In all seriousness, I think most average music listeners wouldn't be able to tell the difference between digital and analog, and even some snobby audiophiles. I've been recording direct ever since the original Tech21 Sansamp came out (around 1992-ish??), and haven't turned back.
No, sag compresses and clips, but it does so immediately. Latency is the delay between doing something to your guitar, and getting a sound out the other end of the chain, and high latency makes any instrument feel very unresponsive, requiring the player to force the issue by "rushing" and thoroughly blowing the groove.
For the past 4 years we have toured with an ampless setup, except for drums. I started out with a rack mount Kemper. We were playing an old theatre in the pacific northwest and there were some power issues. The Kemper was very sensitive and would not operate properly. Fortunately I always carry an "emergency pedal board" which saved the day plugged into an old deluxe that was laying around. That was an eye opening experience. I was determined to get back to at least a semblance of old school, and that meant playing with a traditional pedal board. But what about an amp? Well, I bought the Iridium and stuck it on my board, last in line....and never looked back. I will tell you I am NOT a fan of IEMs, but it is today's reality. And the rig I now have using the Iridium sounds great, is durable and solid, and importantly easy to dial in. Do I miss my Badcats, Victorias, etc. on stage??? Hell yes...but if it means playing or not playing, the Iridium is a solid alternative. Sorry this was so long....
@Theo Chi I don't think anyone is forgetting it's a pedal that emulates. I'm not saying it's the best resolution for an amp free stage. But it is a simple and good sounding unit if you have to go ampless. I can guarantee you can't tell standing out front if I'm using a Victoria or the Iridium.
@Theo Chi Oh yeah, the Deluxe is always a solid choice!! It is sad how things have migrated over the last few years....and I suspect there's no slowing that train down. It does have some solid advantages. Maybe the biggest is the weather factor is now taken out of the fear factor/equation. I used to dread playing hi humidity shows down in Florida, or even here in Virginia, but with the Iridium/pedal board rig, it sounds the same show after show. Extremely easy to get your sound. Same for Quilter amps that I have used and still own. They are bullit proof from show to show. Oh well.....trudge forward into the brave new abyss of digital!!
@Theo Chi Absolutely!! It's a great feature and I use it every show. When we roll on stage and are setting up, after I have everything situated and we are getting ready to do actual soundcheck, I plug my IEMs directly into the Iridium with all pedals fired up as well. This way I can make sure everything is working, I can tune up, and can reset all the setting that TSA has kindly adjusted for me without anyone hearing anything. Nothing bothers sound engineers and even other band members more than the guitar guy cranking his shit up for 5 - 10 minutes!! This way I can get my sound, check all connections, etc. silently....and of course for late night at home playing it's perfect, I think anyway....
Word in the business is that physical magazines are on a knife edge in regards to continuation. So, perhaps you are right. Then again, they said the same about guitars a few times since 1960.
The magazines are usually much better than the online sites. The writing online seems unedited and 1st draft at times. But, the writing in the mags is also going down hill. Most everything is just a direct ad nowadays. IMHO
@@fossilmatic The last time I read a guitar magazine I was stuck in a small town and bored. The first article was the editor reading the audience the riot act and telling them "if you don't like what we're covering, piss off." So yeah, probably not going to last much longer lol.
Fascinating. I’ve watched almost all TPS episodes, and have never seen Mick looking and sounding so clearly uncomfortable in the early stages. It was interesting to see how you both were wrestling with something that challenges your sound values. Great episode. This genie is out of the bottle and will only become more and more prevalent.
My theory is... the ones who are anti valve amp, clearly haven’t spent enough time in a room with one turned up. Because when you do that... it’s the end of the argument
absolutely agree, i love playing with my collection of amps at home i even use one live a peavey 30 because of its lightness but i run a roland vg88 into the power amp section because it models guitars aswell as amps and effects and in a cover band it covers alot of ground, so it best of both worlds. valve warmth that fills the room with the versatility of amp modelling
Sounded better than I expected. I think it's worth remembering that these sorts of things aren't aiming to be the best possible sound a solo guitar player can get while playing on their own. They're trying to do a job for the gigging musician who has to deal with limitations.
If you already own a bunch of pedals, which you love, I think the Iridium is a great option. I own one and the first thing I noticed is that it takes drive pedals more naturally and organically than other digital options I've tried. Not saying that you can't dial in similar results with a FAS or Line6 system BUT my drive pedals instantly sounded like they should in front of a real amp. Strymon really cooked up something special with this product and personally, I'm impressed.
I'm intrigued by this pedal for sure. The room reverb makes ALL the difference in my opinion. I regularly play in a church setting with a miced amp with in-ear monitors, and my biggest frustration is the directness of the sound, the lack of ambiance. I'm so much more inspired hearing an amp in a space!
This is why I love TPS - not just “how does it work and does it sound good?” but looking at where it sits in the real world of creating and performing music, and what does it bring out of you as a musician. Stellar work as always guys, appreciate what you do so much.
I had a Kemper and sold it a couple of years ago because I wanted to get back to recording with tube amps. The Kemper sounded great but I wanted to go "traditional". I've found that over the last 2 years I've done very little real recording though. After spending a bunch of time working on mic placements, mic types, preamps pairings and other related techniques I found that I had run of time to be creative. It's also hard to crank up tube amps in the space I have without someone else getting annoyed so I was limited to certain times of day I could record. I went back to a Kemper a few weeks ago and couldn't be happier!
You speak for a lot of people. Unless you know the space, it sounds goof and can have it set up all time, mic’ing can be a pain in the butt. That’s most people. Cheers!
Hi Have you used pedals with your kemper ? I’m tempted to go that route but every time I ask about pedals + kemper, the answer I get is “why would you use pedal with the kemper” but no real reviews
@@plmr127 I use my full pedalboard with my Kemper as well as pedals in the loop. I've found they almost all work the same as with a traditional amp. The one exception being Klon style pedals but I think the issue there may be that I tend towards amps on the Kemper with that same type of clarity and the two combined start to sound harsh. Otherwise, it takes pedals very well.
Proud of you fellas for taking on amp modeling with an open mind. I think one thing we as guitarists get hung up on is the whole 'does this sound like the real thing', when the real question we should be asking is 'does it sound good'. In reality I'd wager the fast majority of people one might play in front of wouldn't be able to tell the sonic differences between a Princeton and an AC30. They do know the difference between what their ears perceive as 'good' or 'bad', and I've played plenty of gigs where a front of house tech that didn't know how to properly mic or eq an amp turned a good sound bad. It's pretty rare in the 'real world' that anyone lets you crank up an amp to its happy place anymore... Point is that stuff like Iridium (or HX/Helix/Kemper/etc) allows you to set up a sound you know sounds good (maybe not 'accurate' but good to the listener) and have it be consistent night after night while keeping the bar owners happy that the patrons get to retain their hearing :)
The Iridium sounds pretty darn good IMO. If I lived in an apartment (flat) and had to keep the volume down while still getting something like a turned-up sound, it’d be a really good solution. And if my ears ever protest against my preferred vol levels (left ear does get cranky at times with brighter guitars) I’ll be fine switching over to it or something else like it. Thanks as always, guys, for the detailed presentation!
Definitely a valuable tool live. Especially if you're gigging and usually rely on backline amps. I play at a church and no amps on stage allowed. I used to run a vox ac15hw1x side of stage micd up but every week it sounded different. Having to carry a 30kg amp only to have mono and no other amp options is pretty annoying. I use an hx stomp now and my normal preset is an ac30 and a matchless in stereo and it sounds better, more consistent, setup is literally two cables into a stage snake, my sound is consistent and my back is way happier
Jesse Landreth I play for my church as well, I want this pedal so bad for that application. My tone varies from week too week. We’re a portable church, and this would make things so much easier.
Johnnathancordy has been doing great daily TH-cam videos on this pedal, I asked him if it was possible to send one channel to a cab on stage and one to front of house... he did some research and came back that you could upload a blank ir slot to one of the channels which you could then send to a power amp and cab or effects return of your amp on stage and then the other mono channel with a stock ir or uploaded one to front of house.... great bit of problem solving, and a lovely bloke as it turns out. Love the show as always thought this might be useful and massive kudos to Johnathancordy and his channel for solid work around.
Mick, I've been in contact with Hugo from Strymon and I believe I have some possible setups to consider. Try coming out of the Iridium with one output to the FX return of your dry tube amp, the other output back into your board for the wet chain and then out. You'll need to insert what Strymon calls a "null cab IR" for the dry amp side. With that you could have a wet/dry setup, or if you're feeling sporty, you can take your dry side of the board out to an ABY with one output to your lovely tube amp for dry and the other ABY output back to the board for the wet side and then to the Iridium out in stereo and voila you have a wet/dry/wet setup! Happy days :-) ... or just enjoy it at the end of your chain as you guys have done.
I think that to use the convenience and flexibility of a digital amp sim, you have to know that your on stage experience will be like running your isolated miced-up amp (which is located out behind or under the stage) into your monitors. If dialled in well, it will sound almost exactly the same to the audience and sound techs (in a big room), but won’t and can’t feel like standing in front of your amp.
Please don't feel like you have to do kemper or anything like that. So many others do it. What I love about your channel is your desire to get fantastic and authentic sounds. Obviously we can't do that at midnight in an apartment... but if you love tone enough... you will find a way do it somewhere else!! I own a 100 watt dumble clone pretty much because of this channel and I am every so grateful for it :D. I use it every day.
I swore I wasn't going to comment and risk pissing Mick off (again? lol) but......... 🤠 That sounded better than I expected. The simplicity and sound is certainly there and if I needed something small and simple, and the amps covered what I wanted, it seems like a good compact choice. Pro's and cons versus a Kemper or Helix (and I have both) as well as real tube amps (and I have plenty of those as well). Between the last go-round with Mick on the subject and this video, I did give the whole "thing" a lot more thought and I actually have drawn some conclusions on why I use the Kemper a lot (the Helix I use just for bass) when I could easily enough use tube amps for everything (it just kind of evolved over time for me). First, my days of lugging around a Twin Reverb are just over (and killing small animals with a single power chord as well). That gets to the second part of it which is not just the volume issues at a gig, but also just the volume in the room as well. I get the whole amp in the room thing and I love it. Something like a Twin Reverb where it really starts cooking (and many other higher power amps) just is not good for your ears. At 50yo and 35+ years of playing, my ears still work pretty well, and I don't think they would if I'd kept going with those types of rigs (I started looking for alternatives in the '90s and went all rack then). If I'm going to really crank up a tube amp, I want it in an isolation room and me not in that room with it. So that's a decision I made decades ago. The last bit is that as a multi-instrumentalist and singer (though primarily guitar and vocals), being able to hear everything the way you want it in the mix is just incredible (something you rarely get with wedges and real amps on stage). So with those things in mind as well as the silent stage things etc, I took the time and made the effort to get used to headphones and now in ears etc. I still love throwing some pedals in front of a '57 Champ or Deluxe, I love the sound of my Bassbreaker 15 and I'll be getting a SSS clone soon enough (50 not 100) as well as probably a Vibrolux Reverb. I love that stuff and I do still use it. But if I want to throw down something quick, I have working with the Kemper down so that it's almost as fast to get up and going as breaking out the Champ etc., and MUCH easier to record with at all hours and anywhere. So it's all about trade-offs. Some are bigger than others but everything IS a tradeoff of some sort. For the most part, healthy ears and a good vocal mix mean more to me than having to have a tube amp on stage. I can still appreciate (and indulge in) the other options as well. 😉 Great show as always guys! PS: you need more "All you need is Fuzz" shirts in different colors! 🤠
For everyone comparing HX Stomp and the Iridium, it is simpler than you guys think: both units are awesome and they are tailored for completely different applications (I have both and I love both, so I can tell a little about it): - The Iridium is clearly an "amp in a pedalboard" approach for people that: 1) Already have a lot of pedals, 2) Need something to go straight to PA when they cannot use their loud amps, 3) Something to practice, or maybe 4) backup when my vintage amp dies. It is very limited but at the same time straight forward and "what you see is what you get" approach similar to a regular analog amp. It appeals a very specific niche of players that already have a good setup and they are happy with it and just need to very easily "modernize" their setup; - The HX Stomp is an "all you need in a single box", or, to be honest, the ultimate "swiss army knife" on the guitar world. I honestly believe that every guitar player should have one. Need to record something and you don't have your audio interface with you? No problem, USB recording. Want to practice silently with all effects and amp sounds you need in a headphone? Fine. Need to play acoustic guitar and need an DI, fine. Need bass amps? Fine. Need tons of effects to go with your regular amp and at the SAME TIME fork to a modeling amp straight to PA and IEM? Good. Need a lot of effects on your tube amp (4 cable method) but don't want to build an expensive and complex pedalboard? Fine! It basically does it all. Therefore, "jack of all trades" and "master of none" kind of approach. So, they are two completely different market niches: - Iridium for people that already have a nice pedalboard and need to go straight to PA or a backup to their amp. - HX Stomp for people that need the most versatile and portable guitar setup tool ever made and don't care about menus and presets. I hope that helps anyone :D
Well said. I'm a tube amp guy with a nice pedalboard but got the HX stomp for a gig where we weren't allowed any stage volume so something like the iridium would have been ideal, but having used it for a while (and slightly overcome my menuphobia), got to say it's an impressive bit of kit and I use it almost exclusively for recording at home, not another pedal in sight. Having said that, if the gig allows a bit of stage volume it's valve amp every time 😊
I play in church, so silent stage. I have a traditional pedal board that I put an HX Stomp on the end of for amp & cab. I also recently purchased a Helix. There is much to like about it in the setting I play, but if given the chance to use amps, I would - wet/dry into Fender Blues Jr. and Mesa Subway Blues. The Iridium is such a simple and solid sounding pedal. Appreciate you guys taking the time to critique it, like some parts, dislike others and stay open-minded about where it works. Didn’t think you’d review this, but glad you did. Btw, love Strymon stuff but have bought and sold the Timeline, Blue Sky, DIG, and Flint. I like it simpler, so Helix is still a decision about whether I will keep it or not. And, we’ve all seen digital stuff go obsolete, but analog keeps going.
Advancements in the digital modeling world is a godsend to folks like me who live in apartments (Japan) and do not have the luxury of cranking a tube amp then mic’ing it to record. That said, I would still love to own a tube amp someday.
Yep. I’ve been in Japan for 20+ years and totally understand. FYI, the only tube amp that I’ve found to be satisfying at Japan home volumes is 1970s Vibrochamp. The speaker is small and inefficient so it’s much quieter than even 1W amps I’ve owned in the past and it sounds fantastic even at low volume. If you get an old Fender spring reverb tank to put in front of it, it is a great authentic alternative to the bigger Fenders. Not a super cheap option but I’ve wasted a lot of time, energy, and money over the years to figure that out, so I figured I’d share.
Already one of my favourite episodes, not just bc of that insane Strat sound but hearing Mick and Dan genuinely try on a product they are on the other side of the argument with made for some very substantive viewing material. And the discussion about the nature of bedroom players/TH-camrs/most gear demo people needing different options to massive amps is fantastic. Love the relevance of that sort of talk. Cheers, boys!
Great show!! Is like you said, digital is convinience, specially for recording some demos, or for playing quiet and live with in ears. Is light, cheaper than a tube amp and stereo wich can work nicely with other Strymon pedals. I won't sell any of my amps for the iridium, and it doesn't replace them at all, but is a great tool to have, to use it when it should be used. Probably, if you want to "replace" your tube amps, you can ran the iridium (without ir emulation) thru something like the fryette power station into a real guitar cab. The other way around, if you want to record your real amps but quietly, you can use a tube amp with a reactive load, into iridium (with amp off) and take advantage of the great room reverb. I read in the manual that you can even upload IR of acoustic guitars, so in a live context you can have a direct tone that sounds more like an acoustic miced, rather than the normal piezo sound. Is a great tool, and one that I'm sure I'll get. Thank you
@@TheVigilantStewards I personally would never use it with an frfr (other than the house PA off course - that is not always good). To me this shines if you use it with headphones late at night, or live with in ears, or just to record some quick demo when inspiration strikes. I rather carry a tube amp for anything else. But that are just my thoughts, everyone is different.
@@horaciococcioni8538 Thank you. I still use tube amps also, I was just hoping that I would gain more convenience and control with the rise of Kemper and Iridium quality sounds.... seems like it's still not there
@@TheVigilantStewards yes, I don't think that is there yet. I think that eventually it will, and something like the powered Kemper with a cab is really really close and sounds great, but I love the way tube amps just give you the sound you want without a lot of tweaking, they look good, they are timeless and you don't have to wait for them to "get there". I mean, Dan's AC30 and Mick's loaned 61 strat are almost 60 years old and they are the most amazing piece of equipement ever, timeless. That's the beauty of it. But iridium is great for me for what it is, and I'm kind of tired of expecting digital to "be there". Is just a great tool that inspires people to make good music and that's good enough for me. That's why I don't think of replacing any of my amps with digital technology, but adding digital tools to make life as a musician easier. The good thing is that we have a lot of options to choose from!
@@horaciococcioni8538 Yeah... the best option is to have enough money to buy everything... that's the lesson I always learn with guitar lol. To me if it's 98% as good on stage (I would run through an FRFR to emulate actually playing an amp , I usually use my amp without a PA) but it gives me more control, flexibility, and sounds I think I would be ok with that.... but those transients and upper mid range openness need to be there. Sounds like the Kemper just has more a more realistic sound. Iridium sounds good though from what I can hear
Helix user here who loves this show! I have a tube amp and pedals but tend to avoid them because I am happy with what the Helix does, and how it does it. I find that every single one of the principles you bring to your approach to pedals translates perfectly to the world of the Helix, thus the reason for my comment. The reality is that the information you present applies to us all. I see your show as an approach to the concept of effects, as they interact with the whole "ecology" of tone that comes with the huge array of other factors that contribute to tone. But hey, enough of my yaking. What do you say....lets's boogie (my little nod to Mick's shirt)
Got one right after it was released, really strictly for recording at home, and it's the best guitar amp/cabinet modeller I've ever used. And I like the Line 6 stuff for that application quite a lot, always have, but this is much better to my ear. It takes pedals so much better, IMO, stick it at the end of my pedalboard and it sounds like very close to what I'm used to (and no, they don't react exactly the same as when hitting the front of a tube amp). The other thing is the simplicity and intuitive/tactile nature of just twisting a few knobs to get a sound rather than a lot of menu diving, etc. is also much more appealing. Dan mentions the flexibilty of plugins for tweaking or completely changing the sound after the fact, which is certainly true, but...it can also lead some of us into total option paralysis. Having to set up a sound outside of the box and commit to it is actually a huge plus to me. Not to mention freeing up a lot of CPU in my DAW workstation by NOT processing every guitar track in the box (or having to bounce it down, etc). But as you say, I'd never use it at a gig instead of an actual amp because I don't need to. Most of the gigs I play, on a 12 x 15 foot stage in a small room, your amp IS the front of house sound anyway.
I want to move to wherever it is you live/gig. The vast majority of local venues in Sydney with a stage comparable (and larger, thru to a medium-sized venue) to the one you describe would not allow an amp in through the door. Most everyone has to DI in this godforsaken town. The music scene here is moribund. Getting to use a real valve amp on a 12 x 15 ft stage in a small room would be like paradise to me. Haven't done that since the early '00s.
@@tcw8287 The NU>X Solid Studio is a decent bet for the money. All you need is some sort of preamp pedal, like one of the Mooer Micro Preamps or Joyo "sound" series (American, British, etc). I won't spend any more than I have to for DI/IR/Cab Em etc. Once you reach the level of 1's and 0's, and being able to load 3rd-part or create your own IRs. most of these units will do a good job. The NU>X has a similar design to the Iridium. It has a bunch of features - including being able to send to amp *and* FOH. It's not stereo, but a stereo room reverb after the unit works well (as mentioned early on in the video regarding time-based effects post-Iridium).
I watch the video and all I want really is to try out that HIWATT amp. I guess this is what Mick means by 'inspiration'. Cheers anyway. It is such a relief to watch a video about a new product and then concluding 'No, not for me'.
holly molly that 61 strat sounds insane! I was listening and thought man, that guitar has a particularly good sound, then you said it was 61... Mick, you have to buy it ! Sell a kidney or something, but we need that guitar on your show !
Hulk Slayer if I can afford it I’m sure Mick can. And I’m using it in the return input of my amp. It can be used that way. That’s right. And to make everyone more upset I leave the cab sims on 1x12 thru a 1x12 and it sounds fine to me. Although, very expensive and I could just use a pedal. I can plug this into my least favorite amp and get 3 different amps now.
I've had one for a week now and although it will never replace or feel the same as an amp...any amp....one thing is for sure I'm going to write more music for owning it. That makes owning one a no brainer for me.
It might not sound exactly like any specific amp, but it is a professional tool that sounds better than any thing of its kind that I've ever tried. The room sound is pretty unique and really useful as well.
The list that Mick runs off at about 5:31 is the exact reason why this product might appeal to me. I'm no technophobe but I personally hate having a zillion options to play around with. I just can't stop myself from tweaking sounds and it paralysis my real objective of actually playing the guitar.
Exactly why I love the Strymon stuff, or just regular minimally knobbed pedals. Software Amp sims are a nightmare for me. Comes with a Zillion amps! *spends hours tweaking.... man, time for bed, no recording done.
Love the videos guys! Wanted to chime in on the bluetooth comment. Bluetooth audio always results in latency. If you're watching a video using bluetooth headphones the video is actually intentionally delayed to line up with the latency experienced from the headphones. So if you're playing an instrument and trying to listen back in real time using bluetooth headphones, the latency will be so bad that it would be impossible to play. Think digital recording latency multiplied several times over! Keep the content coming!!
So interesting. I've just bought one. It might not hold up to Dans vintage ac30 cranked. But I bought the best vox I could afford, ac30HW, I can't play it loud enough at home for me too enjoy it. Live it sounds amazing standing in front of it but once its mic'd through a 57 and put in to my in ears, it sounds nothing like my amp. I used the Iridium for the fist time this weekend and It sounded more like I was standing in front of my amp in my in ears then actually the real thing! With the Iridium I got the full sound of an amp, as aposed to the sm57 taking a snapshot of it, if that makes sense?
Nathan Holmes Don’t use SM-57’s on VOXes. e906 is much better for this type of sound, brings out the amp chime much better and more natural. I stopped using microphone when I got my OX though - it’s phenomenal. But Iridium as well, different purpose...
Jeah, this is a thing. It's extremely important how you mic a speaker and what kind of microfone you choose. I also have an AC30hw and I found that when using dynamic mics (sm57, audix i5) it sounds most like the amp in the room when placed off axis aimed at the middle of the speaker. Record your amp en try different mic positions, or multiple mics. Especially when you play big rooms and festivals. Enjoy!
I think Mick’s comment that he felt like he was playing guitar and not through FRFR, says it all. I can see a few great uses for this. Of course the recording and silent practice aspect, but also as a throw in your gig bag for backup in case your amp fails at a gig, or for the quick jam or last minute sit in session. Great pedal.
I should be more specific. It was technically the thumbnail that caught my attention, not the title. And I’ve turned many people on to your channel BECAUSE of who you are. Keeping doing what you do. It’s great!
I practice guitare a lot more since i bought a software amp sim because I can play late at night. I'm happy to lose tone quality if it allows me to actually play the guitar.
@@gilouch8975 What I'm thinking he's referring too is something like the Neural DSP plugins. They are plugins that you run in your computer, with your guitar plugged in via a audio interface. The Plini Neural DSP plugin is very popular
Very valid point. Little orange crush 20 did it for me (and yeah, you have to.compensate with lower ppwer, less headroom,little speaker, but it does the job).
@nimrodian What are you on about mate? I was replying to House Mouse when he said "I'm happy to lose tone quality". My point was that some amp sims are so good that you don't have to "lose" anything. Perhaps you are not reading hard enough.
It is very good for someone (read: me) who can't afford the real thing... I love for $400 I can have so many great amp tones that (while not fully replicating) get close. Thanks for always doing such a great job reviewing these - super helpful!
You could also use this to add amps to your setup without having to actually bring them. If you wanted to have two stereo wet amps, and one dry, you could split your signal before your wet effects and send that to your single stage amp, then run some stereo delay/reverb into the iridium into a stereo DI to get a add a nice stereo wet amp tone. All those multi amp dream rigs that are too much of a hassle, are a little more accessible now.
I don't have any experience with tube amps, so I don't have a bias towards them, but I thought there was no comparison listening to the side-by-side. The Iridium has this compressed quality to my ears, like a blanket of midrange noise around the signal, where the tube amps were clear, three-dimensional, and open. I didn't think it sounded bad during the demo, and there are obvious applications for Iridium, but there is a clear difference just considering quality of sound alone.
Dang, every week your great playing, especially Mick’s, gets better and better; TPS has been years long practice sessions … Thank you for discussing FRFR and this, “In the studio we are hearing the Iridium’s direct sound through 1500-watt EV PA speakers” and “You’ve got to plug it into something to make sound.” The inference being that in addition to the Iridium, you may have £ outlays for speakers and an interface. One thing I’d like is an XLR output, eliminating the need for a DI box. Cheers!
Great episode guys!!!! Appreciate how objective you were. I don't think anything can replace tube amps! I've got a few that I love. Also have owned the Iridium for a couple of weeks. It'll never replace my 'real' amps. But it does offer a lot of convenience and a great sound as you mentioned. Haven't gigged with it... But I think I would. Also great as a backup for my amps. Recording... Definitely. Lastly, cant over state this... Try different cab ir's... For me was the difference between thinking it was ok and really liking it. All the best! 🤗
I really appreciate the in depth level of these reviews. You spend the time to show the full spectrum of sounds with different types of guitars. For viewers that are looking to possibly purchase the pedal, that's exactly what we want to see. I have a Strymon Big Sky which is amazing - Strymon produces unbelievable levels of quality. I use the Big Sky to record direct into Logic Pro X. After listening to the full review, I want to purchase the Iridium to add other tones to what I can record. You guys are awesome! Thanks, you earned another sub.
Big sky is amazing! Especially for recording direct with that cab simulator. When I was first investigating the big sky nobody mentioned the cab simulator on the back, and I never noticed it. Then I started keeping it on the pedal board (the floor,) on a regular basis running through an Orange crush 35RT And was thinking, “damn, I knew this amp sounded OK, but not this good,“ then I figured out that I had, at some point, instantiated the cab simulator on the back of the big sky and it never got turned off. That EQ curve does big things.
I recently purchased the Mooer Cali 3 on a whim; it is supposed to sound like a Mesa Boogie Mark iii and while I can't vouch for the accuracy of the modeling, I can say it sounds amazing to my ears. It is the only modeling gear that I have actually enjoyed playing enough to get lost in the sound. I'm still resistant but the tech undoubtedly has improved by leaps and bounds since the early days. Love the show. Thx.
I have the Mooer 005 Brown sound and 002 UK Gold, and I think they work better with the Cab Sim on direct to my interface. Cab sims have come a long way, and are vital to the small home studio.
Mark this day on your calendar.... D&M were BOTH impressed with a modeling device! The end is nigh! ;) In all seriousness... this was a great episode and really spot on: "Use what you want to use." Words to live by.
Remember, sirs. Not everyone is privileged enough to find your fine analog treasures within the realm of affordability or reasonability with regard to volume and where they're restricted to playing. Modelling, however flawed, presents a more affordable alternative. There's hardly anybody stuck with a modeller who wouldn't trade seats with you in a heartbeat. Something to bear in mind, gentlemen. Cheers. Love the show.
It's time for a new category at the Grammys...."Best instructional, musical, often comical, masterfully done, professional and educational online video..." "And the winner is.................."THAT PEDAL SHOW!" followed by whoops, hollers and screaming with applause. It's time.
I love the “practice anywhere w/headphones” potential of this little device (especially, late night at home, without waking the wife and kids). Plus, plugging this into my Xitone would be the ultimate grab ‘n’ go setup.
It depends on which church you play at (from Mick's comment near the end of the video). The one's I've played at I have been lucky enough to crank both small Fenders to a Mesa. However, between the Iridium or a Helix/Kemper/AxeFx/etc, I would choose the Iridium. It's practically idiot proof, doesn't blind you with LEDs and touchscreens on a blacked out stage, and (to my ears) sounds better. Sure, it's pricey and takes a whopping 500 mA, but it's a very nice pedal to emulate amps/cabs well.
I play an Ethos Clean ii into a Torpedo CAB M, and really love it for a small church stage and headphone practice with my iPad. Only thing you miss with direct is feedback, and the natural air between the speakers and strings.
You can see what they think by their facial expressions when they play. Esp Dan. I suspect he ain't changing his 61 Vox for the iridium. The comments below suggest it is a great recording and home amp device but not so much for gigging. The iridium sounds like a sort of muffled version of the real thing. As soon as the real amp kicks in it all becomes clear and chimy. This is a real honest review and comparison. Tubes for playing live and iridium or katana for playing at home and some rehearsals.
Since 2017, I've recorded and released around 13 records, many of which I've recorded from home. I've gotten so tired of the bad-room issues and general mic-ing issues that occur at home. You have just sold this to me gents, like so many things. Arriving Thursday for lockdown releases! Thanks again.
Nicely done, and I know how hard that was for y'all, especially with a room full of some of the best amps money can buy. I thought it sounded fantastic, and it def has a place, plus you can use the same pedals....all good. Peace!
I just ordered this to try out. This channel made my buy it. Sometimes we play through JamHub. Problem with some of my friends they hate fiddling with stuff like the Helix (I have Floor and HX Stomp). This also seems like it would be a good backup for a gig if you did not want to haul around another whole amp. You could just go direct and then have routed to monitor speakers in a pinch. This demo sounds pretty legit as far as amps go. I agree with Rebea, there is no replacement for Tube Amp. I have a Fender Concert and Marshall DSL40CR. They sound so much better than modeling and things like the Boss Katana MK II.
I just love your show so much. You guys have a great way of explaining stuff, and this video finally made something click for me.. now I want one. Cheers!
okay, so I really did like the real amps better, but honestly the strymon seemed to do exactly what it claims to do. Always a sure selling point. I think it's an awesome tool for the right players. As a side note, I tell you Mick that was some of the most glorious guitar tone on TPS to date. Maybe there will be an opportunity presented that will allow you to claim that Strat truly for your own. I for one dearly hope so. one last thing, Dan are we going to be seeing any more practice vlogs? they were great, and have helped me quite a bit. Thanks for all you guys do. Best show on You Tube!
I may well swallow this comment once I have watched the rest of the episode, but at a glance seems a shame it doesn't have xlr outputs. It is all fine enough for recording, but would be nice for live shows to be able to DI it straight out of the unit, Sansamp style.
@Manny Rios I'll check that out, I am looking at doing some shows i could do with a portable setup for next year... (for that kinda money though also weighing getting a blues junior and cutting it down to a head for a little clean(ish) portable option)
My same sentiment exactly...Would by this in a heartbeat if it had a DI out...I own the v1 of the Tech21 Flyrig 5 w/c also didn't have the DI out and tuner, the v2 has now both tuner and DI but is missing the IR component...who knows v3 might come out with IR capability heheh...so yeah i'm torn right now between the strymon iridium and tech 21 flyrig 5 v2
I would add that there’s little chance a small strymon could get 2 xlrs in it. Most places that run sound will have more than enough DI boxes. You’ll prolly only use 1. I mounted a passive DI to the underneath of my pedaltrain.
Love the show. I don't really understand why you wouldn't like playing with a 'produced' or 'recorded' guitar sound (probably the thing I've loved the most in my 4 years of using Kemper). Any time you've heard your favourite players be it SRV or Jeff Beck or whoever, unless you were in the room and near their amp, you are hearing the guitar tone through microphones, whether it's at a gig or on a recording. I love that digital gives me the ability to practise with and create sounds which will translate exactly to the stage or studio!
It’s a fair point Peter. But Dan and I have been playing live for decades now, hearing it first hand. And... sorry to be big headed or whatever... we have been stood next to some of those legends and hearing them play. Being stood next to an amp on the end of an awesome tone... It’s a life changing moment. Many moments. :0)
Love Mick's comment about amps not really suitable for a church environment. Your right Mick, in many churches they are not welcome, certainly on stage. But my church is an exception, I get to play my Morgan PR36 and my Marshall Astoria Custom on stage and rock out. But that might be because I'm one of the leaders of the church lol. But I fight to keep a backline on stage as I hate not having it there. In ears just don't do it for me, we use them but i have one in and one out so I get the stage sound.
I play at a smallish church with an undersized stage. I got to help design the stage and PA system. I'm lucky - I have a 1x12 miked up under the stage that literally hasn't seen daylight in years! My pedalboard has a mic preamp on it, and I run delay and verb after the amp. For churches like mine, this thing will be amazing, and will greatly simplify things. Must be fun to play loud and have a live amp on stage, though. I'd miss having stereo in-ears!
A good point made: I have a great little 1 watt amp. It is still WAY too loud to crank at home, especially if you are hitting it with gain pedals up front. Anything above 2-3 is LOUD.
Now having owned an Iridium, I think it’s great. I have vintage Fenders, Supro, Trace, Ampeg, etc. the Iridium sounds great. There’s no replacing the visceral nature of a valve amp. THAT BEING SAID.... you’d have to spend a lot of time in the studio, or lugging gear, to get a sound notably better than what the Iridium offers. So, is it WORTH it to schlep vintage gear, and spend $$ in the studio? “Sometimes.” But certainly not all the time. Enter the Iridium.
Hi Jeremy. Thanks for your comment. Have you used the Iridium for live performance? If yes ... how did it work out for you? I'm very interested in NOT hauling my Marshall to gigs anymore if possible. Of course ... I'm not expecting it to replace an analog amp. But it sounds pretty great to me. Thoughts?
I haven’t used it live, but if you have a monitor with plenty of headroom, 700W +, there’s no reason why this shouldn’t sound great. I used a CabdryVR live with a pre, and got fairly good results. This is far and away much better.
Well done Gents... another thorough and fun investigation... and good on 'ya for comments about different approaches not being better or worse... just different... to just play what you are in to... I'm new to electric after 30+ years of acoustic only... for cost and convenience I went the Helix/FRFR route and it is working out great.. but eventually I'll build my own amp and build a board with a G2... love the show overall btw.
Mick, you said something very interesting. You mentioned that when playing at low volumes you'd prefer to use headphones because the moment you hear the strings acoustically over the amp that "it doesn't work..." for you. I'd never thought about it like that before. I've been a bedroom player for the last 10-12 years or so but I've been playing guitar for 25 years. I play for 2-3 hours every day after work but I don't think I've ever played louder than my string volume. I've tried, for sure, but it's so loud just to get it to that point that it disturbs everyone else in the house. However, wearing headphones for hours on end hurts my head, makes my ears sweat, and is quite uncomfortable to me. I have four amps that are aimed specifically at the "bedroom" rocker but through my 2x12 its too damn loud to use, if there's anyone else in the house. Another issue I have is that I like to play along with backing tracks. If I'm using my tube amps through a cab the volume from the amp is far too loud to be balanced with the stereo speaker I have to hear the playback through and the tube amps are too quiet, at that point, to really get an inspiring tone. I keep going back to my Helix and Powercab combination but even then it's never louder than my string volume. But on the off chance that I'm alone in the house and the neighbors are at work and I can crank the Powercab, I find it so loud it's distracting and my playing and is seriously limited and uninspired. I've grown so accustomed to the quieter volumes that even minimally loud is too much for my ears to handle.
Steve L , bro I feel for you. Could you rest a block of time from a studio or rehearsal studio near you? Could go crank it up once a week or so? Have you texted running everything into your computer? I find that the overall volume of a nice set or studio monitors doesn’t seem to upset neighbors as much as an amplifier being manipulated to be quieter. Good luck. Keep on rockin!
I hadn't thought about it, but yea (in a somewhat similar situation to yours), if I do really crank up a tube amp now, I feel almost self-conscious and it throws me. lol
@@ezm69 exactly! I Feel that way too. Even when I'm alone and I crank my amp I only do it for 5 minutes because I feel like an asshole. Also it hurts my ears, and for what reason? Loud tube amps do sound better but I wouldn't want to hear my daily warm-up routines or mistakes made while learning new songs/passages out of a loud amp every day.
Sounds pretty great to me! I will definitely consider this as my next purchase, as i like the ease of use with no menus. I have a Victory V30 and a hot rod deluxe and also a Blug, but this is so small, it would be great for duo gigs with a small pedalboard. Cheers guys :)
The thing about the Iridium is it's sound quality. Having a great basic Fender, Vox and Marshall sound as good as it in one box is a luxury. As I pointed out one can turn it into replacing your backline amp very easily with a pedal pre and amp then putting it thru even a Celestion 12" in an open back cab.
Yah I agree with Mick's sentiment towards the end. The whole commenting trying to prove everyone else incorrect, etc. Why? Embrace your own thing, or both things, or neither, who cares? I am assembling two main rigs for myself: one is 100% analog, tubey, cork sniffery (drives are strictly Kingsley, and ending with a Two Rock). Why? Well just because I want to (and I'm lucky that I can) On the other hand: I actually mostly play through an HX Stomp and a THR10C... So why the fight regarding either? I say both if you can! Or whatever you can / want!
Been using my Iridium for a good while now and here are a few ways I use it. 1 Disable the IR/ Cab in Iridium and run into the Fryette Power station and real cab 2 Disable the IR/Cab in Iridium and run into Line 6 Power cab, use the powercab speaker models or Irs loaded into powercab 3 run the Iridium headphone into an IK Multimedia ILoud speaker. All sound great. Don’t know if you’ve ever used a powercab but great tool for at home levels, also can use a real amp through a load box which is very good. In fact, there’s a suggestion for a show, the Line 6 powercab, with valve amps
I bought one and have done comparisons just for tone quality and realism among my two main amps (Benson Chimera head & 2x12 cab, Bad Cat Cub IV 15R) with and without a Suhr Reactive Load IR. The Iridium does not disappoint. It sounds great. It also sounds better for headphone practice than everything I’ve ever tried - from a Carl Martin Rockbug to a Torpedo Cab and Kingsley Squire setup. Those all sounded thin and weird through ‘phones, whereas the Iridium sounds really good. Strymon has a homerun with the Iridium. :)
How do you like the Suhr Reactive Load ir with headphones? I love it - I'm playing so much more now as I can play late. How does it compare to the Iridium?
DavidRelihanMusic - The RLIR’s headphone out is great too, but it does greatly benefit from a bit of ‘verb if you have it on hand. It however doesn’t drive headphones (Sennheiser HD650’s in my case) as well as the Iridium, so there’s that... So, one doesn’t replace the other, as I still wanna use my actual amps to record often. When I need something portable for going direct or just want some great sounding variety for recording.... Or a super convenient backup for my amp at a gig - the Iridium is fantastic. I still wish it had an effects loop so that time-based effects could be placed post Iridium while utilizing the onboard headphone out, but hey.... It’s an amazing product regardless and I’m super stoked to have it as an option. :)
If people really need to experience 'moving air,' they can rig a floor flan with a MIDI input jack, connect it to the MIDI output of the Strymon and have the Strymon send CC messages to the floor fan for off, low, medium, and fast fan speed settings. Problem solved.
Playing a recorded guitar is weird. I understand those feels my friends. Took me ages to sort out how I was going to be able to use a Kemper in my live shows, and the answer was to bring a standard guitar cabinet and route IR's only to the direct out and give that to the FOH. That way you still get the guitar/speaker interaction, which is 90% the feel at volume! To me anyway. Thanks again for another great video!
![Ditch The Guitar Amp? Direct Options For Your Pedalboard [Iridium, Simplifier, Iconoclast]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ie2IAK9TEd0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Ditch The Guitar Amp? Direct Options For Your Pedalboard [Iridium, Simplifier, Iconoclast]](/img/tr.png)
Just remember folks.
It’s called harsh and digital if you don’t want it.
It’s called clarity and note separation if you do.
Love this!
In all seriousness, I think most average music listeners wouldn't be able to tell the difference between digital and analog, and even some snobby audiophiles. I've been recording direct ever since the original Tech21 Sansamp came out (around 1992-ish??), and haven't turned back.
It's also called "my neighbors just called the police on me again" if you crank your AC30 above 1.
It's called "sag" when it's analog and "latency" when it's digital. Is that right?
No, sag compresses and clips, but it does so immediately. Latency is the delay between doing something to your guitar, and getting a sound out the other end of the chain, and high latency makes any instrument feel very unresponsive, requiring the player to force the issue by "rushing" and thoroughly blowing the groove.
For the past 4 years we have toured with an ampless setup, except for drums. I started out with a rack mount Kemper. We were playing an old theatre in the pacific northwest and there were some power issues. The Kemper was very sensitive and would not operate properly. Fortunately I always carry an "emergency pedal board" which saved the day plugged into an old deluxe that was laying around. That was an eye opening experience. I was determined to get back to at least a semblance of old school, and that meant playing with a traditional pedal board. But what about an amp? Well, I bought the Iridium and stuck it on my board, last in line....and never looked back. I will tell you I am NOT a fan of IEMs, but it is today's reality. And the rig I now have using the Iridium sounds great, is durable and solid, and importantly easy to dial in. Do I miss my Badcats, Victorias, etc. on stage??? Hell yes...but if it means playing or not playing, the Iridium is a solid alternative. Sorry this was so long....
@Theo Chi I don't think anyone is forgetting it's a pedal that emulates. I'm not saying it's the best resolution for an amp free stage. But it is a simple and good sounding unit if you have to go ampless. I can guarantee you can't tell standing out front if I'm using a Victoria or the Iridium.
@Theo Chi Oh yeah, the Deluxe is always a solid choice!! It is sad how things have migrated over the last few years....and I suspect there's no slowing that train down. It does have some solid advantages. Maybe the biggest is the weather factor is now taken out of the fear factor/equation. I used to dread playing hi humidity shows down in Florida, or even here in Virginia, but with the Iridium/pedal board rig, it sounds the same show after show. Extremely easy to get your sound. Same for Quilter amps that I have used and still own. They are bullit proof from show to show. Oh well.....trudge forward into the brave new abyss of digital!!
@Theo Chi Absolutely!! It's a great feature and I use it every show. When we roll on stage and are setting up, after I have everything situated and we are getting ready to do actual soundcheck, I plug my IEMs directly into the Iridium with all pedals fired up as well. This way I can make sure everything is working, I can tune up, and can reset all the setting that TSA has kindly adjusted for me without anyone hearing anything. Nothing bothers sound engineers and even other band members more than the guitar guy cranking his shit up for 5 - 10 minutes!! This way I can get my sound, check all connections, etc. silently....and of course for late night at home playing it's perfect, I think anyway....
@Theo Chi enjoyed it, too!
Long? Dude, it was very informative. Thank you!
“Just use what you want to use man, don’t sweat about what other people are using.”
Words to live by Mick. Perfectly stated.
Yes, exactly. So many different situations, so many different solutions.
That’s cool and all but we wouldn’t have a piano or an electric guitar or electric bass if everyone took that attitude.
The guitar magazines have blues guys on the cover because they know what kind of guitar players still buy physical guitar magazines 😆
Blues lawyers with money.
Word in the business is that physical magazines are on a knife edge in regards to continuation. So, perhaps you are right. Then again, they said the same about guitars a few times since 1960.
The magazines are usually much better than the online sites. The writing online seems unedited and 1st draft at times. But, the writing in the mags is also going down hill. Most everything is just a direct ad nowadays. IMHO
@@fossilmatic The last time I read a guitar magazine I was stuck in a small town and bored. The first article was the editor reading the audience the riot act and telling them "if you don't like what we're covering, piss off." So yeah, probably not going to last much longer lol.
@@DroneCorpse I believe the term is "tone attorney."
Fascinating. I’ve watched almost all TPS episodes, and have never seen Mick looking and sounding so clearly uncomfortable in the early stages. It was interesting to see how you both were wrestling with something that challenges your sound values. Great episode. This genie is out of the bottle and will only become more and more prevalent.
My theory is... the ones who are anti valve amp, clearly haven’t spent enough time in a room with one turned up. Because when you do that... it’s the end of the argument
Bea! X
absolutely agree, i love playing with my collection of amps at home i even use one live a peavey 30 because of its lightness but i run a roland vg88 into the power amp section because it models guitars aswell as amps and effects and in a cover band it covers alot of ground, so it best of both worlds. valve warmth that fills the room with the versatility of amp modelling
I am a tube purist but I would definitely love to just plug in directly front of the house instead of lugging around an amplifier everywhere I go
I don't think there are many anti-valve people. Plenty of anti-modeling though. Personally I am a "tube guy" but modeling outperforms when recording.
And the ones who did get deaf after x years and still pretend to hear every nuance in the sound palette. :-) ;-)
Sounded better than I expected. I think it's worth remembering that these sorts of things aren't aiming to be the best possible sound a solo guitar player can get while playing on their own. They're trying to do a job for the gigging musician who has to deal with limitations.
If you already own a bunch of pedals, which you love, I think the Iridium is a great option. I own one and the first thing I noticed is that it takes drive pedals more naturally and organically than other digital options I've tried. Not saying that you can't dial in similar results with a FAS or Line6 system BUT my drive pedals instantly sounded like they should in front of a real amp. Strymon really cooked up something special with this product and personally, I'm impressed.
"We need to play and stop talking." I always love Mick talking, because I always learn something new.
Yeah it’s funny when they say that. I don’t mind them talking that’s what I mainly watch the show for. They spit ample amount of wisdom of stuff.
“It sounds like the people who named those have been playing Dungeons & Dragons a lot”
That, sir, is a sign of quality if ever I heard one.
That comment alone made me want to throw out all my analogue gear and exclusively use D&D-themed IR's
I'm intrigued by this pedal for sure. The room reverb makes ALL the difference in my opinion. I regularly play in a church setting with a miced amp with in-ear monitors, and my biggest frustration is the directness of the sound, the lack of ambiance. I'm so much more inspired hearing an amp in a space!
This is why I love TPS - not just “how does it work and does it sound good?” but looking at where it sits in the real world of creating and performing music, and what does it bring out of you as a musician. Stellar work as always guys, appreciate what you do so much.
Thank you Richard! That is the hope and it’s edifying to know that there are humans out there who get it! Thanks for watching!
Totally this, think I may need to get one. Especially as most gigs now require IEMs
I had a Kemper and sold it a couple of years ago because I wanted to get back to recording with tube amps. The Kemper sounded great but I wanted to go "traditional". I've found that over the last 2 years I've done very little real recording though. After spending a bunch of time working on mic placements, mic types, preamps pairings and other related techniques I found that I had run of time to be creative. It's also hard to crank up tube amps in the space I have without someone else getting annoyed so I was limited to certain times of day I could record. I went back to a Kemper a few weeks ago and couldn't be happier!
You speak for a lot of people. Unless you know the space, it sounds goof and can have it set up all time, mic’ing can be a pain in the butt. That’s most people. Cheers!
It's always about the right tool for the job (situation) at hand! 🤠
Hi
Have you used pedals with your kemper ? I’m tempted to go that route but every time I ask about pedals + kemper, the answer I get is “why would you use pedal with the kemper” but no real reviews
@@plmr127 I use my full pedalboard with my Kemper as well as pedals in the loop. I've found they almost all work the same as with a traditional amp. The one exception being Klon style pedals but I think the issue there may be that I tend towards amps on the Kemper with that same type of clarity and the two combined start to sound harsh. Otherwise, it takes pedals very well.
I'm also curious Iridium vs Kemper, I hope it's in this video
Two things can't happen in this world at the same time.
1. My banking account going up
2. Watching That Pedal Show
awesome epidode. Thank you guys!
Proud of you fellas for taking on amp modeling with an open mind. I think one thing we as guitarists get hung up on is the whole 'does this sound like the real thing', when the real question we should be asking is 'does it sound good'. In reality I'd wager the fast majority of people one might play in front of wouldn't be able to tell the sonic differences between a Princeton and an AC30. They do know the difference between what their ears perceive as 'good' or 'bad', and I've played plenty of gigs where a front of house tech that didn't know how to properly mic or eq an amp turned a good sound bad. It's pretty rare in the 'real world' that anyone lets you crank up an amp to its happy place anymore... Point is that stuff like Iridium (or HX/Helix/Kemper/etc) allows you to set up a sound you know sounds good (maybe not 'accurate' but good to the listener) and have it be consistent night after night while keeping the bar owners happy that the patrons get to retain their hearing :)
The Iridium sounds pretty darn good IMO. If I lived in an apartment (flat) and had to keep the volume down while still getting something like a turned-up sound, it’d be a really good solution. And if my ears ever protest against my preferred vol levels (left ear does get cranky at times with brighter guitars) I’ll be fine switching over to it or something else like it.
Thanks as always, guys, for the detailed presentation!
I love my tube amps, but I'm so sick of fighting the volume beast.
Definitely a valuable tool live. Especially if you're gigging and usually rely on backline amps. I play at a church and no amps on stage allowed. I used to run a vox ac15hw1x side of stage micd up but every week it sounded different. Having to carry a 30kg amp only to have mono and no other amp options is pretty annoying. I use an hx stomp now and my normal preset is an ac30 and a matchless in stereo and it sounds better, more consistent, setup is literally two cables into a stage snake, my sound is consistent and my back is way happier
Jesse Landreth I play for my church as well, I want this pedal so bad for that application. My tone varies from week too week. We’re a portable church, and this would make things so much easier.
The thing about it sounding like a recorded guitar is that it's trying to replicate a mic as well, which is where the extra compression comes in
Its not an amp but it just sounds killer - awesome run thru guys you're hitting it out of the park in a way other reviews just can't get near
Valve amps will never die as long as there are those of us who would like to try Marty McFly’s CRM-114 amp with the 8 foot speaker!!!
Johnnathancordy has been doing great daily TH-cam videos on this pedal, I asked him if it was possible to send one channel to a cab on stage and one to front of house... he did some research and came back that you could upload a blank ir slot to one of the channels which you could then send to a power amp and cab or effects return of your amp on stage and then the other mono channel with a stock ir or uploaded one to front of house.... great bit of problem solving, and a lovely bloke as it turns out.
Love the show as always thought this might be useful and massive kudos to Johnathancordy and his channel for solid work around.
Mick, I've been in contact with Hugo from Strymon and I believe I have some possible setups to consider. Try coming out of the Iridium with one output to the FX return of your dry tube amp, the other output back into your board for the wet chain and then out. You'll need to insert what Strymon calls a "null cab IR" for the dry amp side. With that you could have a wet/dry setup, or if you're feeling sporty, you can take your dry side of the board out to an ABY with one output to your lovely tube amp for dry and the other ABY output back to the board for the wet side and then to the Iridium out in stereo and voila you have a wet/dry/wet setup! Happy days :-)
... or just enjoy it at the end of your chain as you guys have done.
Sounds like a workable solution Greg. But I think I’d still go for two Pro Juniors over any digital solution for portability and sensible volume.
When this came out, I was convinced it was the one Strymon pedal I would have absolutely no use for. After this, I'm not so sure. Great show guys.
I think that to use the convenience and flexibility of a digital amp sim, you have to know that your on stage experience will be like running your isolated miced-up amp (which is located out behind or under the stage) into your monitors. If dialled in well, it will sound almost exactly the same to the audience and sound techs (in a big room), but won’t and can’t feel like standing in front of your amp.
Yep.
Please don't feel like you have to do kemper or anything like that. So many others do it. What I love about your channel is your desire to get fantastic and authentic sounds. Obviously we can't do that at midnight in an apartment... but if you love tone enough... you will find a way do it somewhere else!! I own a 100 watt dumble clone pretty much because of this channel and I am every so grateful for it :D. I use it every day.
I swore I wasn't going to comment and risk pissing Mick off (again? lol) but.........
🤠 That sounded better than I expected. The simplicity and sound is certainly there and if I needed something small and simple, and the amps covered what I wanted, it seems like a good compact choice. Pro's and cons versus a Kemper or Helix (and I have both) as well as real tube amps (and I have plenty of those as well). Between the last go-round with Mick on the subject and this video, I did give the whole "thing" a lot more thought and I actually have drawn some conclusions on why I use the Kemper a lot (the Helix I use just for bass) when I could easily enough use tube amps for everything (it just kind of evolved over time for me). First, my days of lugging around a Twin Reverb are just over (and killing small animals with a single power chord as well). That gets to the second part of it which is not just the volume issues at a gig, but also just the volume in the room as well. I get the whole amp in the room thing and I love it. Something like a Twin Reverb where it really starts cooking (and many other higher power amps) just is not good for your ears. At 50yo and 35+ years of playing, my ears still work pretty well, and I don't think they would if I'd kept going with those types of rigs (I started looking for alternatives in the '90s and went all rack then). If I'm going to really crank up a tube amp, I want it in an isolation room and me not in that room with it. So that's a decision I made decades ago. The last bit is that as a multi-instrumentalist and singer (though primarily guitar and vocals), being able to hear everything the way you want it in the mix is just incredible (something you rarely get with wedges and real amps on stage). So with those things in mind as well as the silent stage things etc, I took the time and made the effort to get used to headphones and now in ears etc. I still love throwing some pedals in front of a '57 Champ or Deluxe, I love the sound of my Bassbreaker 15 and I'll be getting a SSS clone soon enough (50 not 100) as well as probably a Vibrolux Reverb. I love that stuff and I do still use it. But if I want to throw down something quick, I have working with the Kemper down so that it's almost as fast to get up and going as breaking out the Champ etc., and MUCH easier to record with at all hours and anywhere. So it's all about trade-offs. Some are bigger than others but everything IS a tradeoff of some sort. For the most part, healthy ears and a good vocal mix mean more to me than having to have a tube amp on stage. I can still appreciate (and indulge in) the other options as well. 😉
Great show as always guys!
PS: you need more "All you need is Fuzz" shirts in different colors! 🤠
Thanks. Strymon built the Iridiom just for me, and you made this video just for me.
For everyone comparing HX Stomp and the Iridium, it is simpler than you guys think: both units are awesome and they are tailored for completely different applications (I have both and I love both, so I can tell a little about it):
- The Iridium is clearly an "amp in a pedalboard" approach for people that: 1) Already have a lot of pedals, 2) Need something to go straight to PA when they cannot use their loud amps, 3) Something to practice, or maybe 4) backup when my vintage amp dies. It is very limited but at the same time straight forward and "what you see is what you get" approach similar to a regular analog amp. It appeals a very specific niche of players that already have a good setup and they are happy with it and just need to very easily "modernize" their setup;
- The HX Stomp is an "all you need in a single box", or, to be honest, the ultimate "swiss army knife" on the guitar world. I honestly believe that every guitar player should have one. Need to record something and you don't have your audio interface with you? No problem, USB recording. Want to practice silently with all effects and amp sounds you need in a headphone? Fine. Need to play acoustic guitar and need an DI, fine. Need bass amps? Fine. Need tons of effects to go with your regular amp and at the SAME TIME fork to a modeling amp straight to PA and IEM? Good. Need a lot of effects on your tube amp (4 cable method) but don't want to build an expensive and complex pedalboard? Fine! It basically does it all. Therefore, "jack of all trades" and "master of none" kind of approach.
So, they are two completely different market niches:
- Iridium for people that already have a nice pedalboard and need to go straight to PA or a backup to their amp.
- HX Stomp for people that need the most versatile and portable guitar setup tool ever made and don't care about menus and presets.
I hope that helps anyone :D
Thank you for that. Much appreciated!
Well said. I'm a tube amp guy with a nice pedalboard but got the HX stomp for a gig where we weren't allowed any stage volume so something like the iridium would have been ideal, but having used it for a while (and slightly overcome my menuphobia), got to say it's an impressive bit of kit and I use it almost exclusively for recording at home, not another pedal in sight. Having said that, if the gig allows a bit of stage volume it's valve amp every time 😊
I play in church, so silent stage. I have a traditional pedal board that I put an HX Stomp on the end of for amp & cab. I also recently purchased a Helix. There is much to like about it in the setting I play, but if given the chance to use amps, I would - wet/dry into Fender Blues Jr. and Mesa Subway Blues. The Iridium is such a simple and solid sounding pedal. Appreciate you guys taking the time to critique it, like some parts, dislike others and stay open-minded about where it works. Didn’t think you’d review this, but glad you did. Btw, love Strymon stuff but have bought and sold the Timeline, Blue Sky, DIG, and Flint. I like it simpler, so Helix is still a decision about whether I will keep it or not. And, we’ve all seen digital stuff go obsolete, but analog keeps going.
Advancements in the digital modeling world is a godsend to folks like me who live in apartments (Japan) and do not have the luxury of cranking a tube amp then mic’ing it to record. That said, I would still love to own a tube amp someday.
Yep. I’ve been in Japan for 20+ years and totally understand. FYI, the only tube amp that I’ve found to be satisfying at Japan home volumes is 1970s Vibrochamp. The speaker is small and inefficient so it’s much quieter than even 1W amps I’ve owned in the past and it sounds fantastic even at low volume. If you get an old Fender spring reverb tank to put in front of it, it is a great authentic alternative to the bigger Fenders. Not a super cheap option but I’ve wasted a lot of time, energy, and money over the years to figure that out, so I figured I’d share.
Already one of my favourite episodes, not just bc of that insane Strat sound but hearing Mick and Dan genuinely try on a product they are on the other side of the argument with made for some very substantive viewing material. And the discussion about the nature of bedroom players/TH-camrs/most gear demo people needing different options to massive amps is fantastic. Love the relevance of that sort of talk. Cheers, boys!
Great show!! Is like you said, digital is convinience, specially for recording some demos, or for playing quiet and live with in ears. Is light, cheaper than a tube amp and stereo wich can work nicely with other Strymon pedals.
I won't sell any of my amps for the iridium, and it doesn't replace them at all, but is a great tool to have, to use it when it should be used.
Probably, if you want to "replace" your tube amps, you can ran the iridium (without ir emulation) thru something like the fryette power station into a real guitar cab.
The other way around, if you want to record your real amps but quietly, you can use a tube amp with a reactive load, into iridium (with amp off) and take advantage of the great room reverb.
I read in the manual that you can even upload IR of acoustic guitars, so in a live context you can have a direct tone that sounds more like an acoustic miced, rather than the normal piezo sound.
Is a great tool, and one that I'm sure I'll get. Thank you
FRFR cabs still weigh 50-60 pounds but at least you can let your band mates throw them around and not care
@@TheVigilantStewards I personally would never use it with an frfr (other than the house PA off course - that is not always good).
To me this shines if you use it with headphones late at night, or live with in ears, or just to record some quick demo when inspiration strikes.
I rather carry a tube amp for anything else. But that are just my thoughts, everyone is different.
@@horaciococcioni8538 Thank you. I still use tube amps also, I was just hoping that I would gain more convenience and control with the rise of Kemper and Iridium quality sounds.... seems like it's still not there
@@TheVigilantStewards yes, I don't think that is there yet.
I think that eventually it will, and something like the powered Kemper with a cab is really really close and sounds great, but I love the way tube amps just give you the sound you want without a lot of tweaking, they look good, they are timeless and you don't have to wait for them to "get there".
I mean, Dan's AC30 and Mick's loaned 61 strat are almost 60 years old and they are the most amazing piece of equipement ever, timeless. That's the beauty of it.
But iridium is great for me for what it is, and I'm kind of tired of expecting digital to "be there". Is just a great tool that inspires people to make good music and that's good enough for me.
That's why I don't think of replacing any of my amps with digital technology, but adding digital tools to make life as a musician easier.
The good thing is that we have a lot of options to choose from!
@@horaciococcioni8538 Yeah... the best option is to have enough money to buy everything... that's the lesson I always learn with guitar lol. To me if it's 98% as good on stage (I would run through an FRFR to emulate actually playing an amp , I usually use my amp without a PA) but it gives me more control, flexibility, and sounds I think I would be ok with that.... but those transients and upper mid range openness need to be there. Sounds like the Kemper just has more a more realistic sound. Iridium sounds good though from what I can hear
Helix user here who loves this show! I have a tube amp and pedals but tend to avoid them because I am happy with what the Helix does, and how it does it. I find that every single one of the principles you bring to your approach to pedals translates perfectly to the world of the Helix, thus the reason for my comment. The reality is that the information you present applies to us all. I see your show as an approach to the concept of effects, as they interact with the whole "ecology" of tone that comes with the huge array of other factors that contribute to tone. But hey, enough of my yaking. What do you say....lets's boogie (my little nod to Mick's shirt)
Got one right after it was released, really strictly for recording at home, and it's the best guitar amp/cabinet modeller I've ever used. And I like the Line 6 stuff for that application quite a lot, always have, but this is much better to my ear. It takes pedals so much better, IMO, stick it at the end of my pedalboard and it sounds like very close to what I'm used to (and no, they don't react exactly the same as when hitting the front of a tube amp). The other thing is the simplicity and intuitive/tactile nature of just twisting a few knobs to get a sound rather than a lot of menu diving, etc. is also much more appealing. Dan mentions the flexibilty of plugins for tweaking or completely changing the sound after the fact, which is certainly true, but...it can also lead some of us into total option paralysis. Having to set up a sound outside of the box and commit to it is actually a huge plus to me. Not to mention freeing up a lot of CPU in my DAW workstation by NOT processing every guitar track in the box (or having to bounce it down, etc). But as you say, I'd never use it at a gig instead of an actual amp because I don't need to. Most of the gigs I play, on a 12 x 15 foot stage in a small room, your amp IS the front of house sound anyway.
I would buy this in a heart beat if it wasn't 400 quid. Have you had any experience with the atomic amplifier box?
I want to move to wherever it is you live/gig. The vast majority of local venues in Sydney with a stage comparable (and larger, thru to a medium-sized venue) to the one you describe would not allow an amp in through the door. Most everyone has to DI in this godforsaken town.
The music scene here is moribund. Getting to use a real valve amp on a 12 x 15 ft stage in a small room would be like paradise to me. Haven't done that since the early '00s.
@@tcw8287 The NU>X Solid Studio is a decent bet for the money. All you need is some sort of preamp pedal, like one of the Mooer Micro Preamps or Joyo "sound" series (American, British, etc). I won't spend any more than I have to for DI/IR/Cab Em etc. Once you reach the level of 1's and 0's, and being able to load 3rd-part or create your own IRs. most of these units will do a good job.
The NU>X has a similar design to the Iridium. It has a bunch of features - including being able to send to amp *and* FOH. It's not stereo, but a stereo room reverb after the unit works well (as mentioned early on in the video regarding time-based effects post-Iridium).
Thats what I would be looking to use it for, recording at home, so your really happy with what your hearing back in the mix then ?
@@tcw8287 get the Joyo American
I watch the video and all I want really is to try out that HIWATT amp. I guess this is what Mick means by 'inspiration'. Cheers anyway. It is such a relief to watch a video about a new product and then concluding 'No, not for me'.
holly molly that 61 strat sounds insane!
I was listening and thought man, that guitar has a particularly good sound, then you said it was 61...
Mick, you have to buy it ! Sell a kidney or something, but we need that guitar on your show !
Yup. I didn't even know it was vintage. Thought he may have picked up a used custom shop. Thought it sounded amazing. So a blind test in my case.
Mick has to keep saying "Is on loan to me" because his wife watches TPS Hahahahaha
You got it. :0)
@@ThatPedalShow you need to take up a collection! A go fund me? I'll throw in $20!
ezm69 yes its about time that Mic gets his dream Strat, stop talking. I am ready to support it :-)
Hulk Slayer if I can afford it I’m sure Mick can. And I’m using it in the return input of my amp. It can be used that way. That’s right. And to make everyone more upset I leave the cab sims on 1x12 thru a 1x12 and it sounds fine to me. Although, very expensive and I could just use a pedal. I can plug this into my least favorite amp and get 3 different amps now.
@@robertwellington2616 ....um, we were all talking about the vintage strat...
I've had one for a week now and although it will never replace or feel the same as an amp...any amp....one thing is for sure I'm going to write more music for owning it. That makes owning one a no brainer for me.
That's also my opinion. The amps are there when needed
Iridium is great... But what this video really taught me is that I need a fender super reverb.
Aardvark __ same
I have a fender blues deville volume stays at around 1 but it’s enough for the Lounge in a street
Hard to match that chime.
Joni Ofark amazing amp I have one also and it’s never been above 2. I’ve never changed a single valve in 20 yrs
I want a fender very badly
Sound and mix are particularly awesome lately
Big up Fraser!
That Pedal Show seems to be same mics maybe it’s just the mix and post work but it’s significantly noticeable improvement - well done kid
It might not sound exactly like any specific amp, but it is a professional tool that sounds better than any thing of its kind that I've ever tried. The room sound is pretty unique and really useful as well.
The list that Mick runs off at about 5:31 is the exact reason why this product might appeal to me. I'm no technophobe but I personally hate having a zillion options to play around with. I just can't stop myself from tweaking sounds and it paralysis my real objective of actually playing the guitar.
Exactly why I love the Strymon stuff, or just regular minimally knobbed pedals. Software Amp sims are a nightmare for me. Comes with a Zillion amps! *spends hours tweaking.... man, time for bed, no recording done.
I just bought a Mooer TresCab. Only 5 cans, hi/lo eq, or mocha placement and that's it. In a tiny pedal. Works great.
Love the videos guys! Wanted to chime in on the bluetooth comment. Bluetooth audio always results in latency. If you're watching a video using bluetooth headphones the video is actually intentionally delayed to line up with the latency experienced from the headphones. So if you're playing an instrument and trying to listen back in real time using bluetooth headphones, the latency will be so bad that it would be impossible to play. Think digital recording latency multiplied several times over!
Keep the content coming!!
Matthew Clements Yup. Bluetooth is a consumer protocol. It’s okay for a mouse, a keyboard, or your sisters headphones. But not performance
Valve amps will never die mick! 😆 great job boys. We appreciate your efforts to educate us! Keep on rocking 🤟🏻
This video convinced me to buy and I am anxiously waiting for my speakers to arrive!
Hooray!
So interesting. I've just bought one. It might not hold up to Dans vintage ac30 cranked. But I bought the best vox I could afford, ac30HW, I can't play it loud enough at home for me too enjoy it. Live it sounds amazing standing in front of it but once its mic'd through a 57 and put in to my in ears, it sounds nothing like my amp. I used the Iridium for the fist time this weekend and It sounded more like I was standing in front of my amp in my in ears then actually the real thing! With the Iridium I got the full sound of an amp, as aposed to the sm57 taking a snapshot of it, if that makes sense?
Nathan Holmes Don’t use SM-57’s on VOXes. e906 is much better for this type of sound, brings out the amp chime much better and more natural. I stopped using microphone when I got my OX though - it’s phenomenal. But Iridium as well, different purpose...
This is also why people love the Kemper
Jeah, this is a thing. It's extremely important how you mic a speaker and what kind of microfone you choose. I also have an AC30hw and I found that when using dynamic mics (sm57, audix i5) it sounds most like the amp in the room when placed off axis aimed at the middle of the speaker. Record your amp en try different mic positions, or multiple mics. Especially when you play big rooms and festivals. Enjoy!
@@antnips oh yes!
7Boots agreed. I also prefer the e906 on my deluxe.
Mick with the fuzz and the Strat, I-N-S-A-N-E-!!! To be able to do that at at-home volumes is priceless.
I think Mick’s comment that he felt like he was playing guitar and not through FRFR, says it all.
I can see a few great uses for this. Of course the recording and silent practice aspect, but also as a throw in your gig bag for backup in case your amp fails at a gig, or for the quick jam or last minute sit in session. Great pedal.
This is a 100% sincere comment. I LOVE the click-baity title. Well done. Haven’t been this interested in one of your videos in a while!
Oh it could have been so much more click baity! I resisted all of that. It’s just not us. Hahaha!
I should be more specific. It was technically the thumbnail that caught my attention, not the title.
And I’ve turned many people on to your channel BECAUSE of who you are. Keeping doing what you do. It’s great!
I practice guitare a lot more since i bought a software amp sim because I can play late at night. I'm happy to lose tone quality if it allows me to actually play the guitar.
Sorry I am a noob, what is a software amp and can you name a few so I can research ?
@@gilouch8975 What I'm thinking he's referring too is something like the Neural DSP plugins. They are plugins that you run in your computer, with your guitar plugged in via a audio interface. The Plini Neural DSP plugin is very popular
Very valid point. Little orange crush 20 did it for me (and yeah, you have to.compensate with lower ppwer, less headroom,little speaker, but it does the job).
With some amp sims there isn't even any tonal loss imo.
@nimrodian What are you on about mate? I was replying to House Mouse when he said "I'm happy to lose tone quality". My point was that some amp sims are so good that you don't have to "lose" anything. Perhaps you are not reading hard enough.
It is very good for someone (read: me) who can't afford the real thing... I love for $400 I can have so many great amp tones that (while not fully replicating) get close. Thanks for always doing such a great job reviewing these - super helpful!
You could also use this to add amps to your setup without having to actually bring them. If you wanted to have two stereo wet amps, and one dry, you could split your signal before your wet effects and send that to your single stage amp, then run some stereo delay/reverb into the iridium into a stereo DI to get a add a nice stereo wet amp tone. All those multi amp dream rigs that are too much of a hassle, are a little more accessible now.
1 year on and I'm revisiting this because it's relevant to my current re-evaluation of my rig - but what about latency? The Iridium is all DSP.
@@mattgilbert7347 If any latency is there, it would only be detectable by Eric Johnson and Yngwie Malmsteen.
I don't have any experience with tube amps, so I don't have a bias towards them, but I thought there was no comparison listening to the side-by-side. The Iridium has this compressed quality to my ears, like a blanket of midrange noise around the signal, where the tube amps were clear, three-dimensional, and open. I didn't think it sounded bad during the demo, and there are obvious applications for Iridium, but there is a clear difference just considering quality of sound alone.
Dang, every week your great playing, especially Mick’s, gets better and better; TPS has been years long practice sessions … Thank you for discussing FRFR and this, “In the studio we are hearing the Iridium’s direct sound through 1500-watt EV PA speakers” and “You’ve got to plug it into something to make sound.” The inference being that in addition to the Iridium, you may have £ outlays for speakers and an interface. One thing I’d like is an XLR output, eliminating the need for a DI box. Cheers!
So glad you guys did this. As soon as the iridium came out I started waiting for this episode. Can’t wait to watch.
Good god. That Plexi-tone thru the MESA cabs is all I have ever wanted.
Great episode guys!!!! Appreciate how objective you were.
I don't think anything can replace tube amps! I've got a few that I love. Also have owned the Iridium for a couple of weeks. It'll never replace my 'real' amps. But it does offer a lot of convenience and a great sound as you mentioned. Haven't gigged with it... But I think I would. Also great as a backup for my amps. Recording... Definitely. Lastly, cant over state this... Try different cab ir's... For me was the difference between thinking it was ok and really liking it.
All the best! 🤗
2:02 "Geezer playin' blooming' blues" ..... and that's why we love you Mick :-)
Thank you Greg! If you could just tell the rest of the internet.... ;0)
So enjoy everything you guys do! Dan, Mick and everyone involved in making these great videos, thank you so much for making these every week!
I really appreciate the in depth level of these reviews. You spend the time to show the full spectrum of sounds with different types of guitars. For viewers that are looking to possibly purchase the pedal, that's exactly what we want to see. I have a Strymon Big Sky which is amazing - Strymon produces unbelievable levels of quality. I use the Big Sky to record direct into Logic Pro X. After listening to the full review, I want to purchase the Iridium to add other tones to what I can record. You guys are awesome! Thanks, you earned another sub.
Cheers Oz 🤓👍
Big sky is amazing! Especially for recording direct with that cab simulator. When I was first investigating the big sky nobody mentioned the cab simulator on the back, and I never noticed it. Then I started keeping it on the pedal board (the floor,) on a regular basis running through an Orange crush 35RT And was thinking, “damn, I knew this amp sounded OK, but not this good,“ then I figured out that I had, at some point, instantiated the cab simulator on the back of the big sky and it never got turned off. That EQ curve does big things.
I recently purchased the Mooer Cali 3 on a whim; it is supposed to sound like a Mesa Boogie Mark iii and while I can't vouch for the accuracy of the modeling, I can say it sounds amazing to my ears. It is the only modeling gear that I have actually enjoyed playing enough to get lost in the sound. I'm still resistant but the tech undoubtedly has improved by leaps and bounds since the early days. Love the show. Thx.
I have the Mooer 005 Brown sound and 002 UK Gold, and I think they work better with the Cab Sim on direct to my interface. Cab sims have come a long way, and are vital to the small home studio.
Mark this day on your calendar.... D&M were BOTH impressed with a modeling device! The end is nigh! ;) In all seriousness... this was a great episode and really spot on: "Use what you want to use." Words to live by.
Remember, sirs. Not everyone is privileged enough to find your fine analog treasures within the realm of affordability or reasonability with regard to volume and where they're restricted to playing. Modelling, however flawed, presents a more affordable alternative. There's hardly anybody stuck with a modeller who wouldn't trade seats with you in a heartbeat. Something to bear in mind, gentlemen. Cheers. Love the show.
Of that we are sincerely aware. Thank you!
It's time for a new category at the Grammys...."Best instructional, musical, often comical, masterfully done, professional and educational online video..." "And the winner is.................."THAT PEDAL SHOW!" followed by whoops, hollers and screaming with applause. It's time.
Ah, thanks Larry, appreciate it :)
I love the “practice anywhere w/headphones” potential of this little device (especially, late night at home, without waking the wife and kids). Plus, plugging this into my Xitone would be the ultimate grab ‘n’ go setup.
It depends on which church you play at (from Mick's comment near the end of the video). The one's I've played at I have been lucky enough to crank both small Fenders to a Mesa. However, between the Iridium or a Helix/Kemper/AxeFx/etc, I would choose the Iridium. It's practically idiot proof, doesn't blind you with LEDs and touchscreens on a blacked out stage, and (to my ears) sounds better. Sure, it's pricey and takes a whopping 500 mA, but it's a very nice pedal to emulate amps/cabs well.
I play an Ethos Clean ii into a Torpedo CAB M, and really love it for a small church stage and headphone practice with my iPad. Only thing you miss with direct is feedback, and the natural air between the speakers and strings.
You can see what they think by their facial expressions when they play. Esp Dan. I suspect he ain't changing his 61 Vox for the iridium. The comments below suggest it is a great recording and home amp device but not so much for gigging. The iridium sounds like a sort of muffled version of the real thing. As soon as the real amp kicks in it all becomes clear and chimy. This is a real honest review and comparison. Tubes for playing live and iridium or katana for playing at home and some rehearsals.
Since 2017, I've recorded and released around 13 records, many of which I've recorded from home. I've gotten so tired of the bad-room issues and general mic-ing issues that occur at home. You have just sold this to me gents, like so many things. Arriving Thursday for lockdown releases! Thanks again.
Nicely done, and I know how hard that was for y'all, especially with a room full of some of the best amps money can buy. I thought it sounded fantastic, and it def has a place, plus you can use the same pedals....all good. Peace!
I just ordered this to try out. This channel made my buy it. Sometimes we play through JamHub. Problem with some of my friends they hate fiddling with stuff like the Helix (I have Floor and HX Stomp). This also seems like it would be a good backup for a gig if you did not want to haul around another whole amp. You could just go direct and then have routed to monitor speakers in a pinch. This demo sounds pretty legit as far as amps go. I agree with
Rebea, there is no replacement for Tube Amp. I have a Fender Concert and Marshall DSL40CR. They sound so much better than modeling and things like the Boss Katana MK II.
This would make a great mini practice board with just headphones.
I just love your show so much. You guys have a great way of explaining stuff, and this video finally made something click for me.. now I want one. Cheers!
0:53 that's Dan's pedal Tourette's kicking in :D. Not adjusting anything just touching them knobs.
okay, so I really did like the real amps better, but honestly the strymon seemed to do exactly what it claims to do. Always a sure selling point. I think it's an awesome tool for the right players.
As a side note, I tell you Mick that was some of the most glorious guitar tone on TPS to date. Maybe there will be an opportunity presented that will allow you to claim that Strat truly for your own. I for one dearly hope so.
one last thing, Dan are we going to be seeing any more practice vlogs? they were great, and have helped me quite a bit. Thanks for all you guys do. Best show on You Tube!
Great show, good tones all round, valves still clearly win the day...
Great vid lads, a really in depth review and comparison... Excellent.
I may well swallow this comment once I have watched the rest of the episode, but at a glance seems a shame it doesn't have xlr outputs. It is all fine enough for recording, but would be nice for live shows to be able to DI it straight out of the unit, Sansamp style.
Completely agree with you on this. Why no DI out?
@Manny Rios I'll check that out, I am looking at doing some shows i could do with a portable setup for next year... (for that kinda money though also weighing getting a blues junior and cutting it down to a head for a little clean(ish) portable option)
My same sentiment exactly...Would by this in a heartbeat if it had a DI out...I own the v1 of the Tech21 Flyrig 5 w/c also didn't have the DI out and tuner, the v2 has now both tuner and DI but is missing the IR component...who knows v3 might come out with IR capability heheh...so yeah i'm torn right now between the strymon iridium and tech 21 flyrig 5 v2
Kemper has them, and if you have an FRFR they usually have an XLR out like a Mission Gemini II or Friedman
I would add that there’s little chance a small strymon could get 2 xlrs in it. Most places that run sound will have more than enough DI boxes. You’ll prolly only use 1. I mounted a passive DI to the underneath of my pedaltrain.
Love the show. I don't really understand why you wouldn't like playing with a 'produced' or 'recorded' guitar sound (probably the thing I've loved the most in my 4 years of using Kemper). Any time you've heard your favourite players be it SRV or Jeff Beck or whoever, unless you were in the room and near their amp, you are hearing the guitar tone through microphones, whether it's at a gig or on a recording. I love that digital gives me the ability to practise with and create sounds which will translate exactly to the stage or studio!
It’s a fair point Peter. But Dan and I have been playing live for decades now, hearing it first hand. And... sorry to be big headed or whatever... we have been stood next to some of those legends and hearing them play. Being stood next to an amp on the end of an awesome tone... It’s a life changing moment. Many moments. :0)
Love Mick's comment about amps not really suitable for a church environment. Your right Mick, in many churches they are not welcome, certainly on stage. But my church is an exception, I get to play my Morgan PR36 and my Marshall Astoria Custom on stage and rock out. But that might be because I'm one of the leaders of the church lol. But I fight to keep a backline on stage as I hate not having it there. In ears just don't do it for me, we use them but i have one in and one out so I get the stage sound.
I play at a smallish church with an undersized stage. I got to help design the stage and PA system. I'm lucky - I have a 1x12 miked up under the stage that literally hasn't seen daylight in years! My pedalboard has a mic preamp on it, and I run delay and verb after the amp. For churches like mine, this thing will be amazing, and will greatly simplify things. Must be fun to play loud and have a live amp on stage, though. I'd miss having stereo in-ears!
That strat & fuzz combo sounds absolutely brilliant 🤘🏽
Great job guys - everything sounds wonderful (tube and tech alike).
Yay! one of my requests got made!
THANK YOU to Mr Dan and Mr mick, I have already ordered it but don't know if I'll regret it. Lets see!
A good point made: I have a great little 1 watt amp. It is still WAY too loud to crank at home, especially if you are hitting it with gain pedals up front. Anything above 2-3 is LOUD.
Thanks guys! This was incredibly insightful. Very grateful for the good work you two do. Cheers!
Now having owned an Iridium, I think it’s great. I have vintage Fenders, Supro, Trace, Ampeg, etc. the Iridium sounds great. There’s no replacing the visceral nature of a valve amp. THAT BEING SAID.... you’d have to spend a lot of time in the studio, or lugging gear, to get a sound notably better than what the Iridium offers. So, is it WORTH it to schlep vintage gear, and spend $$ in the studio? “Sometimes.” But certainly not all the time. Enter the Iridium.
Hi Jeremy. Thanks for your comment. Have you used the Iridium for live performance? If yes ... how did it work out for you? I'm very interested in NOT hauling my Marshall to gigs anymore if possible. Of course ... I'm not expecting it to replace an analog amp. But it sounds pretty great to me. Thoughts?
I haven’t used it live, but if you have a monitor with plenty of headroom, 700W +, there’s no reason why this shouldn’t sound great. I used a CabdryVR live with a pre, and got fairly good results. This is far and away much better.
Well look who we have here…👋
@@joshduym7185 Hey, buddy!
Well done Gents... another thorough and fun investigation... and good on 'ya for comments about different approaches not being better or worse... just different... to just play what you are in to... I'm new to electric after 30+ years of acoustic only... for cost and convenience I went the Helix/FRFR route and it is working out great.. but eventually I'll build my own amp and build a board with a G2... love the show overall btw.
Mick, you said something very interesting. You mentioned that when playing at low volumes you'd prefer to use headphones because the moment you hear the strings acoustically over the amp that "it doesn't work..." for you. I'd never thought about it like that before. I've been a bedroom player for the last 10-12 years or so but I've been playing guitar for 25 years. I play for 2-3 hours every day after work but I don't think I've ever played louder than my string volume. I've tried, for sure, but it's so loud just to get it to that point that it disturbs everyone else in the house. However, wearing headphones for hours on end hurts my head, makes my ears sweat, and is quite uncomfortable to me. I have four amps that are aimed specifically at the "bedroom" rocker but through my 2x12 its too damn loud to use, if there's anyone else in the house. Another issue I have is that I like to play along with backing tracks. If I'm using my tube amps through a cab the volume from the amp is far too loud to be balanced with the stereo speaker I have to hear the playback through and the tube amps are too quiet, at that point, to really get an inspiring tone. I keep going back to my Helix and Powercab combination but even then it's never louder than my string volume. But on the off chance that I'm alone in the house and the neighbors are at work and I can crank the Powercab, I find it so loud it's distracting and my playing and is seriously limited and uninspired. I've grown so accustomed to the quieter volumes that even minimally loud is too much for my ears to handle.
Steve L , bro I feel for you. Could you rest a block of time from a studio or rehearsal studio near you? Could go crank it up once a week or so? Have you texted running everything into your computer? I find that the overall volume of a nice set or studio monitors doesn’t seem to upset neighbors as much as an amplifier being manipulated to be quieter. Good luck. Keep on rockin!
@@mikeroadblock great suggestion. I live in a rural area, 3 hour drive from the nearest city with more than 5000 people.
I hadn't thought about it, but yea (in a somewhat similar situation to yours), if I do really crank up a tube amp now, I feel almost self-conscious and it throws me. lol
@@ezm69 exactly! I Feel that way too. Even when I'm alone and I crank my amp I only do it for 5 minutes because I feel like an asshole. Also it hurts my ears, and for what reason? Loud tube amps do sound better but I wouldn't want to hear my daily warm-up routines or mistakes made while learning new songs/passages out of a loud amp every day.
I play acoustic at home mostly, but I also thought that was a really valid point. Try getting some open ears or higher end studio cans?
Here's the blockbuster of iridium videos! Grabbing my studio phones and tea...
I don't hear any harshness in the top end. What I did hear was more mid push. Both tube amps sounded more scooped to me.
That's exactly what I thought. The EQs were more responsible for the difference in sound than anything.
It sounded really good. You guys got some great tones with the Iridium. Enjoyed it.
Sounds pretty great to me! I will definitely consider this as my next purchase, as i like the ease of use with no menus. I have a Victory V30 and a hot rod deluxe and also a Blug, but this is so small, it would be great for duo gigs with a small pedalboard. Cheers guys :)
The thing about the Iridium is it's sound quality. Having a great basic Fender, Vox and Marshall sound as good as it in one box is a luxury. As I pointed out one can turn it into replacing your backline amp very easily with a pedal pre and amp then putting it thru even a Celestion 12" in an open back cab.
Yah I agree with Mick's sentiment towards the end. The whole commenting trying to prove everyone else incorrect, etc. Why? Embrace your own thing, or both things, or neither, who cares?
I am assembling two main rigs for myself: one is 100% analog, tubey, cork sniffery (drives are strictly Kingsley, and ending with a Two Rock). Why? Well just because I want to (and I'm lucky that I can)
On the other hand: I actually mostly play through an HX Stomp and a THR10C...
So why the fight regarding either? I say both if you can! Or whatever you can / want!
Been using my Iridium for a good while now and here are a few ways I use it.
1 Disable the IR/ Cab in Iridium and run into the Fryette Power station and real cab
2 Disable the IR/Cab in Iridium and run into Line 6 Power cab, use the powercab speaker models or Irs loaded into powercab
3 run the Iridium headphone into an IK Multimedia ILoud speaker.
All sound great.
Don’t know if you’ve ever used a powercab but great tool for at home levels, also can use a real amp through a load box which is very good.
In fact, there’s a suggestion for a show, the Line 6 powercab, with valve amps
I would love to see this thing head to head against the Ampli-Firebox. And more importantly.... Your opinions on the comparison.
I bought one and have done comparisons just for tone quality and realism among my two main amps (Benson Chimera head & 2x12 cab, Bad Cat Cub IV 15R) with and without a Suhr Reactive Load IR. The Iridium does not disappoint. It sounds great. It also sounds better for headphone practice than everything I’ve ever tried - from a Carl Martin Rockbug to a Torpedo Cab and Kingsley Squire setup. Those all sounded thin and weird through ‘phones, whereas the Iridium sounds really good.
Strymon has a homerun with the Iridium. :)
How do you like the Suhr Reactive Load ir with headphones? I love it - I'm playing so much more now as I can play late.
How does it compare to the Iridium?
DavidRelihanMusic - The RLIR’s headphone out is great too, but it does greatly benefit from a bit of ‘verb if you have it on hand. It however doesn’t drive headphones (Sennheiser HD650’s in my case) as well as the Iridium, so there’s that... So, one doesn’t replace the other, as I still wanna use my actual amps to record often. When I need something portable for going direct or just want some great sounding variety for recording.... Or a super convenient backup for my amp at a gig - the Iridium is fantastic.
I still wish it had an effects loop so that time-based effects could be placed post Iridium while utilizing the onboard headphone out, but hey.... It’s an amazing product regardless and I’m super stoked to have it as an option. :)
If people really need to experience 'moving air,' they can rig a floor flan with a MIDI input jack, connect it to the MIDI output of the Strymon and have the Strymon send CC messages to the floor fan for off, low, medium, and fast fan speed settings. Problem solved.
Hahahah!!!
Playing a recorded guitar is weird. I understand those feels my friends. Took me ages to sort out how I was going to be able to use a Kemper in my live shows, and the answer was to bring a standard guitar cabinet and route IR's only to the direct out and give that to the FOH. That way you still get the guitar/speaker interaction, which is 90% the feel at volume! To me anyway. Thanks again for another great video!