Friedman IR-X Esivahvistin/räkki-vahvistin

My overall impression is generally positive. IR-X sounds and reacts as a real amp because this is what it exactly is. The clean channel stays clean until gain at 9 o’clock and then it starts biting. The volume level of the clean channel is lower than that of the dirty channel, but it can be compensated by the use of the boost option, provided that you regulate properly the value of boost gain by the means of the side trim pots, if you don’t want too much gain. The dirty channel is of course more gainy. By activating the boost and stacking an overdrive pedal in front, the IR-X can do really warm tube distortion. However stacking external overdrive pedals needs careful treatment as the noise floor increases. In general it is a quite pedal if grounded properly, e.g. connected to a power amp or tube amp return, that is powered by a built-in power supply with standard IEC cable. It can be connected to the return of a power amp through the send output for taking advantage of power amp coloration. However, if the power amp is too transparent, a better alternative is to use the balanced output which has an always on digital power amp simulation, with a selection of three cab sims per channel, which can be bypassed. Experimentation is required for finding the appropriate option. You can use it also as a power amp and cab sim if you connect an external preamp to its return jack. In the latter case the power amp response is affected by how the volume levels are set for each channel. MIDI support is a welcome feature for increasing control flexibility when used as a part of a larger pedalboard especially in a live situation. The only minor negative issue is the low resistance pots that can be rotated too easily, but not a deal breaker for me. In general, a versatile preamp leaning towards the gainy side of things. Happy with the purchase. Valuable addition to my pedalboard.