Great review. First of all, finally someone that read the Iridium manual. Nobody, I mean nobody, compared this 2 pedals with the middle all the way to the left on Iridium. And that's how it's supposed to be emulating a Black Face Fender. Otherwise it is a blend of a BF and a Tweed. That way they really sound similar. Now, the thing about the Vibrato controls on the Dream I agree completely. It's horrible to change the knobs then change back, and they are at the wrong positions, etc, etc. The only workaround I'm doing is setting the vibrato in a fixed way and using one of the switches to trigger it on or off. Otherwise, I prefer not to use it. One thing I disagree with you is that the differences between Dream and Iridium are because one modeled the Normal Channel and the other the Vibrato Channel. I mean, sure, that's correct, and the Vibrato Channel does have a bit more gain and a bit more treble. But that's very little, at least on my Deluxe Reverb and all the others I have played. Iridium gets "flatter", with more mids, especially with gain added that's not really the way the Normal Channel would react. In the real Deluxe, it would still be scooped and very similar to the Vibrato Channel. Also, I'm pretty sure that Strymon modeled Iridium with the gain of the amp from 1 to 5. Because a real Deluxe have much more gain than the Strymon pedal, more like the Dream in that regard. And that's to me the difference between those 2 units. Dream is more authentic. Everytime you played I could close my eyes and think "that's a Deluxe Reverb". While Iridium can sound like that in some settings, and can sound like another amplifier. Not better nor worse, but something fendery but not a Fender DR.
Thanks Gus. Appreciate that. Yes you are right, I really should have said they are just completely different animals. One is an actual Deluxe Reverb, and the other is a Blackface homage amp. That probably would make more sense. Thanks for the input! Cheers!
@@SuperdangerStudios Hi, what is the specific york deluxe IR you’ve used on this comparison video. Because I have a york audio DR IR’s too. Hope you share it and looking forward to try it too. Great content, keep it up. Thanks 👍🏻
I just use the multi mic mixes as I get stuck in the weeds and end up way over my head when combining mics! haha. I think I was using mix 3 on this one.
I'm so sick of seeing UA-cam demonstrations of pedals where they don't read the manual and just set everything at 12 o'clock. This is .by far. the best explanation I've seen of these pedals.
This video was so helpful to me as I love my iridium, but came very close to dropping 400 on a dream 65. Already having plenty of different drives and effects, I definitely am happy to have stuck with the Strymon! Thank you
The Iridium has an analog JFET front end that I think makes a huge difference for guitar volume knob work and taking pedals as well as an amp does. The SHARC and ARM processors concentrate on the power amp emulation, they aren't partly dedicated to a bunch of effects. I always record direct and go for guitar straight into amp tones and the Iridium is the best for that. I might buy a backup.
Thanks Aaron! I just recorded another video today and used my blues Jr after I was using the dream and the recordings are so different. So easy to mix the amp tracks compared to the dream.
The Dream sounds much closer to like a real Deluxe to me. The Iridium sounds like a mixed and mastered recording of a Deluxe. You pretty much said that, just saying that was the first thing I noticed
I felt that “I don’t wanna smart anything” rant. I don’t even like saving settings on pedals with that function. Put the knobs in front of me, no hidden secondary function. I don’t want anything stopping me from playing, and if I have to think through secondary functions or scroll through screens or pull out my phone and use Bluetooth (which I hate with a passion) then I’m not playing.
Never used the Iridium before, but currently am using the ACS1 by Walrus Audio (which I feel is more similar than the Dream '65), but from this review I can see why having the Iridium (or ACS1) is more applicable to me personally, I too like my pedalboard and using the Flint too! Videos like this are great for us UA-cam junkies who's eyes are much bigger than our wallet and we get the itch to buy gear without playing it ourselves, thanks for making this video so in-depth!. 👍🏻
Hey Nick, thanks for the thoughtful comment. I wanted people to realize that their pedalboard as it is today is not holding them back! The modelers from the last 3 years are amazing and the Dream pushes the tech further but does not leave anything in the dust. I gotta try that Walrus soon. Cheers!
This is such a great review! Really value the work you put into this. Excellent points on both pedals, and appreciated hearing the pro’s and con’s. Well thought out. Love your channel.
Rusty thanks so much for the kind comment. Big fan of your channel I love your teaching style. I’ve been able to learn a lot from watching some of your Vids. Cheers from a former Chicagoan.
Thanks man, I often use the UA OX live driven by a tube amp (Stapleton signature Princeton) using an OD peddle and the Boss fender '65 reverb peddle. Im a massive fan of what UA is doing. Own a pair of the UA Apollo x8p for my home studio. The Dream is worth looking into for my single coil guitars. A hell of a lot more compact and easy option than beating up my amp and home studio box at outdoor gigs. Appreciate it.
Oh man I love the Stapleton Princeton. I am town between that and a Suhr Hombre in the future. UA is really the top of the game in so many different departments. I think you will love the Dream and what it offers.
@@SuperdangerStudios Been playing with the Dream for the past 2 days. As I ran every single guitar I own through it, I have to say the Gibsons really shine, especially the ES125 from the 50s. The sound's right where it needs to be through the PA compared to my live amp setup. Sounds superb thru a 57 tweed deluxe reissue to give the amp trem and reverb. I'm sold. Love the pedal's versatility and simplicity. So many tones, small package.
"The ceiling is higher on the Iridium" ...You saved me a lot of typing with this perfectly in tune assessment. Musically the Iridium will have more range with pedals, for sure. It will have more room for experimenting. I bought the Dream recently and while i thought it sounded stellar for what it was i sent it back and bought an Iridium,Flint,and Keeley compressor for quasi boost.Very happy now. Another thing to keep in mind is that the blue-tooth on the Dream is the latest gen. so that means that it transmits 120 feet and has NO user interface. No security access whatsoever and you can never turn it off. This means that there is no assurance that it wont be transmitting all of your signals to the local "internet of things network". In other words you have no idea if your music is being picked up by ring cameras and sent to a cloud somewhere and there is no possible way to verify anything anybody says to the contrary. When i contacted UA about turning it off they said "it is always transmitting" and said they were genuinely going to bring it up in a management meeting. The chips in the dream are way overpowered as well, they are of the variety that run the latest smart tv's...in other words internet of things chips. Food for thought anyway. I always have believed a person should have total control over what they buy but then again i was alive before the internet. You make very good videos sir, keep up the good work!
Wow I had no idea about that always on bluetooth. Very interesting. The Dream sounds amazing but same as you, I already have the sounds I need so I am gonna give it away. I agree also about having control over signal transmission on something you bought. It seems like the ethical thing to do right? I am interested to see if the product team addresses the bluetooth thing. Thanks for the kind words. Cheers!
@@SuperdangerStudios agree they should have added an on off switch for the Bluetooth. It’ll not be a serious live tool without that. For studio it’s acceptable.
Excellent video! Some of the ‘unusable’ sounds seemed curious to me because I like amps pushed to the limit where the speaker starts to lose the ability to accurately produce the signal with tube torture, overtones, and fuzz--and then backing off with volume …not sure if these units can produce that ‘Jenson speaker on the edge of its life’ tweed thing but would love to know….I’ll check out your Woodrow video;). Oops: 25:00 is informative with the ‘fuzz friend’. Hmm.
Thanks for watching and the kind words. I would say the Dream has a lot more usable sounds than the Woodrow. Love them both but the Dream really feels good when you roll back. Whereas the Woodrow takes some getting used to. Do you use any modeler right now?
Thanks, JC! I tried to be as thorough as possible on this video and the other recent ones I have done. Covering the things other videos might have missed or went by too quickly.
Finally watched everything. This video is the most helpful one to help people decide which one to choose. I will look forward to watching the next video, seeing whether I can win Dream 65 to try :)
Thank you. Finally a review that makes sense. I use a Mooer 5150 mini amp modeler. I'm on the cheap. I plan on upgrading when I think I need something else.
I get the impression the Dream is meant to emulate the way the amp really sounds as is, while the Iridium emulates the way the amp sounds after a touch of studio EQ to make it fit in a mix. Which is a plus and minus for both sides. I like that out of the dream because then it's just closer to what you expect from miking your amp. So the transition from using a real amp to a simulation is more seamless. But it does mean you may get an unideal sound in a small venue with limited EQ capability.
The more i play the Dream the more I see how the boosts and the speaker cabs are part of the eq as well. It definitely helps clean up the mids and low end but not as precisely as an Iridium. Insightful comment! Thanks for watching!
You deserve more subscribers sir. Your playing and tone is amazing and your videos is well made as well as the video production. Continue making great helpful videos.
What an excellent assessment. I have the Dream 65 and I agree with all your conclusions. I use this pedal as a backup/alternative on a second, smaller pedalboard that has less pedals on it then my main pedalboard. It's convenient for some rehearsal, informal and travel situations. For most live gigs and recording, I use my Fender Amps and a Two Notes Torpedo Captor X.
The comparison is brilliant. But more brilliant is your style (playing and talinkg), I laughed loudly a couple of times, without loosing the line of the video... thanks for this video! very useful for us on a GAS stage (again)
I must say, that you understand sound and the technology that is implemented . Very useful tips for those that are willing to buy one of those and they're not sure which one for their musical taste. I like your chord progression on 26:26 . That was great overall .
How come you matched the clean tones with the mid knob all the way down on the Iridium? The manual says that 12 o'clock is what was used to model the deluxe reverb.
Hey, Jazz! Long time no see. The iridium doesn’t really sound like a blackface at 12 o clock. I’ve tried it all over the place and at zero it nail the blackface sound. At least to my ears.
@@SuperdangerStudios Hey! That makes sense, thanks for explaining. I'm going to have to play with my mid settings more. I keep it pinned to noon and I've been eyeing the Dream 65, but maybe I just need to adjust it.
A very enlightening comparison - at last I seem to get a realistic impression of where the differences between these two pedals are, handlingwise and soundwise. And the playing here is certainly cool and competent as well.
Thanks so much for watching moreorless. They are both fantastic pedals but just take the tone in different directions. More authentic Deluxe Reverb on the Dream 65 and more versatility on the Iridium. Cheers!
Thoughtful content man. Really well put. I started on guitar decades ago but spend most of my time with synths these days, working on indie game soundtracks that sometimes include guitar. Far from a Guitar / "Rock" centric studio. You hit the nail on the head. I don't want versatility as much as I need a strong, single voice/tool I can learn to work with and shape to fit into my music. I want a mostly clean tone with some nice trem/verby vibes. It seems like this hits those all in one go just fine. I have an old Fender Champ I can still slap a mic on. Especially if I want to blow the fucker up with a rambunctious fuzz tone (something I'm not expecting the Dream to hold up through, but we'll see.) But day to day, I just want something easily shapable I can leave on my desktop to ease the recording process. I currently use a Joyo American Sound for this and it's absolutely fantastic for the price, if a bit noisy (even with my noiseless pups.) The touch dynamics are really there with the Joyo. It feels right and it responds to my pickup changes, volume/tone knobs and little things like scraping really close to the bridge with a pic. I just haven't used a software amp sim that's "Felt" right in that way. The Dream is basically software in a box, while the Joyo is essentially a few stacked analog gain stages with some filter caps serving as a speaker sim. I'm really excited to give the Dream a shot with all the great things I've heard.
Very cool to hear thanks for sharing. I think you'll like the Dream it really covers a ton of ground and is easily shaped in post as well. And it does take a fuzz well! I put my voodoo labs super fuzz in front and it rocks all day.
I know you love the Iridium/RevivalDrive combo. I think you will be keeping the Iridium. Me on the other hand, it is the combo of Page TS (used mainly for feel and eq depending on the guitar)>Cali 76 Stacked (very minimal compression, mainly for feel)>Revival Drive (either the regular custom OR Hot Rod Custom)>Dream 65 OR Woodrow 55 (each set as a pedal platform setting and only one being on the whole time). This setup allows my volume control on my guitar to determine the gain in my sound/tone... Looking fwd to the vid!
I run the exact same two pedals as my "main clean" sound Page TS into Cali stacked. I run it through a real princeton, but I hadn't thought about running that into the dream (or HX for that matter). Bu tI run my dirt out front of those. For OD/crunch, I run a two channel pedalboard with a Gladio+ millenium OD on one side and an Artisan on the other. As you say, then the volume knob controls dirt more than output.
@@MatthewSpringer actually both the Iridium and Dream sounded their best with the Page TS being set on preamp mode and with slight compression from the Cali 76. However it was too much when turning on the Revival Drive (which is a preamp in itself)...Same thing with the HX Stomp XL, the Page TS in preamp mode makes it sound WAY Better! I mean a noticable difference.
Great video, and I more or less agree with you after owning both. I have a bit more fun with the Dream treating it like a real, standalone amp where I can tweak the knobs and pretend I'm chasing classic sounds from my favorite albums. With the Iridium, my preference is to essentially "forget" that it is an amp modeler at all and use it as a neutral clean platform for all of my pedals. Another thing to note is that the Lead mod setting on the Dream "removes" the bright cap, which should make it function more like the Normal channel that the Iridium is modeling. You can do this with boost on the lowest setting so as not to add any gain.
The Dream is an amazing pedal and it is a ton of fun. They modeled it perfectly. I use the iridium similarly to you. As a 'generic' fender platform sound. I did try that lead setting but I'll check that out again before I give this pedal away in the contest next month. Cheers!
I have both and am keeping both. The Fender sound has always been my sound, and living in a Tokyo condo I can’t do anything louder than my 1970s Vibrochamp at home. I think they both sound great and excel at different things. I find the Dream ‘65 is really nice for when I only want to deal with one pedal and my looper (which has a headphone jack). It really can match loads of sounds on records I’ve had a hard time getting to date with my other gear. I find it doesn’t really gel that great with my humbucker guitar though, so when I want some old school jazz sounds, I go Iridium. The Iridium, Flint, and Deco really is a crazy good setup. I have the Volante as well which I love. In short, the Dream ‘65 really is a luxury item for me and my setup, but I really enjoy playing it, and sometimes you just need a bit of variety to spark the creativity.
Thanks for sharing Dimensions. And I ageee! The Dream is perfect for a quick single pedal setup. It’s ready to go out of the box and it is insanely accurate at classic tones. Also I need to check out the Deco as it looks like the biggest sleeper hit pedal in the last 2 years. Cheers!
The new Deco is a vast improvement over V1, mostly because of the tone control and cassette settings. It provides an amazing saturation and glue’s things together in ways that are impossible without it placed at the end of the chain. The doubler is super rad as well!
I’m not necessarily saying one sounds better than the other and I do accept that the Iridium is conceptually different and meant to be ‘manipulated-to-taste’ perhaps more so than the Dream. HOWEVER, I’m a singer, I trust my years and have been schooled by some of the greatest producers of modern times. My ears tell me that no matter what you tweak to match in this demo, the Dream just sounds overall ‘more open’. Again not better or worse, that is of course subjective.
Just picked up an Iridium off eBay for £299 (UK). I have a Boss ir-2 for my studio and wanted something for general use. Your video helped me make the move.I already have the Mobius, the Timeline and the Blue Sky so it made sense to stay in the Strymon camp. The other ir's I own are a couple of the TC Electronic ones (Jims 45 and Deluxe 65), which were budget curiosity's. I guess the more gear the better but the Iridium was the one I really wanted all along. Coming home to Daddy :)
Great Review. Nevertheless I have a slightly different opinions on some aspects. 1) The BT connection isn't intended to be used on stage. It's helpful to setup the function of the pedals and to manage the presets (for example if you want to save the preset used in a recording session) but the idea should be "set it and forget it". it doesn't make sense to use it in a live session. I've found more friendly the Dream 65 comparing to the Iridium and all the power up functions 2) I don't understand the comment about the fact it's more difficult to find the right mix for Dream 65 while recording. It's usually more a matter of IR than the simulation of the amp and the IR can be excluded by the dream 65 to use an external IR loader in the DAW. Nevertheless Iridium has other plus (3 amp sim, IR loader, MIDI, visual feedback for the position of the pot for the saved presets)
I would also add that the boost in the Dream 65 looks to me more like tools to shape the sound so something to keep always on (a mid boost and a treble boost)
Great point on the boost. In that regard it is a powerful tone shaping tool. That being said, I love the Dream and actually ended up keeping it. In re: to your above points you’re right the bt is really more of an inspiration point. However the fact that they allow mixing of IRs in presets but not stock is somewhat confusing. That would be a great feature to have access to. As for the mix the scooped sound from the dream can make it tricky in certain circumstances. The twin IR is the only really mid forward mix and that one doesn’t love gain. All that being said, I love the Dream and use it often!
Both pedals in the mix tracks sound good! Thank you for your videos of the Iridium and Dream, along with the highlight of York IRs. Great insight on "pedal platform" IMO - So, the never ending debate... Blonde or Brunette, both are equally beautiful!!
Just happened across your channel whilst looking for Dream 65 reviews. Great review - super informed and informative. You've got great production and your delivery (speaking) is excellent - not sure how to articulate it - interesting /captivating. I'll definitely be watching more of your vids
This was honest and well thought mate. Thank you! Just bought Woodrow and its good for me, and what I do. I appreciate the thorough review here. I own a Deluxe Rev but hoped this would save my back on steady small venues and I could have both... LOL I WANT IT ALL, DUDE!! HAHAHA! 😄Cheers Brother!😇
Thanks so much for watching and the kind words. I just got the Woodrow too! Can't wait to put it through it's paces. I feel like it got totally neglected by everyone during the marketing blitz. And I hear ya on the gear my man. I WANT IT ALL AND WE DESERVE IT ALL
I agree Eric. The Dream is an amazing emulation of a Deluxe reverb. I still love the Iridium though which is why I’m giving away the Dream to one of my followers. Cheers!
I found your channel and have thoroughly enjoyed your videos. I have a few pedals that are a necessity and tried a headrush but didn’t like the latency and the digital learning curve so these amp sim pedals seem ideal. I use a boss katana and keep it on the clean channel with an added booster pedal and reverb. Would the iridium be best for a variety of clean sounds in this scenario?
I want my sound to be Fender Black Face and I did grow up with the Beatles and that British Invasion sound. I love the American Blues and the Kinks! So this video has made clear to me that the Strymon Iridium is the ticket!
There is something about strymon iridium that I really love. I love how the input stage "senses" your guitars impedance when plugged directly to it. Response really well with your guitars volume knob esp single coils. Perhaps that's the FETs doing its glorious job? Well biased transistors are my favorites.
I have questions! I’m an iridium user. I don’t use external IR’s, just what the pedal offers. I notice you are using a third party IR on both. Do the UA amp/direct pedals need third party IR’s?
I am running third party IRs loaded in the Iridium. The UA does not allow you to load third party IRs in the pedal. But you can run them in a separate pedal or in your DAW. The UA pedals have great speaker simulations though.
After having both the iridium and the dream - one of the best things strymon did was make it so that the indicator light turns green when your knobs match the current preset. With the UA stuff you always feel like you’re flying blind or creating everything from scratch.
@@shankrl1 been there as long as I’ve had it. (Around 2 years) if your are on a preset, the fav switch lights up red. Then if you turn a knob to change any parameter, the fav light turns green when the knob is where the preset saved that parameter. This way you can exactly recall a preset on the face of the pedal. Good luck.
I don't understand why manufacturers don't use rotary encoders with a ring of LEDs around each knob, so that you can see where the controls are set when you change presets. The cheap and nasty Behringer V-Amp had that years ago - why are still having to watch for an LED to change colour as we turn each control in turn?
Follow up, as I’d stated on another one of your videos, I ended up purchasing a Dream 65, along with loading up my Iridium with York stuff. My normal pedalboard always has a Flint at the end, going into a couple vintage PRs, or Trace Velocettes. I purchased the Dream 65 to replace the Flint, and the amps, on gigs where amps are not practical. It fills that role very, very well. It literally sounds like a miked Deluxe! It paid for itself on the first show on a ballroom gig with 5-600 people, and I didn’t have to cart amps down the street into loading bays. That being said, the Flint/Iridium combo is very, very potent. So many great sounds to be had.
Thanks for this! After many HX Stomp tries, Head Rush littler pedal, Iridium, Walrus ACS1, I kept coming back Deluxe Reverb builds in these things… that’s my favorite real amp and always has been but needed a pedal di solution… so I thought okay I’m gonna give this a try but first I watched this and others and man… I loved what I was hearing you say! Loved your tones! I got it Sunday(didn’t realize the postman delivered it Saturday haha) and it’s exactly what I hoped for and I love it! Thank you!
Thanks for the helpful comparison. I love the tones youre getting from each! Will you do a similar comparison with Iridium and the Lion 68? I have both and I'm curious about your perspective. Thanks!
I will eventually! The current video lineup goes through some killer amps from 2023 but will circle back to the UAFX Lion soon bc It sounds so good in the demos I have watched. Cheers!
What prevented me buying a dream 65 is not being able to upload my own IRs, i love York audio IR’s and I’m so used to them that it will be something to get used to if I can’t use them. A lot of people are saying that this is the next step in amp modeling but we’ve had good amp modelers for years now, I find it difficult to believe UA did something to drastically different.
the York IRs are great. I have all of them. BUT, honestly IRs are a bit overrated. They're not going ot make the iridum sound any more like a real amp than the stock IRs do. The iridium preamp, which is what really makes the iridium not at ALL deluxe reverby, is still there no matter what IRs you're using. By contrast, the UAFX amp pedals are using cab sims from the UA OX box, which is a legendary, super popular, beloved cab sim for tube amps. Used in many, many professional studios. Its a huge step above IR technology. That said, if you're using helix or fractal which have better amp modeling than the iridium, the IRs do make a bigger difference.
@@MitchellSpille It is true, IR's wont make the iridium's deluxe sound like a different amp, but it will affect the most important part of the signal, the cab/mic relationship, I think the trick with IR's is to find what IR creator or studio will mic cabs the way you like them.
I love the York IRs too as I am sure you are aware haha. I was really impressed with the UA speaker emulations though. The technology from their OxBox has only gotten better. But in the end it wasn't enough to make me keep the pedal. But it is a damn good pedal.
This pedal smokes the iridium every time. It’s the depth due to the upper harmonics that the UAD has that the iridium lacks. Immediately the iridium sounds flatter every time.
The dream 65 is much better, much more touch sensitive! I have them both, but I prefer to use the Dream 65 for concerts! The Strymon is great for the Vox and Marshall!
Love your videos, dude. I picked up an Iridium recently and found your channel while I was trying to do research. Your videos solidified my decision. So far, it is absolutely fantastic. I must say I've been spending most of my time with the "Punch" '59 Plexi setting myself! If you're wanting more gain, that's the place to be. Cheers!
Love your video's! Was contemplating selling the Iridium for a Dream, as I just get confused by all the functions on the Iridium. Can you share your Iridium settings by any chance?! If I can get it to sound anything like yours, I'll keep it!
Yeah man! Thanks for watching. I go over a lot of the settings here: ua-cam.com/video/FNlBxGdZC88/v-deo.htmlsi=jdUiRgJnVhQQXbEc mostly it’s using a good IR, then adding a simple boost in front and it comes alive!
Thanks! Your videos on this topic are all great. I'm wanting to improve sounds in my recordings and use a box rather than mic up an amp. These videos have been very helpful but I still can't decide. The Dream seems to have more string snap in the upper mids that the Iridium doesn't seem to have but The Iridium seems way more versatile. Currently, I'm using the Two notes Cab M+ but find those sounds good but not particularly authentic. Problem is, I like Fender and Vox sounds, so do I have to buy the Dream AND the Ruby? 😢
haha yeah that is an expensive purchase if you have to get both of them. If you are looking for true authenticity, the Dream is insane. I bet if you find one used or on sale on reverb you will be very happy with it.
@@SuperdangerStudios I've decided, I'm going for the Ruby as I have a bunch of great sounding amp sims within my UA Apollo Twin set up. Fender 55, Marshall Super Lead and Plexi and I have the Fuchs Super OD. (Game changer for the recording guitarist and songwriter). With Ruby, I should have all the bases covered and I think Ruby will be my main sound. I do love the Vox vibe and sound. Thanks so much for the reply and of course your great videos. Like I said, awesome work.
UAFX pedals are built as faithful representatives of the original amps. They're not of course the same, but that's the concept. You don't like the limitations of these amps, then go with an irridium, helix, or fractal. The deluxe amps on these pedals sound great. Personally I think there's charm in the kinks and limitations. I've had a helix and now I just want to plug in and play.
Oh right on! Love the dirty blondes. Which Suhr pickups did you have originally? I like the Iridium more but everyone always yells at me for that haha. I think the dream sounds so good but I always come back to the iridium.
Hi, first discovery of your channel with the subject matter being the draw as I have the Iridium at the end of my pedal chain, no amp. Really good info shown in a constructive and real way, thanks and I subscribe.
Great comparison! I've got the Dream '65 and am delighted with it (I haven't tried the Iridium). It basically does everything I need in terms of a great reproduction of a classic Fender sound, and it's so convenient to travel light with and run through a clean amp or PA. For recording I use it alongside my Neunaber Neuron which offers masses of flexibility, but isn't trying to reproduce any particular amp sound. Really the only thing that irritates me with the '65 is that UAFX haven't also included presets management etc. in the desktop app - it would be so much handier in a studio set-up than messing about with a mobile phone. I think they missed a trick there, so I hope they'll address that at some point...
@@SuperdangerStudios Absolutely. The basic hardware is fantastic - it totally nails what I bought it for (yes, I see the moans in comments about the switch settings for tremolo etc., and I agree - that's tripped me up too, so I need to get used to it), but I think (hope!) UAFX will add a lot in future firm/software patches, because the '65 is such a solid platform to get great sounds from. I just watched your follow-up video using humbuckers into the '65 and Iridium. Really cool! I haven't tried that - my go-to guitar is my ToneFox Elcaster with P90s and the '65 works beautifully with it. But I've just "rediscovered" my old 1978 Gibson The Paul. After watching your video I'll make it a priority to plug it into the '65 and try for some classic vintage gain tone! 😎
Definitely prefer bass sound on the Iridium. I prefer some of the sounds on the Dream and it’s great but not throw-away-your-exiting-pedal great. If I want to switch to brighter sounds, I would just flip the switch to chime settings on Iridium. Or engage the fav switch. Works everytime for me.
I like the iridium. Nice size. Easy to program without an app. Sounds great as a pedal platform and the “room” knob is really sweet. I prefer using the Marshal for my clean tone 90% of the time. At this price point pretty much all pedals tend to have so many useable tones.
Iridium is a blast. The room knob is deceptively helpful when glueing together the sound or going for a real lo-fi sound. As guitarists we have so many good options now. It’s amazing!
I wonder about taking either of these live. What happens when you play them through an amp? Like, for example, a DRRI? Will you be doubling the DR voicing and therefore getting weird? Does it need to be played through a neutral platform? Like DI-ed?
I played the Iridium live and it worked great but I played DI into the house sound and used my wedge as a monitor. i know guys that use the dream 65 live too. Both would be ideal to play through a FRFR amp, like a headrush or something similar. If you turn off the speaker emulations on the dream you can plug into the fx loop in with the Dream 65 but you wouldnt want it to go through the coloration of the preamp of a DRRI. I have tried the fx loop trick with the Iridium and it does not work as well though. Hope this helps!
Really dig your stuff. Content is useful and your production is great. Your are just fun to watch. So, since I have to bring a full PA to our gigs I'm working on loosing the my guitar amp/combo and replacing it with something like the Iridium. While I've not tried it live I've been able to get a really great guitar sound through my PA using an MXR ten band eq and, believe it or not. a Joyo American Sound. Never thought the Joyo was good enough to gig with but run through an eq I'm getting the sounds I want. I'm quite suprised. That got me thinking, could the Iridium be that much better sounding? What do you think? Would you gig with the Iridium? No high gain stuff, and I'd be using my other pedals through it. Likely only using it for the Round sound. Yeah, I'm also very aware the crowd could really care what I"m playing through. In reality I'm not much of a musician, more of an entertainer. So having that perfect "tube tone" isn't that important too me - so long as we are getting that positive flow of energy with the audience. Thanks again.
I have played the American sound and it does really well! Unless you feel like you’re missing something specific on stage or functionality (midi, IRs) then you should keep what you got!
The Eventide pedals are the same with the dual knobs switching & usage. You have to either remember a couple of settings when you switch back or reset and get your tone. NOT a big deal. Nothing’s perfect…kind of nothing to even complain about, to me. Also, yes, some of us like the faithful recreation - warts and all. I’m sure at UA they had many discussions of “should we or shouldn’t we…” regarding that aspect but I’m glad they chose the “almost-exact model” route. I think there’s a place for both the iridium and Dream ‘65. Both are great. I’m a UA guy in this case but I could work with either and be 100% happy!
This video was originally made to Iridium owners who were feeing left in the dirt when the dream first came out. Wanted to show that the Dream wan amazing but the iridium came really close but more importantly solved many of the same problems! Good tones that are easy to dial in
Great comparison. After watching your video, I thought I’d try something different that I’m not sure anybody’s talking about. Everyone always bags on the Line 6 Helix cabs. I’ve been watching several videos on how to make those cabs sound much better. They are apparently not IR based, but rather algorithms. Running both the Ruby and the Dream through several of the cabs on my Helix, I got some amazing tones. I’m not a UA-camr, so I’m not intending on putting a video together. But if you have an HX stomp or some other Helix product you might want to try running your Iridium and UAD pedals through the cabs in that box. Just a suggestion… Love your channel!
Thanks, Bryan! Great insight. I would love to try the Helix series. A lot of pros I know down here in Nashville love the helix stuff. It always sounds great in demos online and live on stage. I’ll try and get my hands on one. And maybe a Ruby too while I’m at it.
Really enjoying your reviews on these pedals. I love your points about using these pedals in the way that fits your needs, rather than using arbitrary settings to keep it “fair.” Also, I’m always digging your tones and writing, all around!! As someone who hasn’t purchased either one yet, and is not bought into Strymon or UA at all, two things come to mind for me - 1) Dream users, correct me if I’m wrong! The Dream seems to be strongest in the studio, over a live application, when the huge array of tonal options don’t need to be accessed quickly and on the fly. 2) They both have excellent tone for what they do! There is a lot of critical thinking going on in the comments that is really highlighting how the differences are more like splitting hairs (tonally) than anything else. Lots of great points. Beyond the difference in features as stated before, the real difference is the player at that point. I love that at the $400 price point, you’re bypassing a great amp, a great mic, perfect mic placement, a perfect mic’ing environment, even when rushing onto the stage to play! I’m an analog pedalboard kinda guy, but the amp/mic/etc variable can sometimes dampen the experience of playing live especially, for me. Thanks Alex for the work you’re doing, and to everyone participating in this discussion.
Thanks for the insightful comment and sharing your exp. I agree and in that I havent used the dream live but have used it in studio and it did great. I have used the iridium both live and on stage and both situations worked great as well. It really just depends on your workflow and how much you want it to sound like a real Deluxe reverb. If that extra 5% is worth it to you then the Dream is where it’s at. Cheers!
Finally picked up a Dream 65 to compare with my Iridium, and I have to say that the York Audio Deluxe Reverb IRs (which use an Oxford speaker) sound a lot better to me than the Oxford in the Dream 65. I'm using the Iridium in cab sim mode (bypasses amp sim) after the Dream to compare.
Thank you! I am really torn on wich one to get… I also just got a flint v2..it’s so hard with all the options these days also I am defiantly subscribing!
Thanks, Ryan! Good thing is whatever you choose will be a good decision. The Iridium is a bit more hands on, while the Dream is more of a plug and play. I have lots of other videos on Dream and Iridium comparisons if it helps. Cheers!
@@SuperdangerStudios thanks man! I really appreciate the insight, I will check the other videos out. That’s great to hear because I love all my strymon pedals and I’m also a dedicated UAD spark and volt2 user
So if I wanted to use one of these with a JBL EON FRFR type monitor you'd suggest the Strymon for the warmth???? I may want the extra gain of the Dream ....mostly worried about the brightness of the full response of the JBL .
Hey Blooze so sorry for the delay. Either would be great for an FRFR but if you want more gain then Iridium Punch channel has tons! (Based on a modded Plexi). That being said, you can dial the highs down on the Dream quite effectively.
Hello, great comparison. Can you please describe me how do you connect both units directly into a mixer or even a usb interface? Are you using a DI box in between? Thanks!
Thanks so much! For this video I was going direct out from the board to my apogee duet USB interface. No DI box or end buffer in my chain. Hope this helps!
just loaded some bass irs onto my iridium and now I was between buying a second one (for gigs where I need a guitar and a bass amp pedal) or trying something new. second iridium it is. thank you for the great review!
33:00 I would lean toward the Strymon in a mix. Sounds like it's been EQ'd. The Dream sounded more like it was a raw blackface amp's vibrato channel with extra bright stack and gain stage being miked right up without any EQ or faders on the board. I guess they're just slightly different tools, really. Both sounded good. I'd probably take whichever I could find cheaper.
Great video! So well done. May I ask how you set/use your soundcard to take the Iridium? I can't seem to capture the liveliness of it. I'm using a Solid State SSL+.
Hi Henrik, thank you for the kind words. Here is my signal path from the video. Iridium in preamp only mode > Strymon Flint Spring reverb > Apogee Duet 2 Interface > DAW (Logic Pro) and am using Bias FX as an IR loader for the York Audio IRs. Does that help?
Thanks. How do you gain stage the whole thing? Is your soundcard input gain as high as they can before clipping? And do you record the Iridium stereo out?
I try to have my input on my interface peak at around -10db. Since it's digital it is easy to raise the noise floor. I have the Iridium output at whatever is needed for that and usually have the gain on the preamp of my interface at zero. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Absolute great video. I had debated with myself on which to get but I ended up the Dream. I don’t have a reverb pedal, I only want a fender sound, and I have some overdrive pedals that I want to turn up to over 12 o’clock in my bedroom, so the Dream wins. The most important thing it responds like a real amp. A lot of modelling or plugin stuff boast how well they react to the volume knob, but to me it’s more about how they react to your fingers and picking. The Dream doesn’t disappoint. Btw, when you using the presets, are you using IR too or is it just the Dream only? Cuz when I choose “single coil neck grit sweet spot” it’s sounds very muffled, not nearly as good as yours😂
Thanks for watching and yeah man your needs are exactly what the Dream provides! It’s a perfect classic fender sound solution. As for your preset question, I was using the stock speaker in the dream 65. Hmm I wonder why that didn’t sound as clear for you?
@@SuperdangerStudios yeah.. It can’t be my guitars that’s for sure:) could be the cables? Or the audio interface? When I use headphones directly it’s muffled, if I listen through the interface it’s muffled. What kind of cables are you using on the output of the Dream? Are they guitar cables or TRS cables? Do you connect the pedal to the HiZ input or line input of the interface?
Are you using your Strymon in Mono mode? If so, you have to be using the left output only. I use generic instrument ts cables from sweetwater. When I connect it to the interface its hi z input. Let me know if this helps.
@@SuperdangerStudios Thanks for the info...but guess what, turns out to be my pick🤣 It's interesting people sometimes forget how different picks make a huge difference in tones, especially on clean & overdriven tones. Thin pointy picks have a brighter tone, while round and thick ones have more low end or "meat".
what i dont get: for people being new into all that digital stuff its just confusing. why do you add IRs from york audio when the iridium and the dream have cabinet simulation (IRs)? where are they added? is it software, a pedal with IRs? .
I’d have two requests: 1. Could you compare the RD BF emulation via the MORE/PRES control, the Preamp switch and the bright switch with UA’s Dream ‘65? 2. Could you compare the RevivalTrem with the Dream’ 65?
Hi Convex! I can do. But I also have some questions. Do you want me to compare the Origin Effects Pedals running as a preamp or in front of the Iridium? Cheers!
Great video. I owned both but let the Iridium go. The dream sounds really excellent to me. Mostly I track temp stuff with amp in a box and then re-record with tube amps and cabs. I like the stereo in/out so I can use fancy stereo pedals into the front of it too.
Alex-my first video on your channel knocked me out! Well done, polished review sir! Such a superb, comprehensive comparison with all of the details one has to consider. Much appreciated. I came in with really liking the Dream 65 sort of due to frustration with modeling in general for the past year. I noticed how lush the reverb was in another comparison vid and it had sustain! My modeler which will go nameless sucks, especially the iffy sustain which is a deal breaker. Completely uninspiring and why even plug in? Moving along, I did get a laugh when you used the Flint for reverb with the Iridium-ah ha, looks like cheating..I'm kidding. As you mentioned, yeah the "room" on the Iridium isn't great, I was underwhelmed with that too. Thanks for mentioning the difference of the Deluxe channels used by each unit, makes a difference for sure. For someone who is tired of constantly tweaking presets, the Dream 65 seemed like gold but hmmm, the process of the getting into the vibrato is kind of a drag. But it sounds good! I really did like how the Dream 65 cleaned up with the volume down on your G&L. Neither pedal really was great with their boosts as you mentioned. I did hear that the Iridium seemed to be slightly better at serving as a pedal platform.The Boss SD-1 sounded great through it. Something to consider obviously. I hear you-I don't need a smart anything-phone, house etc. either! (Alexa could you, for the love of God, get me a decent Marshall Plexi crunch tone?--Riiight) Man, that phone app and the resulting madness that could occur made me cringe. Who in the hell needs that aggravation? Thanks for the pro review Alex!
Thank you for such a generous comment, Marcus. Very much appreciated. It is unfortunate that there isnt a spring verb built in bc that is a big investment to buy the Flint, but the additional features on the Flint make up for it. I actually have been using the flint for a while on my main rig bc i dont like the spring verb on it so it was already in the collection haha. The Dream is an amazing pedal though. They nailed the modeling of the deluxe reverb and all the intricacies that come along with it, however the internet of things is just more tech disasters waiting to unfold in your day to day life haha. Cheers!
@@SuperdangerStudios Not a problem sir! Yeah, the Dream 65 may the one I buy but I was actually considering a Kemper a couple of weeks ago before I even knew it existed. But the Kemper obviously is alot of coin to part with-ouch! Going to really think that whole thing through and take my time on it. Modeling tones have come a long way but I want to streamline things and not be "scrolling around to make noise" as you said. Trying to avoid impulsive purchases though. I really did like the various speakers available on the Dream too. Not that I have completely written off the Iridium, will have to check out the other amps on it. And it IS a good platform pedal. Cheers back at ya! PS-how do you enter the Dream giveaway contest?
After playing with the Dream more it really is an amazing pedal, even with the frustrating app/preset side. I love my Iridium but I can see alot of use cases for the Dream. As for the contest here is the video on it: ua-cam.com/video/krFfYYeMd34/v-deo.html Good luck!
Why would you use an IR on the Dream? UA doesn’t use traditional IR’s. They have proprietary speaker modeling and all the UAFX pedals use that technology. It’s the same speaker modeling system UA uses in The Ox Box. I’ve heard many folks say they thought the UA cabs models in The Ox are excellent.
I initially compared it w Iridium using the same IR so that we could eliminate any other variables. I went on to play all the speaker cabs and they sound amazing! You are correct. The ox tech is amazing in fact, it makes me want to buy the ox after owning the Dream.
Great review. First of all, finally someone that read the Iridium manual. Nobody, I mean nobody, compared this 2 pedals with the middle all the way to the left on Iridium. And that's how it's supposed to be emulating a Black Face Fender. Otherwise it is a blend of a BF and a Tweed. That way they really sound similar.
Now, the thing about the Vibrato controls on the Dream I agree completely. It's horrible to change the knobs then change back, and they are at the wrong positions, etc, etc. The only workaround I'm doing is setting the vibrato in a fixed way and using one of the switches to trigger it on or off. Otherwise, I prefer not to use it.
One thing I disagree with you is that the differences between Dream and Iridium are because one modeled the Normal Channel and the other the Vibrato Channel. I mean, sure, that's correct, and the Vibrato Channel does have a bit more gain and a bit more treble. But that's very little, at least on my Deluxe Reverb and all the others I have played. Iridium gets "flatter", with more mids, especially with gain added that's not really the way the Normal Channel would react. In the real Deluxe, it would still be scooped and very similar to the Vibrato Channel.
Also, I'm pretty sure that Strymon modeled Iridium with the gain of the amp from 1 to 5. Because a real Deluxe have much more gain than the Strymon pedal, more like the Dream in that regard.
And that's to me the difference between those 2 units. Dream is more authentic. Everytime you played I could close my eyes and think "that's a Deluxe Reverb". While Iridium can sound like that in some settings, and can sound like another amplifier. Not better nor worse, but something fendery but not a Fender DR.
Thanks Gus. Appreciate that. Yes you are right, I really should have said they are just completely different animals. One is an actual Deluxe Reverb, and the other is a Blackface homage amp. That probably would make more sense. Thanks for the input! Cheers!
@@SuperdangerStudios Hi, what is the specific york deluxe IR you’ve used on this comparison video. Because I have a york audio DR IR’s too. Hope you share it and looking forward to try it too. Great content, keep it up. Thanks 👍🏻
Hi Neil, I am using the DXVB which is their deluxe reverb style IR. Thanks for the kind words. Cheers!
@@SuperdangerStudios Hi, do you use the multi-mic mixes? Or just the single mics IR? Cheers!
I just use the multi mic mixes as I get stuck in the weeds and end up way over my head when combining mics! haha. I think I was using mix 3 on this one.
I'm so sick of seeing UA-cam demonstrations of pedals where they don't read the manual and just set everything at 12 o'clock. This is .by far. the best explanation I've seen of these pedals.
Thanks so much! It’s important to make pedals sound their best, otherwise why even review them? Cheers!
Totally agree
This video was so helpful to me as I love my iridium, but came very close to dropping 400 on a dream 65. Already having plenty of different drives and effects, I definitely am happy to have stuck with the Strymon! Thank you
The Strymon will get you 90% there! And with the right effects no one will tel the difference!
The Iridium has an analog JFET front end that I think makes a huge difference for guitar volume knob work and taking pedals as well as an amp does. The SHARC and ARM processors concentrate on the power amp emulation, they aren't partly dedicated to a bunch of effects. I always record direct and go for guitar straight into amp tones and the Iridium is the best for that. I might buy a backup.
Agreed! That JFET does a lot of good.
Difficult to like one or another when you make both sound so great! Enjoyed this review!
Thanks for watching!
Yeah, I agree with you. I own both. I love the sound of the Dream, but for some reason, the Iridium somehow fits better in the mix.
Thanks Aaron! I just recorded another video today and used my blues Jr after I was using the dream and the recordings are so different. So easy to mix the amp tracks compared to the dream.
@@SuperdangerStudios and the Blues Jr isn’t a great sounding amp, interesting.
The Dream sounds much closer to like a real Deluxe to me. The Iridium sounds like a mixed and mastered recording of a Deluxe. You pretty much said that, just saying that was the first thing I noticed
Agreed! Both can work well just depends on your needs!
Such a well done video! Everything I was hoping to hear! Thank you so so much -- absolutely worth the wait!
I felt that “I don’t wanna smart anything” rant. I don’t even like saving settings on pedals with that function. Put the knobs in front of me, no hidden secondary function. I don’t want anything stopping me from playing, and if I have to think through secondary functions or scroll through screens or pull out my phone and use Bluetooth (which I hate with a passion) then I’m not playing.
It really gets in the way when I have a focused mindset. Picking up my phone when playing is a creativity killer!
Would be curious to hear you shoot out the Iridium and ACS1 (especially after the 2.0 firmware update). Been enjoying your videos!
Never used the Iridium before, but currently am using the ACS1 by Walrus Audio (which I feel is more similar than the Dream '65), but from this review I can see why having the Iridium (or ACS1) is more applicable to me personally, I too like my pedalboard and using the Flint too! Videos like this are great for us UA-cam junkies who's eyes are much bigger than our wallet and we get the itch to buy gear without playing it ourselves, thanks for making this video so in-depth!. 👍🏻
Hey Nick, thanks for the thoughtful comment. I wanted people to realize that their pedalboard as it is today is not holding them back! The modelers from the last 3 years are amazing and the Dream pushes the tech further but does not leave anything in the dust. I gotta try that Walrus soon. Cheers!
This is such a great review! Really value the work you put into this. Excellent points on both pedals, and appreciated hearing the pro’s and con’s. Well thought out. Love your channel.
Thanks, Isaac! Both are great pedals just end up going in very different directions.
Dude I usually don’t comment on these videos but this was a great demo comparison for sure! You definitely help me make my decision! Thanks man✌️
Rusty thanks so much for the kind comment. Big fan of your channel I love your teaching style. I’ve been able to learn a lot from watching some of your Vids. Cheers from a former Chicagoan.
@@SuperdangerStudios thanks a lot man✌️
@@rustysguitar1 what’s your decision?
@@theflamerising1767 Definitely the Dream! I haven’t bought it yet!
Your channel is the best Rusty.
Thanks man, I often use the UA OX live driven by a tube amp (Stapleton signature Princeton) using an OD peddle and the Boss fender '65 reverb peddle. Im a massive fan of what UA is doing. Own a pair of the UA Apollo x8p for my home studio. The Dream is worth looking into for my single coil guitars. A hell of a lot more compact and easy option than beating up my amp and home studio box at outdoor gigs. Appreciate it.
Oh man I love the Stapleton Princeton. I am town between that and a Suhr Hombre in the future. UA is really the top of the game in so many different departments. I think you will love the Dream and what it offers.
@@SuperdangerStudios Been playing with the Dream for the past 2 days. As I ran every single guitar I own through it, I have to say the Gibsons really shine, especially the ES125 from the 50s.
The sound's right where it needs to be through the PA compared to my live amp setup. Sounds superb thru a 57 tweed deluxe reissue to give the amp trem and reverb.
I'm sold. Love the pedal's versatility and simplicity. So many tones, small package.
Felt compelled to comment given the time it must have taken to make this, and it's a really quality comparison. Thanks.
Right on thank you for watching!
"The ceiling is higher on the Iridium" ...You saved me a lot of typing with this perfectly in tune assessment. Musically the Iridium will have more range with pedals, for sure. It will have more room for experimenting.
I bought the Dream recently and while i thought it sounded stellar for what it was i sent it back and bought an Iridium,Flint,and Keeley compressor for quasi boost.Very happy now.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the blue-tooth on the Dream is the latest gen. so that means that it transmits 120 feet and has NO user interface. No security access whatsoever and you can never turn it off. This means that there is no assurance that it wont be transmitting all of your signals to the local "internet of things network". In other words you have no idea if your music is being picked up by ring cameras and sent to a cloud somewhere and there is no possible way to verify anything anybody says to the contrary. When i contacted UA about turning it off they said "it is always transmitting" and said they were genuinely going to bring it up in a management meeting.
The chips in the dream are way overpowered as well, they are of the variety that run the latest smart tv's...in other words internet of things chips.
Food for thought anyway. I always have believed a person should have total control over what they buy but then again i was alive before the internet.
You make very good videos sir, keep up the good work!
Wow I had no idea about that always on bluetooth. Very interesting. The Dream sounds amazing but same as you, I already have the sounds I need so I am gonna give it away. I agree also about having control over signal transmission on something you bought. It seems like the ethical thing to do right? I am interested to see if the product team addresses the bluetooth thing. Thanks for the kind words. Cheers!
@@SuperdangerStudios agree they should have added an on off switch for the Bluetooth. It’ll not be a serious live tool without that. For studio it’s acceptable.
Excellent video! Some of the ‘unusable’ sounds seemed curious to me because I like amps pushed to the limit where the speaker starts to lose the ability to accurately produce the signal with tube torture, overtones, and fuzz--and then backing off with volume …not sure if these units can produce that ‘Jenson speaker on the edge of its life’ tweed thing but would love to know….I’ll check out your Woodrow video;). Oops: 25:00 is informative with the ‘fuzz friend’. Hmm.
Thanks for watching and the kind words. I would say the Dream has a lot more usable sounds than the Woodrow. Love them both but the Dream really feels good when you roll back. Whereas the Woodrow takes some getting used to. Do you use any modeler right now?
Excellent comparison video. I’ve been looking at both of these recently and you left no stone unturned. Fantastic job
Thanks, Ramirez! I have 3 more videos on the way re: the Dream and Iridium.
This is easily the best and most useful comparison I’ve seen by far. Thank you!
Thanks, JC! I tried to be as thorough as possible on this video and the other recent ones I have done. Covering the things other videos might have missed or went by too quickly.
Dude you are a superb guitar player and this is a great comparison video! Thanks.
Glad you liked it! Thanks for the kind words. More to come!
Finally watched everything. This video is the most helpful one to help people decide which one to choose. I will look forward to watching the next video, seeing whether I can win Dream 65 to try :)
Thanks, Don! Appreciate the kind words. They are both great pedals but end up going in different directions when it comes to tone. Cheers!
Thank you. Finally a review that makes sense. I use a Mooer 5150 mini amp modeler. I'm on the cheap. I plan on upgrading when I think I need something else.
Thanks JD!
I get the impression the Dream is meant to emulate the way the amp really sounds as is, while the Iridium emulates the way the amp sounds after a touch of studio EQ to make it fit in a mix.
Which is a plus and minus for both sides. I like that out of the dream because then it's just closer to what you expect from miking your amp. So the transition from using a real amp to a simulation is more seamless. But it does mean you may get an unideal sound in a small venue with limited EQ capability.
The more i play the Dream the more I see how the boosts and the speaker cabs are part of the eq as well. It definitely helps clean up the mids and low end but not as precisely as an Iridium. Insightful comment! Thanks for watching!
Great video and in depth comparison! I play the Iridium live and love it!
Rock on! Love the Iridium. Gonna do a deep dive on the Punch channel next!
You deserve more subscribers sir. Your playing and tone is amazing and your videos is well made as well as the video production. Continue making great helpful videos.
Incredibly kind of you to say. Thank you! More to come.
What an excellent assessment. I have the Dream 65 and I agree with all your conclusions. I use this pedal as a backup/alternative on a second, smaller pedalboard that has less pedals on it then my main pedalboard. It's convenient for some rehearsal, informal and travel situations. For most live gigs and recording, I use my Fender Amps and a Two Notes Torpedo Captor X.
Gotta love the TwoNotes captor series. They did a great job. But the dream is a great little pedal to grab and go. Cheers!
The comparison is brilliant. But more brilliant is your style (playing and talinkg), I laughed loudly a couple of times, without loosing the line of the video... thanks for this video! very useful for us on a GAS stage (again)
Thank you so much! These are great pedals and both have a rightful spot on any guitarists board. Happy to hear it was slightly entertaining too!
I must say, that you understand sound and the technology that is implemented . Very useful tips for those that are willing to buy one of those and they're not sure which one for their musical taste. I like your chord progression on 26:26 . That was great overall .
How come you matched the clean tones with the mid knob all the way down on the Iridium? The manual says that 12 o'clock is what was used to model the deluxe reverb.
Hey, Jazz! Long time no see. The iridium doesn’t really sound like a blackface at 12 o clock. I’ve tried it all over the place and at zero it nail the blackface sound. At least to my ears.
@@SuperdangerStudios Hey! That makes sense, thanks for explaining. I'm going to have to play with my mid settings more. I keep it pinned to noon and I've been eyeing the Dream 65, but maybe I just need to adjust it.
A very enlightening comparison - at last I seem to get a realistic impression of where the differences between these two pedals are, handlingwise and soundwise. And the playing here is certainly cool and competent as well.
Thanks so much for watching moreorless. They are both fantastic pedals but just take the tone in different directions. More authentic Deluxe Reverb on the Dream 65 and more versatility on the Iridium. Cheers!
Thoughtful content man. Really well put.
I started on guitar decades ago but spend most of my time with synths these days, working on indie game soundtracks that sometimes include guitar. Far from a Guitar / "Rock" centric studio.
You hit the nail on the head. I don't want versatility as much as I need a strong, single voice/tool I can learn to work with and shape to fit into my music. I want a mostly clean tone with some nice trem/verby vibes. It seems like this hits those all in one go just fine.
I have an old Fender Champ I can still slap a mic on. Especially if I want to blow the fucker up with a rambunctious fuzz tone (something I'm not expecting the Dream to hold up through, but we'll see.) But day to day, I just want something easily shapable I can leave on my desktop to ease the recording process.
I currently use a Joyo American Sound for this and it's absolutely fantastic for the price, if a bit noisy (even with my noiseless pups.) The touch dynamics are really there with the Joyo. It feels right and it responds to my pickup changes, volume/tone knobs and little things like scraping really close to the bridge with a pic. I just haven't used a software amp sim that's "Felt" right in that way.
The Dream is basically software in a box, while the Joyo is essentially a few stacked analog gain stages with some filter caps serving as a speaker sim. I'm really excited to give the Dream a shot with all the great things I've heard.
Very cool to hear thanks for sharing. I think you'll like the Dream it really covers a ton of ground and is easily shaped in post as well. And it does take a fuzz well! I put my voodoo labs super fuzz in front and it rocks all day.
I know you love the Iridium/RevivalDrive combo. I think you will be keeping the Iridium. Me on the other hand, it is the combo of Page TS (used mainly for feel and eq depending on the guitar)>Cali 76 Stacked (very minimal compression, mainly for feel)>Revival Drive (either the regular custom OR Hot Rod Custom)>Dream 65 OR Woodrow 55 (each set as a pedal platform setting and only one being on the whole time). This setup allows my volume control on my guitar to determine the gain in my sound/tone... Looking fwd to the vid!
I run the exact same two pedals as my "main clean" sound Page TS into Cali stacked. I run it through a real princeton, but I hadn't thought about running that into the dream (or HX for that matter). Bu tI run my dirt out front of those. For OD/crunch, I run a two channel pedalboard with a Gladio+ millenium OD on one side and an Artisan on the other. As you say, then the volume knob controls dirt more than output.
@@MatthewSpringer actually both the Iridium and Dream sounded their best with the Page TS being set on preamp mode and with slight compression from the Cali 76. However it was too much when turning on the Revival Drive (which is a preamp in itself)...Same thing with the HX Stomp XL, the Page TS in preamp mode makes it sound WAY Better! I mean a noticable difference.
Great video, and I more or less agree with you after owning both.
I have a bit more fun with the Dream treating it like a real, standalone amp where I can tweak the knobs and pretend I'm chasing classic sounds from my favorite albums. With the Iridium, my preference is to essentially "forget" that it is an amp modeler at all and use it as a neutral clean platform for all of my pedals.
Another thing to note is that the Lead mod setting on the Dream "removes" the bright cap, which should make it function more like the Normal channel that the Iridium is modeling. You can do this with boost on the lowest setting so as not to add any gain.
The Dream is an amazing pedal and it is a ton of fun. They modeled it perfectly. I use the iridium similarly to you. As a 'generic' fender platform sound. I did try that lead setting but I'll check that out again before I give this pedal away in the contest next month. Cheers!
Alex, I love your comments and your playing! Thank you so much.
No thank you for watching!
I have both and am keeping both. The Fender sound has always been my sound, and living in a Tokyo condo I can’t do anything louder than my 1970s Vibrochamp at home.
I think they both sound great and excel at different things. I find the Dream ‘65 is really nice for when I only want to deal with one pedal and my looper (which has a headphone jack). It really can match loads of sounds on records I’ve had a hard time getting to date with my other gear. I find it doesn’t really gel that great with my humbucker guitar though, so when I want some old school jazz sounds, I go Iridium. The Iridium, Flint, and Deco really is a crazy good setup. I have the Volante as well which I love.
In short, the Dream ‘65 really is a luxury item for me and my setup, but I really enjoy playing it, and sometimes you just need a bit of variety to spark the creativity.
Thanks for sharing Dimensions. And I ageee! The Dream is perfect for a quick single pedal setup. It’s ready to go out of the box and it is insanely accurate at classic tones. Also I need to check out the Deco as it looks like the biggest sleeper hit pedal in the last 2 years.
Cheers!
The new Deco is a vast improvement over V1, mostly because of the tone control and cassette settings. It provides an amazing saturation and glue’s things together in ways that are impossible without it placed at the end of the chain. The doubler is super rad as well!
What looper do you use?
@@sawdustcrypto3987 Boss RC600
I think this dude makes the best guitar gear videos. It’d be my personal preference to have more focus on live/stage content but, this guy is great.
Thanks so much for watching!
I’m not necessarily saying one sounds better than the other and I do accept that the Iridium is conceptually different and meant to be ‘manipulated-to-taste’ perhaps more so than the Dream. HOWEVER, I’m a singer, I trust my years and have been schooled by some of the greatest producers of modern times. My ears tell me that no matter what you tweak to match in this demo, the Dream just sounds overall ‘more open’. Again not better or worse, that is of course subjective.
Another excellent review. Stumbled on one and stayed for more. I’d be interested in a review of of the ToneX pedal!
Thanks for watching! One day I’ll review the tonex!
I really love your videos. Such good playing and a very nice pace throughout. My Iridium was never nervous - it knew it was going to stay on my board.
Thank you David! Happy to hear your Iridium is safe and sound haha.
Thank you so much for this video. This 100% convinced me to keep my Iridium😄
No need to feel like you're missing out on a lot. The Iridium can do like 85% of it with the right IRs!
Holy crap. This was such a comprehensive comparison. GAS eliminated! Thank you!
Ha ha hey Christian thanks so much for watching. I appreciate the kind words and I’m happy to relieve you of your gas! Happy hunting
Just picked up an Iridium off eBay for £299 (UK). I have a Boss ir-2 for my studio and wanted something for general use. Your video helped me make the move.I already have the Mobius, the Timeline and the Blue Sky so it made sense to stay in the Strymon camp. The other ir's I own are a couple of the TC Electronic ones (Jims 45 and Deluxe 65), which were budget curiosity's. I guess the more gear the better but the Iridium was the one I really wanted all along. Coming home to Daddy :)
Iridium is still such a great deal even 5 years later.
Great Review. Nevertheless I have a slightly different opinions on some aspects. 1) The BT connection isn't intended to be used on stage. It's helpful to setup the function of the pedals and to manage the presets (for example if you want to save the preset used in a recording session) but the idea should be "set it and forget it". it doesn't make sense to use it in a live session. I've found more friendly the Dream 65 comparing to the Iridium and all the power up functions 2) I don't understand the comment about the fact it's more difficult to find the right mix for Dream 65 while recording. It's usually more a matter of IR than the simulation of the amp and the IR can be excluded by the dream 65 to use an external IR loader in the DAW. Nevertheless Iridium has other plus (3 amp sim, IR loader, MIDI, visual feedback for the position of the pot for the saved presets)
I would also add that the boost in the Dream 65 looks to me more like tools to shape the sound so something to keep always on (a mid boost and a treble boost)
Great point on the boost. In that regard it is a powerful tone shaping tool. That being said, I love the Dream and actually ended up keeping it. In re: to your above points you’re right the bt is really more of an inspiration point. However the fact that they allow mixing of IRs in presets but not stock is somewhat confusing. That would be a great feature to have access to. As for the mix the scooped sound from the dream can make it tricky in certain circumstances. The twin IR is the only really mid forward mix and that one doesn’t love gain. All that being said, I love the Dream and use it often!
Both pedals in the mix tracks sound good! Thank you for your videos of the Iridium and Dream, along with the highlight of York IRs. Great insight on "pedal platform" IMO - So, the never ending debate... Blonde or Brunette, both are equally beautiful!!
Thanks for the kind words! Love both these pedals and use them side by side often! Let the debate rage on haha.
Just happened across your channel whilst looking for Dream 65 reviews. Great review - super informed and informative.
You've got great production and your delivery (speaking) is excellent - not sure how to articulate it - interesting /captivating.
I'll definitely be watching more of your vids
Awesome, thank you, Andy! Appreciate the kind words. More to come!
Excellent demo! 👏 For a strat player decided to go for the Dream, cheers
Right on! Hope you enjoy it!
This was honest and well thought mate. Thank you! Just bought Woodrow and its good for me, and what I do. I appreciate the thorough review here. I own a Deluxe Rev but hoped this would save my back on steady small venues and I could have both... LOL I WANT IT ALL, DUDE!! HAHAHA! 😄Cheers Brother!😇
Thanks so much for watching and the kind words. I just got the Woodrow too! Can't wait to put it through it's paces. I feel like it got totally neglected by everyone during the marketing blitz. And I hear ya on the gear my man. I WANT IT ALL AND WE DESERVE IT ALL
I have both. The Dream smokes the Iridium. And honestly, I prefer the Walrus Audio ACS1 to the Iridium. But, to each his own.
I agree Eric. The Dream is an amazing emulation of a Deluxe reverb. I still love the Iridium though which is why I’m giving away the Dream to one of my followers.
Cheers!
I found your channel and have thoroughly enjoyed your videos. I have a few pedals that are a necessity and tried a headrush but didn’t like the latency and the digital learning curve so these amp sim pedals seem ideal. I use a boss katana and keep it on the clean channel with an added booster pedal and reverb. Would the iridium be best for a variety of clean sounds in this scenario?
The Iridium is a fantastic clean channel/pedal platform. From fuzz to modulation, totally handles all sounds!
@@SuperdangerStudios I think I may give Iridium a shot then. Truly appreciate your opinion and all of your videos!
I want my sound to be Fender Black Face and I did grow up with the Beatles and that British Invasion sound. I love the American Blues and the Kinks! So this video has made clear to me that the Strymon Iridium is the ticket!
Right on! Enjoy! I just used the iridium this morning on another track. Cheers!
The best, most practical review of these pedals! Thanks!
Wow, thanks! Both amazing pedals that accomplish a similar goal in different ways!
No one ever mentions that they're based on the different channels on a Deluxe.
There is something about strymon iridium that I really love. I love how the input stage "senses" your guitars impedance when plugged directly to it. Response really well with your guitars volume knob esp single coils. Perhaps that's the FETs doing its glorious job? Well biased transistors are my favorites.
Love the Iridium. It just feels right.
I have questions! I’m an iridium user. I don’t use external IR’s, just what the pedal offers.
I notice you are using a third party IR on both. Do the UA amp/direct pedals need third party IR’s?
I am running third party IRs loaded in the Iridium. The UA does not allow you to load third party IRs in the pedal. But you can run them in a separate pedal or in your DAW. The UA pedals have great speaker simulations though.
Great review. I just got the strymon and am really happy.
Great to hear! It’s a blast to use.
After having both the iridium and the dream - one of the best things strymon did was make it so that the indicator light turns green when your knobs match the current preset. With the UA stuff you always feel like you’re flying blind or creating everything from scratch.
Was that an update of some sort? Mine doesn’t do that
@@shankrl1 been there as long as I’ve had it. (Around 2 years) if your are on a preset, the fav switch lights up red. Then if you turn a knob to change any parameter, the fav light turns green when the knob is where the preset saved that parameter.
This way you can exactly recall a preset on the face of the pedal.
Good luck.
@@BlackstoneJ yeah! It’s surprisingly a big deal. Instead UA has created printable recall sheets on their website. Recall sheets!
I don't understand why manufacturers don't use rotary encoders with a ring of LEDs around each knob, so that you can see where the controls are set when you change presets. The cheap and nasty Behringer V-Amp had that years ago - why are still having to watch for an LED to change colour as we turn each control in turn?
Follow up, as I’d stated on another one of your videos, I ended up purchasing a Dream 65, along with loading up my Iridium with York stuff. My normal pedalboard always has a Flint at the end, going into a couple vintage PRs, or Trace Velocettes. I purchased the Dream 65 to replace the Flint, and the amps, on gigs where amps are not practical. It fills that role very, very well. It literally sounds like a miked Deluxe! It paid for itself on the first show on a ballroom gig with 5-600 people, and I didn’t have to cart amps down the street into loading bays.
That being said, the Flint/Iridium combo is very, very potent. So many great sounds to be had.
So great to hear that. So many tools for getting different jobs done!
Brilliant. Explains to me why it was so difficult to get a clean demo of the dream and it sounded shrill.
So I realized you have to turn volume to almost 0 and pump the output to get a really clean sound. Gonna do another video on that.
Thanks for this! After many HX Stomp tries, Head Rush littler pedal, Iridium, Walrus ACS1, I kept coming back Deluxe Reverb builds in these things… that’s my favorite real amp and always has been but needed a pedal di solution… so I thought okay I’m gonna give this a try but first I watched this and others and man… I loved what I was hearing you say! Loved your tones! I got it Sunday(didn’t realize the postman delivered it Saturday haha) and it’s exactly what I hoped for and I love it! Thank you!
Thrilled the video helped! Which pedal did you end up getting?
Truly excellent and informative review, thanks a lot
Very kind! Thank you for watching! More to come.
Thanks for the helpful comparison. I love the tones youre getting from each! Will you do a similar comparison with Iridium and the Lion 68? I have both and I'm curious about your perspective. Thanks!
I will eventually! The current video lineup goes through some killer amps from 2023 but will circle back to the UAFX Lion soon bc It sounds so good in the demos I have watched. Cheers!
What prevented me buying a dream 65 is not being able to upload my own IRs, i love York audio IR’s and I’m so used to them that it will be something to get used to if I can’t use them. A lot of people are saying that this is the next step in amp modeling but we’ve had good amp modelers for years now, I find it difficult to believe UA did something to drastically different.
the York IRs are great. I have all of them. BUT, honestly IRs are a bit overrated. They're not going ot make the iridum sound any more like a real amp than the stock IRs do. The iridium preamp, which is what really makes the iridium not at ALL deluxe reverby, is still there no matter what IRs you're using.
By contrast, the UAFX amp pedals are using cab sims from the UA OX box, which is a legendary, super popular, beloved cab sim for tube amps. Used in many, many professional studios. Its a huge step above IR technology. That said, if you're using helix or fractal which have better amp modeling than the iridium, the IRs do make a bigger difference.
@@MitchellSpille It is true, IR's wont make the iridium's deluxe sound like a different amp, but it will affect the most important part of the signal, the cab/mic relationship, I think the trick with IR's is to find what IR creator or studio will mic cabs the way you like them.
I love the York IRs too as I am sure you are aware haha. I was really impressed with the UA speaker emulations though. The technology from their OxBox has only gotten better. But in the end it wasn't enough to make me keep the pedal. But it is a damn good pedal.
Great, the Iridium is still my go-to :)
This pedal smokes the iridium every time. It’s the depth due to the upper harmonics that the UAD has that the iridium lacks. Immediately the iridium sounds flatter every time.
The dream 65 is much better, much more touch sensitive! I have them both, but I prefer to use the Dream 65 for concerts! The Strymon is great for the Vox and Marshall!
Right on! Both great pedals that are good for different jobs! Happy to hear they are both getting good use on your board!
26:50 This common sense approach to reviewing is what prompted my instant SUBSCRIBE.
Haha I'm all about common sense! Thanks for the sub!
Love your videos, dude. I picked up an Iridium recently and found your channel while I was trying to do research. Your videos solidified my decision. So far, it is absolutely fantastic. I must say I've been spending most of my time with the "Punch" '59 Plexi setting myself! If you're wanting more gain, that's the place to be. Cheers!
Thanks, Darren! Appreciate the kind words. The Iridium is a great pedal and it sounds like you are already enjoying it! Cheers!
Love your video's! Was contemplating selling the Iridium for a Dream, as I just get confused by all the functions on the Iridium. Can you share your Iridium settings by any chance?! If I can get it to sound anything like yours, I'll keep it!
Yeah man! Thanks for watching. I go over a lot of the settings here: ua-cam.com/video/FNlBxGdZC88/v-deo.htmlsi=jdUiRgJnVhQQXbEc mostly it’s using a good IR, then adding a simple boost in front and it comes alive!
Thanks! Your videos on this topic are all great. I'm wanting to improve sounds in my recordings and use a box rather than mic up an amp. These videos have been very helpful but I still can't decide. The Dream seems to have more string snap in the upper mids that the Iridium doesn't seem to have but The Iridium seems way more versatile. Currently, I'm using the Two notes Cab M+ but find those sounds good but not particularly authentic. Problem is, I like Fender and Vox sounds, so do I have to buy the Dream AND the Ruby? 😢
haha yeah that is an expensive purchase if you have to get both of them. If you are looking for true authenticity, the Dream is insane. I bet if you find one used or on sale on reverb you will be very happy with it.
@@SuperdangerStudios I've decided, I'm going for the Ruby as I have a bunch of great sounding amp sims within my UA Apollo Twin set up. Fender 55, Marshall Super Lead and Plexi and I have the Fuchs Super OD. (Game changer for the recording guitarist and songwriter). With Ruby, I should have all the bases covered and I think Ruby will be my main sound. I do love the Vox vibe and sound. Thanks so much for the reply and of course your great videos. Like I said, awesome work.
UAFX pedals are built as faithful representatives of the original amps. They're not of course the same, but that's the concept. You don't like the limitations of these amps, then go with an irridium, helix, or fractal. The deluxe amps on these pedals sound great. Personally I think there's charm in the kinks and limitations. I've had a helix and now I just want to plug in and play.
Well said
great review man!!!|
finally someone to tweak the knobs on the iridium and make it sound as great as any other good amp/cab sim pedal.
Right? The Iridium is no slouch! Tons of great tones out of this thing.
I'd be happy with either. I have the Iridium and Flint which I like. And I've thought about buying the Dream. Thanks for the comparison.
Both are great pedals with a little different spin on the deluxe reverb. Hard to beat the iridium and the flint though!
I have the Lollar Dirty Blonde set on my Suhr = phenomenal pickups. Which pedal feels better, under-your-fingers? Great ( and very fair ) comparison.
Oh right on! Love the dirty blondes. Which Suhr pickups did you have originally? I like the Iridium more but everyone always yells at me for that haha. I think the dream sounds so good but I always come back to the iridium.
Hi, first discovery of your channel with the subject matter being the draw as I have the Iridium at the end of my pedal chain, no amp. Really good info shown in a constructive and real way, thanks and I subscribe.
Thanks Dude! Strymon Iridium is still so good after all these years. Cheers!
Great comparison! I've got the Dream '65 and am delighted with it (I haven't tried the Iridium). It basically does everything I need in terms of a great reproduction of a classic Fender sound, and it's so convenient to travel light with and run through a clean amp or PA. For recording I use it alongside my Neunaber Neuron which offers masses of flexibility, but isn't trying to reproduce any particular amp sound. Really the only thing that irritates me with the '65 is that UAFX haven't also included presets management etc. in the desktop app - it would be so much handier in a studio set-up than messing about with a mobile phone. I think they missed a trick there, so I hope they'll address that at some point...
I bet they’ll add MIDI support in a future patch. It would be insane for them not to. Right?
@@SuperdangerStudios Absolutely. The basic hardware is fantastic - it totally nails what I bought it for (yes, I see the moans in comments about the switch settings for tremolo etc., and I agree - that's tripped me up too, so I need to get used to it), but I think (hope!) UAFX will add a lot in future firm/software patches, because the '65 is such a solid platform to get great sounds from.
I just watched your follow-up video using humbuckers into the '65 and Iridium. Really cool! I haven't tried that - my go-to guitar is my ToneFox Elcaster with P90s and the '65 works beautifully with it.
But I've just "rediscovered" my old 1978 Gibson The Paul. After watching your video I'll make it a priority to plug it into the '65 and try for some classic vintage gain tone! 😎
Definitely prefer bass sound on the Iridium. I prefer some of the sounds on the Dream and it’s great but not throw-away-your-exiting-pedal great. If I want to switch to brighter sounds, I would just flip the switch to chime settings on Iridium. Or engage the fav switch. Works everytime for me.
Agreed. Both are great pedals but really end up making very different tones for different players. Cheers!
I like the iridium. Nice size. Easy to program without an app. Sounds great as a pedal platform and the “room” knob is really sweet. I prefer using the Marshal for my clean tone 90% of the time.
At this price point pretty much all pedals tend to have so many useable tones.
Iridium is a blast. The room knob is deceptively helpful when glueing together the sound or going for a real lo-fi sound.
As guitarists we have so many good options now. It’s amazing!
I wonder about taking either of these live. What happens when you play them through an amp? Like, for example, a DRRI? Will you be doubling the DR voicing and therefore getting weird? Does it need to be played through a neutral platform? Like DI-ed?
I played the Iridium live and it worked great but I played DI into the house sound and used my wedge as a monitor. i know guys that use the dream 65 live too. Both would be ideal to play through a FRFR amp, like a headrush or something similar. If you turn off the speaker emulations on the dream you can plug into the fx loop in with the Dream 65 but you wouldnt want it to go through the coloration of the preamp of a DRRI. I have tried the fx loop trick with the Iridium and it does not work as well though. Hope this helps!
Really dig your stuff. Content is useful and your production is great. Your are just fun to watch. So, since I have to bring a full PA to our gigs I'm working on loosing the my guitar amp/combo and replacing it with something like the Iridium. While I've not tried it live I've been able to get a really great guitar sound through my PA using an MXR ten band eq and, believe it or not. a Joyo American Sound. Never thought the Joyo was good enough to gig with but run through an eq I'm getting the sounds I want. I'm quite suprised. That got me thinking, could the Iridium be that much better sounding? What do you think? Would you gig with the Iridium? No high gain stuff, and I'd be using my other pedals through it. Likely only using it for the Round sound. Yeah, I'm also very aware the crowd could really care what I"m playing through. In reality I'm not much of a musician, more of an entertainer. So having that perfect "tube tone" isn't that important too me - so long as we are getting that positive flow of energy with the audience. Thanks again.
I have played the American sound and it does really well! Unless you feel like you’re missing something specific on stage or functionality (midi, IRs) then you should keep what you got!
The Eventide pedals are the same with the dual knobs switching & usage. You have to either remember a couple of settings when you switch back or reset and get your tone. NOT a big deal. Nothing’s perfect…kind of nothing to even complain about, to me. Also, yes, some of us like the faithful recreation - warts and all. I’m sure at UA they had many discussions of “should we or shouldn’t we…” regarding that aspect but I’m glad they chose the “almost-exact model” route. I think there’s a place for both the iridium and Dream ‘65. Both are great. I’m a UA guy in this case but I could work with either and be 100% happy!
This video was originally made to Iridium owners who were feeing left in the dirt when the dream first came out. Wanted to show that the Dream wan amazing but the iridium came really close but more importantly solved many of the same problems! Good tones that are easy to dial in
Great comparison. After watching your video, I thought I’d try something different that I’m not sure anybody’s talking about. Everyone always bags on the Line 6 Helix cabs. I’ve been watching several videos on how to make those cabs sound much better. They are apparently not IR based, but rather algorithms. Running both the Ruby and the Dream through several of the cabs on my Helix, I got some amazing tones. I’m not a UA-camr, so I’m not intending on putting a video together. But if you have an HX stomp or some other Helix product you might want to try running your Iridium and UAD pedals through the cabs in that box. Just a suggestion… Love your channel!
Thanks, Bryan! Great insight. I would love to try the Helix series. A lot of pros I know down here in Nashville love the helix stuff. It always sounds great in demos online and live on stage. I’ll try and get my hands on one. And maybe a Ruby too while I’m at it.
Top work and playing... based on this video, I will be buying both pedals 👏😎
Awesome! You won't be disappointed. Both are fantastic pedals. Cheers!
Really enjoying your reviews on these pedals. I love your points about using these pedals in the way that fits your needs, rather than using arbitrary settings to keep it “fair.” Also, I’m always digging your tones and writing, all around!!
As someone who hasn’t purchased either one yet, and is not bought into Strymon or UA at all, two things come to mind for me -
1) Dream users, correct me if I’m wrong! The Dream seems to be strongest in the studio, over a live application, when the huge array of tonal options don’t need to be accessed quickly and on the fly.
2) They both have excellent tone for what they do! There is a lot of critical thinking going on in the comments that is really highlighting how the differences are more like splitting hairs (tonally) than anything else. Lots of great points. Beyond the difference in features as stated before, the real difference is the player at that point.
I love that at the $400 price point, you’re bypassing a great amp, a great mic, perfect mic placement, a perfect mic’ing environment, even when rushing onto the stage to play!
I’m an analog pedalboard kinda guy, but the amp/mic/etc variable can sometimes dampen the experience of playing live especially, for me.
Thanks Alex for the work you’re doing, and to everyone participating in this discussion.
Thanks for the insightful comment and sharing your exp. I agree and in that I havent used the dream live but have used it in studio and it did great. I have used the iridium both live and on stage and both situations worked great as well.
It really just depends on your workflow and how much you want it to sound like a real Deluxe reverb. If that extra 5% is worth it to you then the Dream is where it’s at.
Cheers!
Finally picked up a Dream 65 to compare with my Iridium, and I have to say that the York Audio Deluxe Reverb IRs (which use an Oxford speaker) sound a lot better to me than the Oxford in the Dream 65. I'm using the Iridium in cab sim mode (bypasses amp sim) after the Dream to compare.
I agree. The York audio dxvb IR might be the best fender IR out there.
Thank you! I am really torn on wich one to get… I also just got a flint v2..it’s so hard with all the options these days also I am defiantly subscribing!
Thanks, Ryan! Good thing is whatever you choose will be a good decision. The Iridium is a bit more hands on, while the Dream is more of a plug and play. I have lots of other videos on Dream and Iridium comparisons if it helps. Cheers!
@@SuperdangerStudios thanks man! I really appreciate the insight, I will check the other videos out. That’s great to hear because I love all my strymon pedals and I’m also a dedicated UAD spark and volt2 user
So if I wanted to use one of these with a JBL EON FRFR type monitor you'd suggest the Strymon for the warmth???? I may want the extra gain of the Dream ....mostly worried about the brightness of the full response of the JBL .
Hey Blooze so sorry for the delay. Either would be great for an FRFR but if you want more gain then Iridium Punch channel has tons! (Based on a modded Plexi). That being said, you can dial the highs down on the Dream quite effectively.
@@SuperdangerStudios thx for the info. I ended up picking up a Two Note Torpedo MCab+. Will start messing with it this week. 🤘
Finally a fair comparison !! Excellent job
Thanks Ryan! Both of these pedals are great and deserve to be compared at their best.
Hello, great comparison. Can you please describe me how do you connect both units directly into a mixer or even a usb interface? Are you using a DI box in between? Thanks!
Thanks so much! For this video I was going direct out from the board to my apogee duet USB interface. No DI box or end buffer in my chain. Hope this helps!
just loaded some bass irs onto my iridium and now I was between buying a second one (for gigs where I need a guitar and a bass amp pedal) or trying something new.
second iridium it is. thank you for the great review!
Right on Man! Sounds great as a bass amp kinda reminds me off the bass input on my old 64 Bassman . What IRs are you using?
33:00 I would lean toward the Strymon in a mix. Sounds like it's been EQ'd. The Dream sounded more like it was a raw blackface amp's vibrato channel with extra bright stack and gain stage being miked right up without any EQ or faders on the board.
I guess they're just slightly different tools, really. Both sounded good.
I'd probably take whichever I could find cheaper.
Haha agreed. The best pedal is the one that you can afford! Both pedals work great but just need a different approach.
Great video! So well done. May I ask how you set/use your soundcard to take the Iridium? I can't seem to capture the liveliness of it. I'm using a Solid State SSL+.
Hi Henrik, thank you for the kind words. Here is my signal path from the video. Iridium in preamp only mode > Strymon Flint Spring reverb > Apogee Duet 2 Interface > DAW (Logic Pro) and am using Bias FX as an IR loader for the York Audio IRs.
Does that help?
Thanks. How do you gain stage the whole thing? Is your soundcard input gain as high as they can before clipping? And do you record the Iridium stereo out?
I try to have my input on my interface peak at around -10db. Since it's digital it is easy to raise the noise floor. I have the Iridium output at whatever is needed for that and usually have the gain on the preamp of my interface at zero. Let me know if you have any more questions.
@@SuperdangerStudios Thanks. I think I get it 🙂
Absolute great video. I had debated with myself on which to get but I ended up the Dream. I don’t have a reverb pedal, I only want a fender sound, and I have some overdrive pedals that I want to turn up to over 12 o’clock in my bedroom, so the Dream wins. The most important thing it responds like a real amp. A lot of modelling or plugin stuff boast how well they react to the volume knob, but to me it’s more about how they react to your fingers and picking. The Dream doesn’t disappoint. Btw, when you using the presets, are you using IR too or is it just the Dream only? Cuz when I choose “single coil neck grit sweet spot” it’s sounds very muffled, not nearly as good as yours😂
Thanks for watching and yeah man your needs are exactly what the Dream provides! It’s a perfect classic fender sound solution. As for your preset question, I was using the stock speaker in the dream 65. Hmm I wonder why that didn’t sound as clear for you?
@@SuperdangerStudios yeah.. It can’t be my guitars that’s for sure:) could be the cables? Or the audio interface? When I use headphones directly it’s muffled, if I listen through the interface it’s muffled. What kind of cables are you using on the output of the Dream? Are they guitar cables or TRS cables? Do you connect the pedal to the HiZ input or line input of the interface?
Are you using your Strymon in Mono mode? If so, you have to be using the left output only. I use generic instrument ts cables from sweetwater. When I connect it to the interface its hi z input. Let me know if this helps.
@@SuperdangerStudios Thanks for the info...but guess what, turns out to be my pick🤣 It's interesting people sometimes forget how different picks make a huge difference in tones, especially on clean & overdriven tones. Thin pointy picks have a brighter tone, while round and thick ones have more low end or "meat".
If it's a matter of ears and taste... I go for Iridium, it sounds clearer and deeper to me.
It is definitely a more clear uncolored sound which is what I go for most of the time. Cheers!
Thank u for making this comparison..love all yur videos..please keep it rolling. U just earn a Subscriber.
Greeting from Singapore. 🙏❤️
Thank you for watching! More to come!
what i dont get: for people being new into all that digital stuff its just confusing. why do you add IRs from york audio when the iridium and the dream have cabinet simulation (IRs)? where are they added? is it software, a pedal with IRs? .
I’d have two requests:
1. Could you compare the RD BF emulation via the MORE/PRES control, the Preamp switch and the bright switch with UA’s Dream ‘65?
2. Could you compare the RevivalTrem with the Dream’ 65?
Hi Convex! I can do. But I also have some questions. Do you want me to compare the Origin Effects Pedals running as a preamp or in front of the Iridium?
Cheers!
@@SuperdangerStudios
I thought to run them as a preamp, link them to a poweramp (simulation) and cabsim or IR.
Great video. I owned both but let the Iridium go. The dream sounds really excellent to me. Mostly I track temp stuff with amp in a box and then re-record with tube amps and cabs. I like the stereo in/out so I can use fancy stereo pedals into the front of it too.
Right on! They are both great and can tackle diff jobs for diff players. Happy to hear the Dream worked out for you!
I use the Dream in the exact same way, great for scratch tracks and still has the valve type feel.
Hi Alex! Have you tried the Opus yet? IMHO, it might even be better than both the Iridium and the Dream!
I love this demo…. !! Awesome content all the time
Glad you enjoy it!
Alex-my first video on your channel knocked me out! Well done, polished review sir! Such a superb, comprehensive comparison with all of the details one has to consider. Much appreciated. I came in with really liking the Dream 65 sort of due to frustration with modeling in general for the past year. I noticed how lush the reverb was in another comparison vid and it had sustain! My modeler which will go nameless sucks, especially the iffy sustain which is a deal breaker. Completely uninspiring and why even plug in? Moving along, I did get a laugh when you used the Flint for reverb with the Iridium-ah ha, looks like cheating..I'm kidding. As you mentioned, yeah the "room" on the Iridium isn't great, I was underwhelmed with that too.
Thanks for mentioning the difference of the Deluxe channels used by each unit, makes a difference for sure. For someone who is tired of constantly tweaking presets, the Dream 65 seemed like gold but hmmm, the process of the getting into the vibrato is kind of a drag. But it sounds good! I really did like how the Dream 65 cleaned up with the volume down on your G&L. Neither pedal really was great with their boosts as you mentioned. I did hear that the Iridium seemed to be slightly better at serving as a pedal platform.The Boss SD-1 sounded great through it. Something to consider obviously. I hear you-I don't need a smart anything-phone, house etc. either! (Alexa could you, for the love of God, get me a decent Marshall Plexi crunch tone?--Riiight) Man, that phone app and the resulting madness that could occur made me cringe. Who in the hell needs that aggravation? Thanks for the pro review Alex!
Thank you for such a generous comment, Marcus. Very much appreciated. It is unfortunate that there isnt a spring verb built in bc that is a big investment to buy the Flint, but the additional features on the Flint make up for it. I actually have been using the flint for a while on my main rig bc i dont like the spring verb on it so it was already in the collection haha.
The Dream is an amazing pedal though. They nailed the modeling of the deluxe reverb and all the intricacies that come along with it, however the internet of things is just more tech disasters waiting to unfold in your day to day life haha.
Cheers!
@@SuperdangerStudios Not a problem sir! Yeah, the Dream 65 may the one I buy but I was actually considering a Kemper a couple of weeks ago before I even knew it existed. But the Kemper obviously is alot of coin to part with-ouch! Going to really think that whole thing through and take my time on it. Modeling tones have come a long way but I want to streamline things and not be "scrolling around to make noise" as you said. Trying to avoid impulsive purchases though. I really did like the various speakers available on the Dream too. Not that I have completely written off the Iridium, will have to check out the other amps on it. And it IS a good platform pedal. Cheers back at ya!
PS-how do you enter the Dream giveaway contest?
After playing with the Dream more it really is an amazing pedal, even with the frustrating app/preset side. I love my Iridium but I can see alot of use cases for the Dream. As for the contest here is the video on it: ua-cam.com/video/krFfYYeMd34/v-deo.html
Good luck!
Why would you use an IR on the Dream? UA doesn’t use traditional IR’s. They have proprietary speaker modeling and all the UAFX pedals use that technology. It’s the same speaker modeling system UA uses in The Ox Box. I’ve heard many folks say they thought the UA cabs models in The Ox are excellent.
I initially compared it w Iridium using the same IR so that we could eliminate any other variables. I went on to play all the speaker cabs and they sound amazing! You are correct. The ox tech is amazing in fact, it makes me want to buy the ox after owning the Dream.