Most efficient way to audition IR's

[Dylanguitar]

Interested in hearing other peoples method of auditioning IR's. I've bought some of the Ownhammer packages, and there are so many different IR's to audition, and it's proving really difficult to check them all out with the fact that the Helix only holds a little more than a hundred at a time. 

It would be nice to be able to export all my existing IR's as a bundle and then import all new ones to audition, then re-importing my existing ones, but that's proving a little clumsy, since some of them are already tied to Presets, and exporting and reimporting doesn't tie them to they're previous numerical positions unless you re-title them.

 

So, how are other people auditioning large amounts of IR's?

 

Thanks!

 

Dylan

[spikey]

An Editor with a "Scratch-Pad" area in it to load in IR's on the fly might be handy for this (wink wink)....

[duncann]

Use a DAW and some sort of IR loading plugin.

 

I use Reaper and it's built in ReaVerb. All you have to do is load an IR from one directory and use the arrow keys on the keyboard to cycle through all the IRs in that directory. Couldn't be much easier.

 

Send an already recorded dry signal from your DAW to Helix. Change the input of the patch to usb 3/4, 5/6, or 7/8. I use 3/4. Set the dry track output to the appropriate setting and likely mono, depending on what you changed the input of the patch to. Set another track to record the Helix processed tone by putting its input to usb 1/2. Put the IR plugin on this track. Make sure to disable any IRs or cab blocks in the Helix patch.

[vmoncebaiz]

I use foot edit mode (hold FS6) to scroll through 3rd party IRs one at a time. I load 128 of them and just press the value + button to change through them. I write down the ones I like and move them into a folder. Load up another group and repeat.

 

It's always sort of a pain to search through the hundred of IRs they give you, but if you consider that most of them sound very similar to each other you can hear one of two of each mic at a couple distances and tell if that's what you want.

 

For the most part I only audition ones within certain distance ranges i.e. - 0"-2" or 6"-8" depending on if I'm looking for a close or far mic'd IR with that particular mic.

 

 

As far as the presets that already use irs, just note which ones are being used and just reload them afterwards, or place those ones back at the same place in the IR number

[JLondon]

The most efficient way to audition over a thousand IR bundle is - DON'T.  It's ludicrous in my way of thinking.  No one, after listening to a 10th IR can possibly remember what the 1st even sounded like in order to compare.  I really can't imagine why they give us so many in a bundle in the first place.  What I do like is when the maker of the IRs create what they call a "quick start" folder for you that has a few combinations of each speaker combination.  Usually about 30 IRs total and one can typically find what they need right there.  But if you hear a speaker with a certain mic at a certain distance and you wish it were a little closer or farther away, then you can go to the big lot and get the one you want.  My advice, if not provided with a quick start folder, is to methodically make your own.  Before listening, make a folder, containing only one speaker type, with one of each available mic, all at a same average distance - say 3 inches.  THEN, and only then, listen and learn the differences in the mics first.  Make one separate folder just like this for each available speaker type in the purchased bundle.  By the time you have created a folder like this for 4 different speakers you will have learned not only the characteristics of each individual microphone, but also you'll know what you prefer.  I guarantee you that you can get a 2000 +  IR bundle down to 10 or 15 that you should then make at home on the Helix. 

[Dylanguitar]

Thanks for all the responses. I actually ended up not using the helix at all to audition, but imported all the IR's into S Gear within protools. 

I used the wayfarer for a distorted amp and the Duke for a fenderish clean. 

Basically I'm operating on the premise that if the IR sounds good in S Gear then it's probably going to sound good within the Helix. I pulled up a few of the ones I'm currently using within the Helix within S-Gear, just to calibrate my ears a bit.

I'll import the ones I selected and see how accurate I was.

 

Thanks for the replies!!

[amsdenj]

Its helpful to know the mics before you start selecting speakers as they make a lot of difference. If you're looking for warm, choose a ribbon mic; transparent, choose condenser; hyped upper mids, choose dynamic often the '57. 

 

Looking at the same criteria: warm, choose cone; transparent, choose cap-edge; bright, choose cap.

 

For distance: close, in your face, and warm, choose close mic; transparent, choose 2-4", thin and roomy, choose >4".

 

Know something about the speakers themselves, which ones are warm, transparent or bright. That might take some research, but trying them with the same choice of mic, position and distance can work too.

 

If you know what tone you're looking for, these simple guides can trim down the number of IRs you need to audition a lot. Once you zero in, you can try a few different positions or mics on the speaker model you like.

[archisc]

In Helix, use the looper..... and switch IR