To Synergy or not to Synergy, that is the question. Discuss......

Fortheloveofguitar

I’ve been using both the Synergy and Randall systems for over a year now and it’s a great system 

Up to about 14 modules now so got all the tones well and truly covered 

FelineGuitars

I have a Syn 2 and a egnater M4 (which is the 4 preamp module chassis) as the other preamp you can loop in 
6 modules is more than i need in one go anyway.

rockmonster

Fortheloveofguitar said:

I’ve been using both the Synergy and Randall systems for over a year now and it’s a great system 

Up to about 14 modules now so got all the tones well and truly covered 

Gigged them?

webrthomson

rockmonster said:

Fortheloveofguitar said:

I’ve been using both the Synergy and Randall systems for over a year now and it’s a great system 

Up to about 14 modules now so got all the tones well and truly covered 

Gigged them?

Not done my Synergy yet - used to gig my Egnater Mod 50 and what a glorious thing it was indeed

I miss gigging!

rockmonster

I miss gigging!

Me too! 

Fortheloveofguitar

rockmonster said:

Fortheloveofguitar said:

I’ve been using both the Synergy and Randall systems for over a year now and it’s a great system 

Up to about 14 modules now so got all the tones well and truly covered 

Gigged them?

I quit gigging back in 2013 so can’t comment on that aspect I’m afraid 

FelineGuitars

FelineGuitars

FelineGuitars said:

I have a few new modules too 

BE/BB - love it 
Bogner Ecstasy - fab
Fryette Pitbull - interesting but getting into it
Fryette Deliverance - very promising 
T/Dlx - love the twin, not so much the Deluxe with HBs
Vai - really disliked it for rhythm ...sounded v flat almost transistor amp like (may try different tubes).

Watching clips of steve playing it , it's just alien to the sounds i use

Completely changed how I feel about the Vai module

A change of 1st tube (which was a slightly dark sounding JJ) and moving the cathode select switch to the 2nd position changed the response and gave a lot more headroom much more to my liking and then playing it much more has opened it up a lot.

rockmonster

FelineGuitars said:

FelineGuitars said:

I have a few new modules too 

BE/BB - love it 
Bogner Ecstasy - fab
Fryette Pitbull - interesting but getting into it
Fryette Deliverance - very promising 
T/Dlx - love the twin, not so much the Deluxe with HBs
Vai - really disliked it for rhythm ...sounded v flat almost transistor amp like (may try different tubes).

Watching clips of steve playing it , it's just alien to the sounds i use

Completely changed how I feel about the Vai module

A change of 1st tube (which was a slightly dark sounding JJ) and moving the cathode select switch to the 2nd position changed the response and gave a lot more headroom much more to my liking and then playing it much more has opened it up a lot.

Favourite Synergy module?

WiresDreamDisasters

IMHO:

Life is too short to piss around with tiny little modules that don't have big balls of fire on 'em. Get a few amp heads!

rockmonster

WiresDreamDisasters said:

IMHO:

Life is too short to piss around with tiny little modules that don't have big balls of fire on 'em. Get a few amp heads!

Ha ha! You are talking to a man who has had pretty much most of the big amps on the planet! I just fancy something to compliment the ones I have kept!

WiresDreamDisasters

rockmonster said:

WiresDreamDisasters said:

IMHO:

Life is too short to piss around with tiny little modules that don't have big balls of fire on 'em. Get a few amp heads!

Ha ha! You are talking to a man who has had pretty much most of the big amps on the planet! I just fancy something to compliment the ones I have kept!

Do what I do and buy them all 3 times each! Then you get the magic warp zone whistle!

rockmonster

Christ I think I’ve done that have you seen my amp history? Lol!

WiresDreamDisasters

Go on then! Get some amp lego!

rockmonster

I think it’s the only thing left! Lol!

Nerine

I think my only concern would be the platform’s longevity. Are Synergy going to be around in another few years? Who knows. 

I make no speculation about them as a company, I don’t know their financials or position in the market, I make no claim of that at all. 

But it just pops into my head for some reason. 

Faddy is maybe too strong a term. As some others have pointed out, they like them a lot, so there must be something in it.  

I’d just be wary of a platform that isn’t that widely adopted in the grand scheme of things. 

I could see the modules changing hands for peanuts on the used market in a few years time. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe it’s not. Depends which way you look at it. 

Whilst the modular approach is a cool idea, it never really seems to have historically taken off in a big way, which I’m actually quite surprised about. Make of that what you will, I suppose. 

If you like the sound of it, then dive in. 

goldtop

^ The question is whether the interface is proprietary. I don't think the Randall was, and unless the Synergy update added some digital ID shenanigans, I doubt that is either. Might be patented... but it should be clonable.

Jonathanthomas83

Nerine said:

Faddy is maybe too strong a term. As some others have pointed out, they like them a lot, so there must be something in it.  

It's been around for years under different guises, so I'm not sure it can be classed as a fad any more. It's a niche though, that's for sure.

rockmonster

Well 5 mins with it has justified me selling the Kemper!

leerocker

rockmonster said:

Well 5 mins with it has justified me selling the Kemper!

You got one boyo!