NAMM 2026 New Synergy Technology to Bridge the Analog/Digital Divide

[deakle]

https://www.gearnews.com/synergy-amps-friedman-ir-load-wampler-pedalhead/

This might be of interest to those who play live and are looking for a good power amp technology for the Axe FX

 

[yek]

Auto-detecting / -generating / -selecting / auto-whatever of SICs, is something I would very much like to see in the next-gen Axe-Fx.

 

[HerrSquid]

SIC == Speaker Impedance Curve?

 

[Admin M@]

Interesting. Having this would not improve the experience I prefer -- playing a Fractal Audio product into a good FRFR -- but it could be interest for a player in a certain niche.

 

[Mark Al]

Interesting. Having this would not improve the experience I prefer -- playing a Fractal Audio product into a good FRFR -- but it could be interest for a player in a certain niche.

I think this will be a game changer for a lot of people.

Axe III surely has superiors amp modeling, but if it’s paired with a not so good FRFR with avg/bland class D power amp, it’d certainly under-perform compared to a setup using inferior amp modeling algorithm but higher end FRFR driven by tube power sections.

Basically, if the FRFR is driven by an average class D power amp, it sort of nullifies a lot of the nice amp modeling…. The critical part of whole tonal experience lies in the actual power amplification which is mostly outside the control of Fractal device right now.

 

[sprint]

Scratching my head on what benefits this could have with Axfx in comparison to the Matrix SS amp I use with either my FR cabs (with IR) or traditional guitar cabs (no IR).

Sounds from the description like, with the pedalhead at least, you need to use 1 of 6 on board power amp sims to utilize the real time SIC/amp-cab interaction. Not sure I would want to turn off the unique per amp model Axefx p.a. modelling in favour of 6 more generic choices that would not have the same level of accuracy or pre-amp / p.a. interactivity. Also, assuming it's digital, there'd be added latency I wouldn't be keen on absorbing without some equal or greater benefit in return.

In the FRCab scenario, since we already have what's essentially real time amp-IR interaction in the modelling, I don't see a benefit there. I guess it could be handy for traditional cab use since we don't really have the ability to enter accurate custom SiC specs for a measured external cab in the speaker page.

Being able to measure external cab SiCs from Axfx and then establish them in the SiC option list would be great for SSAmp + Traditional Cab users. Afair, there's a wish logged for that.

 

[chumbucket]

We've already got power amp simulation built into our Fractal units. I have no need for this. I typically don't like the sound of tube amplification with my AxeFX, and prefer a clean class AB amp for the best experience running into a guitar cab. This is better suited to someone running amp in a box pedals or preamps.

 

[Vio]

For this to truly come alive in the Fractal realm, the amp block would need to hear the actual speaker — a real physical cab feeding its digitized signal back in as another input.
I suspect that loop isn’t there between amp and cab blocks today. If it were, we likely wouldn’t need the impedance curve baked into the amp block for the virtual speaker that follows.
Right now the amp just “believes” the load curve you’ve chosen and plays along blindly.
True reactive magic would mean sending the cab block’s impedance response back to the amp in real time, letting it feel the push and pull. The cab already has its curve — maybe the amp wouldn’t even need one then.

Still… does it matter?

It already sounds so ridiculously good.

Back when I was a kid, before I knew what any of the pieces were doing, the music just washed over me — pure wonder. Pink Floyd drifting through the room, Genesis unfolding like a story… it felt like magic I could live inside forever.
Then I started pulling it apart — learning the instruments, the tones, the tricks. Once you hear the layers, you can’t quite melt back into the whole the same way.
Playing in bands only sharpened that lens.
Dissecting it all is endlessly fascinating… but every once in a while I still close my eyes and just let the finished sound carry me back to that first, wide-eyed feeling. That’s the real sorcery.

 

[Mark Al]

IMHO, the significance of this technology/product is to model power amp in the actual power section, v.s. doing so in the preamp realm and then hope the whatever power amp users end up using would translate that well, which often doesn't happen. And this is the approach/problem of ALL modelers currently...

The way I will try using this product is, perhaps, disabling power amp modeling in Fractal and rely on this thing. If it delivers what it promises, I'd expect the 1st and 3rd scenarios below feels a lot more similar, than #2 (which doesn't feel nearly as good as playing the real thing currently):

1. Deluxe Reverb combo
2. Fractal Axe III-> Class D -> Deluxe Reverb Cab
3. Fractal Axe III -> Wampler Pedalhead -> Deluxe Reverb Cab

#2 sounds good but just feels bad, bland, stiff, compressed (you name it). The fault is not in Axe III, it's the actual power amp (class D in this case) that is often doing a horrible job... And Fractal can not control the quality of that actual power section users use, which is a much bigger bottleneck than the amp modeling algorithms...

 

[Frodebro]

Auto-detecting / -generating / -selecting / auto-whatever of SICs, is something I would very much like to see in the next-gen Axe-Fx.

That would require a direct link to the speakers, which would require a power amp linked to the modeling. Oh…. Now I see what you’re up to here…

 

[Mark Al]

That would require a direct link to the speakers, which would require a power amp linked to the modeling. Oh…. Now I see what you’re up to here…

That's pretty much the idea of this new product, isn't it?

 

[Frodebro]

That's pretty much the idea of this new product, isn't it?

Having an on board stereo power amp would definitely push me to jumping on the next gen sooner rather than later, though I don’t think it’s an absolute necessity. Just extremely convenient for those that like to run traditional cabs.

 

[Bman]

Volume was always needed to push the speakers. When I played with an attenuator it always never sounded or felt as good as unattenuated (obviously.) I play FRFR nowadays but am wondering what folks are doing when they're playing at much lower levels and there's not air to move the speakers. Are folks using 2x12's or 1x12's instead of 4x12's?

I'm not sure why I'm even that curious since I'm good to go with my FRFR set up. I guess I keep looking at my 4x12 and remembering the glorious sounds that came out. I've considered a Fryette or most likley a SD Powerstage. The latter wouldn't put me back that much.

This is still a cool product. Wish it was around 15 years ago.

 

[nomoretubes]

We've already got power amp simulation built into our Fractal units. I have no need for this. I typically don't like the sound of tube amplification with my AxeFX, and prefer a clean class AB amp for the best experience running into a guitar cab. This is better suited to someone running amp in a box pedals or preamps.

I think this fits in for folks who use class d amps into guitar cabs and are disabling the cab blocks all together.

wondering what folks are doing when they're playing at much lower levels and there's not air to move the speakers. Are folks using 2x12's or 1x12's instead of 4x12's?

Yes. Shrink the speaker too. 8” is much different but can sound pushed.

 

[baron55]

This is basically a replacement for a tube power amp, that comes very close to sounding and feeling like one. It's for us whole like running the big 2X12 and 4X12 cabs.

It also has several power amp models to select from. I will be checking this out when it comes out .

 

[sprint]

I think this fits in for folks who use class d amps into guitar cabs and are disabling the cab blocks all together.

But I can't really see how it does fit for SS+Cab Axfx users. I say this because:

Even though I disable the Cab block when playing thru physical g-cabs via physical SS P.A., I still have Axfx P.A. modelling on including SiC curve / power-amp interaction (Spkr Page). Afaiu, the Pedalhead product requires that I use their limited # of generic power amp sims (6) in order to get the real time SiC curve interactivity feature. For me, switching off Axfx P.A. modelling in favour of generalized external digital P.A. sims is a no-go because imo, the Axfx power-amp (+ pre-amp) sims are at the core of what makes Axfx so special. Axfx P.A. sims are unique to each Axfx amp model and are much more closely interactive with their respective Axfx pre-amp sims than any external 3rd party P.A. sim could be.

Dunno, maybe I'm missing something wrt the SiC interactivity feature in those new products.

 

[chumbucket]

This is basically a replacement for a tube power amp, that comes very close to sounding and feeling like one. It's for us whole like running the big 2X12 and 4X12 cabs.

It also has several power amp models to select from. I will be checking this out when it comes out .

Yeah, that's all I run my Fractals through is 4x12s and I don't like the sound of tube amps powering it. Clean powerful solid state class AB all the way for me. Hopefully, Wampler figured out how to make class D sound good because that harsh high end can be grating.

 

[Frodebro]

But I can't really see how it does fit for SS+Cab Axfx users. I say this because:

Even though I disable the Cab block when playing thru physical g-cabs via physical SS P.A., I still have Axfx P.A. modelling on including SiC curve / power-amp interaction (Spkr Page). Afaiu, the Pedalhead product requires that I use their limited # of generic power amp sims (6) in order to get the real time SiC curve interactivity feature. For me, switching off Axfx P.A. modelling in favour of generalized external digital P.A. sims is a no-go because imo, the Axfx power-amp (+ pre-amp) sims are at the core of what makes Axfx so special. Axfx P.A. sims are unique to each Axfx amp model and are much more closely interactive with their respective Axfx pre-amp sims than any external 3rd party P.A. sim could be.

Dunno, maybe I'm missing something wrt the SiC interactivity feature in those new products.

Not all units out there have SICs as part of the amp block, so for owners of those units this is an extremely helpful feature.

 

[sprint]

Not all units out there have SICs as part of the amp block, so for owners of those units this is an extremely helpful feature.

+1, but sounds like, from the Pedalhead description at least, users of any modeller'll still need to turn off their unit's P.A. modelling to use the external SiC interactivity feature logically / effectively (or apply doubled P.A. modelling which is probably not ideal in most cases).

I could see it being useful for preamp pedal users who want an alternative (maybe for low volume use) to routing thru a tube amp's fx return, or for modelling users who'd prefer the outboard P.A. sim to those in their modeller.

 

[Mark Al]

But I can't really see how it does fit for SS+Cab Axfx users. I say this because:

Even though I disable the Cab block when playing thru physical g-cabs via physical SS P.A., I still have Axfx P.A. modelling on including SiC curve / power-amp interaction (Spkr Page). Afaiu, the Pedalhead product requires that I use their limited # of generic power amp sims (6) in order to get the real time SiC curve interactivity feature. For me, switching off Axfx P.A. modelling in favour of generalized external digital P.A. sims is a no-go because imo, the Axfx power-amp (+ pre-amp) sims are at the core of what makes Axfx so special. Axfx P.A. sims are unique to each Axfx amp model and are much more closely interactive with their respective Axfx pre-amp sims than any external 3rd party P.A. sim could be.

Dunno, maybe I'm missing something wrt the SiC interactivity feature in those new products.

I think you miss the point here....

The Fractal power amp modeling, as great as it is, is a fundamental different approach than what this new product is doing. The former is modeling power amp behavior in the "actual preamp domain", while the new product tries to model the power amp in actual power amp domain.

The second/new approach measures realtime impedance and speaker interactions at the power amp stage, to then regulate voltage and current output, in REAL TIME! That's a big deal, a genuine breakthrough.

The first/old approach modeling power amp behavior BEFORE it's actually plugged into a real power amp and hoping the whatever SS power amp used would faithfully translate that, which almost never happen.

It may be hard to explain all the details, but what Wampler showed and promised is that: compare playing a modeler through a tube power amp vs the new product into a cab. The difference is negligible, and both are vastly more superior than playing through a SS class D power amp.

Here is a relevant video on this topic:

From the video, I quote "At the end of day, ..., the dynamics from a tube power amplifier is just unbeatable..." If this new product delivered the tube power amp performance in such a small compact format, it's indeed a game changer and could profoundly change the landscape and approaches of modelers onward.