Acoustic IR
What's an IR? Generalities IR database IR Convolvers Pickups & preamps Amp & PA

How do I get my own IR?

In order to get your own guitar IR, there are different possibilities.
  • You can buy a Audiosprockets Tonedexter pedal or a LR Baggs Voiceprint DI.
  • You can send your guitar to Fishman and order a custom Aura image that you can load into a Fishman Aura pedal.
  • You can use Cuki IR generator Light (free and open source) and make your own acoustic IRs


Cuki IR generator Light

If you have a DAW or audacity and don't want to install anything. The ONLINE version is the prefered way. It just requires you to record first your guitar with both an external microphone and the pickup and save the recording to a stereo wav file (read the last sections if you don't know how to do it).


If you want to install the OCTAVE version, you can download Cuki IR generator Light (free and open source) and make your own acoustic IRs this way:

This gives you an app with a graphic user interface to record your guitar and generate the IR files. It will require you to install OCTAVE on your computer.
  • If for some reason you don't suceed in making your own IR or you are not satisfied with the result. You can contact me (Cuki79) through the www.acousticguitarforum.com and make a personal request. You should record your guitar with both an external microphone and its pickup and send us the recordings. We will send you the IR files and add them to the database. All you need is a guitar with a pickup, a 2-channel audio interface with a computer or a multi-track portable recorder (ex: Tascam DP or Zoom H4n).


Clic on the links below [WIN/OSX] to have step by step explanations.

Note that you will need a IR convolver (pedal, multi-FX or computer with audio interface) in order to use the IR file and play music!

Free ONLINE generator

This is an open-source program to make IR without having ton install anything EXTRA on your computer

All you need is:
  • A computer with internet
    • A Gmail acount (Google) A 1-2 min stereo recording of your acoustic guitar. Left: Pickup track. Right: Microphone track


Here is a video that explains how to generate the IR:

The program uses a "light" version of my current "Match" algorithm. So it might not give you results as good as by submitting your recordings to me. But it is a good approximation though.

This program is free, and open source, but if you like what this program did for you, please make a donation. I'd be very glad if you do so.

Link to online IR generator

If you have your own Python installation, here is the GitHub link to the project to access to the code Link to online IR generator

If you like this website, please donate to support it.

Free IR generator [OCTAVE]

No Picture
This is a program to make IR with full graphic interface and audio recording capacity.

There is no need to record with audacity or send recordings.

All you need is:
  • A computer (Mac or PC)
  • A 2-channel audio interface
  • A microphone
  • An acoustic guitar with an onboard pickup
  • 2 cables (one for the mic, one for the guitar)
  • GNU Octave (free) installed on your computer. To install it, follow the procedure:


Link to pdf installation manual

The Cuki IR generator program which can be downloaded here:

Link to cuki_ir_gen.m.zip

Here is a video that explains how to generate the IR once Octave is installed:

The program uses a "light" version of my current "Match" algorithm. So it might not give you results as good as by submitting your recordings to me. But it is a good approximation though.

When saving you can choose:
  • "Standard": Only one IR file generated
  • "Various flavour": Gives you in addition, the raw IR file (bass heavy), a 50% pickup/IR blend file and a Minimum Phase file.
  • The "Feedback friendly" gives in addition to the Standard a IR file with 6 dB attenuation on the main low frequency resonance and a smart EQ curve to maintain overall tone balance.
  • The "JF45" gives, in addition to the standard IR file, an IR made with Jon Field's open source algorithm which gives a drier tone.


The user is given the possibility to listen to the IR result right away and compare with the pickup and mic'ed tone. This feature is here to encourage people to play with the microphone position and find the sweet spot to make their IRs.

This program is free, and open source, but if you like what this program did for you, please make a donation. I'd be very glad if you do so.

Here is the GitHub link to the project

Link to Github



ALTERNATE VERSION:

If you don't need the Graphic User Interface (GUI) or Recording Interface you can use this version

Link to alternate version

Make sure the file is saved as IRgen2.m in your octave working directory Just launch in the command line: IRgen2('filename.wav') filename.wav must be a stereo file with a recording of the acoustic guitar (around 1-3 min) Left: Pickup track Right: Microphone track

It produces 3 files. "M", "Std" and "Bld". Try the "M" file first Note that the bld file is different from the GUI interface version (bass heavier).


If you like this website, please donate to support it.

How to record your guitar


In order to get your own IR files we need that you record your guitar with both an external microphone and the pickup at the same time.

The IR includes all the information needed to transform the pickup sound into the microphone sound. It is therefore important that the microphone and pickup wav file correspond to the exam same recording session. You can not record with the external microphone and the pickup sequentially. It has to be simultaneous.

In order to do that, you need:
  • A 2-channel audio interface (ex: Focusrite 2i2)
  • A guitar cable
  • A microphone cable
  • An external microphone (and a stand)
  • A DAW (on a Windows PC, you can use Audacity which is free)

The steps to follow are described in the following pdf file for WINDOWS PC.

Link for Windows PC

The steps to follow are described in the following pdf file for MAC OSX.

Link for Mac OSX