I’m thinking of adding a SYNERGY SYN-2 to the front end of my QC for some better edge of breakup tones. Does anyone have experience with this kind of analog front end with the QC and was it a marked improvement?
This sort of setup could work, but honestly I wouldn’t suggest it as the best option. The QC doesn’t have power amp modeling….so you’ll be kinda stuck with the preamp sound of the synergy….which isn’t actually how an amp would truly sound.
Yes there is the option of a power amp capture, but you’ll have to see if any work the way you’d want. Unless you want to make a capture of a power amp that you like. I understand wanting to use tubes for the preamp sound, but it’s a tricky one for sure.
Right, that’s the challenge I have been trying to wrap my brain around. I could look for or make a capture of something like a Fryette LXII or SYN-5050 with a load box, but I don’t have any of that gear.
I have synergy, both the Syn-1 and the new Syn20-IR. You can use just the preamp but I would suggest always using with a poweramp to get the fullness. I don’t really use it with the QC, more for recording and to have an amp option but the modules are awsome have to say.
Thanks for your perspective @Teatime48. Im curious as it doesn’t say in the SYN20-IR manual, is there a way to bypass the preamp like you can with the SYN-2? I wouldn’t always want to use the preamp of one (I run stereo), and if this were possible I could save a bunch of money by getting two SYN20-IRs and have two modules, being able to switch between the 4 preamp flavors (two per SYN20 with preamps daisy-chained and just bypassing the first or send, and using the power amp stage of each for L/R as a stereo power amp).
So no you can’t bypass the preamp in Syn20-IR, but you can do some routing to make it work, but you may find there’s a bit of latency. Gtr > QC input > FX Send > Syn Input > Synergy Send > QC Return > QC Amp Block / Capture > QC FX (Delay, etc) > QC Output > Synergy FX Return > Synergy Poweramp > Cab / Cab Sim. To switch between QC amp block and the synergy preamp, you can use a scene to bypass the FX block on the QC and switch on the amp block and vice versa. And Bob’s your uncle! I wouldn’t go down the route of getting a Syn1 or Syn2 just to be able to bypass the preamp because you’ll want a separate power amp and it’s just more stuff.
I’ve captured all my Synergy modules and ended up selling the modules because it sounded close enough. The sag control on the SYN1 will give some power amp vibe and I’ve found to work great straight into a cab sim.
I plan to get more modules to capture.
I did a similar thing with a new Friedman IR-D I recently purchased. Works great in front of the QC. Here’s a video where Imtried both approaches (in front and in the F/X Loop): https://youtu.be/LmHT47i62L0
Thanks for the reply @ bendavisSW !
Where do I go (Web link?) to purchase your captures?
Hey @davlav ! Appreciate your post here and I’ve followed/sub’d to your channel for over a year now. I hadn’t seen this vid so thanks, I’ll check it out!
I’m kinda going for a Jack Gardiner medium-gain tone. I’ve actually gotten really close with the Studio Rats Mezzabarba Skill 30 captures (they’re excellent) with a Keeley Muse Driver in front. I’ve tried to downsize by using a QC capture of my Muse Driver but the subtlety and expressivity of dynamics are dissappointing, hence my interest in the SYNERGY modules. I don;t really have the money to buy two Mezza Skill 30s for my stereo rig!
You can grab them here - Neural DSP Technologies - Algorithmically Perfect
I’ve done the Uberschall, Powerball, BE-BB and Plexi modules
Will do! I don’t know if the Z-Wreck is on your list, but that one (due to the power amp phase-inverter section) would be of particular interest I would think for those of us in the modeler world!
If you wanted to use the synergy preamps, why wouldn’t you just buy their unit that houses 2 synergy amps, and hook up your QC using the 4 cable method + midi, and a power amp? It would sound killer!
Sort of defeats the persons original purpose I think. Pretty sure they were just trying to use the Synergy preamp in front of the QC to use as an amp sim, but realistically the best method for the Synergy preamps would be the setup you mentioned.
That was my initial plan, but the SYN5050 is 50 watts per side and I’d love to have something like the SYN20IR which is only 20 watts. As I want stereo, I could do that with two and that would give me two preamps and two amps, but there is no way to bypass the preamp section of the SYN20IR so I can’t just daisy chain them and use MIDI switching to turn them on and off individually. Really, what I’d like is a 20 watt stereo tube power amp with the functionality of the SYN5050 and then I could do the SYN2 preamp and be ready to roll.
A good option for you would be a similar setup to this- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsFlnASwyyI
It would be totally possible to do with any amp setup that has an FX loop.
Yep, that’s actually a great suggestion and perfect solution if I had another set of FX loop on my QC. I have a large pedalboard of external effects that are already taking up that I/O. The new Helix Stadium has twice as many effexts loops so that would fix the issue.
Heah, the only problem with that though is if I do a twin Syn20IR rig it’s about $5300 and if I do a SYN2/5050 rig with the sam modules is’t only $3800 and actually is more flexible. No built in IR, but can still do that with the QC on the way out when not using the amp unless I got a pair of load boxes. Guess I can’t have it all!!