Friedman IR-X

sprint said:
Another good demo here vv No word on Canadian availability / price yet. I have Strymon Iridium which I like and is in similar category - intrigued with this one being real pre tube based - anxious to give it a try.

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Shawn Tubbs' demos are consistently good (just like LT's) - playing, tone and plenty of consideration given as to how to highlight the products' best features
 
Thomas Obester said:
I’ve spent today some time with IR-X and it’s really good, but at the same time, when going into the fractal, it doesn’t sound really any better than friedman be models.
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Any difference in feel?
Recording clips is the only way to convey differences (without being in the room), but we've all experienced how some amps just feel/bounce differently when you're playing through it.
 
I've had mine a few days and overall I really like it.

I've tried a few combinations with it and the FM3.
Guitar->Friedman Ir-X in-> FM3 input 2 for IR and post effects (I extracted the IR's from the Friedman into the FM3) - sounds great very easy to dial - IR Choice is key of course and I would say you need a different choice for the 2 channels.

Guitar->FM3 just using the preamp of the model (output 2 send) -> Friedman Return for the power amp simulation - sounds really good to me - obviously works better for those amps that don't rely on the master volume for the sound. I switch back between the preamp only model and using the PA simulation and there was definitely something pleasing going on.

Guitar->FM3 for pre effects (output 2 send) -> Friedman in (full amp) - FM3 input 2 return - sounds good but was quite noisy in terms of hiss so not sure if I'm doing something wrong in terms of 4 cable method - i can hear the hiss when playing so a gate doesn't seem to solve it.

Guitar-> Friedman just using Pre -> FM3 input 2 into the Tube Pre model for power amp simulation - sounds ok need to do a lot more tweaking on the fractal Tube Pre
 
I tried one out and ran it through the AXE3. 2 scenes switching between the IR-X and AXE models. Honestly, I preferred the AXE. THE BE V3 model is almost dead on at stock settings with the obvious ability to tweak deeper. I also ran a DI track I have through it and compared to the real BE Dlx head I used to own-previously recorded. Added another track in the Logic session and fed with the DI track and recorded. Comparing it to the previous BE track, Its very similar with the same IR and settings. But, IMO just another version of the same thing. I'm kinda glad I didn't buy one, but don't get me wrong, its a nice sounding unit and the price point is decent, but being a Fractal user, there's nothing there I don't already have. Well, except the IRs in there, but god knows I have way too many already.
 
A friend of mine brought a Friedman IR-X over my place a couple days ago. I used it for a rehearsal. He was willing to sell it to me if I liked it.
First impression - it sounds good!
1 hour later impression - it sounds ok.
2 hours later - not buying this.

It was a decent Friedman tone (which I like), but IMO, a one trick pony. I found myself wanting a PEQ to pull some woof out of the low end.
But zero effects, no tuner....just not something that I'm looking for (at that price).

It did inspire me (for some reason) to crack open the Tonex plug in and play with more captures (on ToneNet web). Found a great Friedman capture that I dialed in nicely and was really enjoying. Was thinking - well, maybe a Tonex would be a fun back up unit.
Then I fired up my Axe and recreated the Tonex tone in about 30 seconds.

So I'm back where I started - Axe is just a much better product (and return on investment) for me. If I need a back up - I should just buy another FM3.

Sometimes you have to explore other products to appreciate what Fractal gives us.
 
BBN said:
A friend of mine brought a Friedman IR-X over my place a couple days ago. I used it for a rehearsal. He was willing to sell it to me if I liked it.
First impression - it sounds good!
1 hour later impression - it sounds ok.
2 hours later - not buying this.

It was a decent Friedman tone (which I like), but IMO, a one trick pony. I found myself wanting a PEQ to pull some woof out of the low end.
But zero effects, no tuner....just not something that I'm looking for (at that price).

It did inspire me (for some reason) to crack open the Tonex plug in and play with more captures (on ToneNet web). Found a great Friedman capture that I dialed in nicely and was really enjoying. Was thinking - well, maybe a Tonex would be a fun back up unit.
Then I fired up my Axe and recreated the Tonex tone in about 30 seconds.

So I'm back where I started - Axe is just a much better product (and return on investment) for me. If I need a back up - I should just buy another FM3.

Sometimes you have to explore other products to appreciate what Fractal gives us.
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exactly !

I’m looking for solution to buy fm9t so I can leave that one at herearsal space and my III at home studio and I’m DONE ! 👏😁
 
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SB7 said:
Well he no choice but to create a modeler as the rest of the modelers on the market suck .. so perfectly understandable
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From my understanding it’s not really a modeler at all but a real tube preamp. The power amp is digital I guess though.
 
Willbnd said:
From my understanding it’s not really a modeler at all but a real tube preamp. The power amp is digital I guess though.
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The tube preamp got me kind of excited. But my findings were - his real tubes sounded/felt no different than the virtual tubes in our Fractal products. Like zero difference. Let alone the fact that I can swap to different tubes in the Fractal with a spin of a knob.

Side note - I was at NAMM like 8 years ago and in Friedman's booth he has a plugin he (or someone) had created. I saw it up on the screen with my eyes...it existed.
One of his employees was boasting that their software was going to 'kill fractal'. I just smiled and said - cool.
What happened to it? No idea. But I'm guessing it sucked because they never released it.
 
Aivoryuk said:
Sounds more open to me and I don't hear the mid range crackle I generally hear on Fractal models
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that was my initial thought after hearing some demos (haven't had a chance to try it myself yet). but that could really be down to the IR choice. would be interesting to load the same IR into the IR-X as used for comparison in the III. that would at least eliminate that variable a bit...
 
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