compromises.

Sunset Stack is a high gain amplifier simulator built around a British preamp and power amp circuit. It’s for guitarists and producers who want the real thing — the push, the compression, the way a hot tube stage starts to fold when you dig in — without dealing with mics, rooms, or any of the guesswork.

The signal chain models each stage honestly: two to three cascaded preamp stages with asymmetric waveshaping and envelope-sensitive compression, a British passive tone stack that works like an actual RLC network rather than a shelf EQ approximation, and a power amp section with authentic sag, tanh saturation, and a presence filter. A high gain toggle adds a third gain stage and pushes the circuit deeper into saturation for modern high gain and extended range tones. Cabinet simulation covers four modes — bypass, standard, bright, and dark — with smooth crossfading between them so there’s no click or jump mid-session.

All IIR coefficients are designed at 44.1 kHz and scaled to your session’s sample rate every block, so the amp sounds identical at 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192 kHz. A parallel dry/wet mix blends your direct signal inside the plugin. Input and output meters give you a real-time view of levels on both sides of the chain.

  • Cascaded tube preamp stages
    Two to three stages of asymmetric waveshaping with envelope-sensitive compression that tightens and pushes the way overdriven tubes actually do.
  • British passive tone stack
    A correct approximation of the real passive RLC network: bass shelf, treble shelf, and a mid notch that scoops and recovers like the circuit it’s modelled on — not a shelf EQ in disguise.
  • Power amp with sag and presence
    Tanh saturation, power amp compression, authentic sag, and a presence filter that opens up the top end the way a real output transformer does.
  • High gain toggle
    Engages a third cascaded gain stage for modern high gain and extended range tones. Switches smoothly with a crossfade so there’s no pop or click when toggling mid-session.
  • Four cabinet modes
    Standard, Bright, Dark, or bypass — smooth crossfading between modes means no clicks or pops when switching mid-session.
  • Sample-rate invariant processing
    All coefficients scale automatically to your session’s sample rate — identical tone at 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192 kHz without any extra CPU overhead.
  • Input and output metering
    Real-time peak and RMS meters on both sides of the chain so you know exactly what’s going in and coming out.
  • User preset system
    Save, load, and delete your own presets. Factory presets included to get you started fast — all parameters save and restore with your session.