MESA MARK IIC+ COPY?

[@OlaEnglund]

Seeing how everyone else made a video for this last week, I remembered that I had this thing sitting on my desk for a while. Took it out to compare it to the real deal.

[@dimebagcoleman7548]

Hey Ola what is the song you played at 7:55!? And that guitar is the shit!

[@IStabz]

pretty spot on I must say! \,,,/

[@floswallow4828]

This Thing Sounds killer. I Love the Synergy Stuff.

[@IStabz]

@@floswallow4828 800.00 total for the crushing tone!🤫🤘🏼

[@davidtguitar]

Sounds great

[@FryetteAmps]

Thanks, Ola! This is one of our top fav IICP demos. Why? Because, first, you know how it's supposed to work, and then you go straight for the throat to find out if it really measures up - not just guessing or relying on memory. There is no question in the viewers mind "how close" it gets. That's the real test. The EQ is actually the same frequencies and range. The problem as you said is that the sliders are small and difficult to navigate. But you can imagine the criticism if it wasn't there at all, so as always Steve went for it. The other thing making the EQ more aggressive sounding on the IICP is that it has a more transparent buffer than the original, which does round off some of the top end due to the well known no-so-great FX loop in the original, so when you push 6600 all the way up on the amp, it sounds smoother and less aggressive. The way around this is to, yes, be careful in setting the sliders to match the sound, rather than the physical position. Nice work and fun to watch!

[@RyRyTheBassGuy]

If possible, I think trim pots would've been better than sliders. Not the same look, but easier to adjust.

[@burnbacktime]

I'm beyond excited for this. Hopefully mine shows up tomorrow. I've been a fan of this circuit since I was 16 but have never been able to get my hands on it until now. I can't wait until it hits my doorstep. Cheers from Maine!

[@idiotburns]

Great work Ola and Steve!

[@Dastardly_X]

🤘🏻 🌟 🤘

[@coobanez777]

"Be careful" - Ola probably wishes he would have gotten this sage advice before 9:18 in this video!

[@HudsonHandel]

The synergy has more presence and is a little more “grindy”/modern. However the overall characteristics are the same. Which is dope.

[@SHREDTILLDEAD]

He does not have them dialed in the same.

[@podfuk]

Agree

[@BalashToth]

"There is a clean channel, but who gives a shit about that?" - new Ola merch with that please

[@MrJackal43]

Classic....

[@RoadSKOL]

Hey Ola - sorry if this has already been mentioned but Steve Fryette (designer of the II CP module) paid you a nice compliment in the latest version of his show Malcontents. He stated that you putting the module up against an actual IIC+ really showed how close the two preamp sections sounded. He said your review was spot on and very fair. Nice job and thank you!

[@OlaEnglund]

Thanks for the heads up, I checked out the episode because of you.

[@SlinkyT82]

Totally agree it sounds a little bit more modern but still pretty close. Steven Fryette is the man!

[@Kizamime]

That's a hell of a lot closer than I expected. The synergy is definitely a lot more modern, and seems to have more gain, but that's about it. Very impressive

[@Nick-df1pv]

Closer than expected with the difference in electronic components. Probably about as close as two amps of the same model and manufacture date.

[@SHREDTILLDEAD]

He does not dial them in the same so meh ...look again.

[@LucasMastropasqua]

These Synergy modules and products are fantastic for those of us that can’t afford the actual amps! I know we have some amazing modeling technology now but sometimes I want a piece of hardware with glowing glass inside.

[@Soldano999]

"Mercedes are fantastic for those of use who can't afford a rolls royce"

[@LucasMastropasqua]

@@Soldano999 Very true!

[@jadenpadgett1821]

but it has tubes

[@LucasMastropasqua]

@@jadenpadgett1821 Oh yeah I didn’t mean it didn’t have tubes I just meant it is a great way to change your sound while still having the glowing glass as opposed to modeling which doesn’t. Poor wording on my part.

[@jadenpadgett1821]

@@LucasMastropasqua ohhhhhh i see what you mean now alls good

[@GenerationDown]

First, I’m so stoked that one of these companies finally made a IIC+ module other than the hard to find Jaded Faith Mod. I’m actually gonna get this.

[@cdawg-switchhitter2473]

I think I speak for us when I say when you do these type of videos it’s great to hear you playing a song from memory.

[@OlaEnglund]

For me it's more about trying to play with a lack of memory :D Thanks

[@nickx1754]

To be fair, if you compare two original Mark IIC+ amps, you'd probably get just as much variation in tone (if not more) with component tolerances being what they were back then, or different components all together (I.e. transformers, etc). Sounds comparable but then there's the feel aspect... Idk, seems pretty cool at any rate. Nice comparison, Ola!

[@neonether]

Was looking for this comment. Bought 2 of them a while back and had to part with them because it wasn't quite right to my ear. Once I find the ONE, never letting it go!

[@ElShogoso]

@@neonether another thing is that even if you find THE ONE, it's an old amplifier, you might have to recap or even change the transformer or tubes eventually for maintenance, and that alone can already change it's sound. That's the quirk of the analog world

[@coreyclark6505]

10 hours, 2k views and 0 dislikes. That’s how it’s done. Best video on the module yet.

[@Silverlining1111]

The Boogie is so nice to look at

[@BBGuitars]

To my ear they did a really good job with this one!

[@TheGgreen100]

That is... unbelievably close. Wow. Was not expecting that at all.

[@guitarnutbolinuli5788]

This is the review I've been waiting for, I knew Ola would give it to us straight. Thanks Ola.

[@rossbalch]

By far the best demo of this I've seen so far. A lot of reviewers didn't really seem familiar with how the MK series amps worked and had trouble dialing it in.

[@charlesrocks]

HOLY SHIT!!! THAT SOUNDS IDENTICAL!!!!!! OMG!!!!

[@Metalbass1979]

I was thinking the same thing! Certain settings had zero difference in tone between the two in my ears.

[@FedericoMK]

Finally a proper comparison!!!!! well done Ola! please don't forget to RESPONG!

[@docsworld1369]

I have over the ear headphones on and they sound exactly the same!! Wow Synergy nailed it!!

[@PeterMoore350]

Good review mate ! I didn’t bother watching the other reviewers coz I knew you would make a decent video review of it. Cheers

[@johnpacino4491]

I like the Synergy even more! It's very close but has in tge same time more definition and more gain if you need it.

[@ChannelForty2]

I agree man, just a little bit more edge with the synergy. It sounds amazing and definitely sounds like Mark series. I'm impressed and thinking I need it! Ya, ya I need it!

[@xdisciple2776x]

Best demo of this module, thanks Ola.

[@fateunleashed9680]

Dope video I knew when I watched Rabea do his video and he said it doesn't do metal something was wrong, so I'm glad you could get the results I was expecting more of! Slight tangent rant here...Tubes aren't filters, nor do they change frequency in any way. Also, feel isn't frequency don't get those two confused. Feel isn't measurable as it's a subjective experience, and your subjective reality is always changing due to placebos. If you believe the the $800 signal cable will make your cover song sound better, then you'll claim there was something that changed when it didn't. The way to know if a piece of gear changes the frequencies of the tone signal coming out of your guitar's butthole is by reading the frequency response graphs shipped with the products. If there's no graphs, then it has no effect it's that simple! Glenn Fricker made a video recently proving this, and if you watch the 3 part GGD cali drums Nolly himself shows how the speaker, cab, and mic make all the difference. It's way easier to reference those four videos rather than arguing with me about it. It's data, so argue with the presenters of the data instead.

[@dreammfyre]

The new one definitely got more of a bite/edge. The old one sounds more chunky and to my ears more pleasant.

[@TimothyHuffGuitar]

I think I may buy a Synergy now. It sounds amazing!

[@jasons.3921]

Ola, the look on your face at 10:29 absolutely makes it worth subscribing to your channel. I happened to pause it right there...it kinda looks like ya sharted. Love your channels and thanks for having Louise be a bigger part of the channels personality. My wife has become a big fan...kinda wish I hadn't shown her, cause, now I have to share you with her. Keep the great (and relevant) content coming. Cheers from Texas!

[@JimsMusicJourney]

I got this Friday. I love it. I have 6 modules. This is my new favorite.

[@felinekaiju4517]

I'm impressed with how close the module comes for for being at least quarter the size of the preamp circuitry in the Mesa.

[@arpeggioblues5924]

I had a IIC+ back in 1985, and had I known how sought after it was, would Never had let it go.. mine was tweed like that one too.. wow.. hindsight is always 20/20

[@mikemunro811]

That mesa tone is the ducks nuts, amazing! The synergy comes close, I’m sure theres nothing wrong with the EQ section, it’s just accentuating the inherent brittle sound that I can hear in all the preamp modules.

[@Twobarpsi]

I would've liked to see Ola put the IICP through a regular power amp as a comparison. Of course running it through a real Mesa is going to make it sound good.

[@johnmaddox1712]

i thought the same, so it can’t run straight into a cabinet? or can it

[@Twobarpsi]

@@johnmaddox1712 it can go direct into your computer/DAW/headphones but to play it live with a cabinet, it needs a power amp.

[@tonedover]

well you can watch any of the other 2 dozen videos on this module that do this. this demo is the most important as he puts it through an actual 2c+ power amp

[@Twobarpsi]

@@tonedover I only watch Ola...

[@JorisGriffioen]

@@tonedover well, it's the most correct comparison of the preamps. But you're not going to drag a Mesa head around to plug your Mesa-clone preamp into, so comparing a complete rig you'd actually use is pretty valuable too.

[@Hippo007]

I have to say, the Synergy module is pretty impressive sounding. Especially for the price point difference

[@hyperbolekid]

Shows how important the power section is to nail the tone. If you used the synergy power amps would this sound the same? I would guess not. Nice preamp though!

[@nikolasnavarro4161]

Synergy has a little bit more presence and I like that, personally. Gain structure sounds pretty much exactly the same, though.

[@Aolian]

I've been saying for years that rather than only make super complicated amps like the JPIIC and Mark V they should also make a two channel Mark head that has "the" distortion sound, maybe with a few voice switches* and a great clean sound. *I have a Mark III that I modded by, among other things, cutting out most of the R2 circuit added in the IIIs, as it affected the tone of the lead mdoe. Now it works as a voice switch because of the stacking design. It's totally unique and sounds awesome when engaged.

[@maximediastore]

The sound of the Synergy preamp module is just awesome, it has a little bit more presence in the hi frecs but it's just "equal" to the all time mighty MESA BOOGIE (my fav) cheers OLA!

[@cnemi22]

Your chug comparison. The original Mark IIC+ growled. Had depth. The synergy sounds great with my presence, too sparkle.

[@BootlegBil]

Synergy have a good series going on here. It makes sense to get hold of SYN2 'chassis', then fit your 2 favourite modules. Say, Friedman alongside Soldano, or Plexi with this module. Mix & Match to make your own sound.

[@jimmiejames4674]

My buddy has his synergy running through two cabinets powered by a Crown amplifier..The sound is so powerful.

[@SinghStrings]

Hey Ola! Just here to encourage you to keep your drum journey chugging along! And keep us updated

[@DomicidalCovers]

One thing I just noticed and might be the reason for the Synergy sounding slightly tighter, is that you had the middle knob on the Mesa turned up to 5, but on the synergy you had it right down? I'm not sure how similar the preamp section of a IIC+ sounds to my old '89 Studio Preamp, but I know the way the eq's work is pretty much the same, and if that's the case, when you turn the bass and/or middle knobs up anything higher than 1 or 2 it loosens the tone up, and can muddy it up if pushed even further. All in all, it definitely sounds slightly brighter on the highs, and it seems like it's down to the extended range of the Synergy's 5-band parameters like you said, combine that with the fact they're so damn small haha. I'd say if they didn't have that extra range making it harder to dial in the sliders, they've pretty much nailed it.

[@e-musicpro5379]

Both sound amazing, the difference is very subtle, the Synergy has a little more presence, and the Mesa has more low end.

[@SHREDTILLDEAD]

Mmm maybe but no.

[@andrewwilliams5042]

I've watched about 4 other demos of this module and all have sounded different, which is to be expected. This is the best raw tone I have heard so far. That original 2C+ is the s#*t though, it could make a Metal Zone sound bad ass.

[@Tomcat82]

I've plugged an MT-2 into the C+ effects return before. It was spot on Vulgar Display of Power. I couldn't stop playing Mouth For War.

[@andrewwilliams5042]

@@Tomcat82 I wasn't hating on the MZ, just praising the Boogie. I'm sure the MT-2 sounds more metal than my MP-1.

[@idiotburns]

THE VIDEO WE WERE ALL WANTING!!

[@Jopeymessmusic]

Although certainly based on the Mark series, it's very much a modern equivalent. So it still sounds great. Maybe more similar to a mark V model as opposed to a direct copy of the IIC+.

[@J-MLindeMusic]

Sounds pretty damn close for a fraction of the price of any Mark head by Mesa. A solid option for sure...

[@TimothyHuffGuitar]

Awesome Zelda shirt Ola!!! My favorite game EVER! Played almost all of them!

[@DMarlow83]

Impressively close, Synergy sounds great! Player, guitar, power section, mic and room are all the same and that helps a lot, but I think it's a legit clone.

[@doctorskull8197]

Very entertaining video! Put a smile on my face. Keep up the great work!

[@Hanssone]

At the beginning the the video they sounded very close, but as soon you began to make tiny adjustments on the 5 band, its hard to come back with the fiddling controls. But im still very impressed.

[@digge4985]

These are really good for us who can't afford the real amp. I'm definetly getting one of these

[@alenlenia]

thanks again Ola for showing me what i cant buy right now

[@andybecker5001]

Great demo. Ola knows his shit with setup. Great tone.

[@drscott7359]

I have a syn 2 with uberschall and Engle savage and love it!! I run it thru effect return of a biggie MK V! I think the synergy system is the best piece of guitar equipment over the last 5 yrs. I have it interfaced into a helix and also have a bunch of neural dsp plugins and tech and tone these days is beyond awesome. I guess the synergy just feeds a little tube snob in me!

[@SRKanai1]

Question. I want the IICP in the syn 1 housing, but when I go to the website, it looks like the syn 1 comes with a plexi module in it. Can i just order a syn 1 with the IICP module in it or do i have to spend the money on a syn 1 with a module im not gonna use plus money on the module i want to fill it with?

[@untoldguitarist]

This proves my point of what Ive been telling MF'ers ever since I got my Randall RM100 head that runs the Synergy modules and the Randall MTS modules. I said "You don't need the real amp to get the same tone" Like I have a Jaded Faith SLO module which sounds exactly like a SLO 100 head. I will definitely be getting one of these modules for my Randall.

[@joshww2339]

Really excited!

[@daniel_naaden]

laughed when you said "shit of the day", that's gotta be part of the official Ola Testing Shit intro now, that's awesome lol

[@gabrielribeirosilva7879]

Ola, the Nordic God of guitars ! Great video man, the 2C + for me is one of the most iconic metal tones and the Synergy sounds good too. Please man, could you compare the 2C+ with the JP2C for us ?

[@Mee0tchy]

I bet he's already conjuring up a Synergy shootout with the Mesa 2C+ and JP2C, we just have to be patient :)

[@paulsharp1712]

Nice comparison. Pretty sure here's an insert point underneath the MKIIC+ chassis that is just before the power amp after the EQ, if you use that instead of the FX loop you can do a direct comparison.

[@Ambassadeur77]

Ola den här Demo var riktigt bra! Det är faktiskt lättare hitta Synergy än Mesa IIc+ :D Hälsningar från Finland igen. Snart ska vi ha kallt och Mesa bara värmer huset.

[@Yupppi]

I assume Mesa didn't work with them like some of the other manufacturers so the naming reflects that (copyright and such). As usual, they do brilliant job at Synergy. Just like they did with SLO and others. I feel like you should probably account part tolerances to the sound, you can't just turn the knobs in the same direction and assume the 20% part tolerance will match. Yet it's stupid similar even if you account the part tolerance. Except that 6600 Hz slider. That's awful for some reason. And you confirmed my initial assumption, that the 5-band EQ in Synergy module is just way too small for how much effect it has. Your original unit is slightly darker in general. The best part of the Synergy module system is that you can get two different amps for for example clean and drive sounds, like Vox style Morgan with Mesa Mk. 2c+, or JCM800 or whatever you want. In an affordable price. And by affordable I don't mean a cheap chinese copy, I mean like a regular amp and not that custom work for thousands or used market for legendary amps.

[@rodolfomacedoodisio6241]

Great demo as usual, Ola! Probably the synergy is a bit more present (bright) due to newer capacitors. After all, the original 2C+ is somewhat 40 years old

[@robertbeckerii2715]

Amazing how close it was other than the EQ , differently worth the $$$$ for a stand in if you can't afford an amp head ... or for a small gig or practice amp stuff !!!

[@wesleytrott6397]

It sounds really good man!

[@Alterwill]

Holy shit! That Synergy IS the shit of the day! Damn

[@vanscool]

That sounds really good! However, you are not only getting the benefit of the Mesa’s EQ but the output transformer as well. And that’s a big benifit because the output transformers in the Mesa Mark IIC+ are massive.

[@burnbacktime]

I wonder what it will sound like pumped into the loop return of my triple rectifier. It has massive transformers.

[@brownsfan7753]

Great review!!! Love the A/B comparison!!

[@leogeraldo4872]

Funny as hell Great video Ola!

[@jsullivan2112]

Holy shitballs they’re so close. Also video is worth watching alone just to hear you curse in satisfaction about how great the IIC+ is.

[@aaaargl]

i actually dig that its a tad more modern than the original.

[@firmans12]

Same here

[@soundstorm9508]

The fact that he's running the Synergy module into the power section and transformers of the C+ is a huge reason why they sound so close. Cool demo, but I don't think you're going to nail this sound just by buying a module and running it into any old power amp.

[@damonwolf793]

I hear the E.Q. on the fryette pitbull module is just as crazy. Not to worry though that preamp sounds incredible.

[@stevemcnelley4982]

"but who gives a shit about that" Right!!? I'm so happy I subscribed to this channel.

[@Soloist1983]

I absolutely hate the lore and cork-sniffery bullshit that surrounds the Mark IIC+, I am so glad this module exists. I wish some company would come out with an actual amp that shares the same, or nearly identical, circuit, like Jet City and the SLO100. I mean, can I afford a IIC, Mark V, or JP2C? Sure, but on principal, I'm not gigging with an amp that costs as much as my car and is as fragile as box of lightbulbs. Axe-FX, HX Stomp, or Synergy gets my money over Mesa's crazy expensive amp heads any day of the week :)

[@davidepannone6021]

Ngl. I really liked the sound of that little thing. I mean ofc nothing can replace a 2c+. But as you said, they're pretty much a boutique amp now and the price point on those things is ridiculous.

[@ChiAeNima]

I like a lot this guitar related KZbin channel when the content is guitar related. Awesome video.

[@OlaEnglund]

You’re NOT gonna like my drum videos that’s for sure!

[@ChiAeNima]

@@OlaEnglund I'm sure will.. 😂😂

[@edoardoferrarini]

I remember Randall was doing heads with same concept back in 2008/2010. You can still found them used at good price

[@Turboy65]

The difference is, 40 years from now, the Mark IIC+ will still be legendary. The Synergy module will be a kind of cool old piece of junk nobody cares that much about anymore although it's a cool piece of gear NOW.

[@quakana]

I would have to see the synergy rig through another ....totally separate power amp. Part of the IIC+ Magic has always been the power section and the GEQ. Especially if we are talking a simulclass power section. I agree it sounds close but how much of the sound is the mesa power section? Killer Video Ola! Love your channel

[@douglasshelton3482]

The fart at 6:42 has so much reverb it snapped me back to paying attention to the video as I was daydreaming about one of these synergy preamps.

[@nckhed]

That was a shart in the bathroom kind of sound. 😂

[@MrJackal43]

For the size of that thang, its great!

[@beautague9163]

The synergy head or using a tube power amp with a syn 1 or 2 will probably be a big difference in sound, plus there are one or two internal dip switches if I'm not mistaken, I'm really excited to buy one this or next week! Love my synergy 50

[@donoklein]

Brilliant. Haven’t watched a single second but the title literally captured my click in one second

[@nobbynose4254]

informative as always

[@pattheripper8485]

Man that sounds so good!

[@danielaaron81]

They sound almost identical, but the Boogie is definitely warmer and more natural. No matter what they do, there's nothing like the real thing when it comes to tubes.

[@Aspyrus]

These synergy modules are tube preamps.

[@ConstantineM]

They sound REALLY close. Awesome

[@hamtheman222]

Sounds pretty damn good!! That E1.6 tho....

[@vaportrails7943]

You gave the module a lot of help by running it through the Mesa, using the graphic EQ and power section. So the only way anyone could get the same sound is to have a IIC+ to run it through, which kind of defeats the purpose of getting the module. I get the concept, which does show the preamp is similar. But what is the real world scenario like where you use it without a IIC+?

[@krailanuar]

Love it Mk2C+

[@Gizmo-st1ky]

Damn! It sounds pretty damn close. These modules are interesting, gonna look more into these to pair with my H&K

[@TinglesASMR]

Hey, nice video! I'm really looking more and more into sinergy stuff as it seems to be way to have multiple amps without busting the bank or having to buy a new house. I was wondering, why not playing through a looper to compare both amps ? Wouldn't it be easier to switch between amps ? Keep up the good work Ola it's always a pleasure to check your videos!

[@mikedenkinger9570]

Those are damn close....I wonder if there's any component drift on the IIC+ that might be a factor. Neither one sucks. Play on.

[@endezeichengrimm]

It's good to have this option in the post Gibson era.

[@iwannarockon2010]

Yeah boogie sounds much warmer Way more eq on tap with Synergy🤘

[@edima]

The only big difference I hear between the 2 is that the IICP sounds a little brighter than the original 2c+. Like the Mesa has alot more bottom end and sounds chunkier. Still a damn close copy of the 2c+, one of my fav amps ever.

[@flogginga_dead_horse4022]

sounds great to me!!

[@jackrex7817]

You had me at Steven Fryette makes a Mark 2c+

[@JUNK_ZONE]

Well, god damn. That's pretty fucking accurate.