Amps vs cabs

SteveFireland

SteveFireland

Member
It has always seemed to me that the cab choice is way more important than the amp choice. To the point where the amp choice isn't all that important, as long as you pick something in the general "family" that you need. For example, it's not so important if I pick the Das Metall or Angle Severe or 5153 for metal rhythm sounds - it's the cab that really gives the character of the sound. Anyone else find the same thing?

I've been a "Fractal guy" since the Ultra days, love 'em, but even after buying a few cab packs, I always go back to the original Cali cab for my rhythm sounds. The rest either sound muffled or honky or flat etc. Maybe I'm just stuck in my ways. I've always tried to recreate the same sound I hear in my head whether I was using a Korg G3, a Digitech RP12, a Boss GT6 or a Line6 Pod X3...
 
While I agree that cab is very important, and at least 75-80% of your tone, I wouldn't go so far as to say the amp choice isn't that important, even among the same amp "family". the Brit #34, BE/HBE and Quickrod sound similar through the same cab, but still very unique.

people definitely do not pay as much attention to cabs as they should, though.
 
Every link in the chain matters. A muffled IR makes everything sound muffled, it's also true for what enters and exits the amp. The Cali cab is not a balanced cab. It doesn't make balanced signals sound right. If you're getting used to set your amps according to it, you risk to overlook much better IRs or IRs combinations while being limited by the flaws of the Cali.
 
I feel this. Definitely use the audition feature/looper block to test multiple cabs, because the IR does make a big difference. One can sound totally boxy and muffled with your amp, while another has a lot more presence!
 
For me, it is about pairing the right amp with the right cab. If either choice is bad, then the digital rig lacks mojo. I have a couple of user cabs, but mostly rely on the the trusty factory cabs.
 
Another thought. You can use the awesome guides by @yek to pair cabs with amps. He has a lot of great suggestions. Also, when auditioning cabs, don't just zip through them. Take the time to adjust the low and hi cut, and really dial them in. Not every cab is going to wow you right out of the box, but with a little tweaking, they come alive. Same with the amps. The joy is in the journey.
 
I find that looking for the right cab IR, and adjusting the sound parameters within the IR (hi/low cut, proximity) are often more important to me than micro-managing the eq settings on the amp. Often, close enough is close enough with eq settings if the cab IR is chosen and set up the way I want. - Final tweaks for either can't be done until I hear the tone in the mix with my band, though.

This approach also helps me simplify setting up entire presets, too. If the cab IR is right, I often don't need extra blocks with different effects and eq's to get my tone where I want it. Less blocks in my prestets makes me happier.

I would never say that one or the other (amp or IR) doesn't matter though. How much they matter simply depends on what I need from a given preset.
 
I believe cab choice is important but not sure I'd go as far as this. Pete Thorn says it is at least 50% of the recipe.

For MY tone, after I found my fav cab(s), I had to look for months to find the amp I was looking for to get me the tones I was hearing in my head. For some categories of tone (like blues), I'm still waffling between a few (right now, Div/13, Suhr Badger 30 & Dr Z Route 66).
 
I'm about a month into have an AX8 and I've been amazed at how much the cab block affects the overall sound. So far it seems that if I land on the right IR it's way less tweaking on the amp block. My experience has been very similar to what Hbucker said, if I get the right cab and get that set, my amp block tweaks are much more subtle.
 
no doubt, the cab is key...and with the recent apparent advances in the science and art of creating these WAV/IR/SYX (with some of the best work being done by dudes who came up through this ecosystem and forum...)...Amps in the box (and beyond) sound better than ever...
 
yek said:
Importance of Cab: I’d go as high as 80%.
Lots of proof.

10 amps through a single cab: only minor differences.
Single amp through 10 cabs: 10 different sounds.
Click to expand...
yek said:
Importance of Cab: I’d go as high as 80%.
Lots of proof.

10 amps through a single cab: only minor differences.
Single amp through 10 cabs: 10 different sounds.
Click to expand...
Couldn't agree more with that statement! I have browsed through all of the factory cabs and noted which of them give me the sounds I like most. There are about 5-6 I use that I like, and they mostly all have similar sounds and characteristics. Amps would be secondary, but are usually my starting point before delving into cab match.
 
I bought some Celestion greenback 4x12 cabs, and they seem brighter or clearer than the factory cabs by themselves. I was also doing the allure greenback 4x12. Way bright!

In a mix, different story.

Anymore, I am digging the tv mix or ax mix factory cabs.
 
You like the results with the Cali because you like a Mesa in reality, and maybe even used one with a real rig. The various cabs are there to emulate real cabs, so you can emulate real rigs.
 
Couldn't agree more, my experience has shown me in order of noticeable difference, outside of many other factors, speaker, pickup, cab.

Cheers
Ant
 
Barmaleus said:
Here is your answer =)
Click to expand...

Well, no, it just so happens that the Cali cab gets me instantly closest to the sound in my head but I can use a lot of different amps through that cab and get essentially the same sound. Which is what made me ask the actual question - does everyone else think the same way? I'm glad to see that at least some people do :)
 
So I’m a newbie. I finally dialed in a tone free of unwanted fizzle and frequencies by cutting the hi/low of the factory basket weave TV cab AND by adding a GEQ to add more 1k & 4k mids. It finally sounds usable but there still feels like there is something missing. It’s not alive. It sounds good but I feel like it should be inspiring. The blanket isn’t quite lifted yet. Maybe a different IR will change that? How do you audition all the choices while also performing the needed hi/low cuts? Seems like a huge investment of time.
 
Bman said:
So I’m a newbie. I finally dialed in a tone free of unwanted fizzle and frequencies by cutting the hi/low of the factory basket weave TV cab AND by adding a GEQ to add more 1k & 4k mids. It finally sounds usable but there still feels like there is something missing. It’s not alive. It sounds good but I feel like it should be inspiring. The blanket isn’t quite lifted yet. Maybe a different IR will change that? How do you audition all the choices while also performing the needed hi/low cuts? Seems like a huge investment of time.
Click to expand...
If you dial out all the high end of course it's going to sound muffled. Try playing it: loud and with your band. That high end is what helps you find your home in the mix when everything else is happening around you.
 
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