Henry Olonga releases Amps for Nebula and more stuff........

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Hey guys,

New products added today. Way too many to list here but amps, mics, mojo and quick mix tools. Basically everything on sale is new since my last update.

The amps are very realistic. The G-drive is your friend.

http://www.nebulapresets.com/?product_c ... la-presets

I also have updates for some of the earlier 192 khz only preset packs in the sample rate upgrades section. I am almost there now with the earliest libraries.

http://www.nebulapresets.com/?product_c ... ming-sooon

The big news is that the latest stuff from February has the G-drive added. This may not occur to you now but this is a big deal. The G-drive just about is the best free upgrade for the libraries that you will get that will give you so much more flexibility in getting into the sweet spot of the hardware sampling. I have been amazed at how much you miss without it.
I will be adding the G-drive over time as I work through my previous samplings. I have changed my mind and will not be renaming them with a _G suffix so these will replace your old files. If this bothers you and you want backward compatibility, you can always rename the new ones but once you hear the difference you may want to remix everything because it is just so much better.
Please delete the recent G-drive updates. Now a word of warning - some work better with it and some give audible artifacts. You don't have to use it but it can add what you have been missing. I am starting from scratch today.

http://www.nebulapresets.com/?product=h ... am-updates

The Updates I have uploaded now are
Big Guitar Amp
NV Smooth Electric - 192 khz
NV Vocality - 192 khz
Quick Kick 192/96khz
Small Phender Amp
Tiny Guitar amp
Tape Sim - All sample rates

The future - I will be focussing on Amps for the next few weeks as I try to source some high quality, high end amps and spaces. I will also be bringing out a series based around the extraordinary EMI Preamps. Stuff plugged into stuff, you know that sort of thing. Hope you find the recent stuff useful.

H

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Whoops, I didn't see this post. I created another one but I don't think it's bad to have multiple threads going either. I am truly excited about this. The selection really fills a huge gap for quality low gain amps, acoustic, and bass. Best selection in these areas I have seen yet as a matter of fact. I am a guitarist and disappointed by the shortage of quality bass amps/cabs out there in the virtual realm so don't forget about the bass either! Cheers Henry!

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AC222 wrote:Whoops, I didn't see this post. I created another one but I don't think it's bad to have multiple threads going either.
We, the mods, would rather not have multiple threads. But if you would like to copy your post from the other thread and paste it here, Dan or I or another mod can delete the duplicate one to keep relevant info in one place.

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We, the mods, would rather not have multiple threads. But if you would like to copy your post from the other thread and paste it here, Dan or I or another mod can delete the duplicate one to keep relevant info in one place.
Ok sorry about that. Feel free to delete the other thread. Thanks.

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No worries. I don't want your detailed recommendation to vanish along with the thread, so here it is:
AC222 wrote:Hi Guys,

I just got my newsletter from Henry Olonga's nebula presets

http://www.nebulapresets.com/?product_c ... la-presets

and I am PUMPED to see that Henry has just added to a selection of guitar amps. I want to say that for low gain, his stuff I have tried is MUCH better than all the other amp sims I've tried whether we are talking Axe FX, Eleven Rack, Digitech. The best clean I have tried before is Alu's Anvil, which is fantastic for cleans. Also tried and was disappointed by some of the better commercial software - Overloud, Vintage Amp Room, Brainworx, Scuffham, Amplitube, Revalver, Studio Devil, etc.. etc..

I will say that Overloud is AMAZING for high gain and for me that is the one to rule them all hands down. Nebula can't do the high gain stuff yet but I always pined for low gain for blues, clean that sounded 3d and was never satisfied until Nebula came out with their versions. It just sounds more 3d and alive. Way more harmonics and bite. Just sounds like a real recorded amp not some fake simulation.

About the new collection:

Park ala marshall, JVM, Mustang, an acoustic amp, and a bass amp. You bass guys should be jumping all over this. There's not too many good bass modelers out there with good cabs. My favorite is Magix Vandal for bass (not big on the guitar but bass is amazing for me).

Wow...... I e-mailed him before and told him how great his stuff and that I wished he could come out with something like that.... I just can't believe that I got just what I wanted. I don't understand why there isn't more buzz about this stuff. Oh well... their loss... then I guess it will be a secret weapon. But I'm writing here because Henry is a great guy and deserves more recognition.

It's 2013 and Nebula is where its at. And Henry O is offering a fantastic collection at the best prices you could possibly imagine.

Anyways, I'll have been one of the first to jump on board. Good luck all and thanks Henry!

AC

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Joy :)

I love sales at Henrys, its like a game of whack-a-mole - i click everything that moves. And of course the prize is i donate to charity and get awesome sounds for next to nothing.

Good times, cheers Henry.

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FeelingMachine wrote:Joy :)

I love sales at Henrys, its like a game of whack-a-mole - i click everything that moves. And of course the prize is i donate to charity and get awesome sounds for next to nothing.

Good times, cheers Henry.
+1000!!! Good stuff, FeelingMachine. I'm glad that people are catching on to how great Henry's work is.

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Hi guys,

In London again soon on unrelated business but have some studio time for a small window. Need some advice from the strummers. Would like to maximise my time. This studio has an amazing collection of big amps and Cabs and I mean classic stuff.

First, I am not a guitarist. It would be great to hear from guitarists on what the best amps are out there in their opinion. They don't have everything but they have plenty of the standard classic stuff.

Second. Favourite settings if any?

This will be a custom set and I am hoping to create a truly cutting edge toolset so it would help to have end user input.

Post processing will be done through Helios, Neve, Api, Vortexion and EMI gear. It may end up being quite large but I hope it will be one of the most realistic ITB cabs collection.

Look forward to hearing from you.
H

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Henry is there any way we can get a list? I know one thing I have been after for a long time is a response from a vintage Dallas Rangemaster. Given this is London, and these guys have a lot of vintage gear already, I would be surprised if they don't have one.

Anyways, in the absence of a list of equipment, I would say concentrate on the rare stuff, not in terms of equipment, but in terms of what is available digitally. I only know of a few good AC30 IR's and a few good Hiwatt/Fane IR files. I do not know of any old Gibson Amp IR files anywhere.. GA77 or otherwise.

Anyways I hope that helps, I love your work and thank you for what you are doing...

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henry olonga wrote:Hi guys,

In London again soon on unrelated business but have some studio time for a small window. Need some advice from the strummers. Would like to maximise my time. This studio has an amazing collection of big amps and Cabs and I mean classic stuff.

First, I am not a guitarist. It would be great to hear from guitarists on what the best amps are out there in their opinion. They don't have everything but they have plenty of the standard classic stuff.

Second. Favourite settings if any?

This will be a custom set and I am hoping to create a truly cutting edge toolset so it would help to have end user input.

Post processing will be done through Helios, Neve, Api, Vortexion and EMI gear. It may end up being quite large but I hope it will be one of the most realistic ITB cabs collection.

Look forward to hearing from you.
H
Henry! Great to hear from you. This is great news and I wish you well with your travels and in the studio!

I love this question!

For Clean: Roland JC-120 - a very beautiful clean amp that is a nice complement to any Fender. It has a nice warm sound and different character than the more chimey Fender. Any Fender Twin Reverb is a classic of course. You definitely did well to pick the AC30, which is already done and boy does it sound great to me. When people think of lovely cleans they think of the Roland JC-120 and Twin Reverb. The Roland was actually used on Metallica's Black Album for the clean sounds.

For Slightly Overdriven Guitar Sounds: Hiwatt amps are awesome if available. The Lead 100 is a great amp. I think they have a distinctive sound so any one that sounds good would be useful. David Gilmour from the legendary Pink Floyd uses Hiwatt.
Marshall JMP series/Marshall JVM/Marshall Plexi. These are all classics.
Eddie Van Halen used a Plexi early in his career but his was hot rodded because they aren't the highest gain amps.
Matchless: if available, do not overlook this! IMO one of the greatest amps of all time. I wish I could describe it better but it seems to have a lot of the great qualities of a Fender, AC30 all rolled up into one with its own sound.

Dr. Z and Bad Cat amps are also very cool. They aren't exactly classic as they are newer amps but they do the low gain sounds quite well.

For "Classic" Rock: Marshall JCM 800 gets you a ton of mileage. The JCM 800 is one of the ageless amps that has been recorded with by AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde from Ozzy.

Soldano SLO 100 - Another special amp and one of my all time favs because of how well it records. Eddie Van Halen also helped make this amp immensely popular. It sounds great when cranked almost all the way!

Very Cool Amps That Haven't Been Modeled Much By Alternatives:

Mesa Boogie Mark IV - Less throaty and aggressive than Mesa Boogie's higher gain amps their medium/high gain tones sound very rich, dark and tasty. A lot of people on the net comment that they wish there were Mark IV models out there.
Rivera KnuckleHead - I like the last two higher gain channels in particularly. People like that in your face tone they have.
Peavey JSX - The Ultra Channel is awesome. Very unique tube breakup.
Hughes And Kettner Triamp - I happen to like the middle channels the best
Orange Amps - Not my favorite but there's a huge cult following for these amps - they do have the crunchy English sound but tend to sound a bit fuzzier and darker than Marshall amps I have tried. Keep in mind that there is at least one company that has modeled this amp and people seem to like it but I won't mention the name because they will try to bogart this thread lol.

Super High Gain Amps That are Awesome
Diezel VH4
Engl Savage 120
VHT/Fryette Ultra Lead
Mesa Boogie Dual/Triple Rectifier
Bogner Uberschall
Peavey 5150/5150 II (of course)

I would be remiss not to mention that for bass amps, there is huge demand for the legendary Ampeg SVT with a 4X10 and/or 8X10 cab. If there's one bass to have, that is the one and there aren't too many.

Gallien-Krueger, Eden, and Mark Bass are also popular bass amps but if you had to pick one and it is available, Ampeg SVT is the one!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------That is kind of an overview. But I will add, having realized the limitations of what Nebula can do with high gain, the classic amps may be the best for your valuable time. I would say that if available, JCM 800 and Ampeg SVT are things I would put on a priority list based on their immense popularity and usefulness. A Fender Twin Reverb is in the category of universally useful and liked but you already have two Fender amps that would certainly be up to you if you wanted to go that route. The Jazz Roland Chorus amp mentioned is one of those that is a classic but always takes a backseat when modeling as Fender has the most recognition. But that is most definitely a classic amp and there's not too many models based on it out there. You also can't go wrong with modeling any of the other classic Marshall models but I wouldn't feel the need to go Marshall overboard at the expense of variety. The Soldano SLO is definitely a classic amp that you crank. It's not super high gain like the ones listed at the bottom so it would be interesting to see what the limits are with what Nebula can do.

I threw a few of the odd ones like the the Rivera, JSX, Hughes and Kettner, and Mark IV and even Orange for reference because they are awesome amps that have gained their own respective following though they aren't as "classic" as the other ones.

I highly doubt that you are going to get much out of modeling the super high gain stuff because of Nebula's limitations. And its worth noting that companies like Overloud and even free developers like TSE (The Serina Experiment) have an awesome 5150 model already so it might be difficult to do better than what is available already in that arena.

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Settings:

Clean Amps: Roland Jazz Chorus, Fender Twin - Anything that highlights their characteristics well - the Jazz chorus is warm and lush, the Fender twin is nice and chimey

Overdriven Amps: Hiwatt, Matchless, Marshall JMP, JVM, Jubilee, Plexi - These amps really excel at that slightly broken up sound. Perfect for Nebula! We're not talking about the cleans or high gain stuff. We are talking about that in between stuff that sounds beautiful for many styles of rock and blues. When you start hearing a bit of grit and distortion and the tubes working. It isn't quite a clean sound but it isn't crazy heavy rock either. It's nice to have a little bit of leeway to get into a heavier distortion sound with these so I hope there is enough room to really drive the gain, but essentially its that slightly broken up sound you want to capture.

Distorted Rock: JCM 800: Crank this baby if possible! It's the breakup of this amp that is special when it starts to breakup. You don't buy the JCM 800 for its clean, low gain sounds. It's a rock amp! It might be nice to have a couple of variations of the cranked settings. one with the mids cut (classic v eq setup for rockers!), one with the mids flatter, and one with the mids pumped as an exaggeration of the Marshall midrange sound.

Soldano SLO: Again, you don't buy this amp for its clean sound so crank the gain high enough to hear that awesome distortion but not so much that is out of control. Again, I suggest having a bit more variation on the eq on this like the JCM 800. Not so much focusing on the mids but the treble and bass. Warren Haynes and others had their Soldanos modded to sound a little bit "deeper" and "less bitey on the high end". So having a setting where the highs are cut a bit and the bass bumped slightly but not so much there is rumble or anything like that. And having another variation with the highs slightly raised because some people do love that bite. And maybe a third setting that is a bit more neutral.

So for settings, in summary: I would think of the settings by groups. The clean more or less you want to capture the character what makes those amps special as described. The overdriven amps to capture that "sweet spot" where they just break up. And the rock amps you crank but want to have multiple variations of the eq settings as described gives you enough flexibility to use them in the Nebula set.

If you happen to get the opportunity to model any of the bass amps or Ampeg, I don't have specific suggestions on settings other than capture snapshots of whatever sounds good to you as I'm sure you have a great ear. Though I will say that if they can be done, which maybe a great challenge, I think the bass amps are worth it too.

Please don't be shy about asking questions. I have full faith in you that you will build the ultimate collection that you are seeking out and would be glad to assist in any way possible. I'm still developing as an engineer. But guitar equipment is something that I have extensive expertise in. I have played practically every major brand of amp on the planet (minus the super rare Dumble) so I do have a frame of reference. And though like anybody else, have specific tastes will do my best to give impartial advice. Wish you the best in the meantime, Henry!

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I don't know if you'll see this Henry. But I just wanted to say I am thrilled with your latest selection and editions. The trace bass is a fine choice. Nice to see an updated AC30. Very thrilled about the development of a Mark series amp as well as a Twin Reverb. Super duper thrilled about the Jazz Chorus! Yeah! Such a classic and now it has been Nebulized. Thanks to your great work.

Also jumped on the 33609 and Red bus comp mojo programs. Also saw plans of potentially adding Shadow Hills and SSL to really round out the mix. And I'm perhaps most excited about the potential Gallien Krueger bass amp. I'm sure they'll add something even more when used in conjunction to the hugely success comps from the likes of IK, Slate, and others. Great job Henry.

AC
Last edited by AC222 on Sat Jul 27, 2013 8:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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henry olonga wrote:... It would be great to hear from guitarists on what the best amps are out there in their opinion...
I've always had a sweet spot for the sound of a guitar straight in to a 60's Blackface Twin or Blackface Super Reverb, both with the rectifier tube (of course). I think the guitar would most likely have high-gain humbucking pickups or at least heavy strings (like 12's or 13's) drop pitched a half-step to slightly stimulate the input stage while the output stage sags a bit when the rectifier is going balls-to-the wall. One of my favorite sounds. Not Marshally sounding at all but very cool. Don't know how well NAT simulates humbucking though... :hihi:

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You asked for guitar...but the '59 Fender Bassman (tweed I guess) was a dream for many blues harp players that I've heard get that Chicago sound live (think led zep 'When the Levee Breaks' except without 1176's, pure bassman tone). Once again...how to get NAT to blow on a blues harp :)

[ed: respectfully that is Little Walters' sound of course...]

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AC222 wrote:I don't know if you'll see this Henry. But I just wanted to say I am thrilled with your latest selection and editions. The trace bass is a fine choice. Nice to see an updated AC30. Very thrilled about the development of a Mark series amp as well as a Twin Reverb. Super duper thrilled about the Jazz Chorus! Yeah! Such a classic and now it has been Nebulized. Thanks to your great work.

Also jumped on the 33609 and Red bus comp mojo programs. Also saw plans of potentially adding Shadow Hills and SSL to really round out the mix. And I'm perhaps most excited about the potential Gallien Krueger bass amp. I'm sure they'll add something even more when used in conjunction to the hugely success comps from the likes of IK, Slate, and others. Great job Henry.

AC
AC222 Man do you use the old big amp from Henry? Whats your setup chain? I downloaded the "free" stuff related to nem amps from him... and man that was nice...but i just wondering how other people arranges the chain to get the best results. TKS :shock:
pe4ce

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strato rules wrote:
AC222 wrote:I don't know if you'll see this Henry. But I just wanted to say I am thrilled with your latest selection and editions. The trace bass is a fine choice. Nice to see an updated AC30. Very thrilled about the development of a Mark series amp as well as a Twin Reverb. Super duper thrilled about the Jazz Chorus! Yeah! Such a classic and now it has been Nebulized. Thanks to your great work.

Also jumped on the 33609 and Red bus comp mojo programs. Also saw plans of potentially adding Shadow Hills and SSL to really round out the mix. And I'm perhaps most excited about the potential Gallien Krueger bass amp. I'm sure they'll add something even more when used in conjunction to the hugely success comps from the likes of IK, Slate, and others. Great job Henry.

AC
AC222 Man do you use the old big amp from Henry? Whats your setup chain? I downloaded the "free" stuff related to nem amps from him... and man that was nice...but i just wondering how other people arranges the chain to get the best results. TKS :shock:
Hey thanks for asking. I get best results when using them in conjunction with a Nebula pre. Henry has a nice Neve 1073 and I also tend to use the Gemini 1073 pre quite a bit in front of the the Big Amp. So it's like simulating a pre with color and harmonics capturing the Big Amp. They interact well and create a nice realistic effect than just using one alone and the cpu hit is not too bad. From there I just select the program whether it is the smooth or warm program for instance that fits the vibe. And then I'll crank the vibe according to taste. I'll often use a post eq and eq on a guitar or something to shape the tone. The downside with the Nebula guitar amps is that there isn't really an interactive eq control but of course you can do a lot with eq pre (guitar tone pots for instance) or post (with Nebula eq or another digital eq). Really like the end result and the fact that Nebula is capturing the cab section makes everything more dynamic and responsive and it really improves the overall tone versus other AC30 models. Hope that helps.

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