Friedman IR-Load

[Chocol8]

20 guitarists who I have no clue who they are

Would you really believe them more if you knew who they were?

 

[ejecta]

Would you really believe them more if you knew who they were?

Probably not.

Nah kinda true but kidding…. I have personal friends I totally trust their options on stuff. There’s people here I obviously only “internet know” and I listen to their opinions because I see we have similar tastes and they have some experience in areas similar to mine.

 

[ejecta]

If they can keep it it about $1K or especially lower I will probably try one just to have a backup to the PS100. Or to power my Synergy Syn 1 with a JMP preamp in stereo.

 

[Blix]

If they can keep it it about $1K or especially lower I will probably try one just to have a backup to the PS100. Or to power my Synergy Syn 1 with a JMP preamp in stereo.

Around $1200 is what they say at the booth apparently.

 

[ejecta]

Around $1200 is what they say at the booth apparently.

That’s not too far from that, still a little more than I’d like to pay but if I can wait… used may get me there.

It’s not Stereo which isn’t a must have but a nice to have…. PS100 is that money new and if I were to put that kind of money down I’d prefer the tube option.

 

[Chocol8]

Around $1200 is what they say at the booth apparently.

Any word on Wampler Peadelhead price range?

 

[Blix]

Any word on Wampler Peadelhead price range?

Not yet

 

[Chocol8]

Not yet

[looks at watch, sees that over an hour has passed] How about now?

 

[Frodebro]

This thing makes the UA OxBox seem appealing. Which is quite an accomplishment.

The Ox Box is primarily aimed at direct recording, the Friedman leans much more toward live use (as does the Waza TAE).

The Friedman would be extremely useful for me in the band situation I'm in, as my bigger amps (Mark V, Stiletto Duece) typically stay at home because they don't play nicely with the small basement my band gets together in. However, the Wampler would be even better, as I keep a pair of 1x12s there, and all I would need to haul back and forth is the FM9 and the Pedalhead...

Who the fuck am I kidding? I'm going to wind up owning both of them, as well as the Tone King Royalist preamp pedal...

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

The Ox Box is primarily aimed at direct recording, the Friedman leans much more toward live use (as does the Waza TAE).

The Friedman would be extremely useful for me in the band situation I'm in, as my bigger amps (Mark V, Stiletto Duece) typically stay at home because they don't play nicely with the small basement my band gets together in. However, the Wampler would be even better, as I keep a pair of 1x12s there, and all I would need to haul back and forth is the FM9 and the Pedalhead...

Who the fuck am I kidding? I'm going to wind up owning both of them, as well as the Tone King Royalist preamp pedal...

I get the Wampler for use with preamp pedals. I don’t get either of these for use with a modeler - If the Modeler doesn’t sound right through a power amp, more digital sauce isn’t what the problem needs.

The Friedman just strikes me as wildly over complicating the “simplicity” of using an amp rig. There are more than enough amps with great internal volume management. If I need digital sauce to make my tube amp sound/feel right…why am I using a tube amp again?

 

[Frodebro]

I get the Wampler for use with preamp pedals. I don’t get either of these for use with a modeler - If the Modeler doesn’t sound right through a power amp, more digital sauce isn’t what the problem needs.

The Friedman just strikes me as wildly over complicating the “simplicity” of using an amp rig. There are more than enough amps with great internal volume management. If I need digital sauce to make my tube amp sound/feel right…why am I using a tube amp again?

The Friedman isn't for running a simple amp rig, though. Combine that with your favorite head and an Axe FX (along with a couple 4x12s), and you have a very badass stereo rig. This will probably be more appealing to those of us who came of age in the era of mega rack rigs, though....

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

The Friedman isn't for running a simple amp rig, though. Combine that with your favorite head and an Axe FX (along with a couple 4x12s), and you have a very badass stereo rig. This will probably be more appealing to those of us who came of age in the era of mega rack rigs, though....

Even in that scenario - if I have to add digital sauce to make my tube amp sound like a tube amp…

 

[JiveTurkey]

Run it through the Powercab when you're done

 

[Frodebro]

Even in that scenario - if I have to add digital sauce to make my tube amp sound like a tube amp…

But you don't. The Friedman, with the resonance at zero, is a completely transparent device. It doesn't make it sound like a tube amp, it allows the loaded down amp to sound like itself-in stereo... At any volume.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

But you don't. The Friedman, with the resonance at zero, is a completely transparent device. It doesn't make it sound like a tube amp, it allows the loaded down amp to sound like itself-in stereo... At any volume.

and this is why it’s making the OxBox seem appealing (it’s not, actually) because my understanding is that the reactance impacts what kind of digital sauce is being applied, but in all cases digital sauce is being applied. Because so far they’ve been clear as mud as to what this thing actually does and what problem it tries to solve.

 

[Chocol8]

There are more than enough amps with great internal volume management.

Meh. High gain modern amps maybe, but there are a lot of great amps that benefit tremendously from external volume control.

 

[Frodebro]

and this is why it’s making the OxBox seem appealing (it’s not, actually) because my understanding is that the reactance impacts what kind of digital sauce is being applied, but in all cases digital sauce is being applied. Because so far they’ve been clear as mud as to what this thing actually does and what problem it tries to solve.

So far as I can tell, the only "digital cause" applied is to allow the power amp to be as transparent as possible. If you're going for a purist, simple tube rig, this isn't something that would be useful to you. My 'simple' rig is a Studio JTM combo with a Friedman BE OD Deluxe and a BOSS DM-101 in front of it-nothing else. I love that little rig for its simplicity, but I also love all the crazy shit I can do with the Axe FX. What I use depends on the mood I'm in.

Hell, one night I brought just a PRS HDRX 20 head and 1x12 to a rehearsal and flew completely old school- one channel, roll back the guitar to clean it up. No effects whatsoever, just a tuner on top of the head that wasn't even in the signal chain. It was extremely limiting for the variety of stuff we do, but still a fun challenge.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Meh. High gain modern amps maybe, but there are a lot of great amps that benefit tremendously from external volume control.

yes - and I would say that a version of those with a master volume is a better solution than “lemme just run it through a dummy load, then throw some digital modeling on it and ramp it back up through a Class D amp” if you really wanna use that kind of amp in a live setting. See Suhr Badgers; Friedman Dirty Shirley (he’ll, the small box they are running through it at NAMM has a great master volume) Allen Amps, Boogie Fillmore, Boogie California, blah blah blah.

 

[Frodebro]

yes - and I would say that a version of those with a master volume is a better solution than “lemme just run it through a dummy load, then throw some digital modeling on it and ramp it back up through a Class D amp” if you really wanna use that kind of amp in a live setting. See Suhr Badgers; Friedman Dirty Shirley (he’ll, the small box they are running through it at NAMM has a great master volume) Allen Amps, Boogie Fillmore, Boogie California, blah blah blah.

I have a Waza TAE, and your argument is equally applicable to that unit as it is very similar in concept to the Friedman. However, the value in the TAE for me is that every one of the amps that I have accumulated over the years is now quiet enough to play at home, or powerful enough to use with my band. And no way in hell am I going to go seeking out different versions of all that shit just for master volume controls or bigger power sections.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I have a Waza TAE, and your argument is equally applicable to that unit as it is very similar in concept to the Friedman. However, the value in the TAE for me is that every one of the amps that I have accumulated over the years is now quiet enough to play at home, or powerful enough to use with my band. And no way in hell am I going to go seeking out different versions of all that shit just for master volume controls or bigger power sections.

No it’s not - the digital sauce makes this very different and is the reason I don’t understand this product. “I prefer to use tubes to digital modeling so I’ll put this digital model on the back of my tube amp so I don’t have to use digital modeling”