Impulse responses-Clarifications needed for nooby.

[musiclover7]

Trying to figure these out. I get the gist of them, but here are my questions... please help if you can.

I down loaded some of the free ir's from OwnHam and am trying to use them. They contain folders for kempler, axe fx, but none for helix. When I open the core folder, I am greeled with like 30 wav files. Is every one of these a separate IR?

 

Attaching a screenshot. 

I guess I am wondering how you all are using these things with the helix? How do you choose which one to go with? Is there something else I am missing?

[mfalkler]

Yep, those are all separate IRs.  Each IR is like a snapshot of the response of a certain mic on a certain speaker on a certain cab, at a certain distance, angle, etc.  So all those files are reflective of all those variables. 

 

I only have the free pack from Ownhammer, but my download had a Line6 folder included.  Even if it doesn't, I think you can use any of the wav files in there - Ownhammer separates them into folders for convenience of the people using the different modelers.  (Somebody please correct me if that's not right).

 

It's a lot to load in to the Helix just to weed out ones you don't like.  If you do any kind of recording on your computer, you might be able to try what I did.  I recorded a quick noodle in my DAW and added an amp simulation but no cab.  Then I used an IR loader to cycle through the ownhammer folder and see which ones I liked best.  It's still a lot to go through, but it's quicker and less of a commitment than loading them on to the Helix to try them out.  Generally if I don't like the way they sound in my DAW, I won't like them in the Helix either.

 

 

[musiclover7]

Thanks...  That is helpful.. I downloaded the free pack from Ownhammer as well, but it did not contain a Helix folder.  Last question.  Do I need to use ones specifically designed for helix, or can I load others?

[shanecgriffo]

just the general wav ones usually

[shanecgriffo]

when they show up in your helix you may find them at a rate of 1024 or 2048.. i think the 2048 ones use more processing power but probably sound a little better i'm guessing

[Rocco_Crocco]

use any .wav. 1024 sounds fine. not Helix specific.

[musiclover7]

Thanks all!

[sikter]

Yep, those are all separate IRs.  Each IR is like a snapshot of the response of a certain mic on a certain speaker on a certain cab, at a certain distance, angle, etc.  So all those files are reflective of all those variables. 

 

I only have the free pack from Ownhammer, but my download had a Line6 folder included.  Even if it doesn't, I think you can use any of the wav files in there - Ownhammer separates them into folders for convenience of the people using the different modelers.  (Somebody please correct me if that's not right).

 

It's a lot to load in to the Helix just to weed out ones you don't like.  If you do any kind of recording on your computer, you might be able to try what I did.  I recorded a quick noodle in my DAW and added an amp simulation but no cab.  Then I used an IR loader to cycle through the ownhammer folder and see which ones I liked best.  It's still a lot to go through, but it's quicker and less of a commitment than loading them on to the Helix to try them out.  Generally if I don't like the way they sound in my DAW, I won't like them in the Helix either.

@Mfalkier How do you change IRs in DAW for quick review? I use logic pro x and would like to know more about doing this your way as it seems less time time consuming comparing it to direct reloading on Helix. Thx.

[bsd512]

While I haven't tried the free OwnHammer IRs, I do have a handful of purchased cabs from OH.  In all of those, they do include a Line 6 folder.  They also include non-product specific folders as well.  I haven't checked directly, but I suspect the Line 6 Helix folder is a duplicate of the Wav-48000 folder since that's what the Helix says it supports.

 

Also, with the OH IRs, you'll get about 700 IRs for a 4x12 cabinet.  Basically 13 or so microphones+mixed mics x 11 positions x 4 speaker combinations, plus a quick start folder for each speaker combination with about 35 representative IRs in it, and a few miscellaneous.

 

The difference in mic's, mixed mics, and speakers are pretty large.  The differences between the 10 IR positions 0-10 per mic are pretty small.  So what I've done is focus on the quick-start folder for each speaker / speaker combo, and that just contains 1 IR per mic or mix for each speaker/speaker combo, i.e., one mic position.  And you can go through those pretty quickly to find your favorites.

 

I really like the sound of two IRs in a 50/50 split just after the amp with different mic's and speakers.  Usually the speaker combinations include a dark'ish speaker and a brighter/mid'ier speaker.  In a dual IR patch like that, I like the SM57 on the darker speaker and the M160 on the brighter speaker.  Run in parallel sounds really good to my ears.

 

If I'm using a single IR patch, I really like the OH1 or OH2 microphone mix, with a slight nod to the OH1 mix.

 

It's all personal preference and likely highly dependent on the kind of tone you're starting out with.  I play mostly high gain stuff and those combinations sound really good for me.

 

You'll want to find what you like the best and what works for you.  But hopefully the above may save you a little time in auditioning IRs.  QuickStart folder is representative of the entire collection and contains only about 35 IRs per speaker type.

 

Be sure and use the lo/hi cut on the IR blocks for best results.  Good starting point is lo cut at 72 and hi cut at 6k.  That will tame both the boomyness and the fizz.  Season to taste.

 

I have tried 3Sigma, Redwirez, and Rosen, but the OwnHammers are my personal favorite.  3Sigma are the easiest to audition with just 10 IRs per cabinet total.  But now that I've figured out what I like with the OH's, they're just as easy for me to audition and make a selection.

[mfalkler]

@Mfalkier How do you change IRs in DAW for quick review? I use logic pro x and would like to know more about doing this your way as it seems less time time consuming comparing it to direct reloading on Helix. Thx.

 

I'm sure there are other products that will do it, but I got a free VST called NadIR.  Once you load it on your track, you navigate to the IR you want to load first.  But once it's loaded, clicking on the path will bring up a little menu where you can quickly pick any other IR in that folder.  Then I just make note of the ones I liked the best and load them in the helix. 

[sikter]

I'm sure there are other products that will do it, but I got a free VST called NadIR.  Once you load it on your track, you navigate to the IR you want to load first.  But once it's loaded, clicking on the path will bring up a little menu where you can quickly pick any other IR in that folder.  Then I just make note of the ones I liked the best and load them in the helix. 

Thanks @mfalkler. I will check it out.