Best high gain IRs for 7 string?

S

stereotactic

Experienced
Hello, I’m new to IRs, so pardon any ignorance. Previously, I had the most neutral speakers/amps I could find as I use a good amount of signal processing with harmonizer, delay, reverb, etc and want as much detail as I can get. I had custom cabinets built and tuned around EV12Ls so I am unfamiliar with the nuances of lower wattage speaker breakup, compression and frequency responses. EV12Ls are PA speakers and meant to be accurate in their reproduction, given the limits of a single 12” transducer. The Axe affords us the liberty of an entire studio signal chain starting with a mic’d speaker. I’ve spent plenty of time in recording studios and know a few things about mics, but I am not an engineer and so need to know more to get good results:

1) Which actual speaker model has both the widest frequency range and most pleasing breakup characteristics? I ask as a 7 string player of mostly instrumental music looking for the biggest, fullest tone I can get as a starting point.

2) The Axe 3 has 4 IR slots in the cab block, and in the interest of achieving the fullest tone, how many IRS do most of you high gain players tend to use per preset? I’m aware that cancellation potential increases as you add mics, so how many of you use more than two IRs at a time and how do you deal with cancellation issues?

Thanks!
 
Lately I’ve been using the York Audio bipolar cab pack Recto ST 4x12 mixes. The axe III has a lot of these cabs in the factory IR’s. Search for YA in the Axe Edit cab picker screen.
 
Promit said:
I feel that you can't go down this road without trying the Misha Mansoor packs - https://shop.fractalaudio.com/ML_Misha_Mansoor_UltraRes_Cab_Pack_Bundle_p/fas-801-0049.htm
V30s are actually quite popular with the 7 string crowd. IME the 'bulb' presets and other 'djent' presets tend to use a lot of low end roll off to control flubbiness on the low end.
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Thanks for the info, i don’t doubt it. Though I think it’s the natural result of pushing that envelope too far. I have checked Mesuggah records on good monitors and was shocked at the lack of low end. At worst, the djent sound is more percussion than polyphonic stringed instrument..:-(

Interesting to know that V30s are potentially up to the task..:)
 
Can anyone weigh in on how many IRs they use for each preset, and if cancellation/comb filtering is an issue with more than 1?
 
stereotactic said:
Can anyone weigh in on how many IRs they use for each preset, and if cancellation/comb filtering is an issue with more than 1?
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I have a couple blend presets. In order to avoid undesirable comb filtering, you'll want to make sure the IRs are in phase. I believe Ownhammer, ML, etc make sure all of their own IRs are phase matched, but you may have problems mixing. If you want to be completely flexible, the best thing to do is load minimum phase transformed (MPT) IRs, or transform them yourself in Cab Lab.
 
Promit said:
I have a couple blend presets. In order to avoid undesirable comb filtering, you'll want to make sure the IRs are in phase. I believe Ownhammer, ML, etc make sure all of their own IRs are phase matched, but you may have problems mixing. If you want to be completely flexible, the best thing to do is load minimum phase transformed (MPT) IRs, or transform them yourself in Cab Lab.
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Thanks, how do I know if the IRs are MPT?
 
Thanks for all the input!

How many of you use more than one IR?

Which mic and speaker varieties do you think add up to the most massive tone?
 
I'm almost always mixing 2+ IRs. I think (for me) it's easier to find two that approximate what you're looking for, rather than finding one that's exactly what you're looking for. So like, a too bright IR + a too dark IR can make a really solid, balanced IR.

If you're looking at legacy cabs (Axe 2, Ax8, or Axe 3 legacy bank), #41 4x12 1960B V30 (RW) +#103 4x12 Basketweave TV Mix is really great. Also in the legacy bank, another user recommended #73 4x12 USA Trad 57-121 (ML) + #74 4x12 USA Trad 906-421 (ML).

That probably boils down to V30+Greenback and some combination of your favorite mics (SM57+R121, SM57+421, etc).

Personally, I've also had great experiences using ML's Misha pack, OwnHammers 412 Recto and 412 FMAN 6-packs, and York Audio's Bipolar Pack. The producer mixes in all four of these are great.

Here's a video walking through some IRs in a metal context:
 
Brian Angiel said:
I'm almost always mixing 2+ IRs. I think (for me) it's easier to find two that approximate what you're looking for, rather than finding one that's exactly what you're looking for. So like, a too bright IR + a too dark IR can make a really solid, balanced IR.

If you're looking at legacy cabs (Axe 2, Ax8, or Axe 3 legacy bank), #41 4x12 1960B V30 (RW) +#103 4x12 Basketweave TV Mix is really great. Also in the legacy bank, another user recommended #73 4x12 USA Trad 57-121 (ML) + #74 4x12 USA Trad 906-421 (ML).

That probably boils down to V30+Greenback and some combination of your favorite mics (SM57+R121, SM57+421, etc).

Personally, I've also had great experiences using ML's Misha pack, OwnHammers 412 Recto and 412 FMAN 6-packs, and York Audio's Bipolar Pack. The producer mixes in all four of these are great.

Here's a video walking through some IRs in a metal context:
Click to expand...


Thanks for all the excellent info Brian, plenty to work with, good to hear that your suggestions work well with extended range guitars!
 
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