Tone Empire, which is no stranger to emulating vintage hardware or offering limited-time freebies, has released the LAM16 Preamp plugin, available for free for a limited time.
Earlier this year, Tone Empire released EDYNpre, a saturation plugin modeled on the vintage Electrodyne 1204 console. Hopefully, some of you picked it up during the previous giveaway.
Now, we have another vintage emulation and limited-time giveaway with Tone Empire’s LAM16.
The LAM16 plugin is a preamp based on Langevin’s AM16 microphone preamplifier from the early 1960s. You can download LAM16 for free until November 18, 2025, after which, it will cost $49.
LAM16 is available in AU, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS and Windows.
It wouldn’t be right to call Langevin an unsung hero, because the audio manufacturer, founded in the 1940s in New York, was once one of the most trusted names in broadcasting.
However, despite its undoubted reputation and comparisons to legendary Neve preamps, the AM16 isn’t as frequently discussed in casual conversation as names like Neve and Fairchild.
The upside is that you can occasionally grab Langevin gear relatively cheaply by comparison (Manley Labs now owns the Langevin trading name and rights to use old circuits).
The AM16 comparison to Neve preamps comes from the Class-A, transformer-balanced, discrete, transistor design, and that’s where LAM16 begins.
Tone Empire recreated the circuit topology of the classic Langevin AM16 to emulate its famous airy, open sound. While there are technical similarities between the AM16 and Neve units, opinions vary on tonal quality, with many considering the AM16 the more versatile because it’s more neutral until pushed.
When you push the Drive control harder, you’ll go from subtle harmonic enhancement to a more distorted character.
If you want to bring out more character, the plugin features a Zener Diode mode that leans further into harmonic distortion.
And, if you want to lean more aggressively into saturation, you can do so with the Overdrive switch.
The Tone control (Tilt filter) sets the balance between warmth and body in the low end and brightness and clarity in the high end.
LAM16 also features low/high-pass filters, an auto-gain function, and intelligent oversampling (96 kHz).
Tone Empire produces some great plugins, and LAM16 is slightly different from the more usual suspects, making it well worth having.
All in all, get it now before the offer expires!
Download: LAM16 (FREE until November 18th)
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Last Updated on November 14, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.
