Using the same IRs with every platform. About to ramble. Tell me your thoughts

JTI

JTI

Power User
So I've had the III for a few weeks now. Sounds are excellent. Amp tones at default are always a hair away from what I am wanting to hear at most. Everything is really sounding great. FW updates are coming at what is, to me; a record pace.

There is a hitch in my thought process. I am using the same 2 or three IRs as I have used in other platforms. Basically LiveReadySound (killer) and a CabIREU 4x12 IR. I feel like to be getting the most out of my Axe III experience; I should be using an UltraRes something or other from the Fractal stable. Am I wrong in this thought? Do you III guys just take whatever IR you used wherever from a previous digital life, convert it in CabLab and call it good? It seems like I should be doing something different.
 
Use what sounds good to you. I tend to rely on a very select few IRs as they work for me without a lot of tweaking and make the amp models I use with them sound good. BTW...These are all "legacy" IRs from the Axe 2 or my own that I've shot.
I've spent some time going through the thousands on the Axe 3 and found some really good IRs but I didn't rush to go through them. My advice is use what you like and know, and explore the others as you go. There is no rush....
 
muudrock said:
Use what sounds good to you. I tend to rely on a very select few IRs as they work for me without a lot of tweaking and make the amp models I use with them sound good. BTW...These are all "legacy" IRs from the Axe 2 or my own that I've shot.
I've spent some time going through the thousands on the Axe 3 and found some really good IRs but I didn't rush to go through them. My advice is use what you like and know, and explore the others as you go. There is no rush....
Click to expand...
I agree for the most part; yet it seems like that would be ignoring advancements of the Axe platform and a slippery slope to "tech 21 character series with cab off--->mooer radar" rig. I'm being slightly hyperbolic :D but do you get what I am saying?
 
JiveTurkey said:
Do you III guys just take whatever IR you used wherever from a previous digital life, convert it in CabLab and call it good? It seems like I should be doing something different.
Click to expand...

This was my goal from the start and it took me a long time (and some dollars) to find a handful of IRs that work in most/all applications. For me, these are:
  • ML Zilla Balanced
  • OH 112 Class-A BCT OH1 + BLU OH1
  • OH 412 FMAN M93 CUT + V30B CUT
  • OH 412 Recto C90 CUT+121 + TEX CUT+121
The OH IRs are the Quick-Starts. I almost exclusively use one of the combos above.
 
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Brian Angiel said:
This was my goal from the start and it took me a long time (and some dollars) to find a handful of IRs that work in most/all applications. For me, these are:
  • ML Zilla Balanced
  • OH 112 Class-A BCT OH1 + BLU OH1
  • OH 412 FMAN M93 CUT + V30B CUT
  • OH 412 Recto C90 CUT+121 + TEX CUT+121
The OH IRs are the Quick-Starts. I almost exclusively use one of the combos above.
Click to expand...
So are these all 3rd party IRs NOT included in the Fractal? Do you find yourself doing deep tweaks in the cab block on the Axe itself that actually "improve" things?
 
If you are not using UltraRes format, they will be less accurate. The low end detail is much better...
 
unix-guy said:
If you are not using UltraRes format, they will be less accurate. The low end detail is much better...
Click to expand...
So to truly get Ultra Res quality levlsl; you'd need to start with those from scratch instead of converting joe schmoe IR in CabLab to UltraRes format? Or am I wrong/overthinking it?
 
JiveTurkey said:
So to truly get Ultra Res quality levlsl; you'd need to start with those from scratch instead of converting joe schmoe IR in CabLab to UltraRes format? Or am I wrong/overthinking it?
Click to expand...
I don't use Cab Lab... But I believe that as long as the source is at least 180ms you should be fine.
 
JiveTurkey said:
So I've had the III for a few weeks now. Sounds are excellent. Amp tones at default are always a hair away from what I am wanting to hear at most. Everything is really sounding great. FW updates are coming at what is, to me; a record pace.

There is a hitch in my thought process. I am using the same 2 or three IRs as I have used in other platforms. Basically LiveReadySound (killer) and a CabIREU 4x12 IR. I feel like to be getting the most out of my Axe III experience; I should be using an UltraRes something or other from the Fractal stable. Am I wrong in this thought? Do you III guys just take whatever IR you used wherever from a previous digital life, convert it in CabLab and call it good? It seems like I should be doing something different.
Click to expand...
I currently use factory2:93 which is a 2x12 orange cab mic'ed with 57s. I previously used Ownhammer IRs. Different ones but usually Marshall 4x12s. There are a couple good OH4x12s in the factory cabs.
 
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bdrepko said:
I currently use factory2:93 which is a 2x12 orange cab mic'ed with 57s. I previously used Ownhammer IRs. Different ones but usually Marshall 4x12s. There are a couple good OH4x12s in the factory cabs.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestion BDR! I love the Orange IR I am using now so maybe that one will be even better!
 
By the way, if you're after recommendations, both the recent ML packs are great. Both the Legends and Greatest Hits.

And I tend to only ever use 1 or 2 IRs for everything...
 
JiveTurkey said:
It is! FANTASTIC IR I've used with great success on Helix as well as the III.
Click to expand...
Ok... So, I have been playing with both the ML packs I listed and both have some great G12H30 IRs (among others). I'm leaning heavily towards using a couple IRs from those and replacing the Orange.
 
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unix-guy said:
Ok... So, I have been playing with both the ML packs I listed and both have some great G12H30 IRs (among others). I'm leaning heavily towards using a couple IRs from those and replacing the Orange.
Click to expand...
I might have to do some IR digging :D
 
JiveTurkey said:
So are these all 3rd party IRs NOT included in the Fractal? Do you find yourself doing deep tweaks in the cab block on the Axe itself that actually "improve" things?
Click to expand...

Correct, they are all from third party packs for a couple reasons. First, I like having the WAV files to use in other applications, plugins for example, for consistency's sake (which you alluded to above). Second, I like the third-party blends. For example, the OH1 and CUT+121 are both SM57+R121 blends. I can achieve this in the box, but I don't think it sounds as good as the mixes provided in the packs I've purchased (maybe it's a placebo effect, maybe it's not).

I don't do any deep editing. There is this video, which I found to be very interesting. It's potentially outdated, but perhaps it's still helpful: https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/video-the-power-of-a-cab-block.113570/

One final note: as far as "in the box" IRs are concerned, my personal favorite mix is Legacy 41 + Legacy 131. It works well with so many amps.
 
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I usually stick with the same few irs for a long while. It seems every time I experiment though, I find something I like even better.

If you have an older ir you really like find a newer ultrares you like and blend the two in cablab. Or we can also do that easily with the cab block in the III and adjust mix levels to where they sound best.
 
Here is a list of all of the cab IRs in the Axe FXIII and their source.

http://wiki.fractalaudio.com/axefx2/index.php?title=Cabinet_models_list

AB: AustinBuddy. CEL: Celestion. DB: Dr. Bonkers. JM: Jay Mitchell (farfield IRs). ML: ML Sound Lab. OH: OwnHammer. RW: Red Wirez. TAF: The Amp Factory. TS: Chris Traynor and James Santiago. VH: Valhallir.at YA: York Audio. Others: original Fractal Audio impulse responses.

The Axe-Fx III has:
  • Two Factory banks with 1,024 Ultra-Res IRs each, listed below.
  • Plus a Legacy bank that contains all 189 stocks cabs from the Axe-Fx II.
I also bought many of the cab packs from Fractal and several from Ownhammer. I gave myself tendonitis auditioning them all.
I ending up using about 10 of the IRs for everything. The ones from Ownhammer in the Axe FXIII and ones I bought directly from Ownhammer sound the best to me.

All I really need is one or two great cabs for a Marshall Plexi, one for a Hiwatt, one for a Vox AC30, one for a Super Reverb, one for a Deluxe Reverb, and one for a 59 Bassman, that sound as good as the same real amps and cabs I use. You'd think that would be easy to find with all of the IRs in the Axe FXIII and cab packs. It wasn't.
I had to shoot some of my own for a couple of the amps. I know which mics sound the best and where to put them for my needs.
 
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