The Mesa Boogie CabClone IR is a cabinet simulator in pedal format that takes the speaker output of a tube amp head and turns it into a direct signal for the studio, the stage console or headphones, using impulse responses to emulate the sound of a mic'd guitar cabinet. Mesa Boogie announced it in November 2019, packing the company's earlier CabClone concept down from a large box format into a pedal1. It carries 16 MESA proprietary cabinet impulse responses in two banks of 8 presets, and its internal reactive load can stand in for a speaker cabinet entirely2.
Unlike most speaker simulation pedals, which sit in your effects chain after a preamp, the CabClone IR connects between your amp head and its speaker cabinet. It can be fed directly from the amp head, and a speaker cabinet may also be used simultaneously for stage sound and monitoring, with no effect on the selected cab simulation sent to the console13.
What the CabClone IR does
The CabClone IR is a load box and cab sim in one. Your amp's speaker output plugs into its input socket, and from there the signal can go three ways: to an output socket feeding an optional speaker cabinet, to a line out, an XLR DI out for the console, and a headphone jack1. The internal reactive load presents an impedance matched to the version you bought, so the amp sees a proper load even with no cabinet attached2.
The cabinet simulations themselves are impulse responses, captures of MESA cabinets recorded by a professional engineer. Gearnews, covering the launch, noted that speaker cab emulation for pedalboards was already common tech by 2019, but welcomed Mesa Boogie packing its CabClone into the pedal format1.
The controls and factory cab presets
Both versions of the CabClone IR have controls for output, presence and input, plus a CabSelect control with 8 presets and two banks, Live and Studio1. Bank A contains the "LIVE" IRs, recorded with dynamic and ribbon microphones65.
The 16 factory IRs cover MESA's cabinet range523:
| Preset | Cabinet | Speaker | Impedance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4x12 Recto Standard | Celestion V30 | 8 ohms |
| 2 | 4x12 Recto Traditional | Celestion V30 | 8 ohms |
| 3 | 2x12 Recto Horizontal | Celestion V30 | 16 ohms |
| 4 | 1x12 Recto 1x12 | Celestion V30 | 8 ohms |
| 5 | 1x12 Thiele | Celestion C90 | 8 ohms |
| 6 | 2x12 Lone Star | Celestion C90 | 16 ohms |
| 7 | 1x12 Lone Star 23 | Celestion C90 | 8 ohms |
| 8 | 1x12 California Tweed 23 | Jensen Alnico Blackbird | 8 ohms |
The same eight cabinets appear in both banks, with the Live bank's dynamic and ribbon mic captures and the Studio bank offering the studio-recorded alternatives632.
Outputs, MIDI and loading your own IRs
On the back panel the CabClone IR has MIDI IN and Thru ports, using MIDI Program Change messages to control the presets or gain, with the Thru passing those messages on to other devices in your rig14. The front panel carries the line out, XLR DI out and headphone jack alongside the amp input and speaker output sockets1.
The 8 default box IRs from the factory can be replaced via USB if you prefer to load your own, so third-party impulse responses can be loaded into the unit over a USB connection1.
CabClone IR and CabClone IR Plus versions
Mesa Boogie launched the CabClone IR alongside a second version, the CabClone IR Plus. Both share the same core: 16 MESA proprietary cabinet IRs in two banks of 8 presets, the same output, presence, input and CabSelect controls, and the same MIDI implementation14.
The difference is attenuation. The Plus version has an attenuator for the output power and volume of the amp, which Gearnews described as giving far greater control over the output volume1.
"The Plus version gives you far greater control over the output volume."
Both are sold in impedance variants of 4, 8 and 16 ohms, chosen at purchase2.
The impedance cannot be changed after purchase. When you buy the CabClone IR you have to decide on 4, 8 or 16 ohms, and there is no way of changing that later, so match the version to your amp's speaker output impedance before ordering1.
Videos
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MESA/Boogie
MESA/Boogie
Questions
Does the Mesa CabClone IR work as a load box?
Yes. It can be fed directly from the amp head, and its internal reactive load is enough to handle 150 Watts RMS, which should be plenty for most tube amps. You can run the amp into it with no speaker cabinet connected, and a cabinet can also be used simultaneously for stage sound and monitoring.
Can I load third-party impulse responses into the CabClone IR?
Yes. There are 8 default box IRs from the factory that can be replaced via USB if you prefer to load your own. The unit ships with 16 MESA proprietary cabinet impulse responses arranged in two banks of 8 presets, and the factory IRs can be swapped out over USB.
Which impedance CabClone IR should I order for my amp?
Match it to your amp's speaker output impedance. It is sold in 4, 8 and 16 ohm versions, and the internal reactive load is impedance matched to the version you choose at purchase. Check your amp's speaker output jack or manual before ordering.
Can the CabClone IR impedance be changed after purchase?
No. When you buy it you have to decide on 4, 8 or 16 ohms, and there is no way of changing that later. There is no impedance switch on the unit, so the choice you make at purchase is fixed.
What is the difference between the CabClone IR and CabClone IR Plus?
Both are cabinet simulators with 16 MESA IRs in two banks, the same control set and MIDI. The Plus version adds an attenuator for the output power and volume of the amp, giving far greater control over the output volume than the standard CabClone IR.
How many watts can the CabClone IR handle?
The load is enough to handle 150 Watts RMS, which should be plenty for most tube amps. That covers the great majority of guitar amp heads on the market, including high wattage 100 watt designs.
Sources (6)
- Mesa Boogie CabClone IR and CabClone IR Plus: Two new cab sim pedals launched, gearnews.com, 2019-11-22
- CabClone iR+ Cab Simulator & Attenuator, 8 Ohm, Gibson (www.gibson.com)
- CabClone IR Cab Simulator, 8 Ohm, Gibson
- CabClone IR Cab Simulator, 4 Ohm, Gibson (gibson.com)
- CabClone IR+ Cab Simulator & Attenuator, 4 Ohm, Gibson (www.gibson.com)
- CabClone IR+ Cab Simulator & Attenuator, 16 Ohm, Gibson (Mesa/Boogie)
