DSM noisemaker OmniCabSim MINI

The DSM noisemaker OmniCabSim MINI is a compact speaker simulation pedal that combines a cabinet simulator with a DI output. Made by Chilean firm DSM Noisemaker, it is what the maker calls a "Cabsim +DI": a miniature power amp and cabinet combo in pedal form, built so you can dial in a tone and go straight to the PA or recording gear without depending on mic placement, an amplifier or a cabinet¹. Gearnews described it at launch as a tiny power amp and cab sim pedal designed to serve both guitar and bass players².

A cabinet simulator, as the maker explains it, is a device designed to emulate the frequency response of a speaker system³. The OmniCabSim line's design philosophy is to let the user create their own cabinet response settings rather than choosing from preset cabinet simulators³, and the MINI carries the most important controls of the line in the smaller enclosure¹.

What it does

The pedal emulates two things at once: a speaker cabinet and a tube power amp driving it. The Amp Gain knob emulates what the maker calls the complex overdrive characteristics of tube power amps, giving smooth clipping, compression and extra midrange when cranked¹. Gearnews reported that sonically the overdrive is based on the peculiarities of tube amps, with a focus on clipping and compression behavior².

The cabinet side of the pedal offers three virtual boxes, selected with small levers: stack, combo and fridge, simulating a 4 x 12, a 1 x 12 and an 8 x 10 bass cabinet respectively². The maker says the Fridge option gets a "perfectly tight, punchy low end response on any situation and style"¹.

The controls

The MINI carries the OmniCabSim's most important controls: Texture (high response), Cab Size and Resonance, plus Amp Gain¹. Gearnews listed the control set as texture, resonance, level and amp gain².

On the Deluxe model, the equivalent low frequency control governs the low end roll off typical of speakers of various sizes, and its high frequency control emulates the steep low pass filter that different speakers produce³. The maker says that on middle Texture positions, "the warmth and rich overtones of distortions are superbly voiced by its carefully designed filters"¹.

Outputs and connections

The MINI has a balanced DI XLR output, which the maker describes as being for low noise direct performances, and a 1/4" output jack that can be set as either a through output or an effected output¹. The through setting passes your unaffected signal on to an amplifier while the XLR feeds the desk, and the effected setting sends the simulated signal to both.

This is the same direct-to-console approach Bass Musician Magazine described on the larger Deluxe model, noting it "can be used in the studio in place of an amplifier and speaker cabinet. This is achieved by plugging the output into the mixing console"⁴.

The Mini and the Deluxe

The MINI is a smaller, cheaper version of the DSM Noisemaker OmniCabSim Deluxe, which the maker calls a tweakable cabinet simulator³. The Deluxe, at $269³ against the MINI's $169¹, adds several controls and connections the MINI does not have:

• Punch control, boosting the 800 Hz band to cut through the mix with warmth³
• Mid control for dialing "modern" or "vintage" responses³
• Gain control to compensate levels³
• Mic and Line outputs³
• A 1/8" aux input for playing along with recordings⁴
• A headphone level control knob⁴
• A ground lift switch, which Bass Musician Magazine called an ideal candidate for the studio⁴

The Deluxe's larger enclosure is well laid out, with large knobs on the control potentiometers for easy adjustment and viewing settings from the floor, as the magazine's reviewer noted⁴. Reviewing the Deluxe, Bass Musician Magazine's Vuyani Wakaba concluded that for "the bassist that is looking for the option of changing their sound while keeping it natural, the DSM OmniCabSim Deluxe" is the answer⁴.

Where it came from

DSM Noisemaker is a Chilean manufacturer, and the OmniCabSim Mini was announced in November 2018, becoming available on 20 November of that year at a launch price of 135 USD, with a regular price of 169 USD². The pedal ships directly from the manufacturer in Chile². The OmniCabSim cabinet simulation later formed the basis of the cabinet simulation in DSM/Humboldt's BASS STATION, which the company describes as "an amazing analog cabinet simulation, based on the acclaimed Omnicabsim by DSM Noisemaker"⁵.

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