The Ten2 development program has revisited every detail of driver design, developing and testing a series of incremental improvements that combine to redefine standards of performance and durability in professional low frequency loudspeakers.
Find out about ten key features that add up to a new standard in LF driver performance
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Celestion is a world leader in loudspeaker technology: our pioneering speaker designs give voice to the most iconic guitar amplifiers and professional audio systems across the globe.
We’re looking for talented Production Operatives/Assemblers to work in our busy UK factory based in Great Blakenham, Suffolk.
You’ll be operating production line equipment and hand-finishing products, so will need to be nimble-fingered with some mechanical aptitude and a strong eye for detail. High levels of concentration and excellent communication skills are essential. Previous experience in a similar role is preferred.
Duties include:
Experience required:
Personal Attributes and Skills
What will you receive in return?
The successful candidate will be joining a friendly team within a fast-paced and exciting working environment. In addition to a competitive salary, we offer the following benefits:
Here at Celestion we know it’s our people that make our business great, we work hard as a team and do our best to ensure our staff feel supported and valued.
Please note, due to the location of our office you will ideally need to have your own means of transport.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent.
Salary: Circa £26k.
To apply, send your CV and a covering letter to: Human Resources, Celestion, Claydon Business Park, Great Blakenham, Ipswich, IP6 0NL, UK or via email.
Milton Keynes, Bucks, UK (December 18, 2024) — To mark the company’s 100th year, Celestion, the premier manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers and sound reinforcement drivers, has been honoured by Vox Amplification Ltd. with the presentations of a special limited Edition Hand-Wired VOX AC30HW60 Amplifier.
The special VOX AC30 was originally created for Vox’s 60th anniversary, and the particular unit features a congratulatory plaque to Celestion, presented by Vox’s Managing Director Ian Doggett to Andy Farrow, Celestion’s Global Director of Sales.Since the late 1950s, Vox and Celestion have worked in collaboration to mark some key moments in the history of guitar tone. Most notably, the pairing of the Vox AC30 and Celestion Blue; creating a unique sound that was used by the likes of The Shadows, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
The partnership dates back to 1959, when Vox started using a modern variant of the original Rola G12 radiogram speaker in their AC15 amplifiers. As popularity for rock ‘n’ roll grew, so did the audiences, and the demand for a louder stage sound increased. In response, Vox began developing a more powerful amp, the AC30, working with Celestion Chief Engineer Les Ward to increase durability and power handling of the alnico G12 speaker, for the purpose of it being used in a guitar amplifier.
In 1960, prototypes of the adapted G12 speaker, which had modifications to the edge of the cone, voice coil and termination wires, were accepted by Vox. A special Vox label was designed for the magnets, and the speaker was given a coat of blue paint. By January 1961, the legendary ‘Vox Blue’ was born, first being used in the AC30, and then the AC15.
Over 60 years later, and the two companies still hold a special relationship, with well over 50 different Celestion transducers being used in Vox amplifiers over the years, including the G12M Greenback, the second iconic Celestion speaker that was introduced in the mid-1960s.
‘VOX and Celestion have been working together since 1959 — the birth of British guitar tone,” said Ian Doggett, Vox’s Managing Director. “And we still hold a special relationship with Celestion to this day.”
“We are very excited to be presented with this special Anniversary AC30 from VOX. The AC30 is one of the most iconic amplifiers on the planet. Partnered with the Celestion Blue, this winning combination is part of so much music that we listen to every day,” adds Celestion’s Andy Farrow.
About Celestion
With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture high-quality professional audio loudspeakers and compression drivers for sound reinforcement, premium guitar and bass guitar loudspeakers. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. 2024 marks Celestion’s 100th year, please join us in the celebration. celestion.com
Ipswich, UK (November 13, 2024) — Celestion, the premier designer and manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers, well-known as the “Voice of Rock and Roll” behind many of music’s most memorable guitar performance, is proud to introduce the first in their collection of Artist Series Impulse Responses, the Tony Iommi Impulse Responses. This digital collection of IRs faithfully captures the tones of two iconic cabinets that have been used extensively by Tony Iommi, on record and on stage through different eras of Black Sabbath’s history, for use on any digital music production platform. Whether in a DAW for recording or a modelling amplifier for performance, the Tony Iommi IR series places his iconic tones within reach of any musician, recordist, or producer, and are available for audition and download at celestionplus.com.
Widely considered the father of Heavy Metal, Tony Iommi has seared the sound of his legendary Laney amps and cabs into the history of rock ‘n’ roll. From the late ‘60’s grind of a cranked LA100 BL 100W head (boosted with a modified Arbiter Dallas Rangemaster because it just wasn’t heavy enough) through a LA412 HLC cab, to the 90’s smack of a signature model GH 100 TI head through a TI412S cabinet, he has written, recorded and toured some of most iconic music in the history of Classic Metal.
That iconic Iommi guitar tone is a sound that countless guitarists have aimed for, and it’s now possible to get a bit closer by playing through authentic digital versions of two of the Laney cabinets used by Tony.
The new Tony Iommi IR Series includes:
Tony Iommi Laney LA412 HLC:
Closed back 4×12”, Green label Goodmans® speakers. A late 60s cab recorded by Tony from 1969 through the early 1980s – it is THE sound of those early Black Sabbath records.
Tony Iommi Laney TI412S:
Closed back, 4×12 Celestion G12H speakers. This cab was owned by Tony and used extensively in the studio and on tour through the ‘90s – the sound of latter era Black Sabbath.
Both cabinets are available either singly or as a collection.
Celestion employs a meticulous recording process to digitize the sonic characteristics of their acclaimed Impulse Responses, beginning with studio-quality, go-to professional guitar cabinet microphones. Each IR thus offers a variety of mic type and placement options and can be loaded into any IR host within a DAW or into stand-alone amp modeling hardware. The result is an authentic speaker emulation that sounds every bit as outstanding as its hardware counterpart.
Paired with a DAW and IR loader plug-in, modeling amp hardware, or amp-top load box, Celestion Impulse Responses provide authentic tone alongside lively and dynamic response, all without introducing latency. These benefits create a playing experience that is as credibly vintage as any speaker can achieve, but with real-world performance that is predictable and reliable in today’s most demanding recording and performance applications.
Combining Celestion’s unparalleled all-areas access, together with considerable speaker response know-how, Celestion will introduce future Series of Artist IR collections captured using guitar speaker cabinets made famous by legendary and influential artists.
The Celestion Tony Iommi Responses are available for downloadable as individual IRs and as a complete collection at celestionplus.com..
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. Celestion’s own 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 (DSRs) for 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
With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture high-quality professional audio loudspeakers and compression drivers for sound reinforcement, premium guitar and bass guitar loudspeakers. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. 2024 marks Celestion’s 100th year, please join us in the celebration. celestion.com
1. This Prize Draw is open to everyone aged 18 years except employees of Celestion, their families or anyone else associated with this competition.
2. All information detailing how to enter this promotion forms part of these terms and conditions. It is a condition of entry that all rules are accepted as final and that the entrant agrees to abide by these rules. The decision of the promoter is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Submission of an entry will be taken to mean acceptance of these terms and conditions.
3. No purchase is necessary to enter the prize draw. One entry is obtained through subscribing to the Celestion mailing list via the online form hosted on the following webpage: https://celestion.com/our-news/win-a-pair-of-kef-mu3-earphones/
4. By subscribing to the Celestion mailing list, you have opted-in to receive email newsletters from Celestion. You have the right to unsubscribe from the Celestion mailing list at any point, however doing so before the end of the promotion period will withdraw your entry from the prize draw.
5. We do not share, sell, transfer, provide, rent or trade Personal Data to or with third parties for their own direct marketing purposes unless we have obtained your consent in accordance with the requirements under the applicable law. Our full privacy policy can be found here: https://celestion.com/privacy-policy/
5. The period of the Prize Draw is from Tuesday 5th November 2024, 10am GMT, to Monday 18th November 2024, 11am GMT. All entries must be received within the Prize Draw period.
6. The Prize Draw is operated by Celestion (‘Promoter’). This Prize Draw is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Meta Platforms or X. You understand that you will be providing your information to the Promoter and not to Meta Platforms or X. By entering the Prize Draw you agree to release Meta Platforms and X completely from all liability relating to the Prize Draw. Any question, comments or complaints regarding the Prize Draw should be directed to the Promoter and not to Meta Platforms or X.
7. The Promoter reserves the right to seek and issue publicity on behalf of the Entrants. By entering the promotion, the Entrants agree to participate in publicity as reasonably requested surrounding the promotion
8. The winning entry will be selected at random by an employee of Celestion. Winners will be notified within 28 days of the draw via email. In the event the claim for a prize is not received by the promoter within 28 days of such notification, the promoter reserves the right to withdraw prize entitlement and award the prize to a reserve selected at the same time as the original
9. Three entrants shall each win one pair of KEF Mu3 Earphones in Silver Grey. No cash or other alternative prizes will be available, in whole or in part, except in the event of circumstances outside of its reasonable control, whereby The Promoter reserves the right to substitute for any similar alternative prize of equal or greater value. Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the promoter, the prize will only be awarded directly to the winner.
10. Only one entry will be accepted per person. The promoter reserves the right to disqualify any entry if it has reasonable grounds to believe you have breached any of these terms and conditions. No applications from agents, third parties, organised groups or applications automatically generated by computer will be accepted. If it becomes apparent that a participant is using a computer to circumvent this condition by, for example, the use of ‘script’, ‘brute force’ or any other automated means, that person’s entries will be disqualified and any prize award will be void.
11. English law applies and the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts shall prevail.
12. By entering this prize draw you acknowledge and agree that this prize draw will be construed and evaluated according to the laws of The United Kingdom, without application of its international conflict of law provisions. You agree that any disputes in connection with said prize draw shall be resolved in court of competent jurisdiction in the United Kingdom. If you enter this prize draw from another country you are responsible for compliance with any and all applicable local laws. Celestion makes no representation that the materials contained within this prize draw are appropriate for countries outside the United Kingdom.
13. PROMOTER: Celestion, Claydon Business Park, Great Blakenham, Ipswich, IP6 0NL United Kingdom
We’re always looking to join forces with guitar and bass players who are as passionate about our speakers as we are, believe Celestion is an essential part of their sound and can’t wait to shout about it!
Right now, there are more than 200 artists in our Partners in Tone programme. They come from a wide variety of different genres and playing styles. Some are in bands, others soloists. They are different ages and at different stages in the music careers. But all have one thing in common: they are proud Celestion players.
So whether you’re signed and touring internationally, or you’ve just started regularly gigging in your home country; if you’re serious about making music and if Celestion is a core part of your sound, then we want to hear from you!
If you use Celestion IRs in your set up, we’re looking for Partners in Tone for our digital products too. Click here to find out more.
What we want from you: to be an ambassador for the brand: tag and mention us in your social media posts and shout loud about being a Celestion player every chance you get.
We offer: great discounted purchase options on our standard range of guitar and bass speakers plus support if you hit any problems out on the road, with a single point of contact at Celestion HQ for advice and information.
We consider all applications very carefully and if you’re successful, we’ll ask you to send us a photo of you in action along with a quote about why you love Celestion, and which speaker(s) you use and we’ll create your own artist profile in our Partners in Tone Hall of Fame.
Due to receiving a high volume of applications, we can only reply to those who are successful.
Here at Celestion, we are proud to have over 200 incredible artists who are passionate about our speakers. Headliners include some of the most iconic names in the industry, from Brian May, Angus Young, Steve Vai and Brad Paisley to the late great legends Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen…
Being a Partner in Tone is for someone who has already begun their musical journey and is regularly recording and/or performing live. If you’re just starting out as an artist, this may not be the best time, but keep in touch and once you’ve found your feet we’d love to hear from you.
We like to work with artists who are keen performers who are regularly playing live, whether this is in different cities, festivals, or touring internationally. We realise that some artists will be focussing on recording new material, so may find themselves in the studio more than they do on the stage – we’d love to hear from you too.
We love to see how Partners in Tone are using our speakers, whether this is on tour or in the studio. So, we encourage mentioning Celestion in any gear-related posts on social media and giving us a shout out when you can.
We’re keen to work with emerging artists who are actively performing/making music and are serious about developing a following. You don’t have to be ‘signed’, but you should have a clear commitment to building your already growing fanbase.
We want to work with artists who are already proudly using Celestion products in their set up, and who want to continue to use Celestion speakers to create their tone.
Ipswich, UK (July 15, 2024) — Celestion, the premier manufacturer of loudspeakers for sound reinforcement and guitar and bass applications, proudly announces the appointment of Poppy Hanton as Marketing Executive. In her new role at Celestion, Ms. Hanton will work on a number of projects across the company’s marketing landscape including web, social media, content creation, advertising, and projects with external partners.
Poppy Hanton brings a variety of invaluable experience to Celestion, spanning professional audio, music festival marketing, copywriting, social media and higher education. This experience has its genesis in her own musicianship. “My personal interest, and the fact that I’m a gigging guitarist has let me spend time with so many knowledgeable people across diverse areas of the industry,” she reflects. “So, I’ve long known of Celestion for their outstanding quality.”
Hanton is also quite familiar with Celestion’s products for PA and sound reinforcement. “I purchased my last couple of amps partly because they employed Celestion speakers,” she notes. “However, their product range extends far beyond guitar speakers; they have a strong position in the pro audio and P.A. markets as well. I look forward to working with our creative teams to raise awareness of just how many different types of solutions the Celestion brand comprises.”
Hanton’s degree in English and Communications led to her first posting at the Norwich campus of Access Creative College. The school’s arts-and-music focus took her to many festivals, culminating in the position of Communications Officer at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, a 17-day multi-arts event that takes place at multiple venues. “I worked with artists and their teams and promoted events,” she explains, “with a particular focus on digital content output. I did not necessarily start out with the intention of drawing together my twin passions for music and audio on one hand and communications on the other, but it has progressed naturally.”
“Celestion have always been passionate about innovation,” says Ken Weller, Head of Marketing at Celestion. “Poppy’s knowledge and experience across music, technology, and communications makes her a perfect fit for our innovative team.”
About Celestion
With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture high-quality professional audio loudspeakers and compression drivers for sound reinforcement, premium guitar and bass guitar loudspeakers. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. 2024 marks Celestion’s 100th year, please join us in the celebration. celestion.com
Hi Henry (@cheekysoundsystem on Instagram) really great to speak with you today – thank you for taking the time to chat with me. As a founder of Cheeky Sound System, you’ve been building cabinets for quite some time now.
We value you as a customer of Celestion and are interested in the ways that you’ve used the Celestion Axi2050 AxiPeriodic driver in your sound systems. Your innovation in the application of this driver has intrigued us. So, could you tell us a bit more about that!
I’m a founder of Cheeky Sound System collective and we’ve been building speaker boxes and putting on events since about 2013/14. More recently, in the last five or six years, our sound system has grown to be something quite large, and also high spec, due to Celestion drivers.
So, why did you pick the Axi2050 driver?
First of all, it doesn’t have a crossover, which we liked – it involved less processing and we really felt that the sensibility of the designers of this driver was to take an audiophile approach. These drivers could be used in a high-end domestic setup, however we’re PA, so we wanted to have a very flexible system that’s very comfortable operating at high SPL.
These drivers can go loud, but they’re also capable of handling all sorts of different music and they can reproduce frequencies as if it was in a listening room environment. We were searching for a way to combine some ideals of high-end, living room or listening room setups and translate them onto a club-focused or dance floor setup.
Tell us a bit more about the sound system and the things you’ve done with it.
We developed our current system for a venue we were operating. And we were aiming to be as high quality we could make it. Stylistically, modern but with a reference to the past. With it, we’ve achieved a good amount of success. Sadly, we lost it at the start of covid.
But life keeps going.
We’re based in South London and have been doing lots of collaborations with other promoters to host their events, in addition to our own. It’s been a great journey. We’ve slowly professionalised and progressed to working with higher quality components, and using Celestion drivers was a key part of that.
Basically, working with Celestion drivers when respecifying all of our component parts went hand in hand with working with better amplifiers, for example. When we decided that we wanted to replace our high frequency drivers, we did a lot of research to try and figure out what we wanted, and the Axi2050 driver really fit into what we wanted from our speakers.
Okay. So what’s the benefit?
In a lot of dance systems, the way that the drivers are used and the way they’re set up, they really like a very minimal and clean signal. We wanted the flexibility to suit a wider range of music, and this driver was able to do that in a way we hadn’t experienced with others.
Other drivers that are used in club/party environments, they have quite a brutish sound. They’re aggressive, and I think that’s partly because it’s required to be able to reach high volume for long periods of time. Celestion’s Axi2050 drivers, however, can go from very comfortable to very loud and still be gentle, which is a flexibility which many other drivers don’t offer.
The sound is very smooth; they can handle the delicacy of certain types of music very well. They are comfortable in a setup with aggressive drivers, but they don’t sound aggressive themselves. In our previous systems, the high frequency has had to be quite full on in order to match the lower frequency, so they end up losing detail and dynamic range. This has now been resolved with the Axi2050.
We were very intrigued in the technology behind these drivers, and it was an exciting prospect to start using them.
Where do you see these drivers being utilised?
I know they’re used in some stadiums, but they’re also used in very expensive home setups. They’re more expensive for a reason, but you get what you pay for in life.
I don’t know if this driver was specifically designed with large format PA in mind. We recognise however, that this driver was out of the ordinary, and we could incorporate the values of it into what we were doing.
So what genres of music do you tend to work with?
Let’s say we do the full range!
Just over the summer we’ve worked with artists performing dubstep, jungle, reggae, techno and house, as well as some experimental electronic music. We’ve even run some prog metal bands through the sound system. It’s a good range of music that we’ve been quite happy to play with, and I think that was definitely our intention. We knew that we wanted a sound system that could be flexible.
We’re really keen to have flexibility, certainly in the upper ranges. I think in a lot of dance sound systems in particular, the frequencies where the vocal range sits can get lost. We knew that this driver was going to be quite comfortable in that range, so it was a big part of the appeal.
What’s your background in the world of pro audio?
So, I got into it by just being an enthusiast. Ten years ago I was a part of a DJ collective, and we were hosting our own events, and you take the inevitable next step; you start to put your own speakers together and it was only in 2018 that we started to think ‘maybe we could stop doing more of our other work and do more of this’.
There were three of us who started to go full time at that point. Although, it’s not the only thing I do. For the last ten years I’ve also been working in the hemp industry, mostly using hemp to produce fabrics and servicing the fashion industry with hemp and organic natural fibres for their garments.
There’s been an interesting collision recently, because I’m now working with another designer to help build a sound system which is using hemp in the construction as much as possible. The material for the cabinets is a formaldehyde-free hemp board and we’ve also got another smaller speaker which is using hempcrete as the body of the cabinet.
Wow!
It’s based off an old Japanese audiophile Hi Fi, which used concrete. So we’ve got some new ambitions to focus on, sustainability in sound system building. I know that Celestion have also produced Hemp speakers, haven’t they? For guitar amps.
Yes! The Hempback has a hemp cone.
It will be really cool if this trend further progresses. One of the key things about speakers is that they mostly are made out of plywood, and there’s been some major issues with plywood. The price has got very high, it fluctuates a lot and sometimes it’s difficult to get hold of. We’ve been thinking about ways to develop a sustainable and regional production of sheet materials of hemp, mostly hemp without any of the nasty chemicals. In order to use hemp as a replacement of plywood.
That sounds really cool. So do you build your speaker boxes or cabinets yourself?
On our team we have people who have carpentry skills, and all of our recent boxes were built by one guy just outside of Nottingham.
However, I built all of our original work, so our first full speaker box barely had a straight line!
How did it sound?
Not too bad! I was quite proud of how it sounded, but they didn’t look particularly neat. Not that it mattered at the time, but as we progressed, you want the woodwork to be as good as it can, and so we brought people in to do that.
What are your plans for the rest of 2024?
We’re still looking for a new building to make home. And then we’ve got a few festivals in the summer we’re looking to do. We’re also doing a series of gigs near where we live in Deptford.
I’m also focusing on trying to develop more of a hemp speaker company. I think we’d also be using the same Celestion drivers for that, and perhaps other Celestion drivers…
I’m looking to build partnerships with people who may be interested in more sustainability in speaker building. There’s a belief that not only is there an environmental benefit, but you may also have an acoustic benefit too.
Beyond that, there’s opportunities to build cabinets and horns with hemp too, which are moulded in a way that gives interesting flexibility. So, in summary, we’re looking at some more experimental and less common speaker designs.
That same ethos towards experimentation and expanding our horizons is what led us to the Axi2050 driver, a desire to do something a bit different with our sound system.
Just to finish off – how have you found the driver overall when running events?
We haven’t looked back. In both indoor and outdoor environments they just sound so nice and really different to what we were working with before.
They keep up with the big thunderous low end, but they can do it in a way which isn’t hurting your ears. And they can maintain their delicacy and detail. We’re looking forward to many more events with it!
—
About the Axi2050 AxiPeriodic Driver
Performing the role of two speakers in one, the Axi2050 is a high power, high-output driver which reproduces a frequency range of 300Hz-20,000Hz without the need for a midband crossover. It delivers an extended frequency range and an exceptionally accurate signal, enhancing clarity and speech intelligibility, as well as reproducing music more dynamically and with greater coherence.
Find out more about the Axi2050 driver – https://celestion.com/product/axi2050/
The Ten2 development program revisited every detail of driver design, developing and testing a series of incremental improvements that combine to redefine standards of performance and durability in professional low frequency loudspeakers.
See detailed specifications for TSQ2460, TSQ2145 and TSQ1845.
Precision Tuned Venting (PTV) harnesses the cooling effects of constant airflow in a set of precisely dimensioned vents, enabling cooling around the coil and magnet assembly to be significantly improved – by up to 80C compared to conventional designs.
Highly efficient PTV cooling delivers additional reduction in power compression (loss of driver efficiency), as well as lower thermal stress on the voice coil, leading to improved performance, endurance and longevity.
Polysiloxane (a silicone polymer) is sandwiched between two resin- impregnated layers which enables the laminated suspension to be worked much harder without losing stiffness, giving better coil control, making DC shift less likely and increasing speaker longevity.
A re-configured magnet assembly allows much greater cone excursion before damage occurs (Xmech) and best-in-class Xprotection (the distance the coil and cone move, measured to the point where both Bl and Cms have both reduced to 30% of their resting value).
Electrical motor strength Bl and mechanical compliance Cms reach their defined Xprotection limit at practically the same point: achieving a low distortion performance even during high excursion.
Celestion winds its own voice coils using proprietary adhesion and voice coil structure solutions to maximise product lifespan and performance longevity.
A water-based solvent is applied to one or both sides of the loudspeaker’s cone (depending on speaker model and desired application). This significantly improves the driver’s ability to resist direct exposure to water and higher levels of humidity, and also improves product durability.
Weaving lead out wires into the suspension through laser cut holes reduces ‘whipping’ and lessens the fatigue on wires and joints caused by high power and cone excursion.
Celestion’s voice coils are wound inside/outside in multiple layers, to maximise cooling potential with the greatest amount of surface area exposed to free air. This further contributes to the reduction of both power compression and thermal stress.
TSQ drivers are built on the newly-commissioned, robotically-assisted production line at Celestion’s UK-based loudspeaker research and manufacturing facility, and rigorously tested in line with an exacting list of performance criteria.
Ipswich, UK (February 26, 2024) — Celestion, the premier designer and manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers, well-known as the “Voice of Rock and Roll” behind many of music’s most memorable guitar performances, proudly introduces the Celestion 100 Impulse Response Collection. This downloadable library of impulse responses meticulously captures the tone of the Celestion 100 loudspeaker — recently introduced in 2024 commemoration of the company’s 100th anniversary — for any digital music production platform. Whether in a DAW for recording or a modelling amplifier for performance, these impulse responses (IRs) place one of the most iconic and historically significant Celestion sounds within arm’s reach of any musician, recordist, or producer. The Celestion 100 IRs are available for audition and download at celestionplus.com.
The Celestion 100 speaker traces its roots to the original G12, a general-purpose 12-inch radio speaker that was later fortified to meet the rapidly evolving demands of electric guitar amplification in the 1950s and ’60s. This iteration became the T530 or “Alnico Blue,” which worked so well that it was installed in the Vox combo amps (a favorite of The Beatles) that powered the “British Invasion” of the early 1960s. Today’s hardware Celestion 100 delivers the tone of those early alnico speakers and its many descendants and variants, but with more durable materials, state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, and precise tolerances — akin to a collectible automobile that has been not merely restored but tastefully modernized.
The Celestion 100 Impulse Responses digitize these sonic characteristics via a meticulous recording process, beginning with studio-quality, go-to guitar cabinet microphones such as the Royer R-121 ribbon, Shure SM57, and Sennheiser MD421. Each IR thus offers a variety of mic type and placement options and can be loaded into any IR host within a DAW or into stand-alone amp modeling hardware. The result is an authentic speaker emulation that sounds every bit as outstanding as its hardware counterpart.
With the Celestion 100 IRs, musicians can expect a blooming low end and bell-like treble coupled with a sweet, shimmering midrange. When overdriven, the IRs compress gradually and musically, softening the notes’ attack in the exact same fashion as classic Celestion alnico loudspeakers.
The complete Celestion 100 IR Collection includes five cabinet configurations:
These reflect the most widely used setups for studio recording and onstage use across single, dual, and four-speaker cabinet sizes. Each of these can also be purchased and downloaded as a single impulse response, though the full collection represents a significant cost savings compared to buying IRs individually.
Paired with a DAW and IR loader plug-in, modeling amp hardware, or amp-top load box, the Celestion 100 Impulse Response Collection provides authentic tone alongside lively and dynamic response, all without introducing latency. These benefits create a playing experience that is as credibly vintage as any speaker can achieve, but with real-world performance that is predictable and reliable in today’s most demanding recording and performance applications.
The Celestion 100 Impulse Responses join an extensive family of acclaimed Celestion IRs, including the Shades of Greenback Collection, G12-50GL Lynchback, Neo Creamback, Copperback, Hempback, Vintage 30, and many more.
The Celestion 100 Impulse Responses are available for downloadable as individual IRs and as a complete collection at celestionplus.com..
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. Celestion’s own 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 (DSRs) for 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
With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture high-quality professional audio loudspeakers and compression drivers for sound reinforcement, premium guitar and bass guitar loudspeakers. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. 2024 marks Celestion’s 100th year, please join us in the celebration. celestion.com
