Search Results for: creamback 65

The Creamback Story

Celestion’s G12M was our very first (and still one of our best-loved) ceramic magnet guitar speakers. Soon after its creation in 1965, the speaker became known as the “Greenback”, thanks to the trademark green can that covered the magnet at the rear of the speaker.

The G12M’s fabled ‘brown sound’ characterised by a warm, controlled low-end, a rich, vocal mid-range and a delicate, detailed top-end, can be heard on countless famous recordings from the 60s through to the present day.

The Race for Power

If the story of the guitar speaker is about anything though, it’s about the quest for tone in the face of the demand for increasing power.

The G12M itself was borne from a need to provide a guitar speaker with a higher power handling capability, when compared with the Alnico speakers that Celestion were producing at the time.  At 20-watts the G12M was thought to be a fairly substantial beast–for two or three years at least–until the cry came out for a 30-watt speaker. Celestion responded with the G12H, and the race for power was under way.

And so the cycle continued, with higher power amplifiers requiring higher power speakers to withstand their greater output.  This led to the development of a wide range of guitar speakers with increasing power handling capabilities.

The design changes and innovations made to the speakers that enabled them to deliver greater power handling, also resulted in speakers that had substantially different sonic characteristics. They sounded markedly different to their lower powered counterparts, thereby giving guitarists an ever-widening tonal pallet from which to choose.

However great the choice of speakers available though, the fact remained that for anyone seeking the kind of tone delivered by a G12M or similar low powered speaker of that era–what these days we refer to as vintage tone–then what you needed was a low power speaker.

This is because vintage tone has always been synonymous with lower power amps and cabs: it’s the tone produced by a low power speaker, manufactured with parts that aren’t physically able to withstand the higher powered inputs of more modern equipment. After all, that was the equipment that was available to guitarists back then.

Conversely, the higher power speakers, those manufactured with parts made to withstand higher power input, are best associated with a more modern sound, precisely because they are made for use with modern sounding, high power amplifiers.

A New Challenge: More Power, Same Tone

We’ve tried to build a higher power “vintage” speaker before, and with some success. The Vintage 30 was created in 1986 and while not having a truly vintage sound by today’s definition, has ultimately carved itself a place as one of the most unique-sounding and best-loved guitar speakers of all time.

In 2011 we set ourselves a new Vintage challenge: build a speaker that delivers true vintage tone, with sonic  characteristics as close to an original G12M as possible, but with a level of power handling capable of keeping up with modern amplifiers and playing styles.

Could we create a speaker using modern parts, designed to withstand greater power, but that genuinely sounds close to an original Greenback?

The answer is yes, and comes in the shape of the G12M-65 Creamback. It has a hefty 65-watt power handling capability and an unmistakably Greenback-like tone.

Does it sound identical to the G12M? No, they’re not 100% alike: that would be practically impossible to achieve! However, they certainly sound like they’re part of the same family, think of the G12M-65 Creamback as the Greenback’s big brother: same vintage vibe, but with the extra heft giving the speaker a bigger bottom end.

No other speaker could sound as close to a G12M and offer this level of power handling capability.

The Legend of the Creamback

The G12M-65 is a brand new innovation from Celestion’s guitar speaker development team in Ipswich, England. However, this isn’t the first time Celestion has produced a Creamback.

There was a period during the early 1970s when occasionally we’d run out of green to make the rear cans for the G12M and G12H speakers. Back then, the significance of the “green back” wasn’t yet fully realised, so we’d use whatever colour came to hand. At various times we produced the Blackback, the Greyback and sometimes… the Creamback.

Whatever the colour of the can, physically and tonally the speakers were actually always Greenbacks.

So we’ve resurrected the cream can for the launch of the G12M-65: to celebrate family ties.

Celestion’s NEO Creamback Now Shipping throughout the U.S.

Ipswich, UK (December 11, 2016) — Celestion, the premier manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers and professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement applications, is very pleased to announce that the new lightweight G12 Neo Creamback guitar speaker is now shipping throughout the U.S.

The Neo Creamback is every bit a classic Celestion, delivering all the magical tone that you’d expect from their celebrated guitar speakers– but packing half the weight of a traditional Creamback. The difference is that the Celestion’s dynamic engineering team designed and built the speaker with a lightweight neodymium magnet – enabling the Neo Creamback to deliver all the authentic tone, low end punch, warm vocal midrange and refined highs – together in a unit that’s half the weight that you’d expect.

“Celestion has a tradition of listening carefully to feedback from our customers and responding to their needs with innovative products,” says Nigel Wood, CEO of Celestion. “We are very proud to be able to offer them the Neo Creamback, with all the tone of our classic Creamback in a very lightweight package.”

With an 8-hole pressed steel frame and cream coloured rear can, the G12 Neo Creamback weighs only 4.2 lbs., and features a frequency response of 75Hz-5kHz, with 65w of power handling and delivers an output sensitivity (SPL) of 97dB. The G12 Neo Creamback is available in both 8 and 16 ohms.

The new G12 NEO Creamback is available at your local retailer. Discover more about the NEO Creamback.

About Celestion and Celestion Guitar Speakers

An important element to essential British guitar tone since the birth of Rock & Roll, Celestion Guitar Speakers are famous for their lively and vocal midrange character with plenty of sparkle and chime. With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture premium guitar and bass loudspeakers, and high-quality professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. Contact Celestion at: info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.

www.celestion.com

Talking about the Creamback H

Rick Skillman, our man in California, was talking a little bit about the back story of the Creamback H on this edition of the The Flo Guitar Enthusiasts radio show. Click on the link here to hear hte show.

Studio guest is Dan Boul, president of 65 Amps, who talks in-depth about the ethos behind his company (and his love of Celestion!)

Click here to find out more about the G12H-75 Creamback, aka Creamback H.

Guitarist and Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Producer Mark Lewis Counts on Celestion Speakers

Nashville, TN (June 02, 2021) — Guitarist and Rock/Metal Producer Mark Lewis has tracked, mixed, produced, and/or mastered records for a variety of rock and metal’s heaviest bands, including Trivium, Bury Your Dead, Whitechapel, Chimaira, Battlecross, Cannibal Corpse, Megadeth, The Black Dahlia Murder, Carnifex, Havok, and many more. He recently sat down with Celestion to discuss his career, his tone-crafting techniques, and how Celestion speakers have been there through all of it.

“I grew up a guitar player, and went to college for music performance. I eventually went to Full Sail in Orlando, and wound up meeting Jason Suecof, who was just an up-and-coming producer at the time. He had just produced Trivium’s Ascendancy, which would turn out to be a gigantic record. When I got out of school was right about when he was starting to get in-demand and busy. He needed help in the studio, and the stars kind of aligned. The first thing Jason and I did together was the Roadrunner All Stars in 2005. We had done Bury Your Dead’s Beauty and the Breakdown and a couple of records for the Victory and Metal Blade labels.” In 2006, Lewis engineered Trivium’s album, The Crusade.”

Lewis also credits Suecof with pushing him to further his career. “Sometime at the end of 2007, Jason told me, ‘I’m not going to hire you as an engineer anymore. You’re going to pay me rent, work out of this studio, and I’m going to build another one.’ I guess he thought I was ready to leave the nest. I was terrified, but it turned out he was right.”

In terms of tone, for many years, Lewis explains his history with Celestion speakers.

“For many years I used the Vintage 30, which I might call Celestion’s flagship. I eventually went down the rabbit hole of different models and revisions. We took in a big shipment of Celestion in July of 2019 when I was working on the Havok record, V. We took a clean D.I. in and planned on re-amping. We had a great tone going on — an Engl cabinet with a Peavey 6534 tube head. I was trying that Engl because it had a sound halfway between a Mesa and a Marshall, and most of my clients want one or the other,” Lewis explains. “Normally our go-to would’ve been the Vintage 30, but we took literally a day to go through all the speakers and try them in the Engl. We had Lynchbacks, we had G12-H series, we had Redbacks, we had V-Type, we had Creamback 65 and Creamback 75, and I’m sure I’m leaving stuff out. The band unanimously decided the Creamback 65 was their favorite. Things quickly went from being — I wouldn’t say a stock Vintage 30 tone, but a familiar sound — to a real standout.”

And recently, Lewis describes a recent vintage acquisition that he revived with Celestion speakers.

“I just scored an amazing deal on a ’74 Marshall model 1960. It had a mixture of Greenbacks and some other original Celestion drivers. One had been re-coned by someone who did a terrible job. I replaced them all with a combination of Vintage 30s and G12s, and now this is my favorite cabinet, hands down.”

Read the full interview with Mark Lewis on the Celestion Speakerworld blog here and explore the complete range of Celestion speakers available to upgrade your tone here.

About Celestion and Celestion Guitar Speakers

An important element to essential British guitar tone since the birth of Rock & Roll, Celestion Guitar Speakers are famous for their lively and vocal midrange character with plenty of sparkle and chime. With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture premium guitar and bass loudspeakers, and high-quality professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. Contact Celestion at: info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.

www.celestion.com

 

Metal and Mettle: The Rise and Rise of Mark Lewis

In just over 15 years, producer and guitarist Mark Lewis has run up one of the most enviable — and loudest — discographies in rock. He has tracked, mixed, produced, and/or mastered records for a spectrum of metal’s heaviest bands, including Trivium, Bury Your Dead, Whitechapel, Chimaira, Battlecross, Cannibal Corpse, Megadeth, The Black Dahlia Murder, Carnifex, Havok, and many more. He recently sat down with us to discuss his humble beginnings, his career since, his tone-crafting techniques, and how Celestion speakers have been there through all of it.

What was your point of entry into metal and heavy rock?

For starters, I grew up a guitar player. I started at age 12 and went to college for music performance. I eventually went to Full Sail in Orlando, Florida, and have to say I didn’t enjoy the experience all that much. I loved the scene there, though, and wound up meeting Jason Suecof, who was just an up-and-coming producer at the time. He had just produced Trivium’s Ascendancy, which would turn out to be a gigantic record.

Was that the classic “big break” moment?

Yeah, we hit it off and became friends. When I got out of school was right about when he was starting to get in-demand and busy. He needed help in the studio, and the stars kind of aligned.

Shortly after that, you engineered a Trivium album, The Crusade.

That was in 2006. The first thing Jason and I did together was the Roadrunner All Stars in 2005. We had done Bury Your Dead’s Beauty and the Breakdown and a couple of records for the Victory and Metal Blade labels. Sometime at the end of 2007, Jason told me, “I’m not going to hire you as an engineer anymore. You’re going to pay me rent, work out of this studio, and I’m going to build another one.” I guess he thought I was ready to leave the nest. I was terrified, but it turned out he was right.

In your own work, what are your go-to drivers for various applications?

I have a perfect story. For so many years I used the Vintage 30, which I might call Celestion’s flagship. I eventually went down the rabbit hole of different models and revisions. We took in a big shipment of Celestion in July of 2019 when I was working on the Havok record, V. We took a clean D.I. in and planned on re-amping. We had a great tone going on — an Engl cabinet with a Peavey 6534 tube head. I was trying that Engl because it had a sound halfway between a Mesa and a Marshall, and most of my clients want one or the other.

Normally our go-to would’ve been the Vintage 30, but we took literally a day to go through all the speakers and try them in the Engl. We had Lynchbacks, we had G12-H series, we had Redbacks, we had V-Type, we had Creamback 65 and 75, and I’m sure I’m leaving stuff out. The band unanimously decided the Creamback 65 was their favorite. Things quickly went from being — I wouldn’t say a stock Vintage 30 tone, but a familiar sound — to a real standout. The 65 isn’t as popular as the 30, but I now believe it’s every bit as good.

Would you say the Creamback 65 is your new go-to?

Let me put it this way. On the records I’ve done since that big speaker tryout, I’ve usually sent clients a few tracks of guitar sounds and asked them to make a choice. Only, I don’t tell them which track uses what gear. There has been an overwhelming preference for the Creamback 65. The Vintage 30 still has a strong role, of course, for when we know we want that sound. On the last Whitechapel record we did, we used Marshalls with the driver that Celestion makes just for them, which I think is called the G12 Vintage.

Can you speak to how Celestion drivers interact with your favorite amps under the high-output demands of metal?

A lot of producers are scared of low end in guitar tracks. I’m first to admit I’m the other extreme — sometimes I’ll take some back out when we’re mixing. One thing that stands out about the Vintage 30, its Mesa and Marshall variants, and the Creamback 65 is, I can hit them with all the low end I want from the amp and the speaker reacts properly. I’m looking not just for boom like a cheap car subwoofer, but for the speaker to interact with the amp in a certain way that’s musical. This is apparent on the Havok record, where there was a lot of energy from 80 to 100 Hertz. I use the Celestion models because I know they’ll deliver this and not s*** the bed. I can’t say that about some other brands.

Tell us about your miking techniques and signal chain.

I almost always use a Shure SM57, almost always through a Neve 1073 preamp or high-end clone. I use Avid HD I/O, Apogee, or Black Lion converters. But that mic/preamp combo is always the basis for heavy guitars. I may add an older Sennheiser 421, but I’m very conscious about not complicating things with too many mics. Even with just two, I’m checking for phase issues so we don’t lose transient information and things like that. I start with the mic dead center, pointing at the dust cap of the cone, then may move it left or right, which removes more 10kHz the more you go. You want the right balance between not too bright and not too dark.

Have you ever used new Celestion drivers to bring a vintage acquisition back from the dead?

Recently, in fact. I just scored an amazing deal on a ’74 Marshall model 1960. It had a mixture of Greenbacks and some other original Celestion drivers. One had been re-coned by someone who did a terrible job. I replaced them all with a combination of Vintage 30s and G12s, and now this is my favorite cabinet, hands down.

What would you say is your desert island amp head?

That might be my Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, revision F. Or maybe my Driftwood Purple Nightmare. That brings up something I’d like people to understand. Yes, I have a lot of gear, and these days there are a lot of songwriting tools like plug-ins that model every option imaginable, but you don’t need every option. When bands like Metallica started, they had what they had. Not a million options. And where you lived at the time or your financial abilities had a lot more to do with what was available to you, so metal bands got their tones based on what was ready at hand. They made their gear limitations into their identity. When I’m working with a band, I try to start with what they know and what excites them in terms of tone.

Carrying that theme further, what would you say is the most valuable thing you didn’t learn in music school?

That you just need to do the work. No degree is going to put you on the street with the ability to get a big record. When you’re first out of school, studios and labels are going to expect you to work cheap or for free to get your name out there, and that’s not always bad. Live as minimalist as you can for as long as you can and invest in good gear. When I started, I was often sleeping at Jason Suecof’s studio and making maybe 800 bucks a month. I had a roof and could eat, but I didn’t have money for anything else. Fortunately, I didn’t do anything else.

You have to work up to where producers and artists trust you. That’s what happened with me. When Jason got busy, bands were like, “We loved working with Mark so maybe he can just do the record?” Of course, I wasn’t getting paid what he got, but you work your way up. Don’t be afraid to work with bands who need development, just like you do as a producer or engineer. You’ll learn together. That’s the thing that’s going to be your college.

Celestion Vox Cabinet Impulse Responses Debut in Two notes Format

Ipswich, UK (December 16,  2020) —Celestion, the premier manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers and professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement applications, is pleased to announce the new Vox Cabinet (Two Notes) Impulse Responses. This Two notes format collection of IRs has been captured by Celestion’s IR engineers and delivers the unique tones of Vox Amplification’s speaker cabinets. The new Two notes format IRs which feature three of Vox’s legendary cabinets loaded with classic Celestion speakers, are available for audition and download at CelestionPlus.com.

The new Vox Two Notes Impulse Responses capture the distinctive tones of Vox cabs loaded with legendary Celestion speakers using the unique Two notes IR recording method. The cabinets include:

  • VOX V212C 2×12 open back containing two Celestion G12M Greenbacks
  • VOX 212 HWX 2×12 open back containing two Celestion Blues
  • VOX V412BN 4×12 closed back containing four Celestion G12M Greenbacks

Each Vox (Two Notes) cabinet impulse response has been recorded with eight microphones using the exclusive Two notes DynIR recording protocol, allowing the end user the virtual freedom to move the microphones around the recording space and to use the Overload Parameter (available in the Wall of Sound software and Torpedo Studio hardware) to push the speakers into distortion if desired, for an almost limitless number of tone options.

This particular range of Vox Cabinet (Two notes) impulse responses is available for download for use with the proprietary Two notes Torpedo hardware and software only. (Celestion’s original classic collection of Vox Cabinet IRs is available for download in .WAV format for compatibility with the majority of DAWs and amp modellers.)

The new Vox Cabinet (Two notes) Impulse Responses from Celestion are available for purchase individually or as a full collection for a significant discount.

The Vox Cabinet (Two notes) Impulse Responses join the collection of other IRs available in Two Notes format such as: Blackstar Cabinet (Two notes) Impulse Responses, Neo 250 Copperback (Two notes,) Laney cabinets (Two notes,) Orange Cabinets (Two notes,)  Celestion Ruby (Two notes,) Suhr Cabinets (Two notes,) Celestion Blue (Two notes,)  G12M Greenback (Two notes) and Vintage 30 (Two notes.)

And visit CelestionPlus to explore the extensive family of genuine Celestion acclaimed guitar speaker Impulse Responses such as the:   A-Type,  Blackstar Cabinet, Celestion Blue,  Celestion Cream, Celestion Gold, Classic Lead 80, G10 Creamback, Heritage G12H 55Hz, Heritage G12M, G12 EVH, G12K-100, G12-35XC, G12T-75,  G12-50GL Lynchback,  G12-H150 Redback, G12M Greenback, G12M-65 Creamback, G12M-75 Creamback, G12H Anniversary, G12-65, Neo Creamback, V-Type,  Vintage 30  and bass impulse responses such as the BL10-100X, BN15-400X, BN10-200X, BN15-300X, PULSE10, PULSE12 and PULSE15. and many other models.

About Celestion Impulse Responses
Celestion IRs, which capture the essential behavior of the cabinet in the specific space in which it was recorded, including the frequency and phase response of single drivers as well as the interaction of multiple speakers, offer the user significant benefits. In both recording and live production, Celestion IRs enable the desired tone to be precisely and consistently reproduced regardless of the music recording or live sound environment. And IR users can escape the limitations of a single mic and cabinet setup and explore a universe of possibilities to create the perfect tone. Once you find a tone that you love, it can be precisely recreated, in the studio or on the road, time after time. And the IRs allow Celestion customers to audition specific models before purchasing one or more physical speakers.

Celestion IR digital downloads are available in uncompressed, industry standard .WAV format at 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz sample rates at 24 bit depth, in lengths of 200 and 500 milliseconds Once the files are downloaded and unzipped, users simply load the IRs into a convolution plug-in in their DAW or into other processing hardware. These formats will work in all known hardware capable of loading IRs, and for the most popular hardware Celestion have already grouped together the correct formats. Guitar processor manufacturers supported include Atomic Amps, Fractal Audio Systems, Kemper, Line 6, Logidy, Positive Grid, Two Notes, Headrush and Yamaha. The Celestion IR files may be downloaded in the sample rate and length appropriate for the hardware being used or as a complete package of all rates and lengths. Certain third party hardware requires the files to be converted into a proprietary format before use.
Celestion Plus.

About Celestion and Celestion Guitar Speakers
An important element to essential British guitar tone since the birth of Rock & Roll, Celestion Guitar Speakers are famous for their lively and vocal midrange character with plenty of sparkle and chime. With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture premium guitar and bass loudspeakers, and high-quality professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. Contact Celestion at: info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.
www.celestion.com

Celestion Announces their New Affiliate Programme

Ipswich, UK (August 6, 2020) — Celestion, the premier manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers whose classic guitar tones have made the company famous as the voice of rock and roll, is pleased to introduce the Celestion Affiliate Programme for customers who help spread the world about the Celestion digital tones available at CelestionPlus. The new Affiliate programme enables customers who post online content showcasing Celestion digital tones to be eligible to earn a commission on sales which result from the unique links that they share.

Whether it’s posting videos on YouTube, blogs, podcasts or personal websites, the Celestion Affiliate Programme allows customers who post content to earn a share of any sales resulting from people clicking on their unique Affiliate link.

“We’ve been extremely impressed by the amount of time and effort that so many of our customers have put into creating such detailed, comprehensive and professional online content showcasing Celestion digital tones,” says Nigel Wood, Celestion Managing Director. “So we have created the Celestion Affiliate Programme to reward these customers for their efforts.”

To become an official Celestion Affiliate:

  1. Customers can apply for a Celestion Affiliate account by completing the Celestion Affiliate Form, and creating a user ID and password. After registering, customers will have access to the Affiliate Account Manager and will receive a personal Celestion Affiliate link.
  2. Customers can use their unique Celestion Affiliate link to start earning commission. The Affiliate link can be used anywhere online, including: video descriptions, social media posts, websites, blogs, articles, and emails to friends.
  3. When anyone clicks through to the CelestionPlus.com website from your unique Celestion Affiliate link and makes a purchase, you will earn a 15% commission of the sale price. This referral fee is deposited to your PayPal account on a regular basis via the Affiliate Account Manager.

If you create online content based around Celestion digital products including impulse responses, register to become an official Celestion Affiliate now and start earning from your referrals today!

For full terms and conditions regarding the Celestion Affiliate Programme, click here.

Visit Celestion Plus to learn more about the Affiliate Program and explore the impressive collection of  genuine Celestion guitar speaker IRs available such as the:  A-Type,  Blackstar Cabinet, Celestion Blue,  Celestion Cream, Celestion Gold, Classic Lead 80, G10 Creamback, Heritage G12H 55Hz, Heritage G12M, G12 EVH, G12K-100, G12-35XC, G12T-75,  G12-50GL Lynchback,  G12-H150 Redback, G12M Greenback, G12M-65 Creamback, G12M-75 Creamback, G12H Anniversary, G12-65, Neo Creamback, V-Type,  Vintage 30  and bass impulse responses such as the BL10-100X, BN15-400X, BN10-200X, BN15-300X, PULSE10, PULSE12 and PULSE15. and many other models.

About Celestion Impulse Responses

Celestion IRs, which capture the essential behavior of the cabinet in the specific space in which it was recorded, including the frequency and phase response of single drivers as well as the interaction of multiple speakers, offer the user significant benefits. In both recording and live production, Celestion IRs enable the desired tone to be precisely and consistently reproduced regardless of the music recording or live sound environment. And IR users can escape the limitations of a single mic and cabinet setup and explore a universe of possibilities to create the perfect tone. Once you find a tone that you love, it can be precisely recreated, in the studio or on the road, time after time. And the IRs allow Celestion customers to audition specific models before purchasing one or more physical speakers.

Celestion IR digital downloads are available in uncompressed, industry standard .WAV format at 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz sample rates at 24 bit depth, in lengths of 200 and 500 milliseconds Once the files are downloaded and unzipped, users simply load the IRs into a convolution plug-in in their DAW or into other processing hardware. These formats will work in all known hardware capable of loading IRs, and for the most popular hardware Celestion have already grouped together the correct formats. Guitar processor manufacturers supported include Atomic Amps, Fractal Audio Systems, Kemper, Line 6, Logidy, Positive Grid, Two Notes, Headrush and Yamaha. The Celestion IR files may be downloaded in the sample rate and length appropriate for the hardware being used or as a complete package of all rates and lengths. Certain third party hardware requires the files to be converted into a proprietary format before use. Celestion Plus.

About Celestion and Celestion Guitar Speakers
An important element to essential British guitar tone since the birth of Rock & Roll, Celestion Guitar Speakers are famous for their lively and vocal midrange character with plenty of sparkle and chime. With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture premium guitar and bass loudspeakers, and high-quality professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. Contact Celestion at: info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.
www.celestion.com

Guitar Player Bennett Dean Lewis Marvels over Celestion’s Magnificent 7 Impulse Response Collection

Nashville, TN (July 1, 2020) —Nashville-based musician Bennett Dean Lewis has been playing guitar since a very young age, but it wasn’t until college that he started to consider it as a career option.  Given his success since then, it’s a good thing he did. Starting with his first bar gigs in Athens, Georgia, he has supported such diverse talents as country-pop ingénue Lera Lynn, indie-rock darlings Of Montreal and most recently, acclaimed Sony-Columbia artist Maren Morris. While his stylistic range has naturally led to a lifelong quest for perfect tone, the demands of constant gigging and recording have made a streamlined amp rig and trouble-free monitor mixes just as important. Lewis recently discovered how Celestion Impulse Responses — accurate digital representations of the company’s legendary guitar speaker tones — deliver on both counts.

“I’ve always been a fan of Celestion’s physical speakers. I mean, you could really say they defined the sound of the electric guitar,” says Bennett. “It’s funny that I got into impulse responses at all, because I’m sort of the stereotype of the simple-minded guitarist. I like to run a Telecaster through a few pedals into a good amp, and that’s usually it. However, in live performance I’ve always had issues with mic bleed and my in-ear monitor mix not being as clean as I’d like. I started wondering, if you could get rid of the speaker cabinet and therefore the mics pointed at it, could that improve the mix?”

Bennett’s choice of Celestion Impulse Responses was the Magnificent 7 Collection,  which features  a line-up of tones of seven iconic 12-inch Celestion Speakers, including the Celestion Blue, G12M Greenback, Vintage 30, G12M-65 Creamback, G12H-75 Creamback, G12H Anniversary and Heritage Series G12-65.

“I started with a bundle called the Magnificent 7. It’s sort of a greatest hits of Celestion’s classic guitar speakers,” says Bennett. “The two from that collection that I keep going back to are the Alnico Blue and the Vintage 30. I have those set up in 1-by-12 and 2-by-12 configurations, as the IRs simulate the cabinet design as well as the speaker cone itself — open-back, closed-back, all the options. The Blue has this high-end presence that, for some reason, really helps with my in-ear monitor mix. It just sounds frickin’ killer. The cool thing, too, is that you can run a 50-watt head like the Morgan into the speaker simulation at full power, which in the real world might blow a physical speaker. The Waza has a through output for an actual cabinet, which you might use to record a miked signal along with a direct signal in the studio. Onstage, we’re not doing that. Point being, the Celestion IRs sound so good that we don’t have to!”

And for guitarists who might be skeptical and think nothing can replace a real speaker, Bennet adds:

“In a live setting, you totally gain a lot more than you lose by using the Celestion IRs. The benefits to your monitor mix, to making the front-of-house engineer’s job easier, to the general cleanliness of everything, are just huge. It’s also a lot easier to keep your stage volume manageable. For realism, the Celestion IRs are spot-on. Another cool thing is, you can throw a hair of room reverb on the final output, which spreads the sound out in a realistic acoustic fashion, especially if you run in stereo as we do.”

And now especially when many are social distancing and working at home, Bennett points out the advantages of being able to work remotely with Celestion IRs.

“Two months ago or so I did a remote session. I didn’t tell anyone what my signal chain was, and the clients emailed me asking, “Man, this sounds great! What kind of amp and cabinet are you using? Which mics?,” says Bennett. “When I tipped them off that there was no cabinet and there were no mics, they could hardly believe it. Again, if you’re working from home in a compromised room, the Celestion IRs actually sound better than miking a cabinet. With the Celestion IRs, it sounds like you recorded some rare and expensive cabinet in a world-class space.”

Finally, Bennett Lewis points out the practical benefits of having so many IR tones at his disposal:

“If you do much recording, the Celestion Impulse Responses give you a whole arsenal of different speaker cones and cabinets. You’re not just stuck with the sound of the one or two amps you might have. That’s great for me because I’ve always been a jack of all trades,” he adds. “I like everything from new country to Bowie to jazz and classical, so it’s great to know that with the Celestion IRs, I can have the appropriate tones at arm’s reach. For live use in the Maren Morris band, the Celestion IRs have been a complete game changer. There’s definitely a renaissance of guitar “tone questing” going on right now, and this impulse response technology is at the center of it. I’m eager to see where it all goes.”

Read the full interview with Bennett Dean Lewis here.

To explore the collection of authentic Celestion impulse responses including the Magnificent 7 Collection, visit Celestion Plus.

Visit Bennet Dean Lewis online at: bennettlewismusic.com.

About Celestion and Celestion Guitar Speakers

An important element to essential British guitar tone since the birth of Rock & Roll, Celestion Guitar Speakers are famous for their lively and vocal midrange character with plenty of sparkle and chime. With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture premium guitar and bass loudspeakers, and high-quality professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. Contact Celestion at: info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.

www.celestion.com

About Celestion Impulse Responses

Celestion IRs, which capture the essential behavior of the cabinet in the specific space in which it was recorded, including the frequency and phase response of single drivers as well as the interaction of multiple speakers, offer the user significant benefits. In both recording and live production, Celestion IRs enable the desired tone to be precisely and consistently reproduced regardless of the music recording or live sound environment. And IR users can escape the limitations of a single mic and cabinet setup and explore a universe of possibilities to create the perfect tone. Once you find a tone that you love, it can be precisely recreated, in the studio or on the road, time after time. And the IRs allow Celestion customers to audition specific models before purchasing one or more physical speakers.

Celestion IR digital downloads are available in uncompressed, industry standard .WAV format at 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz sample rates at 24 bit depth, in lengths of 200 and 500 milliseconds Once the files are downloaded and unzipped, users simply load the IRs into a convolution plug-in in their DAW or into other processing hardware. These formats will work in all known hardware capable of loading IRs, and for the most popular hardware Celestion have already grouped together the correct formats. Guitar processor manufacturers supported include Atomic Amps, Fractal Audio Systems, Kemper, Line 6, Logidy, Positive Grid, Two Notes, Headrush and Yamaha. The Celestion IR files may be downloaded in the sample rate and length appropriate for the hardware being used or as a complete package of all rates and lengths. Certain third party hardware requires the files to be converted into a proprietary format before use. Celestion Plus.

 

Celestion Introduces the ENGL Cabinets Impulse Responses

Ipswich, UK (June 24 2020) — Celestion, the premier manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers whose classic guitar tones have made the company famous as the voice of rock and roll, is pleased to announce their new line of  ENGL Cabinets Impulse Responses.

Celestion has faithfully captured the sounds of German amp designer and manufacturer ENGL to create this new addition to the now-legendary Backline Heroes range of cabinet IR libraries

The new IR collection is ideal for guitarists, musicians and producers who want to quickly replicate the authentic ENGL tone live, in the studio or at home. The new ENGL Cabinets IRs are available for audition and download at CelestionPlus.

The New ENGL Cabinets collection of IRs features six classic speaker cabinets in pristine digital form. The collection includes:

  • ENGL E112VB 1×12 closed back with a Celestion V30 speaker
  • ENGL E212VB 2×12 closed back with Celestion V30 speakers
  • ENGL E212VHB 2×12 closed back with Celestion V30 speakers
  • ENGL E412VGB 4×12 closed back with Celestion V30 speakers
  • ENGL E412VSB 4×12 closed back with Celestion V30 speakers
  • ENGL E412XXLB 4×12 closed back with Celestion V30 speakers

As with all Celestion genuine Impulse Response collections, the ENGL Cabinet IRs have been captured by expert engineers in a state-of-the-art recording studio, using a range of professional studio microphones Each of these ENGL cabinets has been close-miked  in six positions using three different studio-quality mics – a Shure SM57, a Sennheiser MD421 and a Royer R-121, giving 18 different close-mic tone options for each cabinet, as well as our usual ‘Left’, ‘Right’ and ‘Stereo’ room-mic impulses recorded with a Neumann TLM 107 condenser mic for you to mix in as much or as little as you need to add some room space to your perfect tone, plus an additional twelve mixes of preset microphone combinations.

Available for download in .WAV format, the ENGL Cabinets IRs can be installed and used on the same huge range of DAWs or amp-modelling gear in just the same way as existing Celestion IRs. Each are available for download individually, or as a part of a collection.

The ENGL Cabinets Impulse Responses join others in Celestion’s Backline Heroes collection including: Blackstar Cabinet IRs, Laney Cabinets IRs, Orange Cabinets IRs, Suhr Cabinets IRs and Vox Cabinets IRs. Explore the impressive collection of  other genuine Celestion guitar speaker IRs available at CelestionPlus, such as the:  A-Type,  Blackstar Cabinet, Celestion Blue,  Celestion Cream, Celestion Gold, Classic Lead 80, G10 Creamback, Heritage G12H 55Hz, Heritage G12M, G12 EVH, G12K-100, G12-35XC, G12T-75,  G12-50GL Lynchback,  G12-H150 Redback, G12M Greenback, G12M-65 Creamback, G12M-75 Creamback, G12H Anniversary, G12-65, Neo Creamback, V-Type,  Vintage 30  and bass impulse responses such as the BL10-100X, BN15-400X, BN10-200X, BN15-300X, PULSE10, PULSE12 and PULSE15. and many other models.

About ENGL Amps

In 1984, the first programmable guitar amp was a sensation, something that had never existed before. Back then, when two channels and a master volume on an amp counted as comfort features, Edmund Engl’s futuristic concept of an amp was equivalent to a landslide. Engl wasn’t an electronics freak, but a musician who saw things with the pragmatic necessity of musical practice and he thought that such a programmable amp would be idea, with a variety of sounds available via footswitch. Enter Horst Langer, the technically savvy friend and ENGL’s technical mastermind. With his know-how, he was able to realize every idea and every ENGL amp is a child of his mind.  No matter whether it’s a small roar cube of the kind of a Screamer or an Ironball, the compact Tops Gigmaster , Rockmaster and Metalmaster or new custom pedals,  today every product breathes the enthusiastic spirit with which Edmund Engl and Horst Langer set off back then. ENGL consistently implements the quality standards of Made in Germany. High-quality components and the best workmanship lead to a perfect result and a sound that has received the best reviews in the trade press and is appreciated by prominent players all over the world. The list of ENGL devotees reads like a who’s who in rock and roll, including Ritchie Blackmore, Steve Morse, Paul Stanley, Vivian Campbell, Glenn Tipton, Richie Faulkner, Marty Friedman, Mick Box, Bob Kulick, Victor Smolski, Stuart Smith, and others. https://www.engl-amps.com/

About Celestion Impulse Responses

Celestion IRs, which capture the essential behavior of the cabinet in the specific space in which it was recorded, including the frequency and phase response of single drivers as well as the interaction of multiple speakers, offer the user significant benefits. In both recording and live production, Celestion IRs enable the desired tone to be precisely and consistently reproduced regardless of the music recording or live sound environment. And IR users can escape the limitations of a single mic and cabinet setup and explore a universe of possibilities to create the perfect tone. Once you find a tone that you love, it can be precisely recreated, in the studio or on the road, time after time. And the IRs allow Celestion customers to audition specific models before purchasing one or more physical speakers.

Celestion IR digital downloads are available in uncompressed, industry standard .WAV format at 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz sample rates at 24 bit depth, in lengths of 200 and 500 milliseconds Once the files are downloaded and unzipped, users simply load the IRs into a convolution plug-in in their DAW or into other processing hardware. These formats will work in all known hardware capable of loading IRs, and for the most popular hardware Celestion have already grouped together the correct formats. Guitar processor manufacturers supported include Atomic Amps, Fractal Audio Systems, Kemper, Line 6, Logidy, Positive Grid, Two Notes, Headrush and Yamaha. The Celestion IR files may be downloaded in the sample rate and length appropriate for the hardware being used or as a complete package of all rates and lengths. Certain third party hardware requires the files to be converted into a proprietary format before use. Celestion Plus.

About Celestion and Celestion Guitar Speakers
An important element to essential British guitar tone since the birth of Rock & Roll, Celestion Guitar Speakers are famous for their lively and vocal midrange character with plenty of sparkle and chime. With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture premium guitar and bass loudspeakers, and high-quality professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. Contact Celestion at: info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.
www.celestion.com

Celestion Debuts the Magnificent 7 Collection of Impulse Responses

 

Ipswich, UK (May 19, 2020) —Celestion, the premier manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers and professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement applications, is very pleased to debut a new special collection of Impulse Responses – the Magnificent Seven – which includes the tones of seven of the company’s legendary speakers available for digital download. The new Magnificent 7 Collection features a line-up of seven iconic 12-inch speaker impulse responses, including the Celestion Blue, G12M Greenback, Vintage 30, G12M-65 Creamback, G12H-75 Creamback, G12H Anniversary and Heritage Series G12-65. The new Magnificent Seven IRs, along with the other classic collections of genuine Celestion speaker IRs, are available for audition and download at CelestionPlus.com.

The Magnificent 7 Collection represents the first of Celestion’s most popular guitar speakers to be made available as impulse responses, offered as a complete package to provide a wealth of essential tones in one collection.

The Celestion Magnificent 7 speaker impulse responses included are:

  • Celestion Blue – The Original: This classic speaker became a firm favourite of legendary artists, including The Beatles, Queen and U2. It has warm lows, mellow upper-mids, and a bell-like top-end with the glorious dampened attack that alnico is famous for.
  • G12M Greenback – The Legend: The modern incarnation of the speaker that helped define rock tone, played by legends like Clapton, Page and Beck. Expect a broad mid-range attack and a restrained top-end with added grit and aggression.
  • Vintage 30 – The Classic: A superbly versatile speaker that has found a home delivering a generous range of metal and rock tones with tight bass, rich and vocal mid-range and an intricately detailed top end. Clean tones are crisp and that famous upper midrange sits just right in the mix.
  • G12M-65 Creamback – The New Standard: Delivering the much-loved classic rock tones of the Greenback with added low-end grunt.
  • G12H-75 Creamback – The Hard Hitter: A speaker with added power with a heavier magnet that enables the production of a tight bass with impactful highs and awesome thickness to single notes.
  • G12H Anniversary – The Heavy Rocker: A speaker to recreate the classic sounds of the 1960’s and 1970’s hard rock era, the Anniversary speaker delivers serious swagger with its aggressive low-end, articulate treble and searing midrange.
  • Heritage Series G12-65 – The Blues Meister: With a fast attack and tightly-controlled low-end, this Heritage speaker is a firm favourite with hard rock artists and modern blues players alike.

As with all authentic Celestion Impulse Responses, each of the speaker IRs in the collection were recorded by Celestion engineers in a world-class recording facility using classic, professional microphones and meticulous technique. Each of the seven classic IRs included in the Magnificent 7 Collection feature five cabinet configurations, including 1 x 12 (Open Back,) 1 x 12 (Closed Back,) 2 x 12 (Open Back,) 2 x 12 (Closed Back,) and 4 x 12 (Closed Back.)

The Magnificent 7 Collection offers users a unique opportunity to get all these incredible tones at a discount of more than 40% off compared to buying each of the seven speakers individually. And users who already own one or more speaker IR collections featured in the Magnificent 7 will automatically get a further 10% discount.

Visit CelestionPlus to get the Magnificent 7 Collection and explore the extensive family of genuine Celestion acclaimed guitar speaker Impulse Responses such as the:   A-Type,  Blackstar Cabinet, Celestion Blue,  Celestion Cream, Celestion Gold, Classic Lead 80, G10 Creamback, Heritage G12H 55Hz, Heritage G12M, G12 EVH, G12K-100, G12-35XC, G12T-75,  G12-50GL Lynchback,  G12-H150 Redback, G12M Greenback, G12M-65 Creamback, G12M-75 Creamback, G12H Anniversary, G12-65, Neo Creamback, V-Type,  Vintage 30  and bass impulse responses such as the BL10-100X, BN15-400X, BN10-200X, BN15-300X, PULSE10, PULSE12 and PULSE15. and many other models.

About Celestion Impulse Responses
Celestion IRs, which capture the essential behavior of the cabinet in the specific space in which it was recorded, including the frequency and phase response of single drivers as well as the interaction of multiple speakers, offer the user significant benefits. In both recording and live production, Celestion IRs enable the desired tone to be precisely and consistently reproduced regardless of the music recording or live sound environment. And IR users can escape the limitations of a single mic and cabinet setup and explore a universe of possibilities to create the perfect tone. Once you find a tone that you love, it can be precisely recreated, in the studio or on the road, time after time. And the IRs allow Celestion customers to audition specific models before purchasing one or more physical speakers.

Celestion IR digital downloads are available in uncompressed, industry standard .WAV format at 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz sample rates at 24 bit depth, in lengths of 200 and 500 milliseconds Once the files are downloaded and unzipped, users simply load the IRs into a convolution plug-in in their DAW or into other processing hardware. These formats will work in all known hardware capable of loading IRs, and for the most popular hardware Celestion have already grouped together the correct formats. Guitar processor manufacturers supported include Atomic Amps, Fractal Audio Systems, Kemper, Line 6, Logidy, Positive Grid, Two Notes, Headrush and Yamaha. The Celestion IR files may be downloaded in the sample rate and length appropriate for the hardware being used or as a complete package of all rates and lengths. Certain third party hardware requires the files to be converted into a proprietary format before use.
Celestion Plus.

About Celestion and Celestion Guitar Speakers
An important element to essential British guitar tone since the birth of Rock & Roll, Celestion Guitar Speakers are famous for their lively and vocal midrange character with plenty of sparkle and chime. With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture premium guitar and bass loudspeakers, and high-quality professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. Contact Celestion at: info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.
www.celestion.com