Suhr Reactive Load Vs Two Notes Vs Rockcrusher

[Dror520]

I recently got a Suhr Reactive Load and I think it's amazing. I have not used a Torpedo Live but whatever they've done inside the Suhr it's amazing and reacts as close to a speaker cab as you can get. Maybe one small note is that it's engineered to react like a greenback, while the Torpedo has a more general curve. Ownhammer impulses are easily the best and I've tried tons. Celestions are good too but they seem more geared to rock rather than metal. My fave OH is the Marshall CB cab with v30s and also the EVH greenbacks pack.
One weird thing about the Suhr is that it has a balanced and unbalanced out, and I find it sounds better and less noisy on the unbalanced out. I go into a Torpedo CAB to offload my IR processing from the DAW.

I also find the OH to be better for metal. which specific IR of the Marshall cab do you use?

Thanks!

 

[nigelpkay]

I also find the OH to be better for metal. which specific IR of the Marshall cab do you use?

Thanks!

I typically use the sm57 in the quick start folder items, so for the 412 MARS-CB v30 pack, I'm using 412-MARS-CB-V30-SM57-06. The EVH pack for the same cab is really good too for greenback sound.

 

[DaveHawk]

Personally, listening to rockinchippy's clips ( a guy with great amps and top notch gear), if I notice a difference in the tone quality between when he mics with an sm57 and when he uses impulses (regardless of the load), I have to conclude as I have with my own trials, that a real mic still beats impulses.

Pete Thorn is so far the only guy who's clips to me, sound how I would want them to sound. Most other people's clips sound "soft" or "round" if that makes any sense. The detail and the bite I find is in most cases, what is missing. I think this might be a plus for lead work and lead tracking, but detracts from the rythm. I keep getting close but no cigar when it goes up against the mic. (with my setup anyway) To me, a combined setup of a real mic and impulses is still what would work best.

When only using IR with a load box for recording guitar tracks, a high end (tube) preamp and AD convertor is also very important to get real convincing guitar tracks with great depth, warmth and dynamics! When you have mediocre preamps and AD convertors the results with IR will also differ. And the difference between a mic or a IR is not that big in a real mix in my experience.

For recording guitar tracks i have a Torpedo Reload and a Suhr RL and i'm using Ownhammer IR. From the Reload and RL line out i go straight into a Universal Audio 2-610 tube preamp and from the UA preamp into a RME AD convertor. If i go straight into the RME AD convertor without the UA preamp the sound lacks serious depth and warmth. A lot of people think that by using a (reactive/resistive) load box with line out and go straight into a AD convertor (or their computer sound card) is doing the job well with IR. I disagree, always use a good preamp, the same as by using a preamp with real mics in front of your guitar cabinet. It makes a big sonic difference... ask Pete ;-)

Hi!

I've just bought a Suhr Reactive Load, and finally I have some time to do my tests.

I've read this post above, and i'm wondering how to put my preamp (Great River ME-1NV) into the chain.

I have all the dry guitar tracks already recorded, so I have to do a reamp of everything thru my Marshall Head.

So the chain should be like this:

From audio card to reamp box (Radial JCR)
FIRST QUESTION: Wich input should I use? The Signal in (Jack) or the balanced one (Cannon) ???

then:
From Reamp box to Marshall Head (signal cable)

then:
From Marshall Head to Suhr Reactive Load (speaker cable)

then:
From Suhr to Preamp Hi-Z input
SECOND QUESTION: Wich connection do I have to use?
The Balanced one or unbalance one? The Suhr has both...
My test says it doesn't matter...they sound absolutely the same to my ears...

then:
From Preamp-out to Audio card
THIRD QUESTION: Wich connection do I have to use?
My Pre has a balanced out (Cannon) and an unbalanced out -10 dB (Jack)
Wich one?
again, my test says they sound the same...except for the volume...the unbalanced one is 10 dB less...

Many many thanx in advice!

 

[DaveHawk]

up...!

 

[diezelduder]

https://reverb.com/shop/jgalamb2

i think this has been expressed in the above

but screw all the options, buy one of these loadboxes linked in the above, they work as i've bought one, buy a DI box and use IR's in a DAW, makes the most sense to me

for recording and live if you get creative!

 

[drspearing]

I own a Reactive Load and I have really liked the results I've achieved so far. I ran it directly into the instrument input of an RME UFX+ interface. After reading this thread, specifically the part about running it into a tube preamp, I got curious. I thought my RME sounded pretty good but I have a cheap 1/3 rack space Presonus Tube Pre (about $116 new) and decided to try it. I replaced the cheap tube with something I thought might be a little better as recommended by some of the reviews I've read.

This weekend I recorded a guitar part with my current setup, both clean and dirty, and then inserted the Tube Pre without changing any settings other than on the Tube Pre to set the levels. Going from the RL into the Instrument input of the Tube Pre and then into the mic input of the RME, I heard a significant difference for the better. Warmer and yet more detailed. Sat better in the mix too. I loved that it was cheap and effective.

So, I just though I would pass on my experience in that a high end tube pre isn't required for good results.

IMHO, YMMV etc.