Torpedo users!!

[Heabow]

Hey!

I've been using Torpedo PI101 (Modern) for about 6 months now. Can be great for some stuff and just doesn't work for others - at least for me. I must say that I cannot reach the tones I'm after very often with it.

I'm wondering what cabs do you guy usually choose, what are you 'go to' mics and their placements... Do you use power amp section, the EQ section? (we talk about Metal tones!)

I myself use the Angl cab pretty often for rhythm parts combined to SM57 or U87. Usually Green Tri for solos with SM57 and/or R121. The mics are all the time set to distance 1-5 (sometimes up to 15) and center 5-10. No power amp section or EQ.

Okay you get the idea!

 

[TRUIE]

Hi !
I sometimes use the Torpedo PI-101 Wos plugin, with real heads (preamp + poweramp) or with guitar preamps.
I mainly uses it for leads, harmonies and cleans / crunchs, also for bass amps tracks.
Sometimes I use only the poweramp section too (when recording my guitar pres).

For my main rythm tracks, most of the time I prefer to use some Nebula cabs (like Ownhammer Mesa 4x12 or Kalthalen Cabs) which sounds beefier and more realistic to my ears.

But Torpedo has some great cabs too and the flexibilty offered by the free mic placement is ace.

My favorites guitar cabs for modern rock/metal are :
- Bogner 4x12 (this one can be NICE for death metal stuff)
- Engl 4x12
- CAA 4x12 (the one called "RackHero", don't know if it's available on the Modern version but it sounds good on leads and harmonies guitar, and even on rythms)
- Marshall Slash 4x12 Closed Back AND Open Back (this one can be great for more rock'ish stuff)
- H&K 4x12 Greenbacks (sounds smooth, great for leads and rythm, try it with some Ribon160 or Condenser Knightfall mics)

There are a lot of cool 2x12 too which can sounds great in some contexts (try the Vox stuff, Elmwood, Marshall 2550 with Greenbacks or V30...etc).

The Mesa closed back is cool, but I always thought it lacks some beef.
But the highs are great and smooth, it's just hard to pick the right mic and placement to make it sounds good.
The Mesa Open back can be great on rock stuff or on crunch / leads.

Mics wise, the ones I use the more often are SM57, MD421 and Ribon 160 as close mics (distance < 10%, center depending on the source but it's not rare to go beyond 50% on it)
I sometimes blend Condenser Knightfall and/or R121 placed far from the cab (distance around 20-30%), to add some air/depth.
Depends on what I'm after.

The poweramp section is pretty cool and offers a lot of options (single ended, push pull, triode or pentode, 4 type of tubes).
Very useful when I use it with guitar pres.
I never use it when I record a full head with loadbox.

Some samples (quick tests actually) :
TEST HM2 V-TWIN 2013 0129 Mix1 MASTER
From what I recall, there are
- 2 tracks of Maxon OD808 + Mesa V-Twin rack pre (dist channel) + KT88 + Bogner 4x12 + SM57
- 2 tracks of Boss HM2 Jap + Mesa V-Twin rack pre (clean channel) + EL34 + don't remember the cab, maybe Marshall or H&K...
Loads of Torpedo on bass tracks too.

This one is done with my Jet City JCA50H head and the Mesa 4x12 Closed Back + SM57, no simulated poweramp :
TEST JET CITY 0627 Mix2 MASTER

This one is Marshall JMP1 guitar pre, and I don't remember the rest of the chain (a bit old, but sure it was Torpedo PI-101) :
TEST PI101_0406_Mix1_MASTER

 

[Heabow]

Excellent, merci pour toutes ces infos

I forgot to mention that I use Torpedo mainly with my 6505 and my Jet City 100H so no need to use the poweramp section. I think it's quite tricky to find the right mic position (as in real situation actually) and I often end to use external IRs. Dunno if I will upgrade to the WoS version.

Other users?

Edit - clips sound good! The second link doesn't work tho.

 

[SwambA]

I just returned my torpedo live because I only liked one cab, the brit vintC. It just so happens that its the free one on torpedo free. So now I use my old Axetrax iso cab as a reactive dummy load and a Behringer Ultra G to tap the signal from the head with the power section included. It sounds better than the Torpedo live did to me. But I always seem to have to use the eq section on the Torpedo to get it to sound any good, it ends up looking about like this:

 

[TRUIE]

Pas de quoi !
J'ai pas mal creusé le sujet de l'enregistrement silencieux à base de vrais têtes ou de préamps (et je continue encore), donc si je peux aider c'est avec plaisir.

The second link is OK now !

Which configuration do you use to record the poweramp signal of you head ?
I use Head out 8 ohms > Countryman Type85 DI > Portico 5012 Pre > RME Fireface400.
The thru of the Countryman goes to a Tubetown Tonehound 8 ohms (reactive load, with a real speaker inside) to avoid damaging the amp.

When using a guitar preamp, I go
Preamp line out > Countryman Type 85 DI > Portico 5012 Pre > RME Fireface400.
I noticed better results using a DI+Pre combo (clearer low end) than plugging the preamp straight into a Line In on the RME FF400.

You can't upgrade to the WoS version now they released the WoS III.
Basically, it's like a custom version and you can try and buy only the cabs you like.
It may be a cool alternative for you, and way cheaper than upgrading, as you can re-download the cabs you already own on the modern version in this new one, and then buy only the cabs you need after trying them.

I forgot to mention that I never use the FX section of the PI-101.
I use this thing for cab + mic only, and I try to make it sounds good/the best I can only with cab/mic choice and mic placement.
If I need FX, I'll apply it later on mixing stage and I own better plugins for that (EQ, comps... etc).

Another thing I forgot is that Variphi and Overload knobs are powerful features, I use it a lot !

Variphi can be great to balance better your tone (scoop the mids or make the sounds more focused, remove "bad" frequencies, having a more solid low end... all of this using phase relationship). Basically, it acts the same as using a second identical mic and moving it further or closer to the cab.

Overload can be great to add some dirt and "speaker break/saturation" to your sound.
Sometimes you won't need it, sometimes it can be a great addition.
I like it because it's non linear and it can be useful to avoid a too much static sound.
I often ends up with it between 0 and 30%.
Be careful as increasing the overload knob will lower the output volume ; don't forget to compensate the overall output knob to do a fair comparison.

 

[Heabow]

Yes variphi is a great feature (although I didnt use it a lot ahah!) Thanks for sharing man!
Maybe Brett or DJabtrash could share some of their habits/tips/preferences?

 

[~BURNY~]

Je l'ai aussi (modern) mais j'ai pas encore vraiment creusé dans le détail.

 

[TRUIE]

Yes Variphi is very cool on his own, and even more when using 2 mics or 2 cabs or more...etc !

I don't think Djab is around here very often these times.
Also, he uses a VB-101 (like Brett) but it's quite close to the use of the plugin (same algos software-wise).
I'll ask him to chime in if he has the time.

@Burny : tu es français ?!

 

[~BURNY~]

@Burny : tu es français ?!

Ouai, mais je m'en vante pas trop...

 

[TRUIE]

Ahah la preuve, je savais pas (on est pas 36 français non plus dans le coin).
Et c'est pas faute de t'avoir lu !
Tu es de quel coin ?

 

[~BURNY~]

Ahah la preuve, je savais pas (on est pas 36 français non plus dans le coin).
Et c'est pas faute de t'avoir lu !
Tu es de quel coin ?

Près des Pyrénées... Plus de détails en mp si tu veux, je ne veux pas polluer le sujet de Gwen.

 

[TRUIE]

Excellent !
Je suis originaire du Pays Basque et je m'installe près de Toulouse à la rentrée.
On doit pas être bien loin
Désolé pour le HS, je t'envoie un MP

 

[Heabow]

Ouai, mais je m'en vante pas trop...

Ahah!

Pas de problème les mecs pour le HS Plutôt cool d'écrire ici en français pour une fois hehe...

 

[Heabow]

Bump

 

[Djabthrash]

Yo, i've been a Torpedo VB-101 user for years and also got to try the PI-FREE and PI-101 later on.

The Torpedo VB-101 allowed me to find a guitar tone that's almost perfect to me (i don't like very smooth and saturated guitars tones for my stuff, i prefer chunky/dryish/edgy/aggressive high-mids tones), mainly for hardcore/metal/punk/modern rock rythm guitar.
I use a Schecter Hellraiser C1-FR with EMG81 tuned in C# and a Fender Telecaster Special Edition FMT with a SD JB in E, plugged into a Engl SE 6L6 head.

My go-to Torpedo setting is the following, using the 412 V30 engl cab with the Blue Dragonfly condenser mic, close-miked, centered, no poweramp sim, slight EQ :

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15008135/TorpedoRythmSetting_20130815_graphic.jpg

Please note that i use medium gain on my amp head, and almost crank the presence.

The tone i get with this sounds like this, which may be shit to some people but i dig it :

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u...nOfThornzish)_20121106v1(wTrickSnare@6-3).mp3

I also used the PI-FREE (marshall 412 V30, SM57) with Hybrit (marshall head plugin) for a bit and it worked nice, but as soon as i used the PI-101 with my favourite setting i mentioned above, it sounded much better to me. I also used the PI-FREE (marshall 412 V30, SM57) for bass tracks with some other cool free amp plugins (can't remember them right now) and it sounded cool.
Those were just for bedroom rehearsing and demo-ing and they're all still halfway mixed/recorded so i won't post them.
There is also a bunch of reampings/remixes i did that you might be able to find (see below).

Used all of this (VB-101, PI-FREE, PI-101) for metal (down , superjoint ritual, alabama thunderpussy) / grunge (alice in chains) and also funk rock (RHCP, incubus, lenny kravitz...) and got great tones (for me ) every time.

You can find samples of all this half-assed stuff of mine (my own demos, my covers/rehearsal demos, my reampings/remixes) using the search function (use my name and torpedo) on this forum or here : http://tonefinder.com/?section=user&value=djabthrash

I remember cool combinations using the Mesa 412 Open cab with the Royer 121 (very beefy yet smooth and great for rock if you EQ it a bit to brighten it), the marshall cabs, and i dig the Ribbon 160 and MD421 mics also. Remember some cool combinations using the vintage Vox cabinets and whatnots. Feel free to experiment with any combinations and placements even if it should not make sense.
SM57 works but i'm not on love with that tone for some reason.

EDIT : the variphi is very useful and makes a big difference in some situations. Sometimes a mic placement / mic /cab combination doesn't sound quite right and adjusting the variphi can get you there.
The overload can add something cool, but i like my main tone better without it.
The poweramp section of the plugin can make a big difference, and i used it with ampsims, even sometimes when they add the poweramp section on, and it added a cool character to it.

If you wanna hear samples/feedback, please search the topics featuring the torpedo stuff on this forum (Brett stuff, Truie stuff, etc...).
I think i'm the more amateur studio guy of all the torpedo users here, and have the less popular taste in guitar tone also

I also have a bad tendency in (of ?) cutting too much low-mids and using too much high mids in my guitar tones, when they should be beefier and blend more with the bass (this is something i have to work on).

I've not been posting anything new in a while but i'm about to get my shit together and resume producing/mixing my own stuff and something new soon hopefully.

 

[Heabow]

Yeah, thanks a lot for your input mate Lots of useful details in there! Great clips as well.