Choosing a speaker?

imalrightjack

I've got a Mesa Boogie Mark V:25 and have acquired a Zilla Fatbaby cab which, unfortunately, has a 16ohm cab. I know it's usable but I'd prefer to have one that is 8ohms that I can also hook up with the Mesa cab I have (V30).

I'll use the cab primarily for jazzy/blues/rock and would like a bit of clean headroom but also something I can drive hard on channel 2/with overdrive 

Any advice on choosing a speaker? Is there any free way to connect my amp to Logic and use impulse responses for speakers? Forgive my ignorance, for it is vast. 

simonk

I often use my V:25 with Creambacks and they make a good match. 

guitarfishbay

If you're going to use two cabs at once you're usually best off matching sensitivity in most cases, otherwise there'll be a volume mismatch.

Logic's space designer can load impulses.  I think your amp should have a cabclone DI out, assuming you can switch the speaker sim off then just use that into space designer.

A H30 or H75 creamback could be a nice match, they'd also sound decent in a 1x12 cab due to the voicing.

ICBM

I would also go for a Creamback G12-H75 - like a G12H-30 tone-wise, but with a power rating that better matches the V30.

Or if you can find a used Mesa/Celestion Black Shadow 90, one of those. Silly price new though. 

imalrightjack

The cab actually has a 16ohm Creamback in it, which is unfortunate.  It definitely seems the best choice and @Deijavoo ;
is a big fan, so they've been on my watch list for a while.  At least I can give it a go before I move it on.

No joy with finding a Black Shadow 90, @ICBM.  A few cabs have come up but at silly prices or no shipping options.

@guitarfishbay, how do I find impulse responses?  Can you get free ones?

Cheers, all!

guitarfishbay

Several companies do impulses.  The ones I find I use most are from Ownhammer http://www.ownhammer.com/store/ However they tend to focus on larger cabs

Another common one is RedWirez http://www.redwirez.com/ I've only used their bass IRs and not their guitar ones.

Celestion themselves just started doing their own impulses https://www.celestionplus.com/ I've not had a chance to try any of these yet but reading the overview they seem pretty well laid out.

I think you can get free samples from each company but I don't think they do samples from each pack.

The size and construction style (open/closed) of the cabinet itself will impact the tone, so it would be best to try to use the ones most similar to your cab.

ICBM

There's really no reason you can't just use the 16-ohm one. It's safe with the amp at 8 ohms, and it's fine to combine it with the 8-ohm V30 with the amp set to 4. The only slight issue is that the V30 will probably seem slightly louder like that, although if the Creamback is in a closed cab it may not.

imalrightjack

Thanks, @guitarfishbay.

@ICBM, I understood that the output would be affected by using a mismatch, in that it would sound darker/smoother (which might actually suit me).  The Creamback is in a closed back cab, one much larger than the Mesa (which is open-back).  I'm not overly-fixated on switching the speaker but I think it makes sense, long-term.

ICBM

It's probably best in the long term, but there no need to rush into it if it sounds OK now. Your best bet might be to find someone who wants the opposite swap...

imalrightjack

ICBM said:

It's probably best in the long term, but there no need to rush into it if it sounds OK now. Your best bet might be to find someone who wants the opposite swap...

Yeah, although I'd quite like to try the Neo, as it's a pretty hefty cab!

webrthomson

@imalrightjack - I think I've got some Mesa C90's in a cupboard and I was going to list them on ebay this weekend - I'm pretty sure they are 8 ohm ones - if you are interested PM me

imalrightjack

@webrthomson incoming!

octatonic

Get a G12-65 Heritage.
They are awesome.

imalrightjack

I'll have a look, @octatonic - thanks.

Anybody used Impulse Responses with Space Designer?  Struggling a little, in respect of what settings to change once I've loaded one.  Reduced the dry to zero but then it's really quiet.  Do I then use the 'Reverb' level to turn up the gain?

octatonic

imalrightjack said:

I'll have a look, @octatonic - thanks.

Anybody used Impulse Responses with Space Designer?  Struggling a little, in respect of what settings to change once I've loaded one.  Reduced the dry to zero but then it's really quiet.  Do I then use the 'Reverb' level to turn up the gain?

Yes, reduce dry to zero.
Otherwise you aren't monitoring through the speaker.
Yes, turn up the reverb.

imalrightjack

Thanks, @octatonic - can you apply this to an already recorded guitar track?

octatonic

imalrightjack said:

Thanks, @octatonic - can you apply this to an already recorded guitar track?

How was it recorded?

imalrightjack

octatonic said:

imalrightjack said:

Thanks, @octatonic - can you apply this to an already recorded guitar track?

How was it recorded?

Mark V:25 cab clone directly into an Apogee Duet.

octatonic

imalrightjack said:

octatonic said:

imalrightjack said:

Thanks, @octatonic - can you apply this to an already recorded guitar track?

How was it recorded?

Mark V:25 cab clone directly into an Apogee Duet.

So you are using a cab simulator (cab clone) and then putting another cab on it in series, right?
No, I wouldn't usually do that as you two cabs in series will usually (but not always) sound shite.

I'd take the line out from a cab (or use the AXE FX without a cab enabled) and track that into Logic and use Space Designer with a cab impulse loaded up.

imalrightjack

Ah, OK. I really wasn't sure whether I could use speaker IRs. All a bit new to me. Thanks again!

octatonic

imalrightjack said:

Ah, OK. I really wasn't sure whether I could use speaker IRs. All a bit new to me. Thanks again!

Let your ears guide you, there might be situations where it works.
But in most cases it will make the guitar sound more filtered and less in your face.

Also Cab clone sounds pretty shit to my ears- I'd avoid using it in your position.