I think I disagree. If you want to compare two things in and of themselves, you have to impose some standards on the comparison; otherwise, as you suggest, the comparison is not valid. So you could compare IRs given that the amp sim brand, model, and settings are thus and such. Then you could conclude that this IR is too bright, that one sounds too anechoic, and so on.
But I don't think this is really what you're trying to compare. I don't think you are really very interested in "the effect of the IR itself", except as pure curiosity and a perhaps vain hope that you could find a suitable IR based on its specifications. What I think you're looking for is to find a sound of an amp sim plus IR that you find pleasing. That is, what you're looking for a comparative evaluation of whether a particular IR in combination with your chosen amp sim is suitable to your purpose or not. So, maybe, the comparisons should be along the lines of:
- can I adjust the IR, along with adjustments to the amp sim I'm using, to produce what is to me a pleasing sound?
- how hard is it for me to produce a usable (i.e., p;easing) result with this amp/IR combination?
- how expensive is a particular IR?
Perhaps something in this direction would result in the kind of comparison you're looking for. It's a polyfactor comparison, since what I think you're looking for is a certain output sound, which is not at all the same as the comparative sounds of multiple IRs in isolation.
A technique that has worked for me in the past when making complicated comparisons is a six-point comparison scale, like this:
- 5 points = fully satisfactory
- 4 points = better than 3 points but not as good as 5 points
- 3 points = somewhat satisfactory, but not the best
- 2 points = better than 1 point but not as good as 3 points
- 1 point = undesirable for the goal I'm trying to achieve
- 0 points = entirely unsatisfactory
This can even be used if the comparisons are somewhat or entirely subjective.
But maybe this is too much of an engineering approach.
Soul Serenade
Today, 05:23 PM in The Songs