Two notes Genome

One of Genome’s amp models: you can tweak the power amp settings, including the valve types and configuration.

Combining Two notes’ highly respected models and dynamic IR‑based cabinets with support for third‑party machine‑learning amp captures, Genome is brimming with potential.

Launched by Two notes in January 2024, Genome is described as a “carrier‑class software ecosystem engineered to deliver the pinnacle in end‑to‑end tone shaping”. What these words boil down to is an amp, cab, pedal and effects modelling plug‑in that features not only Two notes’ modelled amps, effects and cabinets, and their now familiar dynamic impulse response engine, but also a new CODEX “next generation unification engine” that supports third‑party AI models from Neural Amp Modeller, Aida‑X and Guitar ML. Genome is compatible with VST, VST3, AU and AAX hosts and requires, as a minimum, a Windows 10 or macOS 10.15 (Catalina) computer.

Global Terms

Before we dig in to the sound and feel of this software, I need to cover some of the terminology, the main GUI and the global controls that apply whatever signal chains are currently loaded.

Two notes refer to a chain of amps, cabs, pedals and studio effects as a ‘lane’, and a lane can be saved and recalled as a ‘rig’. A lane is made up of blocks called ‘inserts’, that are always present, even if empty, and display the category of the loaded model. Hovering the cursor over an insert displays the model name, and a click opens the model up for editing.

Running horizontally across the top of Genome’s GUI is a two‑level strip of common controls and facilities. A setup menu allows you to sign into your account (unless you activated Genome offline, you need to be signed in to use it), and perform other admin tasks. Next to that sit a stereo/mono input configuration selector, an input level fader and metering, a large‑format tuner, and a well‑featured noise gate. On the right, the output level fader and its metering are joined by a CPU meter.

Above this, a drop‑down menu accesses oversampling options. As usual, increasing the internal sample rate reduces aliasing at the expense of greater CPU usage, but the Ultra and Max settings are intended for offline rendering, delivering a slight improvement in quality at the expense of very high CPU use.

On the lower left, a text box names the loaded rig and has navigation arrows to move up and down the list, or can display the entire list. Rigs are organised in eight banks of 128 (0‑127) for a maximum of 1024 rigs, the first 222 being populated with factory presets. Icons for the save, undo, redo and revert (to saved rig) functions are adjacent to this, and on the far right, a drop‑down Automation menu accesses 10 user‑configurable DAW control automation assignments, which can be stored within a rig. Another 14 hard‑coded DAW assignments cover bypass, input gain, output level, noise gate parameters, and lane level, pan, mute and phase. The final global feature is a tempo display, with options to use the tempo saved in the current rig, tap tempo, or sync to the host DAW.

Parallel Lanes

Genome’s audio input to can be set to stereo, mono L‑R mix, mono L or mono R. This signal feeds a lane that runs left to right and contains 10 inserts, each of which can be loaded with any model, from any category and in any order. To create a parallel path, you can place a split tool (one instance only) before any insert, and a merge tool (with a mixer to control lane levels and pans) after any insert. For example, placing thea split before the first insert and the merge after the last results in two parallel lanes, with 20 inserts available in total. Reordering a lane is easy, as loaded inserts can be dragged to replace empty ones. The split and merge can be moved in a similar way.

As well as a good selection of modelled stompboxes, Genome features a range of more tweakable ‘studio’ effects to help you shape your tone.Some of the terminology in the online user manual is inconsistent, so a little confusing: it variously refers to Genome models as “components”, “component...