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Cab Impulse Response Megathread

#501
In general, I find it to be unrealistic to expect a transfer function to reliably replicate a given speaker cabinet, independent of the actual signal chain being used. There is utterly no way that any signal processing system is going to make both a Bergantino 212 and a Mesa 115 do exactly the same emulation, independent of which cab is being used.

I suppose for direct sends to a PA, one might expect better results; but, even different PA’s have different characters to them.

I have gigged the Acoustic 360/361 for quite some years in the past. That cab absolutely has a desirable thing going on, due to the folded horn physics; and remains one of my all time favorite bass systems. So, I get the point of trying to capture the character of that cab. But, if you have ever stood in front of one of those rigs (or 20 feet away), I think you will be unimpressed by what these current IR’s are doing.

MAYBE the emulation could be used with strictly FRFR cabinets, if such things ever actually existed. IME, such cabs do not actually exist. Otherwise, at the very least the IR would need to account for each player’s individual signal chain (including actual cab). Which is clearly unrealistic.

My conclusion has been to just tailor the tone to the individual signal chain. If one of the IR’s works for your signal chain, then great; it’s useful for you. But, using the SLO for my recent gigging, I’ve just not used the IR’s, simply because they do not help out my signal chain. YMMV.
 
#502
bucephylus said:
In general, I find it to be unrealistic to expect a transfer function to reliably replicate a given speaker cabinet, independent of the actual signal chain being used. There is utterly no way that any signal processing system is going to make both a Bergantino 212 and a Mesa 115 do exactly the same emulation, independent of which cab is being used.

I suppose for direct sends to a PA, one might expect better results; but, even different PA’s have different characters to them.

I have gigged the Acoustic 360/361 for quite some years in the past. That cab absolutely has a desirable thing going on, due to the folded horn physics; and remains one of my all time favorite bass systems. So, I get the point of trying to capture the character of that cab. But, if you have ever stood in front of one of those rigs (or 20 feet away), I think you will be unimpressed by what these current IR’s are doing.

MAYBE the emulation could be used with strictly FRFR cabinets, if such things ever actually existed. IME, such cabs do not actually exist. Otherwise, at the very least the IR would need to account for each player’s individual signal chain (including actual cab). Which is clearly unrealistic.

My conclusion has been to just tailor the tone to the individual signal chain. If one of the IR’s works for your signal chain, then great; it’s useful for you. But, using the SLO for my recent gigging, I’ve just not used the IR’s, simply because they do not help out my signal chain. YMMV.
Click to expand...

Agree, there's always going to be some give & take with emulation. Even in your given scenario with the Acoustic rig, what you're hearing when you play that rig, or stand 20 feet away, is largely a function of both the amp/cab AND the room (with it's own acoustic properties) that you're using it in. I tend to take your approach as well (currently using a Torpedo Cab M+), whereas I'm not using the IR to replicate a specific tone or cabinet, rather just as a means of achieving a tone I like that translates well through a PA system.
 
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#503
bucephylus said:
I have gigged the Acoustic 360/361 for quite some years in the past. That cab absolutely has a desirable thing going on, due to the folded horn physics; and remains one of my all time favorite bass systems. So, I get the point of trying to capture the character of that cab. But, if you have ever stood in front of one of those rigs (or 20 feet away), I think you will be unimpressed by what these current IR’s are doing.
Click to expand...

But doesn't an IR of that same cab emulate the sound that went through the PA system or to the tape recorder? One mic in front of the port doesn't capture the whole experience heard on stage or further but might be the sound that was captured on tape, like on Weather Report's "Live In Montreux" 1976 video where Jaco's cab is mic'ed with one EV RE-20 . If they used a DI too I don't know but to me it sounds like the cab and gloriously so.
 
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#504
[QUOTE="Barisaxman, post: 25876391, member: 61321" I tend to take your approach as well (currently using a Torpedo Cab M+), whereas I'm not using the IR to replicate a specific tone or cabinet, rather just as a means of achieving a tone I like that translates well through a PA system.[/QUOTE]

I'm taking that approach too since I don't have an IR of the cab I use (Ashdown ABM410) or, more importantly, a preamp that replicates the tone of my amp (Lab Series L2). I could put the NUX Solid Studio between the amp and the cab but if the amp dies the sound goes etc.
 
#505
PhR75 said:
But doesn't an IR of that same cab emulate the sound that went through the PA system or to the tape recorder? One mic in front of the port doesn't capture the whole experience heard on stage or further but might be the sound that was captured on tape, like on Weather Report's "Live In Montreux" 1976 video where Jaco's cab is mic'ed with one EV RE-20 . If they used a DI too I don't know but to me it sounds like the cab and gloriously so.
Click to expand...
I do agree that when your signal chain is direct to board for recording purposes, that the IR’s can be effective. I am less impressed by the performance in live situations, where other factors are going on. FWIW / YMMV
 
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#506
Today I tried some of the Acoustic 301 IRs from Dr. Bonkers with a small PA and was pleasantly surprised. Work great and I think I found one for live work.
I was even more surprised how they worked with a 12-string bass. That thing sounds like crap going direct (unless a Greg Lake -style harpsichord sound is what one is after...) and usually needs some twiddling with the amp (or two amps) too but it seems that the Acoustic cab smoothens out the nasty frequencies naturally. I used to use a Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere pedal with the 12-string bass and it seemed to do the same trick but no so effectively.

I recorded two small clips through the NUX Solid Studio. The first one is clean and the second has just a touch of Bad Monkey overdrive and has the Power Amp simulator on.
The playing is the usual "soundcheck" stuff: clueless & slightly slack.
 

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#507
#508
jcburn said:
Hey man - which of the IRs from Choptones do you like the best? I'm keen to try some Eden IRs. Any comparison to the more familiar offerings (i.e. Shiftline, Redwirez, Dr. Bonkers etc.)?
Really want to try some of the Lancaster ones too. Haven't gone down the IR rabbit hole for a while!!!
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I tried Redwirez, Shiftline, Dr. Bonkers, 3Sigma and Lancaster.

Redwirez: for me there were just waaaaaay too many possibbilites, and honestly didn't find what I was looking for.

Shiftline has some good IRs and some less good, for free it is nice, but there are better.

I tried Aguilar and Mesa from Dr. Bonkers but I didn't really liked them, didn't worked for me.

Aguilar and Mesa from 3sigma, they were good, but too harsh on rehearsal levels, too much feedback with them.

I am currently using Lancasters Mesa IR, works for me great, nice throaty midrange without sounding nasaly, and not too harsh. Didn't like their Hartke 410 IR though.
 
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#511
OldogNewTrick said:
ChaserHUN do try the Celestion IR's both their own driver range and also the Celestion Bergantino IR's.
I find the playing style variants particularly satisfying for my application (headphone).
Click to expand...

I purchased the Celestion Pulse 10 pack and agree that the Playing Style "Plectrum Basic" IR really is satisfying both for going straight to a PA from pedalboard (sans stage rig), and for headphones rehearsal. I'm really interested in how you think the Bergantino IRs differ from the standard Celestion packs - they do have demos on the website but the outputs are different which skews things when I listen.
 
#512
Hey guys - asking for help here...

... New HX Effects owner - I do have a Darkglass amp on stage most times, BUT is there a way that I can send a patch with only effects to the amp, and a patch WITH an IR from the HX Effects to the PA mixer?

This would be useful when I can't use my amp or can't rely on the stage amp - the HX effects would host the effects and cab sim I need, as I'm already using bass preamps on my HX signal chain.

Best,

Ander.
 
#513
Ander87 said:
Hey guys - asking for help here...

... New HX Effects owner - I do have a Darkglass amp on stage most times, BUT is there a way that I can send a patch with only effects to the amp, and a patch WITH an IR from the HX Effects to the PA mixer?

This would be useful when I can't use my amp or can't rely on the stage amp - the HX effects would host the effects and cab sim I need, as I'm already using bass preamps on my HX signal chain.

Best,

Ander.
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The effects forum would probably be your best bet.

I don't have an HX, but with other software you should be able split the path into stereo, then put an IR Block on just one channel.
 
#514
Ander87 said:
Hey guys - asking for help here...

... New HX Effects owner - I do have a Darkglass amp on stage most times, BUT is there a way that I can send a patch with only effects to the amp, and a patch WITH an IR from the HX Effects to the PA mixer?

This would be useful when I can't use my amp or can't rely on the stage amp - the HX effects would host the effects and cab sim I need, as I'm already using bass preamps on my HX signal chain.

Best,

Ander.
Click to expand...
Yep, that's definitely possible. As Seamonkey said, come on over to the effects forum, there's a thread dedicated to the Stomp here
 
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#515
jcburn said:
I purchased the Celestion Pulse 10 pack and agree that the Playing Style "Plectrum Basic" IR really is satisfying both for going straight to a PA from pedalboard (sans stage rig), and for headphones rehearsal. I'm really interested in how you think the Bergantino IRs differ from the standard Celestion packs - they do have demos on the website but the outputs are different which skews things when I listen.
Click to expand...

Just gotta say that this thread swung me in the direction of the Celestion IRs, specifically the Pulse 10 and Pulse 15.

Created a preset in Helix Rack using both and have to say that I’m much more enthused about these IRs over the stock cab models on Helix. Just using the plectrum aggressive IRs feels like there is much more clarity and fidelity whereas the stock Helix cab emulations have a wet blanket sound (not all that dissimilar than my actual Ampeg 810e in a room with no bass trapping. Sounds great with a Beta52 close mic’d). The Celestion IRs sound like an actual mic’d speaker rather than a straight up cab emulation that seems to accurately model that wet blanket sound.

I’d love to find IRs of the Jensen Punch series of speakers.
 
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#516
Forgiveness for the double posting. I just came across the Horn IRs on the 410 and 115 Celestion packs and that alone is a game-changer. Blending in some horn on a parallel signal chain (1B for you Helix users) gives me way more articulation and High-End bite for pick attack and adds brightness to the Muff based fuzz I have in one of the Rack's Effects Loops.
 
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#518
Hi folks, IR noob here, getting overwhelmed a tad!

I have a York Ampeg 410 IR pack that I’m trying to get to grips with.

What are your general mic choice and placement go-to recipes?

1 inch away, in the centre with a 161?
 
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#519
tonymcbony said:
Hi folks, IR noob here, getting overwhelmed a tad!

I have a York Ampeg 410 IR pack that I’m trying to get to grips with.

What are your general mic choice and placement go-to recipes?

1 inch away, in the centre with a 161?
Click to expand...

Hey man - bare in mind your tone\application goals may differ from mine, plus I'm not sure exactly what variations are available in that York IR bundle (I had never heard of this pack before you mentioning it - looks interesting!).

So having said all that I'd go with the Neumann FET 47 (a mic well used to studio mic a bass amp), and if you have the ability place it on the cap\cone edge, maybe at 1 to 2 inches.

The FET 47 is a mic with a relatively flat response and from memory behaves well up close to the speaker (no proximity affect).
 
#520
https://www.yorkaudio.co/product-page/ampg-410-hs

Quote:
Ampeg™ Heritage Series SVT-410HLF 4x10 cabinet
with 11 record-ready multi-mic Mixes, the pack includes 90 single mic shots that sound equally as good on their own.
Port and Tweeter captures

That last bit is important, if you have the software to roll your own IR to taste.

Quote:
For years, bass players have felt forgotten in the modeling world. Their options are fairly limited,

Well, that's marketing speak. He's got 24 packs on offer, 23 guitar plus 1 bass.
There is a huge amount of bass IR's available, free and commercial offers, recording-centric and live-centric.
 
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