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Which Nembrini amp for those who prefer cleaner tones?
Your suggestions should be welcomed.
Thank you.
Comments
They each have their own character. It depends a lot on what you like.
I like to use Magic Death Eye in front for even harmonics and better clean sustains and limiting.
It costs $10 for the #1 answer now. $0 for Crunck V2 to see if they can even do clean for your tastes (GAIN = 3-6% max).
Once you get going check out Delay3000 based on a classic Roland Rack unit. The stomp box apps are also priced low and a bundle makes a good value... clean tremolos are classic.
Of course all these apps make 'meh' synths sound awesome. Most great synths benefit from clever internal FX. All the knobs are exposed in AU Parameters for automation in your DAW's too. They cover all the right bases for AUv3 implementations.
Presumably the Cali is modeled on one of the rectifier amps from Mesa Boogie. I’m not 100% sure of their architecture but the Mark x series of amps are all essentially hot-rodded Fender amps and their clean channels are therefore very Fender-like - if that’s the kind of clean tone you like.
I only own the BST100 so I can’t comment further, I’m afraid (and its clean tone doesn’t do a lot for me tbh).
The Cali is based on the Mesa Boogie Duel Rectifier amp.
Here's a very quick comparison between the MRH810 (Marshall) and the Cali Reverb (Mesa) on the clean channel of each, the MRH810 is first:
Personally I have a strong preference for the Cali Reverb, it's much warmer and without the brittle highs of the MRH810.
Dear all, thank you for taking time to share your opinions its appreciated.
Dear Richard as always thanks for the super example. I think the Mesa is the one for me, i will try it.
It's also the only one on sale for $10. Act fast before it goes up.
It’s on sale again for 10€. Just got it and I love it.
I owned the Sound Master, which is very nice, but the Cali has impressed me. It can do cleans very much like the SoundMaster but is more versatile, having reverb (good one) and more overdriven tones. Like @qryss says, the cleans are warm and Fenderish, probably brighter and “sparkler” than the SoundMaster. It’d say the sound master is more subtle and the Cali will cut through a mix better.
So it’s more all-around which makes a better choice IMO, specially if it’s the first one.
Cali Reverb for sure. You can dial in a good clean with all of them, but the Cali is the most beautiful. “Crystal Clean Rev” preset is my #1 clean tone on iOS (with a les paul). I will reiterate though that they all have a clean that I like.
Also, not Nembrini, but check out the GS Vintage Clean.
Cali Reverb from a clean jazz enthusiast.
All the Nembrini's have a nice clean when the Gain is very low... including the free Crunch V2 (GAIN = 3-6%).
But Cali Reverb seems to have a nice tube-centered clean to warm it up but still have a transparent sparkle.
Cali sounds good but,i think it will be the hardest to fit in a mix.
Mids are on the low side.Sounds great used alone,but,once again,not sure in a mix.
Guitar sound is all about mids.Guitar is all about mids.
Bst 100 is much better at this for me.You need those mids and highs.
I'm not sure I like guitars then... I heard Mark Knopfler comparing a Gidson Les Paul and a Fender Strat.
The Gibson is rich in mids and really has a nice tone but I'm in love with that Fender sparkle with the
slightly longer neck. To each his own, I guess. The Cali does a better Fender sound while we wait for a Twin. The Sound Master doesn't really sound like a classic Fender to me, either. I hope this helps someone.
I really dislike the BST100. I'm just not much for distortion I think and that means there are people I
tend to listen to in words and I always listen to @flo26's playing. His survey of TH-U cleans sold me on several Amps and Rigs. I love the PolyPhase (PolyTone clone) for example. Check it out on YouTube
in the Florent Roux channel "TH-U Clean". @flo26 even plays a walking bass line like a classic jazz artist.
"He knows all the chords" (Guitar George). "He doesn't want to make it cry or sing." We are the Sultans".
I spent a few hours with all of them today...
I love the Bst100. A few months ago I thought it was a little cold and moody sounding because of the many wooly IRs, but I’ve completely changed my mind. The first couple of clean presets sound really balanced and pure. Then for lead and high gain putting an Ownhammer AC15/30 IR after it makes a huge difference, beautifully warm and glowing saturation. The Cali Reverb high gain is much bassier, just as a rectifier would be in real life. If bst is not dialed in correctly it gets really wooly, and if the Cali is not dialed in it gets really bassy and puffed up.
Cali Reverb clean is gorgeous because the amp comes with a really good built in reverb. The sound reminds me of rockabilly jazz, or like a Gretsch with Filtertron pickups. Between that and the Bst100, those are my favorite Nembrini cleans.
The Soundmaster clean is clunkier and has an appealing brittleness and good sag. The clean sounds are kind of vintage Fender but also modern hotrodded, and the higher gain sounds quite modern. If it’s not dialed in correctly it gets really thuddy and brittle, and kind of unruly.
Mrh810 clean enters crunch zone very early, but it’s a great Marshall sound, liquid soft saturation going into classic arena rock gain. Helps to turn the amp volume down and keep the reverb low. I love this amp. If it’s not dialed in correctly it will distort like crispy flatulence. There’s a real sweet spot for this amp.
8180 has a really nice and pure clean that’s slightly scooped like the Cali. Very reminiscent of an ‘80s clean sound in a ballad. If it’s not dialed in it gets really massively thuddy and bassy.
I think they’re all different especially in terms of articulation. Strumming sounds clunky and thuddy with some but twangy and smooth with others. I really like them all, for very different reasons.
My favorite is the BST100. @McD if you turn down the preamp part and crank the output you can get some beautiful clean tones.
@JoyceRoadStudios I enjoyed your description, good use of adjectives to describe sounds. You’re right in that the Cali sounds more scooped. But that’s actually desirable in my opinion, I’d always bump some bass and treble and scoop some mids.
The Sound Master is more nasal and midrange. It sounds more vintage, like in a 50’s record. Which can be cool but requires a specific vibe and song type to fit in. Looking back, before getting the Cali I was adding eq to the SoundMaster to make it sound like the Cali...
I play(ed) a hot rod and to me the Cali is closer than the SoundMaster. In all I think the Cali sounds more like an amp in the room.
I thought about buying THU packs but i think I’m ultimately a “one amp” guy. I’ve never owned multiple amps (I’m talking real life) I had one amp (hot rod lately) and one guitar (Telecaster). I think I’m really ok with the Cali, I didn’t feel that with the SoundMaster, and certainly not with the DarkFace that comes with THU.
BST is my favorite. For clean sounds. See above
Completely agree! When I played the Cali the first thing I thought was wow that sounds just like a real amp in the room. And also I got more of a twangy Fender sound from it than the Soundmaster. Cali has the advantage though of having a built in reverb circuit on the amp, and a really good one too! That’s what made my old trem-o-verb combo great as well. The Mrh810 also has a built in reverb which is why it sounds like arena rock Marshall to me. Soundmaster has the vintage clank and clumsiness to it when clean, it’s full of character, but the higher gain sounds are very ‘90s Fender to me. Bst100 clean is really pure and balanced, I love it. But those two don’t have built in reverb. Besides the IR cabs, Nembrini analog circuitry modeling makes these amps the best on iOS.
I have just one amp currently, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I owned a Music Man and the above mentioned trem-o-verb about 20 years ago. I totally get the “one amp” concept, and all of these options are really overwhelming. But I’m still very curious and feel fortunate to have all those options available for so cheap.
Regarding TH-U, I’d say it’s hard to compare the DarkFace to Nembrinis, because Nembrini cabs are impulse responses and TH-U demo is just their free cab emulations. When comparing THU to something like Bias or Amplitube, I think THU quality is much better. I really like the free Reverb pedal. It’s also its own giant universe with full midi control. Have you logged in to get the “10 free rigs for logged users”? Those free rigs really perked my interest because their cabs are also impulse responses and the amps are modeled after capturing the actual real life amp. Sounded very real. The free Carol Ann Tucana rigs are nice for woodsy Fender sound, there’s Blackstar and Peavey and you mix and match the IRs. I was interested to go past the demo with this and not the other apps. The sound quality was really there for me especially the mids and lows. The app needs tweaking in the master controls to really shine. So I gambled and got the whole thing because it was the best value, and some of the sim modeling is amazing, especially the Carolina cabinet, LynchBox amps and cabinet, the Brunetti amps and cabs, and the Randall amps. These are all licensed models. The entire collection of FX and pedals blew me away. Then I discovered all the Rig collections, expensive yes, but that is where the best Fender amps are in my opinion. The TH-U Choptones Rigs for Bassman, Super Reverb, and many other non Fender gems, even Dumble. Now I’m running all the Nembrini amps, TH-U sims, and TH-U rigs, all cabs bypassed and using Ownhammer IRs instead. A lot of the players on the forum have been doing this. But usually before the Nembrini I will have TH-U running with all the pedals I want, then the Cali or Bst with cab bypassed, then Thafknar. Looking back at all this, part of me wishes I stopped with the Cali! But the other part of me is sitting in a room surrounded by the best amps and cabinets I’ve ever heard!
@JoyceRoadStudios i do have the free pack with the IR’s. But I’m trying to not even like THU!.
I figured that the minimum to get started would be the Funk & whatever pack, the distorsión pedals and one of the IR packs... that’s like 60€ to just get started.
I was tempted by the distorsion pedals pack. How good are they?. I recently sold my Helix, was too big for my desk, the distorsion and fuzz pedals in the Helix were superb. But 24€ for the distorsion pedals without being able to test them is a bit of a jump. If they are great I could probably do with the THU as a pedalboard into the Cali.
Also, have you tried the Nembrini fuzz?. How is it and how does it compare to THU pedals?. What about the psa 100?
Having all those amps and cabs at your disposal. What amp do you use the most?.
You only want to use AUv3 right? And do you load your own IRs into something like Thafknar or or prefer the in-house IRs or cab emulations that come with apps? I will happily answer this in depth since I own all these, but for starters consider this. GE Labs 1 preset is $1.99. You already get free access to everything they have. So for $1.99 you could build whatever pedal chain you want. It’s IAA not AUv3, and I don’t know how much noise it adds at the beginning of the chain. I know TH-U is silent. But maybe you want to try the $1.99 and save your money for now!
Thanks for your comments @JoyceRoadStudios, you seem to know this stuff.
Yes, definately AUV3. I use Zenbeats quite a lot and it doesnt even support IAA, i beleive GE Labs is not AUV3 so it´s a no-go.
I don´t use Thafknar or IR impulses (yet). I think its better to go bit by bit in order of importance.
Basic really good amp - basic really good pedals. Fine adjustments like a better IR later... otherwise it´s too many variables at once. The choice of pedals is gonna be a greater factor than a IR in the overall sound.
So once i´m like "i love this fuzz, i love how it sounds with this Cali settings" then i can address the "it´s a bit boomy, maybe with a different IR..."... Fuzz is really important to me. I´m more BigMuff than TubeScreamer....
@tahiche the Nembrini Fuzz is great. I sometimes use it stacked with The Boss and it has a really cool sound, similar to a big muff.
It´s based on this, right?
A speaker,with its cab,is 70/80 % of the sound of an amp.
See it as a giant equalizer!
The fuzz,as other effects,is really the icing on the cake.
Maybe you should try ir cabs before everything else.You may be surprised😉.
I am going to disagree with you about cabinet emulation. A good IR will have an immense impact, much larger than you think. In addition to an IR player (THAFKNAR is top-notch and inexpensive), you will need good IRs. While there are a lot of free ones to be had, most are of lesser quality than the paid ones from Ownhammer.
You can find them here:
https://www.ownhammer.com/store/
They used to have free IRs, and should have some soon:
"A new offering of free impulse responses is currently in development, and will be available soon!"
If you want to learn more about IRS, @flo26 started this thread a couple of months ago that will be a great help:
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/39999/my-view-on-ir-cabs
FYI: It seems many of the Ownhammer enthusiasts here have purchased the $29.99 Evolution Debut Bundle. Here is a link to it:
https://www.ownhammer.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=192&products_id=449
This bundle includes Cabs from Vox, Fender, Marshall, and others.
Here is a few:
I will first reiterate exactly what @flo26 @espiegel123 @SNystrom have mentioned. Once you find the best IRs and mix and match them to your amps, your world will change. Since you’re looking for realism, it’s not the amp sim that will achieve this for you, it’s getting rid of cabinet simulations and mediocre IRs and going with the best. And all your Fuzzes will sound better too. I know it seems like a lot of extra steps at first, especially compared to just loading an amp. But you have to think of IRs as just Cabinets, an essential part of your chain and sound. They’re not sexy visually like a cabinet, they’re just tiny wav. files with long confusing names, but it’s the magic key! So Nembrini has the upper hand because their amps already use IRs, but they’re just ok, better than cab emulations, but not great IRs. Yes you will always find one or two IRs in Cali or Soundmaster that sound good, but you’ll notice cycling through the speakers that some aren’t good at all. TH-U rigs also have IR cabs which is why the rigs sound so good. But I’ve found that in all cases, disabling cabs/IRs in Nembrini and THU and every other app, and using the Ownhammer IRs sounds better. Rich harmonic color, presence that’s not harsh, and the most real feel when playing. Imagine the things you like about the Cali being even better. Now TH-U does have a few great cabinet emulations, like the Carolina, LynchBox, and Brunetti cabs. They can get you a specific tone shape and response that’s appealing, but at the end of the day they still behave more digitally than IRs, especially at the top end. I got the Ownhammer rEvolution bundle and it’s a huge collection for $30, downloads straight to your iPad. I haven’t even gone through them all, but the Vox AC15/AC30 IRs and the Mesa Boogie 4X12 IRs are phenomenal. I haven’t even gone through the bundle and I already want to buy the Bogner and Friedman IRs and their new Mesa IR. Also if you don’t want to spend $30 you can get get each IR individually for $7.99. It’s only a matter of time before Nembrini and THU get an IR loader to iOS, but Thafknar works great and it’s easy to use. There are lots of tips on streamlining your IR files import so you don’t have thousands of files, like picking just one sample rate folder to upload, but ultimately you will have amazing “cabinets” with hundreds of mics and positions to choose from that will really improve your sound. All of the Ownahmmer IRs have a “summary” file which is basically the greatest hits IRs for that particular speaker. Even if you just collect all the summary IRs from the bundle, zip them up and unload them into an IR loader all like Thaf, it will pay off big.
Regarding the Fuzzes, Nembrini Fuzz is very very good. It’s one of those thick fuzzes that when cranked will make your lower notes fight out of phase, in a really good way. Medium-low level of distortion on it, not too bright. Isn’t it just $4? For me the big winner is the TH-U FatMuff, it’s in the distortion category. I think it’s phenomenal because it introduces the right ratio of real fuzz and distortion. I also really like the CAT for fuzz which I’m assuming is the Rat. As far as the actual THU fuzz category, the Fuzz Blend is quite good, FussRace is good but kind of tame for a fuzz, and Toon Fox is just weird. Many of the other distortion pedals are fantastic, like the Brunetti Vanilla, Taxi Drive, Burning Box, Mercury Box. Overall the quality of the THU pedals is a highlight. So many Octavers and pitch shifters too. For $23 the all fx bundle is a phenomenal deal, and same with the all distortion bundle though there’s less quantity. If for $23 I got just the Brunetti pedals and the FatMuff, I’d be happy.
Ok so you can get just the Nembrini fuzz and FatMuff and that’s $9 and you’re done. But knowing what I know now, if I hadn’t gotten the full pack, I may not even get the funk bundle though I highly recommend it. I would go for the Ownahmmer bundle for $30 or a single for $7, THU all fx pedals for $23, all distortion pedals for $23, and 1 rig of your choice for $14-$26. Can wait for the rigs to go on sale. Those rigs have IRs, and they can range from one amp deep dive to a collection several amps. This way you don’t have a hundred amps and cabs to sift through. Yes I recommend TH-U as a pedal board. Personally I have over a dozen rigs and the full pack, but I often play with the Brunetti and Randall amps and cabs, and the Fender rigs, Nembrinis, and now Ge Labs. I never invested any money in any of the older guitar apps that have been around. If I had to pick my go-tos right now, it’s Cali and Bst, fender Bassman rig, Edge rig, Bogner rig, Tone Impera rig, vintage 1 rig, American rig, amps Randall T2 clean, Brunetti Singleman, LynchBox cab and amps, Carolina cab. At the end of the day it all gets expensive, either ala carte or all in. I don’t think there’s any value in ala carte, unless you actually cut yourself off at 1 or 2 items.
The PSA1000 is fantastic for bite, distortion, presence, saturation. But it’s more of a preamp and a filter/saturator than a guitar amp. I use it mostly for bass guitar and preamp coloring. I think it’s a must have. People use it for guitar too.
Hope this helps. Save your money!
Indeed very helpful. Thank you so much!.
I guess it’s IR time then. Really appreciate the recommendations, it’s great to have a starting point, nd I’ll certainly come back to this for reference. Will let you know how it goes.
Cheers!.
It’s worth also looking at www.3sigmaaudio.com and www.drbonkerssoundlab.com for IRs.