I have to buy this!

I never thought I'd be interested in rack preamps again, but this is a must try.

I've always just needed a few good sounds (very clean, edge of breakup, overdrive and high-gainish lead). I don't care if it's Fender, Marshall, Mesa or what ever, if it sounds good. I'm always in the rabbit hole choosing from the hundreds of amp sims and IRs, partly because the tube amps and stomp boxes I still use are not included in Fractal units (mostly by Mad Professor).

Also, I LOVE the analog style tone tweaking capability. I wish (and have wished before) that Fractal made a FASlink remote unit with WYSIWYG real time knobs for gain, EQ, master, boost and mix for reverb and delay with auto save mode (so if you changed amp settings on the fly, they would be saved but NOT the effect bypass states etc., just like with a real amp).

Anyway, I have now played with the FM9's X88 and X99 simulations. The clean and lead sounds are very good, but the X88 overdrive channel sounds to me quite weak and almost fuzz-like. Is this the case with the X88-IR also, or is it improved?

The second thing is, I sold my AXE-III, a FC-6 and FC-12 for a FM9 (should have kept them...). They would be the perfect companion with the Soldano. I am on the waiting list for a VP4, but those small midi jacks don't really seem gig-proof to me. The other thing is that I am NOT a presets guy, but prefer to have amp channels and the effects chosen at will (usually just solo boost, reverb, delay and maybe some modulation). I don't know if I'd be able to do the channel switching AND effect switching separately with the VP4. Do you have further insights with this? I know the FM9 would do it, but somehow it seems odd to add it with a rack system.
 
Yes, I am talking about the "Solo 88 Rhythm" simulation, which to me sounds much different as the other (clean and lead) channels (played with no effects and a passive Super Strat style guitar). That channel in the clip sounds VERY different, but then again so does the clean sound in the beginning, which is very bright and thin. I guess there's no way to tell until I get to try the real one myself.
 
savaitti said:
That channel in the clip sounds VERY different, but then again so does the clean sound in the beginning, which is very bright and thin. I guess there's no way to tell until I get to try the real one myself.
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The clean (typical LA style chorus from a few studio cats back in the day) is more tailored to how Luke used it w the 1210 chorus (and compression) while playing Georgy Porgy and a few other fills or cleans. The rhythm, however, is how I would expect the real (original) pre to sound, but I have already heard on newer clips that it sounds "more common" there (and/or has been changed?). I love the maybe somehow more particular Toto color of that preset (but played parts and FX probably contribute here too). He used the X88R into a solid state amp.
 
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Thanks! I am not trying to replicate 80’s sound, just trying find out if this would be a versatile amp for my needs. I’ll rephrase my question: For those who might have the original AND new X88: Are the Fractal simulations of old X88 accurate, and does the X88-IR sound different? Again, for me the simulation of the second channel of the original would be a deal breaker.
 
As someone who's unlikely to splurge on a 3k+$Cdn pre, I'm unlikely to own one, but I've been wondering what the internal differences are generally between a modern rack pre like this one and much lower cost full voltage real tube pedal preamps like the Friedman IR-X/D/J line - more tube stages?
 
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The difference is feel and harmonic complexity.
Also the new x88 can do all the sounds in the original and a lot more.


The first one shows a direct comparison between the new one and the original.
 
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Any thoughts on the "best" cabinet to pair with the X88IR? I don't have any experience with the Soldano cabs but it seems like the 2x12 vertical slant might be good. If so, I am wondering if I buy a rack power amp for the X88IR whether I could then use the Soldano cab with the power amp for output for my FM3 (and eventuall AXE III when I finally pull the trigger on that).
 
SpudMan said:
Any thoughts on the "best" cabinet to pair with the X88IR? I don't have any experience with the Soldano cabs but it seems like the 2x12 vertical slant might be good. If so, I am wondering if I buy a rack power amp for the X88IR whether I could then use the Soldano cab with the power amp for output for my FM3 (and eventuall AXE III when I finally pull the trigger on that).
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Yes you could but with power amp and IRs off. Wouldn’t work very well for some stuff but really well if you’re careful.
 
Andy Eagle said:
Yes you could but with power amp and IRs off. Wouldn’t work very well for some stuff but really well if you’re careful.
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Sorry to be a bother, and for lots of questions. I was wondering what type of music you play? I appreciate that lots of people on this forum play Metal but that is absolutely not what I like. I am hoping my FM3 is OK and doesn't need repair and if so, I am just going to wait it out for now until a new version update to the AXE as far as Fractal modeling hardware goes. But with that I really want to start creating a home tube amp solution. I am really interested in the X88IR as the starting point for a rack system. Maybe paired eventually with a Fryette LXII power amp. I am just wondering if you think that the X88IR would be a good starting point for cleaner tones like Kossof. Basically I want warm tones, not distorted and overly driven.
I like the idea of the X88IR as it seems to me to be a nice marriage of vintage and modern tech.
Any thoughts or suggestions you might have would be very much appreciated.
 
SpudMan said:
Sorry to be a bother, and for lots of questions. I was wondering what type of music you play? I appreciate that lots of people on this forum play Metal but that is absolutely not what I like. I am hoping my FM3 is OK and doesn't need repair and if so, I am just going to wait it out for now until a new version update to the AXE as far as Fractal modeling hardware goes. But with that I really want to start creating a home tube amp solution. I am really interested in the X88IR as the starting point for a rack system. Maybe paired eventually with a Fryette LXII power amp. I am just wondering if you think that the X88IR would be a good starting point for cleaner tones like Kossof. Basically I want warm tones, not distorted and overly driven.
I like the idea of the X88IR as it seems to me to be a nice marriage of vintage and modern tech.
Any thoughts or suggestions you might have would be very much appreciated.
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I am not a metal player and have the Soldano X88IR. I owned the X99 in the 1990's as well.

The clean tones on channel 1 of the X88IR are really nice, and better than the original IMO. Channels 2 + 3 are medium to high gain. If you are only looking for clean tones I wouldn't recommend the X88IR, because channels 2 + 3 would be useless for you.
 
MLocascio said:
I am not a metal player and have the Soldano X88IR. I owned the X99 in the 1990's as well.

The clean tones on channel 1 of the X88IR are really nice, and better than the original IMO. Channels 2 + 3 are medium to high gain. If you are only looking for clean tones I wouldn't recommend the X88IR, because channels 2 + 3 would be useless for you.
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Makes sense. For channels 2 and 3, would they be good for less clean but not Metal? Meaning tone like say David Grissom, and Classic Rock tones? I am not averse to variety, and in fact enjoy a bit of overdrive, crunch and gain. I just want to be able to get warm and clean tones also. Any thoughts on examples of the channels 2 and 3 tone in songs that you might recommend I check out to see if they appeal to me. I should say that I have enjoyed all of the Soldano amps in my FM3. I am just consistently having trouble dialing in warm and clean tones on any amps on my FM3. I am sure this is due to my lack of expertise, not any issues with the FM3.
 
SpudMan said:
Makes sense. For channels 2 and 3, would they be good for less clean but not Metal? Meaning tone like say David Grissom, and Classic Rock tones? I am not averse to variety, and in fact enjoy a bit of overdrive, crunch and gain. I just want to be able to get warm and clean tones also. Any thoughts on examples of the channels 2 and 3 tone in songs that you might recommend I check out to see if they appeal to me. I should say that I have enjoyed all of the Soldano amps in my FM3. I am just consistently having trouble dialing in warm and clean tones on any amps on my FM3. I am sure this is due to my lack of expertise, not any issues with the FM3.
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Look at people who used the SLO and if those are tones you liked the 88 will do them.
 
Andy Eagle said:
Look at people who used the SLO and if those are tones you liked the 88 will do them.
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Thanks, I was hoping for a bit of insight though into generically whether the X88IR can do what I am looking for. I will further research and maybe go into my local shop when they get one in. Seeing who plays the SLO100 didn't help me much as the range seems to be from Clapton to Metal players. Maybe I just need to look at something else. Anyway, thanks!
 
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