Few guitarists have shaped the sound of modern progressive metal like Misha Mansoor. As a founding member of Periphery, his riffs, production chops, and gear innovations have defined an entire era of heavy music. Now, in collaboration with Neural DSP, Mansoor has distilled that restless creativity into the brand-new Archetype: Misha Mansoor X plugin.
Archetype: Misha Mansoor X builds on the foundations of Neural’s earlier Misha collab, but instead of just refining, it reinvents. Inside is a complete ecosystem: three custom amps (Clean, Rhythm, and Lead), faithfully recreated Horizon Devices pedals (Compressor, Precision Drive), experimental new effects like Laser and Glitch, and a meticulously engineered cabsim section featuring 378 impulse responses by Adam “Nolly” Getgood.
Misha himself frames it as a toolkit for exploration: “It’s about unlocking the unexpected — tools that encourage curiosity, not just replicate what’s been done.” Two standout effects push the boundaries of what a guitar plugin can do:
- Laser transforms your guitar into otherworldly textures using ring modulation and pitch shifting, complete with 19 presets and expression-pedal control.
- Glitch, powered by granular processing, chops riffs into stutters, sequences, and textures that range from rhythmically tight to completely chaotic.
Add in a tape echo, dual octaver, modulator, stereo delay, and shimmer reverb, and you’ve got a playground that stretches far beyond traditional amp-and-pedal chains.
The Clean amp offers sparkling headroom and classic breakup; the Rhythm amp blends two high-gain titans into a percussive chug machine; the Lead amp serves up singing sustain and searing solos. Each is paired with a dedicated EQ, and thanks to the flexible cab module, players can swap and blend cabs at will, with seven virtual mics to position in 3D space.
Global features like Transpose (instant virtual retuning), Doubler (automatic double-tracking), and a built-in tuner and metronome make the plugin a complete production and practice hub. Whether you’re running it standalone or inside a DAW, it’s built for both speed and depth — ideal for the bedroom guitarist, touring pro, or producer on a deadline.
Priced at $125.00 with a 14-day free trial, Archetype: Misha Mansoor X is available now from Neural DSP. You can also keep up with all our Neural DSP coverage right here!
