Torpedo VB-101 : hardware loadbox +cab/mic/miking sim

Djabthrash

Djabthrash

Member
Aug 26, 2007
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Paris / Montpellier, FRANCE
Guys, a week ago i bought this amazing piece of gear called Torpedo VB-101, which is basically a high-end rack unit to use with your favourite guitar/bass amp head, and that simulates various cabs/mics with a shitload of settings for mic placement and other shit, just as you would do in real life.

This thing allows me to get an awesome sound out of my ENGL SE (as if i was in a real studio in the monitoring room, with my ENGL rig cranked in the other room) at like 5AM during the week at a time when my neighboors would really kill me if i had to mic my rig :)

There's a lot to say about this thing, you can see lots of info on the company official website : www.two-notes.com
They're a recently started French company and the Torpedo VB-101 is their first product, available in Europe only for now (mainly France), but they have plans for the US and other worldwide places as well.

Brilliant overview of the Two Notes Audio Engineering Torpedo VB-101 by Gundy Keller :



I posted a tone thread in the rate my mix section :

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...e-loadbox-cab-mic-miking-sim.html#post8223544

EDIT : other Torpedo-related rate my mix threads i've posted : (from old to recent (means from ghetto sounding to better sounding :) )

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...ootout-guitar-tone-torpedo-bay-area-riff.html

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...ut-guitar-tone-mix-context-punk-rock-ish.html

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html#post8748296

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...s-cabs-mics-engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...auder-cover-engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html#post8912136

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html#post8912191

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html#post8963612

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...itar-medley-engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...nstrumental-engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...rutal-death-engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...men-snippet-engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html#post9781696

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html#post9783039

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...oze-preprod-engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...drums-engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-trilian.html

EDIT 2 :

VST version of the VB-101 : PI-101 :

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/equipment/659913-torpedo-pi-101-cab-mic-miking-sim-plugin.html

EDIT 3 :

20120217 : New firmware / remote software released today for the VB-101, including power amp sims and dual miking in mono (= mixing two cab/mic/miking setups at the same time in one mono signal) !!!

Basically they took the specific features of the VM-202 / PI-XXX products and implemented in the VB-101, which is the shit. Seriously those guys have a badass customer service / customer request follow-up.

http://www.two-notes.com/en/news/torpedo_remote_v2_beta_and_v2_firmware_for_torpedo_vb-101_vm-202/

"Torpedo Remote V2 beta and V2 firmware for Torpedo VB-101/VM-202

You won’t stop being amazed by the Torpedo VB-101 and VM-202. This new V2 firmware pushes the limits of the possibilities offered by those fabulous machines.

VB-101 front
What’s new?

VB-101: on board power amp simulations (originally designed for the VM-202)
VB-101: possibility to use 2 cab/mic combinations at the same time in mono
VM-202: compatibility update for Remote V2 beta
New Torpedo Remote V2 beta application (MAC/PC)

The new Torpedo Remote app features an improved GUI, the “Quick Preview” function, as well as an auto-update feature (for the application itself, the firmware of your unit and the available downloadable cabinets). No excuse not to have an up-to-date firmware on your Torpedo VB-101, or to miss a new cab!"

They have worldwide availibility nowadays btw...

EDIT 4 :

Cool review by Canada's LoudGuitars.com, where you can see the dual miking channel in action among others :

http://vimeo.com/37614303

EDIT 5 : doing some "remiking" of some 5150 poweramp out DIs, sent to the Torpedo VB-101 unit or the PI-101 WOS or PI-FREE plugin :

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...pedo-buy-well-lets-test-some-shit-decide.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Looks interesting...but what do you actually use it for?

Amp head > torpedo > DAW?

Amp head > torpedo > speaker cabinet?

I'm a bit confused about what you'd actually use it for. If its just for speakers and mics...couldn't you just use impulses on the computer for that? its 1500 euro too...
 
MarkG said:
Looks interesting...but what do you actually use it for?

Amp head > torpedo > DAW?

Amp head > torpedo > speaker cabinet?

I'm a bit confused about what you'd actually use it for. If its just for speakers and mics...couldn't you just use impulses on the computer for that?
Click to expand...

When i recorded those samples it was : Amp head > torpedo > DAW

About using impulses... this thing is a standalone machine, so i can use it without any computer (just plugging my headphones into the VB101 and hearing what someone would hear in the studio with the same rig).

You can also reamp (more like "remic" actually) through this thing doing the following : you record your tracks hearing the "processed" signal (processed = cab + mic + miking (axis position, distance...) + post fx (low cut, exciter, compression)) and at the same time you send the wet/processed signal + the "dry" signal (dry signal = preamp + poweramp without being miked) in your daw.

So later if you're not happy with the wet signal you can remic doing the following :
Daw (dry signal) -> audio interface -> torpedo (with new settings : cab/ mic / miking / post fx) -> audio interface -> daw

Also regarding the torpedo vs software impulse thing : the torpedo is using the same kind of technology, but ... :

-it seems the torpedo sounds way more realistic (i compared my Torpedo-simed with ENGL V30 cab +SM57 close miked to the real takes i had from back then and it sounds very close), which is due to the fact the people who made the Torpedo are into electronics/physics/music and recorded all the stuff in a great sounding studio... whereas most of impulses are made by "amateurs" (no offense). So the torpedo "impulses" are totally PRO-sounding.

- you're not just choosing one impulse and using it : here you can choose your cabs / mic like you would do on a Pod for instance, and set the miking stuff right ( like : distance : 12 %, 17% off axis, speakers overload : 15%c...) which you cannot do with impulses.

Basically when you're using one impulse on a software sim or Axe Fx, it's just one setup captured by somebody : amp volume / cab / mic / mic positioning...
With the Torpedo you can adjust everyone of those settings in REAL TIME !!!
Not to mention the fact that your computer CPU does not like software impulses, whereas the Torpedo allows your computer to get a "miked signal" without actually calculating it (since the Torpedo does it).

One example : let's say you like one impulse recorded at low volume with "Mesa 412 V30 + SM57 3cm from dustcap + 15 cm distance"... with the torpedo you can get a similar setup but then decide to switch the mesa cab to a VHT cab for instance, change the mic you use, put it further away from the cab, and use this new "preset" (which is ONE new impulse) with a cranked amp for instance.

Finally :

-one software impulse = one specific power amp at a certain volume + one specific cab + one specific mic + one specific mic positioning (not to mention the room acoustics)

-one torpedo preset = one specific cab + one specific mic + one specific mic positioning, all of this done with good acoustics, so you can use the poweramp you like with the settings you like (volume, presence...), and change/adjust one of those elements (cab/mic/mic position) in real time (and thus save a new preset of course), not to mention most impulses are made with "common" gear, like 5150 poweramp + Mesa Cab V30 + SM57, whereas in the Torpedo you can have shitload of cabs and mics including VHT Eminence loaded cabs, all the different kind of V30 cabs (and trust me the ENGL, Mesa and Marshall ones sound VERY different from one to another), and high-end mics like Royer, Condenser mics and shit...

This video might help you out to understand that :
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00YTrdpnyTw&feature=related[/ame]

EDIT : i edited my message with more info
 
MarkG said:
Thanks, I get it. Pretty nifty piece of equipment!
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention you can also make your own impulses with their home-made /noob-user friendly Torpedo Capture software and use them with the Torpedo (but they're still regular impulses so you cannot change the settings (cab/mic/miking) afterwise), as well as import those from other people, like people already do with the axe-fx.
This is mainly for people who have found their sound with their real rig and that wanna use this sound every night while touring or something (or for recording or whatever).

And also the Two Notes people measure a new cab every month (with all the mics that are available in the Torpedo) and make it available for download... so now i can choose between let's say 12 cabs and 8 mics for guitars, but in 1 year there will be 24 cabs (but still 8 mics) available !
 
Djabthrash said:
Bought it 1500€ at their office (so i didn't have to wait for it to arrive). Shipping/delivery time depends from where you live i guess.
Click to expand...

hmm that's a big kick in the balls dude.. i mean it's a cool & useful device but 1500€ is too much for an "hardware cab sim". Especially if u wanna reamp.. u get a reamp box which is waay cheaper. If ya wanna track shit at 5am u just add Boogex in the chain. For 1500 € i'm goin to expect more than just "pro-sound" impulses but again it's just my personal view
 
Deadstar said:
hmm that's a big kick in the balls dude.. i mean it's a cool & useful device but 1500€ is too much for an "hardware cab sim". Especially if u wanna reamp.. u get a reamp box which is waay cheaper. If ya wanna track shit at 5am u just add Boogex in the chain. For 1500 € i'm goin to expect more than just "pro-sound" impulses but again it's just my personal view
Click to expand...

that's a lot of money but that's totally worth it IMO.

As i've said before it's not just pro-sound impulses... You can adjust the signal chain (post pre&poweramp) in real-time (cab/mic/mic position, speaker overload, phase stuff...).
Most people who reamp do it with a real rig, not a software... and a nice cab is like 600-900€ used and 1000-1400€ brand new, + the mic (100€ for SM57, but how much for other mics ?) + having to crank the rig and the room for it while recording...
Here you basically have tons of cabs + tons of mics + mic positioning like in real life, without the hassle (noise vs your neighboors & your ears, room needed, setting the stuff right, not moving the mic by accident, room treatment ...).

You can A/B a "Mesa 412 V30 + SM57 close miked on axis" and "VHT 212 Eminence P50 + Royer further miked a tad off axis" very easily for instance... and still adjust the settings of each afterwise (which you cannot on software impulses, and good luck for finding impulses made with something else than your typical metal cab (mesa V30, marshall V30, engl V30) and SM57...).
 
Recently i've been using new amp settings (added more mids and presence, used the 100w mode instead of 50w) and new Torpedo post fx settings (using the brand new built-in 5-band EQ feature, especially the 800Hz boost, not to mention the slight exciter improvement update, which i reduced for some samples). On this new basis i quickly did some new clips.

See thread here :

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html#post8748296
 
006 said:
Oh damn I remember that thing. There's that and also the [url"http://www.spl.info/index.php?id=53&L=1"]Transducer from SPL[/url]. Both of them are expensive though.
Click to expand...

That SPL thing is interesting, never heard about it before. Looks like a Palmer with more settings, but not as much as the Torpedo (which has a lot of possibilities, but which is also more expensive).

Checking the samples at now.

EDIT : after checking all the samples and reading some reviews... seems like it's great for clean/crunch sounds but not for hi-gain sounds.
 
New samples recorded yesterday (dual-tracked guitars, hard-panned on each side, in a mix context, still shitty old strings though), see the 2009-12-11 samples below (details included) :

http://www.netmusicians.org/index.php?search=djabthrash

or see the following thread :

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...s-cabs-mics-engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html

I think i might have overdone the "let's cut the low-end/low mids and focus on the good mids" thingie, hence my clips lacking some low-end/lo mids, so i brought some back with a wide 400Hz boost on post EQ.

Also i can't seem to make up my mind between the Condenser Mic and the SM57. I like the character/overall tone of the first one, but the second one seems clearer and more mix-friendly. So i tried to combine them (one on each side) to see if i can get the best of both worlds without having a tonal inbalance (i.e guitar tones too different from one side to another) as a downside.
 
The Torpedo is truly a great machine, BUT I think it's too expensive anyway. For that price I'd rather buy an Axe-FX, but have that discussion been around for a while? ;)

Anyway, a loadbox like the Koch Loadbox II is about €250 -> DAW -> Redwirez Bigbox IRs ($54,95) would be the cheaper version of the same thing. The plug and play situation the Torpedo offers might be worth €1100, but I don't think so.

In my humble opinion of course.
 
New clips (dual-tracked guitars, hard-panned on each side, in a mix context and solo-ed, brand new strings this time, Torpedo built-in EQ & Exciter changes to cut even less lows/low mids/body and increase the mids/highs attack/agressivity/sharpness), see the 2009-12-20 samples below (details included) :

http://www.netmusicians.org/?section=user&value=djabthrash

or see the following thread :

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...s-cabs-mics-engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html

Compared to my previous clips (2009-12-17) i raised the bass knob a wee bit (+ 0,5) on my amp EQ and raised each of the Torpedo built-in EQ knobs a tad (+1) and the exciter value (+2%) also.

I also gave the MD421 mic a try, but i kept the same settings as with my SM57 patch. It sounds decent but i guess i need to adjust the settings to the MD421 to get a better tone.

Also in addition to the usual punk-rock-ish snippet, i posted clips of some other songs that sound more metal/HxC.

DISCLAIMER : the playing is SLOPPY AS FUCK (a lotta huge mistakes here)
 
Here is a nice video where you can see a guy playing along the Torpedo while changing settings (cab/mic/mic placement/post Fx...) in real-time (in French though) :

http://www.laguitare.com/guitare-materiel-toperdo_vb_101-two_notes-banc_d_essai-6465-2.html

EDIT : the video is in three parts : part 1 is the most interesting, part 2 (click on page 3 to see it) is mostly talking about some specific features (torpedo capture, etc...), part 3 (page 4) is with bass using a bass amp head and the torpedo bass cabs/mics.
 
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