Rather than do a ‘best of’ style post, every year I’m doing a rundown of what home studio gear I’ve used this year, and why.
Previous years: [2019] [2020] [2021] [2022] [2023] [2024]
Continue reading “2025 Review: Home Studio Gear”First Impressions: Blackstar Debut 100RH Amp Head
I recently bought a Blackstar Debut 100RH amp head.
This is going to be an additional pedal platform amp. Read on for my first impressions.
Continue reading “First Impressions: Blackstar Debut 100RH Amp Head”Studio Diary #61: Remastering My Original Pedal Platform Presets For Axe-FX 3 Firmware 28.05
‘Studio Diary’ is an occasional series where I talk about building a home recording setup for hobbyists and enthusiasts like us. I share my personal experiences, and the thinking behind some of the decisions that I’ve made along the way.
Fractal Audio have recently overhauled their amp modelling in the Axe-FX 3 / FM-9 / FM-3. And my recent dive into the Orange Getaway Driver has shown me that I need to revoice my signal chain. I’m taking this as an opportunity to re-evaluate everything about the pedal preset I’ve built for the Axe-FX 3.
I spent most of Spring dividing my playing time between the pedal platform patches that are based on the DRRI and using my real Tweed Deluxe amp. When I came back to my original 57 Vintage and 65 Modern presets, I could hear a stark difference – and not in a good way.
So, before I finally wrap up this series on the pedal platform patches, I want to go back and re-master those two original pedal platform presets. There’s been some recent Axe-FX 3 firmware updates that make this easier to do and sound better than ever.
Continue reading “Studio Diary #61: Remastering My Original Pedal Platform Presets For Axe-FX 3 Firmware 28.05”#TweedTone: Dialling In A 5e3 Tweed Deluxe Reference Tone For 2025
New year, new (and hopefully improved!) reference tone from my Fender 57 Custom Deluxe amp.
All made possible thanks to a late 2024 freebie from Origin Effects … and me figuring out how I’d been using my Fryette Power Station PS-100 wrong …
Continue reading “#TweedTone: Dialling In A 5e3 Tweed Deluxe Reference Tone For 2025”2024 Review: Home Studio Gear
Studio Diary #44: Key Decisions About Cab IRs
‘Studio Diary’ is an occasional series where I talk about building a home recording setup for hobbyists and enthusiasts like us. I share my personal experiences, and the thinking behind some of the decisions that I’ve made along the way.
Fractal Audio have recently overhauled their amp modelling in the Axe-FX 3 / FM-9 / FM-3. And my recent dive into the Orange Getaway Driver has shown me that I need to revoice my signal chain. I’m taking this as an opportunity to re-evaluate everything about the pedal preset I’ve built for the Axe-FX 3.
Before I get into detail about dialling in each amp and cab, I want to first discuss some more general things I’ve learned about impulse responses (IRs for short), and how that’s led me to some key decisions (or, if you prefer, design constraints) that I’m going to use to guide me as I dial in the amps and cabs.
Continue reading “Studio Diary #44: Key Decisions About Cab IRs”2020 Review: Home Studio Gear
Rather than do a ‘best of’ style post, every year I’m going to do a rundown of what home studio gear I’ve used this year, and why.
Previous posts in the series: [2019]
Continue reading “2020 Review: Home Studio Gear”Studio Diary #18: Recreating The Sound Of My Speaker Cabs Using Celestion Impulse Responses
Now that I’ve added the Two Notes Torpedo CAB M to my setup, the next challenge is to set it up to sound like my actual speaker cabs do.
One day, I want to make my own impulse responses of my speaker cabs. I want to be able to share them with you, so that you can recreate the signal chain I use for yourself. That’s something I can’t do with any impulse responses that I buy.
I’m going to be using Celestion’s official impulse responses on the CAB M, until I can replace them with my own impulse responses.
Continue reading “Studio Diary #18: Recreating The Sound Of My Speaker Cabs Using Celestion Impulse Responses”Studio Diary #17: Getting A Better Recorded Guitar Tone By Using Impulse Responses In The Right Place
The whole point of last autumn’s home studio revamp was to get things to the point where I could start recording music again. However, as I mentioned in my 2019 review of the home studio gear, I wasn’t sure I’d got my signal chain order sorted out.
It was a good call.
Continue reading “Studio Diary #17: Getting A Better Recorded Guitar Tone By Using Impulse Responses In The Right Place”#HomeTone Thoughts Before Winter NAMM 2020
Winter NAMM is almost here. It’s one of the most high-profile guitars & gear trade shows in the world, and traditionally, many manufacturers use it to announce or launch their major new products of the year.
YouTube is going to be dominated by NAMM show floor coverage for the next few weeks. If you want to see everything that will be displayed at the show, subscribe to one of the YouTube channels I recently recommended.
From a #HomeTone perspective, what are the gaps in the market that I’m hoping to see filled by new products?
Continue reading “#HomeTone Thoughts Before Winter NAMM 2020”