Synergy experience

[romanianreaper]

No, mine is dead quiet.. looks like you got this taken care of though. I love the bottom end of the SLO.. it really thumps through my Friedman ported 1x12.

The sound cones and goes but was quite a bit yesterday and figured i probably should just make sure there are no issues.

 

[mentoneman]

While I doubt I’ll ever give up my Cherry Bomb and I love my Mark III+, I think the Synergy stuff is top notch!

I have a ton of experience with the Randall and Egnater modular stuff, including a lot of the modded modules, I think the Synergy system is a definite step up.

I own the Syn 50 and like it quite a bit bit as the platform. For modules, my three go to’s are the Drect, the Pitbull and the Cali. I have also kept the 6505, VH4 ( somewhat of a surprise because I didn’t get along with any of the real amps that I owned) and the BE DLX. Have owned pretty much all the high gain modules and these fit me best. The IIC was cool too, but I have that ground more than covered with the III+.

awesome brobro and good points. for me synergy is a great way to get a customized clean to filthy rig under one roof, but it sure is nice to flick on my III or Peacemaker from time to time.

 

[mentoneman]

I ordered another 20IR this morning and going to send the other one back since I'm getting that noise. I'm sure it is just a tube but with it being new, I didnt want to send it to Synergy or try to diagnose it myself, etc.

I am really getting some killer tones with this thing and so impressed. I'm running into an Orange 1x12 and haven't even played thru my Orange V212 yet.

Definitely getting a Marshall JMP module next.

cool!
like i mentioned in my first post i had intermittent tube issues with my syn-2 and DS module right out of the gate and probably should have done what you did but i had spare tubes and just dealt with it myself.

 

[mentoneman]

I'm excited to get the JMP! I was going to trade the SLO-II for the JMP but I dig it and figured I'll just snag another module, lol.

and so it begins…

 

[mentoneman]

a good strat and the BMAN would easily get in that realm.

i tried with both the egnater module and the synergy one but could never seem to get it to break up just how i wanted it to.

it was either too brash or too boomy when i tested them out. the best clean amp i ever played was a 66 blackface bassman and the best low/mid gain amp tweed style amp was a 59 tweed bassman 4x10. hard to beat!!

 

[romanianreaper]

and so it begins…

Soon I'll be selling modules tucked underneath my trenchcoat on the streets.....

 

[TheGreatGreen]

i tried with both the egnater module and the synergy one but could never seem to get it to break up just how i wanted it to.

it was either too brash or too boomy when i tested them out. the best clean amp i ever played was a 66 blackface bassman and the best low/mid gain amp tweed style amp was a 59 tweed bassman 4x10. hard to beat!!

Honestly I bet if you took a Bman module and put a good EQ after it to keep the character but more surgically tame the brashness and boom, it would probably get you about as close as anything could.

 

[romanianreaper]

It's funny, I haven't heard that weird sound i was hearing and of course I already ordered another 20IR, lol. Oh well. Probably better to just get a new one because it will rear It's ugly head.

I was playing the SLO II with lower gain today along to Zeppelin and was a blast! Can't wait to get the JMP.

 

[mentoneman]

Honestly I bet if you took a Bman module and put a good EQ after it to keep the character but more surgically tame the brashness and boom, it would probably get you about as close as anything could.

i did something along those lines by putting a bogner xtc blue pedal in front of the DS module when i first got it. made for a great blues overdrive sound ala SRV. i kinda regret selling off that pedal…



i’ve been experimenting with my cleaner fendery sounds by compressing the front end with a cali76 stacked comp and a post preamp RNC rack comp. a comp/eq would be rad.

 

[mentoneman]

regarding this thing we talk about—preamp+ power amp versus all in one integrated amp head sound,
Steve F. touched on the differences between his GDPI IR box and Synergy stuff



i’ve run my preamps into one side of the power amp mono and fully loaded down to line level, in order to pass through the power tubes and get the benefit of the added “girth” and depth & presence controls before hitting the fx in a stereo or wdw rig.

it definitely helps bring out added dynamics in the preamp and make them behave more like a real amp head, but it is an extra layer of complexity most people don’t want to deal with.

 

[ewill52]

I have both. They are similar, but different enough for me to keep both. The SLO sounds bigger the way I have them set up, and the 6505 has more gain and seems to be a touch brighter. The 6505 almost feels a bit squishier compared to the SLO.

Does the SLO do ok at lower gain settings? I probably don't run the gain as high as most guys here because i don't play a ton of metal, but i would love to use it to emulate the Warren Haynes tones and use the 2nd channel as a higher gain rock tone

 

[fek]

The SLO does do well with lower gain settings. In my opinion of course. Love Warren and those tones can be found in there.

 

[Exo-metal]

regarding this thing we talk about—preamp+ power amp versus all in one integrated amp head sound,
Steve F. touched on the differences between his GDPI IR box and Synergy stuff



i’ve run my preamps into one side of the power amp mono and fully loaded down to line level, in order to pass through the power tubes and get the benefit of the added “girth” and depth & presence controls before hitting the fx in a stereo or wdw rig.

it definitely helps bring out added dynamics in the preamp and make them behave more like a real amp head, but it is an extra layer of complexity most people don’t want to deal with.

Can you explain this further. How then are you adding fx later in the rig if you already hit your pwr section, a separate line to them and other amps?

 

[romanianreaper]

Does the SLO do ok at lower gain settings? I probably don't run the gain as high as most guys here because i don't play a ton of metal, but i would love to use it to emulate the Warren Haynes tones and use the 2nd channel as a higher gain rock tone

Like Fek said, it definitely does. I was playing some early Led Zeppelin today on the blue channel, with crunch and the gain at around 11 o'clock. Definitely could drop the gain even more.

 

[mentoneman]

Can you explain this further. How then are you adding fx later in the rig if you already hit your pwr section, a separate line to them and other amps?

i’ve done it that way and also monitoring DI to headphones out of my rig.

 

[Rackman]

Can you explain this further. How then are you adding fx later in the rig if you already hit your pwr section, a separate line to them and other amps?

The classic way is a Palmer PDI-03 speaker sim, although there are now a large number of competing devices. The main dry chain is

PRE -> TUBE_POWER -> PDI-03 -> Speakers

then the line out from the Palmer goes

PDI-03_OUT -> FX(stereo split) -> (possible line mixer) -> CLEAN_POWER -> More Speakers

Gives you an awesome wet/dry/wet setup where the FX are post power amp.

I don't do any of this with my Synergy setup BTW. But it is a thing. I've got

PRE -> FX -> Volume pedal -> TUBE_POWER -> Speakers

 

[jchrisf]

The classic way is a Palmer PDI-03 speaker sim, although there are now a large number of competing devices. The main dry chain is

PRE -> TUBE_POWER -> PDI-03 -> Speakers

then the line out from the Palmer goes

PDI-03_OUT -> FX(stereo split) -> (possible line mixer) -> CLEAN_POWER -> More Speakers

Gives you an awesome wet/dry/wet setup where the FX are post power amp.

I don't do any of this with my Synergy setup BTW. But it is a thing. I've got

PRE -> FX -> Volume pedal -> TUBE_POWER -> Speakers

What is your Synergy setup?

 

[Rackman]

What is your Synergy setup?

It varies a little bit, and this is an older pic, but right now I've got

Guitar -> RJM switcher loops with in-front of amp pedals (compressor etc.) -> 2x Syn2s in loops of the RJM -> more RJM loops for post-FX -> Eclipse FX unit -> Volume pedal -> Fryette XLII -> TL806 1x12/EVM12L Black Shadow.

Current used modules:
TDLX, Killer Kali, Ecstasy or SLO II, 2CP

I'm reworking my live setup with my other Eclipse and setting it up to make more use of MIDI so I don't need a RJM switcher or stompboxes or to run the signal out to the volume pedal and back. It's totally doable, but one of those things that may never be worth changing on the studio rack.

 

[romanianreaper]

Synergy 20IR replacement arrived today and sounds as wonderful as the first one, without the noises I was hearing.

I'm sure the first amp issues were super minor tube issues but never hurts to be certain.

Love the Synergy stuff!

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

Synergy 20IR replacement arrived today and sounds as wonderful as the first one, without the noises I was hearing.

I'm sure the first amp issues were super minor tube issues but never hurts to be certain.

Love the Synergy stuff!

Which module are you playing?