Anybody using a Strymon Iridium?

[Jim Soloway]

Some of you much be using (or did use in the past) a Strymon Iridium. So what's the deal? Is it easy to use? Does it record well? How are you using it live? Any comments?

[Jim Soloway]

Oh well. I guess not but I found one used for a good price so I guess I'm going to find out for myself.

[jorgemg1984]

I never tried one but always found these clips interesting:

Two good things about it 1) it models the normal channel of a Deluxe, so it has more clean headroom and the bright switch is always off 2) it allows 3rd party impulse responses, which can make a big difference IMHO. The main drawback people mention is the reverb, which seems to be an average room reverb - it's a shame they didn't put the spring reverb from the Flint.

[Jim Soloway]

I never tried one but always found these clips interesting:

Two good things about it 1) it models the normal channel of a Deluxe, so it has more clean headroom and the bright switch is always off 2) it allows 3rd party impulse responses, which can make a big difference IMHO. The main drawback people mention is the reverb, which seems to be an average room reverb - it's a shame they didn't put the spring reverb from the Flint.

Thanks. Jon Cordy is definitely one of my favorite YouTubers. Great player and I feel like I'm getting honest info from him. I own a Flint so I'm not too concerned about the verb. What I really want to hear about is how it works with powered cabs or direct into a power amp. I own a decent power amp and I'm picking up a Raezers Edge NY8 in about two weeks. What I'd really like to do is have the Flint running into the Iridium and from there straight into the power amp and finally to the NY8 but not one ever seems to talk about that kind of setup.

[jzucker]

never tried one but I don't have a reverb pedal so I never felt it to be a compelling product for my use.

[Jim Soloway]

never tried one but I don't have a reverb pedal so I never felt it to be a compelling product for my use.

I think that's why the UA Dream 65 is doing so well. It has both reverb and trem but it's also supposedly much brighter. As Jorge points out, the Iridium is based on the normal input of the Deluxe with the bright switch off. The Dream 65 is the vibrato input with the bright switch on.

[jzucker]

I think that's why the UA Dream 65 is doing so well. It has both reverb and trem but it's also supposedly much brighter. As Jorge points out, the Iridium is based on the normal input of the Deluxe with the bright switch off. The Dream 65 is the vibrato input with the bright switch on.

i had a few of those UA pedals. I had the reverb, delay and modulation. Ultimately, i didn't bond with them. I felt they were too bright.

Unless you are adverse to adjusting things on the computer, Just bite the bullet and get the hx stomp. It's much better sounding and more versatile than the iridium and it has all the effects built in. I really like the reverbs and delays. You can download the plug in version for a free trial last I checked so that may be a way to audition it.

[jorgemg1984]

Thanks. Jon Cordy is definitely one of my favorite YouTubers. Great player and I feel like I'm getting honest info from him. I own a Flint so I'm not too concerned about the verb. What I really want to hear about is how it works with powered cabs or direct into a power amp. I own a decent power amp and I'm picking up a Raezers Edge NY8 in about two weeks. What I'd really like to do is have the Flint running into the Iridium and from there straight into the power amp and finally to the NY8 but not one ever seems to talk about that kind of setup.

I agree, Cordy's videos are great. Strymon says the iridum can output Line Level so, in theory (and we all know how that goes), it can drive a power amp without problems....

A short note about the Dream 65, that I also never tried - you can disable the bright switch by turning the boost on. Apparently, just a small amount of boost will turn the bright switch off with a minimal influence on clean headroom, but I never tried it. The reverb is supposed to be great, but if you already have a a Flint that's moot. No 3rd party IRs, that's the deal breaker for me.

Another advantage for the Iridium is they made the mid knob "variable", a very common mod on blackface amps. So, mids down you have a blackface scooped sound, mids up you can get more into tweed mid-heavy sound.

As Jack points out, both the Iridium and the UAD, at retail prices, get so close to the HX Stomp that it's a hard sell - although the HX Stomp has a bigger learning curve and it seems you got the Iridium used, so the price argument is not so relevant.

So, I think the Iridum Flint setup, at line level, should work well.

[Jim Soloway]

i had a few of those UA pedals. I had the reverb, delay and modulation. Ultimately, i didn't bond with them. I felt they were too bright.

Unless you are adverse to adjusting things on the computer, Just bite the bullet and get the hx stomp. It's much better sounding and more versatile than the iridium and it has all the effects built in. I really like the reverbs and delays. You can download the plug in version for a free trial last I checked so that may be a way to audition it.

I tried the demo of the plugin last week. I found it to be really confusing and since I already have the power amp and the Flint and I found a used Iridium at a really good price I figure it really will cost me nothing to try it out. If it doesn't work, then a full scale modeler is probably the next step but I'd definitely like to try this first.

BTW, not only did I find a used Iridium, the seller lives in a small town in New Brunswick and we just happened to be driving right past his home in 12 days so I can actually pick it up in person. I figure the odds on that are about 1 in infinity.

[Woodstove]

Thanks. Jon Cordy is definitely one of my favorite YouTubers. Great player and I feel like I'm getting honest info from him. I own a Flint so I'm not too concerned about the verb. What I really want to hear about is how it works with powered cabs or direct into a power amp. I own a decent power amp and I'm picking up a Raezers Edge NY8 in about two weeks. What I'd really like to do is have the Flint running into the Iridium and from there straight into the power amp and finally to the NY8 but not one ever seems to talk about that kind of setup.

I have run UA amp pedals into a twin tonemaster with good results. As well as being too bright, the Dream has very little head room, and not the best break up tone. Keeping the input close to zero provides a very useable clean sound. The head room on the twin gives all the gain flexibility needed. The Woodrow is a much more satisfying pedal. It really has an authentic tweed tones. Can give great cleans and the saturation tones are fantastic. The speaker sims are excellent and this is where the UA pedals make their case over other systems. Not to say it makes them the better choice over Strymon, but it's an excellent feature. It has a room reverb only. I've discovered 2 "gizmos" on this thread that appeal to me. The Flint seems to be excellent. I see running the Woodrow to Flint to PA to cover a weekly Unitarian Church gig and leave my amp home. The NY 8 speaker its totally new to me, I can see lot's of uses for it. You go, 20 lbs. There's been a recent thread here on the El Pescadoro pedal, a very unique set of voices. I was thinking of trying it. While it lives in Chicago Blues Land it seems to put out wonderful jazz tones so could fit the church gigs but without tremolo. Flint or Pescadoro?? (or both ) Or, pass the GAS and just use the Dream with it's very useable reverb and tremolo. at least for the church. That's probably the answer.

[Jim Soloway]

I have run UA amp pedals into a twin tonemaster with good results. As well as being too bright, the Dream has very little head room, and not the best break up tone. Keeping the input close to zero provides a very useable clean sound. The head room on the twin gives all the gain flexibility needed. The Woodrow is a much more satisfying pedal. It really has an authentic tweed tones. Can give great cleans and the saturation tones are fantastic. The speaker sims are excellent and this is where the UA pedals make their case over other systems. Not to say it makes them the better choice over Strymon, but it's an excellent feature. It has a room reverb only. I've discovered 2 "gizmos" on this thread that appeal to me. The Flint seems to be excellent. I see running the Woodrow to Flint to PA to cover a weekly Unitarian Church gig and leave my amp home. The NY 8 speaker its totally new to me, I can see lot's of uses for it. You go, 20 lbs. There's been a recent thread here on the El Pescadoro pedal, a very unique set of voices. I was thinking of trying it. While it lives in Chicago Blues Land it seems to put out wonderful jazz tones so could fit the church gigs but without tremolo. Flint or Pescadoro?? (or both ) Or, pass the GAS and just use the Dream with it's very useable reverb and tremolo. at least for the church. That's probably the answer.

I had a NY8 about 10 years ago and I loved it. It was a time that I was gigging quite a bit and the NY8 did a wonderful job (keeping in mind that I never get really loud). So I'm really looking forward to having one again. It's been a strain on my patience tough. I bought a few things in the US ()including the NY8 and had them shipped to a package handling store in Maine near the Canadian border thinking that we'd get down there quickly to get them. Then we decided we were moving across the country and the easiest way to get there is by driving through the US so we postponed the trip to the border by 6 weeks rather than doing it twice. So I have gear that's been just sitting there waiting for me to pick it up since early July. It's not easy to cope with GAS when you live in the Atlantic Ocean north of Venezuela.

[Woodstove]

I had a NY8 about 10 years ago and I loved it. It was a time that I was gigging quite a bit and the NY8 did a wonderful job (keeping in mind that I never get really loud). So I'm really looking forward to having one again. It's been a strain on my patience tough. I bought a few things in the US ()including the NY8 and had them shipped to a package handling store in Maine near the Canadian border thinking that we'd get down there quickly to get them. Then we decided we were moving across the country and the easiest way to get there is by driving through the US so we postponed the trip to the border by 6 weeks rather than doing it twice. So I have gear that's been just sitting there waiting for me to pick it up since early July. It's not easy to cope with GAS when you live in the Atlantic Ocean north of Venezuela.

I loved the way the Strymon just "came to you" as opposed to this! I think fate can play a role in these things and the instruments that find you usually are a good fit. Good luck with the NY 8, and thanks for showing it to me. BTW I just sorted out settings on the Dream to DI to PA that sounds great. The DI is Little Labs Red Eye that converts the line signal to a mic signal into the PA. Sounds as good or better than the deluxe tonemaster I have been using, (in the 20 ish pound club). Now I'm in the 2 lb club.

[Jim Soloway]

I loved the way the Strymon just "came to you" as opposed to this! I think fate can play a role in these things and the instruments that find you usually are a good fit. Good luck with the NY 8, and thanks for showing it to me. BTW I just sorted out settings on the Dream to DI to PA that sounds great. The DI is Little Labs Red Eye that converts the line signal to a mic signal into the PA. Sounds as good or better than the deluxe tonemaster I have been using, (in the 20 ish pound club). Now I'm in the 2 lb club.

Really! What are the odds that someone is going to be driving right past Oromocto, New Brunswick on their way to Houlton, Maine?

[Woodstove]

Really! What are the odds that someone is going to be driving right past Oromocto, New Brunswick on their way to Houlton, Maine?

100% when it's meant to be.

[leroyspuds]

I think that's why the UA Dream 65 is doing so well. It has both reverb and trem but it's also supposedly much brighter. As Jorge points out, the Iridium is based on the normal input of the Deluxe with the bright switch off. The Dream 65 is the vibrato input with the bright switch on.

I love my Dream 65. Running live straight into Bose PA. Sounds great. Easy to use. With registration you can download three extra Fender models. I like the Twin Reverb setting. Perhaps not as versatile as the Iridium but it’s got the clean Fender sound I’m looking for. Can’t load IRs but don’t need them. The bright switch goes off with just a little bit of boost without affecting the clean sound.

[Jim Soloway]

I love my Dream 65. Running live straight into Bose PA. Sounds great. Easy to use. With registration you can download three extra Fender models. I like the Twin Reverb setting. Perhaps not as versatile as the Iridium but it’s got the clean Fender sound I’m looking for. Can’t load IRs but don’t need them. The bright switch goes off with just a little bit of boost without affecting the clean sound.

Thanks. I was definitely open to the Dream 65. I have a UA recording interface that I love and I use both reverb and trem so it definitely won the features battle. I did a lot of research on the Dream so I know about using the boost to cut the bright cap and that definitely made it more attractive to me. But I already own a Flint and there are so many more Iridiums out in the world that it was almost inevitable that a good deal would turn up on the Iridium before the Dream. I am notoriously fickle with my gear and I do like the idea of having a Twin voice, so it wouldn't surprise me if I try a Dream down the line.

[patshep]

For $300 used, mine is fantastic. All 3 modes are useable and it records well.

[Woodstove]

I love my Dream 65. Running live straight into Bose PA. Sounds great. Easy to use. With registration you can download three extra Fender models. I like the Twin Reverb setting. Perhaps not as versatile as the Iridium but it’s got the clean Fender sound I’m looking for. Can’t load IRs but don’t need them. The bright switch goes off with just a little bit of boost without affecting the clean sound.

I do want to clarify that I like the Dream as well, especially for clean tones. All 6 of the cabinet/Mic sims available are excellent with clearly different voices. The "Twin" models a 1970's 2X JBL 12" cab using a AKG 414, excellent cleans less so breaking up imo.

[Spook410]

I use one every day. A few things to remember:

- It sounds like a mic on the amp. Not the amp sitting in the room with you.

- It can be a bit cold. You don't have wood and fiber and big magnets and tubes hot enough to cook a biscuit.. just digital electronics.

- The IR speaker matters quite a bit. You may or may not like the stock Strymon IR's best. Takes some experimentation.

- Recording is great. Plug in and go. Amplifying into air is harder. Need high fidelity speakers.

That being said, super easy to use. I find the Fender and Vox tones work well with the clean tones I'm looking for. Never use the Marshall model. Kind of muddy to my ears.

[wintermoon]

Isn't that the name of a club in NY?
Or maybe an auditorium in Nashville?

[sgosnell]

It's also the name of an element, one of the heaviest and least reactive in the periodic table. It's been appropriated by many companies and products.

[Antiphon]

Oh yeah, I use it into a rv6 with a headrush 108. Sounds amazing. Tele w/ neck humbucker