Synergy IICP Preamp Module

[@aristocaster]

Your demos are just the best you can find, thank you.

[@Soloist1983]

I think that the Synergy system is great for people that want to own these classic amps but can't get a hold of them anymore. I mean finding a IIC+, Mark IV, SLO100, Pittbull Ultra Lead, Savage, older Recto, Bogner Uberschall is challenging and could easily bankrupt you. You could go with a modeler but lots of people still like the straight-forward feeling of an amp. Kudos to synergy for making this a reality. The Egnater/Randall MTS never really worked out, but this seems to really be catching on, which is really cool

[@flashy5150]

4:14 That little passage sounded just like John Sykes - Whitesnake 1986, “Don’t Turn Away, before the night is over”, very nice tone. Who can forget that album, I love John Sykes tone and playing, just one of the best. He can play metal, but when he does his slow Blues, that’s when he is killer. He is tied with EVH for the best guitar players of all time for me, put Jimmy Page in there too, because they are so different, but so damn good. Their feel for the guitar and music is impeccable.

[@luthiervandros]

Best track yet. Love how the bottom falls out and the bass and drums are grooving.

[@wolfsdenmusic9404]

Holy hell Michael...that had to be one of the most awesome opening tracks you've ever done (and there's been quite a few).

[@TavaresProject]

Just stellar

[@Twobarpsi]

Jamming 🤘🤘🤘

[@garrettmccormick7382]

Need to hear this through a 2:ninety, or side by side with an old Studio or Quad preamp to get a good comparison to the legacy amp. The power amp on the IIC+ adds a fair amount of color to the sound. Fryette’s stuff is more like a Marshall or Dual Rectifier, which are voiced differently.

[@coreyclark6505]

I was thinking I’d like to hear this next to a studio pre.

[@kayjay7585]

A Marshall poweramp is way more similar to a Mark 2c+'s poweramp (despite the latter being a combined Class A and AB), than to the syn50/50, because of the tiny transformers on the syn50/50. Also the rectifier poweramp sound nothing like a Marshall poweramp, because the former has zero negative feedback in the modern setting. But I agree that comparisons of the different iterations of the mark circuit and with different poweramps would be very interesting.

[@thechannelforeverything2170]

You and Leon release a video on this at the same time!!! My ears are ready for this. Funnily enough I was just playing through my Mark IV as I got the notification for this.

[@svenheineken8958]

First time watching your videos on my 5.1 surround system... Man, that mix is off the hook! People! Put your headphones down! Check out the intro in 5.1 surround sound! What a killer producer you are Mike! Keep it up!

[@BigHairyGuitars]

Thanks Sven!!!! :)

[@CheddarKungPao]

This is the best Insane Clown Posse signature amp I've ever heard.

[@louderthangod]

It’s Insane and Inane

[@BigMateo24]

Magnets, how do they work?

[@realtruenorth]

Ohh, and I though it had something to do with seeing pee. 🤪

[@pbosche]

Whoop-Whoop!

[@drewleclair1281]

Some of your best playing Michael. Feels like you were summing Vai on the intro.

[@EVEROSFP1]

The opening demo song was great!

[@GetUpTo88]

This might be one of your best demo songs yet!! Nice work!!

[@pcbullets8726]

Great demo, I particularly liked the black Friedman guitar thru the last set up at the end. Thanks Michael!

[@alexjh3456]

This unit not only sounds incredible it also let's you play really cool stuff

[@nudsh]

I have this module, it is a painters palette of tone. It is a bit quirky to dial in but it goes from bell chime cleans to thick, crispy bacon fat lead. Its like the Fry Pitbull module, you have to take her to dinner, strokes her hair and tell her she is pretty.......then she starts kissing your neck.... ;-)

[@petriisomaki313]

You’re one hell of a guitarist! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@cmath8577]

My late 80s intro to Mesa was a Quad Preamp / Strategy 400 power amp into 2 2x12. metal grill Mesa slant cabs. A 2290 w foot controller MIDI'd to a Sholtz Octopus to switch it all . This seems to nail the that vibe for sure

[@guittarwizzrd]

The neck on that strat is gorgeous

[@DonGuillermoQuebec]

Really nice demo man ! But honestly i don't really recognize the famous Mesa MK2c+ chung tone , neither the liquid neck pickup lead tone . But again , nice job man

[@vincelupone]

He's not that kind of player though. Throw that treble knob up to max like you would on a Mark amp and I'd bet it totally shreds.

[@louderthangod]

I’ve heard 4 or 5 people do demo’s of this and none of them have gotten that Metallica chug from their IIC+.

[@DOKITT]

@@louderthangod It might need a parametric EQ for that. My Mesa Quad (Channel 1 is the actual IIC+ preamp) and it sounds nothing like Metallica without a parametric after. I would still choose the Mesa Studio preamp over this.

[@dvomvas1]

fantastic playing!

[@bswat60]

Really cool intro song. Excellent Love your channel and work

[@zakklee2556]

Note to self- Cliff. 1. The shift lifts the mids and pushes them out a bit. 2. Red channel has all the good adjectives.* * doesn't have quite a lot of bite* Poetry 3. Bright ** switch to get more bite. ** possibly labled Bight with mid-shift. 4. Graphic EQ on Follow the herd, pull down 750 Hz, for the extra Little bite you been looking for since 1978. 5. Bass Button - at this point don't go crazy with it like you normally do,use the 5 band*** instead. - ***** rear end

[@YMESYDT]

Ooh this is exciting. I have a feeling an OD-100 or an SE-100 module is going to be coming soon

[@ForeverDownByLaw]

Sounds great to these ears, probably the best sounding Synergy module. I had a Studio .22+, which utilized a similar interaction between the "clean" channel and the "gain" channel. Once you understand that, there are many tone shades to be found. Sort of pissed really, as I had my 22+ modded by Mesa to make that less of an interaction via a pot on the back of the amp. Never sounded as good after.

[@jasonstone1046]

Screw the module, diggin the intro tune mate. Killer.

[@SolarWarden88]

Dude, SICK intro piece. Well done man. You're waaaaay too humble on your playing and lead playing brother lol. Great demo & video!

[@LordKlektar]

And the award for shiniest fretboard goes to:

[@kevrochlin4544]

Great track... Great Demo... Great channel

[@audiobrainiac]

I need this module. Would love to hear some Soundgarden through it.

[@stevie..d..charvelman4543]

Synergy ll rackmount preamp is the shit. I sold my Marshall Jmp-1 preamp for one, that says it all. I personally like the Marshall 800 and Plexi Module setup.

[@budgetguitarist]

Sounded great to me! Great video as always. I love idea of the Synergy line, but I do find myself using modeling because of bang for the buck.

[@MKRISING75]

What pick ups are in the Friedman guitar 🎸 Mr.Micheal?🤘⚾️

[@1977raider]

All I can say is wow & I want one!!!!

[@FenderProBrazil]

Tks a lot Michael for share. Awesome review.

[@nickmoore8798]

One more reason to get a synergy. Ever consider comparing the plexi and metroplex modules to your super lead?

[@TheMorty56]

Have you talked about this Friedman guitar previously? I like the purple pickup bobbins!

[@BigHairyGuitars]

Thanks! Secret. The purple is a sticker! It's my homage to Andy Timmons. The neck inlays are also stickers. hahaha. goes right one, comes right off. easy way to mod your guitar for like $12.

[@BigHairyGuitars]

Yeah there's a video about that guitar somewhere in my back catalog. It currently has a JB in the bridge, and Friedman Classic in the neck.

[@TheMorty56]

@@BigHairyGuitars where does one find such stickers? do they have green? lol

[@BigHairyGuitars]

@@TheMorty56 www.amazon.com/Pickup-Stickers-Humbucker-DiMarzio-F-Spaced/dp/B08M9BK14F/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=guitar%2Bpickup%2Bstickers&qid=1636662020&sr=8-2&th=1

[@BigHairyGuitars]

@@TheMorty56 neckillusions.com

[@Skoora]

So it’s been two years. Would you put the one or two dirty/heavy sounds in the IICP over anything you get in the Triaxis? How does it stack up vs the Quad?

[@mustangguy3706]

Sounds great but I'm not hearing a miic+.

[@austinfailz]

Sounds nothing like it, primarily because the pre EQ (pots) are severely lacking in terms of how they should interact with the gain.

[@Twobarpsi]

Could you do a Queensryche episode?

[@sendep7]

head to head this against the triaxis or a mark v pls

[@chrisgoodnow9899]

Great demo and overview, Michael. It doesn't sound quite like a IIC+ to me. The power sections play such a large role in the sound of the amp. I'm sure you have access to people who own a real IIC+ but if not you can shoot that out against one of mine if you want.

[@FastRedPonyCar]

Ola has done this on his channel if you haven’t seen it yet. Near indistinguishable but IMO this vs the Mesa Studio preamp is the only way to really compare the two.

[@TavaresProject]

Jesus Christ Michael... That intro track was amazing!!! Great piece of music

[@rogerdat7807]

Friend, try substitution of your mother's name in lieu of prefacing the Lord's name and let me know if its uncomfortable or not.

[@TavaresProject]

@@rogerdat7807 I tried yours instead... Roger dat Michael... That intro track.. Kind of loses the emphasis. Jesus Christ definitely has more umph.

[@rogerdat7807]

@@TavaresProject Because its a matter of life and death I'm compelled to remind you that you wouldn't use your mother's name to cuss, nor preface for "more uummpf". Why? Because you respect your mother, she gave you life. In the same way you love and respect your mother's name, you should also love the name of The One who gives eternal life. He is the only bridge back to THE Creator and no one will get out of here alive without Him. Now Friend, I dare you to ask me why...

[@TavaresProject]

@@rogerdat7807 sarcasm is lost on you

[@merlozeppelin]

there is a big Zakk and Sykes influence in here

[@irmasil3]

Not sure about this one...I do trust Fryette being an amp genius and all, but the original is based on the interaction of the pre-gain EQ which works like a boost and the post-gain Graphic EQ that works as a tone shape...And the Pre-gain EQ here lacks significantly. Especially the interaction of the PRE-gain EQ and the actual Gain is fundamental to get the tone out...I have 2 Triaxis that I am very happy with and are pretty close to the 2C+ and all other things that come with the Triaxis interface. I would stick with the Triaxis instead of this. And if you wanna go full 2C+, then the JP2C amp is the only way. And that thing is GONNA BE MINE!!! (someday...)

[@0rbitingUranus]

Agreed. Leon Todd's demo did show off a bit more of the high gain side, but still sound like it falls a bit short to me. And honestly, one thing I don't like about the IIC+ is that the channels share the pre-gain EQ. The JP2C solved that problem. I wish Synergy could do a JP2C module, but it's physically impossible given the lmited real estate.

[@wingee]

0

[@MuvoTX]

Could you run an EQ pedal infront ?

[@0rbitingUranus]

@@MuvoTX not sure how the amp would react but worth a try.

[@austinfailz]

Yeah, the pre EQ (pots/knobs) seemingly do next to nothing.

[@ggbobbybrown7881]

Nice leads !!

[@Twobarpsi]

Faygo 🍺🍺🍺🤘🤘🤘

[@earthlydescent]

That's it... I need a Mesa Mark amp now.

[@danthrax7407]

I´m sorry man, my english is not good enough to say how impressive is you sound/tone and playing

[@JorisGriffioen]

Hey Michael, how do you feel about the PS2 vs. your other power amps for the Synergy stuff?

[@CoreyJamesGuitars]

Killer intro

[@PsyloOfficial]

Sykes? humm pretty sure he IS /WAS a Marshall player. i could be wrong. Any proof of him using mesa>?

[@wakjob961]

Blue Murder was Boogie Coliseum 300 watt heads... but yes, he uses Marshall amps too.

[@BurntSquirrel]

Sykes used Mesa amps in Whitesnake and Blue Murder.

[@pfrisch6030]

YES!!

[@rebelcat420]

Intro song and how you set it up….pretty much a John Sykes tone in a box.

[@Dethride69]

Kick ass!

[@stefanozurich]

I don't get the classic Petrucci IIC+ vibe from this. It feels like something got lost in translation.

[@charlesrocks]

I don’t think it sounds like a Mark II. Cool amp though

[@dntinpalevo]

When guitarists lower the bass knob and then on their EQ pedal increase the bass frequencies, I feel like a chef is removing a salty ingredient (too avoid making the food salty) but then adds salt! Come on make up your minds, do you need those bass frequencies or not? :D

[@austinfailz]

The pre EQ (treble, mid, bass) is pre gain and is supposed to influence the overall character of the sound, particularly the gain (ie, it adds some gain as you increase). If you increase the bass past 9:00-10:00, it can get very woofy and fuzzy on the real amp (which this module doesn't really do at all). This is why most users of the Mark series amps and Mesa preamps based around it will lower the bass knob pretty low while then cranking the EQ sliders for their lows. The EQ sliders are after the gain, so they do not influence the character of the gain.

[@jimsoprano711]

Better buy a Mesa Studio Preamp for a better mk 2C+ sound…

[@imantisocial3179]

A little bit disappointed with this module tbh. Don't need the clean, just want the dirty channel with the 3 band, presence, gain and the graphic.

[@glukeable]

But but butt, does it Hetfield like the real deal?

[@BigHairyGuitars]

IMO, as much as a Quad preamp does. Touchy to get it dialed in perfectly, but it's killer..

[@Sound_Stable]

Came over here after hearing it on Leon's. The Synergy fanboys are going to lynch me for this, but I'm hearing the same thing here. I know the Mark sound, this doesn't sound like one. Like I said on Leon's video, it sounds like they took a generic preamp circuit and put the tone stack before the main gain stage and added a graphic eq. It has none of the character of any amp in the Mark series that I have played or heard. The mid-range character isn't even in the ballpark, imo.

[@geoffreymerrifield5666]

Synergy looks very interesting, but not quite enough for me to abandon Kemper for. My Kemper has been amazing for my purposes; recording.

[@ultimatemetalguitartones]

Meh

[@homersimpson2159]

Hey Michael, what's your John Sykes and Metallica settings? Also, did Sykes use a chorus for his gain tones?