Universal Audio UAFX Lion '68 Super Lead Amp Emulator Pedal

Universal Audio UAFX Lion '68: A British Plexi Stack in a Pedal

The Universal Audio UAFX Lion '68 is a dual-engine amp-modeling pedal that recreates a 1968 British plexi stack, one of the most iconic amplifiers in rock history, in a compact stereo stompbox. Using the same UAFX processing as Universal Audio's flagship interfaces, it models the amp, the 4x12-style cabinet, the room, and the microphone together. That delivers a fully mic'd stack tone, from glassy cleans to the roaring, midrange-forward crunch that powered decades of classic and hard rock. For players who want that legendary British roar without a wall of amplifiers, the Lion '68 makes it portable and stage-quiet.

What Defines the Plexi Sound

The late-'60s British plexi is celebrated for its raw, dynamic character: it stays clean and chiming at lower volumes, then breaks into a rich, aggressive crunch as you push it, with a forward midrange that cuts through any mix. UAFX modeling recreates this behavior by reconstructing the full signal chain, capturing how the amp, speaker, room, and mic react to your playing in real time. The result is an amp that cleans up with your guitar's volume knob and blooms into saturation under a hard pick attack. That interactivity is the heart of the plexi experience and the reason it has never gone out of style.

From Sparkling Cleans to Roaring Lead

The Lion '68 spans the full plexi range in one footprint. Rolled back, it produces shimmering, harmonically rich cleans; cranked, it delivers the singing, saturated lead and driving rhythm crunch synonymous with classic rock. Top-panel controls shape gain, EQ, and level, and because the cabinet and mic are modeled, you can swap virtual 4x12s and microphones to move from tight and focused to open and roaring. Combined with the onboard boost, it covers rhythm and lead duties without ever touching an amp head.

Stereo I/O, Onboard Boost, and Deep Control

Two 1/4-inch inputs and two 1/4-inch outputs let the Lion '68 run in mono or full stereo into two amps, monitors, or an interface. A boost footswitch drives the front end for solos, and true or buffered bypass makes it a pedalboard front-end or a complete direct rig. Over USB-C, the free UAFX Control app unlocks alternate cabs and mics, preset storage, and custom impulse responses. It draws from a 9V isolated supply rated for at least 400 mA, fitting standard pedalboard power (sold separately).

Recording, Reamping, and Silent Gigs

Because the Lion '68 outputs a fully mic'd stack tone, it excels going direct to a DAW for tracking and reamping, to front-of-house for a silent stage, or to headphones for late-night practice. Engineers use it to capture consistent, room-free British rock tones without miking a loud cabinet, and gigging players rely on it for the same roar at any venue. At the end of a pedalboard, it turns any clean amp or FRFR speaker into a plexi stack. The stereo outputs make it easy to build wide, powerful rhythm and lead sounds in the studio.

Who the UAFX Lion '68 Is For

The Lion '68 is built for rock, hard rock, and blues-rock guitarists who live for that classic British plexi roar but want it portable, quiet, and repeatable. It rewards players who value dynamic, touch-sensitive amps that respond to the volume knob and pick attack. If your tone is built on late-'60s British crunch and cutting midrange, the Lion '68 delivers that stack in a single stereo pedal.