Any decent free and modern bass IRs?

[tjbassoon]

When I use amp/cab models on the helix it's with bass. I'm actually pretty happy with the sounds on the stock amp and cabs for the most part, but they're definitely all of the vintage variety. I'm looking for some more modern options, like Hartke, Markbass, Phil Jones, that kind of thing. Are there any options for free or really cheap IRs that would get me in that space? Or maybe suggestions on the guitar amp/cab side of things that would sound good with bass that go in that direction?

 

And yeah, Line6, if you're listening, more modern bass amp/cabs please.

[Parapentep70]

Maybe this hint is useful to you and other bass players...

 

Many Helix guitar cabs are useless for bass primarily due to the microphone and mic distance used by default cutting all bass. But some of them are really interesting with bass with just a change in the microphones used. Fortunately Helix guitar cabs are not destroyed due to too much bass content the way the real speakers might be!

 

I found that the 414 Cond mic model at 1'' distance works OK, it tends to be very flat down to low frequencies.

Then the ribbon 121 at 1'' boosts some bass frequencies. In case you need more bass. Coles 4038 Ribbon model can do the trick.

 

Other microphones might be useful... but I have not worked much with them. I discarded most Dynamic mic. models because they tend too cut bass under 70...100 Hz too much to be used for bass guitar.

 

My favourite guitar cabs for bass are:

 

• Soup Pro Ellipse (with 414 Cond, 1''). Relatively "dark".
• 1x12 Cali IV (with 414 Cond, 1''). "Scooped". Less bass than Soup Pro Ellipse.
• 1x12 Cali Ext, 2x12 Double CN, 2x12 Mail C12Q (same mic) --> Similar to Cali IV, therefore I did not used them much.
• 4x12 1960 T75 Marshall  (with 414 Cond, 1'') --> "Good balance" in my notes.
• 4x12 Uber T75 (with 414 Cond, 1'') --> "Good balance" in my notes.
• 4x12 Slolead EM (with 414 Cond, 1'') --> "Good balance" in my notes.
• 4x12 Cali V30, 4x12 XXL V30 (With 121 Ribbon, 1'') --> Decent, usable. The former also sounds good with 4038 Ribbon to boost bass.

I also found that 4x12 Greenback 20 or 25 and also 4x12 Mandarin don't work with bass too well, even micing with 4038 ribbon at shortest distance.

 

The rest of guitar cabs are very usable (as much as a default 1x15 Tuck'n'Go) with the "bass" microphones at 1'' (121 ribbon or 4038 ribbon).

 

Bass cabs:

IMO 1x15 Tuck'n'Go lacks bass! But it can be improved with 121 Ribbon at 1''. Sometimes cutting bass is a good thing... but I prefer not to cut THAT much!

2x15 Brute Mesa Boogie sounds good by default, but also improved with 121 Ribbon at 1''. Same for 6x10 Cali Power.

8x10 SVT might have too much bass (the ONLY case in Helix): Increasing mic distance (or even using 57 Dyn!) could cut excess bass if needed.

I do not like 1x18 Woody Blue, too "muddy", no real bass but simply complete lack of mids. It might work with distortion but... I prefer to filter somewhere else. Definitely not a versatile cab.

 

I try to avoid too much EQ on low frequencies, I think it is bad for tight "punch". So I don't use extra High Pass Filter (miking is an adequate HPF... that I cannot remove anyway). If 414 Cond is OK, I prefer not to use 4038 ribbon.

 

I agree with you, I'd like to have more bass cab modelled by Line6!

 

 

[soundog]

@parenpentep-- thanks so much for sharing this info. I'm constantly messing with some bass patches to use for studio recording, and have yet to settle on something. Lots of trial and error, lots of variables. This sort of experimentation can be very fruitful but takes some work. When I have some spare time I'll experiment more with your findings....

 

ps .. which line 6 cabinet have you find best for meat and potatoes bass tones? do you regularly use some favorite third-party IRs for bass?

[zivdud]

3 Sigma Audio has bass amp Impulse responses, as well. I haven’t tried the bass series ones yet but the guitar impulse responses I bought are great. They have a Mark, an Orange, two Gallien Krueger’s, and some others. 

[soundog]

I bought the 3 Sigma Ampeg SVT IRs last year and they're the only ones I use for bass Helix tones....

[zivdud]

Nice! I will definitely have to give them a shot. I miss some of the bass amps that line 6 modelled for the Lowdown series. I would love to see some of that make it to the helix. An Eden traveler, a 68 marshal super bass, and a sansamp psa 1 would be sweet!

[zooey]

Interested in a hardware PSA1? Mine's not getting used much these days, cool as it is...

[soundog]

Yeah, it feels like bass is ignored what's you get past the essentials ... I wish they'd give it more attention because there's a lot of potential there.

[zivdud]

Totally agree, I haven’t yet successfully copied the presets that I made on my Lowdown to my helix and they are more core bass tones. I get pretty close but it is not quite there. Maybe one day they will port some of the old modelled gear to helix like they did with the firmware 2.5 stuff which was totally sweet.