ir Impulse Responses Question

[Hatman777]

Hello all I had a question regarding Impulse Responses

was wondering if Impulse Responses replace the built in cabs or do you add them after the Cab block ?

thanks all for explaining and clarifying.

 

[SaschaFranck]

Usually, you use them instead of a cab.

[rd2rk]

The cabs (I think I said this before, maybe another thread) are a type of impulse response made by L6 for the Helix. IRs are just a recording of a cab's response to a frequency sweep. So, to answer the question, IRs replace Cabs.

[Hatman777]

Ahhh ok I thought as much but was not sure 

but seeing as there re soooo soooo many IR isn’t that like a rabbit hole to try and find that right one for whatever patch you create ?
Like in example let’s say I’m building a Iommi heaven and hell patch where do I even begin to look to get that tone ?
thanks all for your input, being a total noob to the Helix platform it’s great to see this Helix community is so very knowledgeable and very helpful 

kudos to all

[rd2rk]

23 minutes ago, Hatman777 said:

Ahhh ok I thought as much but was not sure 

but seeing as there re soooo soooo many IR isn’t that like a rabbit hole to try and find that right one for whatever patch you create ?
Like in example let’s say I’m building a Iommi heaven and hell patch where do I even begin to look to get that tone ?
thanks all for your input, being a total noob to the Helix platform it’s great to see this Helix community is so very knowledgeable and very helpful 

kudos to all

 

Yes, it's a LARGE rabbit hole.

The search for TONE is endless.

The tone you're seeking is not just a question of "What did he use?", but what did the recording engineer do to make it sound like that on the record?

To make it even more complicated, why would you think that you could duplicate that tone, made through a stack of Laneys and modified by the engineer, through whatever it is that you're using to listen to your attempts? 

Not meaning to be discouraging, but as long as you're seeking someone else's tone, you're in the biggest rabbit hole of all!

Play with your tone-toys until you find a sound that you like. Unless you're in a tribute band and need the EXACT tones. In which case, considering the endless variables, you have a LONG, STEEP learning curve ahead of you.

Good luck!

 

FWIW - there's a guy over on The Gear Page that plays in a Black Sabbath tribute band. He posts videos, and he's GOT THE TONE! You might want to sign up over there and see how he does it. I THINK he uses a Helix.

[Hatman777]

Ahh yes your correct. But when I learn a song I like to learn it note for note or at least the closest possible and ofc that means nailing the tone as a well, being a former boss gt100 user i did get it close,  now with my helix I have much more possibilités to get it even closer which is a goal 

thanks for the tip  I will def check it out

[DunedinDragon]

1 hour ago, Hatman777 said:

Ahh yes your correct. But when I learn a song I like to learn it note for note or at least the closest possible and ofc that means nailing the tone as a well, being a former boss gt100 user i did get it close,  now with my helix I have much more possibilités to get it even closer which is a goal 

thanks for the tip  I will def check it out

 

IRs are just one more thing to gain experience and knowledge about.  There are a ton of IRs but not a lot will likely be applicable to get the tone you're shooting for.  The best thing you can do for yourself is educate yourself on the general response attributes of the different mic's being used by the IR vendor as well as the various placements of those mics and how they affect the overall tone being captured along with the characteristics of different speaker cabinets.  The more you know, the easier it is to dismiss the IRs that aren't likely to be applicable to the styles of songs you're likely to be playing.  A little bit of experimentation with different mic arrangements and combinations you'll likely figure out the handful of IRs that will be useful to you in any collection of IRs.

If this sounds like a skill set most applicable to  a recording engineer or a live sound man...it is.  The power is now in your hands.  Welcome to the new and more technical world of modeling.