Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt showing off his SYNERGY RIG-Touring with SYNERGY

Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt showing of his SYNERGY RIG - Touring with SYNERGY
In the “Touring with Synergy” video series, we visit our artist on tour to talk about their SYNERGY gear. Get the latest insights into what and how they use their all-tube modular amp system.
This Episode we visited Mikael Akerfeldt, guitarist and lead singer of Swedish prog metal giants OPETH, while touring Europe, supporting their latest record “In Causa Venenum”. Listen closely to what he has to say!

[@lorenzobarichello5180]

"I usually don't experiment that much." Ahahahahaha, good one Mike

[@ax492]

"I don't experiment much" unless you consider "experimenting" testing a new rig for the first time in front of 15.000 people :s

[@lorenzobarichello5180]

@@ax492 I got what he meant about live equipment, but I was relating to the band's musical and experimental change on the last records

[@Powerslave271]

You totally miss the point

[@metalmike1976]

@@Powerslave271 naw u did

[@reducetheatoms]

that's his unconsciousness talking haha... :'DD

[@larkstonguesinaspic4814]

I love his deadpan dry humour. There's just something very funny about the guy even when he's not trying to be funny.

[@FoggySwe]

He has the best talk sessions between songs

[@nickyounger1368]

I totally know what you're talking about. I find myself laughing even when he's being serious

[@Andrey-nx6lo]

:)

[@skabeche81]

2:26 Mikael resets with style switching himself

[@SuperWeedPower]

its an hologram!

[@eddieademi]

4:25 he couldn’t resist so he did it again

[@keomo]

@@eddieademi It's when he thinks!! 3:20

[@sanbilge]

Yoko Ono killed the real Mikael Åkerfeldt and now we're listening to Michael Äkerfeldt. He says it himself at the beginning.

[@fcamiola]

This guy is the effing best! Legend. I try other metal bands but just keep coming back to the best....OPETH!

[@deadbodybaby1]

Lol when other people tell me their favorite bands I’m like oh no but wait till you hear this 😂😂😂

[@skydwellingmusic]

Old man rock is such a perfect name for that tone.

[@majesty1770]

or like we say in swedish "gubbrock"

[@TheJML1975]

“I feel like I’m a slightly better guitar player, because of it” I love Mikaels dry humour 😏

[@chrisyates1088]

MIKAEL AKERFELDT is a living legend of the Legendary metal gods known as OPETH

[@disco4535]

The guitars on the new album sound incredible. Mikael's vocals are amazing as well

[@FanaticDrummer]

Scarfs and adidas, the real secret to his tone

[@markblaauw4961]

My world would be a lot more boring without Mikael Åkerfeldt and Opeth.

[@1nfeRnaLRaV3n]

Tbh im thinking abt it rn and it sounds so true dd😂

[@TonyNguyenFR]

Opeth has always had very good production live and in the studio.

[@iqless7313]

Ghost Reveries (crispier) and Watershed (softer around the edges) have to be two of the most perfect sounding albums.

[@fcamiola]

The best started with Blackwater when SW got involved. My least favs sound-wise of the newer shit are Sorceress and In Cauda...and guess what - SW was not involved! Great albums though

[@daghetto101]

Morningrise production. 10/10 Raw Satan Demon Metvl

[@KalosPVP]

I love how Deliverance is still the closer.

[@donniedarkestra7771]

The synergy rigs are some of the most interesting things I've seen in a long time

[@crazeyjoe]

Sounds awesome!!! I agree with Mikael. A simplified rig and yet, the results are the perfect sounds that are needed and desired. The technology today results in what used to be an over complicated nightmare to achieve the same result!

[@Likeaforest]

Your voice is EPIC even when you speak.... EPIC voice 👌 🙌 😎 😍 👏 ❤ 👌

[@LarryTaint-qn8pd]

Saw Opeth Friday night in Chicago and they sounded great.

[@desecrator8979]

I was there also. So amazing

[@mackermaldrill2656]

Not only a great musician, but a great guy.

[@ericbrewerguitar1499]

A buddy of mine started using your modular system and all the preamps sound incredible and nail the tones of the amps they’re designed after. I’m sold and can’t wait to get my hands on the system someday!

[@garethbull5303]

Wow, throughout all their music I imagined guitar swaps the whole way through a single song, but it's just electric through and through. Such amazing bridge pickup for those acoustic sounding tones. I may have to look into such an investment myself.

[@MorGuitarz]

Just picked up a Synergy SYN50 and 4 modules... TONE HEAVEN... right next to my favorite Friedman & Bogner amps. Can't wait to get it on stage in a couple weeks. Amazing options we have today... as music itself as a profession, for the most part... is dying. Oh the irony

[@rigorhead01]

The "old man rock" sound is my main tone. Maybe I'm getting to be an old man.

[@TheApsodist]

Same...used to be a metalhead. Sigh.

[@darrenc8776]

Love how he emphasise his surname. You will pronounced it correct haha

[@brosephh7130]

Darren C haha he purposely says the bastardized American pronunciation

[@THERAMMSTEINFAN490]

With his first name as well :P its more like "me-call" in Swedish pronounciation. I wont attempt Åkerfeldt.. The phonetics are just too different from the american sounds you can write out :P besides im not fluent in Swedish haha

[@apanapandottir205]

Haha, especially since it's nowhere close to how it's really pronounced xD

[@jontemetal]

@@THERAMMSTEINFAN490Just saying "Oh-kerfellt" instead of "Ah-kerfellt" is way closer to the Swedish pronounciation, "Å" is closer to "O" than it is to "A", if that makes sense (swedish myself)

[@_nurmi06]

@@jontemetal that's why the chacacter å is called the "Swedish O" in the finnish language

[@michaelsnyder1492]

Saw them in Ohio a week ago! They sounded superb

[@reducetheatoms]

dude is wearing a sabbath t-shirt when he knows he's a legend but still is denial state, he's such a lovely and modest guy

[@SLAMSTERDAMN]

Excellent vid, I love Opeth, so talented they are! But, that Heaven & Hell t-shirt...🤘!

[@Capitan_Chaos]

I have that heaven and hell shirt from that one tour a while back.

[@francescovianello262]

“So basically I have... a guitar” Yeah bro it’s a PRS custom 24 with Piezo and it costs 4k+$ are you sure it’s JUST “a” guitar?

[@gahb4326]

Im pretty sure he would sound the same with a Squier

[@francescovianello262]

@@gahb4326 not sure about that, tone would be entirely different, he would still sound good because he can play tho

[@sualvariv4841]

I love this man.

[@dan-3268]

2:36 - in flames - come clarity almost

[@adamwright7954]

saw them a few weeks ago in Dallas and the rigs sounded amazing!

[@THERAMMSTEINFAN490]

*"MIchael AHkerfellt"* hahahha

[@iqless7313]

MYkel ACKerfelt

[@Nickolaars]

4:21 ahh man!? Technical problems were such a huge (and entertaining) part of their shows... 😅

[@mixedmartialnutrition1746]

nice clean and simple setup

[@BP-or2iu]

Did he mean he was using a Soldano amp or using a soldano modeling preset on the Synergy? I have no idea how these preamp rack things work.

[@kishortsf]

That skeleton deadass staring at him. 💀

[@violentbob]

i just love the skeleton in the background

[@Diogolindir]

those tones thou

[@JavierGarcia-kb1no]

Great Video. That's a cool Heaven and Hell t-shirt.

[@HanOnkel]

You can visually see the soundwaves affecting video recording

[@yam9889]

Saludos desde argentina 👍

[@anonymousceleb1148]

Around 2 mins 20 or so he has to quickly switch posture through static moulding or something

[@GVLSCH]

I love him

[@aterix]

Acoustic sound: Anyone know the pedal he was referring to about getting an acoustic sounds ("Boderes")? Any tips on a piezo pickup to get that acoustic sound?

[@morganestill]

I search and found a photo and he's using the TC Electronic Bodyrez pedal.

[@Cowboyfromhell1234]

❤

[@gab.lab.martins]

I want his voice.

[@mikedegrazia]

Nice scarf Mike..

[@Astral_Wave]

Camera shakes when he plays... sweet

[@Likeaforest]

I'm a bassist so I'll wait for Martin Mendes stuff yeeeeeeeee

[@SJA962]

bass-amp

[@Turbo-D]

where is the synergy rig and whats in it? 🤷‍♂️

[@norwardradtke1361]

Yeah he literally doesn’t say which amp modules he is using

[@andritti]

´65 Robin Trower. Nice...

[@DanKuches]

I wondered how you got the acoustic sound 😊

[@ThemFuzzyMonsters]

Did I blink? Where are the Synergy modules?

[@GothicXlightning]

4:26 to see Mikael been possess by the Twitchy Synergy Demon

[@rabatzbumm]

Show Fredriks rig please!

[@matthewtiner7485]

M Mustermann check out the rig rundown on the premier guitar channel

[@mikelastname6722]

Omg the scarf fad has infected genius metal musicians now! There's no where else for it to go

[@sanbilge]

Gotta keep the growlies warm

[@bluesful]

What power amp is being used?

[@stormshadow2k]

Hmm... But why does he switch through a Fractal box? And a Fractal volume pedal? Synergy is uknown to me, but are they connected to Fractal somehow? Or does the AX8 have a profile of a Synergy amp like Kemper kinda stuff?

[@NerveEnd]

I think he's using it mainly for reverbs and delays etc. with the amp section bypassed. I believe he says that the main distortion sound is produced with the Synergy Soldano SLO. Maybe he uses the amp profiles for the clean sounds. Pretty impressive that a dude on this level tours with an amp that costs 399 €.

[@LeonHaselbach]

@@NerveEnd the SLO modul costs about 400€ but you have to buy the preamp section which costs about 470€ with only on slot. Mikael has two preamp moduls which result in over 1500€ for his amp rig (I guess he has some sort of poweramp, too - put that on top). Plus AX8, Cables, Wah, Stomp Box, Volume Pedal... not to mention his guitar. A PRS Custom 24 with piezo costs around 4000€. So he is easily playing a 6 to 7k setup on stage.

[@5urg3x]

What's Synergy? I see a Fractal AX8 here...He didn't really show off the actual Synergy tube amps lol.

[@jameskostov9353]

3:35 porcupine tree - always never??

[@gabrielm.5261]

Nice abibas

[@T-mert]

ünlü composerların videoları falan yok diye üzülürüz ya.. işte gelecektekiler üzülmeyecek

[@dantahoua]

I do not see the song The Garroter on the set list... :(

[@gyurko]

Hahahahaha

[@bruxxy6814]

I don't think that'll work without a live orchestra

[@dantahoua]

@@bruxxy6814 I'm sure it's possible, just different! :)

[@lehtokurppa7824]

It's my least favourite song from the new album. Im glad it wasn't included. I know people have different opinions but that's mine.

[@ejRecording]

which pedal is the robin trower sound? he said little stomp box

[@Steaminlidz]

It’s an Electro Harmonix Small Stone, the Nano one.

[@joshgulick5006]

I always associated Robin Trower with the more Hendrix-y Univibe pedal, but the Small Stone is a Phaser. News to me.

[@Firedownunder26]

For some reason I thought he would have had larger feet

[@Vor_Tex_Sun]

Yeah what a let down :)

[@smookey187]

😂 😂 Glad I'm not the only one that thought that

[@xedasxedas]

Next: how to make hand sanetizer

[@fabiol.9161]

Sorry guys but where is the sinergy module? I see the fractal ax8.. Sinergy is the tour name?

[@MikaTarkela]

Is he using only the effects on the AX8 ?

[@viniciusbertucci]

I think so. His actual tones come from the Synergy modules.

[@TheJasonEstes]

He has a separate phaser and a wah as well.

[@VOYAGEUR-YT]

What is the third guitar knob for?

[@shugo541]

probably a tone pot. Not sure on that particular PRS. SG's and Les Pauls for example have 2 volume and 2 tone pots. Or maybe a piezo volume pot since there's 2 inputs. Again, don't know that PRS.

[@Astral_Wave]

Piezoelectric volume maybe?

[@Astral_Wave]

Or a blend knob between electric and piezo

[@gabifromhell]

Volume of the piezo

[@funfreq9282]

I see nothing Synergy in this rig. To me it looks like an Axe FX AX8 to me.

[@Skoora]

Might be the first rig rundown from a company where they don’t actually show the rig..lol what synergy modules is he using, in what way and how are they going to P.A.? I don’t know, maybe just some basic shit… 🤦‍♂️

[@ragecandy]

For a second there I thought he meant that one band from alexi laiho’s (ex?) girlfriend

[@joselito1221]

X2

[@norwardradtke1361]

He doesn’t tell what specific modules he uses for each tone

[@BrandonBames]

To the one person that disliked this video: What else were you hoping to get out of this? How did the content of this video not live up to your expectations based on the title and thumbnail? Or did your hand slip on the way to the like button and you're too lazy to change it? TELL ME!

[@migueltay2803]

*It's the guys from shitty Kemper....

[@shatteredsquare]

I'm the 2nd dislike. 😅

[@pranav3848]

Some people just dislike every video just for the sake of disliking

[@LordSummerIsle73]

Jesus shows us his holy rig

[@jessbian3385]

ACKERFELT

[@Likeaforest]

MIKAEL IM FROM ISRAEL AND I LOVE ❤ YOU PLEASE COME AGAIN 💓 TO ISRAEL 🇮🇱 ❤ ♥ ♥ 💖 DON'T FORGET MARTIN 😘 ♥ 😉 ❤ 💙

[@JohnnyOskam]

How is this a synergy rig? Looks like he's running an Axe 8?

[@Harrysound]

Wow he’s actually using stock pickups by the looks of it.

[@cassiano378]

It's that guy from that 90's porn movie?

[@ZenitildeNeto]

"I'm a simple man. I dont need a big set." DUDE! U USE A AXYS. You dont need nothing more! hahahaahaha

[@linusfotograf]

Why don’t you pronounce your name properly? Don’t give in to English

[@LeoBassCovers2]

I think he says it in a very sarcastic way. Almost nobody will pronounce his name correctly anyway.

[@itsvoogle]

@@LeoBassCovers2 how is it pronounced? its not how he said it?

[@gabifromhell]

@@itsvoogle mee-cah-el o-kerfeldt

[@daghetto101]

​@@itsvoogleIt's How you read it pretty much. Mi Ka El. Not Maykel. The R is not soft R. It's crunchy R. Å on his surname pronounced like O. But not Round Round Ow. Just an instant O. Mi Ka El o K eR! feldt.

[@itsvoogle]

I have been butchering this man's name for years....... smfh

[@5urg3x]

"ACKerfeldt" lol. He mispronounces his own name for English speaking audiences.