Replacing IR Cab Sim for EQ

[PhR75]

When blending digitally processed and analog path signals, one should be careful to keep them phase aligned. Digital signals usually have (however small) latency. Although it may not be audible, it causes phase shifts.

Well, of course the "dream box" would have that taken care of too.

 

[Ritter667]

But for those interested in trying out EQ in place of regular cab sim I have another improvement, or at least variation of above, still depending though on the fact that is is followed by a HPF with cut off point at 40Hz:

Freq: 20Hz - Q: 2 - dB: - 20
(Freq: 70Hz - Q: 4 - dB: + 1) [this band can be left out, or boosted more, depending on taste]
Freq: 1kHz - Q: 4 - dB: + 3
Freq: 1.2kHz - Q: 4 - dB: +1
Freq: 3.6kHz - Q: 2 - dB: +3
Freq: 12kHz - Q: 1 - dB: - 12
Freq: 16kHz - Q: 1 - dB: - 20
Freq: 20kHz - Q: 0.5 - dB: - 20

I finally ended up with, almost, above:

Freq: 20Hz - Q: 2 - dB: - 20
(Freq: 70Hz - Q: 4 - dB: + 3
Freq: 1kHz - Q: 4 - dB: + 3
Freq: 1.2kHz - Q: 4 - dB: +1
Freq: 3.6kHz - Q: 2 - dB: +3
Freq: 12kHz - Q: 1 - dB: - 12
Freq: 16kHz - Q: 1 - dB: - 20
Freq: 20kHz - Q: 0.5 - dB: - 20

Placed after my engaged NUX Melvin Lee Davis Bass Preamp + DI, on the same settings I have used all the time, but with the cab sim disengaged, and after both still a tube preamp with a build in HPF fixed at 40Hz.

This gives a pretty flat EQ/frequency response, except for a pretty steep HPF with the -3dB cut off point around 50/60Hz, with a slight really narrow boost at just 70Hz, a small fairly narrow boost around 1kHz, and then a LPF with the -3dB cut off point around 4/4.5kHz.

Am really satisfied with the tone I get from this setup, much better than any of the many IR based cab sims I ever tried, pretty close to the "tone in my head".

So now I am contemplating on getting an Aguilar Tonehammer preamp to replace the NUX, since that is what the NUX emulates, and a Source Audio EQ2 in place of the Zoom, for cab sim.

 

[Ritter667]

I finally ended up with, almost, above:

Freq: 20Hz - Q: 2 - dB: - 20
(Freq: 70Hz - Q: 4 - dB: + 3
Freq: 1kHz - Q: 4 - dB: + 3
Freq: 1.2kHz - Q: 4 - dB: +1
Freq: 3.6kHz - Q: 2 - dB: +3
Freq: 12kHz - Q: 1 - dB: - 12
Freq: 16kHz - Q: 1 - dB: - 20
Freq: 20kHz - Q: 0.5 - dB: - 20

Placed after my engaged NUX Melvin Lee Davis Bass Preamp + DI, on the same settings I have used all the time, but with the cab sim disengaged, and after both still a tube preamp with a build in HPF fixed at 40Hz.

This gives a pretty flat EQ/frequency response, except for a pretty steep HPF with the -3dB cut off point around 50/60Hz, with a slight really narrow boost at just 70Hz, a small fairly narrow boost around 1kHz, and then a LPF with the -3dB cut off point around 4/4.5kHz.
View attachment 7354020

Am really satisfied with the tone I get from this setup, much better than any of the many IR based cab sims I ever tried, pretty close to the "tone in my head".

So now I am contemplating on getting an Aguilar Tonehammer preamp to replace the NUX, since that is what the NUX emulates, and a Source Audio EQ2 in place of the Zoom, for cab sim.

And even better yet:

Freq: 20Hz - Q: 2 - dB: - 20
Freq: 70Hz - Q: 4 - dB: + 3 (can also be exchanged for Freq: 63Hz - Q: 4 - dB: + 4 = For a less open, but more punchy tone)
Freq: 1kHz - Q: 4 - dB: + 3
Freq: 1.2kHz - Q: 4 - dB: +1
Freq: 3.6kHz - Q: 2 - dB: +6
Freq: 12kHz - Q: 1 - dB: - 12
Freq: 16kHz - Q: 1 - dB: - 20
Freq: 20kHz - Q: 0.5 - dB: - 20

Creating a small resonant peak just before the LPF cutoff.

 

[Ritter667]

And a sound test of how my bass/amp-less setup sounds respectively without and with the EQ based cab sim listed bellow:

EQ Cab Sim Off:

EQ Cab Sim On:

And these are the EQ settings for the faux EQ cab sim used:

Freq: 20Hz - Q: 2 - dB: - 20
Freq: 70Hz - Q: 4 - dB: + 4
Freq: 1kHz - Q: 4 - dB: + 3
Freq: 1.2kHz - Q: 4 - dB: +1
Freq: 3.6kHz - Q: 2 - dB: +6
Freq: 12kHz - Q: 1 - dB: - 12
Freq: 16kHz - Q: 1 - dB: - 20
Freq: 20kHz - Q: 0.5 - dB: - 20

Preseeded by a very subtle plate reverb, and followed by a HPF with cut off point at 40Hz.

The reverb is only one when cab sim is, the idea is for it to simulate a room for the emulated cab, the HPF is on in both examples.


Mind I play a 5 string bass tuned in tenor bass, A standard, tuning, so no low E,

Also I run my bass through an always on Boss XS-1 for a 1 octave up effect, to emulate an effect somewhat similar to that of an 8 string, octave course, bass.

And please excuse me for my crappy playing.

 

[Ritter667]

An update!:

I now have settled for these, even more simplified, settings:

Freq: 20Hz | Q: 2 | dB: - 20 (to make the low end more focused, reduce unwanted mud, and, if used, to spare the speakers)
Freq: 70Hz | Q: 4 | dB: + 4 (for low end punch)
Freq: 1kHz | Q: 4 | dB: + 3 (for improved note definition, and added snappiness, with a more focused attack)
Freq: 1.2kHz | Q: 4 | dB: + 1 (instead of going +4dB at 1Khz this softens out the snappiness slightly)
Freq: 16kHz | Q: 1 | dB: - 20 (to filter out noise, and, for bass, other unwanted frequencies, to make the overall tone of the bass more focused)
Freq: 20kHz | Q: 0.5 | dB: - 20 (to filter out noise, and, for bass, other unwanted frequencies, to make the overall tone of the bass more focused)

And on a frequency graph it looks like this (note though that here is included a HPF set at 40Hz, which I have following the Zoom unit):

Note that the EQ looks more dramatic than it is, due to the span of the Y axis of the graph only going from +12dB to -12dB.

Also note that the cut of the 2 upper bands (16kHz and 20kHz) closely matches the curve of a 12db/Oct LPF set at 4.6kHz, but though it looks and sounds similar, it isn't an exact match, above 10Khz to slightly above 20kHz the curve that the parametric cuts apply is steeper than with a 12dB/Oct HPF, but on the other hand it stops declining at some point slightly above 20Khz, which a HPF wouldn't, and even further above that there would be no cut applied at all, though that would be well beyond human hearing range anyway.

I tried both, and to my ears the dual band parametric approach sounds slightly better.

And the 20Hz parametric cut roughly matches that of a HPF set to a 40Hz cut off point, though again with a somewhat different curve, and a steeper initial decline.


And it sounds like this (note though, running an always on 1 octave up effect, to emulate an effect somewhat similar to that of an 8 string, octave course, bass, and the bass used is a just 28.6" scale length instrument that is tuned to G#1 (51.91Hz) standard tuning, and beside above cab sim filter there is additionally added some subtle preamp EQ'ing (we are talking +/- 1 to 2 dB at 3 broad frequency bands, on a dry signal parallel blended overdriven preamp)):

To specify and clarify this is my exact signal path:

EHX Black Finger (tube driven optical compressor, though primarily used as tube preamp, with minimal compression dialed in) -> Boss XS-1 Poly Shifter (set to a 1 octave up, to emulate an effect somewhat similar to that of an 8 string, octave course, bass) -> Boss LS-2 -> [Loop A : Tech 21 Oxford (analog emulation of an Orange type preamp, with build in cab sim filter disengaged) |+| Loop B : Dry blend (66:34 ratio, basically 2:1)] -> NUX Tape Core Deluxe (emulates a Roland RE-201 Space Echo tape delay, dialed in with spring reverb, and additionally is set to deliver a reverb like subtle delay) -> Zoom Ms-70CDR (exclusively used to emulate an EQ based cab sim filter, utilizing multiple units of the dual parametric EQ model for bass) -> ART Tube MP Project Series (tube preamp, with HPF engaged, fixed @ 40Hz) -> Zoom H4n (handheld recorder)