Search Results for: G12 H

Celestion Announces the Availability of the Highly Anticipated Hempback Guitar Speaker

Ipswich, UK (January 23, 2023) —Celestion, the world’s premier designer and manufacturer of guitar loudspeakers, well-known as the “Voice of Rock & Roll” behind many of the world’s most memorable guitar performances, is very pleased to announced the worldwide retail availability of the highly-anticipated G12M-50 Hempback guitar speaker, which takes Celestion tone in an exciting new direction.

The first-ever hemp cone guitar speaker built by Celestion, the Hempback represents a new development in Celestion’s never-ending pursuit of outstanding tone. The cone was specifically chosen for its tonal character and combined with a medium-weight ceramic magnet, the Hempback has a tone that is distinctive and well-defined: delivering a balanced low end, plenty of mid-band character together with smooth, silky highs.

The speaker is particularly targeted for use in American voiced amps, for example combos such as a Fender® Deluxe Reverb® or Blues Jr.®, delivering true American-flavoured tone along with cleans that are second to none. Load up a Hempback for a smooth and “smoky” sound that’s musical and responsive, and let the hemp tone shine through.

Specifications

Nominal diameter     305mm/12in

Power handling        50W

Nominal impedance 8Ω, 16Ω

Sensitivity                  99dB

Chassis type             Pressed Steel

Voice coil diameter  44mm/1.75in

Voice coil material    Round copper

Magnet type              Ceramic

Magnet weight                      0.9kg/35oz

Frequency range     75Hz-5000Hz

Resonance freq.      75Hz

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

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Celestion Adds the V Type DSRs to its Offerings of Dynamic Speaker Responses

 

Ipswich, UK (December 15, 2022) —Celestion, the celebrated manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers and professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement applications, is very pleased  to announce that the Celestion V-Type is available as a Dynamic Speaker Response (DSR,) the next-generation digital speaker responses that capture the sound and feel of the speaker’s dynamic, non-linear responses for even more tonal detail. The new V-Type joins the extensive collection of Celestion DSRs designed especially for use with SpeakerMix Pro, the self-contained studio-grade DAW plug-in offering ground-breaking levels of detail and stunning guitar and bass speaker tones. The complete collection of DSRs, as well as the SpeakerMix Pro plug-in, is available for download at CelestionPlus.com.

One of the company’s newest guitar speakers, the V-Type is sweet-sounding with a superbly balanced character that imparts a real vintage musicality; built with the modern player in mind.

The V-Type is a modern speaker with a vintage pedigree, combining elements of the company’s most classic speakers, particularly the G12H Creamback and the G12M Greenback, to deliver well balanced tone right across the frequency range.

The V-Type offers an alternative tonal flavour and a warm tactile feel.  Highs are open and airy, but never shrill or brittle; complemented by full-bodied lows and a well-balanced midrange. The speaker’s distinctive percussiveness is sure to bring joy to rhythm players, with a lower midrange that gets agreeably punchy when played dirty. Clean sounds sparkle and glimmer, but there’s still plenty of raunch on tap when it’s time to rock out.

The V-Type offers chime and sparkle in the upper- mids, a warm, well rounded mid-range and punchy lows, making it a great choice for a range of playing styles and rock genres. Now it’s easy to experience the modern vintage tones of the Celestion V-Type at home, in the studio or live, by downloading the new V-Type DSR.

The DSR files for the Celestion V-Type series are available individually or as a complete set. Explore the full range of sounds for this classic speaker, at a considerable saving over buying the individual files.  The Celestion V-Type DSR set includes five cabinet configurations: 1×12 (both open and closed back), 2×12 (both open and closed back) and 4×12 (closed back).

As a host program for the new V-Type DSR and the entire line of Celestion DSRs, SpeakerMix Pro presents the genuine next-generation virtual speaker solution. More than just a top-level IR loader and convolution engine for hosting impulse responses– it offers pristine sound, mixes up to six channels of different responses into a stereo or mono track and even fixes IR sample rate/project mismatches.

With SpeakerMix Pro, users can:

  • Discover Celestion’s proprietary Dynamic Speaker Responses (DSRs), the next generation in Impulse Response technology that capture the sound and feel of the speaker’s dynamic, non-linear response for even more detail and realism.
  • Integrate their personal library of Celestion and third-party Impulse Responses to make the most of the tones they already own. SpeakerMix Pro uses its unique DSR algorithm to make existing IRs more dynamic sounding, enhancing their tone with even greater feel.
  • Incorporate Celestion’s superb room responses (or add your own) into your mix for an authentic ‘live’ sound. Add room delay for further ‘depth’ and ‘size’.
  • Deploy the unique Z-curve function to closely model the dynamic electrical coupling between amp and speaker.
  • Fine-tune the mic position, enabling the user to adjust the position of the microphone across the speaker until they’ve found the tone that’s just-right (DSR-specific functionality).

The free 14-day demo of SpeakerMix Pro is available for download and automatically installs with 10 free DSR speaker cabinets curated to give users a broad tone experience across the Celestion range of guitar and bass speakers. Users can upgrade to the full version of SpeakerMix Pro at any time during or after the trial period. Simply purchase the full version of SpeakerMix Pro and select 10 free DSR cabs (choose the preferred DSRs from the available range on Celestionplus.com during upgrade).

All of Celestion’s Dynamic Speaker Responses and SpeakerMix Pro plugin are available for VST, AU and AAX compatible DAWs.

About Celestion Digital
The introduction of authentic Celestion Impulse Responses represented the company’s forward step in making their celebrated speaker tones available as digital downloads. Celestion IRs capture the essential behavior of a speaker in a particular 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. They offer significant benefits in both recording and live production, enabling the desired tone to be precisely and consistently reproduced regardless of the recording or live sound environment. Explore, audition and download the extensive collection of Celestion guitar and bass Impulse Responses at celestionplus.com. The introduction of Celestion SpeakerMix Pro sees the company delivering a truly forward-thinking studio software solution that enables users to get every ounce of tone from Impulse Response technology. The companion Dynamic Speaker Responses launched alongside the plug-in exemplify the next generation in speaker response emulation, representing a true advancement in the technology of digital speaker tone.
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

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Celestion Debuts the Hempback Digital Dynamic Speaker Responses and Impulse Responses

Ipswich, UK (November 9, 2022) —Celestion, the world’s premier designer and manufacturer of guitar loudspeakers, well-known as the “Voice of Rock & Roll” behind many of the world’s most memorable guitar performances, is pleased to introduce the digitally downloadable tones of the of the  Hempback guitar speaker, available as both Impulse Responses (IRs) for use with DAWs and Dynamic Speaker Responses (DSRs,) the next-generation digital speaker responses designed especially for use with SpeakerMix Pro, the self-contained studio-grade DAW plug-in which brings ground-breaking levels of detail and stunning guitar and bass speaker tones. The new Hempback digital collection is available for audition and download at CelestionPlus.com, just days ahead of the worldwide retail availability of the highly anticipated physical G12M-50 Hempback guitar speaker.

The first-ever hemp cone guitar speaker built by Celestion, the Hempback represents an exciting new development in Celestion’s never-ending pursuit of outstanding tone. The Hempback is distinctive and well-defined, delivering a balanced low end, plenty of mid-band character together with smooth, silky highs.

The speaker is particularly targeted for use in American voiced amps, for example combos such as a Deluxe Reverb® or Blues Jr.®, delivering true American-flavored tone along with cleans that are second to none. The Hempback offers a smooth and “smoky” sound that’s musical and responsive and lets the hemp tone shine through.

Both the Impulse Response and Dynamic Speaker Response files for the Celestion Hempback series are available individually or as a complete set. Explore the full range of sounds for this exciting new speaker, at a considerable saving over buying the individual files.  Each of the Hempback IR and DSR collections include five cabinet configurations: 1×12 (both open and closed back), 2×12 (both open and closed back) and 4×12 (closed back).

As a host program for the new Hempback and the entire collection of advanced Celestion DSRs, SpeakerMix Pro presents the genuine next-generation virtual speaker solution. More than just a top-level IR loader and convolution engine for hosting impulse responses– it offers pristine sound, mixes up to six channels of different responses into a stereo or mono track and even fixes IR sample rate/project mismatches.

With SpeakerMix Pro, users can:

  • Discover Celestion’s proprietary Dynamic Speaker Responses (DSRs), the next generation in Impulse Response technology that capture the sound and feel of the speaker’s dynamic, non-linear response for even more detail and realism.
  • Integrate their personal library of Celestion and third-party Impulse Responses to make the most of the tones they already own. SpeakerMix Pro uses its unique DSR algorithm to make existing IRs more dynamic sounding, enhancing their tone with even greater feel.
  • Incorporate Celestion’s superb room responses (or add your own) into your mix for an authentic ‘live’ sound. Add room delay for further ‘depth’ and ‘size’.
  • Deploy the unique Z-curve function to closely model the dynamic electrical coupling between amp and speaker.
  • Fine-tune the mic position, enabling the user to adjust the position of the microphone across the speaker until they’ve found the tone that’s just-right (DSR-specific functionality).

The free 14-day demo of SpeakerMix Pro is available for download and automatically installs with 10 free DSR speaker cabinets curated to give users a broad tone experience across the Celestion range of guitar and bass speakers. Users can upgrade to the full version of SpeakerMix Pro at any time during or after the trial period. Simply purchase the full version of SpeakerMix Pro and select 10 free DSR cabs (choose the preferred DSRs from the available range on Celestionplus.com during upgrade).

All of Celestion’s Dynamic Speaker Responses and SpeakerMix Pro plugin are available for VST, AU and AAX compatible DAWs.

About Celestion Digital
The introduction of authentic Celestion Impulse Responses represented the company’s forward step in making their celebrated speaker tones available as digital downloads. Celestion IRs capture the essential behavior of a speaker in a particular 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. They offer significant benefits in both recording and live production, enabling the desired tone to be precisely and consistently reproduced regardless of the recording or live sound environment. Explore, audition and download the extensive collection of Celestion guitar and bass Impulse Responses at celestionplus.com. The introduction of Celestion SpeakerMix Pro sees the company delivering a truly forward-thinking studio software solution that enables users to get every ounce of tone from Impulse Response technology. The companion Dynamic Speaker Responses launched alongside the plug-in exemplify the next generation in speaker response emulation, representing a true advancement in the technology of digital speaker tone.
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 Alnico Gold Now Available as a Dynamic Speaker Response

Ipswich, UK (January 31, 2022) —Celestion, the celebrated manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers and professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement applications, is very pleased  to announce that the Alnico Gold is available as a Dynamic Speaker Response (DSR,) the next-generation digital speaker responses that capture the sound and feel of the speaker’s dynamic, non-linear responses for even more tonal detail. All Celestion DSRs are designed especially for use with SpeakerMix Pro, the self-contained studio-grade DAW plug-in dedicated to bringing ground-breaking levels of detail and realism to guitar and bass speaker tone. The complete collection of DSRs, as well as the SpeakerMix Pro plug-in, is available for download at CelestionPlus.com.

The Celestion Alnico Gold was originally developed as a higher power alnico speaker and is thought of as a “well played-in” version of its older brother the Celestion Blue. Exhibiting many of the same tonal characteristics as can be heard in the original Blue, the Gold has a less prominent high end which reveals a more complex upper mid-range. Expressive and dynamic, the Celestion Alnico Gold, a 50-watt G12 speaker, yields unprecedented control along with the muscle needed to deliver a huge rhythmic voicing. All the qualities of an alnico speaker are still there, including a warm bass, chiming treble and a “laid-back” attack. Push a little harder and the Alnico Gold yields rich, thick overtones, harder still and you’re rewarded with a delightfully aggressive snarl with just enough natural compression to keep things sweet.

And now, in addition to its availability as a physical loudspeaker and digital Impulse Response, the Celestion Alnico Gold can be purchased in the Dynamic Speaker Response format for use with SpeakerMix Pro.

The SpeakerMix Pro plug-in is much more than just a top-level IR loader and convolution engine for hosting impulse responses– it offers pristine sound, mixes up to six channels of different IRs into a stereo or mono track and even fixes IR sample rate/project mismatches. Additionally, as the host program for the Celestion Dynamic Speaker Responses, SpeakerMix Pro presents a genuine next-generation virtual speaker solution.

With SpeakerMix Pro, users can:

  • Discover Celestion’s proprietary Dynamic Speaker Responses (DSRs), the next generation in Impulse Response technology that capture the sound and feel of the speaker’s dynamic, non-linear response for even more detail and realism.
  • Integrate their personal library of Celestion and third-party Impulse Responses to make the most of the tones they already own. SpeakerMix Pro uses its unique DSR algorithm to make existing IRs more dynamic sounding, enhancing their tone with even greater feel.
  • Incorporate Celestion’s superb room responses (or add your own) into your mix for an authentic ‘live’ sound. Add room delay for further ‘depth’ and ‘size’.
  • Deploy the unique Z-curve function to closely model the dynamic electrical coupling between amp and speaker.
  • Fine-tune the mic position, enabling the user to adjust the position of the microphone across the speaker until they’ve found the tone that’s just-right (DSR-specific functionality).

The new SpeakerMix Pro Demo automatically installs with 10 sample DSR speaker cabinets ten DSRs curated to give users a broad tone experience across the Celestion range of guitar and bass speakers.

Achieve the ultimate guitar tone in your recording, with the Celestion Dynamic Speaker Responses and SpeakerMix Pro plugin, available for VST, AU and AAX compatible DAWs.

A free 14-day demo of SpeakerMix Pro is available for download and users can upgrade to the full version of SpeakerMix Pro at any time during or after the trial period. Simply purchase the full version of SpeakerMix Pro and select 10 free DSR cabs (choose the preferred DSRs from the available range on Celestionplus.com during upgrade).

About Celestion Digital
The introduction of authentic Celestion Impulse Responses represented the company’s forward step in making their celebrated speaker tones available as digital downloads. Celestion IRs capture the essential behavior of a speaker in a particular 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. They offer significant benefits in both recording and live production, enabling the desired tone to be precisely and consistently reproduced regardless of the recording or live sound environment. Explore, audition and download the extensive collection of Celestion guitar and bass Impulse Responses at celestionplus.com. The introduction of Celestion SpeakerMix Pro sees the company delivering a truly forward-thinking studio software solution that enables users to get every ounce of tone from Impulse Response technology. The companion Dynamic Speaker Responses launched alongside the plug-in exemplify the next generation in speaker response emulation, representing a true advancement in the technology of digital speaker tone.
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

Virtuoso Guitarist Oz Noy on Inspiration, Celestion, and the Importance of Playing Live

DiMeola. Holdsworth. McLaughlin. Metheny. Scofield. If you were to describe what these great guitarists have in common, it would be that they fused deep jazz scholarship with rock and soul rhythms as well as a borderless appreciation of world music. If you were to name the heir apparent to this legacy, it could only be Oz Noy. Beginning his career in his native Israel, he became a top studio and touring musician in his teens. Arriving in New York City in 1996, he quickly rose to the highest echelon of U.S. musos. His tenth studio album Snapdragon features such luminaries as Dennis Chambers, Dave Weckl, and Zappa alum Vinnie Colaiuta on drums; Will Lee and John Pattituci on bass; and the late Wallace Rooney on trumpet. Through it all, Celestion guitar loudspeakers have been a vital component of Noy’s equipment.

What was your early path to becoming the accomplished musician you are today?

I grew up in Israel and started playing guitar when I was about ten years old. I originally wanted to play drums. A friend who played guitar invited me to see his teacher, and I think the main thing that kept me interested in guitar was The Beatles, whom I really loved when I was a kid. I also liked a lot of Israeli pop. My parents bought me a crappy nylon-string guitar, and my dad bought me this little pickup you glued onto the guitar. Once I realized you could make noises through an amp, I was hooked on the idea of the guitar being electric.

But when realized I wanted to play professionally as a lifetime thing was in the mid-1980s. I was maybe 15 when Pat Metheny came to Israel on the Still Life Talking tour. I went to see Pat play, and after that I basically stopped going to school! [Laughs.]

Who were your formative influences as you were coming up?

When I started to get into jazz, it was mostly John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola, and maybe George Benson. Then I discovered Scott Henderson and Allan Holdsworth. Of course, Pat Metheny and John Scofield. After that, I started to study jazz more deeply and got into Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, and Grant Green — the bebop guys. At the same time, I started appreciating more blues, so Stevie Ray Vaughan was huge in my book. These days, I feel like I’m influenced by everybody!

When were you first aware of Celestion as a “thing” apart from your guitars and amps?

When I was growing up, Celestion speakers were always around. I had a Marshall with a 4×12 [cabinet] that had Celestion G12T-75s in it. I used that cabinet a lot. That and a Fender Twin Reverb were pretty much my main amps in Israel. But the Marshall with the 4×12 was always the main thing.

When I moved here, before I had much money to buy gear, I had several mediocre combo amps at first. Once I was able to afford better equipment, I had a couple of Fenders with Celestion Vintage 30s in the cabinets. That speaker sounds great inside pretty much everything.

After that I had a little Suhr amp, and it always had Celestion — mostly Vintage 30s but I had one cabinet with Greenbacks. You kind of can’t get away from those speakers and that sound. For me, they work in any context.

How has your rig evolved since then?

What I’m using now are Two Rock amps, which I started playing about ten or 12 years ago. They’re a high-end amp on the order of Dumble and things like that. The speakers I mainly use with those are Celestion G12-65s in both 2×12 and 4×12 cabinets. I also still have a cabinet with Greenbacks in it. When I play through my Marshall head, the Greenback is the one speaker that really does it for me.

I also bought an old DeLuxe amp, and I just put a brand new speaker into it, the G12 Ruby. It’s the one with the red chassis and it’s simply fantastic in that amp. Then there’s a recording cabinet I have at home with a G12-65 in it, and sometimes I swap that out for a Vintage 30 depending on the sound I’m after.

What’s your most recent Celestion acquisition and do you like it?

There’s this new speaker that looks like the Alnico Blue but it’s gold and handles a higher wattage. I believe it’s just called the Celestion Gold, and I think it’s excellent. I installed it in my Princeton. The thing about Celestion is, it’s such an iconic sound. If you want that sound, there’s only one way to get it.

Let’s say you got a call for a recording session with a major artist, and it was in an hour. Which setup out of everything you’ve mentioned would you bring into the studio?

To be honest, these days I do most of that kind of work from home, because I have everything all hooked up here and technology makes it possible to, you know, record my track and send it back out. Let’s say I did get that call, though. If it was a quick one-off, I’d probably bring my DeLuxe or my Princeton. If it was a bigger deal, I’d also bring one of my Two Rocks.

Do you have any suggestions or wish list items for Celestion?

Yes. More 4-ohm speakers! [Editor’s note: Celestion currently offers three speaker models with a 4-ohm impedance option: the Eight 15, the Copperback, and the Hot 100.]

It’s difficult to pin you down genre-wise, and we mean that as a compliment. How do you identify as a guitarist?

Thank you. I see myself basically as a jazz player, but I’ve played rock and done all kinds of studio work since I was 15. I guess what I did was, I mixed my jazz chops with modern guitar sounds as well as some of the approach of rock, blues, and R&B. So, I guess it’s a mix of things. Some people call it fusion, but that’s kind of a loaded word these days.

Yes, the F-word! Let’s talk about fusion. Has the style and the word gotten a bad rap in your opinion?

I think the problem was that at a certain point in the ’80s, some fusion started being executed in a way that was synthetic and sterile. The soul got sucked out of it. When you think about it, fusion is Miles, it’s McLaughlin, it’s Weather Report, it’s Return to Forever, all those bands — really soulful stuff.

One of the places where fusion is making a comeback is on social media, where a lot of young players are posting what we might call “shred” videos. Many of them share influences with you and some are probably influenced by you. What advice might you give to these players?

My main advice is, you’ve got to get out of the house and play live with other musicians. I recognize that the pandemic has made that hard for everybody. But I’m familiar with this phenomenon of people at home, learning on YouTube, then making their own videos and posting them there or on Instagram or wherever. And some of them blow my mind — they’re very talented and technically skilled.

But it all only exists within those platforms, and I see that as kind of real and not real at the same time. Yes, there’s an audience for it and if you’re good, you will get followers. But it seems like kind of a lonely existence, you know? I’ve been impressed by quite a few of these players and so I tried to look up where they were actually playing a gig so I could go see them — and most of the time I couldn’t find anything.

Recording guitar videos in your room all day is all well and good, and getting likes is all well and good. But what will really make you a better player isn’t staying at home and shredding over existing tracks. It’s being creative on the spot with other human beings. So, get out there and play with a band!

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Celestion Impulse Responses Included in the new BOSS IR-200 Amp and IR Cabinet

Ipswich, UK (October 6, 2021) —Celestion, the celebrated manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers, digitally downloadable guitar speaker tones and professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement applications, is very pleased to announce that the new BOSS IR-200 Amp and IR Cabinet is shipping with ten of Celestion’s most popular Impulse Responses.

The new  BOSS IR-200 brings next-level sound and performance to direct sound for guitar and bass, offering exceptional audio quality, premium amps, deep sound shaping, and instant sound recall with 128 memories. The BOSS IR-200 turns your pedalboard into a self-contained direct sound solution for live playing, studio recording, and practice. It delivers massive amp tones from a small footprint and smoothly integrates with all your favorite pedals, including stereo mod, delay, and reverb effects. And once you craft your tones, you can send them to a stage amp, house PA, computer recording system, or headphones—or all at once.

In addition to from the included Impulse Responses from BOSS, ten Celestion Digital Impulse Responses are included for loading your own mono or stereo IRs.

The included Celestion IRs are:

  • Celestion Cream             (112 O R-121 Dark)
  • Celestion Ruby             (112 O Lo-Gn All)
  • Celestion Blue             (212 O MD421 Balanced)
  • Celestion G12H (55)             (212 O R-121 Balanced)
  • Celestion V30             (212 C SM57 Fat)
  • Celestion G12T-75             (412 C R-121 Balanced)
  • Celestion G12H Creamback (412 C SM57 Bright)
  • Celestion G12M Greenback (412 C R-121 Bright)
  • Celestion G12H (55)             (412 C Hi-Gn 421+121)
  • Celestion V30             (412 C Hi-Gn All+Room Stereo)

The BOSS IR-200 Amp and IR Cabinet will be available in January 2022. More information can be found at: https://www.boss.info/us/products/ir-200/.

The full line of genuine Celestion Impulse Responses are available for download at: CelestionPlus.

About BOSS
BOSS, a division of Roland Corporation, has achieved legendary status among guitarists, bassists, and vocalists with a diverse, world-leading product lineup of creative tools with exceptional sound, intuitive control, and rugged durability. Since 1977, BOSS’s famous compact pedals have been used daily by everyone from beginners to touring professionals, with over 125 unique models introduced and over 16 million units sold to date. BOSS also leads the way with innovative gear in numerous other categories, from amplifiers, multi-effects processors, and loopers to wireless systems, vocal effects, tuners, metronomes, rhythm machines, recorders, and more. For more information, visit www.Boss.info.

About Celestion Digital
The introduction of authentic Celestion Impulse Responses represented the company’s forward step in making their celebrated speaker tones available as digital downloads. Celestion IRs capture the essential behavior of a speaker in a particular 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. They offer significant benefits in both recording and live production, enabling the desired tone to be precisely and consistently reproduced regardless of the recording or live sound environment. Explore, audition and download the extensive collection of Celestion guitar and bass Impulse Responses at celestionplus.com.

The introduction of Celestion SpeakerMix Pro sees the company delivering a truly forward-thinking studio software solution that enables users to get every ounce of tone from Impulse Response technology. The companion Dynamic Speaker Responses launched alongside the plug-in exemplify the next generation in speaker response emulation, representing a true advancement in the technology of digital speaker tone.
www.Celestionplus.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

Guitar Virtuoso and Composer Hal Lindes on the Role of Celestion Speakers in his Expansive Career and Amp Collection

Venice, CA (August 25, 2021) — Hal Lindes is the consummate musician’s musician. You’d have to be nothing less to share the stage and studio with the likes of Mark Knopfler, with whom Lindes recorded and toured the Dire Straits albums Making Movies, Love Over Gold, and Alchemy. Not long after, Lindes became a prolific film and TV composer, scoring a plethora of BBC series as well as 2010’s critically acclaimed The Boys Are Back, for which he collaborated with artists as diverse as Sigur Rós and Ray LaMontagne. Throughout it all, one factor has been as ever-present as the music in his heart and the skill in his hands: the Celestion speakers in his amps.

“I was in London during the whole punk boom in the mid-’70s. That was an incredibly exciting time because music was being turned on its head. Back then, it was all about just getting up and doing it, with or without formal training. At the time, I bought an amp a roadie in my band had enthusiastically said I just had to hear,” says Lindes, recalling his first experience with Celestion. “It was a Vox AC-30, an early-’60s coppertop model. I wasn’t familiar with it because when I had been in the U.S. Vox wasn’t releasing as much of their great tube stuff there — it was mostly solid-state. So, I had never considered Vox as a contender until I heard this AC-30. The speakers in it were Celestion G12s. I was like, “God, I love these drivers, too! What are they?”

When asked if there is a particular quality or tone about Celestion speakers that is important to him, Lindes says: “This is a personal view, and I’m sure a lot of people will dispute it. To my ears, a Celestion speaker doesn’t color the sound. It allows the personality of the actual amp to speak for itself. Also, I play with my fingers mostly. So, I might run the amp higher and play softer so the amp is working harder and you’re getting more of its own color than you would if you’re bashing away with a heavy pick and heavy right hand. What Celestion does for me here is, it allows the natural sound to come through. It’s like I can almost hear the flesh of my fingers in the tone.”

And when asked what advice he would give to aspiring musicians, Lindes says:

“The truth is, if you are lucky enough to find your passion in life, then I would always say follow your heart. If you’re savvy at marketing and maintaining an online presence, you can get your music out to a lot of people without the need for a major label. And once you learn an instrument, you’ll have a friend for life.”

Read the full interview with Hal Lindes 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.

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Guitar Virtuoso and Composer Hal Lindes on the Role of Celestion Speakers in his Expansive Career and Amp Collection

Hal Lindes is the consummate musician’s musician. You’d have to be nothing less to share the stage and studio with the likes of Mark Knopfler, with whom Lindes recorded and toured the Dire Straits albums Making Movies, Love Over Gold, and Alchemy. Not long after, Lindes became a prolific film and TV composer, scoring a plethora of BBC series as well as 2010’s critically acclaimed The Boys Are Back, for which he collaborated with artists as diverse as Sigur Rós and Ray LaMontagne. Throughout it all, one factor has been as ever-present as the music in his heart and the skill in his hands: the Celestion speakers in his amps.

What was the earliest point in your career you recall playing through a Celestion speaker?

I was in London during the whole punk boom in the mid-’70s. That was an incredibly exciting time because music was being turned on its head. Back then, it was all about just getting up and doing it, with or without formal training. At the time, I bought an amp a roadie in my band had enthusiastically said I just had to hear. It was a Vox AC-30, an early-’60s coppertop model. I wasn’t familiar with it because when I had been in the U.S. Vox wasn’t releasing as much of their great tube stuff there — it was mostly solid-state. So, I had never considered Vox as a contender until I heard this AC-30. The speakers in it were Celestion G12s. I was like, “God, I love these drivers, too! What are they?”

 

 

Tell us about some of your other ‘greatest hits’ amps.

I had a Marshall, a 1959 Super Lead 100, with G12H speakers. I also discovered you could put a Fender Twin Reverb through a 4×12 cabinet and it sounded incredible. That’s what we were doing in Dire Straits. We used Fender Musicmasters, which were the functional equivalent of the Twin at the time. They would sit on top of the 4×12 with Celestions inside it, and later we moved to Mesa-Boogie heads.

There was my ’51 “TV front” Tweed Deluxe, with a Celestion Blue swapped in, and that driver puts that amp in a whole other arena. Then a Brownface Vibe Deluxe with a G12H and Blackface Deluxe Reverb with a G12H.

Then in the ’80s, Paul Rivera designed amps for Fender. One that he did was a Super Champ, which is the size of a Champ but highly sophisticated. That’s my main recording amp these days, and of course I have a G10 Greenback in it. It sounds phenomenal.

Do you do any of your own rebuilds or speaker swaps with vintage amps?

I have to be honest. I’m a total amp snob. I’m a huge fan of Fender and I try to keep everything as stock and original as possible, but I have no hesitancy about swapping Celestion speakers into anything, because I’ve never heard one that didn’t blow my socks off.

One major example is my 1961 Tweed Champ. Celestion brought out a speaker called the Eight 15 especially for those. It was kind of a brilliant move on their part because it’s very hard to find original Jensen drivers in good shape, and the re-issue Jensens aren’t the same animal. And the thing is, guitarists are using Champs more than ever these days, both because they’re great for when you’re at home and can’t really wail but also sound phenomenal for recording, especially when you throw that Eight 15 in there.

Is there a particular quality or tone of Celestion speakers that is paramount for you?

This is a personal view, and I’m sure a lot of people will dispute it. To my ears, a Celestion speaker doesn’t color the sound. It allows the personality of the actual amp to speak for itself. Also, I play with my fingers mostly. So, I might run the amp higher and play softer so the amp is working harder and you’re getting more of its own color than you would if you’re bashing away with a heavy pick and heavy right hand. What Celestion does for me here is, it allows the natural sound to come through. It’s like I can almost hear the flesh of my fingers in the tone.

Of course, you can overdrive the crap out of a Celestion and that sounds incredible, too. But I play low — around 3 or 4 on the volume knob. I tend to stay away from overdrive pedals. I do like delays and wahs, but I prefer to find my tone as a cooperation between the guitar, the amp, and the speaker. The nuance comes from my fingers, and Celestion just makes that spring to life.

That’s some high praise.

I mean it. I’m extremely picky about tone and I honestly would not have agreed to this interview if I wasn’t a huge fan of Celestion speakers.

What was musically interacting with Mark Knopfler like?

Very interesting, because our backgrounds are similar in one respect and different in another. We’re both big fans of folk, into finger-picking and such. But I’m more of a rock guy — nothing is better than cranking up that AC-30 — where Mark in those days was more folk-influenced. I was much more into flying by the seat of my pants, whereas Mark was quite studied. He’d work on something, and it would be in pretty polished shape by the time he brought it to the band. Mark is just a superb musician all around: writer, guitarist, and vocalist. I don’t think people realize what a terrific singer he is.

Speaking to that, a lot of people don’t realize he wrote “Private Dancer” for Tina Turner, on which you played.

That’s an interesting story! Originally Love Over Gold was going to be a double album. Mark came in with something like 18 songs, all of which were equally impressive. One of them was “Private Dancer,” which sounded great as a Dire Straits song, but Mark felt a woman should be singing the lyrics. Tina wanted the original tracks we recorded, but those belonged to the record label so we went in and re-recorded it with her.

How did your transition into film scoring happen?

Mark had been scoring the film Local Hero [1983] and I was there playing on some of the recording sessions. I found the whole process of marrying music to film images amazingly inspiring and knew then and there that this was something I would love to get into. I was fortunate to get into scoring after Dire Straits. I was based in the U.K. at the time, so I scored a lot of BBC television. I would try to be as guitar-based as I could, but of course that’s not going to work for every show. But when I managed to do guitar scores, they were the ones everyone responded to. On The Boys Are Back it was just guitar and a string orchestra. It’s kind of like doing a score with just a grand piano — you really must make the instrument speak and emote, and I enjoyed that challenge.

What’s your favourite recent project — something you’d consider a pinnacle of tone, playing, and just plain fun?

Get In Where You Fit In with a band called One Thousand Motels. I co-wrote it and played all the guitars. Rat Scabies from The Damned is on drums, the bass player is Chris Constantinou from Adam Ant’s band, and the singer is a great guy from L.A. named Sean Wheeler. I really enjoyed it because I had total reign on the guitars. I’m a huge fan of treble boost, probably because of the Vox AC-30 Top Boost, and this young pedal builder in Italy built me a booster pedal using vintage radio transistors. I’ve just gotten back into songwriting and music projects in the past five years.

So, you get the call and the session is in an hour. What guitars and amp do you grab?

I’m a Strat guy, but more and more I’ve been using a 1960s Gretsch Duo Jet. It’s the one Mark played on the single “Twisting by the Pool.” Malcolm Young of AC/DC also played one he heavily modified. The amp would have to be that Super Champ with the G10 Greenback in it.

What studio signal chain do you use for recording your Celestion-equipped amps?

I have a Beyerdynamic M160 ribbon mic and of course a Shure SM57. They feed Neve 1073 preamps and original Urei 1176 compressors. A tip a producer once taught me is that on the 1073s, you put the EQ in but leave all the settings flat, just to get the colour of that circuit.

Have you had a chance to check out Celestion’s digital side, such as the impulse responses?

I haven’t played around with those yet. As I said, I’m a huge purist about hardware. But I can imagine that if the simulation totally nails it, that technology could be very useful in situations where, for example, you can’t crank up an amp as loud you need for the desired tone.

Do you have any advice for young musicians who might aspire to a career like yours?

It’s interesting, because my own kids are in bands — my daughter in The Paranoyds which is signed to Jack White’s label Third Man Records and my son in a singer-songwriter project called Sad Girl, signed to Suicide Squeeze.  They’re doing as well as I think anyone can do without being on a major label with the whole star maker machinery behind them. But what I’ve learned from them is that it’s tough out there right now, due to a whole generation growing up without paying for music.

The truth is, if you are lucky enough to find your passion in life, then I would always say follow your heart. If you’re savvy at marketing and maintaining an online presence, you can get your music out to a lot of people without the need for a major label. And once you learn an instrument, you’ll have a friend for life.

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.