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Trivium, Celestion and the Lifelong Quest for Tone

For twenty-five years, American heavy metal band Trivium has consistently pushed the boundaries of their sound, crafting a sonic tapestry that seamlessly blends intricate arrangements with crushing heaviness. Throughout their career, a constant in their sonic arsenal has been Celestion speakers, most notably Vintage 30s (and Celestion built Marshall Vintages), Creambacks, Greenbacks, and various other models. We sat down with vocalist and guitarist, Matt Heafy and guitarist, Corey Beaulieu at their newly completed studio, THE HANGAR, to talk about their musical journey, the importance of tone, and their enduring partnership with Celestion.

How did your musical journeys begin? What were some of your early influences?

Corey Beaulieu: My musical journey started with my parents and siblings always having music on in the house. The first band that really got me excited about music was Guns N’ Roses, it was the Use Your Illusion II album. When I was eight, I got my first guitar, and the more I played, the more I became drawn to playing music. Discovering more cool metal bands added fuel to the fire and here we are today.

Matt Heafy: When I was around 11, I unsuccessfully tried out for a pop-punk band. After that experience, I gave up on music, but then a friend lent me The Black Album by Metallica. One listen, and I knew that was the kind of music I needed to make. I locked myself in my room for hours learning every riff and trying to emulate those sounds. Then for my eighth-grade talent show, I covered No Leaf Clover by Metallica and afterward, I was asked to audition to be the lead guitarist of a two-week-old high-school band called Trivium. This group of 16- and 17-year-olds were skeptical when they saw a middle-schooler walk in, but I launched into For Whom the Bell Tolls, played it perfectly, and I’ve been in the band ever since.


Those were your musical influences, how about your tonal influences as a guitar player?

Matt Heafy: Obviously, The Black Album was huge for me, and in my opinion, has some of the greatest metal tones of all time. Sonically, that album made me realise you don’t need excessive gain to achieve heaviness.
Metallica led me to Pantera and Megadeth, but what really got me deep into tone was a series of records produced by Andy Sneap. I was obsessed with Jeff Loomis’s guitar sound on Nevermore’s Dead Heart in a Dead World album. I loved the lead and melody guitar sounds of Arch Enemy’s Wages of Sin and I really liked his work with Testament. Those influences ultimately led us to work with Andy on our album Ascendancy.

Let’s talk about your history with Celestion. When did you first discover these speakers and what role do they play in shaping your signature sound?

Matt Heafy: We’ve used Celestion from the very beginning. When we first started playing live, I was living the dream, playing through big Marshall cabinets on stage, I think 1960Bs. One day I looked in the back and saw the name Celestion. That was how I first came to respect the brand.

Not long after, Jason Suecof introduced us to the Celestion BVs (the Celestion-built Marshall Vintage speaker loaded into the Marshall 1960BV cab) during pre-production for our Ember to Inferno album. He explained that they break up more and have more natural distortion and compression. We were obsessed once we played through them. And when we worked with Andy Sneap on Ascendancy, he used Mesa Boogie oversized Rectifier cabs with the same speakers.

To this day, the Trivium tone generally consists of a Peavey 5150 series head and a cab loaded with Celestion BVs or Vintage 30s. Any cab we’ve ever received that didn’t already have Celestions, had Celestion put in soon after.

Corey Beaulieu: I didn’t know much about speakers when I first joined the band. In 2005, we were playing a show at a venue in Buffalo, New York. All the acts on the bill were planning to rock their own 4×12 cabs, but the stage was too small. To save space, the headliner decided we’d all share their backline cabs and just swap out our amp heads. They were using Mesa Boogie cabinets with Celestion Vintage 30s. Even though we both used the same Peavey amp model, I was blown away by the difference in tone. They sounded so much heavier and cooler than what we were using!

That night in Buffalo was an eye-opener. Once I played through a 5150 amp, paired with a Mesa cabinet loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s, I knew why I started seeing so many people playing them on tour. It became the go-to combo for metal at the time.

Can you tell us about your current live rig and how it differs from your studio setup?

Corey Beaulieu: Live, we use EVH Stealth heads and cabs loaded with the special Eddie Van Halen Celestion speakers. We don’t have a set studio rig. Peavey EVH amps are generally the foundation of everything we do, but we’re in our new studio now mixing and matching different heads, cabs, and Celestion speakers to explore the sounds we can get.

Today we have Vintage 30s in an EVH cab, BVs in a Mesa Cab, and Vintage 30s in a Marshall cab. You’ll get different sounds from cab to cab, even if they have the same Celestion speaker, so it’s all about finding which combination works the best for what we’re doing in any particular session.

Matt Heafy: We’re also playing with a ton of amps at THE HANGAR, including older Peaveys, a JSX, a Triple X, a 6534 Plus, Block Letters, a 5150 II, a 5150 III, and a Soldano. We’ve found that the older 5150s need something before the head, and are using a Maxon Red overdrive into an ISP Technologies Decimator to help us get the most out of them. I’m playing my Gibson Les Paul Standard with custom Fishman pickups.

Corey brought most of the amps and cabinets into the studio. We’re finding some of the best combos we’ve ever played through. I’m having so much fun, it’s taking me back to feeling like a kid.


What you’re doing in your new studio represents a significant step forward for Trivium. Tell us more about THE HANGAR.

Corey Beaulieu: When we first started recording there were studios everywhere, but many large studios are closed now. Those that are left often require you to work with a specific producer. We wanted a space where we could be free to create on our terms and we wanted it in Orlando, so we wouldn’t need to travel to record.

We were inspired by Metallica’s HQ and the way they use their space to jam, rehearse, and record. We already had an old hangar that we’d set up to rehearse for tours, so the next logical step was to build a studio in it.

Our buddy, producer, and engineer, Mark Lewis introduced us to the renowned studio designer, Roger D’Arcy. Roger was convinced that taking a room in the hangar and trying to make it a studio, wouldn’t be optimal. He suggested that if we built something from the ground up, we could have the best studio room we’ve ever been in and everything would be perfect.

We agreed and Roger and Mark got to work. We took our time to make sure everything was right and didn’t cut any corners and THE HANGAR has finally come together in the last couple of weeks. Between all our guitar equipment and the new recording gear, it’s the most outfitted studio situation we’ve ever recorded in. Now we have our studio and it’s exactly the way we want it, the ways that will work best for us.

The room came out amazing. I’m excited to finally have sounds emanating from this project we’ve worked on for so long. It’s definitely in the early phase and we haven’t scratched the surface of how everything will sound with this new studio setup.

How are Celestion speakers factoring into this new creative space?

Matt Heafy: We mentioned that we’re matching speakers, cabinets and heads and we have a huge Celestion library to do it with. We’ve got Vintage 30s, G12M-65 and G12H-75 Creambacks, G12M Greenbacks, G12H Anniversaries, plus all the older models we’ve accumulated over the years. Mark has been doing surgery, swapping speakers in and out of cabs. He even put four different Celestions in a single cabinet for testing in our isolation booth.

Corey Beaulieu:  We use a variety of different makes of cabinets with our Celestions: Mesa Boogie, Marshall, and EVH. That’s because the differences in the types or thickness of wood, the way they’re constructed, the air volume in the cabinet, can bring out different characteristics from the speaker.  The same Vintage 30 in a Marshall sounds different in a Mesa cab.

Matt Heafy: Right now, our mission in THE HANGAR, is to get ideas of what we dig and those will be the launchpad where we’ll start when we begin tracking. We’ll have given all our speakers and cabinets the run-through, and we’ll know which combo will bring that extra magic to the tone that’s needed.

Any little variable in tone can be inspiring and that’s the big thing. I don’t want people to think that we’re just collecting gear to collect gear. It’s not that at all. Every little thing can drastically change how you’re performing, feeling, and playing when you’re making music and that’s all anyone is looking for. That’s what this quest of tone is. This obsession with gear has always been to find something new to inspire you to come up with new ideas, and you never know where it can lead you.

You have complex arrangements in your music, how do you balance heaviness versus clarity in your tone?

Matt Heafy: Younger guitar players tend to think that more gain equals a heftier guitar tone, but it’s really a misconception. You won’t hear what you want by having all the dials set at 10 and getting blasted with distortion. Ironically, I used to do that as a kid, but I’ve learned that less gain actually equals a tighter tone. If you look at the Peaveys we’re playing right now, our pre-gain is set around six and our post-gain is around one or two. It’s about finding the right balance of gain and volume where you still hear your hands come through.

Corey Beaulieu: When people first get into recording, it’s common to crank the gain or the low end to get that full sound. But the reality is on the records where the guitar tone is great, if you really listen there isn’t an oversaturated, crazy amount of gain. That’s because when you’re recording, you’re layering multiple rhythm tracks and everything builds up. Once you start stacking guitar parts on top of each other, if everything is high gain, you’ll end up with this mess of a guitar sound. But if you keep the gain levels moderate on your layered tracks, you get this powerful wall of guitar sound.

Any final thoughts you’d like to share with aspiring guitarists?

Corey Beaulieu: Where we’ve been talking about sounds and tone, it seems like the younger musicians of today grew up using plug-ins and amp modelers, whereas people Matt and my age, grew up playing through cabinets and heads. There’s some magic to plugging into a tube amp and speaker cabinet when that feeling, that electrifying push of air happens. It’s something you can’t recreate when you plug into your laptop.

Some guitarists need or have no choice but to play through plug-ins or samples, and they serve their purpose, but I find that there’s just this extra organic vibe, sponginess, and percussive response when playing with real heads and cabs in person. I wish more younger people could experience how cool that vibe is.

Matt Heafy: Corey and I have been sharing what we love and what makes us sound and perform our best. What we do may not work for or be accessible to everyone. So, it’s important for musicians to notice when they pick up or plug into something if it makes them feel good.

Even though it may not be what others say is correct, if you play a plastic guitar and it makes you write your best riffs, that’s the right instrument for you. If playing through a tiny Roland Micro Cube makes you feel good, that’s the right amp for you. Likewise, if you play a $10,000 handmade custom guitar and it inspires you, that’s right for you.

We’ve discovered what’s right for us from years of experimentation, research, and playing. Every musician has to find what’s right for them on their own because there’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to music. If you love it, that’s what matters and I think that’s the amazing thing about music.

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Celestion to Showcase Impressive Range of PA Products and Solutions at Prolight + Sound Guangzhou

Guangzhou, China (May 19, 2025) —Celestion, one of the world’s leading suppliers of professional loudspeakers and compression drivers for sound reinforcement applications, will showcase key products from their pro audio range at the upcoming Prolight + Sound Guangzhou show, in particular demonstrating their flagship high-performance subwoofer, the 24-inch diameter TSQ2460.  Also on display are two now-in-production models from the UK-built, neodymium magnet Ten Squared (TSQ) range, the TSQ1845 and TSQ2145. Elsewhere on view is the versatile, high- performing ferrite magnet  PowerProX18 subwoofer, the latest 1.4-inch exit compression drivers, including the soon-to-be released CDX14-3035, and the upcoming neodymium magnet CNX0820 common motor coaxial driver, featuring an integral constant directivity horn.

TSQ2460

The Flagship 24-inch TSQ2460 aluminium chassis, neodymium magnet, low frequency loudspeakers are meticulously engineered for use in high powered subwoofer applications including: paraflex and folded horns and bass reflex designs.

The groundbreaking TSQ range has been born out of a specialist development program at Celestion’s UK-based R&D facility, embodying Ten Squared Technology, offering a number of incremental design improvements that together add up to a new standard in LF driver performance and durability. TSQ transducers are assembled on a new state-of-the-art robotic production line at Celestion’s UK-based research and manufacturing facility and represent a culmination of the company’s 100 years’ experience in loudspeaker engineering and the integration of Celestion’s latest feature innovations. TSQ drivers are designed without compromise to deliver consistently superior levels of performance in the most demanding professional sound reinforcement applications, even after hundreds of hours of use.

The TSQ2460 has a remarkable power rating of 2500W (nominal, AES standard)/5000W (continuous) thanks to the enhanced cooling offered by the highly efficient Precision Tuned Venting (PTV) system together with a proprietary voice coil featuring advanced heat-resistant adhesives. The cooling benefit is as much as -80°C, versus conventional designs.

The specially reconfigured magnet assembly allows much greater cone excursion and a remarkably high Xprotection level. The driver’s motor strength and mechanical compliance reach their defined Xprotection limit at practically the same point, achieving a low distortion performance, even during high excursion. This capability is complemented by Ten Squared’s unique, polysiloxane-laminated dual suspension that enables the driver’s suspension system to work much harder without losing stiffness, providing better coil control and a reduced likelihood of DC shift, while simultaneously increasing speaker longevity.

Also on display from the Ten Squared range are the 21-inch TSQ2145 and 18-inch TSQ1845, both meticulously engineered for subwoofer applications.

PowerProX18

The 18-inch, ferrite magnet PowerProX18 subwoofer delivers a relentless high-quality performance that makes it ideally suited to applications including cinema sound, fixed install and touring sound reinforcement.

The subwoofer features an advanced cooling design, developed for ferrite magnet assemblies, that enables its voice coil to run significantly cooler than comparable competitor drivers. This greatly reduces heat-related stress on the 4-inch glass-fibre voice coil former and other thermally sensitive parts. It also reduces the temperature-related rise in Re (coil resistance) that causes power compression. By operating at less severe temperatures, the subwoofer offers end users brand-new-out-of-the-box high performance throughout the product’s lifespan.

With a nominal impedance of 8 ohms, the PowerProX18 subwoofer’s power rating is a mighty 1200W (nominal, AES standard)/2400W (continuous). Sensitivity, measured at 1W@1m in 2π space is 97dB. The Bl (motor force) curve of the PowerProX18 exhibits remarkable symmetry, and thanks to the cone’s polysiloxane-laminated dual suspension, which provides greater stability and improves cone displacement symmetry, the K (stiffness) curve again reveals superb symmetry resulting in notably reduced distortion.

PowerProX18 is designed for longevity of high performance, delivering maximum durability and reliability throughout the lifespan of each speaker. It is intended to surpass the performance of other 18-inch subwoofer drivers in its class, making it ideal for challenging sound reinforcement and cinema sound applications.

 CDX14-3035

Celestion’s new 1-4-inch, ferrite magnet CDX14-3035 HF compression driver is an upgraded version of the earlier CDX14-3030 model. Featuring a single piece titanium diaphragm, it is identical in performance to the CDX14-3045. However, it has been built with a ferrite magnet for applications where size and weight are less important than cost considerations.

This high-quality HF solution features a power handling capability increased to 120W (nominal, measured to AES standard)/240W (continuous) and an enhanced sensitivity of 108dB plus lower crossover point of 800Hz (12dB/oct).

In addition, the CDX14-3035 features a 75mm/3-inch diameter edgewound copper clad aluminium voice coil, and 35mm/1.4-inch exit size. The unit features an enhanced surround shape for greater linearity with a high temperature polymer clamp ring that contributes to lower distortion.

The companion models, Celestion’s new neodymium magnet HF solutions, the 1.4-inch exit CDX14-3045 and CDX14-3055 will also be on display.

 CNX0820

Shown at final prototype stage, the CNX0820 is the first of a new family of coaxial drivers from Celestion and is scheduled for launch later in 2025.

The unit features a 2-inch edgewound copper clad aluminium voice coil (LF) and a 1.75-inch edgewound, copper clad aluminium voice coil (HF), with the neodymium magnet assembly acting as a common motor for both low and high frequency elements. The device’s integrated constant directivity horn provides 50° dispersion. In addition, the unit features twin demodulation rings to reduce harmonic distortion and a field repairable polyimide HF diaphragm.

The CNX0820 offers a power handling of 250W (nominal, AES Standard)/500W (continuous) and 95dB sensitivity. It is ideal for compact and discreet sound reinforcement applications such as architectural installations where a two-way system may need to be deployed in a small area.

Visit Celestion at Prolight + Sound Guangzhou, Booth F16, Hall 4.2 China Import and Export Fair Complex, No. 380, Yuejiang Zhong Road, Guangzhou.

About Celestion

With worldwide headquarters in Suffolk, England; Celestion design, develop and manufacture high-quality professional audio loudspeakers and compression drivers for sound reinforcement, as well as premium guitar and bass guitar loudspeakers. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. With more than 100 years of success, the company continues to offer the latest technologies and innovations in the world of loudspeakers. celestion.com

 

TSQ

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.

TSQ2460

TSQ2460
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TSQ2145

TSQ2145
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TSQ1845

TSQ1845
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Ten Key Features

Find out about ten key features that add up to a new standard in LF driver performance

Ten Key Features

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Where To Buy

Production Operatives/Assemblers

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:

  • Working as part of a production line team building Celestion’s world class loudspeakers
  • Assembling raw materials by hand or using production machinery
  • Use of small hand tools and soldering

Experience required:

  • Proven experience working on a production line involving hand assembly of products
  • Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
  • Lifting and manual handling
  • Ability to work to tight deadlines

Personal Attributes and Skills

  • Practical and sensible, with an awareness of Health and Safety
  • Adaptable, flexible and positive in your approach to work
  • A high level of attention to detail, with a strong orientation towards quality and workmanship

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:

  • Enhanced sick pay
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • Enhanced pension
  • Free onsite parking
  • Employee discount
  • Free tea and coffee

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.

Vox Presents Celestion with Limited Edition Hand-Wired AC30 Amplifier to Mark their 100th Year

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

Celestion Introduces the First in their Series of Artist Impulse Responses: The Tony Iommi IR Collection

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

KEF Mu3 Earphones: Prize Draw Terms and Conditions

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

Partners In Tone Introduction

Introduction

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.

Here’s the Deal

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.

Discover our Current Partners in Tone

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…

Explore our Partners in Tone

Apply to be a Partner in Tone

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FAQs

What stage of your music career do you need to be at?

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.

Do you need to be gigging and touring?

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. 

How much will you need to promote Celestion products?

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.

Do you need to be a signed artist?

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.

Do you need to already be using Celestion products in your set up?

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.

Poppy Hanton Joins Celestion as Marketing Executive

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

Utilising The Axi2050 Driver – Celestion Interviews Cheeky Sound System

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!

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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/