Cobra Clip using Cab Impulses

[Keiffer]

Here's very short Cobra Amp clip doing new Unearth's Bled Dry...

Look for

Cobra Amp

or

Cobra Amp doing Unearth's Bled Dry

I'm using my Impulse files L=35d R=35c.

 

[Carrier Flux]

sounds kind of uncomfortable. like sandpaper.

 

[Keiffer]

hey thanks. Fixed...
Cheers!

 

[Kazrog]

Sounds good. Impulses are cool but they still don't sound like a miked cab to me, not quite as punchy or crisp. I definitely won't be using them on the final BACKMASK mixes.

 

[Keiffer]

Sorry guys but I'm really underwhelmed by the response here... Seems this Forum should be renamed Andy Sneap's POD Forum.

Anyways, I've combined two Cab Impulse files to create this Clip...

Combined Impulses: L=35d & 18b R= 35c & 18b or Here

 

[trym^^]

sounds raw and brutal, plus i like your snare. try to give the guitars more gain and record 2 tracks each side.
then maybe experiment with mastering to glue that stuff more together.

 

[CJWall]

Sounds good. Impulses are cool but they still don't sound like a miked cab to me, not quite as punchy or crisp. I definitely won't be using them on the final BACKMASK mixes.

I agree whole-heartedly... I've been trying to get them to sound how I'd like, and it's just not working for me. I much, much prefer mic'ing my cab.. I mean, it's cool for the convenience factor and sounds pretty good but.. I'm just not into it.

Every impulse I've tried just seemed lifeless and rather sterile.

eh, rock on bro.

Charle

 

[Keiffer]

thanks for listening...

 

[Keiffer]

I agree whole-heartedly... I've been trying to get them to sound how I'd like, and it's just not working for me. I much, much prefer mic'ing my cab.. I mean, it's cool for the convenience factor and sounds pretty good but.. I'm just not into it.

Every impulse I've tried just seemed lifeless and rather sterile.

eh, rock on bro.

Charle

Help me out here because I really don't hear your generalities in this clip. Are you saying that the guitar is lifeless and sterile? You'd be able to determine it is a Cab Impulse if I hadn't told you? I debated stating so because I know it sets a level of prejudice right off the bat. No doubt this a lot rawer than the POD clips that often get posted, which I also like.

 

[Keiffer]

sounds raw and brutal, plus i like your snare. try to give it more gain and record 2 tracks each side.
then maybe experiment with mastering to glue that stuff more together.

thanks, but I won't be double tracking this, it's not my goal on this one. I really like the rawness...

 

[Carrier Flux]

I would nudge you to try and work with micing a cab instead of using the impulses. I didn't like the sterility of direct recordings at all...and never have. but that's just me.

could you post an A/B with mic'd versus direct? maybe a blind test and we can try and guess which is which.

 

[Keiffer]

thanks, I mic cabs all the time. These Impulses are from my cabs that I mic'd.

I'm just trying something different. There is some difference between the Impulse and Cab, but to my ears it's definitely not the difference alluded too.

thanks anyways.

 

[Kazrog]

thanks, I mic cabs all the time. These Impulses are from my cabs that I mic'd.

I'm just trying something different there is some difference between the Impulse and Cab, but to my ears it's definitely not the difference alluded too.

thanks anyways.

Yeah, I think that Impulses can convincingly sound like a miked cab, albeit a semi-poorly miked cab with an undergained head. It's not that your clips sound bad, or that my clips sound bad either, they just don't sound as good as the real thing done right. All impulse recorings I've heard, regardless of the specific gear involved, share these characteristics in common.

Impulses are just another cool studio shortcut, great for demos. I still have yet to find an adequate replacement for a real miked cab recording, though. If you're happy with the tone, cool. I think with some proper post EQ you could get a good raw tone with a little more high end bite. Try boosting the highs with a Neve clone.

 

[JeffTD]

Sounds good. Impulses are cool but they still don't sound like a miked cab to me, not quite as punchy or crisp. I definitely won't be using them on the final BACKMASK mixes.

Fiiiiinally someone with my same stance.

My problem with them is that they take so damn EQ'ing and ccompression and all kinds of rediculous shit to get them sounding like you guys got them, and in the end, a PODxt probably would have faired just as well, you know?

 

[Keiffer]

Fiiiiinally someone with my same stance.

My problem with them is that they take so damn EQ'ing and ccompression and all kinds of rediculous shit to get them sounding like you guys got them, and in the end, a PODxt probably would have faired just as well, you know?

sorry dude, but I don't think you know of what you speak...

 

[JBroll]

Is everything just kinda squished into the middle? I have to say that while I don't know shit about recognizing impulses against mic'ed cabs, so I can't add much on that, I have to say that it sounds somewhat hollow, possibly a bit over-scooped.

Jeff

 

[Keiffer]

this is so cool... you guys think that everything wrong with my tone is caused by the Impulse...

 

[Keiffer]

Is everything just kinda squished into the middle? I have to say that while I don't know shit about recognizing impulses against mic'ed cabs, so I can't add much on that, I have to say that it sounds somewhat hollow, possibly a bit over-scooped.

Jeff

yeah, it is scooped as I had the Mids on my Cobra on about 2 or 3.

 

[006]

Keiffer, I'm with you man. There is really hardly any noticeable difference between the impulses and the real deal...it is the real deal, lol. I've been told it sounds too direct...while I disagree, even still you can add extremely light room style reverb to an impulse and make it sound a little more like it was in a room...nothing drastic, just like, 3% wet or something minor like that to where you'd have to listen reallllllly close to even tell it's there, yanno?

Moving on...everytime I've used an impulse, it took barely any more EQ than when I mic'ed up a cab...and I think the whole deal with CJWall and others (this is for Jeff) using limiting and compression like crazy is just because they did it...not because it needed it. I haven't had to do anything to impulse tracks differently than when I have a mic'ed cab, except like I said a little more EQ...maybe.

Keiffer, you really shouldn't have said it was an impulse, I would be very interested to see the totally different set of responses if nobody knew it was an impulse. Comments about tone will remain the same, but the whole basic "I can tell it's an impulse" stuff would be in place of "what cab/mic/pre did you use?", lol.

~e.a

 

[iekobrid]

What's the story with the bass guitar? A friend of mine has been looking for some 'clank' like that. (Not being facetious, seriously asking.)


Has anyone posted samples where they've dialed in a good tone with a normal head->cab->mic arrangement...

then made an impulse of the head's FX return input->cab->mic without changing or moving the mic or any knobs...

then recorded a clip of the head's FX send output->impulse and a clip of the normal h->c->m path at the same time? With no additional EQing or multiband compression, just raw "here's the difference, pure and simple" comparison?