I have to confess something.
I hate browsing through IR files.
Whenever you buy or download an impulse response bundle, there is usually a folder with roughly 700 different files. One microphone is slightly moved. Then it is moved again. Then there is another microphone. Then there is a blend. Then there is another version of that blend. And after going through 20 of them, I have absolutely no idea whether anything sounds good anymore.
At some point, my brain just gives up.
But finally, I found an IR system that actually makes sense to me.
In this post, I want to talk about Lancaster Audio impulse responses, why I like their approach, and why their producer packs are so much easier to use than many other IR libraries.
What are Lancaster Audio impulse responses?
Lancaster Audio makes guitar and bass cabinet impulse responses.
In simple terms, an impulse response lets you use the sound of a real speaker cabinet, microphone and room setup inside your recording software, modeler, IR loader or guitar plugin.
If you use amp sims, load boxes, digital modelers or recording plugins, you have probably used IRs already. They are a huge part of modern guitar recording.
For this video and article, Lancaster Audio provided me with their impulse responses. This is not technically a sponsored video, and nobody asked me to say anything specific. I just ended up really liking how their system works.
And that is the whole point of this article.
Why browsing IR files can be annoying
My biggest problem with many IR packs is not the sound quality.
A lot of IR packs sound great.
The problem is the amount of choice.
You open the folder and there are hundreds of files. Every file name has different microphone names, positions, numbers, distances and blends. In theory, that is great because you have options.
In practice, it can become completely overwhelming.
You try one IR. Then another. Then another. Then another. After a while, you are no longer making better decisions. You are just clicking files and hoping one of them magically makes you happy.
That is not how I want to make guitar tones.
I want to play, listen and move on.
Why Lancaster Audio makes more sense to me
The thing I really like about Lancaster Audio, especially their producer packs, is that many of them are curated in a very simple way.
Instead of giving you a million slightly different files, some packs only give you a few options.
For example, one cab might have two sounds. Another cab might have three. A Marshall 4×12 might have a small selection of useful mic positions and blends. The Warren Huart Vox AC30 pack I used had three different options.
That is it.
And I love that.
Because instead of spending an hour auditioning files, you can actually listen to the options and make a decision.
That makes so much more sense for my brain.
Using Lancaster Audio IRs with STL NadIR
For my EP The Last Four, I used the free STL Emissary amp plugin for the rhythm guitars, together with STL NadIR as the IR loader.
NadIR is a dual impulse response loader, so you can load two different cabinets and blend them together. I like that a lot because sometimes one IR gives you the midrange and another gives you the low-end weight or scoop you need.
In my case, I was using two rhythm guitar tracks, one panned left and one panned right. Inside NadIR, I could load different Lancaster Audio IRs and balance them to fit the mix.
That is a very practical way to work.
Blending two cabinets
One of the cool things about using NadIR with Lancaster Audio IRs is that you can blend two cabinets together very easily.
For example, I used one IR that had more midrange and another that was more scooped. On their own, each cab had a different character. Together, they created a bigger and fuller rhythm guitar sound.
That is the kind of thing I like.
I do not necessarily want one perfect IR that does everything. Sometimes I want one IR for the bite and another one for the size.
With NadIR, you can adjust the level between the two cabinets, use high-pass and low-pass filters, flip phase, add delay if needed, and even add a little room sound.
It is a simple setup, but it works really well.
The built-in filtering is actually useful
One thing I really like about working this way is that I can do some basic tone shaping inside the IR loader.
For example, I can cut everything below around 90 Hz directly in NadIR. That means I do not always need to add another EQ later just to remove unnecessary low end.
You can also use the low-pass filter to tame the harsh top end.
That is especially useful with high-gain guitar tones. Too much low end gets muddy very quickly, and too much top end gets fizzy and annoying. Being able to clean that up right in the IR loader makes the workflow faster.
Again, this is not the most exciting feature in the world, but it is exactly the kind of thing that makes recording easier.
The room control is a nice bonus
NadIR also has a room reverb control, and with the Lancaster Audio IRs it can add a nice bit of space.
You can obviously overdo it, and I would not want to drown rhythm guitars in room sound. But adding a little bit can make the guitar feel less direct and less sterile.
For heavy rhythm guitars, I usually keep it subtle. Just enough so the guitars feel like they exist in a space.
It is one of those small details that can make the sound feel a bit more finished.
The producer packs are the highlight for me
The producer packs are where Lancaster Audio really won me over.
The idea is simple: instead of giving you every possible mic position, they give you sounds chosen by people who know what they are doing.
For example, if a producer gives you a Vox AC30 pack with three sounds, I do not need to know every single microphone position. I can just listen to the three options and decide which one works.
That is much closer to how I want to work.
I do not always want to think like an engineer moving a microphone half an inch at a time. Sometimes I just want a good AC30 sound, a good 4×12 sound, or something that fits the track quickly.
Lancaster Audio’s curated approach helps with that.
More options are not always better
This is probably the main point of the whole article.
More options are not always better.
In theory, having 700 IR files gives you more control. In reality, it can make the whole process slower and more confusing.
When you only have a few well-chosen options, you can actually use your ears.
You can try option one, option two, option three, and decide what works in the song. That is much easier than endlessly scrolling through files and forgetting what the first one sounded like.
For me, that is a big deal.
I want tools that help me finish music, not tools that make me second-guess every tiny decision.
Using Lancaster Audio IRs in a mix
The important thing with IRs is not how they sound alone.
It is how they work in a mix.
A guitar tone that sounds massive by itself can easily be too big, too muddy or too harsh when you add bass, drums, vocals and everything else.
That is why I like blending IRs that complement each other. One can have the midrange. Another can have the scoop. One can add bite. Another can add size.
In the context of a mix, that is often more useful than chasing the biggest solo guitar tone.
With the Lancaster Audio IRs, I found it easy to build tones that worked in actual songs. That is what matters to me.
Are Lancaster Audio IRs good for metal?
Yes, absolutely.
I used them with the STL Emissary amp sim, which is a great free high-gain plugin, and the results worked really well for rhythm guitars.
The IRs can definitely handle heavy tones. The Engl-style and 4×12 sounds are very useful for modern rock and metal, and the producer packs make it easy to find something quickly.
If you want to build huge rhythm guitar tones without spending the entire afternoon auditioning impulse responses, this approach makes a lot of sense.
Are Lancaster Audio IRs only for heavy tones?
No.
That is another thing I like about them.
I also used some of the Warren Huart pack, including the Vox AC30 sounds. Those had a different midrange focus and worked really well for more open, chimey and classic tones.
So even though I was using them for heavier rhythm guitars in this example, the Lancaster Audio catalog is not just for metal players.
If you record guitars, use amp sims, or want better cabinet sounds, there is probably something useful there.
Who are Lancaster Audio IRs for?
Lancaster Audio IRs make sense for guitarists, producers and home studio people who want good cabinet sounds without getting lost in endless folders.
They are especially good for:
- Guitarists using amp sims
- Home studio players
- Metal and rock producers
- People using free plugins like STL Emissary
- Players who hate browsing huge IR libraries
- Anyone who wants curated, practical cabinet sounds
- People who like blending two cabinets together
If you love having hundreds of mic positions and want total control over every tiny detail, you might enjoy bigger IR libraries.
But if you are like me and want fewer, better choices, Lancaster Audio makes a lot of sense.
What I like about Lancaster Audio IRs
The biggest thing I like is the workflow.
The sounds are good, but the workflow is what makes me actually want to use them.
I like that many packs are simple. I like that I can find a sound quickly. I like that I can blend cabinets and move on. I like that the producer packs feel curated instead of overwhelming.
There is something very refreshing about opening an IR folder and seeing three useful options instead of 300 nearly identical files.
It makes recording feel less like homework.
What I do not like
There is not much I dislike here, because the thing that might be a downside for one person is actually the reason I like them.
If you want every possible mic position, every distance, every blend and every technical variation, the more curated producer packs might feel limited.
But for me, that is the whole advantage.
I do not want to browse 700 files. I want to find a good sound and make music.
So this is more about preference than a real flaw.
Are Lancaster Audio IRs worth it?
Yes, I think Lancaster Audio IRs are very good.
They sound good, they work well in a mix, and most importantly for me, they are easy to use.
The curated approach makes the whole IR process feel less annoying. Instead of getting lost in endless folders, I can quickly find a cabinet sound that works and get back to recording.
That is exactly what I want from an IR pack.
Final thoughts on Lancaster Audio IRs
Lancaster Audio finally gave me an IR workflow that makes sense to my brain.
I still do not love browsing impulse responses. I probably never will. But with these packs, the process feels much more approachable.
You get useful sounds, practical options, and a workflow that does not completely destroy your ability to make decisions.
For me, that is a win.
If you are tired of huge IR folders and want something that gets you to a good guitar tone faster, Lancaster Audio is absolutely worth checking out.
Sometimes less really is better.
And in the world of impulse responses, that might be exactly what I needed.
Lancaster Audio https://lancasteraudio.com/
Download the STL Ignite Emissary and NadIR here: https://www.stltones.com/products/stl-ignite-emissary-plug-in-bundle