Great review. Appreciate the honesty and still open minded approach. I just bought it, and it’s very good. I have yet to try anything beyond the stock IR’s. Some have load Hillsop and seem to think it’s a noticeable improvement.
Thanks, man! I've not heard of Hillsop, I'll have to check that out. The IR I use all the time was also suggested to me in the comments, which is cool. Glad you dig the unit, that room control was great. Cheers, Ben.
Ill share my 2 cents.... I've had the best luck w York Audio IRs. I love his stuff. Funny I generally preferred the stock IRs on this video... The AC30 sounded bad to me though, mine doesn't sound anything like that! I wouldn't use it if it did. Interesting. I love my sound w it.. I use York's matchless and mesa cab, all 2x12s. I do generally run an overdrive into though.. nearly always a Timmy or Direct Drive and often stacked. I do think a compressor helps it a lot too. I use the Boss CP1x or SP comp w it and both help, gain run a bit lower on Iridium to compensate and not over compress. I still love my amp but for what I do the Iridium really sounds amazing. Happy to hear your honest opinion brother!!! Keep rocking!
Thanks man, I'll check out the York Ir's. All the isolated examples were using the internal gain only. I could get things to sound much smoother running drives or comp in front of the Iridum, but wanted people to hear how it sounds raw. That AC30 sound did come up sounding quite pants though! I just put everything on 12.00 and played with no additional eq, thus the crap sound. I do that in the isolated examples, but obviously in the playing sections I try to make them sound as good as I can in the mix using any means necessary, ha!
Hey, I think is always good to say what you think. I think it's important to have in mind the Iridium is a piece of gear 2 years old, more focused to recording. As far as I know was created with intention to sound like a real amp with miked cabinet from a professional room studio, listened through full response speakers as we do in pro studios. I think the Iridium needs its time to be driven to the place every owner needs, lot of trial an error, depending as well on personal taste, style of music, invest time in different third party IR's etc... I can tell straight I always found needs external EQ treatment, the sound feels flat as the inner EQ is not a properly EQ. It change, lets say the sound style but not the EQ itslef. Also is a classic to hear is fizzy which I agree. Once you spent the time to understand how works to your needs, you can develope touch-ups or chain improvements. The real deal nowadays in my opinion, is a proper analog amp with power attenuator to any good IR cab simulator. Once again, for recording purposes. Too much text sorry.
Thank you for your comment. I agree with you, I run a real amp in to a cab IR here at home and it's the given me the best results I've had so far. I think amps with built in IR's are probably the future of gear at the moment, whether valve or otherwise. The Iridium is a good unit, it just didn't blow me away by comparison to other units I've owned or used that do the same type of thing. I think if the IR section had a parametric eq rather than just sliders for bass/mid/treble, that would go a long way in to dialling it in within the unit. Cheers, Ben.
Wow - I do hear a lot of Jeff Beck in your playing. It must be the warmer tones you get with fingers instead of playing with a pick. BTW, I've been using a Strymon Iridium to record with, and love it. So much simpler than my POD GO setup. I know the Iridium is also digital, but it's just easier to use and get great sound quickly. Knobs like an amp has - no need for endless tweaking.
Thanks man, I'm a Jeff Beck fan for sure, so that's a nice compliment. The simplicity of this unit is a huge plus. Digital/modelling units have always had so many dual function buttons etc. It's nice to have one like this where what you see is what you get. Obviously you can go in to the editor if you want to go deeper, but it's great that you don't have to. Cheers, Ben.
Great insights! Whilst the redwirez IR sound great singled out, I find it hard to think they would stack up in a mix and I'm certainly no friend of fizzy tones. With the fizz tones you could eq to a place near the redwirez, but hardly the other way around. Just my 0.2c tho. 😎
Thanks man. I thought the Iridium sat well in the mix for sure! I've made the redwirez probably a little darker than most people would, with the cab roll off in the Atomic. There's also 4 different mics including a 57 and placements from 1 inch to 12 inches, cone center, edge and off axis. Something like 400 variations in the free package. I'm using the least toppy mic on the Redwirez too, so you could make it cut a lot more than I have. You can download them and have a play around if you have some kind of loader. Thanks for the comment, Ben.
Nice selections! I use the Atomic Amplifirebox with most of those amps actually and they're the ones I use, except it's a Deluxe not a Princeton. The video I have coming out this week compares these sounds to the Atomic, if you're interested. Ben
@@BenFletcherGuitar I will take a look! i have the real fender 68 and i love to use it with my few pedals. I've tried the fractal, great tone, but i don't like the way to use....programming, editors, preset...make me crazy, i don't need these kind of stuff and i don't need hundreds of sounds. I'm just looking to a simple pedal plug and play to use with my pedals when i can't use my tube amp, so the idea of strymon is great in my opinion, but i didn't try it yet. Probably i should evaluate the Ethos....
Thanks, man! It's an RT, they made them for about 1 year back in the early 90's. I've installed a Dimarzio Cruiser in the neck and a Gibson 498T in the bridge. Mine is the cheapest model the 240, which was a European only version I believe. I paid about 150 quid or maybe just under for it about 10/12 years ago, but they still go for the same price. I just wanted something cheap with a trem, to do that kind of stuff with ^
Kind of agree but they don't sound any more fake to me. I hear them as sounding pretty similar but, in the redwirez examples, its as if the amp's presence control has been rolled off or something like that. If it works in the mix is all that matters at the end of the day.
@@holyronin I agree with you that things can be different in a mix, which is why I always try and show both isolated examples and some in context. 99% of my playing is done in isolation though, neither with a band nor on a recording. I would imagine most people practice more than they play in a mix. I also like a dark sound.
There is great value here that a high level player, obviously with a great ear is making honest reviews. Thank you.
Thank you, I really appreciate that.
Great review. Appreciate the honesty and still open minded approach. I just bought it, and it’s very good. I have yet to try anything beyond the stock IR’s. Some have load Hillsop and seem to think it’s a noticeable improvement.
Thanks, man! I've not heard of Hillsop, I'll have to check that out. The IR I use all the time was also suggested to me in the comments, which is cool. Glad you dig the unit, that room control was great. Cheers, Ben.
Ill share my 2 cents.... I've had the best luck w York Audio IRs. I love his stuff. Funny I generally preferred the stock IRs on this video... The AC30 sounded bad to me though, mine doesn't sound anything like that! I wouldn't use it if it did. Interesting. I love my sound w it.. I use York's matchless and mesa cab, all 2x12s. I do generally run an overdrive into though.. nearly always a Timmy or Direct Drive and often stacked. I do think a compressor helps it a lot too. I use the Boss CP1x or SP comp w it and both help, gain run a bit lower on Iridium to compensate and not over compress. I still love my amp but for what I do the Iridium really sounds amazing. Happy to hear your honest opinion brother!!! Keep rocking!
Thanks man, I'll check out the York Ir's. All the isolated examples were using the internal gain only. I could get things to sound much smoother running drives or comp in front of the Iridum, but wanted people to hear how it sounds raw. That AC30 sound did come up sounding quite pants though! I just put everything on 12.00 and played with no additional eq, thus the crap sound. I do that in the isolated examples, but obviously in the playing sections I try to make them sound as good as I can in the mix using any means necessary, ha!
Hey, I think is always good to say what you think.
I think it's important to have in mind the Iridium is a piece of gear 2 years old, more focused to recording. As far as I know was created with intention to sound like a real amp with miked cabinet from a professional room studio, listened through full response speakers as we do in pro studios.
I think the Iridium needs its time to be driven to the place every owner needs, lot of trial an error, depending as well on personal taste, style of music, invest time in different third party IR's etc...
I can tell straight I always found needs external EQ treatment, the sound feels flat as the inner EQ is not a properly EQ. It change, lets say the sound style but not the EQ itslef. Also is a classic to hear is fizzy which I agree.
Once you spent the time to understand how works to your needs, you can develope touch-ups or chain improvements.
The real deal nowadays in my opinion, is a proper analog amp with power attenuator to any good IR cab simulator. Once again, for recording purposes. Too much text sorry.
Thank you for your comment. I agree with you, I run a real amp in to a cab IR here at home and it's the given me the best results I've had so far. I think amps with built in IR's are probably the future of gear at the moment, whether valve or otherwise. The Iridium is a good unit, it just didn't blow me away by comparison to other units I've owned or used that do the same type of thing. I think if the IR section had a parametric eq rather than just sliders for bass/mid/treble, that would go a long way in to dialling it in within the unit. Cheers, Ben.
Wow - I do hear a lot of Jeff Beck in your playing. It must be the warmer tones you get with fingers instead of playing with a pick. BTW, I've been using a Strymon Iridium to record with, and love it. So much simpler than my POD GO setup. I know the Iridium is also digital, but it's just easier to use and get great sound quickly. Knobs like an amp has - no need for endless tweaking.
Thanks man, I'm a Jeff Beck fan for sure, so that's a nice compliment. The simplicity of this unit is a huge plus. Digital/modelling units have always had so many dual function buttons etc. It's nice to have one like this where what you see is what you get. Obviously you can go in to the editor if you want to go deeper, but it's great that you don't have to. Cheers, Ben.
Great insights! Whilst the redwirez IR sound great singled out, I find it hard to think they would stack up in a mix and I'm certainly no friend of fizzy tones. With the fizz tones you could eq to a place near the redwirez, but hardly the other way around. Just my 0.2c tho. 😎
Thanks man. I thought the Iridium sat well in the mix for sure! I've made the redwirez probably a little darker than most people would, with the cab roll off in the Atomic. There's also 4 different mics including a 57 and placements from 1 inch to 12 inches, cone center, edge and off axis. Something like 400 variations in the free package. I'm using the least toppy mic on the Redwirez too, so you could make it cut a lot more than I have. You can download them and have a play around if you have some kind of loader. Thanks for the comment, Ben.
@@BenFletcherGuitar Cool, I'll have some time next weekend to download the package and have a go at the IRs. Have a great weekend!
I would like to have similar pedal with princeton 68, dumble SSS and dumble ODS models!!
Nice selections! I use the Atomic Amplifirebox with most of those amps actually and they're the ones I use, except it's a Deluxe not a Princeton. The video I have coming out this week compares these sounds to the Atomic, if you're interested. Ben
@@BenFletcherGuitar I will take a look! i have the real fender 68 and i love to use it with my few pedals. I've tried the fractal, great tone, but i don't like the way to use....programming, editors, preset...make me crazy, i don't need these kind of stuff and i don't need hundreds of sounds. I'm just looking to a simple pedal plug and play to use with my pedals when i can't use my tube amp, so the idea of strymon is great in my opinion, but i didn't try it yet. Probably i should evaluate the Ethos....
Great vid and great tones once again. I love that Ibanez! What model is this?
Thanks, man! It's an RT, they made them for about 1 year back in the early 90's. I've installed a Dimarzio Cruiser in the neck and a Gibson 498T in the bridge. Mine is the cheapest model the 240, which was a European only version I believe. I paid about 150 quid or maybe just under for it about 10/12 years ago, but they still go for the same price. I just wanted something cheap with a trem, to do that kind of stuff with ^
I agree i had to high cut all the stock ir just to get rid of the fizz.
I'm glad I'm not the only one to have found this. Thanks for commenting.
Didn’t like the redwirez at all.
Sounded “fake” and muffled.
It's all subjective.
Kind of agree but they don't sound any more fake to me. I hear them as sounding pretty similar but, in the redwirez examples, its as if the amp's presence control has been rolled off or something like that. If it works in the mix is all that matters at the end of the day.
@@holyronin I agree with you that things can be different in a mix, which is why I always try and show both isolated examples and some in context. 99% of my playing is done in isolation though, neither with a band nor on a recording. I would imagine most people practice more than they play in a mix. I also like a dark sound.