Search Results for: G12H

Celestion Debuts the Shades of Greenback Digital Impulse Response Collection

Ipswich, UK (October 4, 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 pleased to introduce the digitally downloadable Celestion Greenback Impulse Response Collection, bringing together a collection of seven of the most popular Celestion 12-inch Greenback-style speaker tones favoured by rock legends, available for download at CelestionPlus.

This collection brings together the G12M and G12H as well the speakers that have since been inspired by these tonal icons. Fans of classic rock and all things Greenback will be in sonic heaven. Featuring the G12M, G12H Anniversary, Heritage Series G12M, Heritage Series G12H (55), G12-35XC, G12-50GL Lynchback and G12 EVH in all cabinet configurations: 1×12 (both open and closed back), 2×12 (both open and closed back) and 4×12 (closed back).

The Shades of Greenback Collection features the speakers which helped to create the tones of legends, including:

The G12M Greenback – The Legend

The G12M Greenback is 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.

The G12H Anniversary – The Heavy Rocker

Recreate the classic sounds of the 1960’s and 1970’s hard rock era with the G12 Anniversary. With no quarter given, the anniversary delivers serious swagger with its aggressive low-end, articulate treble and searing midrange.

The Heritage Series G12M – Timeless Tone

As materials and manufacturing techniques changed over time, so tones did too. The Heritage Series was the result of Celestion’s quest to build our iconic speakers as close to their 1960s specification as possible. The Heritage G12M delivers a little more openness and room to breathe than the Modern G12M.

Heritage Series G12H (55) – The Bass Cone

This G12H Heritage Series speaker features a 55Hz (low resonance) cone. Originally intended for bass guitar, it was quickly adopted by guitar players too, who loved its more pronounced low-end thump. Legend has it that Hendrix played this Greenback in his live rig.

The G12-35XC – The Sonic Legacy

A key part of the Greenback legend is the Pulsonic® cone. Sadly, they are no more, but for our 90th birthday we tried to replicate the sound of an early 70s Pulsonic Greenback, just to see if we could. The result is the G12-35XC speaker.

The G12-50GL Lynchback – Mr. Nasty

A few years ago, George Lynch came to us and requested we build him his perfect speaker. The G12-50GL is it. Beautiful, saturated vintage rhythm tones together with a modern lead sound that befits a legendary Shredmaster.

The G12 EVH – The Ultimate Brown Sound

Last but certainly not least is the EVH signature speaker. Eddie Van Halen tried several Greenback variations and he chose this one. As Ed himself put it, “Since day one, the 20-watt Greenback has been a big part of my sound.”

Each of these in the Shades of Greenback IR collection include five cabinet configurations: 1×12 (both open and closed back), 2×12 (both open and closed back) and 4×12 (closed back).

The new Shades of Greenback Impulse Responses are available individually or as a complete set, representing a significant savings over purchasing the individual IRs. And if you already own any of the speaker responses included in the collection, you’ll also receive an additional discount to complete your Greenback collection!

The new Shades of Greenback Collection joins the massive collection of Celestion Impulse Responses available for demo and download at CelestionPlus.

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 Introduces the Neo Creamback Digital Dynamic Speaker Responses (DSRs)

Ipswich, UK (May 15, 2023) —Celestion, the celebrated manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers and professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement applications, is pleased  to announce that the Neo Creamback collection is available digitally 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 greater tonal detail. The new Neo Creambacks join 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 Celestion digital collections of IRs and DSRs, as well as the SpeakerMix Pro plug-in, are available for download at CelestionPlus.com.

The Neo Creamback is every ounce a Classic Celestion, delivering all the magical tone from a traditional Creamback at around half the weight. When it comes to Speaker Responses of course, the speaker’s weight doesn’t matter in the slightest. This specially designed magnet assembly results in a speaker that easily delivers a Creamback-style tone and adds a little extra magic all its own.

Now available as a Dynamic Speaker Response (DSR) this highly accurate digital representation is voiced to be “in between” the celebrated G12M -65 and G12H-75 Creambacks. There is still the low-end punch, warm vocal midrange, and sweet refined highs the Creamback is famous for: push it hard and enjoy the ‘race-car growl’ that sets pulses racing! And the Neo Creamback adds to this the shimmering presence that a player would get from an Alnico guitar speaker as well as some additional note separation thanks to the powerful forces of the neo magnet.

Now the Celestion Neo Creamback has been faithfully captured in digital form as Dynamic Speaker Responses. Recorded by the company’s expert sound engineers using the same meticulous techniques as all of Celestion’s best-selling IRs & DSRs, the Neo Creamback DSR was captured with three pro-quality studio microphones – the classic Shure SM57, a Royer R-121 ribbon mic and a Sennheiser MD421. Each of these mics were recorded in six different positions – named within the speaker response files as Balanced, Bright, fat, Thin, Dark and Dark 2 – as well as a rear mic position for the open back cabs. The addition of a Neumann TLM107 room mic provides the user with a huge number of different mic mixes and a range of unique tonal options.

The files for the Celestion Neo Creamback DSRs 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 Neo Creamback 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 Neo Creamback 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 captures 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 the SpeakerMix Pro plugin 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).

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 Showcases the Legendary Blue, Greenback, and Vintage 30 Guitar Speakers at NAMM 2023

Anaheim, CA (April 12, 2023) — Celestion, the  premier manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers,  will showcase their three most iconic guitar speakers — the Celestion Blue, the Greenback, and the Vintage 30 — at this year’s NAMM Show at Booth 6602. One year before their 100th birthday, the company is excited to honor the three drivers that helped launch their worldwide reputation as “the voice of rock and roll.”

The Blue

The Celestion Blue began life in the late 1950s as alternative to the G12 radiogram speakers then used by storied guitar amp maker Vox, who sought more power handling for their new AC30 combo amplifier. Legendary Celestion engineer Les Ward worked with Vox’s Derek Underdown on three key modifications. In a then-revolutionary process, the duo first strengthened the driver surround, which was the part most vulnerable to physical stress. Second, they changed the voice coil windings from aluminum to copper, which made them more tolerant to heat at high gain. Third, they strengthened the termination wires to better cope with the high-amplitude cone movement the amp could produce.

The result then was a speaker known as the T530, which was rated at 15 watts, and featured an alnico (aluminum, nickel, and cobalt) alloy magnet. The speaker was painted azure blue at the behest of Vox owner Tom Jennings and was initially badged the Vox Blue for installation in the AC30 amp, which secured its place in guitar tone history.

The Blue took a hiatus beginning in the 1970s due to the high cost of alnico, but when the alloy again became affordable, Celestion would reissue the speaker for their 70th anniversary in 1994 this time labelled as the “Celestion Blue” and to this day it is still hand-built in exactly the same way. The Blue found favour with notable guitarists like George Harrison and Brian May due to its glorious, dampened attack, warm lows, mellow upper-mids and brilliant bell-like top-end.

With 15 watts into 8 or 15ohms and 100dB sensitivity, and a frequency response from 75 to 5,000 Hz, the Celestion Blue, when coupled with a suitable amplifier, evokes rich definition and develops beautiful musical compression when pushed. Tone enthusiasts worldwide hail the Blue as the benchmark for guitar speaker perfection.

The Greenback

As a result of the increasing cost of Alnico in the mid-1960s, Celestion began to use an iron-based ceramic in most speakers. Enter the heavy magnet G12H and medium magnet G12M, designated the T1220 (8-ohm) and T1221 (16-ohm). The model name G12M referred to both, but thanks to the green plastic cover over the magnet assembly, a more affectionate moniker stuck even better: The Greenback.

The first G12M speakers were rated at 20 watts and upgraded to 25 watts approximately two years later, meaning one could install them with confidence in a 4×12″ cabinet intended for use with a 100-watt amp head. This made them the go-to for Marshall amps. Though the Greenback had already become the Marshall speaker of choice after being deployed in Marshall’s 1962 2×12″ rig, the most famous of which was Eric Clapton’s “Bluesbreaker.” Driven just on the edge of distortion, the G12M produced a warm low end; a rich, vocal-like midrange; and a detailed but delicate treble. This amp-speaker pairing also defined the sound of many of Jimi Hendrix’s early recordings, and Angus Young remains a greenback fan since the early days of AC/DC.

Though it has evolved over the years, the G12M Greenback retains its sought-after character.

The Greenback is voiced with extra broad midrange attack and restrained high end that fosters punchy chords and searing leads without fizz. Driven just on the edge of distortion, it produces a warm low end; a rich, vocal-like midrange; and a detailed but delicate treble. Rated at 25 watts (at 8 or 16 ohms) and offering 98dB of sensitivity and frequency response of 75 to 5,000 Hz, it is voiced with a broad midrange attack and high-end roll-off that fosters punchy chords and searing leads. It is as at home in single-speaker amps as in multi-driver, high-gain rock configurations.

The Vintage 30

The increasing “heaviness” of rock and metal from the 1970s to the mid-’80s demanded more power, inspiring the G12-65, G12T-75, G12K-85 and S12-150 “Sidewinder”. Thanks to the heat resistant materials used in their construction, these speakers were considered to be more “modern” sounding drivers. By the mid-’80s, however, guitarists and amp manufacturers craved the sound of the ‘good old days’. Marshall’s amp engineer Steve Grindrod requested a new speaker that had the magincal tone of the old alnico speakers of the ‘60s. with that brief in mind, Celestion engineer Ian White went on to create a speaker that combined the tone of the old speakers with the durability of the new.

White analyzed an original alnico speaker using a process called Laser Doppler Interferometry. “The laser was especially good at looking at cones,” remembers White. “We used that data to form a precise model of the vintage speaker’s characteristics.” This led White to create a new coil assembly using a modern material, more commonly used for hi-fi speakers, with mass and tonal properties similar to the paper voice coil of the vintage alnico speakers, but with a much better power handling.

The resultant speaker was the Marshall Vintage which coupled Celestion’s “H” magnet — the closest in performance to the alnico — with the new voice coil, delivering the higher power handling required (70-watt), but still with the vintage musicality of a new-old-stock speakers that might be rated much lower.

Originally targeted for use with Marshall’s Studio 15 amp, the speaker found its way into all manner of stacks and combo amps after a grace period of Marshall exclusivity, it became a Celestion standard produce and was renamed the Vintage 30 (and given a slightly lower, 60-watt power rating). Players who have embraced its tone include Peter Frampton, Slash, Steve Morse, and Steve Vai.

With a frequency response of 70 to 5,000 Hz and 100dB sensitivity, the Vintage 30’s rich bass, singing midrange, and precise treble make it Celestion’s most revealing speaker in the eyes (and ears) of many users. It is ideal for capturing the tonal complexities of which hand-wired boutique amps are capable; likewise, for serving up a lovely 3D crunch in two- or four-speaker setups. This has made the Vintage 30 one of the most popular Celestion loudspeakers, with sales to date exceeding 1.5 million units.

Legacy Meets Innovation

Celestion will exhibit these three icons and more in Booth 6602 at the 2023 NAMM show, held April 13 through 15 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

“Celestion are obviously proud of all our products,” says Nigel Wood, Managing Director at Celestion. “But the iconic Celestion Blue, Greenback, and Vintage 30 are the ones most often used as the benchmark for Celestion tone and for guitar tone in general. This is why we wanted to focus this year’s NAMM exhibit on giving them the place in history they deserve.”

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. Since 2017, Celestion Digital has offered the tones of the company’s legendary guitar and bass speakers as downloadable impulse responses that work with most modern guitar effects processors and amp-top load boxes. Contact Celestion at info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.

www.celestion.com

 

Guns N’ Roses Guitarist Richard Fortus Reflects on His Storied Career and Celestion Speakers

 

St. Louis, MO (February 6, 2023) — Asking the question “What type of guitar player is Richard Fortus?” is potentially dangerous, because trying to answer it just might cause one’s word processor to run out of hyphens. Fortus is currently playing the dream gig of standing onstage next to Axl and Slash in Guns N’ Roses, whom he joined in 2001. He has recorded, toured, or done both with marquee artists across literally every style of modern music, including Rihanna, Enrique Iglesias, Thin Lizzy, Fiona Apple, BT, and Crystal Method. He’s been a full-on band member of The Psychedelic Furs and more recently supergroup The Dead Daisies. His film score contributions include Monster and The Fast and the Furious franchise. He joined Celestion for a far-ranging conversation about his genre-defying career, influences, musical values, gear, and how Celestion speakers — especially the Alnico Cream, G12H family, and Gold — have been his musical partner during his entire journey.

Even before his teens, Fortus’ musical tastes were eclectic. “As young as 11 or 12, I was obsessed with players like Robert Fripp, Jeff Beck, Steve Howe, early Santana, and Peter Frampton,” he recalls. “My first band, The Eyes, would play our childlike versions of songs by bands like Return To Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and the Dregs. Then when I turned 14 or 15, I heard The Clash and everything changed after that. It all became less ‘muso’ and more about songwriting and energy. We started covering bands like The Police, U2, The Damned, and The Psychedelic Furs.”

That makes it poetic that he would find himself in the Furs and co-writing songs with lead singer Richard Butler for what would become the project “Love Spit Love.” Though Guns N’ Roses’ needs from a guitarist could not be more different, that could describe any two projects on which Fortus has ever played. “Producers who hire me often say, ‘I just want you to do your thing,’” he explains. “So, I think carefully about what they think ‘my thing’ is, then try to deliver it. But really, it’s simply that I just love all types of music. I think I don’t get typecast because I pull from such a broad palette and genuinely love it all.”

Whatever the genre, Celestion speakers are a cornerstone of the sound Fortus delivers. “In my live rig with Guns N’ Roses I have two amps that the front-of-house engineer mixes,” he says. “One is a little Magnatone Twilighter with an Alnico Cream. The other is a 100-watt Voodoo whose cabinet has two G12H and two Golds arranged diagonally from each other. The G12H gives me more of the tight low end I want to hear. The Gold provides more of the shimmer on top. The Cream just has the most magical midrange right out of the box.”

Such results set Fortus on a path of Celestion-izing many of his prized vintage amps. “I also have a low-powered Fender Tweed Twin,” he notes. “I put a pair of Alnico Creams in it temporarily while I had its stock speakers re-coned. I never put the stock ones back in. Those Creams turned a good amp into a great amp.

“I feel like Celestion is part of my voice,” says Fortus at the end of the interview. “I have a real affinity for British amps, so much that I had 240-volt power installed in my studio so I can run them as they were meant to be run. Beyond the tubes and transformers, the biggest part of that sound is Celestion.”

Read our full-length interview with Richard Fortus on the Celestion blog here, and learn more about Celestion’s guitar loudspeakers 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. Since 2017, Celestion Digital has offered the tones of the company’s legendary guitar and bass speakers as downloadable impulse responses that work with most modern guitar effects processors and amp-top load boxes. Contact Celestion at: info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.

www.celestion.com

Guns N’ Roses Guitarist Richard Fortus Reflects on His Storied Career and Celestion Speakers

Asking the question “What type of guitar player is Richard Fortus?” is potentially dangerous, because trying to answer it just might cause one’s word processor to run out of hyphens. Fortus is currently playing the dream gig of standing onstage next to Axl and Slash in Guns N’ Roses, whom he joined in 2001. He has recorded, toured, or done both with marquee artists across literally every style of modern music, including Rihanna, Enrique Iglesias, Thin Lizzy, Fiona Apple, BT, and Crystal Method. He’s been a full-on band member of The Psychedelic Furs and more recently supergroup The Dead Daisies. His film score contributions include Monster and The Fast and the Furious franchise. Luckily for us, he’s as affable and up for a conversation about music as he is impossible to pigeonhole, and Celestion guitar speakers have been by his side during his entire journey.

Your bio says you were classically trained as a child?

Yeah, I started on the Suzuki Method on violin when I was about four. A bit later I played drums to satisfy my rock ’n’ roll itch but continued playing violin throughout school.

Was your family musical?

My mother sang and played piano. My father was not musical at all. He was an accountant. But he was a partner in a company called St. Louis Music. They made Alvarez and Electra guitars and Crate amps. So, I grew up in that world and was exposed to a lot of music and musicians as a kid.

What was your favorite music growing up?

When I was little, like eight, like every other kid at that time I was into KISS. Then there was Aerosmith, Queen … those were the biggest bands in the world at that time. As I got a little older, 11 or 12, I started listening to a lot of the more art-rock stuff like early Genesis. I was really into Yes, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, bands like that. Of course, David Bowie. Later still, I got more into the jazz-fusion stuff that started going on. Jeff Beck’s “Wired” and “Blow by Blow” period was huge. That led me to things like Mahavishnu Orchestra, Chick Corea with Return To Forever, and the Dregs. So that’s where I was when I started playing guitar — obsessed with players like Robert Fripp, Jeff Beck, Steve Howe, early Santana, and Peter Frampton.

Did you aim at those styles of music in your first teenage band?

That band was The Eyes and I think we got it together around 1982. When we first started, the bass player and drummer and I would play our childlike versions of all the fusion stuff I was just talking about. Then, as I turned 14 or 15, I heard The Clash and everything changed after that. It all became less “muso” and more about songwriting and energy. We started playing with a singer and writing songs. Our covers included The Police, U2, Psychedelic Furs, The Damned ….

That must have been a good omen, as you wound up in the actual Psychedelic Furs later on!

That’s an interesting story. My first band [Pale Divine] got signed to Atlantic Records. We ended up touring with the Furs, which is something I worked hard to orchestrate. I wrote letters to [guitar player] John Ashton, telling them about how we just got signed, how much of a Furs fan I was. We signed with their same agency and wound up getting the opening spot on the World Outside tour in North America.

Eventually I would go onstage with them to play violin and guitar. After the tour ended, [Furs lead singer] Richard Butler asked me if I would come up to New York to help him write a solo album. I would go there during the week and write with Richard, then come back to St. Louis to do shows with Pale Divine on weekends, as our bread-and-butter fanbase was in the Midwest.

Eventually I moved to New York full time. Richard Butler’s album became the band Love Spit Love. He felt it was so much of a collaboration that it was unfair to call it a solo album.

Being in New York City must have also provided some opportunities for session work.

Oh, yeah. Being in the Furs it gave me entrée to artists and producers. I was fortunate to get consistent studio work almost immediately.

If we wanted to name three artists who have completely different needs from a guitar player, we couldn’t do better than the Furs, Guns N’ Roses, and the electronic composer BT, with whom you’ve also worked.

And Rihanna! [Laughs.] I’ve done country sessions, blues and funk albums, and I’ve played on a ton of hip-hop albums. All the Puff Daddy stuff? Anything guitar was usually me.

In an industry that likes to pigeonhole people, how do you shift musical gears so easily and avoid getting typecast as this or that genre of a guitarist?

When I would get called to do sessions, the producer who hired me would usually say, “I just want you to do your thing!” So, I’d have to think about where that producer got my name and what they think “my thing” is, then try to deliver it. But really, it’s simply that I just love all types of music. I think I don’t get typecast because I pull from such a broad palette and genuinely love it all. I feel very fortunate in that regard.

How did you get the gig with Guns N’ Roses?

I got called to audition. I was scheduled to be in L.A. anyway working on an album. So that lined up, they sent me some music, we went back and forth, but then as I was departing for L.A., I couldn’t reach them. I get to the album session, and Tommy Stinson and Josh Freese, who were in Guns N’ Roses at the time, were on it, too! They said, “Oh, you’re the guy from New York!”

What had happened was, Axl Rose had found the guitarist Buckethead and called off all auditions. Nonetheless, Tommy and I became very good friends. Cut to a couple of years later. I was on tour in Europe with Enrique Iglesias. Tommy called me and said, “Would you audition for Guns? We need somebody.” I had a break of two days in my schedule. After three shows at Royal Albert Hall, I flew straight to L.A., auditioned, listened to new material with Axl in his car all night, flew back to Ireland, and finished the Enrique tour. Right after, I started rehearsals with Guns.

As a guitarist, what is it like working with Slash?

Slash and Duff and I all come from similar musical backgrounds and have a lot of the same influences. We get along very well, and the funny thing is, I wasn’t that into Guns N’ Roses as a kid because I lumped them in with all the other ’80s hair metal. I supposed I realized they were more legit than bands like Poison, but they weren’t on my radar then. Once I got into the band, I realized how much we have in common.

How did Celestion speakers first come into your world?

Inside a Marshall cabinet, of course! I was a Marshall fanatic as a kid. I have since grown to love Celestion for other reasons. Some of my favorite speakers they make now are the Alnico Creambacks. In my live rig with Guns, I have a Magnatone Twilighter, which is a combo amp with a single 12-inch driver. I swapped out its stock speaker for a Creamback. Then there’s a 100-watt Voodoo amp. The cabinet I use with it has four Celestion speakers: two G12H on one diagonal and two Gold on the other.

How do these models differ in terms of your applications or what you like about them?

The G12H gives me more of the tight low end I want to hear. The Gold provides more of the shimmer on top. That’s why I have both in one cabinet. Then in the little Magnatone, the Alnico Cream just has the most magical midrange right out of the box. You don’t have to break those speakers in. The front-of-house engineer blends those two amps.

I also have a low-powered Fender Tweed Twin. I put a pair of Alnico Creams in that amp temporarily while I had its stock speakers re-coned. I never put the stock ones back in. Those Creams turned a good amp into a great amp. That got me on this whole kick of trying Celestions in vintage Fender amps. I wish Celestion would make a 10-inch version of the Cream!

Is that because a smaller driver responds more quickly?

Partly, yeah. But I have a 1962 Fender Vibroverb that uses two 10-inch speakers. That amp through Creambacks would be incredible. So, I wrote you guys a letter. Please make it! Ten-inchers are a different world in terms of sound and feel. In combination with 12s, you get the best of both worlds. I have a vintage Marshall 8×10 cab that I use together with a 4×12, and it just sounds spectacular.

What else is in your studio?

I have a ridiculous amp collection. I just recently rewired my studio so that I can patch any of 16 amp heads in the control room to any two cabinets at once in the live room, using a custom switching system. I have three different vintage 4×12 cabs. I have an Orange 4×12, a couple of Marshall basket-weave cabs, a checkerboard, that 8×10 Marshall I told you about. I have a 2×12 with Alnico Blues installed. I have a Mesa-Boogie cab that can be closed- or open-back. They’re all permanently miked up. I also use a Universal Audio OX, which is a load box that can run impulse responses for cabinet simulations. I’ll use it in conjunction with an actual miked cabinet.

What are your go-to microphones for guitar cabinets?

I really like the Royer 122V tube ribbon mic. I love the old RCA BK5, which was originally developed for miking gunshots in movies. So, it handles high SPL and transients, which makes it exceptional for capturing tone you can only get by cranking a guitar amp really high. Have you heard of Stager mics out of Nashville? They’re outstanding. I have four different ones.

What advice would you give to a kid who wants to have a career like yours? Let’s suppose they have the talent. 

Don’t go into the music business at all! [Laughs.] I was lucky enough to catch the tail end of session work when there were actual recording budgets. During most of my early career, most of the revenue came from record sales and touring was done to support the record. Now, it’s flipped. If you manage to make any money at all it’s going to be from live shows and merchandise, and your record is one more piece of promo to support that. So, if anything I’d say gravitate towards touring work.

I have two daughters and my 15-year-old is in a band. They write songs, record, and do gigs. My wife and I stress to her all the time that music is an amazing creative outlet whether you make money at it or not. But I also recognize that some people don’t do this as a choice. They do it because have no other choice. It’s who they are. It’s certainly who I was, staying up half the night as a teenager, listening, analyzing, transcribing, and copping riffs. If you’re in that boat, learn software like Pro Tools. Be a recording engineer on top of playing an instrument or singing. Put out as much music as you can.

Last but not least, how would you describe your relationship with Celestion as a provider of your equipment and musical partner?

I feel like Celestion is part of my voice. I have a real affinity for British amps, so much that I had 240-volt power installed in my studio so I can run them as they were meant to be run. Beyond the tubes and transformers, the biggest part of that sound is Celestion.

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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 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

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

 

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