Real Cab vs Torpedo? 2x Mic, 2xIR

[hunter]

I did a recording laying down 4 tracks in one go, with the following setup:

Friedman
=>Torpedo
=>Rivera Rock Crusher
=>Marshall 4x12 (Made in 1973, Rola Greenbacks, straight cab)

The signal from the Torpedo went via S/PDIF to the recording unit, one track used the RackHero cab in the Torpedo (CAA with Greenback Clones), the other track recorded without Cab sim I added the Torpedo Free Plugin with the default MarshallV30/SM57 Combo.

The amp was with the Master at 12 o'clock, the room volume attenuated down with the Rivera to like TV volumes. Top right speaker had a Heil PR30, Bottom left speaker an SM57. Both mics recorded without any studio preamp just into the audio interface.

So what we have here are (not in this order
• IR Recording of the RackHero Cab/SM57
• IR Recording of the Marshall1960/SM57
• 'Real' Recording of the vintage Marshall cab with Heil PR30
• 'Real' Recording of the vintage Marshall cab with SM57

What has been done right:
• All channel faders, fx settings etc are identical, with all files normalised to 0dB
• It's one take on all 4 recordings, same amp, same guitar, same playing

Problems of this comparison:
1. The cab in the room was recorded at much lower volume than the ideal situation for that cab. The IRs were created at higher volume and therefore the speakers will have sounded different
2. The Rivera is colouring the tone a bit, however 'simulating' a louder behaviour with Edge and Warmth switches
3. None of the tracks have been EQ'ed or compressed or even volume optimised. So it's somehow random, if a track sounds good and the other not so much.

So have fun guessing which is your preferred and which is which, I think it will not be so hard if you keep in mind there are 2 mics and 2 IRs :wink:

File number 1:
https://soundcloud.com/jaeger28/torpedotest-1

File number 2:
https://soundcloud.com/jaeger28/torpedotest-2

File number 3:
https://soundcloud.com/jaeger28/torpedotest-3

File number 4:
https://soundcloud.com/jaeger28/torpedotest-4

 

[crankyrayhanky]

I love these blind duals..marked for later so I can hear in my studio

 

[xzyryabx]

2+4 are the IRs, not sure which is which though

 

[hunter]

2+4 are the IRs, not sure which is which though

Nope, not exactly


By the way, I just loaded WOSIII which they just released and here is another take, using the new plugin and mix of SM57 and 421 mic. Pretty chuffed with how great this sounds.

https://soundcloud.com/jaeger28/wosiii

 

[Loc9]

Wow! All takes sound great. I think it's very difficult to tell which is which. I'm a noob tho but own the Two Notes Cab pedal so this is a really cool test to see.

My guess is that 1 and 4 are IR's

 

[firegate]

Couldn't tell you which is which, but I far prefer the tone of 3 for the rhythm guitars and 4 for the leads.

 

[Rogue]

I'm going with

Test 1 = IR Recording of the Marshall1960/SM57

Test 2 = IR Recording of the RackHero Cab/SM57

Test 3 = 'Real' Recording of the vintage Marshall cab with SM57

Test 4 = 'Real' Recording of the vintage Marshall cab with Heil PR30

 

[hunter]

You got it all wrong, 1 and 2 are real mic/cab and 3 and 4 are IRs.

1 is the Heil,
2 the SM57,
3 the RackHero in the Live,
4 is the Plugin 1960A Cab

 

[Loc9]

That's really cool! Very difficult to tell. Good thing!

 

[Shark Diver]

You got it all wrong, 1 and 2 are real mic/cab and 3 and 4 are IRs.

1 is the Heil,
2 the SM57,
3 the RackHero in the Live,
4 is the Plugin 1960A Cab

You gave it away too soon

All sound cool. Impossible to really tell anymore. And if you moved the real, or sim, mic they'd all be different still. Good illustration that it isn't about what's better anymore - it's about what you hear in your head and being able to get it with either analog or digital mic'ing.

 

[skoora]

I liked the Marshall IR better than the CAA but preferred the real 57 track the best. The IR's seem to smooth out certain dynamics in the swell of the sound that is still captured by the mics but it's not a big difference. I'm thinking about getting a Two Notes live myself.

 

[hunter]

I liked the Marshall IR better than the CAA but preferred the real 57 track the best. The IR's seem to smooth out certain dynamics in the swell of the sound that is still captured by the mics but it's not a big difference. I'm thinking about getting a Two Notes live myself.

Thanks. Did you also listen to the latest version using the WOSIII Plugin and two different Microphone Configurations?
https://soundcloud.com/jaeger28/wosiii

 

[bmi]

I would have say 2-3 IRs and 1-4 real.

The fizz of the SM57 lost me.

 

[rokket2005]

This is pretty awesome. Thanks for doing this dude! I just got my live today and have been messing around with it all night more or less. I really like the Free Rock 2 cab best of the stock ones, just loaded up a bunch of the others but havent gotten a chance to try them out just yet.

 

[supersonic]

I like #1 best. Not sure if it is REALLY the cab but is sounds like there's more depth in the tone. I really want the Two Notes to sound as good because I like the idea of using one with my Marsha.

 

[duodecim]

I also thought 2 and 4 were not real cabs, and to me, 1 sounds best. But to be fair, the real cabs should have been recorded as loud as the Torpedo, so all candidates would be at their most optimal configuration. While it's true that it is becoming increasingly difficult to sniff out the modeler/emulation, between a well-recorded miked cab at high volume and the digital emulation, it's easy to prefer the former. With other words, I feel it's still hard to beat a great amp recorded at breaking point volume. It's when you can't open it up, those modelers and emulators come in handy.

Pretty impressive showing for the Torpedo though, I'd say that it sounds at least as good as a modeler here.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Rogue]

You got it all wrong, 1 and 2 are real mic/cab and 3 and 4 are IRs.

1 is the Heil,
2 the SM57,
3 the RackHero in the Live,
4 is the Plugin 1960A Cab

That's either good for Two Notes, or bad for me.

 

[skoora]

I liked the Marshall IR better than the CAA but preferred the real 57 track the best. The IR's seem to smooth out certain dynamics in the swell of the sound that is still captured by the mics but it's not a big difference. I'm thinking about getting a Two Notes live myself.

Thanks. Did you also listen to the latest version using the WOSIII Plugin and two different Microphone Configurations?
https://soundcloud.com/jaeger28/wosiii

Is that plugin through Two Notes or someone else? How is when you're going for feedback with the studio monitors? Does it sound as good or is it as responsive when you do it at the cab?

 

[hunter]

I liked the Marshall IR better than the CAA but preferred the real 57 track the best. The IR's seem to smooth out certain dynamics in the swell of the sound that is still captured by the mics but it's not a big difference. I'm thinking about getting a Two Notes live myself.

Thanks. Did you also listen to the latest version using the WOSIII Plugin and two different Microphone Configurations?
https://soundcloud.com/jaeger28/wosiii

Is that plugin through Two Notes or someone else? How is when you're going for feedback with the studio monitors? Does it sound as good or is it as responsive when you do it at the cab?

Feedback is not that easy to obtain, but sometimes it works, with lots of gain and for whatever reason, who knows. But getting feedback through active studio monitors will be hard, they'll have to be very loud I guess, and then you could as well use a guitar cab. If you go too close to active monitors with guitar pickups you'll usually have some ugly noise from interference.

 

[skoora]

I liked the Marshall IR better than the CAA but preferred the real 57 track the best. The IR's seem to smooth out certain dynamics in the swell of the sound that is still captured by the mics but it's not a big difference. I'm thinking about getting a Two Notes live myself.

Thanks. Did you also listen to the latest version using the WOSIII Plugin and two different Microphone Configurations?
https://soundcloud.com/jaeger28/wosiii

Is that plugin through Two Notes or someone else? How is when you're going for feedback with the studio monitors? Does it sound as good or is it as responsive when you do it at the cab?

Feedback is not that easy to obtain, but sometimes it works, with lots of gain and for whatever reason, who knows. But getting feedback through active studio monitors will be hard, they'll have to be very loud I guess, and then you could as well use a guitar cab. If you go too close to active monitors with guitar pickups you'll usually have some ugly noise from interference.

That's a shame. I love the almost out of control sound on a loud amp. When you're having to struggle, just a little, to control feedback.