Cabinet Simulators

[rnolan]

Stereo is the main difference, so MP1 is stereo and you can also use stereo effects before the recording I/O.  Also the Art split mix (or equivalent, I use a small mixer with 3 aux sends with my MP2) lets you keep analogue all the way to I/O which sounds distinctly/quite noticeably better with the TC Gmaj (as the first thing the Gmaj does is A/D the input)

[RobbHell]

As much as I rant about Modeling, when I do wanna pull out the MicroCab I will run the ADA Direct to the interface and load a few Impulses of my liking for fast quick Demoing. Nothing Id ever use on the final product. Fractal uses similar methods with their Impulses and I also believe Fractal allows you import Impulses as well.

[rnolan]

Pardon my ignorance, Impulses ? not familiar ?? some sort of effect ?
I've had good results with MP2 cab sims into protools digi001 (but I still use a small analogue desk and mix in the digital effects) for recording, which lets me record at home with no traffic noise etc.
Back in the old days, I used to use a Rockman XL100 with some voltage dividers (resitors) in the output leads to bring the headphone output back to guitar level and plugged it across 2 Marshalls' for a lead sound (very compressed but prefer it to cloning).  I rewired a peavy amp switch pedal to be A/B A+B so I used the Marshall 50 (1972) for rhythm and the Marshall Artist and the 50 for L/R Rockman lead (no master vols on those Marshalls so this was my lead boost).  The I got an MP1 ahhhh, then later my MP2 (even better).

[RobbHell]

Like modeling but not quite....Too make a Impulse you need a Guitar head or Preamp and Cabinet and Mic. Using your computer you send a Sine Wave thru your amp and record the Sine Wave that has been sent through through the amp. The end result is a Impulse. A Impulse is the Altered Sine Wave. So the altered Sine Wave is now an interpret of how the Poweramp,Cabinet and Mic interact to produce the sounds they do.
Now you get any Impulse Loader as a FX plugin. Record direct then load any given combination of Impulses. Hence how Fractal can run a Marshall sounding amp on one side and a Mesa sound on the second channel and now your blending Tones. Youtube or Goggle Guitar Impulses. Impulses allow us to make our own clones and combinations and pull them up to be used for  most given situations.

[RobbHell]

A pretty good example is a Guy from Canada made some killer Metal and Metallica and Panteta Impulses for free download. There a youtube video Blackened Guitar Impulse. All digital and is pretty spot on to the original. Check it oit and see what you think. Its pretty damn cool and FREE.

[rnolan]

Hey Rob, thanks, interesting. Ok so you could make ADA rig Impulses then by pumping a sine wave through your rig (what frequency ?).  It's a cool concept but I'm still an old school use a tube kind of guy. So had a listen, not a bad sound, a bit lifeless/clinical though ?? does that make sense (compare http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIr9nZ4aJfo, I play all the frilly bits and 3rd guit solo, MP1 mixer Quadverb IPS33 smart shift B200 stereo cab mics desk to 2 track DAT), the first guit solo is overdub by bass player singer's mate (was a key board solo (better IMHO)), 2nd solo is a sans amp direct (his preference), squeeze box solo, go Anton, 3rd solo me...  This was recorded live (and no rehearsal) (except the new first guit solo Barry got his mate to play over the keyboard solo..).
Zilthys posted a link to one of my songs (http://crystalcrayon.com/ada/Little_Memory_Extra.mp3) this is MP2 mixer Quadverb cab sim outs > desk > protools digi 001
Here's an idea, storing Impulses of your fav sounds/gear gives you a kind of backup for if/when they die.
I agree its pretty good sonically, I'd have to play with it and see how it tracked my energy (that I pump into the guitar), I think that is down side with this technology at the moment, yeah it sounds perfect etc but has less life.  e.g. the thing I loved about the Mullard new sensor reissue tubes is how 3d they are, I change the presure on my left hand (so slightly) and it tracks it beautifully. Recommended BTW.

[RobbHell]

I.agree it does lack a bit of Life. Whats interesting is the sound of your fingers sliding across the ridges of strings gets lost as well. Also check Lou Poulin amps.

[RobbHell]

Right On! That's the Classic ADA that got me hooked in the beginning.Awesome job.

[rnolan]

Thanks  ::) I got to play the first MP1 in Australia (I was doing guit repairs for the importer pro audio at the time). Owner (Nunzio) said try this out, sound 1, Marshall, blown away, and I can have 128 of them at different volumes/tones, got to get me one, the start of a long friendship with ADA gear.

[dudleydorightdad]

  My ADA gear is an MP-1 and a Micro Cab that I have set for a portable recording lightweight rig but live I use a Boogie MKII-C+Simul and either a single evm12L in an open back cab with another in a closed back cab or a 4-12 with boogies black shadows open and celestions closed back. I have tried, experimented, fiddled, listened and listened again through my Tannoy main mons and Sony MDRV6 and MDR7506 phones and other than standing in proximity to a mechanical reproduction(IE a speaker is actually an electric motor of sorts reacting and responding to the electromotive force being generated and then being further enhanced by the effect it has upon the way the strings vibrate which I do not think, to my brain will never equal a motor moving air(spkr) reacting with the axe and pickups and taking into account things like the Fletcher Munson curve and various other anomalies of physics and the room to feel like a cab, 57, just loud enough to let things settle in the sweet spot. All we can hope for is sort of. My pop was an electrical engineer and thought I was insane in 79 buying my first boogie and in his defense design world made the statement that he could do anything with a transistor I could do with a tube. A long running casm, until one day in the late 90's or so he flopped down one of his trade rags explaining why guitar players and audiophiles still used the disappearing tubes. Is it real or is it sort of real. Want a steak, what, fry ground turkey, not that way for this dinosaur. 8)  (also prefer my 201 echo and rack mxr flanger doublers {1 set flange 1 set double})

[rnolan]

I use the MP2 cab sim outs for recording and have always got great results (Truths with sub and also QUAD Fred ESL63s (man talk about articulate mids from the Freds  )).  My dad was a mining engineer and also audiophile, so our stereo back then was QUAD 22 tube preamp and 2 x 20w Mullard tube power amps.
I'm happy to use transistor stuff for some tasks (e.g. PA poweramps) and I've used an ADA B200s most of the time I've had ADA MP1/2, unfortunately my B200s needs some work so now I use a Carvin TS100 all tube power amp (love it, but I also love the B200s).  Preamp though, I want/like/prefer tubes, more particularly MP1/2.  I've still not heard anything that works for me like the MP preamps.
Does your boogie have a poweramp in jack ? if so you could try your MP1 into it ?  I think Dante is running one of his MP2 rigs into a boogie combo for stage.

[finstah]

what did you mod?

older Decimator's would leave artifacts before cutting the signal. Buck sent out a new resistor to fix the problem.

[trader144]

For my GCS-3 I just started going out from my microtube into the GCS-3 and it sounds much better and I like it a lot more as it doesn't kill some of the character.
Before I was going direct from the mp-1 and it was ok but not great.

I guess the cab sim is only as good as the input signal.

[rnolan]

That may be because the charter the microtube added to the patch was part of the patch (if that makes sense).  You may get just as good results with GCS-3 in MP1 loop > direct record but have to tweak the patch a bit (to un-microtube it) ? Just a thought....
(I guess the cab sim is only as good as the input signal) applies to everything, your fingers being the first (and most important) input LOL

[trader144]

Yes, adding the microtube made a huge improvement to sound quality through the GCS-3 headphones.

I am trying it by exiting via the FX loop instead of output A, which is basically removing the output op amp from the signal chain.
It is very good...although I am not sure which I like better yet.
There is a different character when I hook up things to the Output A of the MP-1 rather than exiting out the FX loop.

It may be just me but playing through headphones is a poor (but sometimes necessary) substitute for live through a cranked celestion split stack.
Cab simulators are simply filters....and it is so easy to filter out the definition.