EMG, Fishman and Bare Knuckle have pushed the boundaries of contemporary guitar pickup design, particularly associated with rock and metal music as it’s become more extreme, more aggressive, sharper, sometimes cutting, sometimes enveloping. This has been the case for decades, from the Bay Area thrash explosion to the mind-bending strobe-prog of Animals As Leaders and Periphery, and now the popular modern wave of bands like Bad Omens, Spiritbox and Sleep Token. Our three pickup brands we’re highlighting have contributed to the evolution of heavy music and continue to be at the frontline of new guitar tones across broad swathes of genres.

Let’s explore what sets these guitar pickup creators apart.

Fishman Fluence Pickups

Fishman, under the leadership of Larry Fishman, have been producing audio and amplification equipment for over 40 years. Preamps, pickups, effects and controllers, for all manner of instruments. For a long time, acoustic amplification was the core of their business model. They produced world-class piezo and magnetic pickups for acoustic guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, classical instruments and more.

In 2013, Fishman unveiled their latest project: Fluence. This was their first foray into electric guitar pickups – something they’d previously deliberately avoided. They knew that to enter the market at such a late stage, they’d need to be bold and offer something new – and that they did.

Forget hand-wired coils – these active pickups contain two Fluence Cores, as well as carefully-engineered analogue circuitry. This combination produces unparalleled tonal consistency, next to no hum or signal degradation, and a unique 3-voice system. It’s literally three pickups in one.

Fishman Fluence Range

Fishman’s Fluence pickup range includes some of the highest quality pickups available spanning a variety of tones, including series like the Modern (high-output rock/metal), Classic (vintage PAF-style), and Open Core Classic models that provide multiple distinct voices per pickup via push-pull or switching controls. Whichever option you pick, you’ll be amazed by the sheer amount of sounds you can squeeze out of just one pickup with their multi-voice settings, let alone a bridge and neck pairing.

Why choose Fishman Fluence pickups?

• 3 voices in 1 pickup – 3 Fluence cores and analogue circuitry gives you 3 switchable pickup voices in a single pickup. Incredibly versatile.
• Minimal noise, consistent sound – again, the Fluence cores are designed differently to traditional coils, drastically reducing hum and ensuring reliable, pure sound performance.
• Great range of styles – commonly associated with heavier styles, but you can get everything from 3-pickup Strat sets to 8 string pickups.
• Used by top players – the list of Fluence users includes metal legends like Mick Thomson (Slipknot), Stephen Carpenter (Deftones), Richard Kruspe (Rammstein) and Devin Townsend, as well as the prog-metal virtuoso Tosin Abasi (Animals as Leaders) who stated that ‘no other pickup competes’.

Bare Knuckle Pickups

Bare Knuckle are a UK company who make hand-wired electric guitar pickups of just about every shape and size. Founded in 2003 by session guitarist Tim Mills, they continue to operate as an independent company in Southwest England.

Mills needed a huge range of sounds when working as a professional guitarist. He decided to put his knowledge to good use, creating his own pickups. One thing led to another, and before he knew it, his combination of rough-cut designs, catchy names and head-turning tone took Bare Knuckle from underdog to the big-league. Guitarists who wanted to stray from the path and find something a little more out-there suddenly had somewhere to go.

Fast forward to today, and they’re one of the go-to names for just about everything – from vintage-style single-coils to extended-range monstrosities. All of their pickups are made by hand in their UK workshop. They do custom pickup orders too, so you can tailor your pickup to suit your precise needs. Couple this with the fact that they have a sizeable but navigable range of pickups, and you can see why they’re so darn popular.

Bare Knuckle’s Range

Bare Knuckle’s range of hand-wound passive pickups has some incredible high-output humbuckers like the Aftermath series – purpose-built for modern metal with a crushing midrange and precise high-end articulation. Outside of heavy music, their PG Blues humbuckers deliver a gorgeous jazzy voicing and The Mule is for anyone after classic PAF tone.

Some of their most popular choices are in the Boot Camp range which offers lower output vintage tone from the ‘Old Guard’ models as well as the fatter-sounding mid output ‘True Grit’ and the high-output drive-focused ‘Brute Force’ pickups – all available in humbucker, single-coil or P90 variations.
The lineup spans the tonal spectrum, all with hand-wound British quality. Plus, they offer custom winding services for personalised specifications.

Why choose Bare Knuckle pickups?

• Hand-wired in the UK – as mentioned earlier, it’s all done in-house, by hand, the old way. This is quite rare, especially at Bare Knuckle’s price point!
• Easy to find your style – they’ve got a lot on offer, but it’s super easy to find what you’re after. Choose your guitar-type and playing style, and there’s probably one that’s perfect for you.
• Customise your pickup – choosing a pickup to suit your guitar and playing style is easy. But if you want to go a step further, you can with Bare Knuckle. Choose a full set, different covers, different screws – down to the finest detail!
• Used by top players – BK’s roster includes the likes of Misha Mansoor (Periphery), Matt Bellamy (Muse), Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand), Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) and our pal Rabe Massaad among many others. Bare Knuckle have particularly taken over the modern metalcore scene, with a whole host of the genre’s top bands including Architects, Northlane, TesseracT, Polaris, Landmvrks and Bleed from Within all using their pickups to define the sound of the genre.

EMG Pickups

Having been in the electric guitar pickup business for the longest, EMG are arguably the better-known out of our 3 contenders. Ask any guitarist about EMG pickups, and they’ll likely have a thing or two to say.

The company was founded in 1976 in California and specialises in high-output active pickups. In the ’80s, guitarists’ demands grew more extreme – more volume, saturation and bite was needed to keep up with the rapidly maturing rock and metal sound. EMG stepped in at just the right time, providing a dense, consistent sound the likes of which simply hadn’t been experienced before.

This perfect timing set them on the path to guaranteed success. They very quickly became one of the staple manufacturers of hot pickups and remain so to this day. Any mention of active pickups, and chances are people imagine a set of EMGs.

EMG’s Range

EMG have quite the arsenal available to pick from. The pairing of an EMG 81 & 85 (in the bridge/neck positions respectively) is as iconic as a set of Gibson PAFs or a set of Fender Strat single-coils from the ’60s. Having said that, the EMG pickup range now has plenty more on offer, including the 57/66 (vintage-voiced actives), S or T-style single-coils, extended range pickups and P90s – all with their active technology to boot. They also feature some exceptional signature models from artists including James Hetfield, Jim Root, Zakk Wylde, David Gilmour and Gary Holt.

Why choose EMG pickups?

• Familiar sound – you know how they’re going to sound before you even plug them in. Chunky compressed gloriousness that just makes you want to rip classic Metallica riffs (unless you go for single coils!)
• Highest output – on average, their range offers pretty much the highest output on the market. If you’re looking to supercharge your guitar with consistently intense levels of gain, look no further.
• Instantly recognisable – if you’re a guitarist and you claim that aesthetics don’t affect your decisions, you’re lying to yourself. EMG pickups look super cool and you can spot them in a guitar a mile away.
• Used by top players – renowned EMG users and signature artists include James Hetfield & Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Zakk Wylde, Jim Root (Slipknot), Adam Dutkiewicz (Killswitch Engage) and Sean Long (While She Sleeps). They’re a mainstay in the world of heavy music, with bands including Slayer, Machine Head and Parkway Drive all using their pickups in studio and on stage.

Honourable mentions

As mentioned earlier, we picked these three pickup brands because it’s a common comparison to make. Guitarists who want to give their sound a turbo-boost often consider aftermarket pickups, and EMG/Bare Knuckle/Fishman are at the forefront of said turbo-boosting tech.

There are plenty more guitar pickup manufacturers to choose from though. Just a handful of popular pickup brands to consider are:

• Seymour Duncan – Hand-made in Santa Barbara, Seymour Duncan is steeped in prestigious history. Famous models include the high-output Invader, hot-rodded JB and enduring Duncan Distortion. Artists on the roster include Dave Mustaine, Brad Paisley, Lari Basilio, Yvette Young, Wes Borland, Nuno Bettencourt, Billy Gibbons, the late Dimebag Darrell and countless other top artists.
• DiMarzio – Several famous pickups like the Evolution, Super Distortion, Tone Zone and Fortitude humbuckers made in the USA. DiMarzio are played by Paul Gilbert, Andy Timmons, Nita Strauss and Joe Duplantier.
• Gibson – It’s impossible to count out the original creators of humbucker pickup design. The Gibson sound transcends guitar specialists with the likes of the historic “Patent Applied For” humbuckers, later T-Top alnico 5 ‘buckers, and their latest high-output Elev8 series. We’d be here all day if we listed who has played through Gibson pickups, but notable names who have played them include Angus Young, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Mick Ronson, Ritchie Blackmore, Billie Joe Armstrong, Ray Toro and Brent Hinds.

Which pickup brand is right for you?

These three titans of the pickup market certainly cross over in places. Extended range pickups, modern djent-style tone – you get the idea. But hopefully by now you’re a little more aware of the primary differences, and perhaps a step closer to finding which brand is right for you.

Fishman’s Fluence range has turned the pickup game on its head, offering a hi-tech solution to noise, tonal consistency and sound versatility. Bare Knuckle fly the flag for the old-school, with hand-wired products that offer gutsy tone and the ability to hone a sound that’s 100% yours. EMG bring superior experience and a reputation that hasn’t budged in decades – if you want active pickups, that’s your game.

Check out more of our Labs articles for insightful comparisons and guitar gear.

The post Fishman Fluence vs. Bare Knuckle vs. EMG Guitar Pickups: The Best Modern Metal Pickups appeared first on Andertons Blog.

There are a few ways to go about recording a guitar into a digital audio workstation (DAW) at home, and you certainly don’t need to be in a professional studio in front of a huge mixing desk to get great tones. The method you choose will come down to the specific type of guitar you’re recording, the sound you want to achieve and how you want to play – different styles and musical genres require different approaches after all. Let’s dive into your main options and the bits of gear you may need.

Choosing your audio interface

Before we get stuck into the specific methods of recording, a vital piece of gear you’ll need to bridge the gap between your guitar/amp and your PC is an audio interface. We’ve covered everything you need to know about audio interfaces in our complete guide, so head over there if you’d like some more info on how they work and what they can do. All you need to know here is that they convert your analogue guitar signal into a digital signal to record in your DAW.

Any affordable unit that accommodates either an instrument jack or XLR cable will do the trick.

Shop all audio interfaces

Recording guitar with plug-ins

Recording electric guitars using plug-ins is the optimal way for most of us to achieve quality sounding tracks with little fuss. The process is accessible, affordable without sacrificing the great tones, which many professional musicians incorporate into their own music.

Even though some guitarists swear by the real hardware providing a more natural sound and playing response, the vast majority of listeners wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between plug-ins and a real amp in a head-to-head, especially once the guitar has been mixed into a song.

Plug-ins work as add-ons within your DAW, processing your dry guitar signal through virtual amps, cab simulation, and effects like reverb, overdrive and delay. The beauty of it is that you can record your guitar part once and experiment with endless tone variations afterwards – there’s no need to commit to a sound during tracking.

Guitar plug-in signal chain

• Electric guitar
• Guitar cable (and patch cables if you’re using effects pedals)
• Audio interface
• PC/tablet/smartphone with a DAW
• Amp, cabinet and effects plug-ins

What are the best guitar plug-ins for recording?

Neural DSP

The industry favourite, Neural DSP options include stunningly authentic amp profile suites and their renowned ‘Archetype’ series, giving you professional tones from top artists like Tim Henson (Polyphia), Misha Mansoor (Periphery), John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Cory Wong (Vulfpeck), Plini, Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave), Tosin Abasi (Animals as Leaders), and Gojira. Plus, their X series plug-ins now integrate with the Quad Cortex hardware for seamless studio-to-stage workflow.

Positive Grid Bias FX 2 and Bias X

Positive Grid Bias FX 2 remains a comprehensive, reliable option for high-quality guitar tones that’s tried and trusted. The revolutionary Bias X uses “agentic AI” to generate complete guitar rigs from text prompts or by analysing reference audio tracks.

Line 6 Helix Native

The same amp, cabinet, and effects models as the Line 6 Helix hardware units. It provides top tier sound quality and is incredibly flexible, with a dazzling amount of sound tweaking possibility. If you want to dial in every minute detail of your tone, this is the pick for you.

Native Instruments Guitar Rig Pro 7

A trusted option with an exceptionally intuitive, welcoming interface. There is also a stripped-back version that’s completely free to download, making it a great choice for dipping your toes into the plugin world.

IK Multimedia Amplitube 5

IK Multimedia have made huge strides in competing with the very best modelling amps and plug-ins, assembling a comprehensive, refreshed amp and effect library.

Recording a guitar amplifier

This is the original and favoured way of many producers to capture the sounds of an electric guitar. The result is a crisp, fully authentic, full-range dynamic recording for any use of the guitar within any genre. However, it’s also the easiest recording to ‘get wrong’ and end up with a sound you’re not fully satisfied with. Many a producer has poured hours over the right guitar amp and speaker cabinet combination, the perfect microphone placement and the ideal preamps and compressors.

To get you started at home, let’s keep things as simple as possible.

Microphone recording signal chain

• Electric guitar
• Guitar cable
• Guitar amp
• Speaker cabinet (not required if you have a combo amp)
• Microphone (dynamic, condenser or ribbon – the choice is yours. For beginners I would recommend the dynamic Shure SM57)
• XLR cable
• Audio interface
• DAW

Optional extras include outboard gear like a compressor placed after the audio interface, but for a generally more affordable approach you can get this and different microphone preamps in plug-in form.

What’s the best type of microphone for recording a guitar amp?

In the context of recording guitar, you can sort microphones into three main groups:

• Dynamic – durable, directional microphones that are great for close-mic’ing
• Condenser – more sensitive, great for picking up more detail, require phantom power (every modern audio interface supplies this)
• Ribbon – great for detail without being too sensitive, also good for close-mic’ing

Shop all microphones

The ideal guitar amp volume for recording

To get started, set up your guitar as you would if you were playing at home. Adjust your volume to around 90 to 110 dB, which is considered the golden zone. Any quieter and your amp will sound a bit weedy, any louder and you could exceed your microphone’s sound pressure level (SPL) or audio interface’s preamp limits, leading to clipping distortion or unwanted high compression. There will be an indicator like a red light on your audio interface if you exceed the gain levels your interface can handle.

Valve amp attenuation

With valve amps, recording volume is particularly important as they’re widely perceived to sound better at high volumes because the valves are pushed harder, resulting in a hotter, more responsive sound. If you want cranked, rich tones at lower volumes without disturbing the neighbours or exceeding mic SPL, you can use an amp attenuator/loadbox which absorbs power from your amp and reduces your volume without compromising your tone.

How to mic up a speaker cabinet

Microphone positioning is an artform, and the way you place a mic in front of a speaker will change the way the sound is captured.

Keep the mic between 1-2 inches from the speaker grill for a very direct, present sound. Shuffling it back to 3-5 inches is ideal if you’re using a condenser mic because their capsules are more sensitive to pressure. Back again to 6-8 inches adds brightness and a little room noise as the sound waves bounce off any furniture and walls. Moving it away any further will bring full room ambience for a very particular type of guitar tone.

Moving the mic towards the middle of the speaker will get you a sharper, more treble-heavy tone. Pointing it towards the rim will make your sound darker and bassier. The sweet spot for most amps and mics is usually close the rim of the centre cone, but it’ll always depend on your gear and the sound you like.

Recording with multiple microphones

Different microphones produce drastically different characteristics. Producers like to blend the sound of two or even three mics, often a combination of dynamic and condenser/ribbon mics in front of a speaker to get thicker, richer guitar tones.

Most audio interfaces have at least two inputs, so if you’ve got two microphones and want to try out this technique, mic up the speaker (if you’ve got a 2x or 4x cab you can place one in front of each speaker) and make sure they’re placed the same distance away from the cone to make sure they’re not out of phase. You can also flip the polarity on one mic if they do sound thin or hollow. Adjust the levels in your DAW to get your ideal blend and make sure they’re panned together in the same direction.

Pressing record

Once your mic placement and input levels are optimised, simply arm the track in your DAW, hit record, play your part and arrange and edit to your taste through a good pair of headphones or studio monitors. The thing about recording with a mic setup is that once the track is recorded, that’s it. There’s no way to strip it back to a blank slate and apply different settings without re-recording the part, unless you’re also carrying out a technique called re-amping. Make sure you’ve got the guitar tone dialled in the way you like, experiment plenty, and work out the sound before you go ahead and nail that part.

What is re-amping?

Do you feel the guitar isn’t sitting right in the mix? Perhaps your track has significantly changed style as it’s developed? Re-amping is when you take your dry, unaffected audio track and send it through another amplifier, modeller or plug-in, allowing you to customise your sound even after you’ve recorded it. It means you’re not committed to any one tone and you can keep working with the settings until you nail the right vibe.

Reamping is common when recording with plug-ins, but you can also re-amp your dry stems with physical amps or effects too. You’ll need to use a reamp/DI box to split the signal into two from the guitar, so you have one signal running through the amp and another directly into the audio interface to get a completely clean signal to work with if you choose.

Recording an acoustic guitar

Mic’ing an acoustic guitar is a tricky but satisfying endeavour. A microphone placed a few inches out of position might have you fiddling around in post wondering what you could have done better, but when you know you’ve got it perfect, you’ll have a sparkling, harmonically rich tone.

Use condenser or ribbon microphones

Small diaphragm condenser or ribbon microphones are considered the stronger choices for recording acoustics because they have greater dynamic range than dynamic mics but a very focused directional response, which suits capturing the details – something you’ll benefit from when acoustic playing techniques are usually more delicate and nuanced than playing an electric guitar. Not that you can’t use a dynamic mic of course if that’s all you have to hand!

Acoustic guitar microphone placement

The most consistent sweet spot for a microphone is about 6-8 inches away from the guitar pointed at the 12th fret, or where the body meets the neck. This gives you the best of the bass EQ produced by the soundhole and the treble and details ringing from the fretboard. If you’re just one singer-songwriter with one microphone, then it’s best to opt for this method. If you’re going to record warmer rhythm parts as part of an ensemble, then try lowering a touch towards the lower bout of the guitar and point it towards bridge to dampen the string brightness.

Keep in mind that you’ll move slightly as you play an acoustic guitar. Bringing the instrument closer and further away from the mic will change the volume levels and captured tone. Use this to your advantage to suit the needs of the song.

Recording an acoustic with two microphones

Recording with two microphones adds another dimension and complexity to fill out your sound. Guitar-centric tracks and instrumental songs greatly benefit from the added richness.

• To get a full stereo sound, try the 12th fret positioning with one mic while placing a second mic in front of the bridge to provide more bass and low-mid frequency detail. Keep both mics about 8 inches from the guitar and 24 inches from one another to avoid phasing and comb filtering issues. Raising/lowering the mics increases bass response, which gives more body to the sound of small acoustics.
• Try the XY configuration if you like the density of a two-mic setup but want to pan both into a mono track so you’re being intentional with acoustic panning. This consists of two small mics placed at a right-angle with each other, positioned diagonally near the 12th fret.

Recording using an acoustic or piezo pickup

An acoustic pickup is the same as an electric guitar pickup, using magnets to detect movement in the strings, while a piezo pickup is attached to the top of an acoustic, detecting vibrations in the wood for a more direct sound.

Plug your acoustic into an acoustic amp with a DI out or audio interface to capture these sounds. They could be interpreted by listeners to have an artificial thinness, but some people like the crystalline clarity for specific uses. If you listen to this sound in isolation, it bears some similarity to electric guitar. The upside of this method is that it’s more practical than recording with microphones. A combination of the two isn’t uncommon.

Recording with a modelling amplifier

A modelling amp treads the line between plug-in and full-blown amp. It comes in hardware form, either as an amplifier complete with speaker and controls, or a physical desktop/stompbox format. In this setup, you replace your guitar amp with the modelling amp. The term ‘modelling’ refers to the ability to reproduce a wide variety of authentic, sought-after amp sounds, ranging from tweed cleans up to melting high-gain. Classic amps, timeless effects, signature artist presets – the works.

Modelling amp signal chain

• Guitar
• Instrument cable
• Modelling amp (hosting amps, cabs and effects)
• Optional: cabinet simulator or cabinet impulse response (IR) plug-ins
• Instrument or XLR cable
• Audio interface
• DAW

Choosing your modelling amp

At one end of the range are more affordable full speaker modelling amps like the Boss Katana or Fender Mustang, which offer a concise but handy selection of sounds. At the other end there are some massively powerful modelling units like the Neural DSP Quad Cortex, HeadRush range, Line 6 Helix, and Kemper Profilers, allowing you to emulate a never-ending number of amps, effects, cabinets, rooms, microphones and more.

Many modelling amps are recording-ready out of the box, often including direct outputs to your audio interface, built-in cab simulation and even direct USB audio connectivity. This makes modelling amps a practical, versatile and powerful solution for home recording.

Shop all modelling amps

Recording bass guitar

Traditionally, you’d record a bass guitar the same as an electric guitar with a mic’d amp and cab, but over the years it became common for bassists to record straight into an audio interface or mixing desk. Many bass amps and pedals feature a direct out jack or XLR, sending a balanced dry signal out to a desk or interface which is often then blended with your amplified or affected signal. This ensures your bass tone retains the low-end weight it needs, while plug-ins like Neural DSP’s Parallax or Darkglass suites add colour to the affected signal with gain, presence, compression and EQ tweaks.

You can also get great tones using guitar modelling amps or dedicated bass preamp pedals from the likes of Darkglass, DSM and Humboldt, Markbass or Origin Effects, which is an ideal choice if you’re also going to play live.

Shop all bass preamp pedals

More info

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this huge article! There’s so much more to cover when it comes to recording music, so if you’d like to find out more check out our Learn content while you’re here.

The post How To Record Guitar At Home appeared first on Andertons Blog.

Sleep Token are one of the most popular heavy bands in the world right now, and they’re arguably Britain’s biggest guitar-driven export since the era of Bring Me The Horizon and Architects. The cryptic four-piece have crafted a deep lore for their fans by revealing little narrative slices throughout their music, shows and social media. They’ve maintained the secrecy by keeping their identities concealed with number monikers and by donning the stage in black robes and cult-like masks, led by the enigmatic frontman Vessel. Are they metal? Are they pop? Who cares when they’ve got guitar tones and sultry synths for days.

The mysterious musicians made their big break with the 2019 LP Sundowning, and those huge low notes from their hit single ‘The Offering’ put them on the metal map. But it was 2023’s Take Me Back To Eden that launched them onto the world stage. Combining intense metalcore and djent-inspired bursts with long, emotional build-ups utilising clean guitar tones and synth pads, they found a following that reached outside of an enclosed metal bubble. ‘The Summoning’ is a prime example of their stylistic flexibility; a proggy journey with guitar solos, technical staccato riffs and soaring choruses, just to top it all off with a funky outro across a 6-and-a-half-minute track.

2025’s Even In Arcadia saw the band incorporate an even wider palette of sounds, folding in metal, rock R&B, hip-hop and pop ballad elements.  Twinkly synths and pianos, string sections, electronic beats, pop vocal sensibilities and self-referential lyrics are all over this record, occasionally reverting to their metal roots in explosive pockets of energy. They demonstrate their knack for blending genres on lead single ‘Caramel’, which transitions from Ed Sheeran-esque crooning over a reggaeton stomp clap to a furious metal blast beat crescendo.

So, how do our stringed instruments fit into this eclectic mix of Sleep Token styles? Let’s break it down into the guitars, basses, amps, effects that guitarist IV and bassist III use, as well as the synths, microphones and samplers Vessel and II work into the sound to cover such a vast sonic scope.

IV’s guitar gear

IV’s guitars

Baritone and 8-string guitars are at the heart of everything Sleep Token do. They’re not exactly Meshuggah or Loathe when it comes to the sheer brutality of what either type of guitar can reach when pushed to their limits, but much of Sleep Token’s heavy side has this engulfing, marching high-gain sound that’s less so the centre of attention and more of a contributor to the brooding atmosphere established in most of Sleep Token’s back catalogue. On the other end of the spectrum, there are calm moments featuring shimmering cleans like on ‘Are You Really Okay?’ and ‘Emergence’, as well as edge-of-breakup crunchiness on ‘Gethsemene’.

IV’s signature Jackson Monarkh baritone is the culmination of the need for a vast sea of tones stretching from precise distortion to pure cleans. At a 30-inch scale length and equipped with a caramelised (nice touch) maple neck with graphite truss rod reinforcement, this single-cut beast holds tension across all strings an octave down from your typical electric guitar. The Evertune bridge ensures unshakeable tuning and intonation stability. Its dual Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic humbuckers are arguably the most versatile pickups ever made – perfect for Sleep Token’s sonic variety – thanks to the two active and passive voicings able to cut it with modern active high output and fluid, crispy old school cleans.

Shop IV’s signature guitar

Songs like ‘Take Me Back to Eden’ and ‘Chokehold’ require the use of an 8-string guitar, for which IV has previously tackled with a multi-scale Jackson Soloist – great for keeping tension on the low strings and looser on the high strings for bends and solos – and an extended scale Ibanez M8M. The surprise in his arsenal is the six-string Jackson Misha Mansoor signature So-Cal, which he uses on their newer material covering more textured tones in support of their branching genre-melding tracks.

All the aforementioned brands plus the likes of ESP, Schecter and Strandberg guitars with active pickups from Fishman or EMG are going to get you close to IV’s diverse tones across a range of prices to suit.

Impulse responses – or IRs for short – have become a bit of a guitar buzzword in recent years. Guitarists from all walks of life, from bedroom producers right up to arena-level players, are turning to IRs to help craft top-notch tones without the need for big speaker cabinets, loud guitar amps, or a studio full of microphones. But just what is a guitar impulse response?

These digital marvels are particularly handy for home recording, silent practice, and running guitars directly into house PAs from the stage. But if you’re not quite sure what they are (or why you need them), don’t worry: it’s not as complicated or technical as it sounds! Keep reading for everything you need to know about what impulse responses do, how they work, and why they might just be the best tone sculpting tool you didn’t know you needed.

What Is an Impulse Response (IR)?

In the simplest terms, an impulse response, or IR, is a digital snapshot of a speaker cabinet, a room, and/or a microphone setup, designed to respond to a sound source. In the case of electric guitars, that sound source is usually a guitar amplifier. Imagine clapping your hands in a big hall and listening to the echo – that echo contains all the unique acoustic information of the space you’re clapping in. And in the world of guitars, an IR does something pretty similar: it captures the sonic characteristics of a speaker, a mic (and its placement and distance from the speaker), a room, and potentially time-based effects, all wrapped up into one tiny audio file.

You can then load these files into amp modellers, pedals, or software, where they accurately simulate the sound of a real cabinet, mic and effect setup, all without actually needing to physically place a microphone in front of a speaker cabinet. It’s a great way to bring some studio-level realism to your tone without having a speaker cab and mic right there to hand, whether you’re cutting a demo, playing a show, or just jamming at home. With the right IR, you can take your direct guitar signal and send it into a high-quality speaker like from Celestion in a vintage 4×12 cab, expertly mic’d up with a boutique microphone like a Neumann in an expertly treated, world-class studio – all without disturbing the neighbours!

Why Use an Impulse Response?

If you’re chasing a knockout guitar tone, why do you even need to worry about using an impulse response? After all, it’s the amp that creates your sound, right?

In theory, yes – it absolutely is your amp that creates your tone. But in practice, there’s so much more that goes into your final sound. The cab you pair with your amp and especially the speakers inside it can have just as much impact on your tone as the settings on your valve amp. It’s essentially a massive filter and compressor at the end of your signal chain. Without a good quality cabinet to shape and project the sound, you might find that your final tone is a raw, harsh, and often unpleasant signal that lacks the fullness and character your riffs need to sound their best on tape.

But what if you don’t have the room at home for a massive cab, or you can’t play at a pretty high volume for fear of causing a disturbance? Or maybe you don’t want to commit to one expensive speaker cab and instead would like to try out a few different options to find the sound that best fits your needs. 

That’s where impulse responses come in: they provide the missing link between amp and final tone, capturing the sound of a mic’d up cab in a room and letting you bring that realism into your rig no matter your location. And as they cost a fraction of the price and don’t take up precious real estate in your room, it’s much easier to experiment with various cab and mic IR combos with your amp to really nail that tonal sweet spot.

above: many manufacturers offer easy ways of implementing your own impulse responses in compact modellers and pedals, including Darkglass

IR vs Cab Sims vs Amp Sims

With so many terms flying around, it’s easy to get a bit lost on this topic. But once you break it down the differences are pretty straightforward.

An impulse response is the snapshot of specific sound of a speaker cabinet, microphone, and room setup. It doesn’t include any of the tone-shaping features that an amp might have, like gain or EQ – it only cares about accurately capturing how the cab and mic combo colours your sound. If you want to add a realistic cabinet tone to your signal chain, other than actually mic’ing up a cab, this is the best way to do it.

Then there’s amp sims. As the name suggests, this is software or hardware that attempts to digitally model a full amplifier, often including the preamp, power amp, and sometimes even a built-in cab simulation. If you’ve got your heart set on that classic Soldano SLO-100 guitar tone but don’t have the budget (or the inclination to deal with noise complaints from your neighbours), this is a great way to get pretty darn close to the real thing.

Cab sims, like amp sims, aim to recreate speaker cabinets through a digital algorithm. Usually they’re inspired by or accurately based on existing amps. They’re relatively simple and often baked right into a cab simulator pedal or modelling software. A convenient option, but potentially less realistic sounding than a dedicated IR as their quality relies on the design skills of the developers that make them.

How are Impulse Responses Created?

Creating a guitar impulse response is a surprisingly scientific process. A short test signal – often a simple sine sweep or a burst of noise – is played through the cab that you want to emulate. This sound travels through the cab, is coloured by the speaker, the mic, and the room it’s in, and is then captured using high-end microphones and recording equipment. That same recording is then analysed to isolate the ‘fingerprint’ of the setup – essentially how it responds across the full frequency spectrum. Compare that result against the pure test noise and the result is a detailed digital file that captures all the tonal nuances of that specific cab, mic and room combined.

It used to be the case that impulse responses were exclusively created by professional engineers with years of recording experience given the need for high-end equipment, exact mic placement, and careful recording and analysis. However since the work of TONE3000 on their free open-source Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) and IR project, anyone with an amp head, speaker cab, microphone, audio interface, reamp box and deconvelution software can capture a unique and great sounding IR.

How Do You Use Impulse Responses in Your Rig?

There are a few different ways you can add impulse responses into your guitar setup, but the right option for you depends on how you play and what gear you’re using. One of the most common methods is through an amp modeller, like the Line 6 Helix, Kemper Profiler, the HeadRush range or Neural DSP Quad Cortex. These fantastic pieces of kit allow you to load IRs directly, giving you the ability to pair your favourite amp sim with the perfect complementary cab sound.

Another route is using a dedicated IR loader. Depending on your preferences, you can tackle this with hardware solutions, like the TC Electronic Impulse IR Loader Cam Sim Pedal, or software in the form of a plugin that slots directly into your digital audio workstation (DAW). 

If you’re running through a real valve amp but want to go direct to front of house or play silently, then you’re going to need a reactive loadbox from the likes of Fryette, Two Notes, Boss or Suhr. With these tools, you can safely capture your amp’s tone and pair it with an IR, skipping the need for a speaker altogether – perfect for late-night silent practice sessions, recording without playing through a loud amp to get driven valve tones, and splitting your signal for PA use in a live setting.

Where Can You Get Impulse Responses?

As an increasing number of guitarists turn to impulse responses they’re becoming more accessible than ever, with loads of free and premium options available online, particularly via the aforementioned TONE3000 website where every IR is free to download! A good way to find your feet is by using these free IRs to experiment with different cabinet and mic flavours.

If you’re looking for specially curated tones, it’s definitely worth exploring some of the well-known creators in the space. Brands like Celestion, OwnHammer, Lancaster Audio, and ML Sound Lab are all highly respected players in the world of IRs, offering everything from vintage-voiced 4x12s to rare boutique cabinet emulations. These IR packs tend to combine legendary gear with studio-standard mic placements and techniques, so the end result is a tried-and-tested tone that many professional guitarists put to good use, both live and in the studio.

And if you’re in the market for quality gear that supports IRs, Andertons stocks a huge range of NAM and IR compatible gear, including pedals, amp modellers, and loadboxes. So, whether you’re building a home studio, refining your stage rig, or just want to explore new tones, we’ve got a solution to match your playing needs and budget.

FAQs

How do you use an Impulse Response?

You’ll need to load your impulse response into a dedicated IR loader plugin or hardware unit. Once it’s added to your guitar signal chain, simply play your guitar and the IR will work its magic, simulating the sound of a specific speaker cabinet, microphone setup, or acoustic space.

Can you use an Impulse Response with a Modelling Amp?

Yes! Many modelling amps let you load your own impulse responses, so you can further customise your tone. By using an IR with a modelling amp, you can combine the amp’s digital modelling skills with your preferred cabinet sound, giving you extra flexibility to help dial in an authentic tone.

Can you use an Impulse Response in a DAW?

Most digital audio workstations (DAWs) support IR loader plugins that let you import impulse responses. You can then apply these directly to your guitar tracks and simulate different cabinet sounds or spaces within your recording and mixing environment.

What’s the difference between an Impulse Response and a Cab Sim?

An impulse response is a digital snapshot of a speaker cabinet’s sound, captured by recording how it responds to a test signal. A cab sim, or cabinet simulator to give it its full name, is a software or hardware effect that more generally mimics a cabinet’s tone, sometimes using IRs but sometimes using other modelling techniques. To put it simply, IRs are a type of cab sim, but not all cab sims use IRs.

What’s the difference between an Impulse Response and a Reverb Algorithm?

Impulse responses capture the unique audio fingerprint of a physical space or device, like a cabinet or room, including any natural reverb that the room imparts. On the other hand, reverb algorithms use mathematical models to create artificial reverberation effects, recreating ambient effects by simulating things like natural echoes, EQ, and decay times. Both can be great options – it’s all just a matter of taste.

Unlock Your Best Tone with Impulse Responses

As daunting as they might sound at first, impulse responses are a quick, easy and effective way to take your guitar tone to the next level. No matter what level you’re playing at, IRs offer the flexibility you need to craft authentic, professional sounds all without adding bulky gear to your rig.

If you’re ready to plunge into the world of impulse responses check out our wide range of IR-compatible ampsand pedals, and start shaping your perfect guitar tone today.

The post What Is A Guitar Impulse Response? appeared first on Andertons Blog.

Synths are amazingly creative and versatile instruments. Just like guitars, synthesisers come in all shapes and sizes. Unlike guitars, which most of the time ranging from clean to overdriven tones and sound quintessentially guitar, synths cover a vast sonic scope, one sound completely detached from another. From soft triangle wave pads to fat bass, retro square waves to bell chimes, string plucks to mellow sine waves, squelchy acid drops to harsh sawtooth waves and everything in between, there’s an endless way to incorporate synth sounds into your music – it’s no wonder guitarists want to get in on the action.

Lucky for you, it’s not difficult to replicate a synth sound on our stringed instruments while still being able to utilise our guitar skills to great effect. There are several options at our disposal in the form of guitar pedals, gadgets and a few free-thinking techniques to create synth tones.

Why not just buy a synth?

There’s nothing stopping you from buying a synth. There are some really affordable options from the likes of Behringer, Korg and Arturia (great for saving presets) that recreate the tones of classic models that shaped house, EDM, hip-hop, R&B and plenty of other electronic-influenced subgenres. Even in rock and metal, the likes of Slipknot, My Chemical Romance, Van Halen and Bring Me The Horizon have all utilised synths. They’re not all that difficult to learn to play either.

However, there’s a lot to say for being able to apply your abilities on the guitar to a synth sound. We have a way of writing songs and techniques that have the potential to sound cool with an alternate synthy tone. You may also be searching for a very particular sound that a guitar and synth-infused gear/techniques can only achieve.

Plenty of synths will also present the challenge of learning how to play an entirely new instrument. Although some synths don’t incorporate a keyboard layout, most do, and the typically high-end models called workstations opt for a piano-like playing experience. On top of that, you’ve got all the different parameters you’ll have to learn how to control to get your desired sounds.

Plus, if you’re planning to perform live, you’ll have to consider how you’ll play both instruments at the same time and may need to adjust your music to be able to jump over to the synth if you don’t have a dedicated keyboardist but still don’t want to play that part on a backing track.

1. Synth guitar pedals

The most straightforward method on the list – get yourself a dedicated synth guitar pedal! This is a sure-fire way of harnessing realistic synth tones based on carefully curated sounds. They work by processing your dry signal through digital algorithms. You’ll find pedals that recreate classic analogue synths renowned for their warmth and grit, more immediate and experimental digital synth influences, all sorts of strings, bell and organ sounds, lo-fi chiptune textures and crushed 8-bit madness. They also incorporate other effects commonly paired with a lot of synths, like arpeggiators and frequency filters.

Guitar synth pedals have come a long way from their earlier days when they were often dismissed for poor sound quality and frustrating latency issues. Today’s releases are genuinely impressive, packing an incredible range of synth tones into compact, stage-ready formats that work seamlessly in live settings.

What makes modern synth pedals so appealing is their versatility. A single unit can provide hi and lo-pass filtering, modulation, oscillation patterns, bit-crushing, compression, and built-in reverb and delay effects. It’s like having multiple pedals rolled into one convenient package.

Top Recommendations

• Meris Enzo X and Ottobit X both stand out as powerful and comprehensive options, offering what feels like an entirely new instrument with seemingly endless sonic possibilities.
• Boss SY-200 is packed full of stellar synth sounds with excellent tone shaping controls and MIDI compatibility.
• Electro-Harmonix Super Ego Plus creates huge sound layering possibilities, infinite sustain and glissandos (gliding from one pitch to the next) with 11 unique effects you’d find in legendary synths.
• Line 6 Helix Stomp is an all-rounder multi-effects processor with surprisingly authentic synth capabilities alongside comprehensive tonal control.

There are several more straightforward compact options as well at more affordable prices. Electro-Harmonix’s Mono Synth is a reliable choice that provides great ’80s-inspired bass and lead tones, and the Boss SY-1 is the compact, more basic version of the SY-200. The Behringer BM-17 Frequency Box is centred around a voltage-controlled oscillator for thick fuzz tones through to full-on modular synth customisation. Heading up in price is the GM-800 is Boss’ fully kitted out version with hundreds of original sounds and insane tone tweaking capabilities.

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2. Fuzz & Other Guitar Effects Pedals

As well as purpose-built guitar synth pedals, you can get in on the synth vibes with a combination of essential stompboxes. Think of the guitar like an analogue synth’s oscillator forming a basic sound wave and then shaping the signal with distortion and filters and layering with modulation and time-based effects. Your pedal signal chain mirrors basic synth architecture: oscillators → filters → amplification/effects.

Silicon Fuzz

At the top of this list of synth-style effects is fuzz, which you can use as a starting point to get a very un-guitar-like synth lead tone. A modern silicon fuzz or distortion with a mix control for endless sustain (and possibly a gated setting for a synthetic cut-off to your notes) gets surprisingly close to a fat square waveform through clipping and adding harmonics. Think thick, soaring melodies found in a lot of dance tracks – that’s exactly what you’re aiming to recreate with this type of fuzz setup. Companies like Electro-Harmonix, ZVEX, JHS Pedals, and Walrus Audio make excellent options for this application.

Filters, modulation and pitch shifting

These types of pedals help move us away from traditional guitar tone and remove the harmonic content that immediately tells our brains we’re listening to a guitar.

Compression helps to create a denser sound and remove the dynamic variation that’s so closely associated with a guitar. Filter pedals make your guitar sound less “guitar-like” by adding and subtracting frequencies, using low frequency filters, and by creating vocal-like qualities using various processing and sweepable/random peaks, a bit like wah pedals.

Pitch shifting offers a way to push your guitar out of its natural octave range. Try an octave up for a synth lead or an octave down for a bass synth. Chorus works great with pitch shifting, resembling multiple slightly detuned oscillators.

Apply some modulation like ring mod, flanger, phaser or tremolo to get the signature sound you like, and finish up with some reverb or delay to bring width and dimension. Turn the mixes up high to round out the stringiness of the classic guitar tone.

Keep in mind that you’ll want to use certain playing techniques in combination with this effect setup to get your guitar really sounding like a synth. More on those techniques later.

What is an acoustic guitar top?

Tonewood is an integral part of what gives an acoustic guitar its unique sound, defining the tonality, presence, overtones, vibrations through the body, and the overall volume of the instrument. The neck, fretboard and body of an acoustic guitar can be made of different woods, each one complementing the other.

One of the most important components of an acoustic guitar’s body is the top wood, also known as the soundboard. This is the piece of wood that makes up the face of the guitar. It’s one of your acoustic guitar’s first points of contact with the strings – the vibrations reach the rest of the body via the bridge and the top wood. It’s also the home of the bracing and the soundhole, both of which also shape the sound of your instrument.

Along with deciding on the shape of an acoustic, guitar builders pick from a variety of types of woods, with all sorts of traditional exotic options on the table providing different tones. In an ever-more competitive beginner-to-intermediate market, many manufacturers also turn to laminated woods over solid woods to make more budget friendly instruments. So, what’s the difference? Let’s take a closer look.

What is a solid top?

A solid top is essentially one piece of wood. This wood has been carefully selected, cut, carved and fitted, but always comes from a single source from the timber to the instrument.

You’ll know if an acoustic guitar has a solid top by looking carefully at the soundhole; because the guitar soundhole has been cut into the wood, you’ll be able to see a cross section of the grain when you look at the edge (see image below).

Occasionally, the solid piece of wood is divided into two and mirrored. You’ll notice a distinct divide in the middle of a guitar top when this is the case.

What is a laminated top?

A laminated top is made of more than one piece of wood. These much thinner layers are joined together using a combination of heat, pressure and adhesives, depending on the manufacturer. The process is common practice as it allows a manufacturer to increase their output while using less wood – a win/win in terms of both cost and build time.

For example, a builder takes a single piece of mahogany and divides it into four thin laminate layers. They’ve now got enough four acoustic guitars with rich mahogany tops, all of which came from a one piece of wood. What this also allows is the use of cheaper materials to make up the rest of the laminated wood. Because you can’t see what’s underneath the top layer, it could be anything from maple to plywood to plastic resin.

If you look at the soundhole below, you can just about make out the different layers of wood – the grain from the top doesn’t continue all the way through.

What is a veneer?

The term veneer is often used to describe the top (or visible) layer of laminated wood. While the layers underneath might consist of cheaper/composite materials, you still want it to look good. As mentioned above, manufacturers will take a nice-looking (and thin) layer of mahogany, maple, koa – whatever takes their fancy – and apply it to the top of the laminated wood. This ensures an organic appearance but uses less wood and a less complicated process.

Do solid and laminate tops look different?

The visual difference between laminated and solid tops is a divisive issue for acoustic guitarists. Many argue that the difference is marginal, as it’s essentially the same wood being used except veneers are thinner. Either way, the wood is picked because it looks great – you’ll rarely see a flawed top on an acoustic guitar as lot of builders like to make acoustics with a natural finish. Others argue that a piece of wood chosen for a veneer will be cheaper, and therefore not as pretty

What do you think? Below: a laminate top on the left and a solid top on the right – both are spruce.

Do laminate and solid tops sound different?

The sound is where the debate really heats up. Is there a difference in sound quality between solid and laminated tops? Given the fact that acoustic tops (soundboards) play such a vital role in the sound of your acoustic guitar, I would go so far as to say – objectively – yes.

A solid piece of wood has a consistent grain and density. Because of this, you tend to get good sustain and a richer resonance. Different types of woods offer different tonal flavours, but if it’s a solid piece, it’ll benefit from these factors, even if the overall sound is or isn’t to your liking.

An overlooked factor is that solid tops can age and will therefore increase in resonance as they get older. Veneers will not age in the same way because it’s a combination of different woodcuts and you simply don’t get the same effect.

The best acoustic guitars in the world are all made with solid tonewoods – it’s as simple as that. However, if you like the sound of a certain, it doesn’t matter what it’s made from, right? While solid tops offer a more resonant sound, you may simply prefer a laminate-topped acoustic guitar. That part is totally subjective!

What about durability?

It’s a well-known fact that guitar made of solid woods are susceptible to temperature changes, humidity and age. Because solid wood relies purely on its own sturdiness and thickness (and its bracing), it can fall prey to cracking, warping and other side effects.

If you’re a guitarist who’s always on the move, or for whatever reason you find yourself playing your acoustic guitar in extreme climates, you may want to consider the implications of travelling and gigging with a solid-topped guitar.

Laminates tend to survive better in their battle against the elements. Because they’re comprised of multiple layers and go through a combination of heat, pressure and adhesive processes, they’re more resilient. It’ll take quite a lot more than rapid changes in temperature and the odd long-haul flight to do damage to an acoustic guitar’s laminate tonewood.

Are solid tops more expensive?

For the most part, yes. If a certain piece of wood is selected for a solid top of an acoustic guitar, chances are it’s of the highest quality in every respect. It’ll look stunning for starters, meaning a lengthy selection process with eagle-eyed precision for flaws. It’ll also sound excellent, as we’ve discussed – solid tops are something of a tonal holy grail for acoustic luthiers. Finally, the wood used for solid tops tends to be ethically sourced from a sustainable supplier. This ensures that the wood is of excellent quality, that the trees are in good health and that the company does their bit to protect the environment.

We did say for the most part – many manufacturers manage to strike a balance between quality and affordability. Companies such as Yamaha, Fender, Alvarez, Faith Guitars and Sire understand the tonal importance of top woods, and the importance of making sure every player is catered for. Many of these guitars are well under £1000, each one with its own solid top. This means brilliant sound, stunning looks and a sensible price tag. A good deal if you ask me.

Want to know more about specific acoustic guitar tonewoods like maple, mahogany and spruce? Check out our full Acoustic Guitar Tonewood Guide!

Interested in finding out more about music gear to expand your knowledge? Browse all of our Learn articles.

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The post Acoustic Guitars: Solid Tops vs. Laminate Tops appeared first on Andertons Blog.

A loadbox is a device used to absorb the energy released by a valve guitar amplifier and dissipate it as heat. They safely direct the sound of the amp via XLR or line output to the likes of an audio interface to record, a mixer and PA system for live performance or even headphones for silent playing.

Valve amp heads require electrical resistance to function. That’s why, traditionally, you match the amp head to a speaker cabinet at 2, 4, 8 or 16 Ohms. If you leave an amp head running without connection to a cab, you’ll quickly find that the output stage of the amp burns out, leaving it partially damaged or broken entirely. To apply the technical term, the cabinet ‘loads’ the amplifier. The loadbox bears that responsibility and can either replace or work in conjunction with a speaker cabinet.

Recording a loud amp

Why would you want to use a loadbox? First off, valve amps are very loud. The loadbox allows you to plug directly into an audio interface without the sound of your playing blaring out of a speaker cabinet. If you’re at home or in a small studio, this can be deafeningly loud at close range. With the loadbox in place you’ll hear the amp either through your studio monitors or a pair of headphones, making for clear recording monitoring.

Attenuation

Valve amp heads (especially 50 watt, 100w and even higher) often have a high headroom, meaning you must turn them up loud to get the driven, compressed guitar tone many guitarists love. A loadbox usually incorporates an attenuator function, which reduces the wattage and consequently the headroom of the amp. You can tap into cranked tube tones at home, studio or more intimate gig spaces without the ear-splitting volume.

Cabinet impulse responses

So much of your guitar tone is influenced by the speaker cabinet. The way a speaker cab is built with closed or open back construction, or with angled or straight mounted speakers, plus the speakers themselves, affect the sound in different ways in impacting EQ and overtones. Two classic picks plenty of rock guitarists gravitate towards are Celestion Vintage 30s and Greenbacks, but there are many, many speakers out there that filter and compress the amp sound in various ways. The problem with them is how heavy and impractical they are to keep moving from gig to gig, or just to show up at band practice.

The popular method of accessing a range of speaker sounds without lugging around a heavy cab is through digital cabinet impulse responses (IRs). It’s really simple to download these IR captures from the likes of the Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) project on TONE3000 and load them into your modelling amp or DAW, but also into your loadbox if it’s capable, like the Two Notes Captor X. You’ll also find that lots of loadboxes also host cabinet simulations, which is software built into the loadbox digitally replicating the colouration of speakers and microphone setups.

These options make perfect sense when you’re running a raw amp signal through the loadbox to record, practice or play live. It gives you the freedom to pair your amp with a cab you like while also cutting down on physical gear.

Effects loop

You’ll find a lot of loadboxes incorporate an effects loop into their chassis. If you’ve got any effects pedals or multi-FX, you can slot these in after the power amp and before a virtual cabinet. Effects like modulation, delay and reverb generally benefit from the greater clarity and behave better when they’re fed with a ‘speaker-like’ signal, as they do in the effects loop within a guitar amp.

Setting up for live performances

A loadbox gives you the option to send a signal to both a speaker cabinet for the ‘in the room’ feel, while also sending another line to a mixer heading into a PA (you might have a PA system that includes a mixer). Of course, you could solely send it through the loadbox to the PA, but a lot of us guitarists like the presence and push of air you get from a speaker on stage – it’s more tactile and reactive to your playing than FRFR speakers. Some loadboxes like the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander actually feature a control to replicate the air feel created by the speaker cab, so you’re not completely lacking that dynamism.

Resistive Vs. reactive loadboxes

Resistive loadboxes provide a fixed and constant resistance, but they fail to resemble the fluctuating impedance that a real speaker cabinet offers. The result? A dark, sterile and rather lifeless tone.

All the best loadboxes from the likes of Fryette, Two Notes and Boss are reactive: these more sophisticated models mimic the interaction between an amp’s output transformer and speaker coil, giving you a harmonic richness, overtones and dynamics you’d get from a classic amp head and cab combination. You get way more out of your performances – that ‘feel’ we’d all expect from a quality amp.

Summary

The loadbox is a vital piece of kit if you own an amp head and you want to record with it or set it up to use live by sending the signal into a PA system. If you’re not planning on using the amp with an external cabinet, then you need the loadbox to ‘load’ the amp and absorb its energy, otherwise it’ll break. The ‘reactive’ part of the loadbox ensures your amp sounds its best by reacting dynamically to your playing.

The are several benefits of a loadbox. Not all have these, but well-known models provide a mix of:

• Silent playing for headphones or monitor referencing – no loud speaker cab required
• Attenuation to tap into the saturated tones of your amp
• A variety of cabinet impulse responses and extra studio tools to customise your guitar tone
• An additional FX loop to add in guitar pedals and multi-FX units after the power amp
• The ability to send your amp out into a mixer/PA system without using a microphone in front of the speaker cabinet

If you enjoyed reading this article, then check out more of our other Learn blogs!

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The post What is a loadbox? appeared first on Andertons Blog.

Looping is a curious effect. A looper pedal doesn’t have the same impact on your guitar tone as, say, an overdrive or a delay. But as well as its most common use as a practice and improvisation tool, it has the power to expand your creativity and even change the way you’re perceived as a musician. These powerful stompboxes can improve your guitar playing abilities and define your sound in performance and recording settings. Depending on the type of pedal you get, you’ll be able to add multiple looped phrases, time signature changes, stereo sound, built-in effects and rhythm tracks to your creative arsenal.

Here are our 5 reasons you should own a looper:

1. Incredible Practice Tool

A looper pedal might be the best guitar teacher you’ve ever had. It’s especially handy when you don’t have someone with you to play a repeating rhythm. Try looping a simple riff and put your fretboard knowledge to the test with a lead melody over the top. Work on what sounds good and experiment with any variety of technique you like, without your musical partner getting bored of playing the same section again and again.

Recording that first loop is a form of practice in itself. Playing a part so spot on it’s worthy of multiple repeats is a tricky art to master. It’ll improve your timing and encourage you to play to perfection. Even loopers at the low end of the cost spectrum such as the Landlord FX Happy Hour will serve you well if practice is the focus.

2. Enhance Live Performance

From one of the biggest names in popular music in Ed Sheeran (see the Sheeran Looper + and Looper X pedals) to the musical genius of Jacob Collier, solo artists rely on guitar looper pedals to flesh out their live sound. This is done exactly how you’d expect in a gradual build-up of looped phrases to give the impression of a full backing band.

To get the most out of a live looper performance, you might want to invest in an advanced looper station such as the Boss RC-600. These are like multi-FX units, housing extras features such as effects with expression pedal control, and potentially infinite loop repeats. Another perk of a looper station are the multiple loop banks, which let you transition from a verse to a chorus in a structured way. The result is a more natural-sounding song formed of multiple phrases rather than just one punched-in loop.

3. Creative Songwriting

Looping is a great method to discover what song ideas work well together. There are a couple ways to go about it. The first is to loop your rhythm section and play a lead part over the top, giving you plenty of thinking time to perfect your piece. It’ll ensure you’re in the right key and tempo.

The second is to dive into the functions of more advanced pedals such as the Pigtronix Infinity 2 to line up two loops back-to-back. Alternatively, you could use a DAW to do this, but it’s a bit more tactile to use a pedal at your feet and far less fuss to delete and re-record.

There’s also a chance you forget your new material the next time you go to play it. Saving ideas to banks on a looper pedal is a simple and effective way to jot down and recall everything you’re working on, and you can do this without sitting at a PC.

4. Recording Potential

You’ve got the potential to dive deep into looper capabilities while recording. Similar to a live performance, creating loops to track in an audio workstation is like building up your music from its simplest form into more complex layers, and back down again if you choose. But in this situation it’s less of a crowd-pleasing activity and one to take your time with in introducing the right textures. You can always go back and edit what you’ve recorded.

Recording is also where other effects and your looper’s inbuilt tricks come into play. You don’t have to play endlessly to make an interesting song. Sometimes it’s worth keeping the loop repeating while you experiment with the tone of the loop. Placing the looper before other pedals in the guitar’s signal chain opens possibilities to even more tonal manipulation.

5. A Standalone Looper Effect

It might not be possible to use every looper as its own effect like a reverb or delay, but a few particular pedals contain unusual effects to spice up your guitar tone. The likes of Electro Harmonix, TC Electronic Ditto and Boss pedals possess the ability to alter the speed, decay and modulation your loops and even put them in reverse. Arm yourself with a looper to produce these intrepid spirals of noise as you please. It could just inspire your next great song.

Show us your creative looper ideas on our social platforms on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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The post 5 Reasons Every Guitarist Should Own a Looper Pedal appeared first on Andertons Blog.

Digital guitar amps have come a long way in being able to add hundreds of consistently strong, realistic tones to your sonic arsenal. There are two common ways of emulating analogue valve amplifier tones: modelling and profiling. They ultimately achieve the same goal in creating satisfying electric guitar amp sounds, but they’re built on different technologies and serve slightly different purposes. I’ll explain what they are and how you might benefit from each method.

Amp modelling

Amp modelling is a software-based recreation of the behaviour of a real amplifier. Guitar amps are analysed to measure their EQ curves and how they react to different signals and then sound engineers build digital models to replicate those results. Modelling aims to get as close as possible to the sound and feel of popular amp tones. This is the route that most multi-effects units take. If done well, they can be convincing to the point where you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart from the original amp they’re emulating.

Amp profiling

Then there’s amp profiling. This involves capturing a real amp’s response more directly. Think of it like a snapshot of audio data, like a picture. Test signals are sent through an amp, which are then recorded in a way to capture the reactions to those signals. These recordings are an almost one-for-one capture of the exact setup, which could be any combination of amp, cabinet and microphone in a signal chain. Load the profile without touching any EQ controls or adding any extra effects and you’ll essentially get the exact same sound as the recorded amp.

Neural amp modelling (NAM), an open source version of amp profiling, is the latest movement in the guitar space. You can download captures of all sorts of amp snapshots to your compatible amp pedal completely free. Darkglass with the Anagram multi-fx pedal, Valeton and Mooer and Nux are some of the big brands to have got onboard with NAM so far.

Who makes amp modellers and profilers?

Pure modellers

Line 6 and their ever-present Helix range has dominated modelling technology over the past decade, along with Fractal Audio with the Axe-FX and Boss’ GX and GT units. They’ve made their way into countless professional and amateur setups alike and the latest Helix Stadium brings modelling tone one step further in recreating the very distinct type of sag and compression of a valve amp.

Coming in at the more affordable end of the spectrum is the Mooer GE and Hotone’s Ampero series. You really can’t go wrong with these options depending on your budget. The main differences between entry level modellers and the full fat pro units are the user interface, the connectivity to allow for larger setups, the breadth of tones and customisation, and a bit of sonic refinement.

Leaders in profiling

In the world of profiling, Kemper is the clear standout name with its Profiler series widely used by touring musicians and studio professionals alike. The Kemper Profiler not only lets you capture and load your own amp profiles, but you can access a huge library of community-shared tones and FX blocks. Always wanted to try using an expensive amp like a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier? Select a profile from the library and take it for a spin! Kemper integrates the original amp’s gain and tone controls into the capture better than anyone else for natural-sounding customisation. Another huge benefit is the ability to reamp your guitar signal, which is a massively useful tool when recording as you can switch in and out unique guitar tones until you find the perfect fit. However, the question on everyone’s lips: is the Profiler better than a traditional amp?

If you’re shopping on a budget, then the IK Multimedia AmpliTube TONEX range of pure profile capture pedals is a brilliant option. It grants access to sounds from iconic Marshall, Engl, EVH and Mesa amps as well as classic pedals from Ibanez, MXR and ProCo. There’s loads of room to add your own across hundreds of save slots.

Hybrid modeller and profiler systems

The Neural DSP Quad Cortex has been massively successful the world over in combining the two modelling and profiling methods. The best-selling floor amp comes loaded with several legendary amp emulations, as well as offering the possibility to capture and profile your own amp tones. There’s an entire library amongst QC users where you can download specific captures of personal amps – some you’ll never be able to find anywhere else.

The same goes for the Headrush Prime with its ability to profile, so you can take perfect snippets of your tone wherever you go and get exactly the same realistic sound, but at a slightly lower price and arguably with not quite as sophisticated pre-loaded sounds as the dominant players in amp modelling. Still a fantastic compact amp solution and a great practice tool thanks to the Tidal streaming platform integration and built-in drum machine.

Where does modelling and profiling come up short?

Amp purists will argue that neither process sounds quite like the real thing and for different reasons: modelling technology is created wholly within a computer program, which relies on an engineer’s interpretation of how an amp truly sounds and reacts to guitar signals. Simply, a tone patch might not sound that alike to the original amp it’s based on. You’re unlikely to come across a sound that isn’t usable, but it’s not impossible you might left wanting more.

As for profiling, at the end of the day, it is just a singular snapshot. Like a printed photograph, you can’t zoom in to inspect every detail, walk around the subject or change its shape after it’s been taken. When you change the EQ of this captured tone, those controls are approximations built on top of the captured profile. It’s not a perfect like-for-like for tweaking the controls on the amp itself.

In my opinion: both amp profiling and modelling are so good now that it would be incredibly difficult for an untrained ear to tell either apart from a valve amp if you blind tested them, and that would certainly be the case in a mixed track. You might be able to feel a modeller/profiler lacking that little bit of compressed air and feedback. But in a full band setting, that would again become much less noticeable.

Profiler or modeller: Which one is for you?

Both modelling and profiling have their merits. Modelling offers quick, easy, and versatile access to a wide range of tones. Profiling excels at capturing the exact specs of any given amp for replication at any venue and studio. The former is great because you can dig a bit deeper into tonal customisation, and the latter is incredible for one specific sound you can take with you anywhere.

We’ve seen how some amps specialise in profiling, while others are built on great modelling tech, and some do a bit of both. There’s not much of a price gap between modelling and profiling so whatever amp gets you closest to the tones you love to hear and play through, go with your gut!

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