More Thoughts on Speaker Simulators and Impulse Responses

I just flew to and from the Breakforth Conference in Edmonton. I was performing at the Canadian Gospel Music Awards show and doing 3 guitar clinics the following days at the conference. On top of the regular plane fare there was a baggage fee added for each additional piece of luggage beyond my carry-ons. To take both an acoustic and an electric guitar cost me about $135. I don't know what an amp would cost but the extra cost is surely a deterrent for the near-present and the future flights I take with my guitar gear.

A little while back I did a conference in Downtown Vancouver with an in-ear monitoring system for stage and a request to play without amps on stage. I ended up taking a couple of guitars, my pedalboard and a speaker simulator. I could pack my entire rig in in one trip.

These types of scenarios are becoming commonplace at least in the circles that I work in. The footprint of what I need to play a show seems to be growing smaller. The question for me seems to be; 'how do I build my setup to get great tone, versatility,  quick setup and tear-down, but also have the tools I need to fit in one gigbag and a small padded case?'.

The answer for me, is to have one great guitar and about 7 or 8 boutique pedals, chosen with great care and able to fit on a tiny pedalboard, both small enough to be carryons on a plane.

It does seem to take a bit of the fun out of what guitar playing and collecting gear is all about but I prefer it now for most of the gigs I do. Once in a while I will arrive at a gig and there will be stereo Fender Deluxe's, a Blues Deville or a Vox AC30 waiting for me onstage and I do get excited to crank up a bit. I will give you some more particulars in the future of the ins and outs of using a small system.

Below is the Tech21 Flyrig. What a cool idea this is. It has everything you would need for a basic gig and you could fit it in your gig bag. They have a few different styles to choose from. Wow!

The new addition to my pedalboard will be the Radial JDX Direct-Drive speaker simulator/di combo pedal. It sounds fantastic and it will lighten my load, while sacrificing nothing in my tone, expression, and the versatility I need for the type of gigs I'm doing. Check it out at:  http://www.tonebone.com/jdxdirectdrive.php

Speaker Simulator Options for Guitarists

Along with my busy guitar lesson studio, I am a fairly busy schedule as a professional session and live player. I used to have a big rack system with preamps, power amps, rack-effects and cabs, with flight cases and the sore back that went along with the whole rig.

For the last 5 years I have worked in all the same situations without the amp, rack and cabs. My rig consists of a pedalboard that can fit into a common briefcase; along with a speaker simulator and some in-ear monitors. I can pack my entire rig into a gig in one easy trip.

The positives of the setup are easy to see and feel: less stuff to pack; less stuff to maintain; less stuff to go wrong; less volume to contend with; less setup time; and certainly more flexibility in each different room situation.

I am not opposed to having amps and cabs; rather I'm choosing a strategy that makes sense given the musical situations I am generally playing in.

Here are some excellent options if you want to try gigging without a traditional guitar amp setup. Just put some pedals or a pedal preamp infront of one of these speaker simulators and you'll be surprised at how good the sound is through studio speakers, a PA or in-ear monitors.

Neunaber Iconoclast

BluGuitar Blubox

Lodigy EPSi

Digitech CabDryVR

Yes. Nothing else can completely replace a great tube amp cranked up, but

as a second backup rig, or flyrig, or just a lightweight alternative to the big amp

that you can't turn up anyway (because the room is too small); these small

cab simulators really do deliver a realistic tone and feel that can

even fool experienced guitarists in the audience.