CHIMERA
An Original Voice. A Modern Classic.
The Benson Chimera tips its cap to both sides of the pond yet finds its citizenship in a land of its own. Designed by Chris Benson with full devotion to tone, the Chimera carves out its own sonic territory: rich, articulate, and unequivocally three-dimensional. Plug in and you’ll find a harmonic complexity that feels alive beneath your fingers. The cleans shimmer without being sterile, and when it breaks up, it does so with texture and musicality rather than brute force. It responds like an instrument—dynamic, sensitive, and inspiring.
60 Captures of my Benson Chimera for ToneX. Trained with Modeler V2 on “Extended Training” for the highest quality possible. 5 different capture variations for humbuckers and single coils. Head versions and IRs included.
MAIN PRODUCT PAGE
60 Captures of my Benson Chimera for Quad Cortex. 5 different capture variations for humbuckers and single coils. Head versions and IRs included.
*This capture pack is for QUAD CORTEX and the captures are available on the Cortex Cloud. Links to the Chimera Presets and Captures are in the .pdf document you’ll receive upon purchase. Unzip the file you receive and open the 0 DOWNLOAD LINKS & MANUAL - CHIME QC pdf.
60 Captures of my Benson Chimera for Neural Amp Modeler. 5 different capture variations for humbuckers and single coils. Head versions and IRs included.
Line 6 HELIX Tone Matched Preset based on my Benson Chimera. Includes 4 different amp variations that mimic my captures for ToneX, QC, NAM, etc. Full array of drives and effects for a complete all-in-one solution.
Fractal FM9 Tone Matched Preset based on my Benson Chimera. Includes 4 different amp variations that mimic my captures for ToneX, QC, NAM, etc. Full array of drives and effects for a complete all-in-one solution.
YouTube Playlist
CAPTURES
OVERVIEW
60 captures for humbuckers and single coils with 2 different speakers.
V2 Extended Training for ToneX
Head Captures & IRs Included
MICS & PREAMP
Each capture was miced with a vintage U.S.A. Shure 545D through an API Preamp & EQ.
“HB BEN3” and “SC BEN” were dual miced with a 545D and a Beyerdynamic M160.
CABINET
Original Benson 2X12 Open Back Cab
HEAD CAPTURES
No compromise head captures.
Captured with the matching cabs connected at full volume for proper impedance matching for the best tone possible.
IRs and Cab Captures (for QC) included.
SPEAKERS & VOICINGS
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Benson Custom Ceramic 30W 12” Speaker
Your starting place for all humbucker-equipped guitars. This is a full and even capture with neutral amp settings and standard mic placement. Miced with a vintage 545D.
Captures
TS CHIME HB BEN1 - 0
TS CHIME HB BEN1 - 1
TS CHIME HB BEN1 - 2
TS CHIME HB BEN1 - 3
TS CHIME HB BEN1 - 4
TS CHIME HB BEN1 - 5
TS CHIME HB BEN1 - 0 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN1 - 1 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN1 - 2 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN1 - 3 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN1 - 4 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN1 - 5 HEAD
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Benson Custom Ceramic 30W 12” Speaker
This takes the BEN1 and increases the treble and subdues the bass. Both the amp’s tone controls and the mic position are adjusted for a brighter and clearer tone. This is your go-to capture for darker humbuckers or for those who just like that extra air. Still miced with a single vintage 545D.
Captures
TS CHIME HB BEN2 - 0
TS CHIME HB BEN2 - 1
TS CHIME HB BEN2 - 2
TS CHIME HB BEN2 - 3
TS CHIME HB BEN2 - 4
TS CHIME HB BEN2 - 5
TS CHIME HB BEN2 - 0 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN2 - 1 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN2 - 2 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN2 - 3 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN2 - 4 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN2 - 5 HEAD
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Benson Custom Ceramic 30W 12” Speaker
Consider this a bonus capture because I couldn’t leave well enough alone! This takes the foundation of BEN2 and attempts to refine it by adding a Beyerdynamic M160 ribbon mic to the 545D. Yet, the amp’s tone controls are quite aggressive so even though the M160 should have added warmth, the amp’s settings keep it bright. The result is a capture almost identical to the BEN2 but has something unique you audiophiles may pick up on and enjoy.
Captures
TS CHIME HB BEN3 - 0
TS CHIME HB BEN3 - 1
TS CHIME HB BEN3 - 2
TS CHIME HB BEN3 - 3
TS CHIME HB BEN3 - 4
TS CHIME HB BEN3 - 5
TS CHIME HB BEN3 - 0 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN3 - 1 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN3 - 2 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN3 - 3 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN3 - 4 HEAD
TS CHIME HB BEN3 - 5 HEAD
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Amperian V.S.O.P. Alnico 30W 12” Speaker
Dumped lows, scooped mids, crispy highs. Can definitely lean harsh if you don’t treat it nice. But with the right rig it’ll tear through the mix and send your guitar to the front. The upper mids sit quite differently than the Benson speaker. Try it in stereo with the BEN2 for bright width. Single miced with a Shure 545D.
Captures
TS CHIME HB VSOP - 0
TS CHIME HB VSOP - 1
TS CHIME HB VSOP - 2
TS CHIME HB VSOP - 3
TS CHIME HB VSOP - 4
TS CHIME HB VSOP - 5
TS CHIME HB VSOP - 0 HEAD
TS CHIME HB VSOP - 1 HEAD
TS CHIME HB VSOP - 2 HEAD
TS CHIME HB VSOP - 3 HEAD
TS CHIME HB VSOP - 4 HEAD
TS CHIME HB VSOP - 5 HEAD
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Benson Custom Ceramic 30W 12” Speaker
Enhanced lows and detailed highs. A warm and even capture designed for single coils of all varieties that still has plenty of clarity available.
Captures
TS CHIME SC BEN - 0
TS CHIME SC BEN - 1
TS CHIME SC BEN - 2
TS CHIME SC BEN - 3
TS CHIME SC BEN - 4
TS CHIME SC BEN - 5
TS CHIME SC BEN - 0 HEAD
TS CHIME SC BEN - 1 HEAD
TS CHIME SC BEN - 2 HEAD
TS CHIME SC BEN - 3 HEAD
TS CHIME SC BEN - 4 HEAD
TS CHIME SC BEN - 5 HEAD
60 Captures of my Benson Chimera for ToneX. Trained with Modeler V2 on “Extended Training” for the highest quality possible. 5 different capture variations for humbuckers and single coils. Head versions and IRs included.
MAIN PRODUCT PAGE
60 Captures of my Benson Chimera for Quad Cortex. 5 different capture variations for humbuckers and single coils. Head versions and IRs included.
*This capture pack is for QUAD CORTEX and the captures are available on the Cortex Cloud. Links to the Chimera Presets and Captures are in the .pdf document you’ll receive upon purchase. Unzip the file you receive and open the 0 DOWNLOAD LINKS & MANUAL - CHIME QC pdf.
60 Captures of my Benson Chimera for Neural Amp Modeler. 5 different capture variations for humbuckers and single coils. Head versions and IRs included.
PRESETS
TONE MATCHING
At the heart of every preset is a finely tuned “Tone Matched” amp and custom impulse response. Our proprietary tone matching process yields extremely accurate tones when comparing the real miced amp to the modeler.
All presets include impulse responses (IRs) that should be matched with the corresponding amps for the most ideal tone. Of course, you’re free to tweak the EQ on the amps to taste, but for the most authentic tone to match the original capture, leave them be.
PLATFORMS
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Presets for both Helix Floor and HX Stomp. Presets for Helix Floor are full, all-in-one presets with drives, wet effects, and snapshots dialed in.
Helix Floor
TS TM CHIME HB
TS TM CHIME SC
Extra Amps
TS TM CHME HB B1
TS TM CHME HB B2
TS TM CHME HB B3
TS TM CHME SC
HX Stomp
TS TM CHME HB B1
TS TM CHME HB B2
TS TM CHME HB B3
TS TM CHME SC
For understanding the differences between the “BEN” amps, see the Captures section above.
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The FM9 presets are full, all-in-one presets with drives, wet effects, and Scenes dialed in. These are suitable for humbuckers and single coils with a quick change of the Amp and Cab Blocks’ Scenes.
The extra speaker options are included in the main presets.
AMP A & CAB A - HB BEN1
AMP B & CAB B - HB BEN3
AMP C & CAB C - HB VSOP
AMP D & CAB D - SC BEN
For understanding the differences between the “BEN” amps, see the Captures section above.
Line 6 HELIX Tone Matched Preset based on my Benson Chimera. Includes 4 different amp variations that mimic my captures for ToneX, QC, NAM, etc. Full array of drives and effects for a complete all-in-one solution.
Fractal FM9 Tone Matched Preset based on my Benson Chimera. Includes 4 different amp variations that mimic my captures for ToneX, QC, NAM, etc. Full array of drives and effects for a complete all-in-one solution.
IMPULSE RESPONSES
Coming Soon
These impulse responses capture the heart and soul of the Benson Custom Ceramic speaker that comes stock with every Benson amp as well as an Amperian V.S.O.P. Alnico speaker that was recommended by Benson. Though these two speakers sound exceptional with Benson amps, they’ll sound great on others well! Try these out on various amp models in whatever unit you’re using and see how they work!
MICS USED
Shure 545D Vintage
Shure SM57
Royer R-121
Beyerdynamic M160
Audio-Techinca AT4081
Earthworks SR25
Dachman DA 87i
All impulse responses are captured with an API preamp with only HPF for EQ when needed. The R-121 used an Avalon preamp for a tighter low end.
The two most common questions I get is, “What’s your favorite capture?” and “What are your favorite stereo capture pairings?” This pack is my answer to both!
I chose my favorite capture from each of the 7 current amp packs I offer and then Gain matched them and adjusted the EQ’s on each to pair well together in any stereo configuration.
Skip the endless “capture hunting” that large collections of captures can cause and enjoy this “set and forget” pack.
INCLUDES 7 PRESETS
TS FAVS HB - AC30 (90’s VOX AC30/6TB w/ JMI Mods) V1 & V2
TS FAVS HB - PROSON (1997 Fender Prosonic) V1 & V2
TS FAVS HB - MCLUB (Matchless Clubman Reverb) V1 & V2
TS FAVS HB - TCAT (2005 Bad Cat Tone Cat)
TS FAVS HB - DR80 (Dr. Z Z-80) V2
TS FAVS HB - REV (Elliott Revenuer) V2
TS FAVS HB - CHIME (Benson Chimera) V2
60 Captures of my Benson Chimera for ToneX. Trained with Modeler V2 on “Extended Training” for the highest quality possible. 5 different capture variations for humbuckers and single coils. Head versions and IRs included.
MAIN PRODUCT PAGE
The Lazy J J20 is a refined take on a 5E3 tweed Deluxe, offering more clarity, higher headroom, tighter low end, and a smoother top end while retaining the warmth and responsiveness of the original circuit. It delivers rich, blooming cleans and a smooth, touch-sensitive overdrive that reacts naturally to your playing, making it a versatile and inspiring amp across a wide range of tones.
32 Captures V2
Extended Training
Head Captures and IRs
2 Different Speakers
API 3122V Preamp & Neve 8803 EQ
Miced with a Shure 545SD
MAIN PRODUCT PAGE
The Matchless Clubman delivers a punchy, harmonically rich British voice—tight low end, chimey yet muscular mids, and a smooth, articulate breakup that stays clear even when pushed. There’s a weight and authority to every note that feels alive under your fingers. The low end is focused without ever getting flubby, the mids are rich and forward with that unmistakable Matchless character, and the top end carries a clarity that cuts without harshness. It’s bold, articulate, and incredibly touch-sensitive—clean up with your volume knob or dig in and it pushes into a smooth, harmonically complex breakup that never loses clarity.
43 Captures (V1 and V2 captures included)
Extended Training
Head Captures and IRs
3 Different Speakers
API 3122V Preamp & Neve 8803 EQ
Miced with a Shure 545SD
MAIN PRODUCT PAGE
This particular AC30 is a 90’s Korg Era AC30/6TB with 2X12 Celestion “6402” stamped Greenbacks. These particular speakers are the holy grail of Greenbacks and compliment this amp spectacularly. But this is no off-the-shelf AC30 either—it’s been heavily modified by Don “Toneman” Butler, a Los Angeles area legend. Don equipped this amp with a Mercury Magnetics Axiom transformer and choke, replaced all the signal path components, changed the filtering to JMI specs, upgraded various components and more. This amp is the tone I’ve been chasing in my head for years and the TONEX has finally given me a way to capture it in a pedalboard friendly package!
MAIN PRODUCT PAGE
This particular Fender Prosonic was made in 1997 and has all original parts. The 60W Prosonic with two 10” Custom Shop Celestion speakers was designed by tone legend Bruce Zinky and has some similar features as a Mesa / BOOGIE amp. This amp can go from sparkling Fender cleans all the way to classic hark rock grind. It’s a much different flavor than a traditional scooped blackface many are familiar with. It has a lot more mids and a really warm saturation. Some say this may be one of the best Fender amps ever made. But we’ll let the captures do the talking!
MAIN PRODUCT PAGE
The Dr. Z Z-80 is Mike's "legacy" amp and is the result of 6 years of fine tuning and perfecting the coveted and uber-rare Vox AC80 circuit. The Doc and Brad Paisley worked together on getting this amp to sound just like the original while also ensuring it was road ready. The Z-80 isn’t just a higher powered version of a vintage AC30, however, rather it stands on its own sonic territory, offering a more focused low end, tighter breakup, and crystal clear highs. This amp sounds great with single coils and humbuckers. To top is off, this particular amp head was built and signed by the Doctor himself. Prepare for chime city!
*Extended Training with TONEX V2
MAIN PRODUCT PAGE
The uber rare Elliott Revenuer is one of two amp offerings from the famed guitar builder, Andy Elliott. Like Andy’s guitars, his amps are handcrafted and uniquely tuned to put the expression back in the players hands. This amp will make you honest! The Revenuer has a preamp section similar to a Tweed Deluxe paired with a Marshall-esque power section. It truly is a unique amp and has a tone that will undoubtedly bring a freshness to your collection!
*Extended Training with TONEX V2
MAIN PRODUCT PAGE
This 2005 Bad Cat Tone Cat is a very rare amp from the glory days of Bad Cat. The Tone Cat is not just a 2 channel amplifier, it is actually two completely separate amps in one chassis! The “Clean” side is the same as the 12AX7 channel on a Black Cat (think DC30) and the “Gain” side is the dirty side of a Hot Cat, which offers complex driven and crunchy lead tones. The two sides can also be mixed together and the order can be swapped as well. There are tones galore in this amp and it will have me exploring it for a long time to come!
This particular amp has the “M.S.” inscription on the inside making it a Mark Sampson era Bad Cat. This amp absolutely sings and is sure to scratch that Bad Cat / Matchless itch. It’s “THE” sound!
My Bass Rig for TONEX preset pack is a set of captures of my bass pedalboard we use on stage and in the studio. For best results, I recommend using a bass with Lollar Jazz Bass pickups or similar vintage style pickups.
This preset pack includes captures of all 6 of my current overdrives on my analog board at my preferred settings. Instantly transport the “Shepherd Sound “to your board through the power of TONEX! Use these drive captures on the TONEX ONE, TONEX ONE+ or with the Big Box TONEX pedal with use of MIDI and then pair them with my AC30 or Prosonic captures and you’ve got a ready-to-go rig.
These drives have been recently recaptured with V2 and trained with “Extended Training” for the highest quality.
*This capture pack is for QUAD CORTEX. Please Follow Me in the Cortex Cloud app (TheToneShepherd) and make sure you fill out the form asking for your User Name upon checkout. Please allow 12 hours for me to transfer your products but it’s likely it’ll be much faster!
*V2 amp captures are completed and will be transferred to you with any new purchase. I’m still in development of my V2 “all-in-one” presets but you’ll receive the Beta versions now.
WATCH THE FULL SOUND DEMO HERE
Full “Humbucker” Voiced Preset with Effects and Captures
Full “Single Coil” Voiced Preset with Effects and Captures
Vox AC30 Pack - 14 Captures
Fender Prosonic Pack - 14 Captures
Various Drives - 24 Captures
The goal of this “all-in-one” preset is to replicate my analog pedalboard and some of my go-to wet effects as close as I could. I captured my AC30 and Prosonic amps to be the anchor for my tone and then captured all 6 of the drives on my main board to give you access to nearly the exact same tones I use every day. I also included 14 additional drive captures as a bonus!
60 Captures of my Benson Chimera for Quad Cortex. 5 different capture variations for humbuckers and single coils. Head versions and IRs included.
*This capture pack is for QUAD CORTEX and the captures are available on the Cortex Cloud. Links to the Chimera Presets and Captures are in the .pdf document you’ll receive upon purchase. Unzip the file you receive and open the 0 DOWNLOAD LINKS & MANUAL - CHIME QC pdf.
The Lazy J J20 is a refined take on a 5E3 tweed Deluxe, offering more clarity, higher headroom, tighter low end, and a smoother top end while retaining the warmth and responsiveness of the original circuit. It delivers rich, blooming cleans and a smooth, touch-sensitive overdrive that reacts naturally to your playing, making it a versatile and inspiring amp across a wide range of tones.
32 Captures V2
Head Captures and IRs
2 Different Speakers
API 3122V Preamp & Neve 8803 EQ
Miced with a Shure 545SD
This is an amp-only bundle but can be used in conjunction with the QC Signature Preset
MAIN PRODUCT PAGE
*This capture pack is for QUAD CORTEX. Please Follow Me in the Cortex Cloud app (TheToneShepherd) and make sure you fill out the form asking for your User Name upon checkout. Please allow 2-3 days for me to transfer your products but it’s likely it’ll be much faster!
The Matchless Clubman delivers a punchy, harmonically rich British voice—tight low end, chimey yet muscular mids, and a smooth, articulate breakup that stays clear even when pushed. There’s a weight and authority to every note that feels alive under your fingers. The low end is focused without ever getting flubby, the mids are rich and forward with that unmistakable Matchless character, and the top end carries a clarity that cuts without harshness. It’s bold, articulate, and incredibly touch-sensitive—clean up with your volume knob or dig in and it pushes into a smooth, harmonically complex breakup that never loses clarity.
43 Captures (V1 and V2 captures included)
Head Captures and IRs
3 Different Speakers
API 3122V Preamp & Neve 8803 EQ
Miced with a Shure 545SD
MAIN PRODUCT PAGE
*This capture pack is for QUAD CORTEX. Please Follow Me in the Cortex Cloud app (TheToneShepherd) and make sure you fill out the form asking for your User Name upon checkout. Please allow 2-3 days for me to transfer your products but it’s likely it’ll be much faster!
This particular AC30 is a 90’s Korg Era AC30 6TB with an original Celestion Greenback and a new Fane Ascension F25 speaker. This amp has been heavily modded by Don “Toneman” Butler, a Los Angeles area legend. Don equipped this amp with a Mercury Magnetics Axiom transformer and choke, replaced all the signal path components, changed the filtering to JMI specs, upgraded various components and more. This amp is the tone I’ve been chasing in my head for years and the Quad Cortex has finally given me a way to capture it in a pedalboard friendly package!
MAIN PRODUCT PAGE
*This capture pack is for QUAD CORTEX. Please Follow Me in the Cortex Cloud app (TheToneShepherd) and make sure you fill out the form asking for your User Name upon checkout. Please allow 2-3 days for me to transfer your products but it’s likely it’ll be much faster!
This particular Fender Prosonic was made in 1997 and has all original parts. The 60W Prosonic with two 10” custom Celestion speakers was designed by tone legend Bruce Zinky and has some similar features as a Mesa / BOOGIE amp. This amp can go from classic sparkling Fender cleans all the way to classic hard rock grind. Some say this may be one of the best Fender amps ever made. But we’ll let the captures do the talking!
MAIN PRODUCT PAGE
*This capture pack is for QUAD CORTEX. Please Follow Me in the Cortex Cloud app (TheToneShepherd) and make sure you fill out the form asking for your User Name upon checkout. Please allow 2-3 days for me to transfer your products but it’s likely it’ll be much faster!
This 2005 Bad Cat Tone Cat is a very rare amp from the glory days of Bad Cat. The Tone Cat is not just a 2 channel amplifier, it is actually two completely separate amps in one chassis! The “Clean” side is the same as the 12AX7 channel on a Black Cat (think DC30) and the “Gain” side is the dirty side of a Hot Cat, which offers complex driven and crunchy lead tones. The two sides can also be mixed together and the order can be swapped as well. There are tones galore in this amp and it will have me exploring it for a long time to come!
This particular amp has the “M.S.” inscription on the inside making it a Mark Sampson era Bad Cat. This amp absolutely sings and is sure to scratch that Bad Cat / Matchless itch. It’s “THE” sound!
This is a collection of my favorite drives at my favorite gain and tone settings for each peal. Though these were dialed in around my AC30 and Prosonic amps from my Signature Rig Preset, these drives can no doubt fit a wide variety of amps and styles.
*This capture pack is for QUAD CORTEX. Please Follow Me in the Cortex Cloud app (TheToneShepherd) and make sure you fill out the form asking for your User Name upon checkout. Please allow 2-3 days for me to transfer your products but it’s likely it’ll be much faster!
The uber rare Elliott Revenuer is one of two amp offerings from the famed guitar builder, Andy Elliott. Like Andy’s guitars, his amps are handcrafted and uniquely tuned to put the expression back in the players hands. This amp will make you honest! The Revenuer has a preamp section similar to a Tweed Deluxe paired with a Marshall-esque power section. It truly is a unique amp and has a tone that will undoubtedly bring a freshness to your collection!
The Dr. Z Z-80 is Mike's "legacy" amp and is the result of 6 years of fine tuning and perfecting the coveted and uber-rare Vox AC80 circuit. The Doc and Brad Paisley worked together on getting this amp to sound just like the original while also ensuring it was road ready. The Z-80 isn’t just a higher powered version of a vintage AC30, however, rather it stands on its own sonic territory, offering a more focused low end, tighter breakup, and crystal clear highs. This amp sounds great with single coils and humbuckers. To top is off, this particular amp head was built and signed by the Doctor himself. Prepare for chime city!