Around the same time, I owned the Iridium, the ACS1, and the Ruby. I still own the Iridium, as I found it easiest to fit well in a mix. Take that for what its worth.
At first glance, I preferred the ACS1. With traditional MIDI input/output, a boost feature, and being able to mix match the cabs in the L/R stereo output, it seems a cut above the Iridium. But then I looked a bit closer. Iridium has an expression pedal input which I would find more useful than MIDI (which it has, too, through the same jack), an instant favorites button (which I find more useful than a simple boost in volume/gain that I probably wouldn't use recording), and a higher resolution output at 24-bit/96kHz vs. the 24-bit/48kHz on the ACS1. And while the Iridium doesn't mix and match cabs, it certainly does do a stereo output of the same cab--which, to my ears, sounds better than the ACS1. And not just on this demo. On all of them so far. I'm still researching and comparing these two, but I have to say I still give the iridium the edge as an all-in-one amp solution for recording.
Sample rate only matters if you're inputting frequencies at higher than half the sample rate, i.e. 24khz on acs1 and 48khz on the iridium. Considering a guitar sort of maxes out at around 15khz on really high gain, I doubt that many users will experience aliasing on the acs1. Maybe if you really, really crank the gain on it and push it with a lot of distortion.
@@lastboxofsparklers Thanks for sharing! How about if you are running a high quality solid state or tube preamp before the Iridium. Let's say like a RevivalDrive or Kingsley Tube preamp?
At first, I really tought I'd prefer the ACS1, cause the fender-y sound at first was much better than the Irudium for gainy things. I have the Iridium and only use the round setting for pure clean, jazz and stuff. The others though, both chime and punch, I found the Iridium really came into its own.
I've had both and to my ears the acs1 sounds and feels way more real to me but of course that's subjective I've just noticed i loved playing the walrus audio acs1 way more than the iridium . for some reason the Strymon pedals all have this hollow feel kind of like talking but not feeling your voice when you talk both great though just different flavors don't discount the Neunaber neuron as well it feels and sounds great too !technology has just blown my mind as of late , we truly are in the golden age of modern guitar ! great demo thank you !
Great comparison vid! You made a good point about how much the IRs loaded on these boxes matter - on that topic I would love to see more speaker/cab comparisons on your channel. I think a lot of guitarists don't realize how much speaker/cab choice determines their sound because of all of the guitar/amp/pedal toys we drool over.
That's a really great point. Especially if you have these in your top row on your pedal board, they will essentially have a very, very similar footprint in terms of the real estate they'll occupy on your board. This is really a draw rather than advantage to the Walrus pedal.
They both sound pretty damn good, but I think that the Strymon just barely gets the nod for sound here. It is so close though, and it could be due to the volume differences (the Strymon was a tad louder, and to human brains louder = sounding better. This is a trick that has been used to con audiophiles for decades). Also, Walrus used Micro USB instead of USB C, so there is a serious point of failure right there that absolutely should not be there.
The best compliment I can pay to both of these companies is I can’t decide and will have to try them myself. As you said, flavours! (Spelled for my European crew) Thanks for the great video.
Great review! I have the Iridium and use the Chime setting most of the time. I love the VOX characteristics of that model. But I've never loved the Fender model...or the Marshall, so I just use it for the Vox sound. When I need a good clean Fender-ish sound, I use my SansAmp California. I set it up like a clean Boogie and it sounds great. The ACS1 sounded okay to me, but I prefer what I get from the SansAmp California.
@@EytschPi42 Yeah, clearly the Iridium IR’s sounded better, tho. Would you be willing to do a video where you play both of them through the same IR’s so that we can really COMPARE both products? That would be REALLY helpful.
Definitely makes a difference!! I used a HX stomp and then an iridium. The iridium is what I preferred but I kind of think the main reason is the built in IR’s!
Thank you Henning for this really great and informative analysis and demonstration. You are the best in the business at providing intelligent and super informative content. Be well. I feel like you are my trusted friend.
i would love to see this comparison with ACS1 with the most recent v2 firmware update ... it seems that made the ASC1 more gainy sounds and completely new cabs ... i belive that w that new firmware update the ACS1 it rocks even more !!!!
Both companies have done a great job with both of these pedals. I’m always going to complain a little when I can’t play a “real” amp but they’re making it much better these days. NEVER got along with Kempers and had to play them for a few years in certain live situations.
Great video. A lot of people talked that is impossible compare this pedal with differents IR. I think this video isn't to make the pedals sounds identical, but to compare the quality of this two pedals. I feel the stereo image more clearest on ACS1, even when you use L+R Switch on the middle position. I feel Iridium have more headroom and more volume. I don't feel a lot of differences to justify A/D converter unparity, i think in the mix don't do a lot of differences. I don't have certain which is more noisyless. I think both are good choose for your pedalboard and probably I will waiting for more videos to dicide which one I will buy.
I think maybe cuz he's more used to iridium. I think in time people are gonna be able to figure it out and how to dial in some nice tones. the thing JUST came out. that pedal show low key made iridium sound bad when it first came out. but even to this day I'm seeing new videos about ways to pull out more tones from iridium. you are right tho, iridium did sound better in this video.
Sold my iridium within 30 minutes to preorder the ACS. I really love the Iridium though! And kind of preferred the Iridium in the video. So I'll try to remember to come back and give my thoughts. Tracked a song last night with the Iridium and I'll go back and do the same with the ACS to see the differences. I'm excited to try it though! I'm excited about the stereo amp feature on the ACS though.
Alright so I got it yesterday. Then remembering that I used just stock IR’s on the Iridium, so sorry about that. BUT. I do have some opinions. In the video I preferred the Iridium, sounded more natural and fatter. But in person, coming through my studio monitors, I preferred the ACS. Like Henning was saying, it sounds more like an amp in a room. IMO it takes drives a lot better, and just sounds a little better, to my ear. One thing I wish it had was more gain. I can barely get the ACS to breakup, it was nice having a lot of gain on tap on the Iridium. But, if you get all of your drive from pedals and just want a solid direct option, especially if you run stereo, I’d say the ACS is the winner. I haven’t tracked anything with it yet, but I feel like it will sit really well in a track just based on what I can hear, not that the Iridium doesn’t sound good in a track, just rambling now. Plus the stereo options make it a lot better than the Iridium from that point of view. Being able to use different amps and cabs on both sides is awesome! It sounds great. I was honestly really surprised by it when I first plugged it in. Lemme know if you have any other questions
@@claytonmurrayguitar Could you perceive any loss in quality with the ACS1? I know the Iridium outputs 24-bit/96kHz while the Walrus Audio only does 24-bit/48kHz. Also, how does running different cabs in stereo on the ACS compare to just running a single cab type with a stereo output on the Iridium? I know a lot of people are making a big deal about being able to mix and match cabs, but both have a stereo out and should sound great going to separate channels in an interface (I can always EQ/pan them differently in post if I want to do that). And do you miss having an expression pedal input? I prefer the traditional MIDI connections on the ACS1, but I like the idea of an expression input.
@@richnewman I didn't notice any loss in quality. If anything it sounded more real to my ears than the Iridium. And running different cabs on each side is great! Really allows you to tailor the sound to what you want.
@@richnewman I also never used the expression on the Iridium. I mainly only used it for tracking and live like.. twice maybe. I just set it and forgot it. And yeah you can alter it how you want in post. But there's more than enough control and options on the pedal itself to get a great sound. No complaints about it! I enjoy it more than the Iridium. But still mainly use my amp haha
dude, that was a great video. Haven’t played either but am in the market for a straight-to-DAW solution for times when I can’t play my mic’d amps. “Go for colour” - great punchline. Thanks!
Thanks for the review. Strymon had more headroom, less hiss, more tonal capabilities in my opinion. Now I know which one I can buy. Hence why Strymon is 96khz and the ACS1 is half of that lol
@@juandoming6688idk, to me the strymon is too pristine and perfect, it sounds perfect, too perfect. I admit, I’m an amp snob but those subtle differences of non pristine sounds coming from an amp are why I prefer the ACS1, it’s more natural sounding
Nice, I'm in the market so interesting to see this comparison. I'm loving the midrange of the Iridium's fender style model, I hear that "digi-dealy-fizzily" high end in the Walrus if anything. Might just be an EQ thing. The Vox models sound very comparable, but the Iridum is sharper. I like the Marshall model on the Iridium for sure, smooth and clear. The Walrus model is a bit boxy by comparison. Tho as you said, probably a lot to do with the IRs. What's interesting is, in other videos the Iridium seems to blow everything else out of the water as far as taking pedals. Here they seem to both take that overdrive well. Does the Walrus also have an analog preamp, I wonder? I'd be curious to hear a couple more gain pedals in front of these A/B with a similar clean setting. Any case, great video!
I think in the “fender” style the ACS1 sounds better with clean tones, more clarity and defined , but the Iridium sounds getter with higher gain tones In the “Vox” style the Iridium takes the cake for clean and dirty. No contest there And the “Marshall” style Iridium sounds much better too me for both clean and dirty. The Iridium sounds less compressed, and warmer. The ACS1 is more bright and boxy in my opinion. Both sound fantastic for emulated amps in a pedal tho, but if I was going to buy one I would definitely choose the Iridium.
Great video. I have been on the fence for a while now regarding modelling solution. Being a tube amp guy, I have an original Torpedo Captor load box, which I use with my tube amps and I have been considering getting a CAB M. Also have been considering Iridium and HX Stomp. I have a new powerfull computer and can easliy monitor using WOS III or a guitar ampsim in real time without any latency that gets in my way. So now another product that appears super useful. My main use for any of this would be in recording studio....almost too much great stuff to choose from!
i like the ACS’ form factor & dedicated L/R amps, but iridium sounds much more open to me, particularly on the chime setting. would be interesting to hear people upload their own IRs on the ACS to see if it changes things
is it normal that iridium has more volume and power? I dont know how it plays in a room, but through youtube, i think the iridium is significantly better sounding ..?
Iridium sounds better as others have said. I own one. Then I bought the Cory wong archetype plugin and I like it more... low end is more warm. Serious clean tones there.
Yep I noticed this with the D1 and kicked it out because of it and other reasons. Stereo side jacks suck. Every company should be doing top mounted jacks these days. Side jacks are an outdated design.
Great, informative comparison. On the 'F' settings are you running a Voyager OD into them both? I can't get my Iridium to break up like that on the Round setting - unless I really max the Drive and Middle knobs. Both are excellent pedals from excellent pedal makers. I have the Iridium but as soon as I saw the Walrus pedal I new it would be great and I'll end up buying it : ) I don't think one is necessarily better than the other - the ability to change IR's can make them sound really different to their stock settings anyway - they are both just fantastic amps in boxes. Thanks for demo'ing them side by side.
Can you do that stereo blend affect with different cabs IR with the acs1 in mono? Or do you need to run it in stereo. Do I need 2 model speakers to hear that blend affect and if I use one live as a monitor for myself yet have it run stereo out the mains PA?
Great video, Henning.. I‘ll stick with the Strymon because I do use the startup modes of the Iridium so I can use it as a preamp-like pedal without speakersim into a orange pedalbaby.
Sold my Iridium. Nice piece of gear, but definitely a compromise in tone and feel. Still, was impressive. If you can, a real tube amp with a load box is way better IME.
After trying almost every modeler/pedal out there I'm getting to the same conclusion. In all modelers, the sound is there, but not the feel and there's no way you can show that in a video. Anyway, thanks Eytsch for the video. Very informative.
Sold my Iridium too. No fx loop, no input aux, no lovely reverb to my taste. No good sound with my ath50 headphones. I'm searching fender and vox sound in a box, and easy of use
Would be really nice with same IRs loaded into both products (when comparing them like this). Also, it would be nice if the manufacturers would let us know if they went for A) true to original sound - when comparing to real amp or B) great sound out of the box and more "final mix" sound..
I ordered the Behringer V-Tone Guitar GDI21 AMP amplifier from the Musicstore. Hopefully that's enough to write music with a small compact Steinberg UR22mkII sound card from the comfort of your couch lol. I have an exciting idea! - Write cool music without getting up from the couch, if possible lying down. I have no idea what these preamps are for. But there are some options. I hope to live until the time when I understand what the CHALLENGES and the idea of the engineers put into these pedals. Yes, my post is a direct advertisement for the Musicstore online store. Buying in it, you can save well on delivery to Russia. Thomann will be more expensive, although the choice is still richer, a little.
The strymon in stock sounds better but the walrus audio stereo dual amping is the only point the ACS1 sounded better.... I’m not sure if it’s good enough for me though.
Any “amp in a box” pedal that’s high gain, Friedman BE-OD OR just use the Marshal amp model, crank the gain and run a Klone in front of it, PLENTY of gain.
To me the Iridium wins hands down. But it might also be the room / ambience that clouds my judgement. I am very picky regarding reverb, and like it next to nothing. Both units are good, sure. They better be at this price.
I want to go-direct-to P.A. and get a 65 Blackface Fender Princeton Reverb "Clean Sound" - (tired of lugging my amp) - looking at Walrus ACS1, Strymon Iridium, Two Notes, Quilter, DSM Humboldt Electronics Simplifier ??? - any input is greatly appreciated.
So in terms of headphones...how do they compare? Because for someone with a toddler who sleeps a lot, it’s important to know. Pretty even? Does one sound better than the other with the same headphones? I own one of those vox mini heads that you can plug headphones into and I find the volume is very subtle and I can’t even get it up to where I’d like it to be while maintaining safe headphone use.
Sounds like the ACS1 is sitting in a way larger room. The room reverb on the Iridium seems like it's set way less so the amp feels like it's way closer to your ear. Also, the IRs are just so different, it's really hard to tell which is "better".
I guess Im asking the wrong place but does anybody know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account? I somehow lost my account password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me!
@Brycen Nicolas Thanks so much for your reply. I found the site on google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
I think you used the Marshall IR on the Vox comparison on the ACS1. At least give it a fair go using the stock "Blue" IR on the ACS1 and Iridium. The ACS1 won the Fender front to my ears.
As someone that really wants to start recording, I wish I could find a tutorial on how to use these. For example - do I run this through an audio interface? Or directly into my computer and daw from the USB? Or what’s the midi for? Like I connect a keyboard? I don’t get it. Also, does this have a way to connect effects? I didn’t see an effects loop. What I’m trying to accomplish is this - 1.) have a pedal board, 2.) run that pedal board through one of these amp sims, 3.) record what comes out. It’s confusing to understand what cables and devices I need to achieve this. In the past I’ve just ran my guitar straight into my audio interface and added effects and amps in Logic, but I do have a number of physical pedals I’d like to use.
you run this into your audio interface. You can put drives in front, delays and reverbs after, before it goes into the interface. Midi could remote control programs and parameters, but you don’t need a keyboard, you could also use your daw or a midi foot switch... but you don’t need to use midi
Imo the ACS has better cleans and the Iridium has better gain, so if you get your gain from an existing pedalboard i'd choose the ACS, if you want more versatility in the pedal itself or are in general more at home in the higher gain territory i'd take the iridium
Great video and very informative. However your playing is too good; it distracts me 🙂 But seriously, I have a question; does the Walrus ACS1 leave a gap in the sound when switching presets? Tanguy Delooz has commented that the Iridium does. This is important to me as I want to control it and a looper (via MIDI) for solo performance. Cheers, Bob.
That’s the biggest flaw in both. They desperately need a high gain amp or two. (SLO, 5150, Rectifier etc) They lose half the prospective market omitting modern gain tones.
You can't really compare these with different IRs. Both sound good. I kind of dig the Strymon a little more. I don't think it would hurt to have either one. You just keep trying IRs to find the sound you want.
@@chuuweec.8080 I play with the cab modeler of the big sky only. Fantastic for recording. Iridium is myles better. Cant imagine how great this must be.
wow, hard choice really.......... i mean, if you put good IR´s in that yellow box......... you are game , you know? but is true that the iridium sounds reeeeeeaaaaally good...........
So, if I already have an HX Stomp as my “amp”, what would be the point of getting one of these? My Stomp has roughly 42amps and a large selection of cabs with tons of tweak ability.
Probably no point if you’re happy with the HX Stomp. I used to have a Stomp and now have an Iridium, which I prefer because I don’t like menus. I was very impressed with the Stomp but find it quicker and easier to get the sound I want on the Iridium.
@@n8dawg85 I think there’s enough gain, there’s more gain available on the models than you could get from the real amp. If you wanted a boosted AC30 lead tone for example, it’s in here with no pedal required. For live use though, I would use an overdrive to boost for lead so I could switch between two sounds. I’ve tried a klon copy into it and it sounds really good.
@@chrisj1602 thanks for the tips. I actually tried one at a gig when they first came out and i really wanted to love it but found it wasn’t getting enough sustain on it’s own with the punch amp..great idea to use a klon style pedal in front..maybe i should revisit this pedal with some drives 🤙
Both list at $399 (US). I just bought the Strymon after watching a bunch of other YT reviews and demos. Can't wait to plug in! The Strymon just seems to be a bit "warmer" and "open" sounding to my ears in this video.
The ACS1 is okay but has a boxy sound and can sound muddy as at its higher gain settings. The Iridium has a much more open sound to my ears and allows me to hear the playing dynamics better.
Great Video. are you going directly into Hiz input of your Apollo X4 from Iridium? Any Volume difference when listening through headphones vs direct input to audio interface. Can you please help me with that? Thank you.
The bottom end sounds a bit unnatural to me on the iridium and the notes seem to swell/bloom more on the acs1 like a real amp. I’d be happy with either as a pedal platform tbh
Around the same time, I owned the Iridium, the ACS1, and the Ruby. I still own the Iridium, as I found it easiest to fit well in a mix. Take that for what its worth.
At first glance, I preferred the ACS1. With traditional MIDI input/output, a boost feature, and being able to mix match the cabs in the L/R stereo output, it seems a cut above the Iridium. But then I looked a bit closer. Iridium has an expression pedal input which I would find more useful than MIDI (which it has, too, through the same jack), an instant favorites button (which I find more useful than a simple boost in volume/gain that I probably wouldn't use recording), and a higher resolution output at 24-bit/96kHz vs. the 24-bit/48kHz on the ACS1. And while the Iridium doesn't mix and match cabs, it certainly does do a stereo output of the same cab--which, to my ears, sounds better than the ACS1. And not just on this demo. On all of them so far. I'm still researching and comparing these two, but I have to say I still give the iridium the edge as an all-in-one amp solution for recording.
You can actually send different IR’s to left and right if you use the Strymon Impulse Manager software.
The high-gain on the Strymon sounds considerably better. Both sound convincing for cleans & edge-of-breakup.
Also to add, A/D to D/A converter: ACS1 is 24-bit 48kHz; Iridium is 24-bit 96kHz. Also, the Iridium has an analog JFET preamp on the front end.
Does the Iridium have midi? Stereo? I the AC1 has both.
@@georgebarry8640 Yes to both questions. All details on their website.
Sample rate only matters if you're inputting frequencies at higher than half the sample rate, i.e. 24khz on acs1 and 48khz on the iridium. Considering a guitar sort of maxes out at around 15khz on really high gain, I doubt that many users will experience aliasing on the acs1. Maybe if you really, really crank the gain on it and push it with a lot of distortion.
@@lastboxofsparklers Thanks for sharing! How about if you are running a high quality solid state or tube preamp before the Iridium. Let's say like a RevivalDrive or Kingsley Tube preamp?
@@eanroad check out the frequency response of the average guitar amp speaker - it's rather depressing :)
At first, I really tought I'd prefer the ACS1, cause the fender-y sound at first was much better than the Irudium for gainy things. I have the Iridium and only use the round setting for pure clean, jazz and stuff. The others though, both chime and punch, I found the Iridium really came into its own.
Damn. I wanted to prefer the walrus, but the strymon is just better
Same here, the mix l/r amps of the walrus is way cool, but the overall sounds of iridium are just better (as far I can tell in this video)
Yeah thats not surprising at all. Strymon stuff is on another level
I've had both and to my ears the acs1 sounds and feels way more real to me but of course that's subjective I've just noticed i loved playing the walrus audio acs1 way more than the iridium . for some reason the Strymon pedals all have this hollow feel kind of like talking but not feeling your voice when you talk both great though just different flavors don't discount the Neunaber neuron as well it feels and sounds great too !technology has just blown my mind as of late , we truly are in the golden age of modern guitar ! great demo thank you !
Great comparison vid! You made a good point about how much the IRs loaded on these boxes matter - on that topic I would love to see more speaker/cab comparisons on your channel. I think a lot of guitarists don't realize how much speaker/cab choice determines their sound because of all of the guitar/amp/pedal toys we drool over.
Both sounding great - how about a comparison to something non digital (doing the same job)? DSM & Humboldt Simplifier...please :)
The bigger pedal has top mounted jacks, so I think that makes up for the size difference.
That's a really great point. Especially if you have these in your top row on your pedal board, they will essentially have a very, very similar footprint in terms of the real estate they'll occupy on your board. This is really a draw rather than advantage to the Walrus pedal.
They both sound pretty damn good, but I think that the Strymon just barely gets the nod for sound here. It is so close though, and it could be due to the volume differences (the Strymon was a tad louder, and to human brains louder = sounding better. This is a trick that has been used to con audiophiles for decades). Also, Walrus used Micro USB instead of USB C, so there is a serious point of failure right there that absolutely should not be there.
The best compliment I can pay to both of these companies is I can’t decide and will have to try them myself. As you said, flavours! (Spelled for my European crew) Thanks for the great video.
I'm happy with my Iridium - it's the perfect match for the Flint
@Arturo Cabrera The Iridium is the last - various pedals, Flint, Iridium
@@RaxFx interesting... I’ve got a Flint. Do you use the iridium as your amp?
@@TimNewman1 yep - I also have a couple of amps but I mostly play the Iridium into my studio monitors
Strymon / Walrus vs Joyo Character series.... I still love my Joyo AC Tone 💜
Great review! I have the Iridium and use the Chime setting most of the time. I love the VOX characteristics of that model. But I've never loved the Fender model...or the Marshall, so I just use it for the Vox sound. When I need a good clean Fender-ish sound, I use my SansAmp California. I set it up like a clean Boogie and it sounds great. The ACS1 sounded okay to me, but I prefer what I get from the SansAmp California.
I was wait for someone to compare these thank you!!
Now I wanna hear them through the same IR.
I only check gear through the stock IR because that is how they come out of the box
@@EytschPi42 good point.
@@EytschPi42 Yeah, clearly the Iridium IR’s sounded better, tho. Would you be willing to do a video where you play both of them through the same IR’s so that we can really COMPARE both products? That would be REALLY helpful.
Definitely makes a difference!! I used a HX stomp and then an iridium. The iridium is what I preferred but I kind of think the main reason is the built in IR’s!
I decided on the ACS1 when it was first released partially based on this review. Two years later... I could not be happier!
Thank you Henning for this really great and informative analysis and demonstration. You are the best in the business at providing intelligent and super informative content. Be well. I feel like you are my trusted friend.
Great run through! For my needs the ACS1 wins for sure! The two different amp settings for stereo alone is enough for that!
What a great video! The battle it’s on!
Great comparison. Still contemplating. Leaning towards the Strymon.
i would love to see this comparison with ACS1 with the most recent v2 firmware update ... it seems that made the ASC1 more gainy sounds and completely new cabs ... i belive that w that new firmware update the ACS1 it rocks even more !!!!
Thanks...as soon as I saw the ACS1 being released, this is the video we needed!
So much work, thanks Henning. I don't have a horse in this race, but the Strymon felt wider and more airy in the "Brit" sounds.
Hennings’ sweater game is on point in this one.
(Team Iridium) I am kinda relieved that the ACS1 doesn't sound as good to me. I hate regretting a purchase.
haha same
Haha I swear! I just got my iridium
On another note, i regret my Catalinbread purchase of DLS because the Iridium already does the Marshall Sound really nicely
Both companies have done a great job with both of these pedals. I’m always going to complain a little when I can’t play a “real” amp but they’re making it much better these days. NEVER got along with Kempers and had to play them for a few years in certain live situations.
Great video. A lot of people talked that is impossible compare this pedal with differents IR. I think this video isn't to make the pedals sounds identical, but to compare the quality of this two pedals.
I feel the stereo image more clearest on ACS1, even when you use L+R Switch on the middle position. I feel Iridium have more headroom and more volume. I don't feel a lot of differences to justify A/D converter unparity, i think in the mix don't do a lot of differences. I don't have certain which is more noisyless. I think both are good choose for your pedalboard and probably I will waiting for more videos to dicide which one I will buy.
Strymon sounded more natural to me. The IRs indeed seem to be better. You also fussed less with it to get a usable sound on all 3 amps.
Yeah I don't know what I'm hearing different than others on here, but I thought the Iridium won hands down on tone, but more features with the ACS1...
I think maybe cuz he's more used to iridium. I think in time people are gonna be able to figure it out and how to dial in some nice tones. the thing JUST came out.
that pedal show low key made iridium sound bad when it first came out. but even to this day I'm seeing new videos about ways to pull out more tones from iridium.
you are right tho, iridium did sound better in this video.
@@sammymac88 I heard it the same way too. The feature set on the ACS1 gave me pause - the stereo feature is pretty badass.
Sold my iridium within 30 minutes to preorder the ACS. I really love the Iridium though! And kind of preferred the Iridium in the video. So I'll try to remember to come back and give my thoughts. Tracked a song last night with the Iridium and I'll go back and do the same with the ACS to see the differences. I'm excited to try it though! I'm excited about the stereo amp feature on the ACS though.
Alright so I got it yesterday. Then remembering that I used just stock IR’s on the Iridium, so sorry about that. BUT. I do have some opinions. In the video I preferred the Iridium, sounded more natural and fatter. But in person, coming through my studio monitors, I preferred the ACS. Like Henning was saying, it sounds more like an amp in a room. IMO it takes drives a lot better, and just sounds a little better, to my ear.
One thing I wish it had was more gain. I can barely get the ACS to breakup, it was nice having a lot of gain on tap on the Iridium. But, if you get all of your drive from pedals and just want a solid direct option, especially if you run stereo, I’d say the ACS is the winner.
I haven’t tracked anything with it yet, but I feel like it will sit really well in a track just based on what I can hear, not that the Iridium doesn’t sound good in a track, just rambling now.
Plus the stereo options make it a lot better than the Iridium from that point of view. Being able to use different amps and cabs on both sides is awesome! It sounds great. I was honestly really surprised by it when I first plugged it in.
Lemme know if you have any other questions
@@claytonmurrayguitar Could you perceive any loss in quality with the ACS1? I know the Iridium outputs 24-bit/96kHz while the Walrus Audio only does 24-bit/48kHz. Also, how does running different cabs in stereo on the ACS compare to just running a single cab type with a stereo output on the Iridium? I know a lot of people are making a big deal about being able to mix and match cabs, but both have a stereo out and should sound great going to separate channels in an interface (I can always EQ/pan them differently in post if I want to do that). And do you miss having an expression pedal input? I prefer the traditional MIDI connections on the ACS1, but I like the idea of an expression input.
@@richnewman I didn't notice any loss in quality. If anything it sounded more real to my ears than the Iridium. And running different cabs on each side is great! Really allows you to tailor the sound to what you want.
@@richnewman I also never used the expression on the Iridium. I mainly only used it for tracking and live like.. twice maybe. I just set it and forgot it. And yeah you can alter it how you want in post. But there's more than enough control and options on the pedal itself to get a great sound. No complaints about it! I enjoy it more than the Iridium. But still mainly use my amp haha
but the Iridium sounds better = hang on to the receipt
Thank you for your time.
dude, that was a great video. Haven’t played either but am in the market for a straight-to-DAW solution for times when I can’t play my mic’d amps. “Go for colour” - great punchline. Thanks!
OK, that's a great hoodie. Oh, the video is great too. Thanks!
21:00 - that dual amp setup on the ACS-1 sounds super!
Iridium was a bit louder on the video than the ACS1, that might skew the perceived tonal difference.
Iridium sounds better with pedal infront..
you are so cool!
I have ordered both to check out what I prefer
Thanks for the review. Strymon had more headroom, less hiss, more tonal capabilities in my opinion. Now I know which one I can buy. Hence why Strymon is 96khz and the ACS1 is half of that lol
Why do people gaslight like this?
@@juandoming6688idk, to me the strymon is too pristine and perfect, it sounds perfect, too perfect. I admit, I’m an amp snob but those subtle differences of non pristine sounds coming from an amp are why I prefer the ACS1, it’s more natural sounding
I feel like Strymon Iridium has more like a DI kind of thing in how it sound in fender mode
Nice, I'm in the market so interesting to see this comparison. I'm loving the midrange of the Iridium's fender style model, I hear that "digi-dealy-fizzily" high end in the Walrus if anything. Might just be an EQ thing. The Vox models sound very comparable, but the Iridum is sharper. I like the Marshall model on the Iridium for sure, smooth and clear. The Walrus model is a bit boxy by comparison. Tho as you said, probably a lot to do with the IRs. What's interesting is, in other videos the Iridium seems to blow everything else out of the water as far as taking pedals. Here they seem to both take that overdrive well. Does the Walrus also have an analog preamp, I wonder? I'd be curious to hear a couple more gain pedals in front of these A/B with a similar clean setting. Any case, great video!
I think in the “fender” style the ACS1 sounds better with clean tones, more clarity and defined , but the Iridium sounds getter with higher gain tones
In the “Vox” style the Iridium takes the cake for clean and dirty. No contest there
And the “Marshall” style Iridium sounds much better too me for both clean and dirty. The Iridium sounds less compressed, and warmer. The ACS1 is more bright and boxy in my opinion. Both sound fantastic for emulated amps in a pedal tho, but if I was going to buy one I would definitely choose the Iridium.
@@matthewharrison7868 damn!! That would be really cool to try out. I love Wet/Dry/Wet set ups.
Top quality review! Thanks.
Everything on the ACS1 sounds like it way recorded with a room mike, whereas the Strymon is more like close-mic'd cabs.
Great video. I have been on the fence for a while now regarding modelling solution. Being a tube amp guy, I have an original Torpedo Captor load box, which I use with my tube amps and I have been considering getting a CAB M. Also have been considering Iridium and HX Stomp. I have a new powerfull computer and can easliy monitor using WOS III or a guitar ampsim in real time without any latency that gets in my way. So now another product that appears super useful. My main use for any of this would be in recording studio....almost too much great stuff to choose from!
i like the ACS’ form factor & dedicated L/R amps, but iridium sounds much more open to me, particularly on the chime setting. would be interesting to hear people upload their own IRs on the ACS to see if it changes things
I cant wait for that. I use a Cabm+ and we users are doing all that and all kinds of stuff..sure, it can be confusing..but REALLY rewarding,too.
The expression you were looking for in Englisch is “wins by a nose”. Great review!
is it normal that iridium has more volume and power? I dont know how it plays in a room, but through youtube, i think the iridium is significantly better sounding ..?
Tc G-System with a Bogner Blue to Iridium. Never looked back to my axe-fx :-)
Thanks for making this video.
I still have no idea which one I am going to get... 😂
I’m in the same boat. If anything, I learned you can’t really go wrong with either one.
Iridium sounds better as others have said. I own one. Then I bought the Cory wong archetype plugin and I like it more... low end is more warm. Serious clean tones there.
Walrus is smaller but when you plug your cables into the side mounted jacks its the same size as iridium with top mounted jacks
and that’s why I said that
@@EytschPi42 Must have somehow missed it, in any case great demo
Yep I noticed this with the D1 and kicked it out because of it and other reasons. Stereo side jacks suck. Every company should be doing top mounted jacks these days. Side jacks are an outdated design.
With everyone using loopers I think bypass buttons are outdated design.
Great, informative comparison. On the 'F' settings are you running a Voyager OD into them both? I can't get my Iridium to break up like that on the Round setting - unless I really max the Drive and Middle knobs.
Both are excellent pedals from excellent pedal makers. I have the Iridium but as soon as I saw the Walrus pedal I new it would be great and I'll end up buying it : ) I don't think one is necessarily better than the other - the ability to change IR's can make them sound really different to their stock settings anyway - they are both just fantastic amps in boxes.
Thanks for demo'ing them side by side.
Holding one’s whammy bar while one plays lol Thanks for a great in depth review
Iridium past 2 o'clock on gain have treble booster circuit engage hence why.
Can you do that stereo blend affect with different cabs IR with the acs1 in mono? Or do you need to run it in stereo. Do I need 2 model speakers to hear that blend affect and if I use one live as a monitor for myself yet have it run stereo out the mains PA?
Thank You Henning,
Great work as usual.
I was wondering if plugging headphones you would still hear the different impulse responses…
Cheers,
Fabio
Henning, or anyone, have you tried the Milkman the amp 100 yet? I had the DSM Humboldt, didn't like it, so I'm on the hunt again.
haven't tried the milkman... the DSM was very disappointing to me... so much that I think mine was defective.
The Iridium sounds more natural to ears, the ACS1 sounds harsh and lacks body & warmth
Is this what strymon bois do, gaslight everyone?
Great video, Henning.. I‘ll stick with the Strymon because I do use the startup modes of the Iridium so I can use it as a preamp-like pedal without speakersim into a orange pedalbaby.
I think Iridium is better....no doubt. ...it's what i feel. great video man...thanks.
Sold my Iridium. Nice piece of gear, but definitely a compromise in tone and feel. Still, was impressive. If you can, a real tube amp with a load box is way better IME.
After trying almost every modeler/pedal out there I'm getting to the same conclusion.
In all modelers, the sound is there, but not the feel and there's no way you can show that in a video.
Anyway, thanks Eytsch for the video. Very informative.
Sold my Iridium too. No fx loop, no input aux, no lovely reverb to my taste. No good sound with my ath50 headphones. I'm searching fender and vox sound in a box, and easy of use
Very informative... I just want to k ow why there’s a glowing colon on the back wall 😄
Would be really nice with same IRs loaded into both products (when comparing them like this).
Also, it would be nice if the manufacturers would let us know if they went for A) true to original sound - when comparing to real amp or B) great sound out of the box and more "final mix" sound..
I ordered the Behringer V-Tone Guitar GDI21 AMP amplifier from the Musicstore. Hopefully that's enough to write music with a small compact Steinberg UR22mkII sound card from the comfort of your couch lol.
I have an exciting idea! - Write cool music without getting up from the couch, if possible lying down.
I have no idea what these preamps are for. But there are some options. I hope to live until the time when I understand what the CHALLENGES and the idea of the engineers put into these pedals.
Yes, my post is a direct advertisement for the Musicstore online store. Buying in it, you can save well on delivery to Russia. Thomann will be more expensive, although the choice is still richer, a little.
The strymon in stock sounds better but the walrus audio stereo dual amping is the only point the ACS1 sounded better.... I’m not sure if it’s good enough for me though.
Any distortion pedal recommendations for the Iridium to make it chug? Thanks
Any “amp in a box” pedal that’s high gain, Friedman BE-OD OR just use the Marshal amp model, crank the gain and run a Klone in front of it, PLENTY of gain.
@@erikhartley2494 Thanks Eric.
Awesome demos
to me strymon sounds very muddy. like my katana amp by default. i dont know is that because of EQ settings on the pedal or what?
To me the Iridium wins hands down. But it might also be the room / ambience that clouds my judgement. I am very picky regarding reverb, and like it next to nothing. Both units are good, sure. They better be at this price.
Ok Henning, this was a great vid......... but now we need a head to head with the ACS1 and Two notes CAB M+.
AMAZING VIDEO MAN! Does this make a better work on sim cabs and amps than Pod Go? Thanks!
I want to go-direct-to P.A. and get a 65 Blackface Fender Princeton Reverb "Clean Sound" - (tired of lugging my amp) - looking at Walrus ACS1, Strymon Iridium, Two Notes, Quilter, DSM Humboldt Electronics Simplifier ??? - any input is greatly appreciated.
I would go with the ACS1
@@EytschPi42 Thanks. I'm leaning that way-too, but I want to continue my research a bit-more. Appreciate your input. oNe LovE from NYC
So in terms of headphones...how do they compare? Because for someone with a toddler who sleeps a lot, it’s important to know. Pretty even? Does one sound better than the other with the same headphones? I own one of those vox mini heads that you can plug headphones into and I find the volume is very subtle and I can’t even get it up to where I’d like it to be while maintaining safe headphone use.
What about the two notes cab M vs iridium and ACS1?
Hi Henning, any thoughts on the Walrus vs the Cab M as a subsitute for V40/Deluxe type amps?
You look like a young Dr. Evil from the 90's, when he was hip and with it. I think your review was great. Geil.
Sounds like the ACS1 is sitting in a way larger room. The room reverb on the Iridium seems like it's set way less so the amp feels like it's way closer to your ear. Also, the IRs are just so different, it's really hard to tell which is "better".
I guess Im asking the wrong place but does anybody know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account?
I somehow lost my account password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me!
@Beau Neil Instablaster =)
@Brycen Nicolas Thanks so much for your reply. I found the site on google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff atm.
Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
@Brycen Nicolas it worked and I finally got access to my account again. I am so happy!
Thank you so much you saved my ass!
@Beau Neil no problem xD
I think you used the Marshall IR on the Vox comparison on the ACS1. At least give it a fair go using the stock "Blue" IR on the ACS1 and Iridium.
The ACS1 won the Fender front to my ears.
I would like to see the same parameters on both pedals, all flat. That would gives us a better perspective of the comparison.
As someone that really wants to start recording, I wish I could find a tutorial on how to use these. For example - do I run this through an audio interface? Or directly into my computer and daw from the USB? Or what’s the midi for? Like I connect a keyboard? I don’t get it. Also, does this have a way to connect effects? I didn’t see an effects loop. What I’m trying to accomplish is this - 1.) have a pedal board, 2.) run that pedal board through one of these amp sims, 3.) record what comes out. It’s confusing to understand what cables and devices I need to achieve this. In the past I’ve just ran my guitar straight into my audio interface and added effects and amps in Logic, but I do have a number of physical pedals I’d like to use.
you run this into your audio interface.
You can put drives in front, delays and reverbs after, before it goes into the interface.
Midi could remote control programs and parameters, but you don’t need a keyboard, you could also use your daw or a midi foot switch... but you don’t need to use midi
@@EytschPi42 that’s helpful, thank you!
Are the Timestamps actually from the previous video?? i mean the ACS-1 video?
already fixed it
Imo the ACS has better cleans and the Iridium has better gain, so if you get your gain from an existing pedalboard i'd choose the ACS, if you want more versatility in the pedal itself or are in general more at home in the higher gain territory i'd take the iridium
Great video and very informative. However your playing is too good; it distracts me 🙂
But seriously, I have a question; does the Walrus ACS1 leave a gap in the sound when switching presets?
Tanguy Delooz has commented that the Iridium does. This is important to me as I want to control it and a looper (via MIDI) for solo performance. Cheers, Bob.
God I wish they'd make these things with one high-gain model. Fender + Marshall(or Vox) + Mesa (or SLO)
Bluguitar Amp1 is for you guy.
That’s the biggest flaw in both. They desperately need a high gain amp or two. (SLO, 5150, Rectifier etc) They lose half the prospective market omitting modern gain tones.
@@GH-bn8wz Why desperately? - Pedals get you there...
@@RaxFx Yeah, modern high gain players normally use Fenders with pedals...
How are these pedals better than something like a Pod go or Hx stomp?
You can't really compare these with different IRs. Both sound good. I kind of dig the Strymon a little more. I don't think it would hurt to have either one. You just keep trying IRs to find the sound you want.
That digital fizziness is what makes me think twice about going all digital with these tools..
Same here. I really want to be ok with it, but I just can't. I went with the SImplifier and love it so far.
Make a blind test. Priming effect - all in your head. Iridium is on spot.
The only way to truly know is by trying it out in person with the touch of the guitar.
@@chuuweec.8080 I play with the cab modeler of the big sky only. Fantastic for recording. Iridium is myles better. Cant imagine how great this must be.
I agree I use an HX stomp BUT.. I got through an AMD preamp then a klon clone... Then into the hx and it's perfect IMO
wow, hard choice really.......... i mean, if you put good IR´s in that yellow box......... you are game , you know?
but is true that the iridium sounds reeeeeeaaaaally good...........
Wow that was quick!
I like em’ both.
So, if I already have an HX Stomp as my “amp”, what would be the point of getting one of these? My Stomp has roughly 42amps and a large selection of cabs with tons of tweak ability.
Probably no point if you’re happy with the HX Stomp. I used to have a Stomp and now have an Iridium, which I prefer because I don’t like menus. I was very impressed with the Stomp but find it quicker and easier to get the sound I want on the Iridium.
@@chrisj1602 do you find the iridium has enough gain on tap or do you need some gain pedal in front?
@@n8dawg85 I think there’s enough gain, there’s more gain available on the models than you could get from the real amp. If you wanted a boosted AC30 lead tone for example, it’s in here with no pedal required. For live use though, I would use an overdrive to boost for lead so I could switch between two sounds. I’ve tried a klon copy into it and it sounds really good.
@@chrisj1602 thanks for the tips. I actually tried one at a gig when they first came out and i really wanted to love it but found it wasn’t getting enough sustain on it’s own with the punch amp..great idea to use a klon style pedal in front..maybe i should revisit this pedal with some drives 🤙
Both list at $399 (US). I just bought the Strymon after watching a bunch of other YT reviews and demos. Can't wait to plug in! The Strymon just seems to be a bit "warmer" and "open" sounding to my ears in this video.
I sold my Iridium. The Atomic Firebox plus stereo reverb is way better.
Henning, where would you put the Iridium on your pedal board? Obviously after your Dirt pedals, but would you put it before delay and reverb or after?
@Dave Lanciani As per strymon, you can put the iridium either before or after time based and reverb in your signal chain.
now I want to get both and run them in stereo
The ACS1 is okay but has a boxy sound and can sound muddy as at its higher gain settings. The Iridium has a much more open sound to my ears and allows me to hear the playing dynamics better.
This is just gaslighting.
Great Video. are you going directly into Hiz input of your Apollo X4 from Iridium? Any Volume difference when listening through headphones vs direct input to audio interface. Can you please help me with that?
Thank you.
I went into the line inputs.
I haven’t checked the heaphone out yet
@@EytschPi42 thank you.
Both sound awesome to me ...
The bottom end sounds a bit unnatural to me on the iridium and the notes seem to swell/bloom more on the acs1 like a real amp. I’d be happy with either as a pedal platform tbh
How would the Iridium pair with the Big Sky and Timeline. Or, am I misunderstanding the Iridium's use?
great.... put some drives before that and you’re done
that hoodie is so sick!!
I like my Iridium. I did notice that you need to match the guitar to the settings with the Iridium, and my PRS McCarty loves the VOX settings.