NUX - Solid Studio IR loader and power amp simulator.

Started by Elantric, October 03, 2017, 01:42:35 PM

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Elantric




NUX Solid Studio IR loader and power amp simulator.
The first model of all new Verdugo twin pedal series is NSS-5, Solid Studio.
It offers you 8 IRs with microphone simulation, you could add the power amp simulation part. It is super high resolution and super low latency(<1ms).
The earphone out could drive high impedance headphone to offer you a nice silent practice with your pedals.





http://www.nuxefx.com/show-7-277-1.html
NuX Solid Studio IR & Power Amp Speaker Cab Mic Simulator Guitar Effects Pedal
By NuX Listed by Pitbull Audio Condition: Brand New 60 Views
Description

Shop Policies
NuX Solid Studio IR & Power Amp Simulator Guitar Effects Pedal
The New Era of Mic-ing.

NUX Solid Studio was created and designed to address: limited gear availability, and the cumbersome transport reality of physical amp/speaker cabinets.

NUX is proud to introduce the new Verdugo series Solid Studio IR & Power Amp simulator, a pedal version of the most classic amp/cabinet scenarios including microphones and power amp tubes. Over many years of research, Solid Studio was specifically developed to fill the essential needs of discerning musicians and sound technicians, including the art of mic-ing instrument amplifiers on stage or in the studio. Solid Studio provides ease-of-use, reliability, versatility, and, above all, incredible audio quality.

Virtual mic-ing is achieved by choosing 1 cabinet and 1 microphone, and fine-tuning the position of the microphone using the mic position switch.  Plus, you can add the tube sound by engaging the power amp simulation.

What's Inside.

Solid Studio comes with 8 speaker cabinet simulations. All the cabinet models inside the Solid Studio are sounds great as original as the way it feels.


And there are 8 microphone models you can combine with any cabinets. Also, you can adjust microphone position for fine tuning.
Solid Studio Power Amp Simulation produces a warm tube-like sound and you can choose one of three power tubes for your essential sound needs.

Input/Outputs

NUX Solid Studio has 6.35mm mono input with input signal level toggle switch (-10dB / +4dB). And it has 3 outputs; simulation dedicated STEREO OUTPUT and DI OUT, and a bypass "THRU" output.

Connection Tips

Solid Studio offers a variety of connection ways and it can fit any desired spot on your signal chain to use all the cabinet/mic simulations efficient.

Gig Saver

- You can place the Solid Studio at the end of your pedal board, and you can send the simulated sound to the mixer while you can send your original signal to the amp. This connection is very useful if the stage (or studio) and cabinet mic-ing conditions are not good enough.

Silent Connection

- Direct connection to mixer or audio interface for recording. It gives more alternative cabinet options to record your favorite amplifier sound, especially if there is no chance to use any loudspeaker.

Advanced Connection

- You can place the Solid Studio between the amp and the cabinet. You can send the loud signal from the amp's cabinet output to the Solid Studio, and you can send the original signal to the cabinet, simulated signal to the mixer/audio interface.

When you use the advanced connection method:
The amplifier's speaker output must be connected to the Solid Studio's input by a SPEAKER CABLE
The Solid Studio's THRU output must be connected to the speaker cabinet's input by a SPEAKER CABLE
The Solid Studio's output mode must be selected as SPK (SPEAKER)



IR file support

You can easily emulate the sound of any guitar cabinet by loading different IRs (Impulse responses) to NUX Solid Studio. The internet is a huge library and you can find many different IR's (both paid and free). And you can add into Solid Studio to use it whenever you want. (Currently, we are developing a software for Solid Studio and there will be more information soon)


http://www.nuxefx.com/uploadfile/2018/0203/NSS-5%20User_Manual_V3Q.pdf



admin

Nux Solid Studio Review

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/26533382/
godoy.rafa said: ↑
This NUX pedal? Did you like it? http://www.nuxefx.com/show-7-277-1.html


Henryk wrote>
Quote
I sold my Zoom G3Xn. I liked the demos of the unit as well as demos of the G5n and I realized that for most of the demos where I liked the sound they used them through a mic'ed amp. I couldn't get nice sounding direct out, it was OK but not what I was looking for. If I was going to use amp, I would rather use my analog pedals, to me it does not make much sense to haul a tube amp and then feed it with a digital modeler.
Digital modeler to me makes sense only for amp-less situation, with in-ear monitors where amp is not needed or not allowed (as my case in Church).
So I came with an idea of building a new pedalboard with analog pedals, preamp, and speaker/power amp emulator. I got NUX Direct Studio which has two important components of the amp: power end, and speaker emulation (IR convolution based). In a meantime I got email from Fractal saying that AX8 is ready for me, so I decided to purchase it. I like it, tons of amp models, high quality effects, but at this time I had my new pedalboard completed and I have to tell you that I like it more than my Fractal AX8. I don't have 250 amps to choose from but I don't need, I just need beautiful clean for my Strat (like through Roland JC-120), then I need light crunch, and higher gain for solos. That's all what I need and my pedalboard delivers now with a big smile on my face. I may keep Fractal AX8 for home recording if I need some other sounds but for my Church gig I got what I need and it sounds really good. I have to record a demo and put it on youtube.
Yes, I like it. Right now I own 3 pedals that use IR convolution based speaker emulation.
1. NUX Solid Studio: I am using it with factory installed IRs for now and one of the settings I really like (4x12 vintage celestion, mic'ed with U87, with EL34 in power section.) This particular setting works very well for me.
2. I also own Mooer Radar, the factory installed IRs that have low unpleasant to me frequencies. I thought that my home studio monitors are going to jump out. It requires either EQ to cut the excessive bottom or you need to install your own higher quality IRs impulses. When I searched on the net on Radar people who said that they installed their own IRs were rather happy with the unit. The good thing about Radar is that same as the NUX it also emulates power end of the amp, which in my opinion is very important.
3. I also own BluBox wich has pre-installed 16 IRs. Although I like it, in my case it has a limited usage since it does not emulate power end of the amp. It is only speaker emulator. So if you have a preamp going directly to speaker emulator does not give the best possible sound, the power end of the amp is missing which is in my opinion very important element. I know that Two Notes C.A.B. also also power end emulation where you can choose what type of tubes you want to emulate EL84, EL34, 6L6, and one or two more I don't remember.

So for now I am going hang to NUX which gives me what I am looking for. I own also Fractal AX8 which is very good, but I still prefer my analog pedals with NUX for sound and feel.
I need to mention one important element in my pedals chain: Chase Tone Secret Preamp. This pedal is the last one in my pedal chain, after the Reverb. It supposed to have the same components as the preamp in Echoplex EP3 old tape delay. I have to say that this pedal makes day and night difference in my sound, the effect is like taking a blanket out from the amp.

Since I need a preamp I ordered Kingsley Maiden but because of waiting line I will get it sometimes in 2019.

So for now my signal chain goes like this:
1. Guitar
2. Xotic EP Booster (on and off, depending when I need it, on clean sounds is always on, on crunch or lead sometimes on and sometimes off.
3. Timmy: I tried many pedals for low gain, including Analogman KOT (which is great), but in my particular situation Timmy works the best for what I need. For rhythm crunch I use by itself, for leads I add EP Booster.
4. Kingsley Page: it is a clean boost pedal with one vacuum tube. It serves for now as my preamp, it's always on on the same setting for both clean and distorted sounds.
5. NUX Solid Studio to emulate power end (I chose EL34) and IR Convolution for speaker (I chose 4x12 Vintage).
6. Delay Boss DD-7
7. Reveb Boss RV-6
8. Chase Tone Secret Preamp

The above gives me really the dynamics and feeling for playing through real amp and I really love it. I think to keep the Fractal AX8 for recording (especially for high quality effects) but who knows, maybe I will just sell it.

The setup above gives me the same what I would have with my amp with the difference that I can go direct and I don't need to haul my heavy amp.
These days where more and more gigs require using in ear-monitors, there is no need to bring the amp.
Henryk

Elantric



hotraman

I have one ordered.
I'm in a few situations where guitar amps are not available.
Looking forward to trying this out.

No power supply provided?

What does it need?
Standard Boss?

Will my Timeline power supply be too much ?

admin

Quote from: hotraman on October 17, 2018, 10:40:42 AM
I have one ordered.
I'm in a few situations where guitar amps are not available.
Looking forward to trying this out.

No power supply provided?

What does it need?


9VDC with at least 240mA

http://www.nuxefx.com/uploadfile/2018/0203/NSS-5%20User_Manual_V3Q.pdf

lespauled



Elantric


semiguy

Hi All,
I was looking at the Nux Solid Studio as a solution to my problem.
That is , I am running several pedals (including an EHX Tortion preamp / overdrive) into a small digital amp for practice as it has a headphones out jack so I don't disturb the neighbours.
I also participate in Jam sessions where I use a Vox ac15 so I can be heard over the drummer.
The issue is that I need to tweak the pedals when I switch between amps, especially the drive pedals. 
I would like to go from practice to Jam sessions knowing I will have the same or similar sound without adjusting everything.

I thought if I put the Nux SS at the end of my pedal chain I could plug headphones in to practice at home and take a 10" speaker cabinet to the jam sessions.
The connection options given in the NUX SS documentation all seem to include an amplifier (head) when connecting to a cabinet.  I would have thought that  the idea of a power amp simulator was to avoid this.

So my question is has anyone just plugged in a speaker cabinet to NUX SS without any other amplifier, did it sound ok.
Also what does it sound like through the headphones.

Thanks for any help

Semiguy

eUphonic

Quote from: semiguy on August 12, 2020, 04:46:16 PM
Hi All,
I was looking at the Nux Solid Studio as a solution to my problem.
That is , I am running several pedals (including an EHX Tortion preamp / overdrive) into a small digital amp for practice as it has a headphones out jack so I don't disturb the neighbours.
I also participate in Jam sessions where I use a Vox ac15 so I can be heard over the drummer.
The issue is that I need to tweak the pedals when I switch between amps, especially the drive pedals. 
I would like to go from practice to Jam sessions knowing I will have the same or similar sound without adjusting everything.

I thought if I put the Nux SS at the end of my pedal chain I could plug headphones in to practice at home and take a 10" speaker cabinet to the jam sessions.
The connection options given in the NUX SS documentation all seem to include an amplifier (head) when connecting to a cabinet.  I would have thought that  the idea of a power amp simulator was to avoid this.

So my question is has anyone just plugged in a speaker cabinet to NUX SS without any other amplifier, did it sound ok.
Also what does it sound like through the headphones.

Thanks for any help

Semiguy

Hello,

No, you can't connect the Solid Studio directly to a cab, unless the cab is powered...

But yes, through headphones, it's "ok". I'd even venture to describe it as more than good.

Good luck in your quest.

eUphonic

While I'm talking about it, I've to say that the Nux Solid Studio is a surprising machine.

I've passed this afternoon to capture IR's with it...

i've modeled various open and closed cabs with a Fane model, a Jensen, a Fender Eminence, two kinds of Celestion's: each IR gives a really convincing sonic image of each loudspeaker through my SM57...

I've also captured the response of the PA+cab on a Fender and a Marshall with FX loops. In both cases, there's practically no differences with the miked amps, as long as the PA and cabs of these amps are not pushed to distort.

I've even captured the response of a whole amp without FX loop - my Vox AC15 set clean... Of course, the Nux provides a "simplified" profile of the amp... but it doesn't sound ridiculous. I even think that I could use the Nux plugged in a PA instead of the whole amp without loosing much.

Last but not least, these IR's captured with the Nux can be saved as generic files and loaded in other devices... I've put them in my recent Joyo Cab Box, in such a way that I'm now able to "mike" virtually my stereo rig.
I've still to try these toys on stage but the recording tests that I've done are more than encouraging.

"More later'. Back to guitar playin' for the moment. :-)

gumtown

Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

eUphonic

#14
Not much time for sharing but let's post some selected pics that I consider as meaningful...

I've sampled a few chords and soloing. Then I've injected this sonic sample in various amps that I've miked with my SM57 or recorded through the Nux.

Screenshots below.

Pic 1 compares the response of a Fender (Hot Rod Deluxe, heavily modified by myself) through my SM57 to this signal path: Fender preamp > Nux Solid studio capture of the PA, cab and microphone.

Pic 2 shows a Marshall through a SM57 VS loudspeaker output > Nux (set on "spk", with the signal going "thru" the box to the cab, of course). IOW, the Nux models the cab and mic only in this case...

Pic 3 stacks the response of my AC15 through SM57 and a sonic image of the whole chain (from amp guitar input to SM57).
Yes, there's a difference in this case...
But it's because of ME: I've accidentally moved the microphone in front of the loudspeaker before to capture the whole chain with the Nux. :-/

Pic 4 should redeem this mistake: blue line = Nux capture of the whole chain, from guitar input of the AC15 to the SM57. Orange line translates the same thing than with the Marshall: guitar sample played through the real amp, whose loudspeaker output passes "thru" the Nux (for cab and mic modeling)and goes  to the real cab (whose response is not shown is this case)...

Not bad emulations, uh?


Footnote:  the power amp sims of the Nux are a bit less convincing and it's pretty logical, since the response of any real tube amp actually depends on its interaction with a cab... Furthermore and like the concurrence, Nux has a bit exagerated the differences between tubes.

Now, these Nux sims are still more realistic than those of the Joyo Cab Box, which are frankly overdone and need to be systematically corrected with the onboard EQ, IMHO. I guess this observation can be transposed to the Mooer Radar, since the Joyo Cab Box seems to be nothing more than a glorified Radar (even the Joyo editor mimics the Mooer one)...

Anyway, my GP10 or Blackstar HT-Dual through the Nux PA and cab sims sound more than good. I might have found my humble ultimate ampless alternative:-)








eUphonic

Update after almost one years...

... to explain a few issues.  >:(

For a while, I've left the NSS5 on the top of a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, plugged in the FX loop of the amp, before a passive volume box.

I had captured the response of the power amp + cab in the HRD (upgraded and modified to have the cleanest possible sound) and the sound of the preamp feeding the NNS5 through headphones was nicely close to the tone of the amp at normal level.

Then the tone started to get blury and distorted.

And the NNS5 was HOT when I touched it.

Was it a problem of static electricity creeping slowly in the unit? Was the NNS5 affected by the magnetic field of transformers in the amp? As a matter of fact, it did the same when sitting above a tube amp head that I've here... Unless the signal was simply too strong: as a matter of fact, the Nux couldn't stand the line level signal of the loop in my Marshall without producing distorted transients.

Anyway, I had to plug it differently: I don't use no more the "thru" jack and the NNS is fed by a DI box (Behringer Ultra G), itself plugged in the loop of the HRD.

In these conditions, it works again, albeit it has developed a nasty overtone appearing when I pluck the low E.

Also: the balanced XLR output doesn't work well when the "ground" and "cold" pins are tied together... and the problem described above gets worse / appears sooner when I use a high amperage power supply.

IOW, my NNS is "touchy" and might have been hurt by some electrical interferences.

I've ordered an AMT Pangaea CP100. It's expensive but I need a small IR loader with a "thru" jack output and low latency...

More later on this, maybe.

gumtown

#16
Quote from: eUphonic on July 30, 2021, 12:13:53 AM
Update after almost one years...

... to explain a few issues.  >:(

For a while, I've left the NSS5 on the top of a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, plugged in the FX loop of the amp, before a passive volume box.

I had captured the response of the power amp + cab in the HRD (upgraded and modified to have the cleanest possible sound) and the sound of the preamp feeding the NNS5 through headphones was nicely close to the tone of the amp at normal level.

Then the tone started to get blury and distorted.

And the NNS5 was HOT when I touched it.


Was it a problem of static electricity creeping slowly in the unit? Was the NNS5 affected by the magnetic field of transformers in the amp? As a matter of fact, it did the same when sitting above a tube amp head that I've here... Unless the signal was simply too strong: as a matter of fact, the Nux couldn't stand the line level signal of the loop in my Marshall without producing distorted transients.

Anyway, I had to plug it differently: I don't use no more the "thru" jack and the NNS is fed by a DI box (Behringer Ultra G), itself plugged in the loop of the HRD.

In these conditions, it works again, albeit it has developed a nasty overtone appearing when I pluck the low E.

Also: the balanced XLR output doesn't work well when the "ground" and "cold" pins are tied together... and the problem described above gets worse / appears sooner when I use a high amperage power supply.

IOW, my NNS is "touchy" and might have been hurt by some electrical interferences.

I've ordered an AMT Pangaea CP100. It's expensive but I need a small IR loader with a "thru" jack output and low latency...

More later on this, maybe.

XLR output Ground and Cold tied together may be causing these problems, a balanced output having one half grounded can cause half cycles of your output clipped, depending on the output stage design, and could also cause excessive current draw (and heat).
Try an XLR level attenuator in-line with the NUX XLR output.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

eUphonic

Quote from: gumtown on July 30, 2021, 05:45:36 AM
XLR output Ground and Cold tied together may be causing these problems, a balanced output having one half grounded can cause half cycles of your output clipped, depending on the output stage design, and could also cause excessive current draw (and heat).
Try an XLR level attenuator in-line with the NUX XLR output.

Thx for your answer as well as for your tireless willing and ability to help other musicians: our dialogue is an occasion for me to salute your fantastic work of these last years.  :)

That being said, I understand what you say... I had never met any issue with XLR to jack until now but I see where the problem can be and your interpretation is confirmed by a simple fact: the NSS works normally when I plug its XLR out to the mic XLR input of my soundcard.

Now, there's still something unclear in the overall functionment of the rig described. These last days, I was only using the jack output of the NSS and the problem was still there, with an output distorting progressively. This jack output being a TRS one, I've even tried to use one side only of an ABY splitter: it didn't work either. Renouncing to the "thru" jack plug and feeding the NSS with a padded signal coming from an isolation transformer has been the sole efficient trick that I've found, albeit it doesn't cure the "drone" effect noticed on low E's when the tube preamp of my HRD is filtered by the dedicated IR in my NSS.

admin

AVOID  connecting XLR Pin #1 "ground" and XLR Pin #3 "cold" pins tied together on the NUX  XLR output.

Its an active OpAmp output, and Will stress the OpAmp, leading to over heating, distortion and premature failure


have you run out of Balanced inputs on the soundcard?

many employ 1/4" TRS balanced LINE inputs.

Perhaps what you need is a XLR-F to TRS cable to connect to a TRS Line input on your sound card.




Further reading
https://neatcircuits.com/audio/balanced.htm

https://www.ranecommercial.com/kb_article.php?article=2107

eUphonic

#19
Quote from: admin on July 30, 2021, 06:42:09 AM
AVOID  connecting earth "ground" and "cold" pins being  tied together on the NUX  XLR output. Its an active OpAmp output, and Will stress the OpAmp, leading to over heating, distortion and premature failure

have you run out of Balanced inputs on the soundcard?

many employ 1/4" TRS balanced LINE inputs.

Perhaps what you need is a XLR-F to TRS cable to connect to a TRS Line input on your sound card.



Advices took in account. I'll try what you evoke and report my findings.

I must admit that I didn't expect what looks like an FX pedal to function abnormally when used with guitar cables and/or a mono signal path... [EDIT to reword it: as the phones output is a TRS accepting TS mono output, I was under the assumption that XLR output was designed in the same way...] but we learn something each day. Maybe my testimonial above will avoid some issues with the NSS to some other users.  :)

I thank you all anyway!  :)


eUphonic

#20
Update. Yesterday at night, I've tested all my plugs and interconnections, checked with a DMM and a magnifier lens if there was some accidental short somewhere, and even soldered a couple of TRS to XLR cables...

It appeared that all my cables and interconnections were/are exactly like in the Rane article shared by our admin.

SIDE NOTE - The pins 1 and 3 tied together from XLR output to mono jack were not the cause of my issues with the NSS: they were a wrong grounding attempt inspired to me by fatigue and frustration, on the basis of a wrong equation between T(R)S and XLR outputs in the NSS. Thx again to gumtown and to our admin to have recalled that it was a bad idea).

Once all my cables and interconnections verified, I've tried again the NSS.

It worked fine with any XLR to jack correctly wired and with a TS cable in the TRS phones output, as printed on the box.

But only if I used the Ultra G as an isolation transformer between tube preamp output and NSS input.

As soon as I plug the FX send of the HRD directly in the NSS, it starts to distort, even when the NSS is set on "speaker" level rather than "line" and even when I fiddle with its headroom switch...

The FX send of the HRD delivers a clean signal through the "thru" output or if plugged in the Joyo Cab Box, BTW. So the problem is not in the amp.

IOW, my problem really seems to be on the input side of the NSS and/or in its relationship with the grounding path of my rig.

I'll keep using it with the UltraG (which concretizes the isolation transformer evoked by Rane in their Figure 2, after all: https://www.ranecommercial.com/kb_article.php?article=2107 ).  :)

I understand and want to underline that my experience can't necessarily be transposed to ALL Solid Studio's. Maybe I've a defective unit. But if ever someone has the same problem than me, I'll have shared a possible solution (= the transformer and not the wrong XLR to TS path. LOL).

I'm waiting the AMT Pangaea, that I'll pair with my Marshall and its line level FX loop. I'll share my findings with this unit to come. I wish you all a nice day.

EDIT - The unit WAS defective. I've kept it to do tone captures of new cabs but I use other IR loaders now - Joyo Cab Box, AMT Pangaea and the IR loading sections of Valeton GP100 or Nux MG30.

DutchGuitarDude

#21
I am having troubles capturing my cab with the nss5. I have connected everything as described, but cant capture it.

The graphic on the editor shows really strange peaks and the sound silent.

I have contacted monk from nux, he said that my interface might be the problem. I have the lexicon alpha.

The routing picture from nux says connect mic preamp output to the nss5. My interface doesnt have a dedicated mic preamp output. I just used the output that connects to my speakers. Is that right?

Anyone have had the same problems?

admin

#22
Quote from: DutchGuitarDude on December 24, 2021, 12:06:54 PM
I am having troubles capturing my cab with the nss5. I have connected everything as described, but cant capture it.

The graphic on the editor shows really strange peaks and the sound silent.

I have contacted monk from nux, he said that my interface might be the problem. I have the lexicon alpha.

The routing picture from nux says connect mic preamp output to the nss5. My interface doesnt have a dedicated mic preamp output. I just used the output that connects to my speakers. Is that right?

Anyone have had the same problems?

Basically you need an external mic preamp as a means to connect a mic to the Nux input , some third party audio interfaces include an external "Insert I/O for external FX

Like Lexicon Lambda below



An ART or Rolls mic pre is recommended.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/155445-REG/Rolls_MP13_MP13_Mini_Microphone_Preamp.html/





Or if on tight budget, use a dynamic mic (Shure SM-57 ) with a XLR to 1/4 Lo-Z to High Z transformer adapter


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0018ST7CK?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title


DutchGuitarDude

So my interface is indeed the problem? I checked the mic signal. There is mic signal coming out of the interface output.

admin

Use NUX - Solid Studio as MIDI CONTROLLER