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.
FREE CAPTURES AND PRESETS
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
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.