We were so excited when we saw your name pop up on the demo list for this module, Michael. You were the first person we suggested when Synergy asked who they could reach out to. As usual, your demo exceeds what we could have even anticipated!
Hi Doctor!!! Thanks so much for the kind words! I was honored to dive into this one! My buddy has been raving about the ZWreck head for a few months the, so it was perfect timing! 😁👍. Love the module! Great design on the Z-Wreck! Killer job!!! Love it!
Funny how everyone releases their new gear demos within minutes of each other, but yours Michael are hands down the best! Hearing these in a song/musical context is infinitely more helpful in making an assessment on whether or not to buy (and the songs always rock!). Keep up the great work!!
Thanks! The manufacturer says we can’t release before XX day and time. I know it ends up being weird when 5 people drop a video on the same thing within the same hour, but it’s much nicer when a manufacturer can get me a product with some time before the launch, so I can get to know it and take my time working on a video. I’m not sure there’s a more effective way to launch a product 🤷🏻♂️
Dr. Z nailed it when he thought you could make it shine. Great video. I got a call from my rep. at Sweetwater and when he told me when they first came out I said send it. Have loved Dr. Z since I heard Brad P and got my Z Wreck Jr. Again great video so many great tones.
I just lost 2 hours of my life from getting inspired by the opening track and grabbing the guitar. Love your tone, riffs, supremely well recorded mix etc. Unit sounds amazing, but i think the secrets in your playing and mixing of a track. Thanks Michael
Oh wow!!!!! That is SO awesome!!! Thanks for sharing that! I had fun with this module. Honestly, I spent a few hours trying to create something in the style of Brad Paisley, but I failed miserably 😂🤣. Then I just went with my gut and made this tune
Ever since Synergy released the single module direct box it's a matter of time before I lose a couple of the ones I got and start building up some modules. I can probably buy two modules for each amp I get rid of. Holy cow, I can get like a whole room back... Thanks for another great demo - it's all Bruce's (Egnater) fault, and I couldn't be happier someone finally did it. Once I have a few modules, that should have cleared up plenty of space for the two-up chassis and a nice power cab (or few).
Haha! Yes! It’s a great way to cover some of those amps that; you want the tone, but don’t need the full blown amp. For me it’s things like Recto and the Vai module. Great to have real tube versions, but I don’t need those 100w heads specifically
Sounded great as always. I've played one Dr Z in my life and it was awesome. I normally play Riveras (which I love) and am used to a zillion options. I once went to an audition and the dude had a Dr Z. I have no idea what model it was, but it was a combo and had no more than 4 knobs. Maybe 3. This must have been 20 yrs ago. I was a guitar player trying out for a bass gig and not being good at bass. No one was gelling and the audition was terrible. When I was done I asked if I could try the dude's DR. Z. He let me, so I plugged his guitar into his amp, and turned it up. It was so awesome I just launched into some riffs. The drummer ran to the drums and the singer ran to the mic and we launched into some Hendrix or something. That amp had everyone, except the guitar player who owned it smiling. Nothing ever came out of that audition except for my appreciation of DR Z amps.
Michael is my favorite Pete Thorn impersonator - and I mean this with the highest respect! Great, original songs in the beginning, no BS talk, just pure musicality and tones. T O N E S. The Z Wreck is on my list. Cheers from Germany.
Kickass tones/playing/writing as always! I’ve been thinking about a z wreck or wreck jr head for awhile now. I haven’t jumped into the synergy stuff yet, but this sounds great.
Hi Mike. Thanks!!!! Yeah, this module is killer, I really need to try a ZWreck head now. I heard they are LOUD, so ultimately, maybe the module is a more flexible way to go 🤔
I power my Syn-2 with the same MosValve power amp Jerry Cantrell used and it's AMAZING. Synergy definitely lacks in Vox tones, so this is a welcome addition.
Actually they released a Morgan AC module when they launched. I have one and it sounds really good too. Goes also from Vox clean to a thick hard rock tone (think cranked Vox Brian May style).
@@jcugnoni The Morgan AC is not a Vox module, thanks to Joe Morgan's dislike of various Vox characteristics. I managed to find a used Salvation Audio MatchVox 2.0 after years of Synergy not releasing a proper Vox module akin to their BMAN, Plexi, T/DLX ("T" for twin rather than tweed), and 800 modules (People really sleep on the 800 module.).
@@RobstafarianThanks for the info. But it seems much more versatile than a Vox at least but I haven't found a schematic to see in more details. But it shares some characteristics that I usually associate with Vox tones at least to my ears. PS: i would love to find a 800 module but it is very hard to find around here..
I have a Randall one, and I also have a not-so -known one by Rocktron: the Vendetta. Does 4 modules. You can sync 2 Syn2s together I believe. Edit to add: I always wanted the Egnater M4. Does 4 modules and channel switching on the modules. They sell for a pretty penny nowadays when you can find one.
I would rather have a pair of SYN-2's for blending sounds (or wet/dry) with four channels per side. My speed is more small and light, hence my anticipation for the upcoming SYN-20IR lunchbox.
@@Robstafarian that’s funny…because idk if it was Randall or Egnater but somebody made exactly what you are talking about. It had like 20 modules. And it wasn’t just a storage rack for modules. It was a functioning idk like 14-20 module preamp. Idk if maybe Billy Corgan had one. If you search, maybe you’ll find it. I think I saw it on the old HRI forum years ago.
The tune reminds me of Nuno Bettencourt's Schizophonic album. Sounds great, especially for pushed edge of breakup sounds. Rack units and modelers are usually bad at those sounds, so it's cool to hear them in this format.
Thanks. That was essentially 2 tracks. They both were playing the same part. One cleaner, and one dirtier. One of the parts is getting an extreme tremolo in time with the track. I did that, in this case, with SoundToys Tremolator plugin, inside the DAW session (Logic). Then it’s perfectly locked in time. I like this kind of doubling because you get the effect and also the part sings through.
Hi Fredy. Sorry, no. I don't do any new release amps. I know there's lots of people that do, but it seems a little damaging to the industry (IMHO) when people do that. I try to stick to 20+ year old amps or things that are no longer available.
Hey Mike love the stuff! I'm in the market for either purchasing a Synergy or amp modeler (effects aren't the deciding factor to me). Is there any key differences between the Synergy and (insert modeler name here) that you would point out? I don't need a thousand different amps just a few really good ones, thanks!
Hi. Thanks!!! I’m a believer in tube / analog tone. Digital is good too, but I prefer the feel and extra complexity of analog signal path. Or… that clarify, I like at least a core component of my tone to be generated by the analog tube signal path. So something like Synergy or IRX would be my preferred option. Right now I’m using the Astro20 by Soldano. Tube amp but I can go straight to the PA if I need to with the digital back end. Best of both worlds there
An important distinction between Synergy and modelers is that Synergy modules can be used like amps, while modelers have an input limit and an entire subsystem meant to balance the modeler's response to the guitar's output (including making weak pickups trigger the modeler as though they were stronger). I want to plug into an amp and play without extra concerns that using one of my wiring schemes might throw off the modeler's levels or even overload the input. Clipping the input of a modeler is a problem: clipping the input of a tube amp is rock. As an aside, I worry that there is a financial incentive for modelers to make "good sounds" which do not reflect the guitar being played and possibly even nuances of playing technique. Whereas some tube amps are "easier to play" thanks to compression, they cannot change the physics which determine how a guitar sounds with a particular rig setup (including knob positions). Modelers have the potential to turn guitar playing into a power fantasy akin to video games, and I strongly doubt that a majority of guitarists would reject a modeler which made them sound like better musicians.
That’s what I was thinking when I was hearing it for the first time, but I figured it was totally unconscious because Michael is always very creative with what he does.
I'm a bit confused with the purpose of the 0 watt power amp in a situation where you're feeding the output into an actual power amp. It seems like it would be great for direct recording from the module, but wouldn't it be doubling up on the power amp (sonically speaking) otherwise?
Traditionally the biggest complaints with preamps has been that “they don’t feel like an amp”. That can be true if you don’t drive into a tube power amp with the right gain staging. So this is one step closer to adding another layer of amp like feel and tone by adding actual amp behavior to the preamp module.
@@BigHairyGuitars No doubt, but I'm thinking more of the situation where you're feeding the output of the Synergy into an actual power amp. In comparison, something like the Friedman IR-X has an output that includes power amp simulation, and an output that doesn't include the power amp simulation for when you want to go into an actual power amp.
@@CJ_Wolesz The Friedman IR-X's power-amp simulation is largely about EQ, because Friedman power amps typically include negative feedback, though there could also be some algorithm which interacts with impulse responses to mimic damping relative to a speaker's impedance curve. Synergy's new "zero-watt power amp" is more about driving a faux phase inverter, as in a cranked amp which does not have a master volume, and sending the result of that drive to whatever power amp is used.
Interesting. I’ve never used the actual amp, but I have used other DR Z amps, and it reminded me of them. The way they have super fast attack and sort of a Class A power feeling. Rich harmonics but not super thick tones. Maybe I could have dialed it in thicker, but I really loved the clarity and richness it was giving me.
We were so excited when we saw your name pop up on the demo list for this module, Michael. You were the first person we suggested when Synergy asked who they could reach out to. As usual, your demo exceeds what we could have even anticipated!
Hi Doctor!!! Thanks so much for the kind words! I was honored to dive into this one!
My buddy has been raving about the ZWreck head for a few months the, so it was perfect timing! 😁👍. Love the module! Great design on the Z-Wreck! Killer job!!! Love it!
They should do the CAZ 45 module so that Dr Z can offer a high gain module🤘
@@MK-oz2lf I totally agree. Great demo as usual.
Funny how everyone releases their new gear demos within minutes of each other, but yours Michael are hands down the best! Hearing these in a song/musical context is infinitely more helpful in making an assessment on whether or not to buy (and the songs always rock!). Keep up the great work!!
Thanks! The manufacturer says we can’t release before XX day and time. I know it ends up being weird when 5 people drop a video on the same thing within the same hour, but it’s much nicer when a manufacturer can get me a product with some time before the launch, so I can get to know it and take my time working on a video. I’m not sure there’s a more effective way to launch a product 🤷🏻♂️
Wow! This is the first synergy product that interests me. Nice work, Dr Z!
Cool. Yeah, this is a great pairing!
Don't forget Bruce Egnater!
Dr. Z nailed it when he thought you could make it shine. Great video. I got a call from my rep. at Sweetwater and when he told me when they first came out I said send it. Have loved Dr. Z since I heard Brad P and got my Z Wreck Jr. Again great video so many great tones.
I just lost 2 hours of my life from getting inspired by the opening track and grabbing the guitar. Love your tone, riffs, supremely well recorded mix etc. Unit sounds amazing, but i think the secrets in your playing and mixing of a track. Thanks Michael
tone reminds me of The Smiths guitarist.
Oh wow!!!!! That is SO awesome!!! Thanks for sharing that! I had fun with this module. Honestly, I spent a few hours trying to create something in the style of Brad Paisley, but I failed miserably 😂🤣. Then I just went with my gut and made this tune
As usual fantastic playing and awesome intro Michael, never been a Vox amp guy but that module has so much versatility. Very cool!
Thanks! The ZWreck is great for getting box vibes for non-Vox people. I would fall into that category as well.
....30 seconds in and it sounds amazing.
Thanks. Loving this module!
Love you tunes man!!!!
Ever since Synergy released the single module direct box it's a matter of time before I lose a couple of the ones I got and start building up some modules. I can probably buy two modules for each amp I get rid of. Holy cow, I can get like a whole room back...
Thanks for another great demo - it's all Bruce's (Egnater) fault, and I couldn't be happier someone finally did it. Once I have a few modules, that should have cleared up plenty of space for the two-up chassis and a nice power cab (or few).
Haha! Yes! It’s a great way to cover some of those amps that; you want the tone, but don’t need the full blown amp. For me it’s things like Recto and the Vai module. Great to have real tube versions, but I don’t need those 100w heads specifically
Sounded great as always. I've played one Dr Z in my life and it was awesome. I normally play Riveras (which I love) and am used to a zillion options. I once went to an audition and the dude had a Dr Z. I have no idea what model it was, but it was a combo and had no more than 4 knobs. Maybe 3. This must have been 20 yrs ago. I was a guitar player trying out for a bass gig and not being good at bass. No one was gelling and the audition was terrible. When I was done I asked if I could try the dude's DR. Z. He let me, so I plugged his guitar into his amp, and turned it up. It was so awesome I just launched into some riffs. The drummer ran to the drums and the singer ran to the mic and we launched into some Hendrix or something. That amp had everyone, except the guitar player who owned it smiling. Nothing ever came out of that audition except for my appreciation of DR Z amps.
That’s awesome!!!
One of the best preamps I have heard in a long time. Great to get a Vox style clean, and dirty sound that doesn't flub out!
Totally! 👍👍
...and when Michael whipped out the LP and hit few chords I was sold...
That fatness of the LP brought a nice balance to the Z Wreck. Nice combination indeed!
@@BigHairyGuitarsit really sounded so sweet
Verrryy niiiice !! Your demos are always mighty good. And the module seem very versatile too... Synergy and Dr Z nailed it!
Thanks JC!!!! Yeah, this module is killer
This is perfect for 90s YES coverage
Trevor is the master of those clear punchy edge of breakup tones. Just need to throw a compressor into the mix and you’re good
Awesome as usual! I can hear Live and Let die and the James Bond theme song mixed into all this wonderful goodness.
Thanks! Coooool! I wasn’t thinking that, but I love it
Yes! I've been waiting for them to officially show this sucker off!
Yes! I think this is one of THE best Synergy modules. Definitely ups the game in the low and mid gain category
Commenting immediately after hearing the intro track: you're fantastic and make every unit sound better than any manufacturer could ever dream.
Wow ☺️! Thanks Johnny that is too kind! Thank you for watching and listening!!!
Michael is my favorite Pete Thorn impersonator - and I mean this with the highest respect! Great, original songs in the beginning, no BS talk, just pure musicality and tones. T O N E S. The Z Wreck is on my list. Cheers from Germany.
@shorerocks
"Pete Thorn Impersonator"?
Pete is the original at doing what exactly?
Kickass tones/playing/writing as always!
I’ve been thinking about a z wreck or wreck jr head for awhile now. I haven’t jumped into the synergy stuff yet, but this sounds great.
Hi Mike. Thanks!!!! Yeah, this module is killer, I really need to try a ZWreck head now. I heard they are LOUD, so ultimately, maybe the module is a more flexible way to go 🤔
@@BigHairyGuitars you need the Z wreck AND the Z wreck jr heads so you can do a shootout for us 😈
Always a good thing to have one of your video (and song) to start the day! 😊
☺️ thanks Dan!
Fantastic tone and player!! I think I have the same tray table set 😂
Haha! IKEA special 🤣🤣🤘👍
I power my Syn-2 with the same MosValve power amp Jerry Cantrell used and it's AMAZING. Synergy definitely lacks in Vox tones, so this is a welcome addition.
Actually they released a Morgan AC module when they launched. I have one and it sounds really good too. Goes also from Vox clean to a thick hard rock tone (think cranked Vox Brian May style).
Niiiiiiice!
I can remember if I’ve tried the Morgan. But it’s definitely nice to have some Vox-y options
@@jcugnoni The Morgan AC is not a Vox module, thanks to Joe Morgan's dislike of various Vox characteristics. I managed to find a used Salvation Audio MatchVox 2.0 after years of Synergy not releasing a proper Vox module akin to their BMAN, Plexi, T/DLX ("T" for twin rather than tweed), and 800 modules (People really sleep on the 800 module.).
@@RobstafarianThanks for the info. But it seems much more versatile than a Vox at least but I haven't found a schematic to see in more details. But it shares some characteristics that I usually associate with Vox tones at least to my ears. PS: i would love to find a 800 module but it is very hard to find around here..
Yet another awesome intro track.
Thanks man!
They need to make a 4 mod rack unit. Kind of like the Randall one.
That would be cool, but even still I think you can daisy chain the SYN2 to work like that
I have a Randall one, and I also have a not-so -known one by Rocktron: the Vendetta. Does 4 modules.
You can sync 2 Syn2s together I believe.
Edit to add: I always wanted the Egnater M4. Does 4 modules and channel switching on the modules.
They sell for a pretty penny nowadays when you can find one.
I would rather have a pair of SYN-2's for blending sounds (or wet/dry) with four channels per side. My speed is more small and light, hence my anticipation for the upcoming SYN-20IR lunchbox.
@@Robstafarian that’s funny…because idk if it was Randall or Egnater but somebody made exactly what you are talking about. It had like 20 modules. And it wasn’t just a storage rack for modules. It was a functioning idk like 14-20 module preamp. Idk if maybe Billy Corgan had one.
If you search, maybe you’ll find it. I think I saw it on the old HRI forum years ago.
Opening reminded me of some early 2000's video game music with some spy scenario going on
Nice! That's probably in my DNA and always comes out. :)
No One Lives Forever?
The tune reminds me of Nuno Bettencourt's Schizophonic album. Sounds great, especially for pushed edge of breakup sounds. Rack units and modelers are usually bad at those sounds, so it's cool to hear them in this format.
You know... I've never actually listened to that album. Gonna do that today! Thanks!
@@BigHairyGuitars Right on! I'd love to hear your opinion of it.
They should do the CAZ 45 module so that Dr Z can offer a high gain module 🤘
Nice one!
Thank you! Cheers Angus!
Nice demo as usual Michael . We’re you using a tremolo ( fast speed ) ? Sounded very cool !
Thanks. That was essentially 2 tracks. They both were playing the same part. One cleaner, and one dirtier. One of the parts is getting an extreme tremolo in time with the track. I did that, in this case, with SoundToys Tremolator plugin, inside the DAW session (Logic). Then it’s perfectly locked in time. I like this kind of doubling because you get the effect and also the part sings through.
Hey Michael, will you release Tonex DI profile from the Syngery Preamp ? That would be awesome
Hi Fredy. Sorry, no. I don't do any new release amps. I know there's lots of people that do, but it seems a little damaging to the industry (IMHO) when people do that. I try to stick to 20+ year old amps or things that are no longer available.
🤘😎🤘
Michael, again you are so good with intro music. I need some of that phrasing to rub off on me. You need to do some lessons on that!
Ahhhh thanks Brax!!!! 🤘
I hear a nod to Planet Telex @1:20
Hey Mike love the stuff! I'm in the market for either purchasing a Synergy or amp modeler (effects aren't the deciding factor to me). Is there any key differences between the Synergy and (insert modeler name here) that you would point out? I don't need a thousand different amps just a few really good ones, thanks!
Hi. Thanks!!! I’m a believer in tube / analog tone. Digital is good too, but I prefer the feel and extra complexity of analog signal path. Or… that clarify, I like at least a core component of my tone to be generated by the analog tube signal path. So something like Synergy or IRX would be my preferred option.
Right now I’m using the Astro20 by Soldano. Tube amp but I can go straight to the PA if I need to with the digital back end. Best of both worlds there
@@BigHairyGuitars Awesome thanks so much for the reply! Keep on rocking!
An important distinction between Synergy and modelers is that Synergy modules can be used like amps, while modelers have an input limit and an entire subsystem meant to balance the modeler's response to the guitar's output (including making weak pickups trigger the modeler as though they were stronger). I want to plug into an amp and play without extra concerns that using one of my wiring schemes might throw off the modeler's levels or even overload the input. Clipping the input of a modeler is a problem: clipping the input of a tube amp is rock.
As an aside, I worry that there is a financial incentive for modelers to make "good sounds" which do not reflect the guitar being played and possibly even nuances of playing technique. Whereas some tube amps are "easier to play" thanks to compression, they cannot change the physics which determine how a guitar sounds with a particular rig setup (including knob positions). Modelers have the potential to turn guitar playing into a power fantasy akin to video games, and I strongly doubt that a majority of guitarists would reject a modeler which made them sound like better musicians.
Bastards! How am I going to resist this one?
Ohhhhhhhh it’s a good’un
Again Michael…WHERE’S THE ALBUM??🤘🤘🤘
I hear a very cool version of Hells Bells...
I wasn’t thinking that, but yeah, now I totally hear it 🤣🤘
@@BigHairyGuitars It's a good thing when our influences come out in our playing, especially when we're not thinking about it...💯
That’s what I was thinking when I was hearing it for the first time, but I figured it was totally unconscious because Michael is always very creative with what he does.
@@dangolguitartech Oh you heard it too! 🤔. Interesting!
Will this work in a Randall RM4?
I believe so. But you’ll only have access to 1 channel. I’d check with Synergy support to be sure
I'm a bit confused with the purpose of the 0 watt power amp in a situation where you're feeding the output into an actual power amp. It seems like it would be great for direct recording from the module, but wouldn't it be doubling up on the power amp (sonically speaking) otherwise?
It's the same concept as using a power station - like attenuator, you can push the poweramp into distortion and then reamp it with the power station
It's to get poweramp feel and sag without actually making the signal louder like an amp would. Thus 0w. As in no watts.
Traditionally the biggest complaints with preamps has been that “they don’t feel like an amp”. That can be true if you don’t drive into a tube power amp with the right gain staging. So this is one step closer to adding another layer of amp like feel and tone by adding actual amp behavior to the preamp module.
@@BigHairyGuitars No doubt, but I'm thinking more of the situation where you're feeding the output of the Synergy into an actual power amp. In comparison, something like the Friedman IR-X has an output that includes power amp simulation, and an output that doesn't include the power amp simulation for when you want to go into an actual power amp.
@@CJ_Wolesz The Friedman IR-X's power-amp simulation is largely about EQ, because Friedman power amps typically include negative feedback, though there could also be some algorithm which interacts with impulse responses to mimic damping relative to a speaker's impedance curve. Synergy's new "zero-watt power amp" is more about driving a faux phase inverter, as in a cranked amp which does not have a master volume, and sending the result of that drive to whatever power amp is used.
Saw a Train wreck amp.on reverb for if I'm remembering correctly $55,000.
Daaaaaang
Nice playing! But I think the sound is a little thin. Not bad, just thinner than I'd like. Pretty good in the mix, just thin...
Just like the actual amp.
Interesting. I’ve never used the actual amp, but I have used other DR Z amps, and it reminded me of them. The way they have super fast attack and sort of a Class A power feeling. Rich harmonics but not super thick tones. Maybe I could have dialed it in thicker, but I really loved the clarity and richness it was giving me.
@@BigHairyGuitars , I can definitely see how it would be good for country artists. Good for twang...
Synergy aint it.
It is if you don't want to spend 3k on an amp.
Yeah. Plus this module and match it up with something like a BEDLX or Dirty Shirley module in Syn2 and you’ll have SO much range covered.
@@BigHairyGuitars Synergy isn't full bodied
@@internetmoney221 Great ear if you can tell that thru the YT compression.
@@ultravirez No, from first hand and ear experience