Using power amp emulations with my regular tube amps...

[walkontx]

I've been realizing it's not that easy to getting that tube saturated, natural compression sound when using IR's unless I add in the power amp emulations into the fold. I happen to be using a 6l6 amp and was using the 6l6 power amp emulations.

Is this pretty normal would you guys say? Or is there something I'm missing?

 

[djd100]

Cab Sims/IR's only contribute to the linear aspect of the tone (i.e. the freq response), and not the non-linear aspects (i.e. distortion and compression).

With tube power amp distortion and compression you need to drive the power amp into clipping, which has an associated SPL depending on wattage and cab/speaker design.

A Torpedo LIVE with it's load can allow you control over the SPL with regards to clipping your tube power amp, as can a Torpedo CAB in an amp's FX Loop while utilizing it's tube power amp sims.

I've been realizing it's not that easy to getting that tube saturated, natural compression sound when using IR's unless I add in the power amp emulations into the fold. I happen to be using a 6l6 amp and was using the 6l6 power amp emulations.

Is this pretty normal would you guys say? Or is there something I'm missing?

 

[walkontx]

Cab Sims/IR's only contribute to the linear aspect of the tone (i.e. the freq response), and not the non-linear aspects (i.e. distortion and compression).

With tube power amp distortion and compression you need to drive the power amp into clipping, which has an associated SPL depending on wattage and cab/speaker design.

A Torpedo LIVE with it's load can allow you control over the SPL with regards to clipping your tube power amp, as can a Torpedo CAB in an amp's FX Loop while utilizing it's tube power amp sims.

I've been realizing it's not that easy to getting that tube saturated, natural compression sound when using IR's unless I add in the power amp emulations into the fold. I happen to be using a 6l6 amp and was using the 6l6 power amp emulations.

Is this pretty normal would you guys say? Or is there something I'm missing?

Thanks for that. I guess i'm having a hard time getting to that nice natural compressed warm tubey place with my amps and IR's. I was excited when the additional emulated power amps brought it closer to that sound.

How do you guys achieve that sound when you record? Generally, the sounds I record tend to come out a bit flat and sound pretty direct, not like the feeling of natural warm and lively tone I'm used to when I record in studios. Do I just have to turn my amps up louder than I normally would? I tried that a bit, but didn't seem to work very well.

 

[djd100]

What are you using?

To simulate a real mic'd tube amp in it's sweet spot you need...

a) The amp's volume as such that the power section is working in it's sweet spot, or a modeled tube power section.

b) The right IR(s), i.e. cab/speaker/mic response.

c) The right room tone (very important!).

d) All the above in addition to any post FX, delays, reverb, compression/EQ if needed etc.

With a Torpedo LIVE you can load your amp and drive it's power section into it's sweet spot, and with the CAB you can drive it from your amp's FX Send, and use a dummy plug into your amp's FX Return if needed to kill your speaker's output (the speaker MUST BE PLUGGED INTO A TUBE AMP if not using a load like the LIVE's etc, very important or amp damage may result!).

I usually use tube preamps into a Torpedo CAB for tube power amp sim, cab sim, room sim, and EQ if needed. Everything else I add in the DAW. I also always record the guitar DI'd at the same time so I can reamp the track at a later date if need be.

Cab Sims/IR's only contribute to the linear aspect of the tone (i.e. the freq response), and not the non-linear aspects (i.e. distortion and compression).

With tube power amp distortion and compression you need to drive the power amp into clipping, which has an associated SPL depending on wattage and cab/speaker design.

A Torpedo LIVE with it's load can allow you control over the SPL with regards to clipping your tube power amp, as can a Torpedo CAB in an amp's FX Loop while utilizing it's tube power amp sims.

I've been realizing it's not that easy to getting that tube saturated, natural compression sound when using IR's unless I add in the power amp emulations into the fold. I happen to be using a 6l6 amp and was using the 6l6 power amp emulations.

Is this pretty normal would you guys say? Or is there something I'm missing?

Thanks for that. I guess i'm having a hard time getting to that nice natural compressed warm tubey place with my amps and IR's. I was excited when the additional emulated power amps brought it closer to that sound.

How do you guys achieve that sound when you record? Generally, the sounds I record tend to come out a bit flat and sound pretty direct, not like the feeling of natural warm and lively tone I'm used to when I record in studios. Do I just have to turn my amps up louder than I normally would? I tried that a bit, but didn't seem to work very well.

 

[walkontx]

What are you using?

To simulate a real mic'd tube amp in it's sweet spot you need...

a) The amp's volume as such that the power section is working in it's sweet spot, or a modeled tube power section.

b) The right IR(s), i.e. cab/speaker/mic response.

c) The right room tone (very important!).

d) All the above in addition to any post FX, delays, reverb, compression/EQ if needed etc.

With a Torpedo LIVE you can load your amp and drive it's power section into it's sweet spot, and with the CAB you can drive it from your amp's FX Send, and use a dummy plug into your amp's FX Return if needed to kill your speaker's output (the speaker MUST BE PLUGGED INTO A TUBE AMP if not using a load like the LIVE's etc, very important or amp damage may result!).

I usually use tube preamps into a Torpedo CAB for tube power amp sim, cab sim, room sim, and EQ if needed. Everything else I add in the DAW. I also always record the guitar DI'd at the same time so I can reamp the track at a later date if need be.

Cab Sims/IR's only contribute to the linear aspect of the tone (i.e. the freq response), and not the non-linear aspects (i.e. distortion and compression).

With tube power amp distortion and compression you need to drive the power amp into clipping, which has an associated SPL depending on wattage and cab/speaker design.

A Torpedo LIVE with it's load can allow you control over the SPL with regards to clipping your tube power amp, as can a Torpedo CAB in an amp's FX Loop while utilizing it's tube power amp sims.

I've been realizing it's not that easy to getting that tube saturated, natural compression sound when using IR's unless I add in the power amp emulations into the fold. I happen to be using a 6l6 amp and was using the 6l6 power amp emulations.

Is this pretty normal would you guys say? Or is there something I'm missing?

Thanks for that. I guess i'm having a hard time getting to that nice natural compressed warm tubey place with my amps and IR's. I was excited when the additional emulated power amps brought it closer to that sound.

How do you guys achieve that sound when you record? Generally, the sounds I record tend to come out a bit flat and sound pretty direct, not like the feeling of natural warm and lively tone I'm used to when I record in studios. Do I just have to turn my amps up louder than I normally would? I tried that a bit, but didn't seem to work very well.

I'm using a 1967 vibrolux with a telecaster, sometimes strat and different pedals. Does an amp like this need to be turned up to 8 or 9 to get that kind of natural tube compression? Feels quite a bit high to turn up, I would never do that in a real studio. But maybe with IR's it's different. THat's why I'm wondering if it's better to keep amp lower and use power amp simulation w/ two notes, although a bit of a different sound.

Also what room IR's do you like to use? Ownhammer has Room IR's in their packages...have you ever tried those?

 

[djd100]

All amps are different, even those of the same make due to tube and bias variables, so use your ears ("if it sounds good, it is good").

The sweet spot is typically when the tube power section starts to compress, and up into pleasing distortion, though if you go too high many tube power amps will lose quality etc (as do the Two Notes tube power amp sims).

My vintage Fenders tend to hit their sweet spots at around 6 on the volume control, but this can vary a lot depending on any number of variables (tube type, tube health and power rating, tube bias, power supply health and tube rectifier if present, filter cap health etc).

I typically use the Two Notes and La Boutique cab sims, but occasionally I'll use the OwnHammer or Redwirez standard IR's if I need something I don't have otherwise.

I haven't used the OwnHammer room IR's, instead using the Two Note's room sim/reverb or Altiverb within Pro Tools.

What are you using?

To simulate a real mic'd tube amp in it's sweet spot you need...

a) The amp's volume as such that the power section is working in it's sweet spot, or a modeled tube power section.

b) The right IR(s), i.e. cab/speaker/mic response.

c) The right room tone (very important!).

d) All the above in addition to any post FX, delays, reverb, compression/EQ if needed etc.

With a Torpedo LIVE you can load your amp and drive it's power section into it's sweet spot, and with the CAB you can drive it from your amp's FX Send, and use a dummy plug into your amp's FX Return if needed to kill your speaker's output (the speaker MUST BE PLUGGED INTO A TUBE AMP if not using a load like the LIVE's etc, very important or amp damage may result!).

I usually use tube preamps into a Torpedo CAB for tube power amp sim, cab sim, room sim, and EQ if needed. Everything else I add in the DAW. I also always record the guitar DI'd at the same time so I can reamp the track at a later date if need be.

Cab Sims/IR's only contribute to the linear aspect of the tone (i.e. the freq response), and not the non-linear aspects (i.e. distortion and compression).

With tube power amp distortion and compression you need to drive the power amp into clipping, which has an associated SPL depending on wattage and cab/speaker design.

A Torpedo LIVE with it's load can allow you control over the SPL with regards to clipping your tube power amp, as can a Torpedo CAB in an amp's FX Loop while utilizing it's tube power amp sims.

I've been realizing it's not that easy to getting that tube saturated, natural compression sound when using IR's unless I add in the power amp emulations into the fold. I happen to be using a 6l6 amp and was using the 6l6 power amp emulations.

Is this pretty normal would you guys say? Or is there something I'm missing?

Thanks for that. I guess i'm having a hard time getting to that nice natural compressed warm tubey place with my amps and IR's. I was excited when the additional emulated power amps brought it closer to that sound.

How do you guys achieve that sound when you record? Generally, the sounds I record tend to come out a bit flat and sound pretty direct, not like the feeling of natural warm and lively tone I'm used to when I record in studios. Do I just have to turn my amps up louder than I normally would? I tried that a bit, but didn't seem to work very well.

I'm using a 1967 vibrolux with a telecaster, sometimes strat and different pedals. Does an amp like this need to be turned up to 8 or 9 to get that kind of natural tube compression? Feels quite a bit high to turn up, I would never do that in a real studio. But maybe with IR's it's different. THat's why I'm wondering if it's better to keep amp lower and use power amp simulation w/ two notes, although a bit of a different sound.

Also what room IR's do you like to use? Ownhammer has Room IR's in their packages...have you ever tried those?