The fact that the digital tech is shared between Synergy, Friedman, Soldano etc. is a real game changer too for the long term. That high/low pass feature was added recently and is now available in all those products across brands, they're not all on islands reinventing the same thing.
"A time when racks went away"...yes, a dark chapter. :) Love to see this preamp come back! And as always, fantastic and tasteful playing in the intro music. My favorite part of all your videos.
@@thatampguy I agree. I need something this simple. 3 channels, with seperate EQs and a master. That’s it. I’ve purchased some high dollar amps because of the great reviews. But quickly sold them (some without even playing) because there were so many knobs and technology, that by the time I’m good enough to even use it, it will be outdated like my green computer screen and off white housing the size of a box 📦 😂
As soon as I saw the teaser image on the Soldano Instagram a couple weeks back, my first thought was “Can’t wait for the Michael Nielsen video on that!” Lol fantastic as always 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Man I’ve wanted one of these for years. It’s funny I had the old POD 2.0 red bean and one of my favorite amps was a preset deep in it based on a Soldano X88R model that I think was supposed to be modeled from one Satriani used. This looks like a killer upgrade to the original.
YES! YES! YES! So, happy to see Mike putting these updated products out again. Absolutely nothing on the planet like the Soldano "Super crunch" tone (which never gets demo'd nearly enough, IMO). Great demo, Michael!
Finally, it's here and it's back! I've been unbelievably excited for this the moment I heard whispers of its return. I don't have the money to drop on this, but it makes me so happy that Soldano brought it back. I also wanted to say how fantastic your video production is, and your playing is always a treat to hear. This preamp is all over some of my favorite session stuff, and I hope to see it get some new session use in the future.
@@BigHairyGuitars You know what..... LOL.... you are absolutely right. And I should know better because I have vintage gear sitting right beside gear that should have replaced it. The good news is that now way more folks can get their hands on formerly unobtanium!
Mike, some really amazing note choices love your tone as well and yes I love racks and still use them live great sound, anyway great video as always thanks!
Years ago having the X 88 R you brought up some great points about the limitations, particularly of the middle channel, but I also found the initial clean channel in need of some help as well. This thing sounds like they’ve addressed all those issues from the past, and this X88IR is really nice. I remember one year for Christmas Reinhold Bogner modified my X88r middle channel and put in one of his channels which I liked better than the middle channel that was in the original Soldano.
When I got to the 14:21 mark, I thought "That's THE sound!" but then, I got to the 14:41 mark, I went "Oh, hang on, THAT's the sound!". Gorgeous tones, stunning playing.
Nielsen! You make the BEST sounding videos! I always look forward to seeing/hearing what you got cooking! Damm you make that X88 sound great! Another excellent demo!!
Seems like at least a few of the new features (IR and digital stuff excluded) are things that Bradshaw and Suhr addressed with the CAE 3+/CAE 3+ SE (in response to the deficiencies they perceived to exist with the X88R), 35 years ago - glad soldano finally got the hint 😂
so glad this came out. was gonna buy an SLO but now that i have the ultimate 80s rack coming, this is the piece to get. i figure i can switch this out with a slaved old mesa mark II-B that has been modded to C+ specs by mike bendinelli (supposedly this is what landau used, according to my friend bob, who owns the rack in question and who did cartage for brauer back in the day on the huff, landau and luke sessions).
My thoughts from the start were telling me that nobody could do a better rewiew of this bad boy than you Mr. Nielsen... I was right!! Now I have to sell some gear.... 😅
And just like that, Michael slams a perfect video, again! Excellent tones, excellent descriptions, excellent demonstrations. As always, thank you so much brother. Now, I curse as I have to sell much gear in order to buy this. I also have an 18 space front plus 18 space back flight rack that is full of stuff I'll be selling
Running the SYN2 with the Friedman BE-DLX effect loop/into the input of the ART SGX 2000 express... along with the AMR inline tube sweetener and the BBE. I never left the RACK MOUNT RIG.... I have updated over the years... AMR was first in the SGX ...then the BBE... and the SYN2 last year... All running into a Butler Pro-Valve 4 6l6 Stereo power amp... channel one into 4 Green Backs... channel two into 4 Penta drivers... the ART SGX will allow you to not only do a Wet Dry Mix on the output.... But also allows a mix from output 1 to output 2. This allows you to mix your output in your wet/dry mix to mix with the inputs of the power amp. If your run 2 cabs you can mix your send between the drivers. A blend of the two paths of the preamp and effect loops ( mono or stereo ) This pre-amp ... OR the OLD one was on my I WANT ONE LIST ... FOR YEARS ! ! ! ! ! ! along with a VHT power amp. I ended up getting the Butler Pro-Valve 6L6... it was a little cheaper back in the day. But still a Great power amp ! I wonder how a Tube line-amp would do in the Effects Loop with a BBE on this X88IR. Really need a Stereo Effects Loop and a Mono Effects Loop to hit it with a 2nd Pre-amp stage ( as the loop send on the SYN2 ) Hope you do more videos with setting this thing up with all the bells and whistles. Love your playing .... and Demos!
@@lostinpa-dadenduro7555 they were made to sweeten to sound from ADAT units or AD/DA converters... They used one 12ax7 on each channel with a shared 12ax7 balancing buffer circuit / or compression circuit. 3 12ax7's total. BUT if you run them inline on your line level effects send and returns.... you can add so much color to your tone.... another shaping tool.... You can also add a little gain .... pushing the line level to almost clipping to the input of the power stage.... of your amp. this with the BBE can add just next level tone shaping to the pre-amp stage. AMR... was Applied Media Research... They Peavey bought them out and it became a PEAVEY backed product. Most are ... or were sold under the PEAVEY name with a Applied Media Research badge.
Kick ass demo brother! ❤It has me rethinking purchases I've made in the last 2 years. I've always loved the tried & true, old school tube path more than modeling. I could be happy with the X88IR for the rest of my life. I don't need or even use the huge variety of amp models in my FM3. 99.9% of the time I'm using a Plexi model. The X88IR tone is my wheelhouse. Decisions, decisions....🤣.
Having the option to cut the low end in the preamp (fat switch) is a game changer in the Soldano circuit. I hope they incorporate that into the SLO-II head whenever that happens.
Last year I finally disassembled my 18 space rack guitar rig and sold off everything. Now, rack gear is making a comeback. Oh well. My back can’t handle the weight anymore. Just received my Friedman IR-J. That’s the weight my 58 year old body can handle these days. 😉
Awesome! Will you be reviewing the matching power amp? Right now, these show up on the Sweetwater site for $2499 (pre-order). Not cheap... but I suspect after the initial launch, they will get pricier. Do I need? No... Do I want? OMG, yes!!
What makes this a smarter choice over the Astro 20 if I want real tube feel and tone? Traveling and recording alike? Long term versatility, reliability, etc.
Am I better off buying the Synergy 2 space unit and using a Soldano module? This allows me to use another module and round out my rig with a Fender module. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
That was a great video Michael!! Fantastic playing dude!! You got some great sounds out of that preamp 😀 I would love that thing My only slight gripe is It should have a stereo effects loop but I'll get over it 🤣😂 I want that thing!! Sounds fu@kin awesome!!!
Thanks!!! It does have a stereo FX loop. There really isn’t a use for having two sends from the preamp. You can easily split that signal if your FX requires a pair of LR inputs. But
Could you please compare your Soldano SLO to the Fryette Deliverance? I've always wanted to hear how those two compare side-by-side. Odd request, I know, but I think you'd absolutely nail it with respect to both. Steve has talked about meeting Mike and trying the SLO before starting VHT, hoping it'd be the amp to end his quest. He talks about it being almoost right, but it seemed like there was something Steve wanted that he didn't get out of the SLO or any other amp that drove him to start his own company. Have always wanted to contextualize that difference in sound and approach between two masters of amp design from a similar era. Seems like there's definitely a conversation about Fryette's cabs and speaker choice in that concept, too. The speakers and cabinets that go with each amp are quite different
Great demo and great tones. My fear is what happens when (if?) something on the digital side stops working. My amps can still be repaired 30+ years later. It's easier to swallow a temporary lifespan for gear when it is priced like the IRX, etc... but there's some hesitation at this price point. This is an amazing unit....
Thanks man! Well… my POD v1 is still working 25 years later. PCM70 is working 40 years later. If something goes wrong with this in another 30 years, my levitating Ai robot will fix it.
@@BigHairyGuitars That's fair. Let's see a quick shootout between the original Pod and the new Soldano. I have zero doubt that the feel is greatly improved, I wonder how the tones end up once in the DAW.
Man... This is my dream gear. And now is real! I can't wait for hear this new version on Steve Brown's hands. And u, Michael... Well... U know i'm ur fan! But, fucking great tone you make with the Tele HH on intro, dude! What's the pickups and woods?
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I refused to watch any other video on this until you released yours. AMAZING!
☺️ you’re the best Baker!!!
Me too! 🙂
Same here 😅💪🏻🎸❤️
@@BigHairyGuitars Thank you but, my name is Quentin James, not Robert Baker.
Yeah, same here 😄
Throwing the PCM70 and the Tyler in there is god tier!
The fact that the digital tech is shared between Synergy, Friedman, Soldano etc. is a real game changer too for the long term. That high/low pass feature was added recently and is now available in all those products across brands, they're not all on islands reinventing the same thing.
I'd be so happy if Soldano released its own version of the IRX! As a long time IRX user :)
@@Mr.GoldbarIt all comes from Boutique Amp Distribution Mike doesn’t build anymore he just designs products.
@@Mr.Goldbar Would be more affordable as well. I"m afraid to ask how much this is lol.
@@mhoff7722I think it's 2,6k
@@mhoff7722 The rack is 2500$
"A time when racks went away"...yes, a dark chapter. :) Love to see this preamp come back! And as always, fantastic and tasteful playing in the intro music. My favorite part of all your videos.
This is a great thing to have- it’s straightforward, direct and beautiful. What a time to be alive. Thanks for posting this.
@@thatampguy I agree. I need something this simple. 3 channels, with seperate EQs and a master. That’s it. I’ve purchased some high dollar amps because of the great reviews. But quickly sold them (some without even playing) because there were so many knobs and technology, that by the time I’m good enough to even use it, it will be outdated like my green computer screen and off white housing the size of a box 📦 😂
As soon as I saw the teaser image on the Soldano Instagram a couple weeks back, my first thought was “Can’t wait for the Michael Nielsen video on that!” Lol fantastic as always 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Oh man……that tone you got with the Lexicon thrown on almost brought a tear to my eye!! SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOD!!! 🤘🤘🤘🤘
Man I’ve wanted one of these for years. It’s funny I had the old POD 2.0 red bean and one of my favorite amps was a preset deep in it based on a Soldano X88R model that I think was supposed to be modeled from one Satriani used. This looks like a killer upgrade to the original.
Sounds amazing Michael, and your playing and writing just get better and somehow better with each new video. Thanks Man.
PURE AWESOMNESS!! With midi and in stereo. Wow. Great vid!!!
YES! YES! YES! So, happy to see Mike putting these updated products out again. Absolutely nothing on the planet like the Soldano "Super crunch" tone (which never gets demo'd nearly enough, IMO). Great demo, Michael!
Finally, it's here and it's back! I've been unbelievably excited for this the moment I heard whispers of its return. I don't have the money to drop on this, but it makes me so happy that Soldano brought it back. I also wanted to say how fantastic your video production is, and your playing is always a treat to hear. This preamp is all over some of my favorite session stuff, and I hope to see it get some new session use in the future.
I need this preamp in my life!!! Sounds incredible
This intro song felt so 80s man, loved it.
I LOVE your content. As a 51 year old guitar player, I think you are some bliss to watch. Thank you.
Well, so much for saving up for those groceries I always wanted.
Groceries turn into dootie. Preamp turns into awesome music. 😀👍
Such tasty intros in this neighborhood! Definitely heard some Satriani-isms in there.
Now waiting on some 80s and 90s Lynch...
Man, this thing covers any tone you’d want! And sounds like you don’t need an overdrive pedal in front.
Yass! Killer vid as always and so pumped to see the X88IR be a thing. It sounds monstrous, welcome back guitar rack gear.
Great job Soldano! Now do the X99. 😁
Also, RIP to the ebay seller with an X88 listed for $10k! 🤣
I thought the original SLO prices would plummet when the new ones were released. Nope. Guitar players are a funny bunch.
@@BigHairyGuitars You know what..... LOL.... you are absolutely right. And I should know better because I have vintage gear sitting right beside gear that should have replaced it. The good news is that now way more folks can get their hands on formerly unobtanium!
Now looks like that seller is F...cked. lmao
@@GearZenChannelYep, it works with cars too. Some cars are just collectible antiques and sell at auction for insane money.
@@BigHairyGuitars they eventually will plummet…
Excellent Video!
LOVE the opening song. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike, some really amazing note choices love your tone as well and yes I love racks and still use them live great sound, anyway great video as always thanks!
iconic rack preamps: x88r, ada mp1, marshall jmp1, mesa triaxis. I miss those days.
Awesome video man! This thing is right up your alley!
Years ago having the X 88 R you brought up some great points about the limitations, particularly of the middle channel, but I also found the initial clean channel in need of some help as well. This thing sounds like they’ve addressed all those issues from the past, and this X88IR is really nice.
I remember one year for Christmas Reinhold Bogner modified my X88r middle channel and put in one of his channels which I liked better than the middle channel that was in the original Soldano.
That Tele tone was so sweet dang
I have been watching this video 10 times a day. Your passion is what it’s about.
Thanks man!
@@BigHairyGuitarsalso the 80s crunch reference with Just What I Needed was honestly my favorite sound of the video. I love that amount of gain.
Oh man I wanted the original a long time ago but I look forward to going in debt for this rack unit. The sounds and options are AWESOME!!
When I got to the 14:21 mark, I thought "That's THE sound!" but then, I got to the 14:41 mark, I went "Oh, hang on, THAT's the sound!". Gorgeous tones, stunning playing.
Sounds amazing, Mike!
Thanks Alex!
High praise coming from Chippy!
Yes! Bring back the rack!
Nielsen! You make the BEST sounding videos! I always look forward to seeing/hearing what you got cooking! Damm you make that X88 sound great! Another excellent demo!!
Thank you SO much!
Damn, now I gotta get one of these… so thanks for that, Michael 😅
Next up: Bogner Fish-IR ❤
Get on it Reinhold! Get your turquoise on!
That would be awesome
@@lostinpa-dadenduro7555 Does Reinhold even have a choice now? 😎
Awesome as always! Sounds fantastic!
Bravo! The best X88-IR video on the tube! Now I need to go buy one ugh!
YAY the 80ies are back! 😍
80s 2.0
Opening tune/jam is awesome.
Mike always has the best production. Dang dude this one is uplifting and inspiring, thank you! Bravo 👏
Yep. It does the thing.
Seems like at least a few of the new features (IR and digital stuff excluded) are things that Bradshaw and Suhr addressed with the CAE 3+/CAE 3+ SE (in response to the deficiencies they perceived to exist with the X88R), 35 years ago - glad soldano finally got the hint 😂
so glad this came out. was gonna buy an SLO but now that i have the ultimate 80s rack coming, this is the piece to get. i figure i can switch this out with a slaved old mesa mark II-B that has been modded to C+ specs by mike bendinelli (supposedly this is what landau used, according to my friend bob, who owns the rack in question and who did cartage for brauer back in the day on the huff, landau and luke sessions).
My thoughts from the start were telling me that nobody could do a better rewiew of this bad boy than you Mr. Nielsen... I was right!! Now I have to sell some gear.... 😅
Been waiting for this & the video did not disappoint. Ordered my X88 today. Thanks Mike for another awesome demo
Is that tone 0.32 "Direct" It has that perfect tube amp "oomph!"🤩
That's what i was thinking too!🤔
It's like Jesus came back. Hallelujah.
And just like that, Michael slams a perfect video, again! Excellent tones, excellent descriptions, excellent demonstrations. As always, thank you so much brother.
Now, I curse as I have to sell much gear in order to buy this. I also have an 18 space front plus 18 space back flight rack that is full of stuff I'll be selling
Lots of tasty Soldano goodness! I would love them to do a pedalboard preamp pedal, like the Friedman XIR!
My goodness! That opening track is fantastic!
Yeah, to say this is awesome is an understatement. Love it!
Running the SYN2 with the Friedman BE-DLX effect loop/into the input of the ART SGX 2000 express...
along with the AMR inline tube sweetener and the BBE.
I never left the RACK MOUNT RIG.... I have updated over the years... AMR was first in the SGX ...then the BBE... and the SYN2 last year...
All running into a Butler Pro-Valve 4 6l6 Stereo power amp... channel one into 4 Green Backs... channel two into 4 Penta drivers...
the ART SGX will allow you to not only do a Wet Dry Mix on the output.... But also allows a mix from output 1 to output 2. This allows you to mix your output in your wet/dry mix to mix with the inputs of the power amp. If your run 2 cabs you can mix your send between the drivers.
A blend of the two paths of the preamp and effect loops ( mono or stereo )
This pre-amp ... OR the OLD one was on my I WANT ONE LIST ... FOR YEARS ! ! ! ! ! ! along with a VHT power amp. I ended up getting the Butler Pro-Valve 6L6... it was a little cheaper back in the day. But still a Great power amp !
I wonder how a Tube line-amp would do in the Effects Loop with a BBE on this X88IR.
Really need a Stereo Effects Loop and a Mono Effects Loop to hit it with a 2nd Pre-amp stage ( as the loop send on the SYN2 )
Hope you do more videos with setting this thing up with all the bells and whistles.
Love your playing .... and Demos!
What does the AMR Tube Sweetener do ?
@@lostinpa-dadenduro7555
they were made to sweeten to sound from ADAT units or AD/DA converters...
They used one 12ax7 on each channel with a shared 12ax7 balancing buffer circuit / or compression circuit. 3 12ax7's total.
BUT
if you run them inline on your line level effects send and returns.... you can add so much color to your tone.... another shaping tool.... You can also add a little gain .... pushing the line level to almost clipping to the input of the power stage.... of your amp.
this with the BBE can add just next level tone shaping to the pre-amp stage.
AMR... was Applied Media Research... They Peavey bought them out and it became a PEAVEY backed product.
Most are ... or were sold under the PEAVEY name with a Applied Media Research badge.
Just wow. I hear a lot of perfect timing from Vai in there and also two fools a minute from Roth‘s skyscraper. Great!
Kick ass demo brother! ❤It has me rethinking purchases I've made in the last 2 years. I've always loved the tried & true, old school tube path more than modeling. I could be happy with the X88IR for the rest of my life. I don't need or even use the huge variety of amp models in my FM3. 99.9% of the time I'm using a Plexi model. The X88IR tone is my wheelhouse. Decisions, decisions....🤣.
Fantastic video....this is HOW videos should be made. Great work Michael.
Also, Jerry Cantrell mentioned possibly working with Bogner to reissue the Fish. Will anything come out of it? One can only hope
Get on it Reinhold! Get your turquoise on!
@@JBGoode-zx7pphe’s not there anymore he sold it to boutique amp distribution. His co owner Jorge may be there. Not sure.
So so cool that you have the original!
That intro was the most 80’s clip that ever 80’s.
That Tyler is amazing!
Great playing and tone Michael!
Mine arrived today…thank you for this video.
Will this work in regular amps
Having the option to cut the low end in the preamp (fat switch) is a game changer in the Soldano circuit. I hope they incorporate that into the SLO-II head whenever that happens.
Congrat to get a new generation of holy grail👍🏻
This purple anodizing makes me so exciting and now I am new owner of it😆
Great demo as always Michael! You covered all the features well. I have the X88ir & SLO Rackmount on order.
Love love love it!
Very well done, thank you. Its tone has Warren D written all over it 👍 👍
Just awesome
Crunch tones to die for
Amazing!! My dream preamp!! It’s the preamp of the preamps….
Last year I finally disassembled my 18 space rack guitar rig and sold off everything. Now, rack gear is making a comeback. Oh well. My back can’t handle the weight anymore. Just received my Friedman IR-J. That’s the weight my 58 year old body can handle these days. 😉
Really good demo (as always.. you always ace it). Next step in this evolution would be a Synergy SYN1 with the same IR / power amp sim module ?
those clean tones. man oh man.
This one is gold! Sounds amazing!
Dang - this thing sounds amazing!
Sounds great Michael! Fab tones and playing! Cheers, Pete :-)
Awesome! Will you be reviewing the matching power amp?
Right now, these show up on the Sweetwater site for $2499 (pre-order). Not cheap... but I suspect after the initial launch, they will get pricier. Do I need? No... Do I want? OMG, yes!!
The other amp in this launch is a full SLO head that is completely rack mounted.
Love your intros. Great demo 🤛🎸🤘👋🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Sounds killer!! ❤
Absolutely killer! But damn it, Michael - I didn't want to want this! Stellar playing, my friend!
Thanks Richard! Yeah... me too. But, it got me. 😭
Just ordered one, all because of you! :D
🙌🙌
Your videos are the best man! I always love them and the feeling I get after them is amazingly stoked!!
If I had a recording studio this would be one of the first pieces of gear I'd buy. 😁
I love the intro song
That channel 2 play through sounded ridiculously good.
What makes this a smarter choice over the Astro 20 if I want real tube feel and tone? Traveling and recording alike? Long term versatility, reliability, etc.
Damn, I’m a Bassist and still want one 😂. Great opening tune too 😊
good lord it's amazing
Sounds amazing and its bringing Magenta back !!!!
Am I better off buying the Synergy 2 space unit and using a Soldano module? This allows me to use another module and round out my rig with a Fender module. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Always great content sounds killer, what song is that at 7:56 is it The Cars Thank you.
It’s kinda of a mash up or 38 Special Hold on Loosely, and several Cars songs 🤣
@BigHairyGuitars very cool.
That was a great video Michael!!
Fantastic playing dude!!
You got some great sounds out of that preamp 😀
I would love that thing
My only slight gripe is
It should have a stereo effects loop but
I'll get over it
🤣😂
I want that thing!!
Sounds fu@kin awesome!!!
Thanks!!! It does have a stereo FX loop. There really isn’t a use for having two sends from the preamp. You can easily split that signal if your FX requires a pair of LR inputs. But
Very cool. I’m still playing my 2. Digitech legends! Do I need to finally upgrade?
Great review! 🤘
Beautiful Intro instrumental
That lead tone starting at 0:30 🤤🤤🤤
It looks like the same color of that The rack mount digitek the purple one I Al Di Meola used to play on
Could you please compare your Soldano SLO to the Fryette Deliverance?
I've always wanted to hear how those two compare side-by-side.
Odd request, I know, but I think you'd absolutely nail it with respect to both.
Steve has talked about meeting Mike and trying the SLO before starting VHT, hoping it'd be the amp to end his quest. He talks about it being almoost right, but it seemed like there was something Steve wanted that he didn't get out of the SLO or any other amp that drove him to start his own company. Have always wanted to contextualize that difference in sound and approach between two masters of amp design from a similar era.
Seems like there's definitely a conversation about Fryette's cabs and speaker choice in that concept, too. The speakers and cabinets that go with each amp are quite different
Great demo and great tones. My fear is what happens when (if?) something on the digital side stops working. My amps can still be repaired 30+ years later. It's easier to swallow a temporary lifespan for gear when it is priced like the IRX, etc... but there's some hesitation at this price point. This is an amazing unit....
With that pricetag they should have a service guy arriving at your place within 30mins of your call worldwide.
Thanks man! Well… my POD v1 is still working 25 years later. PCM70 is working 40 years later. If something goes wrong with this in another 30 years, my levitating Ai robot will fix it.
@@BigHairyGuitars That's fair. Let's see a quick shootout between the original Pod and the new Soldano. I have zero doubt that the feel is greatly improved, I wonder how the tones end up once in the DAW.
@@LaMarrBrewster The POD never had a good Soldano module. It was one of the models that always sounded clumpy and not believable.
Man... This is my dream gear. And now is real!
I can't wait for hear this new version on Steve Brown's hands.
And u, Michael... Well... U know i'm ur fan! But, fucking great tone you make with the Tele HH on intro, dude! What's the pickups and woods?
Thanks! That’s a Shabat made guitar. Alder with Lollar Imperial High Wind bridge and standard in neck
Sound killer❤
This thing is just beautiful. Sounds similar to the Astro.
Mike, how do I get one?