Vox AC30 - lighter option STRYMON IRIDIUM

[dave robinson]

I just bought the Strymon Iridium pedal to assist me on live gigs, as we have for a while been working without a backline and using the DI option.
I was at first using a Kemper Stage, but because of a 'hum' problem that wouldn't go away, switched to my Zoom G5n, which provided my amp and echo tones admirably.
I was pleasantly surprised that the Zoom matched what I was hearing from the expensive Kemper, but was assured by friends in the band and others in the business that it was delivering what was needed, the required sound. For me, that's good enough.
On the Zoom G5n, there are options to set up patches with up to nine separate pedals, including amplifier and speaker models, but they take up memory and you can run out of space for some patches you may wish to set up. So - I figured out that with a separate amp and cabinet pedal, it would free up some space on the Zoom, allowing more complex echo taps and complex reverb, should the need arise.
I have just come back from trying it out at our local residency, where we set up on a Wednesday for Thursday's gig, where we have a run through and are able to experiment with gear and new stuff we wish to try. I set up my Zoom G5n as normal, but removing all the amp simulation from each patch, leaving the Zoom to handle effects only, ie Echo, Reverb, Fuzz, Tremolo, Chorus, Compression and whatever else I may need in a patch. i put the Strymon Iridium after the ZoomG5n and took a line to the PA, setting the Strymon in the clean Vox AC 30 position and using a single 12'' Celestion blue speaker emulation. I can confidently say that it works perfectly and sounds terrific, having played several Shads instrumentals with the lads listening, helping me 'tweak' the echo patches, comparing with the Shadows recordings as we went along making fine adjustments. What I have learned is really useful, having the lads in the band to 'bounce' off and we all discovered that there are fine margins to get those tones right for each track.
It's fiddly and time consuming, but what the hell, we enjoy it and when you get a result it gives you quite a buzz. I recommend the Strymon Iridium to anyone looking to find a lightweight option for using live through a PA system or home recording or practice.

[roger bayliss]

I have long been an advocate for Vox in a box pedals and have used them both through PA and send return loops of amps and they work well.

Some modellers are more of an overdriven style though, so something that does great clean tones is better.

I have the Joyo AC Tone , Wampler 30 Something, UA Ruby and LINE6 Stomp.

There is a recent pedal from TC Electronics called the DC30 which might be worth a punt at £99 that looks interesting.

All modellers have their own flavour for the Amp sound and speaker emulation and when they do tests on uTube you can hear subtle differences. The Strymon comes out well on uTube and of course i has 3 amps sims, Fender and Marshall included with IR.

Always remember using the AC TONE at the Hankies years ago and when I finished playing , Ecca remarked "you don't need an amp do you"

I think Justin Daish uses the AC Tone during his Shadowing Hank shows if I remember right.

[roger bayliss]

THE TC Electronics DC30 info, currently £99 at Andersons.

https://www.tcelectronic.com/product?modelCode=P0EB8

[dave robinson]

I'm delighted with the Strymon Ididium at £220 as a stand alone IR box. I've used the modelling on my Vox Tonelab and Zoom G5n for a long time with great success and I wanted to free up some stomp box space on the Zoom G5n which is possible by removing the amp modelling and using the Strymon for that job.
I'm impressed with 'Strymon's attention to detail with the Vox and Fender amps, I've had real Vox And Fender amps throughout my career and this pedal really nails them, so it's a Godsend to have the sound at my disposal without having to cart the actual amps around any longer. The important thing though, is to have a quality PA system and monitoring, with good frequency range and dynamics, in order to get the best from the IR pedal. With those elements in place you can perform with confidence.

[stratman999]

I bought the Nux Amp Academy for the same reason, it didn't have a AC30, but did have the Dr Z Mas 38 which is based on an AC30 and sounds really good and you can load your own IR's, but the stock ones are very good. The Fender, Marshall, Mesa Boogie etc sounds are amazing too. However, a few weeks ago there was a firmware update, along with other amps, an AC30 was added and sounds really good! It has some good built in effects (comp, drive, reverb, etc) and a send and return for around £150 new. It also has an excellent app for editing too
It is excellent value for money and sounds excellent.

[roger bayliss]

I bought the Nux Amp Academy for the same reason, it didn't have a AC30, but did have the Dr Z Mas 38 which is based on an AC30 and sounds really good and you can load your own IR's, but the stock ones are very good. The Fender, Marshall, Mesa Boogie etc sounds are amazing too. However, a few weeks ago there was a firmware update, along with other amps, an AC30 was added and sounds really good! It has some good built in effects (comp, drive, reverb, etc) and a send and return for around £150 new. It also has an excellent app for editing too
It is excellent value for money and sounds excellent.

Yes, the Nux Amp Academy with the latest update adding a Vox AC30 looks interesting, given the EQ options and the boosts and send return and built in reverb. The Fender Deluxe sounds good on a uTube video as well as the Vox . For the asking price it's a good buy and it is built using some quality components too. I might be interested in that ! It's around £169 , which is less than half the price of some of these amp in a box pedals. In built IR too.

[stratman999]

I bought the Nux Amp Academy for the same reason, it didn't have a AC30, but did have the Dr Z Mas 38 which is based on an AC30 and sounds really good and you can load your own IR's, but the stock ones are very good. The Fender, Marshall, Mesa Boogie etc sounds are amazing too. However, a few weeks ago there was a firmware update, along with other amps, an AC30 was added and sounds really good! It has some good built in effects (comp, drive, reverb, etc) and a send and return for around £150 new. It also has an excellent app for editing too
It is excellent value for money and sounds excellent.

Yes, the Nux Amp Academy with the latest update adding a Vox AC30 looks interesting, given the EQ options and the boosts and send return and built in reverb. The Fender Deluxe sounds good on a uTube video as well as the Vox . For the asking price it's a good buy and it is built using some quality components too. I might be interested in that ! It's around £169 , which is less than half the price of some of these amp in a box pedals. In built IR too.

It also has USB midi, which is very useful. It has with scenes for variations (early, late Shadows) just a cheap Doremidi box is needed for midi. All of the amps are great sounding and very well made, It is great for the Shadows stuff or anything else for that matter.

[MeBHank]

I think Justin Daish uses the AC Tone during his Shadowing Hank shows if I remember right.

That's right Roger. It does a great job of giving me Vox in my pocket.

Dave, how much of a difference does the speaker cabinet emulation change the sound? The one drawback I find with the Joyo is that I miss the speaker/s. I've been thinking for a while that I need to introduce speaker emulation into my sound and I'm wondering if the Iridium might be the way to go.

[roger bayliss]

I think Justin Daish uses the AC Tone during his Shadowing Hank shows if I remember right.

That's right Roger. It does a great job of giving me Vox in my pocket.

Dave, how much of a difference does the speaker cabinet emulation change the sound? The one drawback I find with the Joyo is that I miss the speaker/s. I've been thinking for a while that I need to introduce speaker emulation into my sound and I'm wondering if the Iridium might be the way to go.

The speaker sound is a big part of the sound of amps and amp sims Justin. I have a set of Celestion IR's , each sound different and affect tone. The Joyo does not have a speaker sim, but does have a control to shape the sounds as you know.

I remember my Vox AC15 HW had a greenback when got it, changing to a blue was very noticible and the Shads sound came out.

[dave robinson]

Hi Justin, I saw demos on You Tube of the Iridium and because they were so good, I knew that it was what I needed to nail the tone correctly and it worked for me. I didn't like the price, but luckily shopped around and found mind for £240 which I was happy with.
I too have the Joyo and find it lacking, though it is pretty good. I was using my Zoom G5n as a full solution, having had the Kemper and Line 6 Helix, both of which did great amp/speaker sims but failed in other areas, prompting me to move on.
I finally figured the Strymon would fit the bill, as a dedicated amp & cab modeller and I am not disappointed, I recommend the Iridium with confidence. To some folk, they may struggle to 'get it' but I hear the difference when comparing, as do my band mates.
I believe it would benefit your excellent show.