HeadRush 4.1 Firmware Update: Amp Cloner Gets Smarter, Effects Shine Brighter

HeadRush 4.1 Firmware Update: Amp Cloner Gets Smarter, Effects Shine Brighter

Welcome to the HeadRush 4.1 Experience

Alright, fellow tone chasers and gear nerds, gather ’round. The HeadRush team just dropped their 4.1 firmware update for the Core, Prime, and Flex Prime units, and it’s stirring up some serious buzz. If you, like me, have spent hours wrestling with amp clones and hunting down that elusive “just right” ambiance, this update promises a lot: revamped amp cloning, shiny new effects, and smoother MIDI integration. But does it really deliver or just add more buttons to confuse us poor guitarists?

New Effects That Play Nice With Your Tone

The 4.1 update introduces three spotlight FX modules that caught my ear immediately:

  • C-Verb Convolution Reverb: This isn’t just your garden-variety reverb. Using impulse responses, C-Verb creates lush, realistic spaces that breathe life into your playing. It’s like having a Matchless Clubman 35-sized room wrapped around your rig — only without the sweaty stage lights.
  • Multi-Tap Delay: This effect lets you sprinkle rhythmic echoes all over your soundscape. Perfect for those who want to build complex delay patterns and get really creative with timing.
  • Grain Delay: This one’s for the experimentalists. It chops up your signal and time-stretches it, producing wild, textured soundscapes that range from subtle warbles to sci-fi chaos.

I ran some musical demos pairing C-Verb and Multi-Tap Delay together, and the results were pretty inspiring. The reverbs added depth without washing out the tone, and the delays gave a nice rhythmic complexity without turning everything into a muddy mess. For a pedalboard in a box, this is a serious upgrade.

Amp Cloner 4.1: Science Meets Tone Hunting

Here’s where things get really interesting. The Amp Cloner has always been HeadRush’s pride and joy, and they claim the 4.1 firmware ups the ante by capturing more precise low-end and tonal nuances — especially with fuzz, high-gain, and mid-gain edge-of-breakup amps. To put this to the test, I cloned a Matchless Clubman 35 twice: once with the old firmware and once with 4.1.

Scientific Setup

Using a consistent test signal and a measurement rig (because, yes, your ears can lie), we compared frequency responses and dynamic accuracy side-by-side. The goal? To see if the new algorithm really nails the original amp’s character, especially in the tricky low and mid frequencies.

Test Results

  • Clones running 4.1 showed strange frequency artifacts in the high and low end.
  • Frequency plots confirmed greater accuracy between the original amp and the clone using the OLD firmware.
  • The difference is notable. Up to 98% accuracy with the old firmware vs 96% in the best showing from the 4.1 update. Other tests were as bad as only 91% accurate.

So, the tests DO NOT backup HeadRush’s claim that the 4.1 update makes the Amp Cloner sound closer to the real deal — a major disappointment for anyone who’s ever cursed a clone for sounding a little flat or lifeless.

Gear Highlights and Context

While the spotlight is on the HeadRush units and their new firmware, it’s worth mentioning the gear involved in these demos and tests:

  • Matchless Clubman 35: A boutique tube amp known for its rich, mid-focused tone and dynamic response. Ideal for testing cloning algorithms because its nuanced breakup and low-end make or break authenticity.
  • Walrus Audio Etherealizer: Though not the main focus here, it’s featured as part of the gear collection in the video description — a pedal known for atmospheric reverb and delay sounds, which complements the new HeadRush effects.
  • Ibanez AZ Prestige: A versatile guitar with a smooth neck and premium pickups, perfect for capturing the nuances needed during cloning and testing.

Gear Mentioned in This Video

Free Matchless Clubman 35 Clone: https://sixstringlab.com/collections/headrush Headrush Core: https://www.zzounds.com/a--3991755/item--HEDCORE Headrush Prime: https://www.zzounds.com/a--3991755/item--HEDPRIME Headrush Prime: https://www.zzounds.com/a--3991755/item--HEDFLEXPRIME Walrus Audio Etherealizer: https://www.zzounds.com/a--3991755/item--WLRQIETHEREAL?siid=366943 Ibanez AZ Prestige: https://www.zzounds.com/a--3991755/item--IBAAZ2204?siid=234184

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