Amp1 Iridium Edition 100-watt Pedalboard Amp with Nanotube Review

Wow. If you want to read an essay and a love letter continue below…

Disclaimer: this is one long review, mostly because I love this amp so much and feel that there are misconceptions out there (and some bad YT videos cough..Andertons.. cough). I am myself a nerd and skeptic and wrote this for the other ones out there. God speed addicts. intro:I didn't buy this to scratch the 'tube amp itch'. I didn't buy this because I wanted 'a marshall on the… read more cheap'. I bought this because I have many high wattage tube amps (Marshall, Peavey, orange) and understand that with tube production being almost non existent there is now a need to preserve my tubes, and the amps they go in. (Expect tube amp value to sky rocket). Modelers and plug ins for the studio: I use them daily. But for live use a modeler via FRFR cab doesn't work for me, and even a combo of something like a power cab (which I may still purchase) and a helix/quad cortex makes me anxious. I was a full time head engineer for a legit recording facility: so I am Uber familiar with how fast digital products get more awesome, and how 5 years fly buy and support is gone. This is why I love analog gear, not the 'sound' as much as the logistics. I want something to work and be worked the same way in year 3 as year 15. This left me with a predicament. My first instinct was traditional solid state transistor amp. I have owned and adored many a solid state amps. Not sure why so many folks are allergic.. JC 120s, the old Marshall/Gibson.. H&K Attax reverb anyone? Unfortunately those traditional options came up short in the flexibility department. My Rockerverb and Peavey/Marshalls are utility tools and can be pedal platforms, funk factories, or high gain rock and metal beasts. Some of the more common solid state amps (think orange) are great but limited. I want one HSS guitar, and amp and pedal board combo to be able to play ALL styles. Which brings me to the Amp1 iridium. Man was I highly skeptical. It just seemed like.. if it WAS good, or even satisfactory from a utility perspective, it would be heaven. I went back and forth between getting the ME or the Iridium. For me, I am a lover of low mid flexibility. It's what separated the trash from the hash. I need to be able to dial it in, and dial it out. Choosing the iridium had me concerned that I would be sacrificing low mids in a 'metal amp that was tight'. But the prospect of having a sound that had rich low mid content, but the ability to be lean was appealing. let's be honest folks- we love low mids but we trim so much fat (or even a little in the right places) for recoding and live. It's essential. Upon arrival I was impressed by the packaging. This may sound silly, but as a Product design and management specialist I know its an indicator in quality product design- you don't invest money into these things without investing money in the product itself. The pedal felt SOLID, while being super light weight. Knobs feel like quality pots on a studio device- and I own two SSL consoles so my bar is high. HOWEVER, the small side knobs are SMALL. They are too small. They are the only thing on this amp that will break under duress. UNLIKELY- but if something goes it will be those. Sound through an amp:I feel some of the dubious reviews on this device are due to 1. folks not having experience in playing multiple amps (or any tube amp- especially those that clearly inspire the iridium) through various speakers, in various cabinets. Some of the comments in forums or reviews that bash this amp really seem to come from a place of ignorance. I say this not as a slight: I was once a we lad that thought 'this is what a JMP sounds like' without actually being in a room with a JMP. I have played this amp through greenbacks, CL80s, V30s, and EV speakers, in both an open 2x12 Orange cab, and a 4x12 oversized mesa with the assortment of speakers mentioned. This gets loud like a tube amp, and reacts JUST LIKE A TUBE AMP. I cannot express this enough. Again, some people seem to purchase this and not understand that with the gain turned down, you will get the response of a bright cap. It will sound.. bright, with a strident upper midrange. This is how Marshall's work!! The EQ knobs on the top DO NOT OPERATE like a tube amps however. This is surprising, and amazing. Do not be afraid to turn them, and do not be scared that when dialed in its radically different than your usual 'settings'. They are far from similar. THE SIDE VOICING KNOBS ARE POWERFUL AF. Seriously; a slight turn and it goes from sounding like a JCM to a soldano. I'm not kidding. VERY useable Boost. Love it. No need for the SD1 now.The reverb is fine, but better as a soft gate. The advanced options for 60watt mode and low gain mode ARE LEGIT. It seriously sounds like a half power switch on my favorite orange and Marshall's. The mid range gets that 50watt feel in half power. I have both a 100w and 50watt JCM. Again uncanny. The low gain mode is, for me, what makes this amp special. It gets that woody tone and makes the bright cap sound magical. FX loop is an FX loop. Nothing special or unusual here. I have heard 'it doesn't take fuzz pedals'.. dude have you folks played on more than one amp?! Fuzz pedals are notorious for sounding one way on one amp, and straight trash on another. Even two of the same model!!!! I find all channels usable, but the high gain classic w or w/out boost is enough for me for the style of rock and metal I play, so I don't see myself using the modern mode outside of comps in the studio. The classic channel… is perhaps the most flexible and most impressive feature on this amp. Vintage one sounds good too. Through IRs:I own every York audio and Ownhammer IR imaginable. The most impressive thing is that when going from real amp to IR, I didn't have to change the settings that much. This is not common!!! This is awesome for someone that really cherishes consistency.The recording out: Somewhat usable. Might use it for comps here and there. Sort of like a broken-in 20w green back type sound. CONS:While a modeler might give you 'option-itis' the Amp1, with a tonal palette so wide, can take a LONG time to dial in. But so do 'real' amps. Also THE SIDE KNOBS ARE TOO SMALL. But they are essential and what make this amp so effing flexible. I would've spent 200 extra hundo for larger knobs. I'm not kidding. The shared eq is not as crippling as on some amps (the clean being so far away from the tone of the distortion channels) but ya know, its a shared channel. When I have my gain channels dialed in and I want to go neck single coil, its a little strident, but a few notches on the tone knob of the guitar and its GREAT. An eq pedal is fine for this. Again- very normal tube amp stuff here. Conclusion:My concern for the low mids being completely cut and scooped initially seemed to be coming true. But I didn't turn the dang knobs enough. Turn them! Don't look at those numbers. I'm not sure I have played an amp that had rich low mid content, that was lean enough to not need EQ come recording time. Generally I deal with a little too much low mids and tailor them in EQ. Generally this for me is best practice. Some amps (JCM 2000s DSL, Rockerverb) have that great low mid content, but when you dirty to dial it out on the amp before hitting the mic or the IR it can be too thin. Again- common practice. BUT NOT WITH THIS AMP. This low mid flexibility is also what makes this amp great for live use. Without those frequencies the feel and sound of the amp live can be trash. But often times its either have a little too much butt and honk, or none at all. This amp shines here. I can do pop, disco, funk, rock and metal in one amp. I thought my Rockerverb MKiii was versatile.. WOW.I have played this with multiple guitars (Gibson Les Paul's, Gibson SGs, Gibson 335s, one american one japanese strat, and my Japanese Charvel) with probably over 20 pickup types ranging from ceramic to alnico (2 thru 5), through many speakers and many cabs. As it should the amp sounded different through out, but like all great amps it never sounded bad, and still sounded like the amp. I'll end this long tangent with saying: the reason I ran this unit through so much gear is that I didn't believe my ears. I truly didn't. I was in denial. No longer. I am thrilled. Thomas Blug- if you're ever hiring a henchman count me in.

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I have never played a better amp! In any size!

I bought the Iridium because I wanted a smaller amp I could lug around in my backpack to rehearsals, and I'd heard great things about BluGuitar from friends. Loads of amazing videos on YouTube too, and Thomas Blug is a top player and designer. Got the amp and it took me a few minutes to dial in the custom controls, and suddenly it clicked! This thing is the size of a distortion… read more pedal, but it's a full amp (with a tube!) sounds MASSIVE. I love the tones on all the channels. Modern is my favorite for all my metal needs, but even the Clean is decent. Classic and Vintage are amazing rock channels. I play a Gibon SG Standard and the amp loves the humbuckers. It's loud enough for a drummer easily and you can plug it directly into a computer or PA with the DI out. I don't think I'll ever need another amp! Amazing.

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Ok solution for fly gigs

I purchased this unit because I heard a couple of convincing demos on line. The amp itself is well built and easy to use. When you play without any other musicians it sounds great. If you record with it, it has the potential to get you good tones. I purchased it hoping it would hang with a full band. The amp is loud enough to play with a full band. But it lacks the feel of a tube… read more amp. It lacks the presence to cut through and even when manipulating the eq, it just doesn’t have the punch to stand out. In a band with a single guitarist it might be fine. But I gigged with it recently and was disappointed with the amp. I recorded the gig and my guitar sounded very distant in comparison with my other guitar player. I will still keep it because on fly gigs it would still be better than other similar options. As a metal player I would except it to project better and be a lot more present. In conclusion, it’s a good concept that offers solution to some applications. Just not good enough to be a main rig.

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Wow!

This thing rocks! I go from heavy metal to playing at church every Sunday! Now have it in pedal form! Great job Thomas Blug! Normally use Engl Powerball!

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