Cab Impulse Response Megathread

[fivestringgecko]

How much bass content is above 5k anyway unless you are slapping?

Sounds like a blanket statement from someone who plays flats on a P bass.

(sorry, sorry... couldn't resist. lol)

Kidding aside though, there are of course many of factors that affect what high frequency content goes through any given rig. Newness/zinginess of strings, whether a cabinet(s) has a tweeter or not, what kind of IEMs being used, any baked in sound/EQ curve of [gear], which mic is used, etc etc etc. I definitely agree with @OldogNewTrick. There is definitely content above 5k even when you're not slapping.

I think that's why I like the Berg cab impulses so much compared to any of the others I've tried. A lot of the others sounded quite good by themselves, but I felt like I was fighting with them when I tried them in a band mix. The Berg impulse responses don't seem overly skewed to the "fat chewy bottom" that Oldog mentioned, or to have the large mid scoop that some have.

I still currently have almost 30 impulses loaded into my Stomp, but I've pretty much exclusively settled on the NXT212 AKG D112 Balanced as it has nice top end clarity and midrange presence I like for what I'm currently playing... Mostly 80's pop at the moment, which does like a tighter, clearer sound. Sometimes I'll move to the NXT212 AKG D112 Bright impulse when the mood strikes. Unfortunately, I don't have a way to graph out the EQ charts though, so can't visually show what the EQ curve of the D112 IRs look like, or the comparison to the Fet47 ones.

I had the opportunity to directly compare real life Aguilar SL112s with Bergantino CN112s: I bought the Bergs because they had clearer mids and highs, but the SLs still sounded great and I've always liked Aguilar's baked in sound/vibe - that fat warm bottom end. So if Spicer does end up re-capturing the SLs with better high end, I might check them out.

5sg.

 

[Zoot H Rollo]

great thread

for the longest time, I was overwhelmed with cab IRs

now, i'm down to a manageable collection of bass cab IRs

Bergantino
Redwirez BIGBox X
Science Bass
Shift Line
Tyler Spicer

and the built-in cabs with Helix and Amplitube 5

i haven't revisited Blue Cat's Axiom yet

always open to any glaring omissions!

thanks everyone

 

[jzucker]

I use nickel plated roundwounds. Typically Ernie Balls. I do play jazz, fingerstyle and slap/pop funk and fusion. My real SL112 has the tweeter 1/2 way up. This clip was recorded direct with Tyler's IR. I think the HF content is fine for this type of sound. It sounds very close to my real SL112 in the room. I do slapping and popping too and for that I like more HF content which is why I reached out to Tyler and found that he was re-recording the SL112 to account better for the tweeter but for much of what I do, his IR just sounds better for my style than any of the celestion / bergantino captures. I actually like those speakers in the room but i have not been crazy about any of their bergantino captures...



This 2nd clip is darker and probably representative of what folks who play with a pick or use a brighter sound and/or with gain don't like...

Sounds like a blanket statement from someone who plays flats on a P bass.

(sorry, sorry... couldn't resist. lol)

Kidding aside though, there are of course many of factors that affect what high frequency content goes through any given rig. Newness/zinginess of strings, whether a cabinet(s) has a tweeter or not, what kind of IEMs being used, any baked in sound/EQ curve of [gear], which mic is used, etc etc etc. I definitely agree with @OldogNewTrick. There is definitely content above 5k even when you're not slapping.

I think that's why I like the Berg cab impulses so much compared to any of the others I've tried. A lot of the others sounded quite good by themselves, but I felt like I was fighting with them when I tried them in a band mix. The Berg impulse responses don't seem overly skewed to the "fat chewy bottom" that Oldog mentioned, or to have the large mid scoop that some have.

I still currently have almost 30 impulses loaded into my Stomp, but I've pretty much exclusively settled on the NXT212 AKG D112 Balanced as it has nice top end clarity and midrange presence I like for what I'm currently playing... Mostly 80's pop at the moment, which does like a tighter, clearer sound. Sometimes I'll move to the NXT212 AKG D112 Bright impulse when the mood strikes. Unfortunately, I don't have a way to graph out the EQ charts though, so can't visually show what the EQ curve of the D112 IRs look like, or the comparison to the Fet47 ones.

I had the opportunity to directly compare real life Aguilar SL112s with Bergantino CN112s: I bought the Bergs because they had clearer mids and highs, but the SLs still sounded great and I've always liked Aguilar's baked in sound/vibe - that fat warm bottom end. So if Spicer does end up re-capturing the SLs with better high end, I might check them out.

5sg.

 

[Zoot H Rollo]

some curves

i think the Tyler curve looks great:

here's the Redwirez DB15

 

[fivestringgecko]

This clip was recorded direct with Tyler's IR. I think the HF content is fine for this type of sound. It sounds very close to my real SL112 in the room. I do slapping and popping too and for that I like more HF content which is why I reached out to Tyler and found that he was re-recording the SL112 to account better for the tweeter but for much of what I do, his IR just sounds better for my style than any of the celestion / bergantino captures.

Both very nice videos. Great playing, and thanks for the added context!

But it also seems to have evolved the discussion into separate categories: whether or not 5kHz+ content is present, and context. What I think we're both saying here is that our particular discussion comes down to the second, which is the usual thing that almost all discussions on Talkbass always seems to return to: personal preference. You like the SL112 impulses because they mimics your actual live rig, and I like the Berg IRs because they mimic my actual live rig, and we've chosen those respective rigs because they appealed the most to our personal preferences and play styles. (and of course, the disclaimer: ain't nuthin' wrong with either one. )

I totally agree that context matters and there's a time and place for dialing out high frequency content, but in general I like having the extra little sizzle in the highs to begin with and then being able to dial out (in)appropriate high frequencies myself. I'll be watching for the updated SL112 IRs, as I really did like the Aguilars when I had a chance to compare directly with my Bergs!

5sg.

 

[Zoot H Rollo]

Both very nice videos. Great playing, and thanks for the added context!

View attachment 4719815

agreed!

superb playing, bass AND guitar

the Sco thing had a Fris feel as well

 

[jzucker]

Thanks @Zoot H Rollo and @fivestringgecko. Yes, it's all good. We all have different likes and dislikes. No right or wrong here. Just personal preference. And like I said, I do slap and I agree that tyler's capture doesn't sound as good as my SL112 in the room for slapping but I really like them for fingerstyle stuff. I also can't wait for the updated ones. I just sent him an email about it yesterday. I'll let you know if I hear back...

agreed!

superb playing, bass AND guitar

the Sco thing had a Fris feel as well

 

[OldogNewTrick]

some curves

i think the Tyler curve looks great:View attachment 4719768

I have to try that with your EQ settings - that is much more to my liking.

Normally I leave the EQ settings in TH-U Supercabinet alone, as I need to export them and bring them into my IR loader. Then there is the hassle of archiving/managing multiple variant sets of the same IR. But for recording and using TH-U as plugin I totally get it. For me, I tweak my EQ at the end of my pedal chain right before going into the IR loader and headphones.

Here the same Tyler SL112 curve with your EQ settings and without EQ

 

[OldogNewTrick]

Both very nice videos. Great playing, and thanks for the added context!
View attachment 4719815

5sg, is that your mancave / homestudio / practice corner?

 

[OldogNewTrick]

I use nickel plated roundwounds. Typically Ernie Balls. I do play jazz, fingerstyle and slap/pop funk and fusion. My real SL112 has the tweeter 1/2 way up. This clip was recorded direct with Tyler's IR. I think the HF content is fine for this type of sound. It sounds very close to my real SL112 in the room. I do slapping and popping too and for that I like more HF content which is why I reached out to Tyler and found that he was re-recording the SL112 to account better for the tweeter but for much of what I do, his IR just sounds better for my style than any of the celestion / bergantino captures. I actually like those speakers in the room but i have not been crazy about any of their bergantino captures...



This 2nd clip is darker and probably representative of what folks who play with a pick or use a brighter sound and/or with gain don't like...

I checked out your Youtube channel and must say excellent playing, nice instruments !

 

[Lammchop93]

just want to share that I got this Dr Bonkers Hiwatt cab sim pack. It sounds killer with my Tech 21 Leeds preamp pedal! There were so many IR's included with this pack, and a lot of them sound great with bass.
Dr Bonkers Guitar Cab-Oddities™ Volume 11: BIGW 4X12 Guitar Cab IR Collection | Dr. Bonkers Soundlab LLC™

 

[jimfist]

I like Dr. Bonkers IRs a lot. Great selection and price is easy on the wallet.
One of the few IR providers that captures IRs that do sound like the real-world cabinets I've heard and used.
I do tend to like cabinets that have distinct "color" to them, and Dr. Bonkers has that in spades.

 

[fivestringgecko]

Normally I leave the EQ settings in TH-U Supercabinet alone, as I need to export them and bring them into my IR loader...
Here the same Tyler SL112 curve with your EQ settings and without EQ

Hang on a sec... Am I reading this correctly and thinking that with Supercabinet, you can import an impulse response, EQ it more to your liking, and then export it as a new impulse response? If that's the case, I'm sure I'm not the only one that would think about revisiting a few impulse responses that I really liked but they weren't quiiiiitte "there."

5sg, is that your mancave / homestudio / practice corner?

Goodness, I certainly wish! Unfortunately not though. That was Premier Bass in Louisville, CO. Dan (the owner) was a SUPER cool guy... treated you like family the minute you walked in the door. He knew I was in the market for a new pair of 1x12 cabs, so on that particular day, he rearranged his entire shop to put all the 1x12s together, with a couple other configurations thrown in for good measure. Sadly, he closed the shop shortly before passing away in 2014.

I like Dr. Bonkers IRs a lot. Great selection and price is easy on the wallet.

I agree here. More than a few of the IRs I still have loaded on my Stomp are from Dr. Bonkers. I believe the first one I bought from him was the APFlex pack, the impulse response of the Ampeg PF115HE... Which I still enjoy, because that just so happens to be my secondary live amp setup. It definitely captures the Ampeg vibe of the live cab.

Here's a sound sample just for kicks. Dry and then with the IR.

5sg.

 

[OldogNewTrick]

Hang on a sec... Am I reading this correctly and thinking that with Supercabinet, you can import an impulse response, EQ it more to your liking, and then export it as a new impulse response? If that's the case, I'm sure I'm not the only one that would think about revisiting a few impulse responses that I really liked but they weren't quiiiiitte "there."

Sure, no prob at all. Best 50 bucks I spend for my IR collection to work. Zoot's post earlier shows the full interface.
Especially if you use any of the collections which are more geared towards DAW use.
I have Redwirez and Dr.Bonkers collections, where I have imported the tweeter into channel 1, the main speakers Mic type and placement into 2 and 3, and the port mic into 4.
Then blend together for whatever you feel is the desired result. Each of the 4 channels can be individually eq'ed and the combined result exported as wav in whatever resolution your original IR's were.
Chuck that in your IR loader and.... start tweaking again. It's a rabbit hole with many pathways to explore...
workflow: ..........

Joking aside, it takes considerable experience (maybe occasionally substituted by dumb luck) to mix and tweak the components to a satisfactory whole.
One of the reason I appreciate so much the Celestion Playing Style IR's included in the various speaker packs, as they give me both a viable starting point or a valuable reference as you can easily get lost chasing around in that rabbit hole.

 

[Zoot H Rollo]

One of the reason I appreciate so much the Celestion Playing Style IR's included in the various speaker packs, as they give me both a viable starting point or a valuable reference as you can easily get lost chasing around in that rabbit hole.

The Celestion IRs are only speakers not full cabinets, correct?

I've hesitated with them since I'm not really clear on their best use.

Recommendations?

 

[jzucker]

The Celestion IRs are only speakers not full cabinets, correct?

I've hesitated with them since I'm not really clear on their best use.

Recommendations?

Speakers IN the cabinets.

Bergantino Impulse Response Collection | Celestion Digital

 

[Zoot H Rollo]

Speakers IN the cabinets.

Bergantino Impulse Response Collection | Celestion Digital

i own the Bergantino Collection.

Unclear on this page:

Build Your Own IR or DSR Collection | Celestion Digital

Do you pick a speaker and specify a cab?

 

[PhR75]

just want to share that I got this Dr Bonkers Hiwatt cab sim pack. It sounds killer with my Tech 21 Leeds preamp pedal! There were so many IR's included with this pack, and a lot of them sound great with bass.
Dr Bonkers Guitar Cab-Oddities™ Volume 11: BIGW 4X12 Guitar Cab IR Collection | Dr. Bonkers Soundlab LLC™

I've been using the same Hiwatt IR pack a lot too recently. It's not as coloured or as distinctive as the Bonker's Acoustic 301 IR which I love too. Anyone trying to reproduce the classic Jaco sound should try that (the Acoustic 301 IR pack).

I've also used both for guitar when recording at home.

 

[Zoot H Rollo]

I've been using the same Hiwatt IR a lot too recently. It's not as coloured or as distinctive as the Bonker's Acoustic 301 IR which I love too. Anyone trying to reproduce the classic Jaco sound should try that.

try which, the Hiwatt or the 301?

 

[PhR75]

try which, the Hiwatt or the 301?

301, of course. It's more or less the same cab Jaco used (Acoustic 361) without the power amp.
Sorry, my original post was a bit confusingly written. Now edited.