Celestion IR Pack
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Hello! I bought Bias Amp 2 Elite a couple of weeks ago, and I'm loving it. It's inspired me to learn about all the different components of my real amps so I can build them and experiment with modifications. Incredibly convincing.
My only curiosity is this. I paid the extra $100 for the Celestion IR pack, assuming it would lend the tones way more authenticity, but I've found them pretty underwhelming. They seem ungodly bright and harsh to me.
I'm not sure that I don't prefer the original IRs from Positive Grid?!
This doesn't seem right to me though. I've watched Pete Thorn's videos and heard the improvement when he switches to Celestion's IRs. What am I getting wrong?
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I find them superb. You could try my amp preset on Tonecloud if it's ungodly too. Search for Bluejooh MK3. I think it sounds great with all the Celestions.
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@john Cool, thanks. I'll definitely check it out tonight.
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@Thomas-Daugherty I agree that if you dial a preset in on the stock cabs and switch to either the Celestion or a Third party IR (I have a bunch and they all do it too just like Celestion) the sound will instantly get bright/harsh.
IMHO: this is because PG's stock cabs are so produced/rolled off by default. You get hit in the face with the high end for a preset that was dialed in with the stock cab that has been switched to one of the Celestions.
For dialing the Celestions try: Start with one of the Celestions as a starting point. Dial BMTP on the amp, adjust the other frequencies. Then move the mics, mic selection and positioning makes a huge difference in frequency content. Then you can swap cabs around do two mics etc. The R121 is a very well regarded guitar mic and much less bright than a 57 for example.
For IRs: Load IR. Immediately adjust the LPF (Low Pass Filter; stops harsh high end) to about 5KHz and the HPF (High Pass Filter; stops boomy low end) to about 80 or 90Hz. Adjust BMTP. Leave filters in place and maybe compare some more IRs.
If you are in Bias FX using a Bias 2 amp you can add an EQ to your chain to tune Frequencies. Or in a DAW you can roll of the high end outside of the BA2 plugin, PG has their EQs and some DAWs (like Logic) have some awesom EQ plugs.
I think overall the Celestions and IRs are much better than the stock cabs once you get your work flow going. This is another reason I am hoping they change the BA2 amp match to allow the user to keep their amp settings. The stock IRs are a liability when they are baked into your amp match. (@Joe-Kuo :wink: )
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@elric Thanks. This was helpful.
I've been following Bias Amp with Pro-Q2 and LPF-ing down to 6k or so to remove all the top end hash. But I think you're right that the patches I've been checking out are way too bright to compensate with PG's IRs.
I'm going to go back through all of them using Celestion's IRs and tweak.
Just finished a new single using nothing but Bias Amp 2 for guitar tones, and it's UNREAL how good they sound. Loving this plug-in.
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I think overall the Celestions and IRs are much better than the stock cabs once you get your work flow going. This is another reason I am hoping they change the BA2 amp match to allow the user to keep their amp settings. The stock IRs are a liability when they are baked into your amp match. (@Joe-Kuo :wink: )
We're working on the improvement for that. :-)
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With clean tones, there isn't much difference between IRs - but with overdriven tones, IRs, various mics and moving them, using post eq......grossly change the response, the ambient quality of the sound (how close it sounds to you, and how 'big an object it appears to be in the space'), as well as the vocal tone (for example, the nose-pinched farty sound that signatures Satriani). Then there's the basic tone of the IR, which in most cases is some variation of trying to push sound through a grate-covered horn bell.
The stock G25 still has the realest and open-est sound and saggiest yet non-flubby response of any IR I've tried. It could be more elegant in how it handles the treble.
I think the mics have better qualities in 2.