Favorite vintage ADA cabinet simulator

[Casey_Butt]

This clip is through the completed uCab with the rest of the instruments added.  Again, reverb from a Lexicon MX300.

[Casey_Butt]

Same song as above but a different section... no lead guitar yet.

[MarshallJMP]

Sounds really good  :thumb-up: i really like the sound although i'm not a big believer in cab sims,your µcabs are sounding more "real".

I also saw you added a few jacks on the rear,what are these for?

[Casey_Butt]

I also saw you added a few jacks on the rear,what are these for?

Those are separate speaker level inputs.  I converted the input to the µCab II circuit, but that makes a lot of the range of the "Level" knob unusable.  So those jacks just knock the speaker level down to preamp level before it's fed to the circuit.

Obviously, a device like this is not going to be able to mimic speaker breakup (though much of the high frequency response of guitar speakers is due to 'distortion' anyway and is captured in the frequency response).  But I do find that putting a soft-knee compressor between the amp output and µCab input does a nice job of mimicking speaker compression before it hits the cab emulation... not needed for modern high-power ceramic magnet speakers, but it does lend some extra authenticity to the Greenback setting... or Alnico, especially.  I think that's a piece of the puzzle that people often overlook... or just don't think there's a way to address.

[rnolan]

Cool, nice playing BTW and definitely sound like well miked cabs.

[Systematic Chaos]

Sounds boss!!   :metal:

[Casey_Butt]

Thanks, I'm not completely pleased with that recording yet but, other than some preliminary mixing, nothing has been done to it... it's still in progress.

I didn't use my favorite cab setting on the µCab for that recording.  There was a wire loose in Channel A (my Greenback channel) that would cut in and out intermittently, so I went with Channel B (Celestion G12-65).  There's not a huge difference between the two, but the G12-65 emulation is, as would be expected, a little more mid-scooped around 1kHz than the Greenback emulation.  I think it makes the heavy guitars sound more 'metal' and aggressive than I was going for, but it might work out in the end.   I also pushed them a little too far forward in the mix, but I'll adjust that before it's finished.

I'm thinking about running the µCab into a mic pre before it's sent to the board.  The µCab shapes the frequency response like an actual cab but a colourful mic pre can be an important part of the sound of an actual miked cab on its own.  That's one part that's missing when you just plug the µCab straight in.  So I'm thinking of a chain, more like this...

power amp --> load/direct box --> soft-knee compressor --> µCab --> mic pre --> reverb --> board/interface

I think that should put the icing on the cake.

[rnolan]

Good idea, I've got a TLA Ivory 4 chan valve preamp which I was going to try between the MP2 sim outs and the desk. I've use it on direct bass, sounded lovely.
One change I'd make to your chain though is I'd mix the reverb in via the desk (2 aux/fx sends and return down 2 channels), that way (apart from easier control), you can use a digital reverb without distroying the analogue signal. Also I'd use 4 tracks, L/R guitar, L/R reverb then you can run the reverb full wet and have control of it later in the mix.

[Casey_Butt]

Very good points.

[Systematic Chaos]

.....
I think that should put the icing on the cake.

[rnolan]

Absolutely SC + 1  :thumb-up:

[Dante]

Casey - Thanks so much for all your insight!! This is groundbreaking stuff right here & it makes the Depot a valuable resource - so thanks again

There's a temp fix for the time of post time/date issue (link in the news feed which cycles on top of home page), you need to set a time zone/display preference in your profile, I put some instructions in a post which the news thingy has a link to (hey Dante, we need to fix this LOL).

Yes Richard, I know... :facepalm:

I have this fear of breaking the entire forum trying to fix that stupid date problem  :nono:  I'm sure there's somebody smarter than me about such things & the answer will present itself to us in time   :thumb-up:

[Casey_Butt]

I'll post more "tech" details if anyone wants them... but I didn't write them down on any schematic (electronics record keeping is a recurring fault of mine).

That chocolate cake picture is making me crazy.  I just ended a diet today and I'm trying to control myself.

[rnolan]

Hey Casey, go the feast/ famine for 2 day diet (I just do it naturally, it's all a balance), my ex says she's lost weight and a couple of cms so working for her and some say backed by the science. I'm not a sweet tooth but that cake looks good  :thumb-up:

@Dante, I know what you mean, hey at least we have a work around until you and I work it out, we'll get to it, not quite like the mail, it comes and goes (mostly goes for me LOL, but MJMP gets the emails religiously, I thinks he's gods fav LOL, and deservingly so  ).

[MarshallJMP]

I'll post more "tech" details if anyone wants them... but I didn't write them down on any schematic (electronics record keeping is a recurring fault of mine).

That chocolate cake picture is making me crazy.  I just ended a diet today and I'm trying to control myself.

Well i'm interested in more tech details,maybe i could mod one of my µcabs that way.