Review: Strymon Iridium Pedal

It’s invariably the case that jazz guitarists find themselves humping their own gear from gig to gig. So imagine the benefit of being able to just slip your amp into your coat pocket, relieving all the discomfort of shoulder strain and back pain.

Strymon’s remarkable Iridium pedal is just that baby, effectively negating the need for standalone amplification altogether, whether on stage, where it can be routed straight through the PA. In the studio, where it can be connected directly into a recording interface, or whether it’s just plain practising at home, where all you’ll need is a set of headphones.

And this is only half the story. Built for guitarists looking for maximum flexibility in their sonic output, this compact little pedal is none other than a highly sophisticated amp modelling unit that offers no less than three different iconic tube amp models, each with three complimentary impulse response speaker cabs for each amp type.

The three-amp profiles are selected via a switch to the top face of the unit. ’Round’ is based on a Fender Deluxe Reverb, while ‘chime’ offers a Vox AC30, with the ‘punch’ setting being based on a Marshall Plexi. To the right of this switch is the cab selector switch, which can be set to a, b or c. To the top left of the unit is a Drive knob, while the Level knob is placed to the top right. Beneath these, set across the middle of the front face of the unit from left to right, are the Bass, Middle, Treble and Room knobs. A Favourites foot switch and an on/off foot switch beneath an LED indicator complete the picture. To the rear of the unit there is the power socket and an audio selector switch for mono, stereo and sum, together with one input and two output 1/4 “ jack sockets and an Exp/Midi facility. There is also a usb port for loading your own IR files from a computer using Strymon’s Impulse Manager software. A stereo 1/8th” headphone output is set on the front panel.

In practice, the tonal quality and variety of options within the Iridium’s sonic palette is quite extraordinary. Strymon’s matrix modelling has faithfully captured all the nuances of the three iconic amps and the mic’d cab sounds, added to which, Strymon’s reverb tank algorithm gives super realistic sounding room results for small, medium and large spaces. And it’s all in stereo!

As with all Strymon products, the Iridium comes in a solid, road ready case. At £399, it certainly isn’t cheap, but it’s most definitely unique and considering all that it offers, we would suggest that it is money well spent. So, if you’re looking for the ultimate in portability with authentic classic sounds, try the Iridium.

You’ll be amazed!

Find out more: www.strymon.net