Fractal Audio released Cab-Lab 4, a freeware cabinet impulse response loader plugin for Windows and macOS.
Having a good IR loader is key for amp sims, whether you’re recording guitars or mixing your guitar recordings.
Almost any guitar amp sim worth its salt has a decent IR loader as the standard. However, you might opt for a third-party loader sometimes, especially if you rely on special features like positioning, power amp simulation, and other features.
Fractal Audio has been in the amp modeler business for some time, and Cab-Lab 4 is a great taste of the sort of detail they put into their models.
So, what is Cab-Lab 4?
First impressions would lead anyone to believe it’s just an IR loader with support for multiple files. However, it goes a little deeper than that.
Fractal’s default format for the loader is DynaCab, similar to the packs you’ll find with Torpedo’s Wall of Sound, which allows for greater positional freedom, microphone choices, and other niceties.
You can still load single IRs, which I certainly did while testing. It works quite well in this regard and allows for a variety of different settings for third-party files.
You don’t have access to the different mic choices, but that makes sense. Instead, you retain access to the filters for sweeping out resonances and the time alignment controls.
I don’t recall too many IR loaders that allow for aligning up to four cabs based on time constraints alone. Still, it’s a great feature and really helps to unify and create unique combinations of cabinets for your guitar-playing needs.
Regarding the actual sound, I was using the free Science cabinets. They sound great in any IR loader, and Cab-Lab 4 was no exception. I do enjoy that you get a plot of the frequency response.
Now, I don’t know how much this will displace use for the free Melda IR loader or STLTone’s NadIR. However, if you’re looking for something a little more flexible that can load more than two cabinets at a time, it’s a great choice.
The DynaCab packs cost extra, but I suppose that’s just the price of admission if you’re looking to take advantage of those features.
Cab-Lab 4 is free to download for Windows and Mac computers. Supported plugin formats are VST3 and AU. It is Apple Silicon compatible, which is always a delight to see.
Download: Cab-Lab 4 (FREE)
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Last Updated on October 15, 2023 by Tomislav Zlatic.
