DigiTech presented the CabDryVR at the 2017 winter NAMM Show as part of a batch of new pedals that also included the FreqOut1. The pedal is a cabinet simulator built for players who do not carry a traditional guitar amp: DigiTech positions it as "the perfect solution for anyone who uses either an amplifier emulator or a DAW during live performances"1. Instead of a speaker, the CabDryVR holds a set of cabinet impulse responses, or IRs, which are digital snapshots of how real cabinets color a guitar or bass signal.
What it does for a player
The CabDryVR sits at the end of a signal chain where a speaker would otherwise be. A player running a preamp or amp emulator into a mixer, or recording into a DAW, uses the pedal to supply the cabinet part of the amp sound. Paolo De Gregorio of Delicious Audio described the layout this way when the pedal was announced: "One of the inputs has an optional dry path that can run to your own stage amp"2. That dry path means a player can send a cab-simulated signal to the front of house while feeding an unaffected signal to a real amp on stage.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Tuning Size | Morphs the resonant peak of the cabinet to create custom cab sizes and tones; developed for the GNX Series3 |
| Level (per output) | Individual output level controls let you balance each cabinet's volume in the mix3 |
Jef of gearnews.com summed up the panel as "Size and Level controls on the pedal let you do some basic tweaking"4.
Inputs, outputs and stereo use
The pedal has dual inputs and outputs, so two guitars can be plugged in at once, which Delicious Audio noted "can be very useful"2. DigiTech's own announcement describes two independent mono outputs, "which makes it very handy for working either with two instruments at the same time or in stereo"1. Each channel carries its own cabinet IR selection and level control, so a two-guitar rig can give each instrument a different cabinet tone.
Power
The CabDryVR uses a 9VDC power supply, which DigiTech says lets it "easily integrate into your existing pedalboard"3.
Price
At its announcement, the CabDryVR Dual Cabinet Simulator carried a list price of $187.44 USD2. The pedal was a new release presented by DigiTech at the 2017 winter NAMM Show, alongside the FreqOut1.
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
Sweetwater
Andertons Music Co
Questions
How many cabinet impulse responses does the DigiTech CabDryVR have?
The CabDryVR carries 14 impulse responses of classic guitar and bass cabinets. Each output can be assigned one of these cab IRs, so a player can send one cabinet tone to a front-of-house mixer and a different one to a stage amp or a second instrument at the same time. The selection covers both guitar and bass cabinets, which makes the pedal usable on either instrument.
Can the CabDryVR run two guitars at once?
Yes. The pedal has dual inputs and outputs, so two guitars can be plugged in at the same time, each with its own cabinet impulse response and its own output level control. DigiTech also designed it to work in stereo with a single instrument, so the two-channel layout serves either purpose: two instruments, or one instrument processed in stereo.
What power supply does the CabDryVR use?
The CabDryVR runs on a 9VDC power supply. DigiTech designed the voltage so the pedal can integrate easily into an existing pedalboard alongside other 9V pedals.
Can the CabDryVR be used in stereo?
Yes. DigiTech describes the pedal as handy for working either with two instruments at the same time or in stereo. Its two independent mono outputs carry the two channels, so a stereo rig can send left and right signals through the pedal, each with its own cabinet impulse response and level setting.
What do the Size and Level controls do on the CabDryVR?
The Size control is DigiTech's Cabinet Tuning control, developed for the GNX Series, and it morphs the resonant peak of the cabinet to create custom cab sizes and tones. The Level controls are individual output level controls that let you balance each cabinet's volume in the mix. Together they allow basic tweaking of each cab's tone and volume.
Sources (4)
- Digitech pedals, Aclam Guitars, 2017-02-05
- New Cab Simulator Pedals At NAMM 2017: Neunaber, Atomic Amp, DigiTech, Delicious Audio, 2017-01-30
- NAMM 2017: DigiTech's FreqOut generates feedback without an amp, MusicRadar, 2017-01-19
- NAMM 2017: DigiTech FreqOut and CabDryVR feedback and cab emulation pedals, gearnews.com, 2017-01-19
