If you’ve been thinking about trying out the Celestion impulse response range, but are not sure what type of DAW or amp simulator kit to go for, how about… a pedalboard?
Although a pedalboard might not have been your first thought, the HeadRush Pedalboard is worth serious consideration, especially as there are two special Celestion impulse response mixes available as a free download following your purchase.
Read on to find out more about the HeadRush Pedalboard, details of our special IR mixes, and how to upload them to the pedalboard.
HeadRush Pedalboard
A guitar pedalboard enables you to add sound effects, or switch between different tones while you play – for instance, when transitioning from low gain to high gain sections of a song, or to temporarily add reverb or other effects at particular moments.
Pedalboards have been around for a few decades, allowing guitarists to, for example, switch between amps or speakers during a performance, or to add in reverb effects. However we are now seeing an exciting new generation of pedalboards which provide similar levels of sophisticated control to that of electronic DAWS or amp modeling boxes, but enabling foot control during a performance, whether you’re on stage or making a recording at home.
One of the newest is the HeadRush Pedalboard which was launched earlier this year. Although it is a foot controlled pedalboard providing a multitude of different effects, it is far, far more than that. In fact, it is nothing less than a fully featured standalone amp simulator in a floor style format. This means you can use it as a desktop unit for trying out different tones, or it can sit on the floor and be operated by foot.
As well as coming pre-loaded with a huge range of different amp models and sound effects, the HeadRush also allows the user to load up third party impulse response files and add them into the signal chain. This vastly expands the creative possibilities available to guitarists.
The HeadRush features a 7 inch touchscreen which allows you to create signal chain sequences (aka “rigs”), based on choice of amp, cabinet and effects. These elements in the signal chain can be moved around and swapped out to achieve any combination that you like.
Any or all of Celestion’s impulse response products can be easily loaded into the HeadRush in a few simple steps, using the “Custom IR” option accessed via the touchscreen.
Celestion Impulse Response Mixes for HeadRush
We have created two special IR mixes which can be obtained by HeadRush customers following purchase:
Creamback H Heavy Mix A – This is a mix which is optimised for a full on, heavy sound. It’s based on the Creamback H, housed in a closed back 1×12 cabinet. But we’ve enhanced it by blending it with two additional microphones: a rear mic from the open back 1×12, which “rounds out” the bottom end; and a Royer R-121 from the 4×12 cabinet, to give a much fuller sound.
Creamback Impossible 8-Mic Mix – This blend is ideal if you’re looking for a high gain, hard rock tone that’s a little brighter and punchier than the heavy mix. It produces a tone that would be impossible to reproduce with a physical setup. It blends the Creamback M in a 4×12 cabinet with a Creamback H in a closed back 1×12, using 4 mics for each (Royer R-121, Sennheiser MD421, Shure SM57, plus Neumann TLM 107 room mic), making 8 mics in total.
Once you have your HeadRush Pedalboard, head over to CelestionPlus.com to redeem your free impulse responses (you’ll need the serial number of your product). You can see a demo of how to get hold of these special IRs and load them into the HeadRush Pedalboard in this video:
You can add to your Celestion impulse response library at any time by purchasing additional IRs from our regular range which you can explore here.
Update! 
Check out this review of the HeadRush Pedalboard in PremierGuitar Magazine.
Some of the key points include:
- Intuitive rig setup via an easy to read tablet-style 7″ touchscreen.
- Impressive range of factory presets, amp models, cab models and microphone models.
- 2 free Celestion Impulse Response files available to download and ability to easily import more.
- Sturdy and roadworthy.
Read the full online review here which includes a review and demo video.
Or view the print edition here (Page 151).