[1]

https://www.strymon.net/products/iridium/

Three amplifier models crafted using Matrix Modeling™, capturing the subtleties and unique tonal qualities of each ampRound Amp - based on* a Fender® Deluxe Reverb®
Chime Amp - based on* the Brilliant channel of a Vox® AC30
Punch Amp - based on* a Marshall® Plexi (Super Lead model number 1959)

Nine Impulse Response speaker cabinets, 24bit / 96kHz 500ms

Stereo (three per amp type), pre-loaded with a curated set of IRs:
Deluxe Reverb 1×12″ by OwnHammer
Blues Junior® 1×12″ by CabIR
Vibrolux® 2×10″ by CabIR
AC30 2×12″AlNiCo by OwnHammer
1×12″ AlNiCo by Celestion®
Mesa® 4×12″ by Valhallir
GNR 4×12″ by OwnHammer
2×12″ Vintage 30 by Celestion
Marshall® 8×12″AlNiCo by CabIR

• Load your own impulse responses using Strymon Impulse Manager software
• Hybrid IR/algorithmic Room control with selectable small, medium, and
• large rooms
• Simple, responsive amp-style controls for Drive, Level, Bass, Middle,
• and Treble
• Premium stereo high impedance discrete JFET analog front end with
• up to 22dB of pure analog gain

 

[Joel]

I was close to buying one of these for home practice.
They sound good, but I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be, I'd say the punch (Marshall) setting was my favourite. It's great if you play blues/rock and not much else. But if I was looking for something in this price range the HX Stomp is more versatile and is similar in sound quality.

 

[343]

I went down a rabbit hole watching a bunch of videos comparing this to the HX Stomp. I gotta agree with Joel - the stomp is equal in sound quality but is more versatile. If you already have a something for effects tho that would be as much as an issue.

 

[GentleHands McCoy]

Waiting on buying this until they do a version with a selection of amps more applicable to me.

If it had even had a JCM800 I would have got it when it came out.

It's more geared towards vintage guys and guys who get a lot of their tone from pedals up front. Plexis can do metal obviously, and the other ones can do it as pedal platforms, but it needs at least one amp that is more modern for me to be interested.

Here's a good review of it. https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/strymon-iridium

Write up was groan worthy though. Could do without a "curated" set of IRs.

 

[GentleHands McCoy]

Would also prefer that they took out the "room" reverb function, pretty much everyone getting this wants to use their own reverbs. No clue why they added that. If it was a full blown multi-fx it would make sense, but it's a stripped down sort of thing.

I don't think it will do well. The first thing I thought when looking at it when it came out is, "That's $100 too high, if that was $300 I'd be all over it".

They should have either gone for a more stripped down $300 model, or a more full fledged $500-700 one with a screen. It's situated in a really awkward place. Pretty much everyone looking at it is going to think, "For a company who is known for their 'everything and the kitchen sink' functionality, that is pretty restrictive in terms of controls available on the pedal".

 

[1]

I'm surprised they bothered with amp sims at all, or that they don't have at least a standalone IR load pedal.

 

[Joel]

I'm surprised they bothered with amp sims at all, or that they don't have at least a standalone IR load pedal.

You can use it as that as you can disable the amp sims, or disable the IR section if you want to use other 3rd party IRs.

 

[7 Dying Trees]

Get a two notes torpedo live/studio or captor X. Or a universal audio Ox. Job done.

 

[GentleHands McCoy]

I'm surprised they bothered with amp sims at all, or that they don't have at least a standalone IR load pedal.

Are they sims? I can't actually tell from the marketing. :lol: I think it's supposedly a semi hybrid type thing with more analogue stuff inside than something that is straight up full sims. I assume that's probably supposed to be part of the appeal I guess. They have a "JFET input stage" advertised. Every brand has their own own pedal preamp+ (poweramp, IR, etc. etc. etc.) range out these days, and it's nearly impossible to tell exactly what anything is from the marketing. I think that at least some of the preamp section of this is supposed to be analogue. I actually want a preamp pedal for my board because I think the portability is cool, but somehow none of them are quite clear on whether they are distortion pedals or dedicated preamps. Electronically, yeah, it's the same parts, it can even be similar circuits, but it's confusing as fuck. I have no idea how half the stuff out there is supposed to be used.

From my understanding of the Iridium, it's mostly sims and DSP, but it has some more analogue stuff happening up front than like, a POD or something. I'm not sure the product would really have a reason to exist if there wasn't some "hybrid" thing going on, since you can run sims off any phone from the past 5 years. I think there is supposed to be some techy "premium strymon magic" going on that sets it apart from a straight up computer in a box running sims.

I would generally be more interested in a non sim pedal form factor preamp from strymon, like this.

To pair with one of the higher end "pedal form factor fancier poweramps" that are coming out now to have your whole rig on a pedalboard".

 

[GentleHands McCoy]

The main selling point of anything with those newer SHARC chips is supposedly that the latency is non-existent, or impossibly low, so it transcends what people think of as a "sim".

They're in everything of course. I have them in a UA interface. They're in the Iridium, a bunch of other interfaces, the super hyped Neural pedal. Probably the new Axe-FXs and Kempers too. There's not a ton of variety, usually everything from the same gen is super similar.

Supposedly those are supposed to transcend "sim" territory by offering some sort of "analog-digital integration", to somehow surpass a sim in the sense of "a program running on a computer".

I can't tell from any of the write ups how much of that is true and how much is just marketing jargon technobabble though.

According to any of the companies trying to sell you products, which may or may not be an unbiased source, anything with those newer Sharc chips is a cut above "modeled simulation" due to........reasons.

 

[1]

Are they sims? I can't actually tell from the marketing. :lol: I think it's supposedly a semi hybrid type thing with more analogue stuff inside than something that is straight up full sims. I assume that's probably supposed to be part of the appeal I guess.

I mean, it's a pedal with amp modeling, that's simulating an actual amp. If there's a difference between that and a "full sim", I am too old to give a shit. :lol:

 

[GentleHands McCoy]

I mean, it's a pedal with amp modeling, that's simulating an actual amp. If there's a difference between that and a "full sim", I am too old to give a shit. :lol:

It's actually not cutting edge anymore, something "even more real than the real thing" is probably just around the corner. If I had to guess I would say the fact the chips that were in the cutting edge units when they were released at the start of this gen of physical sim/modelers are trickling down to a huge variety of lower priced units I would say it's probably not a great time to buy anyways, since the next gen probably isn't that far off.

That's an advantage more traditional amps have over physical products running sims or whatever, you don't have to time your purchases right or risk getting a bad value.

When did the Axe-FX III come out? Usually they sort of set the hardware standard for parts and it stays there for 3-4 years. There's only one or two companies making the chips they all use. It's like the CPU market. There's not a ton of options. Intel or AMD.

What is a gen in physical amp modeling units? 4 years?

 

[146]

That's an advantage more traditional amps have over physical products running sims or whatever, you don't have to time your purchases right or risk getting a bad value.

Yeah, I bought a used Line6 Flextone 2 in like 2003 or something for 500€ - a few years ago I couldn't almost give it away for free as no one would take it. :lol:

In the end I did get it traded for a Microcube.:yesway:

 

[1]

That's an advantage more traditional amps have over physical products running sims or whatever, you don't have to time your purchases right or risk getting a bad value.

I think that advantage becomes less important as you get older. I don't take it into consideration at all when I buy gear. If something sounds awesome and the price is fair, I'll buy it. Never once have I ever thought "man, I really like this but 5 years from now I won't be able to sell it for as much". I think part of that mindset stems from the djent mindset, where everyone plans ahead to flip everything for max dollar after they've taken their InstaFace selfies with it.

The other part is that young people tend to have less disposable income than us old farts - it's one of the few nice things about being old. My back hurts all the time for no reason, my hair is turning gray, I pay $1800/mo for daycare and just this morning I did the cheery business of buying my family a freakin gravestone plot. But on the upside, if I want to impulse buy a Bogner right now, I can. :lol:

Anyway I still think this Strymon pedal is neat and may pick one up for shits.

 

[Randy]

Pedal form factor (size+traditional knobs and buttons) and limited number of amps leads me to believe it's mostly targeted as a modernized Sansamp, no?

 

[1]

Yeah, I bought a used Line6 Flextone 2 in like 2003 or something for 500€ - a few years ago I couldn't almost give it away for free as no one would take it. :lol:

In the end I did get it traded for a Microcube.:yesway:

I did that too, with an AX2 212 combo - in 1998 according to their timeline (which is pretty neat). That amp was fucking horrible, I ended up trading it in to another music store for something around 1/4 of what it cost, and to make matters worse I financed it in the music store to begin with. So I was paying something like 29% APR on an amp I didn't own anymore. I still had no regrets unloading it, it was the single worst piece of gear I've ever owned to this day.

https://line6.com/timeline/

 

[Randy]

Never once have I ever thought "man, I really like this but 5 years from now I won't be able to sell it for as much"

So when's the Kiesel coming in? :lol:

 

[GentleHands McCoy]

I think that advantage becomes less important as you get older.

GTFO. :lol: You are the most cutting edge centric person on this site. It may be less important from a fiscal perspective of being worried about how it holds value, but all the other dudes your age on this site are like, "I was looking at '78 LPC customs on Reverb the other day, don't really keep up to date with things, don't even know what one of these IRs are. Probably some young person abbreviation."

No one would correctly guess your age from your gear as, "Old man who doesn't care how cutting edge something is."

If I asked any other dude your age on this site if they've ever Amazon Primed an accessory for their AXE-FX III they would be like, "Amazon Prime.........is that one of those cars that turn into robots?".

I have an uncle like that. He'll put on the token act of being Don Quixote being on his deathbed rambling, "oh.......you young whippersnappers and your....technology", but the second you mention the newest model of graphics card, which isn't even available to the general public yet, he'll just completely forget about his "Senile old man who is not up to date on stuff moments away from deaths door" act and be like, "yeah, I had three of those, they were overhyped".

There is definitely a difference between, "old man who doesn't care about keeping up to date with cutting edge technology" and "old man who definitely cares about keeping up to date with cutting edge technology who has hit the age where the thinks its no longer appropriate so he tries to unconvincingly say things he thinks an old man who doesn't care about cutting edge technology would say".

If you really were a stereotypical, "old man who doesn't care about cutting edge technology who is definitely about to impulse buy a credible old man tube amp like a Bogner because he is at that point in his life where such a thing would be appropriate" you would be saying things like, "Wifi.........that's a city in china, right?".

 

[1]

So when's the Kiesel coming in? :lol:

Usually the only time I use absolutes is when I say things like "Everyone absolutely needs to own a 5150 at least once", or "The RG550 is absolutely the best bang for your buck guitar ever made". However, here I will add that I will absolutely fucking never own a Kiezel. :lol:

 

[GentleHands McCoy]

The real question is has the Strymon Iridium Chris has already Amazon Prime'd showed up yet?

Chances Chris will impulse buy a Bogner like a real old man: 0
Chances Chris has already Amazon Prime'd a Strymon Iridium: 120%