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No Mics, No Cab, No Problem!

No Mics, No Cab, No Problem!

Streamline your stage or studio rig and increase your tone options at the same time with one of these speaker-simulation pedals.

For any player who is less than enamoured with the idea of repeatedly hauling a heavy cab to a gig or studio session, and the effort involved with cabling and mic placement, the addition of a cab sim pedal to your 'board could be a gamechanger. We've rounded up a sampling of 10 options to help you minimize your footprint while maximizing your efficiency and tone.

Torpedo C.A.B. M+

Designed to be the missing link between a guitarist’s rig and the PA or audio interface, this pedal is loaded with 32 Two Notes cabinets, eight power amps, eight mics, and eight rooms to choose from.

TWO NOTES
$279

Red Box 5

This handy DI and speaker simulator offers powerful control over your sound, including cabinet size and cab tightness, and a means to avoid miking up your rig onstage.

HUGHES & KETTNER
$129

OmniCabSim Deluxe

Designed for guitarists who want to create their own cabinet response settings, rather than rely on presets, this pedal allows players to define their sound and get an accurate reproduction of it when gigging or recording.

DSM NOISEMAKER
$249

Iridium

This pedal has mathematically modeled every aspect of three iconic tube amps, and includes nine of Iridium’s IR cabinets with 24-bit 96 kHz resolution for the entire 500 milliseconds of its impulse responses.

STRYMON
$399

CabClone IR

Featuring two banks of eight Mesa cab presets for 16 proprietary IRs and the ability to upload third-party IRs, this pedal also functions as a tone-rich, silent practice tool with a set of headphones.

MESA/BOOGIE
$599

Element

With five cabinet simulations, a multi-channel USB-C audio interface, and Bluetooth tech to listen to backing tracks, this pedal was designed with practicality in mind, to empower modern musicians.

DARKGLASS ELECTRONICS
$249

Radar

With 30 cab models to choose from and microphone and power-amp simulation ideal for recording or silent practice, this mini can help transform a pedalboard into a complete guitar rig.

MOOER AUDIO
$148

Cabzeus

This two-channel cabinet/speaker/miking simulator uses advanced DSP processing techniques coupled with clean and robust circuit designs for minimal noise and optimal headroom.

GFI SYSTEM
$319

CabDriVR

Featuring 14 guitar- and bass-cabinet impulse responses and dual inputs and outputs, this emulator also has separate level controls so players can balance each cab’s volume in the mix.

DIGITECH
$169

Omni IR

This compact pedal houses 40 legendary guitar and bass cabinet IRs, a 4-band EQ with 12 dB boost/cut, and a hi-res OLED screen for easy operation in any recording or live scenario.

HOTONE
$129


EarthQuaker Devices introduces Gary, a versatile fuzz and overdrive pedal designed by Lee Kiernan of Idles.

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A forward-thinking, inventive, high-quality electro-acoustic design yields balance, playability, and performance flexibility.

High-quality construction. Flexible, responsive, and detailed-sounding pickup/mic system. Lots of bass resonance without feedback or mud.

Handsome, understated design may still estrange traditionalists.

$1,599

L.R. Baggs AEG-1
lrbaggs.com

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4.5
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Though acoustic amplification has improved by leaps, bounds, and light years, the challenges of making a flattop loud remain … challenging. L.R. Baggs has played no small part in improving the state of acoustic amplification, primarily via ultra-reliable pickups like the Anthem, Lyric, andHiFi Duet microphone and microphone/under-saddle systems, the overachieving, inexpensive Element Active System, and theM1 andM80 magnetic soundhole pickups—all of which have become industry standards to one degree or another.

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Want the world to know about your pedalboard? Got a great story to tell about it? Fill out the form below for your shot at being in Premier Guitar's March issue! Not everyone will be used, so be sure to say why your pedalboard stands out. And be sure to include good hi-res photos of your board!

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A more compact Cortex puts a universe of sounds and tone creation potential at your feet, at a price that’s a fraction of bigger floor modelers.

Fast, easy capture process. Easy to navigate top-level functions. Captures can sound very accurate. Extensive online community creates a trove of downloadable models.

No onboard screen means you rely on a smartphone or tablet for deep navigation. Getting closest possible amp captures via miking can take a lot of trial and error.

$549

Neural DSP Nano Cortex
neuraldsp.com

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The complexities and capabilities of modelers like Neural DSP’s Cortex series demand certain tradeoffs. For starters, a powerful modeler can’t be the size of a postage stamp, at least if you intend to adjust many parameters and source numerous presets in real time on a stage. Neural’s newNano Cortex pushes back at the boundaries of that compromise. It's not much wider than two MXR pedals side by side. The $549 price tag, which is just about a third of the price of the Nano’s more capable big brother,the Quad Cortex, makes it an appealing proposition too.

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