Is anyone still happy with their Iridium?

grungebob Frets: 3613
12 Dec, 2024
I’m still very much a novice on this digital journey. 
Started out with headrush MX5, then Pod Go with a short dabble with a headrush gigboard all into either the power section of a valve combo or into a headrush FR08. 
Currently I’m using a Tonex One and very happy most days with the results. 

I’ve got a small pot of money to use and I’m potentially thinking about an Iridium. 

I like the simple nature of it and the physical knobs and buttons approach.  
Are people who have them still using or have their heads been turned by the next great thing etc?

the pro’s of the tonex are many, I like how small it is and I’ve a few patches that sound great , however throw some pedals at it and most patches seem to handle them badly. Also sometimes I think a patch might need a boost of presence but I’d need to connect up the PC to do that. 

The iridium seems very much simpler and the sounds seem good (except the punch channel seems a little lacking). 
I could get the larger Tonex pedal and maybe that would allow me to tweak other parameters etc, but the point of me buying the One pedal was to stop me tweaking!!

I could get the nano cortex I guess but would that be any better or I’ve eyed up the Friedman IR-X pedals as most of the patches I end up on the tonex are Friedman models. Some videos of those though can sound a bit fizzy. 

The choice etc is driving me mad lol. 
Is going after the iridium a backwards step? Is going full tonex adding to my tweaking waste of time.  Would an IR-X lock me too much to just one tonal palette?

Comments
spev11 Frets: 526
12 Dec, 2024
I don’t have an Iridium but it was on my list along with the TONEX, UAFX dream 65, a couple of the tc ones , nux amp academy and the two notes revolt.
i spent months trying to decide if TONEX was for me , I tried the desktop app and ultimately found it too frustrating and too many options ( for me). Amp academy came next, very good, but really needed the app to get the best out of it. In the end I settled for the revolt and so far I’m loving it.
chrisj1602 Frets: 4254
12 Dec, 2024
I don’t have mine anymore, but if I was going to be digital again it’s probably what I’d get. It was simple and just worked.
Lebarque Frets: 4235
12 Dec, 2024
I'd be looking at one of the Universal Audio pedals unless you need several amps in one.
susbemol Frets: 483
12 Dec, 2024
If you're into Deluxe Reverb sounds, I'd suggest checking out the TC Electronic Combo Deluxe 65. Tbf, it does need the latest update to sound the best but this is very simple to do.

It is the cheapest of the lot offering the same WYSIWYG format as the Iridium and it works considerably better than the Dream 65 imho.

I have owned all of them but the TC seems to be a keeper for me because of it has enough clean headroom (unlike the Dream 65) and works well with pedals.
I had an iridium a while ago. Returned it because it was very noisy (& not in a good way). 
grungebob Frets: 3613
12 Dec, 2024
Thanks guys, 

@spev11 i hadn’t heard of the revolt. Looks very interesting.
richardhomer Frets: 25136
12 Dec, 2024
I had one and sold it - and then bought another.

The attraction is clearly the amp-like simplicity of it - how it compares to more recent alternatives sonically, I don’t know. What I’ve found makes a really significant improvement is 3rd party IRs.

I bought the York Audio Deluxe Reverb pack and the difference between the 57/121 mix vs the factory 1x12 IR is ‘really’ noticeable. For me, it changed a rather bland, compressed sounding facsimile of a Fender amp into something a whole lot more convincing.

I also like the YA Mesa Vintage 30 57/121 mix on the Marshall model - though ultimately I think that is the weakest point of the unit. Certainly the Friedman IR D (loaded with the same IR) is in a different league - though to be fair, the front end of IR D is analogue/valve.
spev11 Frets: 526
12 Dec, 2024
I really like the Revolt, lots of reviews complain that you can't load IR's but that keeps the price a little lower. If I connect it to my Mac then I use the IR loader in the DAW anyway. Otherwise its currently running into either my EHX5mm power amp and then on to one of my cabs or its goes in the Return of the loop on the Orange Crush 60 so personally its not a problem. 
 If someone were mental enough to let me make noise in front of punters then i'd just get an IR loader like the mooer one or make do with the single one built in (it sounds fine to my ears)
The key to the Iridium is 3rd party IR's. They really enhance what is already a good unit. I always preferred the York Audio IR's with it. As far as the amps on the unit I only ever used the punch. It's dynamic and touch sensitive enough to do everything from the guitar for rhythm stuff. Hit it with a tube screamer style pedal in front for leads.

I ran a pseudo Wet / Dry / Wet direct home setup with mine. I ran the left output on the Iridium direct to my mixer, then the right output to a NUX Atlantic Delay / Reverb in kill dry mode, then out of the Atlantic to a stereo channel on my mixer. So I could blend in the reverb / delay to taste on the mixer. I listened back through studio monitors. It sounded pretty epic running it this way.

Forgot to say I only got rid of mine to move onto 'bigger and better' things. Currently using a Kemper Stage just for the additional effects and the inputs and outputs.
I won't lie, I'd already forgotten about the Iridium! I'm sure it's a great unit but the UAFX ones appeal more to my use-cases, so that's probably where I'd start today - the Ruby '63 in particular.

https://www.uaudio.com/guitar-pedals/ruby-63-top-boost-amplifier.html
I had an Iridium and didn't enjoy any of the sounds (stock IRs). I had an IR-2 and some York IRs, liked it more, but still not an enjoyable playing experience. Now I have a full fat Tonex with Amalgam amp/cab captures and I've stopped looking.  Nice to play through and sounds good. I only use the pedal. The software is only touched if there's a pedal firmware update needed. 
stickyfiddle Frets: 29583
13 Dec, 2024
I got one in a trade. I Wouldn’t have sought it out because I already have a couple of amps, THR and HX Stomp.  But it’s a useful and good sounding bit of kit