Synergy Owners Thread

[Spaced Out Ace]

What is the Powerball like for 70s and 80s hard rock (VH, Cinderella, Deep Purple/Rainbow, Johnny Winter, KISS, etc).

 

[aivoryuk]

What is the Powerball like for 70s and 80s hard rock (VH, Cinderella, Deep Purple/Rainbow, Johnny Winter, KISS, etc).

I'd have to get back to you on that as I've only tried channel 1 for cleans.
Channel 2 can Def do a 90's VH tone.

The Fryette Deliverance can do 70's and 80's hard rock though - great module

 

[aivoryuk]

It’s my favorite Synergy module and what started me down the ENGL path for a while. There is a lot more in the module than just the brutalz. (Though it does slap hard too lol) Some really nice snappy rock tones available and a usable clean too.

I first got into Engl with the Mercuriall U530 plugin which then led to the Ironball which was great but it was soo loud even when using an Two Notes torpedo and then I sold it once I got the Fractal AX8 but was not as taken with the Engl models in the Fractal.

 

[aivoryuk]

What is the Powerball like for 70s and 80s hard rock (VH, Cinderella, Deep Purple/Rainbow, Johnny Winter, KISS, etc).

So I played with channel 1 last night and there is a decent crunch tone there when fully cranked- similar to a Marshall 800.
I think you would need a boost or hotter pickups to take it more into the 80's realm.

What is interesting is the way the cathode switch works - position 1 (Engl's preferred position) is more compressed and gives the most gain.
If you select position 2 then it more dynamic and in channel 1 you can get really nice blues tones similar to what I could get with the Ironball.
You crank the gain a little more on channel 2 as well.
It is a pity this switch is not selectable on the front panel.

 

[Elric]

What is the Powerball like for 70s and 80s hard rock (VH, Cinderella, Deep Purple/Rainbow, Johnny Winter, KISS, etc).

There are a lot other better modules in the Syn line up for those sounds IMHO. The Power ball is quite versatile but the very heavy stuff is still where it really shines, IMHO, the cleanish/crunch stuff is icing.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Anyone know how to program something like the MS-3 for two Syn-2 units for midi switching channels? I have it setup for one currently, but setting up for two is where I get a tad lost.

I'm thinking I'd need one set to midi channel 1 and the slave to midi channel 2. From there, I'd set patch midi control 1 to ch 1, and patch midi control 2 to ch 2. From there, if I am on my first bank of patches, it'd need to bypass the slave (cc number 60), when on my second bank of patches, it'd need to bypass the master. Is this correct?

 

[Elric]

Anyone know how to program something like the MS-3 for two Syn-2 units for midi switching channels? I have it setup for one currently, but setting up for two is where I get a tad lost.

I'm thinking I'd need one set to midi channel 1 and the slave to midi channel 2. From there, I'd set patch midi control 1 to ch 1, and patch midi control 2 to ch 2. From there, if I am on my first bank of patches, it'd need to bypass the slave (cc number 60), when on my second bank of patches, it'd need to bypass the master. Is this correct?

It would depend on what capabilities the MS-3 has (no idea personally) and how you want to control the Syn2's... you could either program them all to respond to the same MIDI channel and have them respond simultaneously to single program change messages or you could put them each on a different MIDI channel and send them control change messages individually/independently.

If it were me, I'd do the latter; but it requires a device (f.ex Axe 3 MIDI block can do it easily) that can send two independent CC messages at once.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

It would depend on what capabilities the MS-3 has (no idea personally) and how you want to control the Syn2's... you could either program them all to respond to the same MIDI channel and have them respond simultaneously to single program change messages or you could put them each on a different MIDI channel and send them control change messages individually/independently.

If it were me, I'd do the latter; but it requires a device (f.ex Axe 3 MIDI block can do it easily) that can send two independent CC messages at once.

The MS-3 can send four. It requires two banks of presets (gor the most part, my patches are basically duplicates), so I got a Boss FS6 so I can bank up and down without needing to press two switches at a time.

I'm sure I could also do PC messages, but I'm not well versed enough with midi at present. I'm sure it's stupidly simple, but still.

 

[Elric]

The MS-3 can send four. It requires two banks of presets (gor the most part, my patches are basically duplicates), so I got a Boss FS6 so I can bank up and down without needing to press two switches at a time.

I'm sure I could also do PC messages, but I'm not well versed enough with midi at present. I'm sure it's stupidly simple, but still.

If you do PC messages the process is still pretty straight forward.

For the analog connections: You treat one unit as the 'master' and then the other unit is the 'slave' and is connected as to the master as if it is an 'amp' then the master outputs are the outputs that get connected to the power amp.

For MIDI: You should be able to just chain them Master to Slave; put them on the same channel.

For the MIDI programming: Then you basically send the PC message number you want on the channel they are set to, then select the channel(s) you want on the preamps, and then hold each select until it flashes. If you want the 'slave' unit to be the one you hear for any given preset, for that PC make sure the channel selected for the 'master' is 'bypass' not one of the preamp channels.

That's really all there is to it. It's way simple in principle.

Like I said, I tend to use CCs because I can explicitly address the channels on the Synergy and I have other things responding to CCs in my rig and use PCs just for the Axe. But really the Synergy stuff should be perfectly doable either way. On a simple unit like the MS3 the PC thing may be the best option.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

If you do PC messages the process is still pretty straight forward.

For the analog connections: You treat one unit as the 'master' and then the other unit is the 'slave' and is connected as to the master as if it is an 'amp' then the master outputs are the outputs that get connected to the power amp.

For MIDI: You should be able to just chain them Master to Slave; put them on the same channel.

For the MIDI programming: Then you basically send the PC message number you want on the channel they are set to, then select the channel(s) you want on the preamps, and then hold each select until it flashes. If you want the 'slave' unit to be the one you hear for any given preset, for that PC make sure the channel selected for the 'master' is 'bypass' not one of the preamp channels.

That's really all there is to it. It's way simple in principle.

Like I said, I tend to use CCs because I can explicitly address the channels on the Synergy and I have other things responding to CCs in my rig and use PCs just for the Axe. But really the Synergy stuff should be perfectly doable either way. On a simple unit like the MS3 the PC thing may be the best option.

Not midi specific, but the manual sucks with regards to the settings for multiple Syn-2 units. For instance, it doesn't mention the hi/lo button switch at all (only mentions it in passing in the section for using the Syn-2 for additional channels with an amp head or combo).

Anyways, you would select patch 34-1, hold down the ch select button on Syn-2 master with the channel you want selected, wait for it to flash, then hold the ch select button down on the second Syn-2 set to bypass until it flashes? That is how I am interpreting what you said, anyways.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

Anyone know how to program something like the MS-3 for two Syn-2 units for midi switching channels? I have it setup for one currently, but setting up for two is where I get a tad lost.

Below is a visual representation of how to hook everything up. This is how I have both of my SYN2's set up so I know it works correctly. Follow this same scheme if you want to add more SYN2's. I don't know if there's a max limit of how many you can chain together, but I think you start getting some signal degradation after 3 or 4.

Alternatively you could run the cable going from the slave unit's "Mains Out L" to the master unit's "From Amp FX Send" and go from the slave unit's "To Amp FX Return" instead. Going from "Mains Out L" of the slave unit allows you to use the main volume on the slave unit. I find this handy to only need to adjust the main volume of the unit instead of each channel volume on the modules. You lose that ability if you go from the "To Amp FX Return"

Edit: If you're going into a power amp instead of a guitar amp:
Move the cable from the master unit's "To Amp FX Return" and plug into the "Main Out L" instead. Then that goes to the power amp's input.

For setting up the MIDI it's easiest to do it as PC. Set both SYN2's and the footswitch to the same MIDI channel. Select the MIDI footswitch button to use. Then set up the both SYN2's (one would be in bypass and the other would have a module channel selected) Once that's all set, one unit at a time press and hold the "store" button for about 3 seconds until the light flashes. That's it. Repeat the process for each footswitch button until you have it fully set up.

Edit: Have both units set to bypass to send the guitar signal straight into the amp itself.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

A quick follow up to make an extra note:
It's been a bit since I've had it setup using an actual guitar amp into it's FX loop. I've been running my SYN2's through a Fryette PS100 Powerstation so I use the "Main Out L" on the master unit. Now I'm not 100% sure on which output will allow you to use the main volume on the master unit; the "To FX Return" or "Main Out L" or either. If one doesn't work swap it to the other.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I think that's basically how I have it setup (main is in 4CM with my Boss MS-3). The main hiccup I experienced was the slave being really quiet. I fixed it by changing the setting on the hi/lo button switch next to "From Amp FX Send."

Still, it'd be nice if Synergy discussed this in the manual and what the setting should be.

 

[Badonkey Kong]

 

[Whizzinby]

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Rectifier possibly. I may get one if it sounds good.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Sweetwater posted a video. DRECT is what it's called.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Does anyone have two IICP modules and a Syn-2? If so, can you let me know if you get the sag light permanently on when loading both into your Syn-2?

EDIT: It seems that it wasn't the Syn-2 itself, as the symptom occurred when I swapped both IICP modules to the other Syn-2 I have. It would be my guess that the symptom is occurring due to having so much in one module (ie, knobs, switches, EQs, etc) right next to each other.