N00b question about IRs (OwnHammer specific)

[FarleyUK]

Hi guys,

 

Been playing around with some OwnHammer Marshall IRs, and have a few questions...

 

1. I notice in the manual, it suggests that to get the IR behaving more like a guitar amp / cab, to cut the 400Hz at -3db; has anyone done this? I have a low cut of 230Hz and a high cut of 6.8MHz on the IR block anyway, so just wondered what difference it makes (and what benefit it brings)

 

2. Which mics would people suggest for the 'true' live guitar sound? Very subjective I know, but I'm torn between the SM75 and R121. Interested to know which ones people use!

 

3. Using a single 2048 cab or two 1024 cabs in parallel.... is one 'better' than the other?

 

I know they're subjective questions and answers, but keen to learn more from you guys on these.

 

Thanks!

[Verne-Bunsen]

Hi Farley,

 

1) There was some good conversation about those Ownhammer eq settings a while back in this thread:

 

http://line6.com/support/topic/22497-ownhammer-ir-and-parametric-eq-question/?hl=ownhammer

 

I tried it out with some of my Ownhammer IRs and frankly it didn't do much for me. Give it a whirl though!

 

2) I have tended toward the SM57 and the R121 because I'm familiar with them, but the more I experiment with the different mics (both in IRs and in the Helix stock cabs) the more I've kind of stopped thinking about it that way. The process of "auditioning" all of those Ownhammer IRs is massive, but you can find some gems in unexpected places by checking out different mics and mixes. Same with the Helix cabs, I find myself using a wide variety of mics depending on the gear and the sound a given preset is built around. Admittedly, auditioning all of the mics and distances is a much easier process with the Helix cabs than with the bazillion IRs that come in an Ownhammer package...

 

3) I'm very keen on multiple cabs in parallel when it comes to the Helix cabs, but I haven't had so much luck getting good results with IRs in parallel. It's something I intend to play with more but I've been focusing on the Helix cabs of late. I think the right combinations can yield great results, but it's a lot harder to find them. If only we could load a few thousand more IRs on the Helix, haha!

 

So there's my subjective answers to your subjective questions, hope some of it helps your thought process!

[FarleyUK]

Hi Farley,

 

1) There was some good conversation about those Ownhammer eq settings a while back in this thread:

 

http://line6.com/support/topic/22497-ownhammer-ir-and-parametric-eq-question/?hl=ownhammer

 

I tried it out with some of my Ownhammer IRs and frankly it didn't do much for me. Give it a whirl though!

 

2) I have tended toward the SM57 and the R121 because I'm familiar with them, but the more I experiment with the different mics (both in IRs and in the Helix stock cabs) the more I've kind of stopped thinking about it that way. The process of "auditioning" all of those Ownhammer IRs is massive, but you can find some gems in unexpected places by checking out different mics and mixes. Same with the Helix cabs, I find myself using a wide variety of mics depending on the gear and the sound a given preset is built around. Admittedly, auditioning all of the mics and distances is a much easier process with the Helix cabs than with the bazillion IRs that come in an Ownhammer package...

 

3) I'm very keen on multiple cabs in parallel when it comes to the Helix cabs, but I haven't had so much luck getting good results with IRs in parallel. It's something I intend to play with more but I've been focusing on the Helix cabs of late. I think the right combinations can yield great results, but it's a lot harder to find them. If only we could load a few thousand more IRs on the Helix, haha!

 

So there's my subjective answers to your subjective questions, hope some of it helps your thought process!

 

 

Brilliant, thank you!

[DunedinDragon]

I personally haven't felt the need to use those adjustments.  I find it odd that they make those recommendations without even qualifying it for the type of output rig you have.  It's likely going to be different for different setups.

 

I use a Yamaha DXR12 as my output speaker and haven't really had to do much at all with EQ.  I do keep my Global EQ set with a high cut at around 5600 hz.  But that's also because I tend to use the combo mic mixes from OwnHammer placed about halfway out on the speaker (position 5) which reduces a lot of the high end shrillness you might hear.

 

When you say 'true' live guitar, that can mean a lot of different things to different people.  Personally I don't target such a thing.  I tend to focus on achieving more of a polished studio level sound as that's where these systems really shine in a live performance.  People aren't used to hearing that level of clarity and articulation normally in a club live environment and they really seem to respond positively to it.  Probably because that's what they're used to hearing on recordings and they're surprised to hear it in a live performance.

 

As far as mic's I tend to use a combination of dynamic and ribbon mic.  Sometimes it's the SM57, but on some IR's I've found the Telefunken gives me a bit more body than the SM57.  My personal preference for the ribbon mic is the 121 because that's what they use in the mix IR.  Most of the time I use position 5, but certain cabinets like the Spring Reverb I move it out to position 6 as it tends to have a bit more harshness to it at position 5.

 

As I said I rarely find that I need to do much with EQ once I have a good IR setup.  On a couple of patches I have used the graphic EQ and slightly reduced the 4000Hz and 5000Hz if I'm using the Strat with single coils on some of the cleaner amps like the Soldano.  On my Gretsch and Les Paul I've never found a need to further adjust EQ beyond that the cabinet gives me and the hi cut I use in the Global EQ.

 

I think, in your case, you might want to be real clear in what kind of sound you're targetting and maybe provide a little more information on your output rig and guitars as all of those things play into what IR's and configurations will work best for you.

[njglover]

I am the same, I don't do any EQ on my IRs. I find an IR I like to begin with. If it needs EQ, then I will probably pick a different IR. Mic choice really depends on what I'm going for. Most often I pick one that has an SM57 or a combo that includes it, but if I am going for a more old-school rock sound, I might go for a ribbon like the R121. I find that many of the other choices are too boomy or too shrill. The only edit I make to the Ownhammer IRs I have is I turn the volume on the IR block to -21.5 dB because that seems to match the stock cabs pretty well.

 

I don't think using two 1024 cabs in parallel will sound better, but that's a choice for you to make. I find the 2048 to be better, more "real" sounding, but, like everything tone, that is subjective.

[maxnew40]

I do like to use two IR cabs in parallel, sometimes the same cab with different mic or mic positions, or two different cabs. I think it sounds bigger when you do that.

 

-Max

[c00lkatz]

I do like to use two IR cabs in parallel, sometimes the same cab with different mic or mic positions, or two different cabs. I think it sounds bigger when you do that.

 

-Max

I've found I like to do this as well, sometimes with one panned left and the other right (using 2 x Alto TS212). Sounds much larger!