@@HighLifeWorkout Nothing beats Tube amps Brandon :D I'd suggest looking into Magnatone twilighter or Milkman amps, but it's hard to justify the price...
Wow! It is terrifying to see the simplifier X being compared with a real amp and with high end digital modelers, but hey!! Not too shabby, not too shabby at all!! 😅 Considering that the X was the only analog solid state unit, I'm impressed with my own stuff, LOL
The Simplifier X is exceptional, and this demo shows it off nicely. I played along and picked #2 and #5 as my top choices.. I have the Simplifier X though I don't typically use it on the Marshall settings, it's awesome to see how it compares to this lineup 👍👍👍
I thought number 5 might have been the real amp and I also thought it sounded best. After the reveal... I still think 5 sounded best. Props to Strymon.
As a strymon iridium user, i don't like #5. It sounds a little bit fuzzy. Same reason i don't really like the marshall mode in the iridium. I successfully picked the real one because it sounds like the rhett shull's plexi demo. The drive is open and not fuzzy.
The Friedman IR-X has been my go to since it came out. And i went through the whole video thinking that sounded the best. That said, I was also really impressed with the Strymon. Great video
@@HeadHondo i did do the update. I just put out a video about how I'm still happy with the IR-X one year later. It's a great piece of gear and I feel like it shined in this video
@@3J_Musicmay I ask how do you have this Friedman IR-X hooked up. i would like to hook it up using two combo amplifiers to get that stereo sound with of course some delay and reverb pedals. Do you have any hook up videos or direct to any good youtube videos? Thank you
Don't forget that at least some of these have power amp sims built in. Running a tube power amp sim into a real tube power amp can sound and feel strange, especially if it's a low wattage power amp that doesn't have lots of head room. Didn't seem to make a tone of difference here, but it may explain the Nux being a bit weird and the Lion sounding "broken".
@@planzed.2 yeah, absolutely. I ran my HX Stomp into my Orange Rocker 15, and the power section just couldn't handle it at a decent volume. It worked way better with a 100 W solid state poweramp.
Peter absolutely loved the Lion when he used the built in cabs. The Pedal Show loved the Lion into a real cabinet. Tastes are different. The Lion is my main amp at the moment but I’m setting it to a very different sound. On a Tele you need a darker cabinet and raise Volume 2 a bit. Bright cab off might be another option. Seems like that particular setting and the cab combination didn’t work.
Interesting comparison. I would like to have seen a Wampler Plexi Drive thrown into the mix. For a relatively cheep and simple "Marshall in a box", I think Brian did an amazing job. If I am plugging into a clean-ish amp, that's not a Marshall, then the Plexi Drive will always be in my pedal chain.
Slightly related... In the weekend I was in the studio with a band. I used a ua ruby and dream for tracking. Then switched to my amps (ac15hw and a Princeton) for overdubs. In isolation the pedals actually sounded better it was insane. The difference for me was all about the playing experience (amps felt nicer.)
I love the new way of doing these blindfold stuff! I can participate in the “blindfold” experience but actually watch the video and see Pete playing as well. Great job guys
I mean, at the end of the day, blind fold and pick the best. Too many musicians shop with eyes and not ears. I bought an iridium to use for my “wet” channel for a Wet/Dry setup. Had an original (Jan) 1965 Bassman used with an Ox Box for the dry side. One sound check I didn’t realize my bassman side was muted and couldn’t get over how amazing my guitar sounded. I was shocked to see I was only hearing the iridium. I quit taking an amp after that. Also, I love my Big Sky after the iridium. Makes a mono rig sound wet/dry in the mix imo.
The issue I have with this test is that a lot of these digital products have power amp emulation that is still active, then is being run into another tube power amp. A level playing field would be to run the tube amp into a reactive load box and then run everything through the same IR or transparent power amp (Fryette PS or similar) in a cab.
3 and 4 sounded most amp-like from the intro. They seemed to have the most presence, I think. Guessing the order as I go along: 1) NuX (based off of the toy comments, as well) 2) Strymon 3) Thought maybe this was the Simplifier until hearing 4) (which definitely had DSM Humboldt's usual fuzziness in their drives) - so I think 3) is the UAFX 4) Simplifier - I have their Silver Linings pedal and have listened to quite a few of their things and they tend to have a fuzziness in them (note: the broken comments are funny, since I've been going back and forth between the Silver Linings and my Bogner Ecstasy Red (big version) for a couple years and have recently been preferring the Bogner since the distortion is smoother and sounds more "dense" somehow) 5) Thought this was the Friedman IR-X (sounded pretty compressed like the higher-gain Friedmans) until hearing 6) - so 5) is the Plexi 6) Sounds more compressed than 5) with more gain, so thinking this is actually the IR-X, making 5) the Plexi by elimination - sticking with 5) Plexi and 6) IR-X, but after the re-listen with 2, 5, and 6, 5) and 6) sounded really close. Of course channel 1 on the IR-X is based on a Plexi, so if I'm right about 5) and 6) being the Plexi and IR-X at least and if channel 1 IR-X is being used, then Friedman did an incredible job making it sound like a Plexi! Changes from Telecaster: 5) and 6) sounded more different, with 6) sounding a bit darker. Would think IR-X would be a bit brighter, so 5) and 6) could be reversed. Also, I think 2) is the better digital model between the first 3) (assuming they are all digital models as suspected), and I would think the quality of the digital models would be UAFX, Strymon, and lastly NuX - so I think UAFX is 2) and Strymon 3). Final guess order: 1) NuX, 2) UAFX, 3) Strymon, 4) Simplifier, 5) IR-X, 6) Plexi Well, apparently I don't know my Plexis at all! Also, I guess the IR-X and Strymon are pretty similar for some reason - makes me wonder if Strymon was looking at a Friedman when they made their model.
I liked the Friedman the most, by a good margin. Before I watched this, I had been thinking of getting an SV20, to go alongside my ST20H JTM. But after this, I'm thinking I could save a little money, and a lot of space by getting the Friedman IR-X, and would be great for recording, or live. Can always just use the ST20H JTM or Orange Rocker 30 as the power amp.
Always fun and well done! Entertaining too. I'm a Marshall guy through and through. I generally just use a Preamp pedal and/or the Deco Saturation to push my Marshall's into that sweet sound, without having to go to 110 db's.
😊 Had it from the intro and stuck with it all the way through, on my cheap cellphone speaker. But its the amp i use at home, i knew one of them sounded familiar. Please more of these videos in the future, it's fun to participate.
I didn’t know which one was the amp, but the best sound in my opinion came from the DSM & Humboldt Simplifier X. Literally EVERY TIME I hear their stuff, beginning with the first Simplifier, it sounds more natural and just more pleasing to the ears than anything else.
I think sometimes it would be better to have someone who is not that good on guitar demoing effects, amps etc and see if it makes them sound better cause that guy is great
I actually got it! Love my Marshall DSL40c and I've always been a fan of Marshal amps. Gotta say though, I really liked the sounds from The Strymon Iridum and the Friedman IR-X. If I was looking for an amp pedal to simulate a Marshall sound, those would definitely be my first picks to look at! Great work guys :)
Yes tube amps will always sound better (given with right setting)... but Strymon Iridium and Friedman are no slouch and this video proved it great sonically and the feel through the speakers. Here I am was planning to grab Nux Amp Academy... this vid changed my mind
Fun comparison! I found myself rooting for the Friedman. That makes total sense because I tend to reach for that as a Marshall anyway. (Though I didn't have the same experience when playing that pedal myself.) it would have been fair after the reveal to hear each one with their own cab simulation to get each pedal at their best. Some didn't sound quite as close to this specific amp, but if you like the sound of the pedal, it's great all the same.
There's a lot of talk in the video about trying to find the "real amp", but the Friedman and the Humboldt actually are real amps. The Friedman is all tube-based as a preamp just like the Marshall is, and when running it through the power section of the Marshall and through a real speaker cab, it's just as tube and analog as the SV20 is. The Humboldt is solid state, but it is a real analog preamp. I wrote down notes as I watched and I thought the Friedman sounded best, followed by the Marshall, and then the Humboldt. It was those 3 by a wide margin, and then the 3 modelers. All 3 modelers had a weird harshness and really bloated bottom end.
This was great. I guessed the real amp only based only on the 3 seconds of playing @9:58. There is something in the low volume sound that is distinct in Marshall valve amps, but I liked the full volume sound of the Friedman and Strymon better.
Bravo! Impressed you stumped up and did a full on blind fold test - excellent! Who cares if it was a wrong guess, if it sounds good it is good, thats it!
This was really enjoyable. I agreed that 2, 5 and 6 sounded the best. I did keep in mind that Marshall amps often need a drive pedal to sound the best. When Pete commented that 6 sounded more Marshall than Marshall, it was a good clue that it wasn't the amp. Several of the Friedman amps and pedal videos always showed that they had more gain than a stock Marshall amp. Between 2 and 5, 2 sounded more like a Marshall amp because it had less bass. Number 2 also had a really smooth overdrive, more like an older well used amp. I disagree with Pete that 3 sounded the best with his blindfold off. This is because I really like the smooth tight type of overdrive. I hate fuzz. Which is the opposite. Over all this was a great video, because I intended to by the newer version of the Simplifier X. This just solidified my decision. I bet that if the Pedal Pal were in this mix, it would have been even harder to know which was the amp. They don't sell through stores. So Anderton's had no reason to feature something that they don't sell. If I only wanted a Marshall sound, I would get one of those instead of the DSM Simplifier X.
This is an awesome video. Better than the Chapman blindfolds and those are good too. I watched this while eating breakfast and had a blast. Strymon for the win!
The big shock for me is that there we so many that actually sounded like amps! And one was even digital! Really good stuff. The Friedman is definitely top of my list if I ever find myself needing a direct solution.
Blind I liked 2, 5 and 6. I liked 2 the most probably, then 5, then 6. Thought 2 or 5 were the amp. Really didn't like 1, 3 and 4. So yeah, I didn't like the Marshall. Lol.
Loving the vid! It's incredible!! I would have choosen the 6 as the real because of that natural hair and response that both treble and bass frecs has, but only because it's the sound of the Marshalls that i've always loved. I think this kind of test can slowly and easily turn into "i like this more" and you know, maybe if you push more the sv20 or maybe using a 50/100w head, you get more the tone... IDK. At the end, what really matters is that you want gear that makes the noises you want!
I totally agree with Pete on the Lion. The distortion on it sounds cheap digital (very easy to ear), it is undeniable the second worst sounding after the nux. It was fun to see Lee getting uncofortable with that assessment. 😂 which got it is hard to tell an expensive piece of gear doesn't sound that great when compared to other cheaper/similar priced options, particularly coming from a brand that hypes the shit out of their products when they come out. Other then that, Friedman and Simplifier X for the win in my ears! Thefact that Simplifier X even gives the user other type of amp options make it even better.
Thanks for the purchase validation. I don't think the Stryman would do so well in a Fender comparison though. My favourite is the AC30 sound but I have no idea if it sounds "real". Guess it doesn't matter if you like it.
I got it right! For once! Just skipping through the timestamps, I identified the correct one as soon as I heard it. I'd have liked to see this test done differently, though: The Marshall amp's speaker in a separate room, mic'd up to a PA system, with the PA speakers in the same room as Pete and Lee, and the pedals connected to the same PA system. They wouldn't hear the proper amp or guitar speaker. The attraction of these pedals is that you don't need a real amp, so my test should be more representative of the real world. This was still very entertaining, though!
haha so funny the psychology of knowing it's an amp makes you want to like it! Great comparison vid thanks! This gave me an idea... as part of Marshall rebooting they should create a new product that's just the power amp section from a plexi or jcm0800, would be awesome to have something like a portable 50w Plexi power section that you could plug your modeler into and out to a cab. Now that modeling and capturing are getting huge there's going to be a lot of demand for power amps and the marshall power section has the cred and rep to be a major player!
My main takeaway from this is that i like the driven marshall sound less than i thought. I love the just starting to break up/pushed clean, but once it's overdriving its definitely not my favourite.
The problem with not using the IR Cab Simulations, is that you are removing the potential for digital lag (latency) within the IR Cab section. The Real amp and the Simplifier would not exhibit any latency because they are both analog. The other digital units will almost certainly have their latency reduced due to not using any IR. This maybe why Pete didn’t detect any latency between any of them. Just a thought.
O.K.- I stopped it at 23:29- I think number 3 is the real amp. Why? Because this, Marshal's little 20-watt studio amp- is the worst sounding amp Marshal makes, and that's the worst sounding tone of the bunch- so I think that's it. As far as what sounded best- number 2 or number 6 for me- either one sounded great. I'm hoping one of them is the Lion- because that's what I already use- but I have no idea really. Actually- now I think 4 is the worst sounding one- maybe it's the NUX. But I stick with 3 being the amp- I know that tone, I hate it. A friend has one- and I was super disappointed when I heard it. Edit: O.k.- that makes me lose faith in the whole exercise because I happen to know the Lion sounds great. I own one, I love it- I get compliments on it constantly- but it sounded horrid in this clip- which makes me wonder if you really set things up properly and did we get a real representation of what any of them are really capable of? I kind of doubt it. You were running the Lion in the 4 cable mode- which sounds horrible if you don't take time to really set the amp up properly.
I confess I’m a Simplifier fanboy, but I just wanted to point out that at 19:25 Pete thought the Simplifier might be the amp and could not tell the difference between it and the Friedman. Didn’t see it getting enough love in the comments.
In this case, the Simplifier sounded the best to me, and the Friedman was a close second. I had no illusions that I'd be able to tell which was the real amp.
I can't believe I guessed the strymon. I was choosing between 5 & 6. I got to try the Friedman at my gc... It's a great piece of gear! But one thing I still can't get is the dynamics of a real amp, which AxeFxII seems to be able to do!
The Marshall liked the Tele way more tthan the Les Paul, the Les Paul seriosuly sounded bad through it. Almost wonder if it should have been dialed in better. The Friedman was my favorite by far though, the single notes sounded the best trhough that one.
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I cant get enough of these blindfold comparison videos
“Now that I can see them, the real amp sounds the best” 😂
The sentence itself says it all
Makes perfect sense.
That's so true though 😂😭
In Pete's defense I also thought No.5 was the real thing
@@wilker374 Me too. I thought number 5 was the real deal, and number 6 was the best "fake"
We truly hear with our eyes 😂
The Friedman sounds really good on this comparison!
When I heard the Strymon, I knew straight away which one it was. That pedal absolutely slaps. Great tool for practice/recording/live back up.
The Marshall SC20H ladies and gentlemen. Only valves can get that digital flubiness!
😆
It was actually an SV20H (plexi), the SC20H is a studio classic (JCM800)
😅😅😅
The valve amp is the SV20, not the SC20. The SC20 only has two inputs whereas the SV20 has 4, just like the original Plexi.
Do a fender amp next please 🙏🏾
Maybe even add Tonemaster version in
@@FilipArlet I'd dig that
@@FilipArlet I have a tonemaster amp, and I need them to justify my purchase for me 🤣🤣🤣
@@HighLifeWorkout Nothing beats Tube amps Brandon :D I'd suggest looking into Magnatone twilighter or Milkman amps, but it's hard to justify the price...
@@johnnyway8667 I’m a bedroom / home study player. I never had a real tube amp in my live. I have played them, but never owed one lol
The honesty keeps me loyal to your channel.
Wow! It is terrifying to see the simplifier X being compared with a real amp and with high end digital modelers, but hey!! Not too shabby, not too shabby at all!! 😅
Considering that the X was the only analog solid state unit, I'm impressed with my own stuff, LOL
The Simplifier X is exceptional, and this demo shows it off nicely. I played along and picked #2 and #5 as my top choices.. I have the Simplifier X though I don't typically use it on the Marshall settings, it's awesome to see how it compares to this lineup 👍👍👍
i've owned three different models starting with the first, and enjoyed them all.
Man, the simplifier gets my vote because of how good it is and yet all analog. Can''t wait to be able to grab one!
Chiming in here because I love my Simplifier X!
Here's my guess
1. Nux
2. Strymon
3. DSM simplifier
4. UAFX
5. Real amp
6. Friedman
3 out of 6, not bad
EXACTLY THE VIDEO I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!! THANKS GUYS!! THIS IS GREAT!!
Love how Honest pete is about products. Keep up the good work guys. Cheers from Sunny Oz. :)
2 and 5 sounded awesome, especially 5
I liked two and five also but I preferred two
Look at the jazz dudes only liking 2-5...
I thought number 5 might have been the real amp and I also thought it sounded best. After the reveal... I still think 5 sounded best.
Props to Strymon.
Same here!
I also liked 5 and 2 the best.
Same, the strymon kicked ass
I didn’t actually play along - but when 5 started I thought 'that has"something"'
As a strymon iridium user, i don't like #5.
It sounds a little bit fuzzy. Same reason i don't really like the marshall mode in the iridium.
I successfully picked the real one because it sounds like the rhett shull's plexi demo.
The drive is open and not fuzzy.
This is such good fun!! How can you not love Anderton's videos??!🤣
The Friedman IR-X has been my go to since it came out. And i went through the whole video thinking that sounded the best. That said, I was also really impressed with the Strymon. Great video
Did you perform the recent IR-X firmware update?
@@HeadHondoit didnt do much. But it does feel like my clean and distorted volumes are closer to each other now.
@@HeadHondo i did do the update. I just put out a video about how I'm still happy with the IR-X one year later. It's a great piece of gear and I feel like it shined in this video
@@3J_Musicmay I ask how do you have this Friedman IR-X hooked up. i would like to hook it up using two combo amplifiers to get that stereo sound with of course some delay and reverb pedals. Do you have any hook up videos or direct to any good youtube videos? Thank you
I thought number 2, Simplifier X, was the amp and it was my favourite. 6 and 5 also sounded great. I liked them in this order: 2, 6, 5, 3, 4, 1.
This was my order, too
I actually agreed with Pete's assessments. The actual amp just seems to sound harsher compared to the nicer pedals.
Seems like it was clipping in the red. Something was off. Not gain but harsh
Don't forget that at least some of these have power amp sims built in. Running a tube power amp sim into a real tube power amp can sound and feel strange, especially if it's a low wattage power amp that doesn't have lots of head room.
Didn't seem to make a tone of difference here, but it may explain the Nux being a bit weird and the Lion sounding "broken".
Good point… That’ll also make the low-end flubby & affect feel
@@planzed.2 yeah, absolutely. I ran my HX Stomp into my Orange Rocker 15, and the power section just couldn't handle it at a decent volume. It worked way better with a 100 W solid state poweramp.
I was sure #6 was the amp, I do still prefer the sound of #6
So happy to see the purple Tele back !
Peter absolutely loved the Lion when he used the built in cabs. The Pedal Show loved the Lion into a real cabinet. Tastes are different. The Lion is my main amp at the moment but I’m setting it to a very different sound. On a Tele you need a darker cabinet and raise Volume 2 a bit. Bright cab off might be another option. Seems like that particular setting and the cab combination didn’t work.
Interesting comparison. I would like to have seen a Wampler Plexi Drive thrown into the mix. For a relatively cheep and simple "Marshall in a box", I think Brian did an amazing job. If I am plugging into a clean-ish amp, that's not a Marshall, then the Plexi Drive will always be in my pedal chain.
Slightly related... In the weekend I was in the studio with a band. I used a ua ruby and dream for tracking. Then switched to my amps (ac15hw and a Princeton) for overdubs. In isolation the pedals actually sounded better it was insane. The difference for me was all about the playing experience (amps felt nicer.)
I love the new way of doing these blindfold stuff! I can participate in the “blindfold” experience but actually watch the video and see Pete playing as well. Great job guys
My favourite amps btw were:
Amp 2
Amp 6
Amp 5
The rest I didn’t like.
In hindsight, I am really surprised (and slightly angry🤣)
Absolutely agree
I mean, at the end of the day, blind fold and pick the best. Too many musicians shop with eyes and not ears. I bought an iridium to use for my “wet” channel for a Wet/Dry setup. Had an original (Jan) 1965 Bassman used with an Ox Box for the dry side. One sound check I didn’t realize my bassman side was muted and couldn’t get over how amazing my guitar sounded. I was shocked to see I was only hearing the iridium. I quit taking an amp after that. Also, I love my Big Sky after the iridium. Makes a mono rig sound wet/dry in the mix imo.
Would've loved to see a budget friendly preamp like Tonecity or Mooer micro preamps
"Offensive Pete" needs (1) to be a recurring character and (2) a sign a'la "Digital John" when he appears
Everyone loves the Friedman tone, I do as well, but to me it has it's own tight mid rangey tone to it, it's not like a Marshall.
I agree I was able to pick it out for this same reason surprisingly
@@caydespliff181 awwww so cute cat btw. ❤️
The issue I have with this test is that a lot of these digital products have power amp emulation that is still active, then is being run into another tube power amp. A level playing field would be to run the tube amp into a reactive load box and then run everything through the same IR or transparent power amp (Fryette PS or similar) in a cab.
3 and 4 sounded most amp-like from the intro. They seemed to have the most presence, I think.
Guessing the order as I go along:
1) NuX (based off of the toy comments, as well)
2) Strymon
3) Thought maybe this was the Simplifier until hearing 4) (which definitely had DSM Humboldt's usual fuzziness in their drives) - so I think 3) is the UAFX
4) Simplifier - I have their Silver Linings pedal and have listened to quite a few of their things and they tend to have a fuzziness in them (note: the broken comments are funny, since I've been going back and forth between the Silver Linings and my Bogner Ecstasy Red (big version) for a couple years and have recently been preferring the Bogner since the distortion is smoother and sounds more "dense" somehow)
5) Thought this was the Friedman IR-X (sounded pretty compressed like the higher-gain Friedmans) until hearing 6) - so 5) is the Plexi
6) Sounds more compressed than 5) with more gain, so thinking this is actually the IR-X, making 5) the Plexi by elimination - sticking with 5) Plexi and 6) IR-X, but after the re-listen with 2, 5, and 6, 5) and 6) sounded really close. Of course channel 1 on the IR-X is based on a Plexi, so if I'm right about 5) and 6) being the Plexi and IR-X at least and if channel 1 IR-X is being used, then Friedman did an incredible job making it sound like a Plexi!
Changes from Telecaster: 5) and 6) sounded more different, with 6) sounding a bit darker. Would think IR-X would be a bit brighter, so 5) and 6) could be reversed. Also, I think 2) is the better digital model between the first 3) (assuming they are all digital models as suspected), and I would think the quality of the digital models would be UAFX, Strymon, and lastly NuX - so I think UAFX is 2) and Strymon 3).
Final guess order: 1) NuX, 2) UAFX, 3) Strymon, 4) Simplifier, 5) IR-X, 6) Plexi
Well, apparently I don't know my Plexis at all! Also, I guess the IR-X and Strymon are pretty similar for some reason - makes me wonder if Strymon was looking at a Friedman when they made their model.
Shocking how they sound so close to tube amps!..come a long way
This has been my experience too. Real amps tend to sound a bit harsh with impulse responses compared to the real thing miced up.
Brilliant to have done this way at last"! Nice one.
Am a big digital sim fan and could have sworn #2 was the real amp.
You could very well redo all you blindfold challenges in this "play along" version, I'd watch them :D !
I liked the Friedman the most, by a good margin. Before I watched this, I had been thinking of getting an SV20, to go alongside my ST20H JTM. But after this, I'm thinking I could save a little money, and a lot of space by getting the Friedman IR-X, and would be great for recording, or live. Can always just use the ST20H JTM or Orange Rocker 30 as the power amp.
The Captain & Danish Pete, best demo dup ever, you guys rule!
Ive had everything except the NUX. The Lion stomps the Iridium and edges the IRX imo. Its a little difficult to dial in though.
Simplifier X for the win. Hands down.
I gig the Iridium using that sound its so good!
Always fun and well done! Entertaining too. I'm a Marshall guy through and through. I generally just use a Preamp pedal and/or the Deco Saturation to push my Marshall's into that sweet sound, without having to go to 110 db's.
😊 Had it from the intro and stuck with it all the way through, on my cheap cellphone speaker. But its the amp i use at home, i knew one of them sounded familiar. Please more of these videos in the future, it's fun to participate.
I didn’t know which one was the amp, but the best sound in my opinion came from the DSM & Humboldt Simplifier X.
Literally EVERY TIME I hear their stuff, beginning with the first Simplifier, it sounds more natural and just more pleasing to the ears than anything else.
I think sometimes it would be better to have someone who is not that good on guitar demoing effects, amps etc and see if it makes them sound better cause that guy is great
This was hard! 2 and 5 were my fav sounding, but maybe because they were so well defined in headphones.. Great video, thank you!
Blind all around, I like it!
This was perfectly done, Lee and team!!!
I actually got it! Love my Marshall DSL40c and I've always been a fan of Marshal amps. Gotta say though, I really liked the sounds from The Strymon Iridum and the Friedman IR-X. If I was looking for an amp pedal to simulate a Marshall sound, those would definitely be my first picks to look at! Great work guys :)
Yes tube amps will always sound better (given with right setting)... but Strymon Iridium and Friedman are no slouch and this video proved it great sonically and the feel through the speakers. Here I am was planning to grab Nux Amp Academy... this vid changed my mind
I like the Star Trek clothes. Pete is in the engine room and Lee is The Captain
Good thing they aren't wearing red, because they would be sugar cubed by now
@@Brave-yx5tm yep
I was about to say it would be the other way around, but then I remembered The Next Generation was a thing. Sincerely, a TOS fan
Lolol
Fun comparison! I found myself rooting for the Friedman. That makes total sense because I tend to reach for that as a Marshall anyway. (Though I didn't have the same experience when playing that pedal myself.) it would have been fair after the reveal to hear each one with their own cab simulation to get each pedal at their best. Some didn't sound quite as close to this specific amp, but if you like the sound of the pedal, it's great all the same.
You haven’t started the comparison yet but I clicked LIKE already. This is gonna be awesome 😊😊😊
There's a lot of talk in the video about trying to find the "real amp", but the Friedman and the Humboldt actually are real amps. The Friedman is all tube-based as a preamp just like the Marshall is, and when running it through the power section of the Marshall and through a real speaker cab, it's just as tube and analog as the SV20 is. The Humboldt is solid state, but it is a real analog preamp.
I wrote down notes as I watched and I thought the Friedman sounded best, followed by the Marshall, and then the Humboldt. It was those 3 by a wide margin, and then the 3 modelers. All 3 modelers had a weird harshness and really bloated bottom end.
Yes,and also the real plexi needs to be cranked to sound really good.
1. NUX
2. DSM Simplifier X
3. SV20 amp
4. UAFX Lion
5. Strymon Iridium
6. Friedman IR-X
Liked 2-4 & 5 before the revealing, nux is the 1st, Iridium 3rd, UAD 4th Friedman 6th, so then Amp head is 2nd and Bluesbreaker 5th.
This was great. I guessed the real amp only based only on the 3 seconds of playing @9:58. There is something in the low volume sound that is distinct in Marshall valve amps, but I liked the full volume sound of the Friedman and Strymon better.
Keep making these blindfold tests they kick ass.
Bravo! Impressed you stumped up and did a full on blind fold test - excellent! Who cares if it was a wrong guess, if it sounds good it is good, thats it!
1) Nux
2) Amp
3) Friedman
4) Iridium
5) Lion
6) Simplifier
Thank you for tuning that G!!
1. Nux 2. UA 3. DSM 4. SV20H 5. Friedman 6. Strymon
What this really shows is how important a great speaker is.
I’m very happy the simplifier and the Friedman sounded excellent.
It really sells me on the Friedman though!
This was really enjoyable. I agreed that 2, 5 and 6 sounded the best. I did keep in mind that Marshall amps often need a drive pedal to sound the best. When Pete commented that 6 sounded more Marshall than Marshall, it was a good clue that it wasn't the amp. Several of the Friedman amps and pedal videos always showed that they had more gain than a stock Marshall amp.
Between 2 and 5, 2 sounded more like a Marshall amp because it had less bass. Number 2 also had a really smooth overdrive, more like an older well used amp. I disagree with Pete that 3 sounded the best with his blindfold off. This is because I really like the smooth tight type of overdrive. I hate fuzz. Which is the opposite.
Over all this was a great video, because I intended to by the newer version of the Simplifier X. This just solidified my decision.
I bet that if the Pedal Pal were in this mix, it would have been even harder to know which was the amp. They don't sell through stores. So Anderton's had no reason to feature something that they don't sell. If I only wanted a Marshall sound, I would get one of those instead of the DSM Simplifier X.
Wish you could have included the Pedalpal Pal 800. It's the best JCM800 style pedal I've ever heard or played.
Love the Knopfler quote at 10:25
This is an awesome video. Better than the Chapman blindfolds and those are good too. I watched this while eating breakfast and had a blast. Strymon for the win!
The big shock for me is that there we so many that actually sounded like amps! And one was even digital! Really good stuff. The Friedman is definitely top of my list if I ever find myself needing a direct solution.
I find double stops are usually the giveaway...thought 5 might have been the Friedman, but liked 6 also...didn't spot the Marshall!
I thought 6 was the real amp, and It did sounded gruntier, I liked it. Friendman ftw imo!
The Simplifier was my favourite. The Lion and Nux both sounded quite horrible to me
Why does the simplifier look the most complicated, haha
Blind I liked 2, 5 and 6. I liked 2 the most probably, then 5, then 6. Thought 2 or 5 were the amp. Really didn't like 1, 3 and 4.
So yeah, I didn't like the Marshall. Lol.
Loving the vid! It's incredible!! I would have choosen the 6 as the real because of that natural hair and response that both treble and bass frecs has, but only because it's the sound of the Marshalls that i've always loved.
I think this kind of test can slowly and easily turn into "i like this more" and you know, maybe if you push more the sv20 or maybe using a 50/100w head, you get more the tone... IDK. At the end, what really matters is that you want gear that makes the noises you want!
I totally agree with Pete on the Lion. The distortion on it sounds cheap digital (very easy to ear), it is undeniable the second worst sounding after the nux. It was fun to see Lee getting uncofortable with that assessment. 😂 which got it is hard to tell an expensive piece of gear doesn't sound that great when compared to other cheaper/similar priced options, particularly coming from a brand that hypes the shit out of their products when they come out.
Other then that, Friedman and Simplifier X for the win in my ears! Thefact that Simplifier X even gives the user other type of amp options make it even better.
I use an Iridium to run from my pedal board directly to the mixer to capture guitar audio...it sounds better than my tiny Mustang amp.
the IRX is by far my favorite piece of gear to use for my tones! Bought mine earlier this year and I use it for everything :)
I got the IR-D and feel the same way. It's awesome.
How is the headphone output quality? How good does it sound thru headphones?
@@mylogify just incredible
@@Mr.Goldbar Yeah don’t have any Friedman but from the videos I love it. And tonrs on Tonex. The Be-Od pedal also sounds soo tight good!
@@mylogify I considered getting the ToneX after I really loved the plugin version, but I fell in love with the Friedman when I tried it :)
I have the Iridium and it is really good with York Audio IR's. You can really 'treat' it like a real amp. It also works great with pedals!
I am in the market right now for the Marshall Plexi Tone. Best comparison!!!!
Thanks for the purchase validation.
I don't think the Stryman would do so well in a Fender comparison though.
My favourite is the AC30 sound but I have no idea if it sounds "real".
Guess it doesn't matter if you like it.
Whatever numbr 2 is, I love it!
This is very odd, I liked the simplifier the best, I was willing to bet my life on it being the real amp !! Thank God I didn't 😅
Very dynamic thou !!
I got it right! For once! Just skipping through the timestamps, I identified the correct one as soon as I heard it. I'd have liked to see this test done differently, though: The Marshall amp's speaker in a separate room, mic'd up to a PA system, with the PA speakers in the same room as Pete and Lee, and the pedals connected to the same PA system. They wouldn't hear the proper amp or guitar speaker. The attraction of these pedals is that you don't need a real amp, so my test should be more representative of the real world. This was still very entertaining, though!
haha so funny the psychology of knowing it's an amp makes you want to like it! Great comparison vid thanks! This gave me an idea... as part of Marshall rebooting they should create a new product that's just the power amp section from a plexi or jcm0800, would be awesome to have something like a portable 50w Plexi power section that you could plug your modeler into and out to a cab. Now that modeling and capturing are getting huge there's going to be a lot of demand for power amps and the marshall power section has the cred and rep to be a major player!
My main takeaway from this is that i like the driven marshall sound less than i thought. I love the just starting to break up/pushed clean, but once it's overdriving its definitely not my favourite.
I can’t wait for tomorrow’s release of the Friedman IR-J Jake E Lee model. 😀
I thought the Friedman was the real one 😅 Sounds sooo goood
Couldn't focus on the Les Paul, Marshall amp or the Captain's words due to Pete's colorful footwear.🤣🤣🤣
Best video ever on that topic. I picked amp 3 (😊), but to be honest all pedals had their charme, it all sounded cool ✌️
I own an Iridium and every time I mess around with the controls it doesn't sound right but as soon as I hit one of the presets it comes alive.
The problem with not using the IR Cab Simulations, is that you are removing the potential for digital lag (latency) within the IR Cab section.
The Real amp and the Simplifier would not exhibit any latency because they are both analog.
The other digital units will almost certainly have their latency reduced due to not using any IR.
This maybe why Pete didn’t detect any latency between any of them.
Just a thought.
Dan and Mick should TOTALLY do an AC30 version of this with the Ruby. They will have the ears for it.
O.K.- I stopped it at 23:29- I think number 3 is the real amp. Why? Because this, Marshal's little 20-watt studio amp- is the worst sounding amp Marshal makes, and that's the worst sounding tone of the bunch- so I think that's it. As far as what sounded best- number 2 or number 6 for me- either one sounded great. I'm hoping one of them is the Lion- because that's what I already use- but I have no idea really.
Actually- now I think 4 is the worst sounding one- maybe it's the NUX. But I stick with 3 being the amp- I know that tone, I hate it. A friend has one- and I was super disappointed when I heard it.
Edit: O.k.- that makes me lose faith in the whole exercise because I happen to know the Lion sounds great. I own one, I love it- I get compliments on it constantly- but it sounded horrid in this clip- which makes me wonder if you really set things up properly and did we get a real representation of what any of them are really capable of? I kind of doubt it. You were running the Lion in the 4 cable mode- which sounds horrible if you don't take time to really set the amp up properly.
It would have been a more fair comparison if they used a Marshall 1987x instead of the SCH20.
Possibly true but to get the sound/tone it would have probably blown Pete's head of.
That SV20 sounds really good! I need to pick one up, then I don’t have to worry about damaging my old 1959T. 🤘🎩
I confess I’m a Simplifier fanboy, but I just wanted to point out that at 19:25 Pete thought the Simplifier might be the amp and could not tell the difference between it and the Friedman. Didn’t see it getting enough love in the comments.
In this case, the Simplifier sounded the best to me, and the Friedman was a close second. I had no illusions that I'd be able to tell which was the real amp.
I can't believe I guessed the strymon. I was choosing between 5 & 6. I got to try the Friedman at my gc... It's a great piece of gear! But one thing I still can't get is the dynamics of a real amp, which AxeFxII seems to be able to do!
The Marshall liked the Tele way more tthan the Les Paul, the Les Paul seriosuly sounded bad through it. Almost wonder if it should have been dialed in better. The Friedman was my favorite by far though, the single notes sounded the best trhough that one.
Very good..my Iridium never sounded like this
You guys should also include 2-3 actual amps, as they can sound different to each other too, to make things even more interesting
Well, I'm happily continuing to play the Iridium; however, I mainly use the Fender model as pedal platform 🙂