What's your method for mixing IRs?

J

JWDubois

Inspired
Since I got my III a few months ago I've been mostly using pre mixed IRs.

I've attempted to do some cab mixes using the old "mix an SM57 with a 121" formula, but I've not been able to get any better results than the pre-mixed ones.

What's your formula? I tend to be happiest with greenback/tv/basketweave type mixes.
 
Yeah, my go-to has been 160 + 57 for a while... I really like the 160 since discovering it on IR packs. I'd never come across it before.

In my analog rig recording days it was usually 57 + 121 or 57 + 421, although the place we recorded we often had a Neumann U87 which was good ;)
 
I bought a Cascade Fathed to get some ribbon mic mojo going on at home, based on Leon's suggestion. Eventually I will get a 160. I already had a Sennheiser e609 which seems to cover the 57 style response pretty well.

I find that you almost don't need to use bass/treble cuts on the cab block if you choose the right mics. 57 at 0dB, then bring up the 160 level until the lows don't sound thin. Usually around -7db gets 'er done. I also add a room mic, down about 10-13dB, to pull the amp out of the monitors and into the air. In addition to the mix levels, I tweak the timing so that the 57 and 160 both have the peak of the initial transient at the same spot, and the room mic transient is just a hair later. Most of the IRs set for MPT are pretty consistent in the timing, so I end up with 1.7mm on the 160 and 8.5mm on the room mic most of the time with OH, RedWirez, and others. I guess the algorithm that does the MPT file trimming is pretty consistent.

I have been taking these mixes into Cab-Lab 3 and turning them into single IRs, to save CPU percentage. I wish that Cab-Lab 3 had the same measuring units for the mic delays, though. It's hundredths of a millisecond in Cab-Lab, vs. mm of mic distance in the AxeFx3.
 
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I've been loyal to the 57/121 or 160 mix until I bought @austinbuddy Naked Amp pack. There's a cab combo (3 cabs mixed) that he used for the Marshall SuperLead amp preset that sounds authentic to me. I haven't recorded it yet to see how it sounds compared to some other stuff. I keep a Logic song/project just for comparing tones. It has more of the amp in the room vibe than my go to OH 57 & 121 IRs that I used to consider my go to. I'm interested in seeing how does mixed in a song. I've just been lazy.
 
No method to my madness - one thing I will say, I think there is a difference in sound/volume when using 1 or more cab(s) and the other slots are "empty" as opposed to those other slots being occupied by a cab but just muted. Just my observation. For instance, If I am only using 2 cab slots, I make sure to make the other 2 "empty."
 
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