Blending/chaining multiple IRs

[Phobos//Deimos]

So I’ve found that using only one or two IRs in my signal chain leaves me with a very harsh tone. So I’ve taken to chaining two or three NADIR loaders after my amp, giving me a total of about five or six IRs blending together. The tones I’m getting with that chain is certainly more rich and smooth, I would infer from the blending of the multiple (complimentary?) wavs. I guess my questions are:
1) is it normal for a single ir to sound too harsh for recording, or could my bargain basement pickups be the culprit by not producing a harmonically rich DI?
2) do y’all blend this many IRs and if so, what are your techniques for keeping a balanced, bright tone? The more I add the darker the song I get so I have to use brighter irs.
3) does it make a difference if you load all six impulses into a single loader (LePou one) vs chaining three different loaders?

Thanks in advance for y’all’s thoughts!

 

[budda]

I wouldnt ask for 6 mics on a cab in studio (not counting room mics) and aim for a 57/121 in my axe fx. I tried running 4 (4 per cab block) but it didnt improve anything so I muted 2 lol.

 

[PatientMental76]

I think it would be pretty hard to get a good tone out of 6 IRs, i only use 2! Sounds like to me the IRs themselves are the culprit

 

[DudeManBrother]

I use 1 or 2 IRs so it could be something in your setup or potentially the IRs you use. Also as an aside, maybe look at the STL Libra (I think it’s called) that can blend up to 8 IRs and render a single IR that you can save.

 

[Phobos//Deimos]

Thanks for the responses. I think I’ll post a comparison audio so that y’all can hear what I’m working with. It does concern me that the sound I’m hearing from others (using just 1 or 2 irs) is nothing like what I’m hearing out of my setup. For everyone’s info here’s my signal chain: Epiphone SG Special (told ya bargain basement) -> MAudio interface -> TSE TS -> (one of) ML Sounds Roots, or Stevie T, or Emissary -> IR loader(s) -> EQ (high/low pass, small dip low mids). The IRs I’m running are either God’s Cab, ML Sounds “best in the world”, Frightbox IRs, STL NadIR, so I don’t think anything too crazy.
Anyways, standby for audio examples.

Edited to add:
As promised, here's a quick comparison https://soundcloud.com/sterling-high-312761497/ir-compare-ml-sound-frightbox-blend
1st tone is (single) ML Sounds Best IR in the World
2nd tone is (single) Frightbox Recording's IR
3rd tone is (6 IRs) 2 God's Cabs, 2 Soundwoofers, 2 STL Tone

Now sure, the blend is certainly more woofy, but I'm not so worried about the actual tone comparison, more of a "quality" comparison. The single IR's just seem too grating and 1 dimensional, whereas a blend has depth and is smoother. And are these tones from 1 and 2 what you guys get from single IRs?

 

[budda]

Try another guitar?

 

[Phobos//Deimos]

Try another guitar?

Yeah, part of the 5 year plan, ha! Unfortunately I gotta work with what I have in the now...

 

[budda]

Yeah, part of the 5 year plan, ha! Unfortunately I gotta work with what I have in the now...

I mean borrow a friends, rent one, whatever lets you eliminate it as the cause?

 

[CanserDYI]

4 IRs sounds like a quiet nightmare...?

I use one usually, two sometimes and they're never in series always in parallel.

A few of the ownhammer ones I use are already two blended IRs.

 

[GunpointMetal]

I might blend 2 from time to time. First thought to me is that you're overloading your interface and starting with too much input gain. Most interfaces with an instrument input are meant to be used with the input gain all the way off. But the easies thing to do with harsh tones is start dialing back your treble/presence on your amp models, or implementing a low-pass filter with a gentle slope. If you're getting way to much gross high end you can lower that LP filter all the way down to 3-4Khz. Remember, sounds good = is good.

 

[Themistocles]

I think it would be pretty hard to get a good tone out of 6 IRs, i only use 2! Sounds like to me the IRs themselves are the culprit

yeah tons of phase cancellations and would act as weird filters... most I ever use is 2 IR parallel to one another not chained in series.

 

[aWoodenShip]

Are you listening through headphones? I find when I practice with headphones my tone is very thin and stringy with a single IR, but not so when I'm going through speakers. So I use 2 IRs when I'm on headphones to simulate that "roomy" quality you get from listening to speakers.