Tone King Imperial MKII X
American clarity. Tweed grit. The Imperial, evolved.
Overview
For more than three decades, Tone King has pursued the qualities that make a great vintage amplifier feel alive: clarity, harmonic complexity, and an immediate response beneath the fingers.
Introduced in 1993 as Tone King’s first production model, the Imperial united the sparkling presence of mid-’60s American amplifiers with the grit and sustain of ’50s tweed. The MKII applied twenty years of learning to that design, refining its breakup and bringing its richest power-amp tones within reach at practical levels.
That evolution continues, with the amplifier at the centre and new ways to push, shape, and surround the sound that made the Imperial unmistakable.
We proudly present to you, Tone King Imperial MKII X.
Amp
Two channels, two eras
The Rhythm channel delivers the hallmark sound of a great vintage American amp: clear, full-bodied, and lively, with plenty of headroom and a natural edge when pushed.
The Lead channel leans more British, with thicker mids, more gain, and a softer attack. Mid-Bite takes it from warm, rounded drive to a tighter, more cutting crunch.
Tremolo and spring reverb
Bias tremolo and spring reverb helped define the sound of vintage American combo amps, and both are integral to the Imperial.
The Tremolo moves from a gentle sway to a deep rhythmic pulse. The tube-driven spring Reverb adds natural depth, then opens into thick splash and long decay.
Shape the power amp
Explore the weight, compression, and harmonic texture of the Imperial’s power amp at a consistent perceived level, so every setting can be judged by feel and tone.
On the physical Imperial MKII, the Ironman II is a reactive attenuator that brings driven power-amp tones down to practical volume. In Imperial MKII X, its interaction with the power amp becomes a level-matched tone-shaping tool.
At heavier attenuation, high-frequency presence begins to soften. HF Comp restores it, keeping the amplifier open and articulate across the Ironman II’s full range.
Cabsim
The speaker is where the Imperial’s voice finally takes shape. Two options let you carry its character from open American clarity into denser, more aggressive territory. The E33 stays open and balanced, while the H30 adds weight, forward mids, and a harder British edge.
Choose from hundreds of IRs created by 5x5 Studios or load your own. Eight positionable microphones let you fine-tune your sound. Use a single mic for focus, blend two for more depth and width, or bring in the room mic for a beautifully captured sense of natural space.
Effects
Part of the thrill of a great amp is how it reacts when you step on the right pedal. Imperial MKII X carries that spark through the entire signal chain, from carefully selected pre-effects that push the amp and shape your signal to lush post-effects that add space and movement.
Wah
A vintage-inspired wah with a smooth sweep and just the right amount of growl for rock, blues, and funk.
Map a MIDI-controllable expression pedal and the plugin can learn its range, giving you full control over the sweep. No expression pedal? Switch on Auto-Wah and let the dynamics of your playing control the effect.
Pre Effects
Compressor
Put a studio compressor in front of the Imperial to tighten your dynamics, bring quieter notes forward, and add sustain. Blend in your natural attack and set the response to suit the way you play.
Overdrive 1 & 2
Push the Imperial beyond clean and its clarity gives way to warmth, compression, and harmonic grit. Two overdrives offer distinct ways into that sweeter, more saturated side.
Overdrive 1 adds warmth and clarity with up to 20 dB of clean boost, pushing the amplifier towards its own natural breakup.
Overdrive 2 adds tube-like saturation of its own, moving from a subtle lift to thicker, more driven tones.
EQ
The onboard 9-band graphic equalizer, featuring high and low-pass filters, allows for total control over frequency response.
Post effects
The post effects carry the Imperial’s vintage character into modulation, delay, and deeper spaces.
Chorus and Stereo Delay share a warm BBD-style character, giving the movement and repeats a soft analogue quality that sits naturally around the guitar. Reverb moves from subtle ambience to vast, almost infinite soundscapes beyond the amplifier’s spring tank.
Global features
Global Lock
Keep input, gate, transpose, doubler, and output settings consistent while browsing presets, so core controls remain exactly where you want them.
Transpose
Pitch your guitar up or down by a constant interval (+12/-12 semitones) to quickly change tunings without retuning your instrument.
Doubler
Creates a subtle stereo spread inspired by double-tracked recordings, adding width and dimension without obscuring the original performance.
Tuner
An integrated live tuner is displayed at the bottom of the interface for quick, unobtrusive reference.
Metronome
Supplements your practice with controls for time signature, accent sounds, and note values (available only in Standalone mode).
Presets
Featuring 120+ curated presets from artists such as Jack Gardiner, Joshua De La Victoria, Rabea Massaad, Aaron Marshall, and the team at Neural DSP. Every preset is fully tweakable, so you can move quickly and make it your own.
Preset Explorer
All preset folders are organized in the left panel, with quick access to recent presets. Use the search bar to find exactly what you need, add tags for easier organization, and mark your go-to sounds as favorites.
Tooltips
Hover over a parameter to see helpful tooltips displayed in the bottom utility bar.
Undo/Redo
Undo and Redo functionality with an edit history, making it easier to experiment with settings and quickly reverse changes.
Standalone
No DAW? No problem! Run the Tone King Imperial MKII X plugin as a standalone app with no additional software required.
System Requirements
Tone King Imperial MKII X comes in 64-bit VST2 / VST3 / AU / AAX / Standalone.
Latest OS Compatibility for Windows & Mac, including Native Apple Silicon.
For more information about system requirements visit our support page.
Free iLok License Manager and iLok account needed.
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