Synergy modular thread

[Kelly]

(We were just talking about Synergy being an ill-fit on the Amps and Cabs forum because it didn't fit the two common topics "How do I get EVH tone" or "My 2 watt amp is too loud." Now we're getting one of them right at least. )

I'm not sure when the 800 really started to get used a lot. I used to think the 800 was the sound I was chasing (having never played one) but later found that a lot of the sounds I loved on recordings weren't the 800 at all. They were late 60s and 70s Marshalls.

This explained why I never bonded with any models of 800's and didn't care for amps I built with an 800 preamp in them. It was the wrong amp.

For me, the BE has the voicing right for 80's hard rock- I'd include the late 70's VH1 in that because I just think Ed was early to the show. I'm not sure what the notable differences are between the BE/Plexi/800. The BE doesn't have the blendable channels of the Plexi and has that in common with the 800. I think it rolls of the lows more than an 800 does, so maybe that simulate the bright channel of a Plexi blended with the normal channel.

Can somebody point me at some stuff known to be recorded with an 800?

Ozzys first two albums with zakk wylde
Megadeths rust in piece
Most anthrax and slayer stuff

 

[chrishurley]

Ozzys first two albums with zakk wylde
Megadeths rust in piece
Most anthrax and slayer stuff

I enjoyed the early Zakk stuff, even through the mysterious tonal haze of non-live CBS recordings of the time.

 

[thechamp]

All the synergy modules are over the top gain so definitely expect the 800 to go into 80s hard rock

 

[rumbletone]

Ozzys first two albums with zakk wylde
Megadeths rust in piece
Most anthrax and slayer stuff

Sure, but none of those are guitar->JCM800. All of them were using distortion/ODs in front and sometimes high output pickups. I agree that a JCM800 is a great starting point for 80s hard rock and metal tones, but it’s not getting those high gain tones without some serious boosting up front - which perhaps is why some players are surprised when they first plug into a JCM800 - or the Synergy module - and don’t sound like late 80s metal ...

 

[thechamp]

Sure, but none of those are guitar->JCM800. All of them were using distortion/ODs in front and sometimes high output pickups. I agree that a JCM800 is a great starting point for 80s hard rock and metal tones, but it’s not getting those high gain tones without some serious boosting up front - which perhaps is why some players are surprised when they first plug into a JCM800 - or the Synergy module - and don’t sound like late 80s metal ...

You can certainly get 80s metal with the 800 module, a Duncan JB or dimarzio SD into a Celestion speaker. Ive found the recent posts here confusing and showing a failure of communication.

 

[RMosack]

You can certainly get 80s metal with the 800 module, a Duncan JB or dimarzio SD into a Celestion speaker. Ive found the recent posts here confusing and showing a failure of communication.

Ha ha. There’s definitely been a failure of communication.

I think it was you that said that the 800 module wasn’t period correct. That wasn’t clear. When asked for clarity, you made a snarky comment that you were clear because you had said it wasn’t a late ‘70s tone. LOL. That made no sense, since the JCM line was introduced in 1981.

You then doubled down by stating that the BBBE gets that Brown sound that the 800 can’t. More evidence that the 800 isn’t period correct. Makes no sense again, since the Brown Sound was not an 800.

So yeah, there has definitely been some failure of communication!

Anyway, back to our regular Synergy programming.

 

[thechamp]

Ha ha. There’s definitely been a failure of communication.

I think it was you that said that the 800 module wasn’t period correct. That wasn’t clear. When asked for clarity, you made a snarky comment that you were clear because you had said it wasn’t a late ‘70s tone. LOL. That made no sense, since the JCM line was introduced in 1981.

You then doubled down by stating that the BBBE gets that Brown sound that the 800 can’t. More evidence that the 800 isn’t period correct. Makes no sense again, since the Brown Sound was not an 800.

So yeah, there has definitely been some failure of communication!

Anyway, back to our regular Synergy programming.

Read my comments closer. I did NOT say it wasn’t period correct for 80s hard rock. I CLEARLY said it wasn’t period correct for 70s tonalities like Thin Lizzy and Van Halen. Apologize afterwards.

 

[thechamp]

Maybe the term “period correct” was too much for some of y’all. Exceeded computing power

 

[Screwball]

someone mentioned the “brown sound” and the thread **** the bed. Happens every time

 

[RMosack]

Read my comments closer. I did NOT say it wasn’t period correct for 80s hard rock. I CLEARLY said it wasn’t period correct for 70s tonalities like Thin Lizzy and Van Halen. Apologize afterwards.

You are missing the point. Saying the 800 module isn’t period correct implies that somehow Synergy missed the mark in creating it. Like the module doesn’t sound like the old JCM 800 amp series. But the 800 module is based on an amp series that started in 1981. So saying it’s not period correct for ‘70s tonalities is silly. It’s not supposed to be!

 

[RMosack]

someone mentioned the “brown sound” and the thread **** the bed. Happens every time

So true.
I think we were doing okay up until somebody started tying in the 800 module to the Brown Sound.

We should hopefully be okay discussing how the various Plexi-inspired modules cover the Brown Sound. I’d certainly like to know. And I promise to not expect the 800 module to be in that particular discussion!

So all that said, I’m guessing that the Friedman BE module and the red channel of the BBBE should be good for that. I’d really love to know how much they differ or have “more” than the red channel of the Plexi module.

 

[thechamp]

You are missing the point. Saying the 800 module isn’t period correct implies that somehow Synergy missed the mark in creating it. Like the module doesn’t sound like the old JCM 800 amp series. But the 800 module is based on an amp series that started in 1981. So saying it’s not period correct for ‘70s tonalities is silly. It’s not supposed to be!

No buddy. You are wrong. I never stated that the 800 is less than the awesome sound it is, I said I wanted a late 70s sound and a more modern sound so I’ll be keeping a SLO and a BBBE and ditch the 800. I was clear and others have muddled this discussion

 

[Jerrod]

 

[Serious Poo]

Jesus, I feel like I just woke up & found myself back in elementary school.

FWIW, the preamp that gets closest to the 80’s metal sound that I’ve personally ever played through is the Engl e530. The Metropoulos gets close, but only after some serious EQ tweaking.

 

[chrishurley]

Maybe the term “period correct” was too much for some of y’all. Exceeded computing power

thats really unnecessary.

 

[Coalface1971]

Jesus, I feel like I just woke up & found myself back in elementary school.

FWIW, the preamp that gets closest to the 80’s metal sound that I’ve personally ever played through is the Engl e530. The Metropoulos gets close, but only after some serious EQ tweaking.

Right on, SP. What makes the "Rack Space" a pretty good sub-forum, is we seem to avoid all of the childish ******** compared to other child (pardon the pun) boards at TPG.

Actually enjoy coming here as much as ol' HRI, and there's less talk about Landau's Micro Pitch settings!

 

[RMosack]

I bought my SYN-1 and first modules to “add Marshall channels” to my Mesa Mark V. But now that I have a couple modules, and am looking at more, I’m thinking on switching to the SYN-2.

But what to do with that SYN-1?

On a whim, I hooked it up to my Roland JC-40. I wondered how weird it would be to have a tube preamp feeding that 40 watt power section. What the heck, it works okay. Who knew! I had to flip it down the the lower level setting in the back (higher works with the Mesa). But the AC module and Plexi module both added a tube amp type thing to the JC.

Big surprise to me was the Reverb and Chorus are both after the effects loop, so they are both available with the Synergy module engaged. I should have guessed that, since the loop is mono or stereo. But it’s pretty cool to have an instant chorus AC sound added to the built in super clean. Opens up a whole new world for me of what to do with the Synergy stuff. Makes the JC an actual channel switched.

Now, I’m wondering what Synergy extra channels would be cool to add to that JC for a simple, lightweight, 40 watt versatile amp. The OS and Vai modules come to mind for the versatility (leaving the Vox and Marshall stuff for the Mark V).

 

[thechamp]

I bought my SYN-1 and first modules to “add Marshall channels” to my Mesa Mark V. But now that I have a couple modules, and am looking at more, I’m thinking on switching to the SYN-2.

But what to do with that SYN-1?

On a whim, I hooked it up to my Roland JC-40. I wondered how weird it would be to have a tube preamp feeding that 40 watt power section. What the heck, it works okay. Who knew! I had to flip it down the the lower level setting in the back (higher works with the Mesa). But the AC module and Plexi module both added a tube amp type thing to the JC.

Big surprise to me was the Reverb and Chorus are both after the effects loop, so they are both available with the Synergy module engaged. I should have guessed that, since the loop is mono or stereo. But it’s pretty cool to have an instant chorus AC sound added to the built in super clean. Opens up a whole new world for me of what to do with the Synergy stuff. Makes the JC an actual channel switched.

Now, I’m wondering what Synergy extra channels would be cool to add to that JC for a simple, lightweight, 40 watt versatile amp. The OS and Vai modules come to mind for the versatility (leaving the Vox and Marshall stuff for the Mark V).

Hard to imagine the speakers in a Roland JC would mate well with any of the modules. Morgan AC and ODS sound like the ones that might work okay

 

[RMosack]

Hard to imagine the speakers in a Roland JC would mate well with any of the modules. Morgan AC and ODS sound like the ones that might work okay

I think we are on the same page here. I like the idea of adding the heavier and/or British channels to my Mesa. Seems like a good fit. The ODS, which I don't own, seems like a way of adding a fatter flavor of "jazz" to the Jazz Chorus amp.

But I have zero delusional expectations that the two ten inch speakers and solid state power section are going to be transformed into some kind of rock beast. I just think maybe there's a way to add a nice, warm gain alternative to the pristine cleans it has.

If it works, I'll sell all my Zendrive pedals and the module would seem free.

 

[RMosack]

Took another step into the Synergy pool over the weekend. I decided to buy a SYN-2 to allow two modules for four extra channels for the Mark V. The SYN-1 will go with the JC-40 to add a tube alternative to that amp (or I might just sell it).

So at the moment, I have to decide what to do. I currently only have the AC module and the Plexi module. I definitely want the Plexi module with the Mark V. But unsure of what to do with the second spot of the SYN-2 and the open spot in the SYN-1.

Modules:
- Plexi module
- AC module
- ???

Mark V with SYN-2:
- Plexi in one spot
- ??? in second spot (either AC or something else)

JC-40 with SYN-1:
- ??? (either AC or something else)

If the AC sounds good with the JC-40, then I'll look for what to do with the second hole in the SYN-2 for the Mesa. In that case, I will look for another module for the Mesa.

If the AC isn't great with the JC-40, then I'll probably leave it in the SYN-2 with the Plexi for the Mesa.