|
|
Post by indiehouse on Mar 17, 2023 13:01:34 GMT -6
I am experiencing an issue with my Suhr Reactive Load IR. There is a distortion/fizz around the notes that I can't dial out. I have been trying to research this issue and came across other posts online with similar issues. The main response I've read is that's what an amp sounds like when it's close mic'd. I close mic'd my amp and made some sound recordings for your review. The distortion is gone when I close mic my amp. There are three sound recordings I made. The first two are the same take. I used the 'Thru' of the Suhr Reactive Load IR box and mic'd my amp (Swart AST) right up on the grill with a 57 and a Stager ribbon mic, while simultaneously recording the IR of the Suhr direct to my interface (Lynx Aurora n), with levels coming in around -18db. Mic'd ampIR (with Thru going to Speaker)Correct me if I'm wrong, but using the Thru will cause the speaker to put the load on the amp, and bypass the load of the Suhr, correct? This causes the amp to sound much different when I record the same pass using the Suhr as the load instead of the speaker. This take is the same pass without using the Thru of Suhr. This is amp to Suhr to interface. Suhr RL IRAs you can hear, the two IR recordings sound very different. Aside from that, you can clearly hear how much distortion is going on with the two IR recordings as compared to the close Mic'd amp recording. I want to like this piece, but I am seriously considering moving on. Is there anything I can do? |
|
|
|
Post by the other mark williams on Mar 17, 2023 15:58:38 GMT -6
paging ragan - he has one of these. |
|
|
|
Post by indiehouse on Mar 17, 2023 18:14:30 GMT -6
I emailed my Sweetwater rep with this, expressing interest in trying out the Captor X (it’s on sale right now), but of course he just tried to upsell me on the UAD Ox.
|
|
|
|
Post by ShadowK on Mar 17, 2023 19:33:31 GMT -6
I don't have any distortion or fizz with mine although I also don't have the IR version. Just to cover the basics, you are using an 8ohm amp that's 100W or less right? Have you tried loading your own IR's or using the unfiltered out via your own cab loader / IR? Also are you using a balanced cable to your interface (at line level) and not clipping anywhere? The Suhr can be a bit tetchy about gain staging so I usually turn down the DI and up the input on the interface.
There will be differences between the Suhr and your amp / cab / mic combo though, for a start AFAIK the Suhr is based upon a greenback load so unless you have the exact same it will sound different and did you use the same mic in the same position, on a same sized cab as the IR? If not then of course it won't sound anything like each other.
|
|
|
|
Post by bikescene on Mar 17, 2023 19:44:19 GMT -6
I’ve got the non-IR version of the Suhr Reactive Load. I haven’t done critical ABing of a clean signal, so I can’t speak on that. You’ve got me curious about it.
Are you able to take an IR of your mic chain to compare your mic’d speaker to the Suhr with a more identical mic setup?
The reactive part is supposed to mimic the load of a closed back 4x12 with Greenbacks.
I have compared the internal load to another reactive attenuator with real speaker and mic, using my Plexi clone driven. I preferred using the real speaker and mic a little bit more. Perhaps at those distortion levels, any clipping is not easily heard.
|
|
|
|
Post by indiehouse on Mar 18, 2023 8:26:41 GMT -6
I don't have any distortion or fizz with mine although I also don't have the IR version. Just to cover the basics, you are using an 8ohm amp that's 100W or less right? Have you tried loading your own IR's or using the unfiltered out via your own cab loader / IR? Also are you using a balanced cable to your interface (at line level) and not clipping anywhere? The Suhr can be a bit tetchy about gain staging so I usually turn down the DI and up the input on the interface. There will be differences between the Suhr and your amp / cab / mic combo though, for a start AFAIK the Suhr is based upon a greenback load so unless you have the exact same it will sound different and did you use the same mic in the same position, on a same sized cab as the IR? If not then of course it won't sound anything like each other. Yes, 8ohm 15-watt amp (Benson Monarch / Swart AST). I have used the stock Suhr IR's, plus top tier third-party IR's from York Audio, Ownhammer, Hislop. I have also used the unfiltered (non-IR) output of the Suhr and loaded IR's inside my DAW. I am using a balanced cable. I am not clipping the Suhr or my interface (Lynx Aurora n). I figured the load differences would explain the tonal change between speaker and reactive load box. It's interesting to me, and I didn't realize how much that would change the tonal characteristics of my amps. I mean, I get that it won't be a fair A/B comparison, and I wasn't expecting it. But putting those differences aside, the distortion present in the Suhr IR examples DO NOT sound good. To me, that is a pretty black and white issue. |
|
|
|
Post by indiehouse on Mar 18, 2023 8:29:25 GMT -6
I’ve got the non-IR version of the Suhr Reactive Load. I haven’t done critical ABing of a clean signal, so I can’t speak on that. You’ve got me curious about it. Are you able to take an IR of your mic chain to compare your mic’d speaker to the Suhr with a more identical mic setup? The reactive part is supposed to mimic the load of a closed back 4x12 with Greenbacks. I have compared the internal load to another reactive attenuator with real speaker and mic, using my Plexi clone driven. I preferred using the real speaker and mic a little bit more. Perhaps at those distortion levels, any clipping is not easily heard. I don't really have any interest (or time) in making my own IR's. I have purchased third-party IR's from York Audio, Ownhammer, Hislop, all who have far more experience and talent than me in creating excellent IR's. If I can't get a good recording with their IR's, then there's no chance I will make a better IR than them. I like my tone on the edge of break up. I am not a high gain guy. I have found that the higher gain tones mask the gnarly distortion I'm hearing. |
|
|
|
Post by ShadowK on Mar 18, 2023 10:20:45 GMT -6
I figured the load differences would explain the tonal change between speaker and reactive load box. It's interesting to me, and I didn't realize how much that would change the tonal characteristics of my amps. I mean, I get that it won't be a fair A/B comparison, and I wasn't expecting it. But putting those differences aside, the distortion present in the Suhr IR examples DO NOT sound good. To me, that is a pretty black and white issue. I can setup the Suhr to sound very close to an amp / cab (lower the gain / distortion a bit more, up the bass slightly and use different IR's), however I can just push back an M88 half an inch for example from an amp and get more of a "lossy" sound when it comes to distortion characteristics. Thing is you don't get a signal tainted by your room and in some cases that's a desireable effect, I've not listened to your tracks on my studio speakers but the mic seems to have more bass, less defined mids but also less distortion around the treble, the Suhr sounds more balanced to me. However I do agree there's something a bit of funky distortion going on up top..
You might find that amps aren't as clean as you thought they were when going DI and the Suhr isn't the only load box or amp DI (some amps have a DI) that I've used. I tend to judiciously HPF and LPF any DI tracks.
Just out of curiosity do you have a spare DI? I know this makes the IR version pointless but I run mine unbalanced into my Shelford Channel, my mixer expects balanced so I do the conversion at the pre-amp stage, add in some transformers and in all fairness the Suhr sounds great to me.
|
|
|
|
Post by ragan on Mar 18, 2023 16:46:31 GMT -6
I am experiencing an issue with my Suhr Reactive Load IR. There is a distortion/fizz around the notes that I can't dial out. I have been trying to research this issue and came across other posts online with similar issues. The main response I've read is that's what an amp sounds like when it's close mic'd. I close mic'd my amp and made some sound recordings for your review. The distortion is gone when I close mic my amp. There are three sound recordings I made. The first two are the same take. I used the 'Thru' of the Suhr Reactive Load IR box and mic'd my amp (Swart AST) right up on the grill with a 57 and a Stager ribbon mic, while simultaneously recording the IR of the Suhr direct to my interface (Lynx Aurora n), with levels coming in around -18db. Mic'd ampIR (with Thru going to Speaker)Correct me if I'm wrong, but using the Thru will cause the speaker to put the load on the amp, and bypass the load of the Suhr, correct? This causes the amp to sound much different when I record the same pass using the Suhr as the load instead of the speaker. This take is the same pass without using the Thru of Suhr. This is amp to Suhr to interface. Suhr RL IRAs you can hear, the two IR recordings sound very different. Aside from that, you can clearly hear how much distortion is going on with the two IR recordings as compared to the close Mic'd amp recording. I want to like this piece, but I am seriously considering moving on. Is there anything I can do? The fizzy distortion in the high end is there in all three clips, but the mic'd amp version is much more rolled off sounding so the 'fizz' is mellowed and attenuated. The Suhr RL tends to be airy-er than a mic'd amp in general and it is accentuating that quality of the tone created by that guitar and that amp at those settings. |
|
