Verne-Bunsen Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Hello all, I've searched the usual suspects and a couple of un-usual ones as well but have not been able to locate a cab IR of a Champ 1x8. Ownhammer used to have one but it's long since vanished from the webz. Anybody got a line on one? Thanks! -VB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zooey Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 The built in 1x8 Small Tweed is a 1x8" Fender® Champ I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verne-Bunsen Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 That it is, and it's not bad either. However, after a several month self-imposed moratorium on third party IRs, where I've been using stock cabs exclusively, I'm putting my feet back in the water. I'm a fan of the Champ and that 1x8 is one where I'm interested to hear some different takes on it. So I suppose I should have been more specific, I am looking for a third party IR of the 1x8 Champ cab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zooey Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 There are some Champ IRs in this, no idea if they're 1x8s or decent: https://musical-artifacts.com/artifacts/252 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verne-Bunsen Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 There are more than a few intriguing things in that collection, thanks for the link! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwinV Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 Excuse me to digress, but I'm curious how you're setting the drive, channel and master volume for this amp model? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arislaf Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 There are some Champ IRs in this, no idea if they're 1x8s or decent: https://musical-artifacts.com/artifacts/252 Τhanks man! That collection is awesome. The champ and peavey became instant favorites! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verne-Bunsen Posted January 25, 2017 Author Share Posted January 25, 2017 Definitely some winners in there. I'm enjoying the "Fender Tweed Champ" and "Fender Tweed Champ 58" IRs. The 1x10 Super Champ IRs seem to be a bust, such low output as to be non-functional, but there were Princeton and Pro Jr 1x10s that are worth exploring (if you're into such things... I am!) Excuse me to digress, but I'm curious how you're setting the drive, channel and master volume for this amp model? The real Champ has no tone controls, just volume. According to this really excellent assessment of how Helix's amp controls correlate to the real ones, the Helix tone controls should be set to noon to be neutral, and presence to 0. http://line6.com/support/topic/19961-helix-amp-model-gallery-real-controls-vs-invented/ However, I find the Champ model doesn't really sound very Champy like that. So I leave those parameters as they are set when the amp loads: Bass 3.3, Mid 6.0, Treble 6.8, Presence 3.5. These default parameters sound much more like a Champ to my ears. Master volume I leave at 10, like God intended. I find the drive at 4 delivers warm cleans that break up with just a little pick attack, but it gets a bit "flat" below that. Drive at 9 really cooks, while I find going past that just turns to mush. (I use this amp with my Strat and Teles and these settings are based on those single coil pickups. You could obviously expect humbuckers to push things a little harder) I have the drive and channel volume assigned to an expression pedal so that heel-down is drive 4, channel volume 10 and toe-down is drive 9, channel volume 8.9. That's a fun thing. I use the stock Helix 1x8 Small Tweed cab (haven't committed to one of those IRs just yet...) with a SM57 set back at 2". While it's not bad at lower drive settings, the Champ is quite fizzy at higher drive settings. I reign this in by also assigning the cab high and low cuts to that same expression pedal. Heel-down (clean) has the low cut at 65Hz, high cut at 12kHz. Toe-down (cookin') has the low cut at 100Hz, high cut at 6kHz. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verne-Bunsen Posted January 25, 2017 Author Share Posted January 25, 2017 probably the best real Champ I heard Yep, that's the stuff! Another "gold standard" Champ tone in my mind is James Gang's Funk 49. According to legend, it was just a Joe Walsh into a Tele into a Champ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verne-Bunsen Posted January 25, 2017 Author Share Posted January 25, 2017 I keep re-watching that '57 Champ video and trying to figure out how it was mic'd, 'cause it sounds fantastic. It seems like I should be able to see the mic in the shot, am I missing it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazzaBloom Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 I keep re-watching that '57 Champ video and trying to figure out how it was mic'd, 'cause it sounds fantastic. It seems like I should be able to see the mic in the shot, am I missing it? He's playing through a Helix off camera, the vintage Champ is for decoration only as it sounded nowhere near as good as the Helix :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwinV Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 However, I find the Champ model doesn't really sound very Champy like that. So I leave those parameters as they are set when the amp loads: Bass 3.3, Mid 6.0, Treble 6.8, Presence 3.5. These default parameters sound much more like a Champ to my ears. Master volume I leave at 10, like God intended. I find the drive at 4 delivers warm cleans that break up with just a little pick attack, but it gets a bit "flat" below that. Drive at 9 really cooks, while I find going past that just turns to mush. (I use this amp with my Strat and Teles and these settings are based on those single coil pickups. You could obviously expect humbuckers to push things a little harder) I have the drive and channel volume assigned to an expression pedal so that heel-down is drive 4, channel volume 10 and toe-down is drive 9, channel volume 8.9. That's a fun thing. I use the stock Helix 1x8 Small Tweed cab (haven't committed to one of those IRs just yet...) with a SM57 set back at 2". While it's not bad at lower drive settings, the Champ is quite fizzy at higher drive settings. I reign this in by also assigning the cab high and low cuts to that same expression pedal. Heel-down (clean) has the low cut at 65Hz, high cut at 12kHz. Toe-down (cookin') has the low cut at 100Hz, high cut at 6kHz. Thanks! That helps a lot. Can't seem to get it sounding like that '57 Champ though ... Maybe that sound is in the fingers 🤔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verne-Bunsen Posted January 26, 2017 Author Share Posted January 26, 2017 He's playing through a Helix off camera, the vintage Champ is for decoration only as it sounded nowhere near as good as the Helix :D Of course! Sneaky! Thanks! That helps a lot. Can't seem to get it sounding like that '57 Champ though ... Maybe that sound is in the fingers That is a pretty high bar... I exchanged a couple of e-mails with Kevin at Ownhammer and he's working toward some new Fender releases, including his 1x8 Vibro Champ, just in case anyone is interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dshow Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Interesting this comes up now. I recenty watched a promo documentation about eric claptons new album and he mentioned that he plugged his guitars straight into his Fender Champ for most of the songs. It tried to get a Fender champ tone after that with helix and find it sounding good with the helix cap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verne-Bunsen Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Thanks! That helps a lot. Can't seem to get it sounding like that '57 Champ though ... Maybe that sound is in the fingers 🤔 I can't claim to know anything about your playing style, but it's been my experience that, both with the real amp as well as the Helix model, the guitar's volume plays a big role. Try cranking the amp ("drive" in Helix) and rolling your guitar volume back a bit. Not saying you'll nail the '57 tone, but good things will probably happen :) however not all The Champs sound identical to each other.. Excellent point! Interesting this comes up now. I recenty watched a promo documentation about eric claptons new album and he mentioned that he plugged his guitars straight into his Fender Champ for most of the songs. It tried to get a Fender champ tone after that with helix and find it sounding good with the helix cap. Not the first union of EC and a Champ, he and Duane Allman played Champs all over "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs"! I admit I didn't take the Champ real seriously till I discovered that, changed my perspective a little bit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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