Sonicake Sonic IR Pedal

What is an IR Guitar Pedal?

An Impulse Response (IR) pedal allows guitar players to play with the sound of a miked-up speaker cabinet, without a speaker cabinet. To understand how an IR pedal like the Sonicake Sonic IR pedal fits into your guitar rig, it helps to understand what an IR actually is.

An IR is like a sonic snapshot of sound in a room — in our case, it’s the sound of a specific guitar speaker cabinet miked with a specific microphone. More than an emulation of a speaker cab or microphone, an IR can capture the sonic character of a complete guitar rig. IRs are different than amp modeling in that an IR is based on real-world sound captured in a physical space, as opposed to a digital emulation based on algorithms.

In other words, an IR guitar pedal replaces your speaker cabinet and microphone with a convenient pedal that can connect directly to a sound mixer or recording interface. You can harness the sound of some of the most famous amplifiers ever created. You can ditch the heavy speaker cabinet and still enjoy responsive tone, and you can record late at night without waking the neighbors.

There are 11 onboard classic cab simulations, including a VOX, a Marshall, a Fender, and even a Peavey 6505. — Jimmy Franklin

Sonicake Sonic IR Pedal Fast Facts

The Sonicake Sonic IR pedal delivers the versatility of impulse responses in an ultra-compact pedal that's the perfect way to streamline your rig. The large IR-selector knob puts 11 different IRs at your fingertips, and a volume knob manages your signal level — super simple.

No tweaking required — it just sounds great right out of the box. — Dre

Managing your IRs and building a custom set to choose from is accomplished simply by connecting the Sonic IR to your computer via USB and dragging your IR files to the Sonic IR folder. You can download new IRs from Sonicake, and 3rd-party IRs are supported too, so you basically have an unlimited amount of IRs to explore.

In addition to a standard 1/4-inch output, the Sonic IR pedal also gives you a dedicated XLR output to integrate with sound systems and recording interfaces. If you're playing live on stage, you can send the XLR output to the sound system just like you would a microphone while saving space on stage and minimizing stage volume. For recording, you can connect the XLR output to the mic input on your interface or mic preamp and capture lifelike amp tones without setting up a microphone.

Tips for Using the Sonicake Sonic IR Pedal

• Use an FRFR Speaker, Not a Combo Amp
  The Sonic IR pedal fills the role of a speaker cabinet — you want to send the output of your IR pedal to something that isn't going to color your sound further. To get the most out of the Sonic IR or any IR pedal, plug into a full-range, flat-response (FRFR) speaker like the Headrush FRFR-112 MKII. FRFR speakers are designed to be the perfect match for IR pedals, offering transparent amplification that accurately reproduces the nuances of your IR-based guitar tone.
• Shape Your Tone with Pedals or a Preamp Pedal
  To get the best tone with an IR pedal, make sure your signal chain includes some gain and EQ control (like you would find on a typical guitar amplifier). With just a pair of simple overdrive and EQ pedals, you have the tone-shaping potential of an amp sent to your IR of choice.
  Alternatively, you could pair the Sonic IR with a preamp pedal like the Tech 21 SansAmp Para Driver. You'd have the comprehensive tone shaping of a guitar amplifier and the versatility of IR speaker cabs in two compact pedals.
• Go Direct On Stage and In the Studio
  You can minimize stage volume and eliminate sound leakage issues in the studio by going direct with the Sonic IR pedal. You can connect the Sonic IR pedal to an XLR or 1/4-inch input on a sound mixer or recording interface, eliminating the need to set up a microphone. Most venues are already equipped with stage monitors, so with an IR pedal like the Sonic IR, you can hit the stage with just your guitar and pedalboard.
• Load Your Own IRs to Customize Your Tone
  Right out of the box, the Sonic IR pedal includes 11 IRs that cover a wide range of musical applications. Each IR is a snapshot of a specific amp recorded with a studio-quality mic in a great-sounding room. You'll find IRs of classic American and British amp makers among others, and you can load any IR you like via USB.
  Refer to the user manual or the Sonicake website for details on setting up the files and transferring the IRs — it's quick, easy, and the best way to explore the creative versatility that IRs can offer.

It gave me an amp-in-the-room feel that sometimes is missing in a product like this. — Jimmy Franklin

Sonicake Sonic IR — Common Questions Answered

1. How does the Sonicake Sonic IR pedal capture the nuances of different amplifier setups, including cabinet, mic placement, and room characteristics?
   The Sonic IR pedal isn't emulating the sound of a miked-up speaker cabinet in real time with processing the way that an amp modeler does. All of that sonic information is stored in the IR file. An IR pedal like the Sonic IR takes the sonic profile of the IR and applies it to your guitar tone dynamically. It may seem like a minor technical difference, but it's important to note that the Sonic IR pedal will sound exactly like whatever impulse response you have selected — it's not further processing your sound in any way.
2. Can users customize and save their own impulse responses with the Sonic IR pedal?
   Yes. There are countless 3rd-party impulse responses you can find and load into the Sonic IR pedal via USB. It's super easy — the Sonic IR pedal shows up as a disk location when you connect it to your computer. All you need to do is drag and drop your IR files to Sonic IR, and make sure the files are named appropriately (check the manual or Sonicake website for details). The included IRs cover all the most-needed tones like grinding blues, hard rock, metal, snappy pop, and more, but downloading your own favorite IRs is the best way to customize your sound.
3. What are the advantages of using an impulse response pedal like the Sonic IR compared to a traditional amp modeler?
   Most players choose an IR pedal like the Sonic IR when they find that typical amp modelers simply contain way too much stuff they don't need. Not everyone needs an emulation of every amplifier ever made, nor do they want to navigate countless menus of options they'll never use. Some players want to shape their tone with a few pedals and rock out, and that's where the Sonic IR shines. You get the rich, responsive guitar tone only a miked-up amp can provide, but without the hassle and volume of a microphone and speaker cabinet.

Simplify Your Rig with Sonic IR

The Sonic IR is one of those rare guitar solutions that really does serve electric guitarists of any style equally well. By replacing your amplifier with an IR pedal like the Sonic IR, you not only ditch a heavy amp and the volume that comes with it, you gain a ton of sonic versatility. With countless IRs available across the internet and from 3rd-party vendors, you can have the sound of practically any speaker cabinet throughout history right on your pedalboard.
If you've ever wanted to hit the stage, studio, or rehearsal space with just your guitar, pedalboard, and realistic amp tones, the Sonicake Sonic IR was made for you.

Right into the PA system and you're good to go. — Dre