I've had a MK1 on my desk for almost 3 years. Due to my living situation I can't have a real amp, so this thing is my amp, and it's actually wonderful. I think a lot of people are too quick to judge DI setups when in fact they CAN sound great, they'll just never sound like an amp in a well-treated room. Good on you for remaking this video, that was really cool. And to your points: Yes, the built in drive is not the best. I just use a combination of boosters and drives in front of the box to do that. And yes, the best way to get beautiful cleans out of this thing that you can actually hear is to have a really hot signal going into it and then back off on the guitar itself. Cheers!
Strymon Iridium is the gold standard, or Two Notes Opus maybe even better! I haven’t played through an amp in 30 years and went looking and trying combos now….I tried about 7 different amps, and they have nothing over the units I just mentioned…nothing! My Simplifier MK2 is coming today! I have high hopes.
Hi I’m using fx loop stereo and when I need to use it mono I get weak volume than usual. I cant get sure I’m gettin whole signal or not. There is no sign mono any outputs. I checked the manual but there is no information. Do you know how can I use mono MKII
Yet another very fine demo/review by you, sir! And your willingness to take down your earlier video reveals yet again what a fine and fair person you are, and thus a reviewer to be trusted. About the device: If it had two presets (or a sort of boost to enable one to cover two sounds), I‘d definitely get it. But until then, I‘ll stick with my Walrus Audio ACSI using the 2.0 firmware. I tonally prefer the Mini Simplifier in some ways, but can‘t justify giving it real estate on my crammed pedalboard as a one-trick pony (or back-bender forcing one to get down and play with dials during a gig, which I neither feel like doing nor could even do without having to grab reading glasses and a lamp).
Great review ... great coming back and doing the DSM stuff justice ... great video The 1st Simplifier was often called "zero watt amp" and its a "no flashy stuff" analog amp for studio and stage with all the knobs and connections you need and some. It provides a basic sound (like a canvas) where you ad drive and FX (colors ... ) and it has got that beloved analog directness and touch sensitivity. The MKII adds room/speaker/switching and drive ... its the "on steroids" version ...
Something I've discovered in all this searching around is that I almost think I prefer a "DI Sound," like the dry quality of it, for a lot of applications. I almost got this but went for a tonex a couple months back. I love that pedal, but man these sound really neat.
Great video like always, im proud that Brand is from my country chile, this guys are really doing the best work, I have a simplifier just a great tool, greetings from chile
Great video Henning! Thx for always raising the bar on integrity in the guitar community. Any plans to give the bass simplifier a try? IMO that's even more interesting since we bass players are notoriously lazy and don't like to carry amps and cabs. I tried it before but I didn't really warm up to it. The best sound I got out of it was without the preamp and just the cab sim but I'm not a big knob fiddler. Definitely a very interesting product.
I had one briefly, the original, before sending it back to zzounds. It sounded great and it was awesome for practicing but it had a hum that I couldnt get rid of. It was always there. I ended up landing on the Two Notes Torpedo Cab M+.
Glad you're enjoying this! Great review as per usual... I use the Mk1 stereo return/cab sim as the wet for a wet dry wet recording setup which creates some nice tones to my ears... I was interested to see the inclusion of a power amp section in the Mk2 but it seems unusual (amp-wise) that it is placed before the send... Ah well - enough to be getting on with the mk1 and the dlx. Cheers 😎
Moin Henning, ich such nach einer Option über Kopfhörer mein Pedalboard spielen zu können. Was würdest du da empfehlen, den Simplifier oder ein Two Tones Opus / Torpedo C.A.B als letztes Gerät in der Kette?
I want add the engineer says 'power amp clip" light is lit in a good way. As far as my experiments with my setup, I can say that the light makes a little bit compression instead of clipping imho. Also using a high voltage valve overdrive pedal (Mesa V-Twin variant) before the Simplifier makes a lot of warmth, and slightly depicts valve amp. 🤗
This type of pedal is intended to be set up once. Then you use your various pedals to create gain staging. In my example I would use a plexi drive deluxe which already gives crunch and lead in front of this thing, perhaps a blues driver as well.
I have an AMT pedal, K2. The analog cab sim, yeah that is always a bit of a downer. But I think this is also due to the fact that the engineers come up with the most usable cab-sim for most scenarios, not one specific. We also switch through literally thousands of IRs until we are satisfied (on our modelers). There are freaks out there who don't use IRs and model their own IRs via complex EQing. This might be an interesting addition to those pedals. Different analog cab-sims, switchable. That would increase the usability factor greatly. I think it exists already, maybe Behringer. But it seems the analog world can still improve on that, who knows.
I really appreciate your knowledge and skills. Great review. Would you go for the Friedman IRX or the Simplifier MK2 for direct home recording at this point? Thanks!
Henning..... 🤩🥰😍😊 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 Deine Arbeit, deine Reviews, dein Witz/Humor, dein Guitarplaying, dein "deutscher Accent" 😂, deine farbefrohe Kleiderwahl (absolut meins 👏👌), die Tier-Clips am Schluss ....... 😂 Habe mittlerweile natürlich einige ähnlich gute "Rezensenten" gefunden, deren Clips ebenfalls richtig gut sind..... die ich mir (man sich) auf jeden Fall von vorne bis hinten reinziehen kann...... aaaaber, Du bist unschlagbar 😅✌😎 Freue mich auf jeden neuen Clip von dir 👍 Vielen vielen Dank für deine Arbeit und beste Grüße aussem Pott Rosigatton
@@Sticky_Tea If you think the guitar signal through your volume pot and the preamp gain are the same thing, then yes. Since they are not the same thing, then no.
I wonder how you felt the sound of this compared to the Thermion Zero. Since that strikes me as an analog competitor. But I thought in your demos, and the others available the Thermion sounded better. Both seem like killer systems for a wet/dry/wet rig, paired with a splitter pedal. If you already have either some studio monitors to use with this one, or have spare cabs to use with the Zero (or could buy/build a small pair of cabs cheaply). I realise the DSM is more configurable, with the many models, and smaller. Though Thermion are bringing out something like the Zero, that doesn't have the Class D power amp. I guess there's the StompMan, which is cool. But I thought on sound, I preferred Zero > DSM > StompMan > Tech 21 Blonde > American Sound.
You should totally try out the simplifier deluxe. The problem for me is computers create too many distractions. So paying $400 for a headphone amp might be a valid purchase. It just would have to sound as good (dynamic) as a low medium and highish gain amp (which I think the UA Lion would do better but there's no headphone out on it).
Regrettably, my interaction with the representatives of this brand has not been the most positive. On one occasion, I was invited to learn about their product and was suggested to bring along a good friend; however, once we arrived at their booth at NAMM, the attention shifted completely towards my friend, leaving me feeling ignored. In subsequent encounters, I perceived a lack of appreciation towards me, which has influenced my perception of the brand. For me, the attitude and professionalism of those representing a brand are crucial aspects that I value as much as the quality of the product itself. I am pleased to see that others, as in your case, have had positive experiences and respect your opinion on the product. I hope that in the future, the brand can provide a positive and respectful experience to all who interact with them.
I think the analog cab sim has the same problem like hundreds before, drive/distortion gets fizzy and britzely, no matter if with green thing or internal drive. Maybe one or even two filter poles too short. So sadly no complete backup solution without an extra cab or IR loader.
Would love to hear a comparison between this and the UAFX Lion.. with this being all analog and the lion being a true digital modeler. you seemed more blown away by the Lion
It's small enough that when money is not the primary concern, you simply put as many as you need on your board. Or get the 2 channel version. I'm starting to see too many advantages to suppress my GAS...
I use mine for recording all the time (since my R.A. has basically killed my ability to play live for the time being). I plug into a DI then run the thrughput to my pedalboard where the Simplifier has its preamp in a switcher loop and the power amp stage is at the end of the chain to go into my interface. The reason foe the DI on the front end is so I can get the dry performance and either blend a re-amp sound or software emulations. Or if it needs an after the fact "tweak". I just wish it had a 3rd XLR that bypasses the FX Loop and has its own power amp stage for full-blown wet/dry/wet rigging without a splitter and second speaker simulated DI.
The classic wet-dry-wet rigs of the studio musicians in the 80's had just one mono guitar amp. Then they mic'd it with a small mixer and sendt it to the stereo rack effects and into a stereo FRFR system. I don't know if it's important to have cab sims for the FRFR system. I just use the effects post power amp and I am happy with the results. Of course this might mean that you might need a stereo DI at the end of the chain.
@@johanneschristopherstahle3395 I know that's how they did it back then. I read all the rig diagrams that Guitar World used to print on the last page every month. I'm actually looking to create a more modern, space saving, and neighbor friendly version of that concept. I would still be using the one pre-amp stage. I want to just hand the sound person the three cables and tell them which is left, right, and center.
The one thing i dont like about pedal this size....when u hooking up a lot of cables it suddenly takes up big amount of space in the pedalboard. And i dont like using a solderless cable.
Hm. All those nice amps in a box. Each gets its own (paid) video. From the same great youtubers. All the features explained. What i need: comparison videos. Went out of fashion somehow, eh? Maybe do a quarter/halfyearly vid per category and offer companies to buy themselves in?
To my ears the distortion sounds crappy. The Reverb is fine and the unit may be useful in a clean sound environment. Overall not really impressed. In any case 400€ is completely overpriced.
i assure you i am just as upset that the MK2 is the white one and the DLX is the black one; as if suffering endless persecution for having evolved in colder climates, for our seemingly shameful preference of preserving social access to food and water, isn't enough. is it just the men who feel genocided? or do our women realize that they wouldn't exist either if our forbears thingy's had frozen off. and where the scientific reality is that people of subsaharan descent carry Species Invasive DNA, which is non-feasible to the human species. they breed faster than the food grows, Humans Can Not Be Like That.
![Ditch The Guitar Amp? Direct Options For Your Pedalboard [Iridium, Simplifier, Iconoclast]](/img/1.gif)
I've had a MK1 on my desk for almost 3 years. Due to my living situation I can't have a real amp, so this thing is my amp, and it's actually wonderful. I think a lot of people are too quick to judge DI setups when in fact they CAN sound great, they'll just never sound like an amp in a well-treated room. Good on you for remaking this video, that was really cool. And to your points: Yes, the built in drive is not the best. I just use a combination of boosters and drives in front of the box to do that. And yes, the best way to get beautiful cleans out of this thing that you can actually hear is to have a really hot signal going into it and then back off on the guitar itself. Cheers!
That's how I use my super reverb, volume pedal after the boosts and drives is a handy trick too
Strymon Iridium is the gold standard, or Two Notes Opus maybe even better! I haven’t played through an amp in 30 years and went looking and trying combos now….I tried about 7 different amps, and they have nothing over the units I just mentioned…nothing! My Simplifier MK2 is coming today! I have high hopes.
Hi I’m using fx loop stereo and when I need to use it mono I get weak volume than usual. I cant get sure I’m gettin whole signal or not. There is no sign mono any outputs. I checked the manual but there is no information. Do you know how can I use mono MKII
Thank you for your immense integrity and honesty!
Yet another very fine demo/review by you, sir! And your willingness to take down your earlier video reveals yet again what a fine and fair person you are, and thus a reviewer to be trusted. About the device: If it had two presets (or a sort of boost to enable one to cover two sounds), I‘d definitely get it. But until then, I‘ll stick with my Walrus Audio ACSI using the 2.0 firmware. I tonally prefer the Mini Simplifier in some ways, but can‘t justify giving it real estate on my crammed pedalboard as a one-trick pony (or back-bender forcing one to get down and play with dials during a gig, which I neither feel like doing nor could even do without having to grab reading glasses and a lamp).
Definitely my favorite channel for honest and unfiltered reviews!
The deluxe version has been a great addition to my gear collection. Stereo direct, two channels and can be used as a killer preamp as well.
Great review ... great coming back and doing the DSM stuff justice ... great video
The 1st Simplifier was often called "zero watt amp" and its a "no flashy stuff" analog amp for studio and stage with all the knobs and connections you need and some. It provides a basic sound (like a canvas) where you ad drive and FX (colors ... ) and it has got that beloved analog directness and touch sensitivity. The MKII adds room/speaker/switching and drive ... its the "on steroids" version ...
Something I've discovered in all this searching around is that I almost think I prefer a "DI Sound," like the dry quality of it, for a lot of applications. I almost got this but went for a tonex a couple months back. I love that pedal, but man these sound really neat.
Great video like always, im proud that Brand is from my country chile, this guys are really doing the best work, I have a simplifier just a great tool, greetings from chile
Great video Henning! Thx for always raising the bar on integrity in the guitar community. Any plans to give the bass simplifier a try? IMO that's even more interesting since we bass players are notoriously lazy and don't like to carry amps and cabs. I tried it before but I didn't really warm up to it. The best sound I got out of it was without the preamp and just the cab sim but I'm not a big knob fiddler. Definitely a very interesting product.
Does anyone know if it would be possible to use the cab simulation only? Maybe if go from your amps di out to the fx return of the simplifier?
I set mine almost the same on each knob. I hit it with the DSM Humboldt Silver Linings for great overdrive.
I had one briefly, the original, before sending it back to zzounds. It sounded great and it was awesome for practicing but it had a hum that I couldnt get rid of. It was always there. I ended up landing on the Two Notes Torpedo Cab M+.
Hey Henning, your my favorite RUclipsr! Don't change and keep calling out all the crap products!
Hi henning, Is it still possible to use effects loop in stereo and goes out in single mono like the version 1? Sum mono? Thankyou..
Yes
@@EytschPi42 thanks 👍👍
Glad you're enjoying this! Great review as per usual...
I use the Mk1 stereo return/cab sim as the wet for a wet dry wet recording setup which creates some nice tones to my ears...
I was interested to see the inclusion of a power amp section in the Mk2 but it seems unusual (amp-wise) that it is placed before the send... Ah well - enough to be getting on with the mk1 and the dlx.
Cheers 😎
Moin Henning, ich such nach einer Option über Kopfhörer mein Pedalboard spielen zu können. Was würdest du da empfehlen, den Simplifier oder ein Two Tones Opus / Torpedo C.A.B als letztes Gerät in der Kette?
Opus habe ich noch nicht gehört… simplifier finde ich dafür etwas teuer.
UA Lion ist der Hammer, aber nur mit Adapter mit Kopfhörer zu gebrauchen
I’m wondering if it would work well to use just the stereo returns for a power amp and cab sim solution but use a different preamp
As long as the »power amp« is really behind the loop like it should, then this would work.
I want add the engineer says 'power amp clip" light is lit in a good way. As far as my experiments with my setup, I can say that the light makes a little bit compression instead of clipping imho. Also using a high voltage valve overdrive pedal (Mesa V-Twin variant) before the Simplifier makes a lot of warmth, and slightly depicts valve amp. 🤗
Hardware beats software everytime!!!!
nice redemption video, convinced me to buy it and sell the ASC1 which I fight hard to like
Did you have the new 2.0 firmware on the ACSI?
@@scottbecker3485 yep
Reminds me of The Fly rig...Sans Amp This is a new level .For Road Tours and Flying to other countries the possibilities are interesting
This type of pedal is intended to be set up once. Then you use your various pedals to create gain staging. In my example I would use a plexi drive deluxe which already gives crunch and lead in front of this thing, perhaps a blues driver as well.
I have an AMT pedal, K2. The analog cab sim, yeah that is always a bit of a downer. But I think this is also due to the fact that the engineers come up with the most usable cab-sim for most scenarios, not one specific. We also switch through literally thousands of IRs until we are satisfied (on our modelers). There are freaks out there who don't use IRs and model their own IRs via complex EQing. This might be an interesting addition to those pedals. Different analog cab-sims, switchable. That would increase the usability factor greatly. I think it exists already, maybe Behringer. But it seems the analog world can still improve on that, who knows.
You had a Counting Crows Recovering The Satellites guitar sound at the end of your intro song. Very nice!
I really appreciate your knowledge and skills. Great review.
Would you go for the Friedman IRX or the Simplifier MK2 for direct home recording at this point?
Thanks!
Friedman
@@EytschPi42 Thank you groovy Sir.
Henning..... 🤩🥰😍😊 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Deine Arbeit, deine Reviews, dein Witz/Humor, dein Guitarplaying, dein "deutscher Accent" 😂, deine farbefrohe Kleiderwahl (absolut meins 👏👌), die Tier-Clips am Schluss ....... 😂
Habe mittlerweile natürlich einige ähnlich gute "Rezensenten" gefunden, deren Clips ebenfalls richtig gut sind..... die ich mir (man sich) auf jeden Fall von vorne bis hinten reinziehen kann...... aaaaber, Du bist unschlagbar 😅✌😎
Freue mich auf jeden neuen Clip von dir 👍
Vielen vielen Dank für deine Arbeit und beste Grüße aussem Pott
Rosigatton
Daaaaaanke!
What are those gorgeous looking cables going from the H90 to the Simplifier??
If that preamp gain could be assigned to an exp pedal, I would use this for rehearsals all year long.
you mean, like a volume pot on your guitar?
@@Sticky_Tea If you think the guitar signal through your volume pot and the preamp gain are the same thing, then yes.
Since they are not the same thing, then no.
Viva Chile 🏴☠😁😁😁
I would love to set this up 4CM I think I’m sold, looking for some small to have fun with a 2X12 cabinet. Thank you.
I would be curious to hear this with cabsim bypassed into an Ox Stomp.
"It's green...people use it for things." 🤔
Finally, a happy end!
Simplifier DLX is GOD! Have two channels and switch. Taste it!
Is correct to say this is an analogue solid state amp in a pedal ?
To me sounds great but the price is not for my wallet unfortunately
yes, that's exactly what you can call it
A solid state headphone amp with a DI out.
i have te DLX and its this whit mush mush more! i love it!
How many tones can be selected from on the fly, or is it 350 for one sound at a time?
one sound at a time. The DLX has two channels
Wo hattest du denn Schnee Alter?
Alte Endcards
That whole time with the master so high that it makes the light come in may have created some unwanted sounds.
I wonder how you felt the sound of this compared to the Thermion Zero. Since that strikes me as an analog competitor. But I thought in your demos, and the others available the Thermion sounded better. Both seem like killer systems for a wet/dry/wet rig, paired with a splitter pedal. If you already have either some studio monitors to use with this one, or have spare cabs to use with the Zero (or could buy/build a small pair of cabs cheaply). I realise the DSM is more configurable, with the many models, and smaller. Though Thermion are bringing out something like the Zero, that doesn't have the Class D power amp. I guess there's the StompMan, which is cool. But I thought on sound, I preferred Zero > DSM > StompMan > Tech 21 Blonde > American Sound.
You should totally try out the simplifier deluxe.
The problem for me is computers create too many distractions. So paying $400 for a headphone amp might be a valid purchase. It just would have to sound as good (dynamic) as a low medium and highish gain amp (which I think the UA Lion would do better but there's no headphone out on it).
Regrettably, my interaction with the representatives of this brand has not been the most positive. On one occasion, I was invited to learn about their product and was suggested to bring along a good friend; however, once we arrived at their booth at NAMM, the attention shifted completely towards my friend, leaving me feeling ignored. In subsequent encounters, I perceived a lack of appreciation towards me, which has influenced my perception of the brand. For me, the attitude and professionalism of those representing a brand are crucial aspects that I value as much as the quality of the product itself. I am pleased to see that others, as in your case, have had positive experiences and respect your opinion on the product. I hope that in the future, the brand can provide a positive and respectful experience to all who interact with them.
Boohoo
I think the analog cab sim has the same problem like hundreds before, drive/distortion gets fizzy and britzely, no matter if with green thing or internal drive. Maybe one or even two filter poles too short. So sadly no complete backup solution without an extra cab or IR loader.
Would love to hear a comparison between this and the UAFX Lion.. with this being all analog and the lion being a true digital modeler.
you seemed more blown away by the Lion
Worlds apart
No latency is a huge USP.
It's small enough that when money is not the primary concern, you simply put as many as you need on your board. Or get the 2 channel version. I'm starting to see too many advantages to suppress my GAS...
Stereo XLR out and effects loop. I don't get why not every modelling pedal does this. Should really be standard.
Maybe eventually one of these type of things will just be built into the guitar so you can just co straight out of the guitar into the P.A.
I use mine for recording all the time (since my R.A. has basically killed my ability to play live for the time being). I plug into a DI then run the thrughput to my pedalboard where the Simplifier has its preamp in a switcher loop and the power amp stage is at the end of the chain to go into my interface. The reason foe the DI on the front end is so I can get the dry performance and either blend a re-amp sound or software emulations. Or if it needs an after the fact "tweak". I just wish it had a 3rd XLR that bypasses the FX Loop and has its own power amp stage for full-blown wet/dry/wet rigging without a splitter and second speaker simulated DI.
The classic wet-dry-wet rigs of the studio musicians in the 80's had just one mono guitar amp. Then they mic'd it with a small mixer and sendt it to the stereo rack effects and into a stereo FRFR system.
I don't know if it's important to have cab sims for the FRFR system. I just use the effects post power amp and I am happy with the results. Of course this might mean that you might need a stereo DI at the end of the chain.
@@johanneschristopherstahle3395 I know that's how they did it back then. I read all the rig diagrams that Guitar World used to print on the last page every month. I'm actually looking to create a more modern, space saving, and neighbor friendly version of that concept. I would still be using the one pre-amp stage. I want to just hand the sound person the three cables and tell them which is left, right, and center.
Nov 1st is coming 😮
Size matters
Noodle cam! This guy has more angles than the Truman show!
@@PooNinja 🤣
This is for People like my brother in law that could not figure out a Positve Grid Spark.
The one thing i dont like about pedal this size....when u hooking up a lot of cables it suddenly takes up big amount of space in the pedalboard. And i dont like using a solderless cable.
😉😎😇
Hm. All those nice amps in a box. Each gets its own (paid) video. From the same great youtubers. All the features explained.
What i need: comparison videos. Went out of fashion somehow, eh?
Maybe do a quarter/halfyearly vid per category and offer companies to buy themselves in?
*Points to my Orange OR15 half stack and mini pedalboard*
THIS is simpler. 🤷♂️😐
Tendrian que ser todos amarillos
Hast also dein Archiv bemüht ...
Just starting the video...just wanna say...TWSS
Seem's Ibanez won't sponsor a video aye Henning? Lol
Ahm… why?
To my ears the distortion sounds crappy. The Reverb is fine and the unit may be useful in a clean sound environment. Overall not really impressed. In any case 400€ is completely overpriced.
Sc100 from orange sounds better through a captor x than this thingy...
Full analog amps sounding distortion is difficult to do. Captor x has digital cab models.
It's so tiny. That's what she said.
Shit! I was gonna say that!!
Not to me, she didn't. Never heard that.
Great job going back to re-evaluate it. This is why people send you stuff. That clean solo you did was really good until you fucked it up.
i assure you i am just as upset that the MK2 is the white one and the DLX is the black one;
as if suffering endless persecution for having evolved in colder climates, for our seemingly shameful preference of preserving social access to food and water, isn't enough.
is it just the men who feel genocided? or do our women realize that they wouldn't exist either if our forbears thingy's had frozen off.
and where the scientific reality is that people of subsaharan descent carry Species Invasive DNA, which is non-feasible to the human species. they breed faster than the food grows, Humans Can Not Be Like That.