01—Strymon
Iridium
The compact 'direct-to-FOH' rig — the pedal that made fly-dates possible without a backline.
The most convincing amp-in-a-box pedal under $500. The IR engine alone is worth the price. If you fly to gigs, this is the answer.
02—On the bench
Three amp models — Fender Deluxe Reverb ('Round'), Vox AC30 ('Chime'), and Marshall Plexi ('Punch') — each running through nine selectable impulse-response cabinets, with a built-in tube-style power-amp emulation. Iridium is Strymon's compact answer to the Kemper / Quad Cortex problem: get the sound of a great amp through a great cab into a great mic without the amp, the cab, or the mic. Direct outputs feed FOH or an interface; an amp output feeds a clean power amp. Tonally each of the three amps is uncannily convincing — the Plexi in particular holds up against the Universal Audio plugin version of the same amp. The 'Room' control adds a small amount of room ambience to take the dryness off direct signals.
- 01Plexi mode is the standout — Hendrix-y crunch on tap
- 02Round mode is a convincing Blackface Deluxe
- 03IRs included are studio-quality, not stock samples
- 04Room knob saves it from being too dry direct
- 05headphone out is genuinely usable for late-night practice
03—In the room
Where else this pedal lives.
- Pete Thorn
- Andy Wood
- Daniel Donato
Universal Audio Dream '65 covers Fender territory more cheaply; Iridium covers more ground.