Vai on digital stuff... "its sounds small and have latency"

[JMP2203]

God Bless Tubes

 

[Mailman1971]

Sounds cool. But still not sure why this is talked about like something new.
Egnator and Randall did this over a decade ago with the MTS amps.

 

[Metlupass2]

Sounds cool. But still not sure why this is talked about like something new.
Egnator and Randall did this over a decade ago with the MTS amps.

I commented on YouTube as well.

Synergy has been around for a few years now and he's talking like it's brand new.

 

[Hamer95USA]

I really liked the Egnater Mod 50 & Mod 100 modular amp heads and the M4 preamp. I was puzzled as to why he stopped production of the preamps and both the modular amp heads & preamp. It was a very innovative & forward thinking product.

 

[romanianreaper]

Like I've said before, I love a good tube amp but modeling has allowed me to have convenience I've never had before with doing recordings, etc. I think if I was gigging still, I'd probably want a basic tube amp again but not sure.

I don't think modelling can ever capture that tube feel and tone but I love that we are so much closer than years ago. It's funny, I haven't owned a tube amp probably since 2012 but the other day I plugged into a 5150-III combo and had a great time playing. There is something I hear and feel with a tube amp that I can't put my finger on, but love. It is like an old 70s muscle car that just has this rumble. Other cars come out and may be faster, louder, etc. but you can't compare it to a rumbling muscle car.

 

[JerEvil]

Yeah this is legit a weird vid in the sense this is years old info for Synergy! LOL! Not like people don't know what they are or how they work. Maybe the hope is that Steve will get people to take notice?

 

[Kordoba]

Like I've said before, I love a good tube amp but modeling has allowed me to have convenience I've never had before with doing recordings, etc. I think if I was gigging still, I'd probably want a basic tube amp again but not sure.

I don't think modelling can ever capture that tube feel and tone but I love that we are so much closer than years ago. It's funny, I haven't owned a tube amp probably since 2012 but the other day I plugged into a 5150-III combo and had a great time playing. There is something I hear and feel with a tube amp that I can't put my finger on, but love. It is like an old 70s muscle car that just has this rumble. Other cars come out and may be faster, louder, etc. but you can't compare it to a rumbling muscle car.

Funny you mention that because the other day I got a message from a guy on the Peavey Facebook group commenting on one of my VTM 60 clips, where I was pushing serious air and the head/cab were rocking back and forth on chugs. I said the best way I can explain it, is like the torque of a vintage big block Mopar where you slam the loud pedal to the floor and the back of the car lifts up and you start fishtailing while burning the tires.

 

[blackba]

I love the Axe-Fx in the background as he is talking.

 

[BackCrack]

Did you catch the new modules when the camera panned upwards? I froze the video and captured the screen the best I could on these 6 modules...two Bogners, two Engls, an Ultra Lead, and a Dumble clone.

 

[JerEvil]

Did you catch the new modules when the camera panned upwards? I froze the video and captured the screen the best I could on these 6 modules...two Bogners, two Engls, an Ultra Lead, and a Dumble clone.

Man... that Pitbull module pretty much guarantees I'll be nabbing a Syn1 at least...

 

[romanianreaper]

Like I've said before, I love a good tube amp but modeling has allowed me to have convenience I've never had before with doing recordings, etc. I think if I was gigging still, I'd probably want a basic tube amp again but not sure.

I don't think modelling can ever capture that tube feel and tone but I love that we are so much closer than years ago. It's funny, I haven't owned a tube amp probably since 2012 but the other day I plugged into a 5150-III combo and had a great time playing. There is something I hear and feel with a tube amp that I can't put my finger on, but love. It is like an old 70s muscle car that just has this rumble. Other cars come out and may be faster, louder, etc. but you can't compare it to a rumbling muscle car.

Funny you mention that because the other day I got a message from a guy on the Peavey Facebook group commenting on one of my VTM 60 clips, where I was pushing serious air and the head/cab were rocking back and forth on chugs. I said the best way I can explain it, is like the torque of a vintage big block Mopar where you slam the loud pedal to the floor and the back up the car lifts up and you start fishtailing while burning the tires.

LOL!!! Yep! I remember the first time I heard Van Halen's "Panama" and that breakdown part after the solo, just before DLR starts talking. You hear Eddie playing the parts really clean and then he hits the strings harder here and there and that sound to me always sounded like a car engine. Just the amp roaring.

 

[romanianreaper]

I love the Axe-Fx in the background as he is talking.

Yeah, kind of like O.J.'s "If I Did It" book.....





I knew what Vai meant when he was talking about the modeling, etc. but was still funny.

 

[nightlight]

This is great. Guys, I have the opportunity to get a Syn-2 rack with a Friedman BE-OD module for a good price.

I have some real amps, and I am really wondering whether this will be worth it, or whether the real thing is better

 

[nightlight]

This is great. Guys, I have the opportunity to get a Syn-2 rack with a Friedman BE-OD module for a good price.

I have some real amps, and I am really wondering whether this will be worth it, or whether the real thing is better

I had a Synergy rig, and it is the real thing. It hangs just fine with any of the big name amps. It was actually going to replace my tube-based half stack as my primary rig.

Unfortunately, Synergy seem to have ongoing problems getting product to market. They announced a bunch of new modules at NAMM a few days ago, but have yet to ship the ones they announced at NAMM in January of last year. Finalized products ready for production available in 90-120 days they said, but still not shipping 13 months later. It's not just new products. Filling backorders on existing products seems to be problematic. They seem to have some type of chronic production bottleneck. I got tired of waiting.

It's too bad. It really is a great product, and I'm always kinda rooting for Bruce Egnater. I think the Synergy stuff could be huge. I would say revolutionary, but I think MTS claims that title. I think they finally nailed it with Synergy though, and the only thing keeping the product from reaching critical mass is their inability to deliver.

I've heard about those problems. I think I'll pass on the module and rack, it seems like a cool concept, but I'd rather spend my money on a regular amp.

It's awesome that someone like Vai thinks they're cool though!

 

[crankyrayhanky]

This is great. Guys, I have the opportunity to get a Syn-2 rack with a Friedman BE-OD module for a good price.

I have some real amps, and I am really wondering whether this will be worth it, or whether the real thing is better

Based on my experience with a lot of mts:
Real thing (actual amp) is better. Mostly due to the Power Amp section- but if you have a power amp you like modules will sound great, but 2 modules going into that 1 Power amp won't have the diversity of having those 2 actual amps.
That being said, many of the module circuits are awesome and inspiring.
You think you're saving cash, but it somehow becomes more expensive as you gather a fleet of modules. I may jump back into it if they ever release the BB/BE, or Engl or maybe that new Fryette with graphic eq. Sucks the 30watt head doesn't have depth control though- that would have been my jam. The bigger head starts to get costly (may as well buy an Engl) and not sure if I want to go racks again.

They took a super idea and somehow seem to be screwing it up with production issues. I think it is because everyone involved views this as their side project (?)

 

[snowdog]

says the guy that uses Carvin amps

 

[lockingtuner]

The digital stuff is a good complement to tubes. It has a convenience and accessibility that can broaden the market on balance for builders. Synergy is interesting because it's trying to get between tubes and digital. On paper, there's a gap to be filled here, but I don't see a whole lot of chatter about it. Maybe that's why they talk about it like it's new, or maybe I just don't keep up with gear enough

 

[squealie]

Vai whined about preamps/poweramps vs heads a few decades ago too.

Vai is awesome, but he's no authority on the tones I like.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Oh No, Vai just butthurt a few Fractal nut swingers!

 

[shredhead7]

On the last tour with Zakk and Yngwie, wasn't he using the AXE? I saw the tour, but wasn't close enough to see the back line. I did see that he had the Carvin Legacy pedal on a table, but I couldn't see where it was going. His tone wasn't as good, organic/responsive, as it had been in the past, but that could have been the front of house guy on the mix.