Love your tones and tunes, Pete! Awesome liks and a great personality! And Mr. Soldano, come on, revolutionized the industry and keeps going strong! Man, it does inspire people and thank you my friend in keeping your channel alive! Maybe I’m using too much exclamation points… Cheers from Portugal!!!
Got to meet the master Michael Soldano at NAMM right before pandemic at his booth. Such a special moment as we spoke for 30 mins and he was so kind and insightful. Met Grover Jackson at same booth and got another quality 30 mins. Was a great night to say the least! Met 2 heroes and they lived up to the hype! Hope to meet Pete soon!
I read the same tired comments about new products (e.g., too expensive; why should I pay this price?!; etc.) that people said about new music which allowed Napster to make millions and killed artists’ abilities to make a living from producing new art. Then the questions became, “Why should I pay this much for a ticket? I’ll wait for the DVD!” Art is dying as a direct result of people basically failing to support the visions of the artist. I bought this product and found it to be glorious! Yes it cost more than a pedal and it sounds far superior. Support your artists. I can’t think of too many things more important.❤️
Bying this does not help artists by the way. I worked for a live promoter till march 24, I could say a lot about ticket price. Basically artists are touring too much with high ticket prices, except small theaters or clubs that are still correct. Some artists are getting more than 120K€ a night for a 3000 theater capacity. Insane.
@@sillysausage4549no,I don't buy that.. guitar music is everywhere and will be... and people also love "vintage" stuff...especially from the golden era of guitar music...50s-80s
I just wrote a long comment about the brand and who this product is for. If you’re one of the many that complain about the cost and you can’t afford one, then good, you saved them from diluting their brand and being known as a crap, overpriced product. They have a reputation to maintain. When you see purple from 20 feet away, you know what it is. And they also have budgets to meet to make a profit. This is a professional piece of gear that you should be using years and years to come. If not, this amp isn’t for you. If you have to watch video after video on your $2000 iPhone to decide if you like it, this amp isn’t for you. If you don’t like the color purple and have other complaints, this amp isn’t for you. If they drop their prices so it will satisfy all of your complaints, then they don’t want to sell you one. Because now their known as a cheap brand where the consumer dictates everything about the amp, so all of the research, concepting, value proposition and G2M plans that cost millions of dollars was just a waste so you can play in your bedroom. What price point do you believe this should be at? Because now all the teenagers working at McDonald’s can afford one, and the price of yours just tanked on the used market.
Great Demo Peter, thank U 4 highlighting the Clean thru Breakup tones as much as U did. I think the SLO CLEAN may be the most Underrated Clean tone of all time.. All the best
Sounds great. I have a sp-77 ( Japanese version) and made my own Londano out of a 1970 London city amp 😊. It’s a bit more versatile than the slo sound . Still have to finish it though but I have too many concurrent projects
Ripping through those lead parts Pete. So good! I wonder if the IR’s were captured on new cabs with less worn in speakers and that’s why it’s has more top end. Both sound great but your miced up cab sounds immense.
Fat/Phat on or off and the iR sounds killer. If it is a bit bright a bit of roll off and you are there. This would get set up so fast in my studio....or anyone’s. Great demo, playing, etc, etc ✌️🎸😎🎸
@Pete … crushed as always - you need a back up band - and play somewhere in LA … am sure we would all show up .. well done sir - killer demo of the Soldano!!!
My Demeter TGP3 preamp from the 70s sounds a lot like this, maybe a little smoother. I use it with either a Fryette power station or into a UA Ox. Can't beat a real tube analog front end!
@@Alexguitar74 ah glad I found this comment. I’ve been wondering what happened to those modules. Are they even making them anymore? Or was that just a waste of money?
great preamp but worth that expensive price tag definetly not i can achieve the same good tone like that with a wampler pinnacle pedal and tube amp great job as always pete
How did you have the X88 IR connected to your interface? I noted the master control was at 0 when you were on the clean channel and only 9:00 on the crunch and overdrive channels.
When you use the XLR outs, the master doesn't do anything. It just works on the quarter inch outputs. So you can set a different master output level for each if you were running to a power amp and also to the house direct.
I love both the excellent demo and the preamp! Sure, it’s expensive… but Soldanos always were. Now, whether I can personally justify the cost of the new X88ir, with all the stuff that’s already in my shed is a different thing… the WANT is real, though! Personally, I wish they had foregone the digital shenanigans (which won’t age well) and kept it all analog… Hell, they could have sold the power amp emulation and IR loader as a separate 1U rack unit as a great tool on its own.
@ I agree completely… and love that everything this brave new world offers. However, it’s hard to imagine that IR technology won’t continue to improve massively over the coming years. Hence, I prefer to keep the analog part of the equation to one side and the digital tools to another. But hey, that’s just my preference… and there is absolutely no disputing the great tones you got from it!
@@eskemeldgaardkrogh4145 why does the addition of the IR stuff matter at all? If BAD left it out it would still be the exact same preamp. If in the future the IR stuff becomes antiquated then you just don’t use it, no harm no foul and would be the exact same as if they never put it in the box. I don’t understand your logic.
@@nevusofota You are more than welcome not to agree with me. However, my logic is pretty straight forward: I would have prefered a less expensive product without the (swiftly aging) digital add-ons… and suggested that BAD could have offered the digital portion as a separate product. Moreover, I am of the opinion that the quality and value of the analog preamp is timeless wheras advances within the digital realm makes the entire X88-IR package less so. To me, longevity is rather more important on the $2500 X88-IR than on the $500 IR-X… though the same logic applies and I also would have prefered that pedal to be all analog. However, I must commend Mike for insisting on keeping an all analog signal path available on this product, as the lack of an analog signal path is what kept me from getting the Friedman IR-X.
It’s all analog like the original up to the send..1/4 inch outs are before the digital part…it’s a great preamp,I think it sounds at least as good as the original..channel 2 probably better..
I love the fact that we are living in an age where as guitar players we can have our rigs our way, however we want to build them. It's all about OPTIONS people.
It's one of the greats, when it comes to cascade preamp gain style circuits, no doubt. My personal taste lies a little more towards straight up Marshall voicing which is what you find in my PT 100 and PT 15. But they are not totally worlds apart, of course. Always had great respect for Soldano! I remember the first time I saw the SLO in guitar world magazine, probably 1988, Andy Brauer review...
Dude, have you ever set up for mic’d recording. I have and it can be hours depending on a variety of factors. IR lets me walk in anywhere and begin creating immediately with amazing sounds that are absolutely indiscernible from mic’d cabs in a mix. Of course, i’m just a working schmuck that lugs his own gear has very limited time to get something on tape
Great demo of a nice piece of gear. I'd suggest that your guitar isn't really set up to show the clean side, though. Your thin strings and low action are curtailing your dynamic range. I can hear fret buzz and the strings flatting out when you strike them with moderate force. Adding compression just makes that more apparent. The clean channel really deserves a demo with thicker strings and higher action.
Why this over the Astro 20? Granted, I haven’t played the X88 yet but Pete’s tone are extremely similar in both demos. I can see if you need a rack unit and/or yearn for the aesthetics or history. But with the Astro you get the same classic Soldano tones, superb clean, IR’s, editor but you get something the X88 doesn’t have……a fantastic built-in power amp. Plus the Astro is $500 less. I think long term this is mainly for the die-hard rack fan.
I have the SLO 30 and is considering maybe swapping it for this one. For home studio use I find it more convenient with 3 channels with their own tone stack, and it can be midi switched from my AxeFx3 that I'm using for effects anyways. All in all, this rack unit is easier to integrate with a digital solution than a tube head (IMO). So I guess it depends on your main use cases ;) They are all cool products!
@ I’m referring to the Astro not the SLO30. The Astro has all the features of the.X88 when it comes to integration into a home studio, I don’t see any advantage to the X88 in this realm.
@@nevusofota I don't have the Astro, but I believe it still only has the one set of dials.. so a shared tone stack. Cannot remember what controls the Astro has for gain and "channel tweaks" (bright, fat etc). I find it quite convenient that you can set up the x88 as a true 3 channel preamp with 3 perfectly dialed tones (and access to 6 tones, if using midi). But yeah, the Astro comes with the IR stuff (and built-in load?), so I can see how it's closer to the x88 than the SLO30.
@@kasperfauerby7389 the Astro is a 3 channel amp that can be used as a 7 channel amp via midi. Channel 2 and 3 does have a shared EQ, which may be less convenient but doesn’t matter in a home recording situation as it’s very easy to turn a few knobs if needed. You can assign all 3 gain levels (blue, purple and red) to each of these channels. Plus you can grab it to go play a gig through a cab if needed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Soldano fan boi (actually admin of the fb page) and have always loved rack gear, and the X88 is simply gorgeous. I’m just pointing out how truly versatile (and quite possibly a better value) the Astro is in comparison.
@@nevusofotavery interesting question you have asked I’m also torn between this rack and Astro, only playing at home, through monitors, what did you choose in the end ?
@@brucetroy2558 you missed my point. i was wondering what people would say of this unit if they didnt know it was a soldano and instead thought it was some chinese thing. I wonder if people would still say it sounded great, or instead just like a million other pedals/preamps.
It wouldn’t sound the same if it was a Chinese unit. You’re missing the point. There are already lots of Chinese options if that’s what you want. I can’t afford this but I’d love to have one and I’m glad it’s on the market.
@@robertlevasseur8896 I see your point. Petes demo is the best I've heard on this unit by a mile. Other people's demos haven't sounded this raw and I wasn't really impressed. Then you hear Pete's demo, and it has an entirely different killer sound. It would be interesting to hear Pete play through an "older Orig" SL100 head and compare the 2.
This man is not the real Pete Thorn of the guitar kingdom!! This man is an imposter that was created using AI technology! These AI generated videos are not fooling anyone!!
Pete always makes gear sound incredible.
I miss my original, so glad they are making it again!
Love your tones and tunes, Pete! Awesome liks and a great personality! And Mr. Soldano, come on, revolutionized the industry and keeps going strong! Man, it does inspire people and thank you my friend in keeping your channel alive! Maybe I’m using too much exclamation points…
Cheers from Portugal!!!
I am just in awe at how good you are at the guitar Pete. I could never make anything sound half as good as you do. 🤘
You can do it! :) We all have our thing! Thanks!
Just got the pedal. It’s so fun and addictive! That soldano sound does one thing. And one thing only. And it’s glorious
The fat mode makes my Strat fire breathing in the bridge
Got to meet the master Michael Soldano at NAMM right before pandemic at his booth. Such a special moment as we spoke for 30 mins and he was so kind and insightful. Met Grover Jackson at same booth and got another quality 30 mins. Was a great night to say the least! Met 2 heroes and they lived up to the hype! Hope to meet Pete soon!
Pete…. That intro song. Wow. Brilliant. ❤
Thanks!
It was
@@PeteThorn reminds me of Pete Lesperance. Another of my favorite Canadian players named Pete!
I read the same tired comments about new products (e.g., too expensive; why should I pay this price?!; etc.) that people said about new music which allowed Napster to make millions and killed artists’ abilities to make a living from producing new art. Then the questions became, “Why should I pay this much for a ticket? I’ll wait for the DVD!” Art is dying as a direct result of people basically failing to support the visions of the artist. I bought this product and found it to be glorious! Yes it cost more than a pedal and it sounds far superior. Support your artists. I can’t think of too many things more important.❤️
$2500? Even for us blues doctors and lawyers that’s a bit steep.
Bying this does not help artists by the way. I worked for a live promoter till march 24, I could say a lot about ticket price. Basically artists are touring too much with high ticket prices, except small theaters or clubs that are still correct. Some artists are getting more than 120K€ a night for a 3000 theater capacity. Insane.
@@sillysausage4549no,I don't buy that.. guitar music is everywhere and will be... and people also love "vintage" stuff...especially from the golden era of guitar music...50s-80s
@@sillysausage4549 gen Z and I totally disagree with you. Vintage gear is the best sounding.
I just wrote a long comment about the brand and who this product is for. If you’re one of the many that complain about the cost and you can’t afford one, then good, you saved them from diluting their brand and being known as a crap, overpriced product.
They have a reputation to maintain. When you see purple from 20 feet away, you know what it is. And they also have budgets to meet to make a profit. This is a professional piece of gear that you should be using years and years to come. If not, this amp isn’t for you. If you have to watch video after video on your $2000 iPhone to decide if you like it, this amp isn’t for you.
If you don’t like the color purple and have other complaints, this amp isn’t for you.
If they drop their prices so it will satisfy all of your complaints, then they don’t want to sell you one. Because now their known as a cheap brand where the consumer dictates everything about the amp, so all of the research, concepting, value proposition and G2M plans that cost millions of dollars was just a waste so you can play in your bedroom.
What price point do you believe this should be at? Because now all the teenagers working at McDonald’s can afford one, and the price of yours just tanked on the used market.
I've been waiting for this. Thanks Pete as always. Sounds great.
Thanks for watching!
rackmounts are coming back, sweet Pete
Great Demo Peter, thank U 4 highlighting the Clean thru Breakup tones as much as U did. I think the SLO CLEAN may be the most Underrated Clean tone of all time.. All the best
If you've ever heard a Soldano Lucky 13, it's the pinnacle of Soldano clean tone, and proves he's always known how to get a great clean sound.
Pete, you always make my day, and I don't even play. I just happen to dig good music.
Thanks!
@PeteThorn Any time, every time, Pete.
I just had to see you do this. You and Michael Nielsen are just the right guys to show this preamp.
Great track Pete, awesome stuff
thanks!
holy shit Pete, how do you constantly come up with such cool instrumentals? This one had some really great moments especially those clean runs
Cool sounds, great song, glorious solo!! Thanks for the video!
Pete, Killer Demo OMG!
Great work as always, Pete 🎉
GREAT preamp! Would love to have one for my home studio.
Excellent demo as always, Pete
Really dig those clean arps in the intro! Great playing man
Holy mackerel! That lead tone is incredible.
Excellent review Pete, congrats!
Great Track, great sounds, great playing. I don‘t think I need the X88IR behause I have a SP77, but this is surely bucket list gear.
Pete if that’s not your new fav you’re crazy! You sound crisp on that monster
Sounds great. I have a sp-77 ( Japanese version) and made my own Londano out of a 1970 London city amp 😊. It’s a bit more versatile than the slo sound . Still have to finish it though but I have too many concurrent projects
This thing is sick, esp with the MIDI control.
I've been waiting to see if you would demo this. Your playing kinda suits this kit.
I think John has to bring back the 3+ preamp too. What you think, @Pete Thorn?
When things like this come out it makes me angry and a bit anxious because I know I’m just going to have to spend more money 😅
Me: I'm not buying any more gear
Soldano: check this out
Me: doh!
Great playing and tones Pete!
AWESOME, AS ALWAYS, PETE!... uhhhh... Was anybody ELSE getting Def Leppard from the beginning? 😺😸
Ripping through those lead parts Pete. So good! I wonder if the IR’s were captured on new cabs with less worn in speakers and that’s why it’s has more top end. Both sound great but your miced up cab sounds immense.
Fat/Phat on or off and the iR sounds killer. If it is a bit bright a bit of roll off and you are there. This would get set up so fast in my studio....or anyone’s. Great demo, playing, etc, etc ✌️🎸😎🎸
EXCELLENT 😎
@Pete … crushed as always - you need a back up band - and play somewhere in LA … am sure we would all show up .. well done sir - killer demo of the Soldano!!!
Aw I will make it happen sometime soon!
Dude you’re such a killer writer!
Thank u!
good stuff. I had one off the originals
I actually preferred the IR compared to your cabinet. It’s a killer sound.
I know what you mean, the IR's are really well done. I really like both V30 variants you hear in the video as well as the G12M one- great
I thought the IR sounded good, but the Cabinet was pretty massive.
My Demeter TGP3 preamp from the 70s sounds a lot like this, maybe a little smoother. I use it with either a Fryette power station or into a UA Ox. Can't beat a real tube analog front end!
Awesome intro!
Thanks!
Amazing tone
Love this ❤
Hello Pete! This was the demo I was waiting for!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is bomb, i want it now! 🤤
Great video as always. Personally I like my two notes le lead better and it was significantly cheaper.
Pete, you should do this guitar thing for a living! You’re good enough! 🤔
In this review.....The 80's comes out of Pete whether he knows it or not. That's a vibe I recognize. Golden times of Guitar.
How is this connected to a standard tube amp? Guitar to Soldano pre, then output to front of tube amp, or do use fx loop? Thanks.
Sounds killer.
Soldano knows best
Sounds great!!! But the Synergy module sounded equally great.. in your hands! Would you say they’re very close??
@@Alexguitar74 ah glad I found this comment. I’ve been wondering what happened to those modules. Are they even making them anymore? Or was that just a waste of money?
Well this is pretty cool 😎
great preamp but worth that expensive price tag definetly not i can achieve the same good tone like that with a wampler pinnacle pedal and tube amp great job as always pete
How did you have the X88 IR connected to your interface? I noted the master control was at 0 when you were on the clean channel and only 9:00 on the crunch and overdrive channels.
When you use the XLR outs, the master doesn't do anything. It just works on the quarter inch outputs. So you can set a different master output level for each if you were running to a power amp and also to the house direct.
I love both the excellent demo and the preamp! Sure, it’s expensive… but Soldanos always were. Now, whether I can personally justify the cost of the new X88ir, with all the stuff that’s already in my shed is a different thing… the WANT is real, though!
Personally, I wish they had foregone the digital shenanigans (which won’t age well) and kept it all analog… Hell, they could have sold the power amp emulation and IR loader as a separate 1U rack unit as a great tool on its own.
the digital shenanigans sound awesome, and still will in 15 years! It's just tools... to help us create easier.
@ I agree completely… and love that everything this brave new world offers. However, it’s hard to imagine that IR technology won’t continue to improve massively over the coming years. Hence, I prefer to keep the analog part of the equation to one side and the digital tools to another. But hey, that’s just my preference… and there is absolutely no disputing the great tones you got from it!
@@eskemeldgaardkrogh4145 why does the addition of the IR stuff matter at all? If BAD left it out it would still be the exact same preamp. If in the future the IR stuff becomes antiquated then you just don’t use it, no harm no foul and would be the exact same as if they never put it in the box. I don’t understand your logic.
@@nevusofota You are more than welcome not to agree with me. However, my logic is pretty straight forward: I would have prefered a less expensive product without the (swiftly aging) digital add-ons… and suggested that BAD could have offered the digital portion as a separate product. Moreover, I am of the opinion that the quality and value of the analog preamp is timeless wheras advances within the digital realm makes the entire X88-IR package less so. To me, longevity is rather more important on the $2500 X88-IR than on the $500 IR-X… though the same logic applies and I also would have prefered that pedal to be all analog. However, I must commend Mike for insisting on keeping an all analog signal path available on this product, as the lack of an analog signal path is what kept me from getting the Friedman IR-X.
It’s all analog like the original up to the send..1/4 inch outs are before the digital part…it’s a great preamp,I think it sounds at least as good as the original..channel 2 probably better..
That thing sounds Totally Killer!!! So Bad!!!! The Dynamics are Amazing!!!
Suhr Guitars never sounded so Good!!!
Soldano's New Chick is Totally Smokin!!!!!!!
I am torn about this X88IR, Astro 20, or Synergy Syn 2
so when used alone as a preamp it models a poweramp and cab when going direct?
Yes, correct
wow!
Pete did younuse effects from a DAW?
When you hear the delay and stuff - yes that is in my DAW.
Many of the sounds are dry though
I love the fact that we are living in an age where as guitar players we can have our rigs our way, however we want to build them. It's all about OPTIONS people.
I hope to see something like this in a pedal format, much like the Friedman IR series, that'd be awesome!
your signal is mic'ed up. man! 😀
Pete - I know you’re not allowed to have favorites but c’mon, admit it: Soldano is your spirit animal (or you’re Soldano’s spirit animal), yes???😅 😅 😅
It's one of the greats, when it comes to cascade preamp gain style circuits, no doubt. My personal taste lies a little more towards straight up Marshall voicing which is what you find in my PT 100 and PT 15. But they are not totally worlds apart, of course. Always had great respect for Soldano! I remember the first time I saw the SLO in guitar world magazine, probably 1988, Andy Brauer review...
I thought the rights to this thing were transfered to John Suhr
Wow
Pete looks a but like Malcolm Young on the thumbnail
I prefer your mic recording. Less hollow, less thin, more solid. IRs are convenient for those who can’t do a real recording. Good job, Pete !
Dude, have you ever set up for mic’d recording. I have and it can be hours depending on a variety of factors. IR lets me walk in anywhere and begin creating immediately with amazing sounds that are absolutely indiscernible from mic’d cabs in a mix. Of course, i’m just a working schmuck that lugs his own gear has very limited time to get something on tape
@@ubersoonerswitzer1103 Sure, they are convenient, but other people evidently don't find them indiscernible.
Great demo of a nice piece of gear. I'd suggest that your guitar isn't really set up to show the clean side, though. Your thin strings and low action are curtailing your dynamic range. I can hear fret buzz and the strings flatting out when you strike them with moderate force. Adding compression just makes that more apparent. The clean channel really deserves a demo with thicker strings and higher action.
It is sexy.....it is purple.
I'm really happy with my Friedman IR-X which is a lot less expensive.
Why this over the Astro 20? Granted, I haven’t played the X88 yet but Pete’s tone are extremely similar in both demos. I can see if you need a rack unit and/or yearn for the aesthetics or history. But with the Astro you get the same classic Soldano tones, superb clean, IR’s, editor but you get something the X88 doesn’t have……a fantastic built-in power amp. Plus the Astro is $500 less. I think long term this is mainly for the die-hard rack fan.
I have the SLO 30 and is considering maybe swapping it for this one. For home studio use I find it more convenient with 3 channels with their own tone stack, and it can be midi switched from my AxeFx3 that I'm using for effects anyways. All in all, this rack unit is easier to integrate with a digital solution than a tube head (IMO). So I guess it depends on your main use cases ;) They are all cool products!
@ I’m referring to the Astro not the SLO30. The Astro has all the features of the.X88 when it comes to integration into a home studio, I don’t see any advantage to the X88 in this realm.
@@nevusofota I don't have the Astro, but I believe it still only has the one set of dials.. so a shared tone stack. Cannot remember what controls the Astro has for gain and "channel tweaks" (bright, fat etc). I find it quite convenient that you can set up the x88 as a true 3 channel preamp with 3 perfectly dialed tones (and access to 6 tones, if using midi). But yeah, the Astro comes with the IR stuff (and built-in load?), so I can see how it's closer to the x88 than the SLO30.
@@kasperfauerby7389 the Astro is a 3 channel amp that can be used as a 7 channel amp via midi. Channel 2 and 3 does have a shared EQ, which may be less convenient but doesn’t matter in a home recording situation as it’s very easy to turn a few knobs if needed. You can assign all 3 gain levels (blue, purple and red) to each of these channels. Plus you can grab it to go play a gig through a cab if needed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Soldano fan boi (actually admin of the fb page) and have always loved rack gear, and the X88 is simply gorgeous. I’m just pointing out how truly versatile (and quite possibly a better value) the Astro is in comparison.
@@nevusofotavery interesting question you have asked I’m also torn between this rack and Astro, only playing at home, through monitors, what did you choose in the end ?
He said everything but “tubes are just better” which I would definitely agree with
As usual, fucking spectacular playing yon Pete!
Thanks!
If this didn't come in a purple box and had a Chinese name I wonder how people would comment
The color is the original classic color. It's awesome
@@brucetroy2558 you missed my point. i was wondering what people would say of this unit if they didnt know it was a soldano and instead thought it was some chinese thing. I wonder if people would still say it sounded great, or instead just like a million other pedals/preamps.
@@robertlevasseur8896But it is a Soldano…so?
It wouldn’t sound the same if it was a Chinese unit. You’re missing the point. There are already lots of Chinese options if that’s what you want. I can’t afford this but I’d love to have one and I’m glad it’s on the market.
@@robertlevasseur8896
I see your point.
Petes demo is the best I've heard on this unit by a mile. Other people's demos haven't sounded this raw and I wasn't really impressed.
Then you hear Pete's demo, and it has an entirely different killer sound.
It would be interesting to hear Pete play through an "older Orig" SL100 head and compare the 2.
.....$2500.00?
Pete can we say that you are officially back to the panettone hairstyle?
RUclipsrs can afford it..
👍👍🙄
Why is this video make me dizzy ?
Never mind the thing... the guitar parts???? come on. BLISTERING
Thanks!
This man is not the real Pete Thorn of the guitar kingdom!! This man is an imposter that was created using AI technology! These AI generated videos are not fooling anyone!!
I'm happy with my old petals
Petal's???
You plug into flowers?