Wednesday, September 8, 2021

REVEIW DIGITECH CABDRYVR SPEAKER SIMULATER

The Digitech CabDryVR Dual Cabinet Simulator pedal features 14 guitar and bass cabinet impulse responses. Processing the output of your pedal board through this pedal yields high quality cabinet emulations without the need for a real cabinet or mic or amp for that matter.

The CabDryVR Cabinet Tuning Size control was developed for the Digitech GNX series and it morphs the resonant peak of the cabinet to create custom cab sizes and tones. 

COOL FEATURES

TWO INDEPENDENTLY ADJUSTABLE PROCESSORS IN ONE BOX

A 1/4” unbalanced input and output are provided for audio connections. These are compatible with standard guitar stompboxes.

CabDryVR is compact, it’s about the size of a Phase 90.

There are two independent processors in this box, each processor has an input and an output, each has its own master output level so it’s easy to match the two processors. Two independent processors lets you have a separate Impulse Response effect for your clean tone and a completely different setting for your crunch tone. 

True bypass is provided by a relay, when the effect is bypassed the input is direct connected to the output so there is no tone change. 

This pedal runs on standard 9-volt pedal board power, tip-negative/sleeve-positive. Since it is digital it is hungry for miliamps and requires 125mA @ 9-volts DC.

All the controls are on the front of the unit, there is no need to connect to a computer, no software is required. There are no displays or windows to look at. 

This is a very solid and well built pedal. The on-off pushbutton is silent. All the controls feel good and solid, I love the concentric control knobs which help keep the pedal compact yet give you discrete controls for each parameter.

LESS COOL FEATURES

The pedal defaults to bypassed upon power-up. If you use it with an effects switching system you’ll need to put this one on the list of gadgets to visit as part of your power-up procedure.

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

CAB DRY VR WORKING ITS MAGIC ON WAZA METAL ZONE

I like the sound of this pedal a lot. The effect is easy to use and it is capable of some excellent tones. It’s not easy to use a Boss Metal Zone pedal plugged in direct, the Metal Zone can sound like an army of mosquitoes advancing, but with CabDry VR in the signal path you can shape the distortion into a wall of crunchy fun. 

I gravitate toward this pedal because it so easy to adjust and is capable of creating an authentic cabinet tone. Currently I’m using it with six different distortion pedals, each sounds very different depending on the CabDry VR settings. The CabDry VR creates authentic “whomp” and “chomp” like you get from a real 4x12 Marshall cabinet loaded with Celestion speakers. 

EPILOGUE DIGITECH CABDRY VR 

I bought my copy of the CabDryVR on sale, I found it on Amazon for about half the MSRP but don’t bother to look, there are no more at that price. 

If you consider what other manufacturers charge for impulse response technology the CabDry VR is fairly priced. It is compact, loaded with features and most important of all, it sounds great!

Good Music To You!

CABDRY VR SPECIFICATIONS - (August 2021 street price $169.95)

CONTROLS

Cabinet A Type, Size, Level, Cabinet B Type, Size, Level, Effect On/Off

SWITCHES

Soft Click, Vacuum Style Footswitch; Guitar/Bass Toggle Switch

POWER REQUIREMENT

9 VDC external power supply (required)

POWER CONSUMPTION

1.2W (< 125 mA @ 9 VDC)

Current Draw

125 mA (typical at 9 VDC)

Dimensions

Length: 4.4”

Width: 2.65"

Height: 2.0”

Weight: 1 lb.

Audio Output

Separate Cab A and Cab B 1/4" Unbalanced (Tip-Sleeve)

Output Impedance

Effect on = 1 kΩ; Effect off = True hardwire bypass

Audio Input

Separate Cab A and Cab B 1/4" Unbalanced (Tip-Sleeve)

Input Impedance

Effect on = >1 MΩ (stereo), >500 kΩ (mono); Effect off = True hardwire bypass

©August 2021 by Mark King, it’s not ok to copy or quote without written permission.