New Friedman IR-X preamp

[KingsXJJ]

Try a different USB cable maybe?

 

[jellodog]

@Shredder777 After reading all that, I get the feeling that you might prefer the IR-D with an SD-1 in front

 

[mk5]

Agree. I may be wrong, but I think the attenuated treble is a characteristic of the BE. The Dirty Shirley has a bit more bite to it, which may mean you are better suited for an IR-D (especially since you already are running an OD in front)

 

[JiveTurkey]

The app on the IR series is weird to me as well. I would rather the switches for the 3 extra functions or whatever just be on the unit itself. I want a WYSIWYG floor device. If I wanted presets; I'd just use my Axe wtfever. The app for me just needs IR loading and any sort of fw updating if at all.

 

[rocknrollshakeup]

Five hour update....

I am running this with an NS-1 and a Jumpspace (Tube Zone clone) in front, with settings that approximate a TS. I reviewed this pedal a couple weeks ago and I dialed it in to be as close to my SD-1 as possible. I know the IRX can get every sound I need below the highest of gain, so I am focused on getting the best possible, most saturated lead sound. Of the three IRs, the first two sound good, but I am just using the V30 one. I found that all the toggles in the middle are best for me.

• PRO: I will be honest, it sounds 100% realistic when run direct. You can feel the cabinet thud underneath when muting, but the strings still feel alive and articulate on top, they have a bounce to them and are still dynamic when high gain. It just has something that models don't, like you can hear the tubes doing something. Maybe its higher dynamic range or the absence of digital artifacts. It has all the details I used to get with the Palmer, but it sounds better, like it is actually perfectly miked and you have a high degree of control over the sound. I don't know if this is the clever cabinet sim, or the choice of IRs, or just the fact it is a tube preamp.
• PRO: With the boost, It gets a ripping high gain thrash/metal sound, and retains dynamics. I have never before had this good of a direct rhythm guitar sound. Just a decade ago, I remember all the stuff I had to do with multiple mics and eventually I just settled on using a Palmer with eq. The IRX feels like a cheat code.
• CON: I absolutely 100% need to run it with the right boost in front. There isn't a way to get any hair or sizzle without some treble boost.
• CON: It doesn't seem to work with my old standby SD-1. It seems that the Friedman may be chopping some of the same high frequencies that the Boss pedal does.
• PRO: By some people's metrics, this is a four channel amp and with four separate volumes you can easily dial in four different levels of gain. It seems that the boosted volume is not the level of boost feeding the channel, but the output level when the boost is turned on. I have experimented a little bit with the side pots and I think they are increasing the gain(delta) when boost is on. (Not another gain stage, but increasing the amount of gain in the first stage.)
• CON: Uncle Dave has decided that this is going to have a smooth upper mid emphasis without any hair. Its dark and smooth. It wails, but it doesn't have any buzz. While it sustains and sounds open, the top end doesn't have as much saturation/harmonic complexity as I would like. It sounds "beamy". There is that wide mid spike that is always there, even if you turn down the mids. Its like there is a PEQ boost that you cant turn off. If a Marshall is a black diamond, the IR-X is a blue square. It kinda feels dumbed down a little bit, like this is what his customers (including the blues lawyers) think a Marshall "should" sound like. If I hook it up to my MFX I will have all manner of EQ and boost at my disposal and could print an IR with EQ changes that might make it more raw. I think the IR-J might be a better fit for me, but oth, I think this probably does thick metal rhythm better.
• CON: The PC app is "push" only. Every time you make a change, it pushes the state to the pedal, so if you made any adjustments on the pedal (change channel, turn on boost) they get reverted. This means that you have to do everything except eq from the app.
• PRO: My subjective critique on its lead guitar tone (dark, beamy) may sound negative, but it does almost everything else better than what I've had before. Besides the lead guitar tone, it gives me easy access to every other 100% real tone I would ever need. Maybe I just need to find the right boost or bake some eq changes into the IR.

I play my IRX mainly with single coils and I never was left wanting for more harmonics and top end. In fact I have to be careful to keep it from being too glassy.
I also end up running the mids fairly high.
On the lower gain settings the brightest bright setting is definitely way to bright for me.

But have you tried running an EQ in the effects loop?
I run a Para EQ in the loop to actually dial down 4khz for less harsh tinny top end, and bump up the low mids at around 500hz, for more fatness.

Now granted it seems we are using the unit for different tones; I mainly use Ch1 for edge of breakup up to hot rod plexi. Ch2 just for leads. For DI recording only.

For front end boost I’ve been using the J Rocket Rockaway which is a brilliant Klon with a 6 band EQ. If you bring down the 800hz and push the 1.6 and 3.2khz, I’m guessing you’d get more of what you are after.

But with a pre gain EQ and boost in the front and post gain EQ in the loop, I think you’ll be golden.

I actually run a BOSS EQ200 on my live board, and run two parallel EQ’s. One is pre gain and one is post gain. But you can also run one pre gain (+/- volume boost) and one in your effects loop. So that’d be a do it all EQ solution.

Just some thoughts.

 

[rocknrollshakeup]

Yes, it is too glassy. Too beamy. Single notes are clear sounding, not full sounding.

And just to clarify I’m mainly using a Jazzmaster and Tele so if my guitar treble is too high I get the tinny 4Khz top end especially with the JM!

But the glass is coming from the plexi circuit of the IRX.
But adding 400-600hz should sort out any lack of fullness you are missing.

The glass largely goes away with the bright switch turned to the lowest setting or when the gain is cranked. In fact the lowest bright setting is too dull for me even with my single coils. So I use that middle setting which is just about perfect for me.

But best of luck on your quest.

 

[rocknrollshakeup]

Its not an EQ issue, its a note quality issue. For metal and lead guitar, you want there to be "saturation". The Friedman is "clear" in those upper note frequencies. I don't know how else to describe it. Usually I can add saturation with an SD1, but it seems like there might be some kind of "pre-EQ" before the distortion circuit that takes out those frequencies before they get there.

A clear lead guitar sound can be made more complex by running it through power section, which adds its own harmonics and vibrations, but the IRX doesnt have that. I think this pedal is only half of the Friedman equation.

When you mute the strings and pick a line, how does it sound? Does it still sound distorted and full? That is saturation? Does it thud or click? That is lack of saturation.

It sounds like we play completely different kinds of music.

Yeah I’m definitely not a metal player more like Johnny Marr to Steve Jones
Good luck on your quest!

 

[aivoryuk]

Fwiw When I had the IR-X - the plexi channel was the hardest to dial in. The was a fine line between clarity and a bit harsh to dull and soft.

The Synergy plexi module is soo much better.

 

[KingsXJJ]

I just unboxed mine and checked it out. Sounds like Friedman to me. Some IR changes and most importantly adjusting boost levels and volumes and it sounds like I’d expect. It’s a tad dry without delay or reverb but the core sound is good. I prefer (esp. on Plexi channel 1) a bit brighter IR. I put “thump” on max on the app. Presence and Low Cut centered on both channels. I like it. I wish it were a bit more “vintage.” Perhaps that’s what the other boxes do. Interested in driving those. I do wish the app offered global or by channel Presence with a continuously variable knob rather than switches. Same with Thump. Amp sag would be nice as well, esp. on channel one.

Edit: unit updated to v2.

• New Dynamic Power Amp Modeling simulation (AI captured model from a Friedman EL34 loaded power section into a 4x12 v30/GB mix)
• 3-way selectable Low Pass filter (software)
• 5 New IRs by OWNHAMMER
• DSP engine resolution upgraded from 48khz to 96khz
• The extraordinarily low latency further reduced by 1/3
• Switching time further reduced
• MIDI CC: CC 24 CHANNEL 0 - 127 - toggle
CC 25 BOOST 0 - 127 - toggle
CC 26 LOOP BYPASS 0 - 127 - toggle
CC 27 IR BYPASS 0 - 127 - toggle
CC 28 IR 0 - 1 - 2
CC 29 PRESENCE 0 - 1 -2
CC 30 DEEP 0 - 1 -2
CC 31 LP 0 - 1 -2

 

[KingsXJJ]

Great pedal, I am getting closer to my tones with this bed board. Red DLS and well tweaked OD-200 FTW.

 

[la szum]

Now I don't know whether I should try the IR-J or if this dna is in all his pedals?

That DNA is in Mr. Friedman's ears. Some like his ears. Others not so much.

 

[Diary Of An Axeman]

View attachment 11156

Meanwhile, I am playing my guitar with a cheap generator with a cheap Squier S10 amp by the river in my van .... after my divorce !!!

 

[Los-D]

Meanwhile, I am playing my guitar with a cheap generator with a cheap Squier S10 amp by the river in my van .... after my divorce !!!

Mojo sent!

 

[Diary Of An Axeman]

Mojo sent!

I was only making a joke about the MEME .... Still with my ball n chain

 

[GuitarBilly74]

One last thought before I pack this up and send it back. The EQ is actually a good bit more versatile than I thought.

If you move the EQ in tandem you can get different overall tonalities. It actually quite chewy with all the controls on 3 on the BE channel with treble around 4 (to taste.)

Unfortunately, everything I've tried does not restore harmonics to upper registers. Even boosted it wont get screamers. Really touch sensitive for rhythym playing, great low grind, just not for high gain lead playing. Dave said "you shall not pass!"

That's strange, I have the IR-D and have no issues getting harmonics or lead tones from it. I had the IR-X for a while and it was fine too. Maybe a different IR would help? I use the V30 in both channels. It's a Friedman IR but it did not come with the pedal, I downloaded it from his software.

 

[Jarick]

With the latest version firmware, there is a high cut with three positions, and I believe that all three will cut high end presence. To me it sounds a lot more lively if you bypass the IR on the unit then add one after the fact.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

I'm going to try that. I've decided to keep the IRX because its good in so many other ways, but I still haven't gotten to the bottom of the darkness, just to acknowledge it is probably something in the digital back end. I haven't had a ton of time to test it.

With a treble boost it is in the ballpark. I've got some really bright 12ax7s I could try too.

Trt a couple of it different IRs, the Friedman software has a bunch of good ones for free. And yes a boost helps. They take boosts well.
I like the SD-1 and a Klone with the IR-D but to be fair, that's what I use with any amp.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

It really is about finding the right boost.

Other people have noticed it benefits from a treble boost and I agree. I didn't much like it with my SD-1 because it also chops off the top, but that may be because the amp sim and IRs are already chopping. I really just need to run it into my tube amp without and IR to see what I am dealing with.

The digital Klon in my MFX is doing what I want, but I'd rather find an analog boost that does something similar. Wampler Triump is on my radar as is the Tumnus (which looks like almost same pedal but costs 2x as much?)

I did a little comparison with the IR-D boosted with the SD-1 and a Klone (J Rockett Archer). I like them both but the SD1 is a bit more aggressive ẁhile the Klone is sweeter.

SD-1



Klone

 

[GuitarBilly74]

I can really hear the SD-1 character in the first clip. Perfect. Maybe I should be looking at an IR-D, that tone seems brighter and more open. The pick attack is perfect.

I've been busy with other stuff and I had to put my toys away, but I really just need to run the IR-X into my amps return with the SD-1 to see where I am with it.

From those two clips, much prefer the SD-1. The archer is smooth and doesn't seem to have the same mid push.

I really suggest you dive into the IR rabbit hole a bit. It makes all the difference with these pedals. I was about to return mine until I found that V30 IR.

 

[KingsXJJ]

I think I'm going back to my initial impression of the IR-X. I've been listening to the BE100 vs HBE comparisons on yt and in every case i prefer the hbe. The BE100 is a weird chopped top marshall sound that is literally missing harmonic content which is where I live. Somewhere over the past decade, he redesined the amp, with hbe mods and now the dlx version, and no one in their right mind would pick a be100 over a hbe or dlx.

I love the pedal format so much, but I'm leaning towards returning the IRX. I'm not even sure the IRJ isn't doing the same kind of weirdness on the top end. I think the BE100 was designed for people who the pinnacle of playing and technique was evh. It right in the name. Brown sound. Brown eye. I'm kinda surprised they went mainstream with such a lacking design. Any modern shredder is going to expect that top end to be there. And its kinda worse than just a rolled off post eq, its like the gain circuit reduced the harmonic content early in the gain stages. What is weird is that eddie used ripping loud marshalls that had all that harmonic complexity, but by the time it got on the radio it was smoothed in so many ways. Its like DF said "what if we could get that sound right from the amp, for people who don't know any better." And years later he said "I fucked up" and he rolled out the HBE and dlx versions of the amp.

I've never been this conflicted on a piece of gear. I love the brown rhythym sounds which make everything so easy to play, but its lead guitar voice is half missing. The reason I'm conflicted is that there isn't anything else like this pedal besides the D and J versions and they may have the same weirdness. To my ears, the D is too loose for what I want, and the J is thin.

Conflicted about this as well.