If you normally connect your guitar preamp directly to your mixing console or audio interface, it can be a good idea to incorporate a speaker simulator. Speaker simulators are designed to mimic the sound of speaker cabinets, giving you a way to work with a certain sound without having to fork out for the cab you're simulating.
Cab Emulators and Impulse Responses in a Compact Guitar Pedal
Want to record your sound the easy way without having to worry about microphone placement as well? A cabinet simulator would be the best choice for any kind of direct recording. At Bax Music, you'll find traditional cab sims by names like Tech 21 and Palmer, as well as a fine selection of IR-ready guitar pedals. These stompboxes and effects pedals realistically mimic the sound of various guitar speaker cabs, whether you're searching for 4x12, 2x12, 1x12 or 1x10-style sound.
An IR Cabinet Sound Simulator, an Attenuator or a Loadbox?
In addition to a solid selection of built-in IRs, many IR pedals offer support for third-party IRs. Take the Mooer Radar: this unit allows you to load in external impulse responses, giving you the pick of virtually any cabinet that's ever been sampled. If your rig includes a valve amp head or valve combo equipped with a speaker output and you want to record your sound without damaging your amp, always grab a simulator with a loadbox so you can directly record your sound. Bear in mind, the simulator needs to be compatible with your 4, 8 or 16-Ohm speaker output. If you want all-out, souped-up sound at lower volumes or the ability to reproduce this sound via your speakers, make sure to pick up a cab emulator that features a built-in attenuator function. By the way, most of these functions are loaded into Two Notes' Torpedo pedals as standard. Nowadays, many multi-effects pedals also have a special IR section on-board and can help you set up stereo sound with ease.
Amp and Cab Simulation in a Bass Box
Brands like Tech 21 also serve up cabinet simulators in pedal-form for bassists. Initially, bassists the world over were using cab simulators even more than guitarists, which explains why many IR-loaded guitar pedals come loaded with a number of bass cabinet IRs. Most of the models that we offer also support third-party IR files or, if you're looking for more boutique pedals from renowned, bass-focussed brands like Darkglass, you'll find some of those here as well, where most models can be easily combined with a dedicated bass preamp if you want even more options.
Frequently Asked Questions About Speaker Simulators
What's a cabinet simulator?
Cabinet simulators are compact guitar pedals that mimic the sound of guitar cabinets. With a cab simulator, you can easily send realistic sound to your PA mixer or audio interface without the need to buy and mike up a speaker cabinet.
What does a speaker simulator do?
Speaker simulators mimic the sound of specific speakers or guitar speaker cabinets. These pedals do away with the need to accurately position a microphone in front of the speaker cone and can be easily integrated into your set-up, since it can be placed after your preamp or line-out.
