Iridium support

Iridium is an amp modeler that provides you with 3 classic tube amplifier circuits which can be paired with one of 9 ultra- realistic, full stereo Impulse Response (IR) speaker cabinets.

Amplifiers

• round – Based on a Fender® Deluxe Reverb®*
• chime – Based on the Brilliant channel of a Vox® AC30TB*
• punch – Based on a Marshall® Plexi*

Every aspect of the amplifier’s circuitry has been mathematically modeled with absolute precision to deliver the response, feel, and inspiring experience of playing through the original amps at their best.  Taking the process a step further, we’ve hot-rodded each amp to provide an extended range of tonal options beyond what was available from the original designs.

Impulse Response Speaker Cabinets

Room Ambience

Iridium features a hybrid room ambience design that combines 256ms impulse response captures of real rooms for realistic early reflections, with an algorithm for extended decay and modulation. This combination places your amp and cab in a natural sounding room, creating a space for your amp to open up and breathe. In addition to controlling the amount of room ambience, you can also choose a small, medium, or large room.

*All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Strymon. These product names, descriptions and images are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were studied during Strymon’s sound design process.  Fender®, Deluxe Reverb®, Blues Junior®, and Vibrolux® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Vox® is a registered trademark of Vox R&D Limited.  Marshall® is a registered trademark of Marshall Amplification Plc.

Connecting to Iridium’s Input

Iridium has a single input that will work with MONO or STEREO TRS input signals depending on the setting of the Input Selector switch on the back of the pedal.  The input impedance is 1 Meg Ohm.

Iridium can accept Instrument (-10dB) or Line Level (+4dB) signals up to +8dBu.  If using Line Level signals, please make sure to set the INPUT LEVEL to LINE.

***NOTE:  Never connect the speaker output from an amplifier into Iridium!!!***

• To set the INPUT LEVEL on Iridium:
  • Press and hold the FAV footswitch while connecting power to Iridium until both LEDs start blinking.
  • Release the footswitch and use the DRIVE knob to select the INPUT LEVEL.  The status will be shown on the FAV LED:
    • Instrument Level  = GREEN
    • Line Level = RED

Connecting from Iridium’s Outputs

Iridium is an amp modeler and IR cab processor that can be used in a variety of ways. With both the amp and IR cab processing active, it is designed for:

• Recording direct to an audio interface
• Connecting to a PA/mixer or powered full range/flat response speakers

It is not really recommended to be placed in front of an amplifier, but if you disable the IR Cab in Cab Bypass mode, you can connect Iridium’s output(s) into the Power Amp Input/Effects Return of an amplifier to use as the preamp for your amplifier.

Using a DI Box

Iridium’s LEFT and RIGHT audio outputs are 1/4″ unbalanced buffered outputs.  The buffered signal when both engaged or bypassed can handle sending signals over long cable runs. However, in some setups, using a DI may help if you encounter any noise or ground loops when connecting Iridium’s outputs directly to a PA/mixer or require balanced connections. 

Using Amp or Cab Bypass Modes

Iridium gives you the option to bypass either the amp modeling or the IR cab processing for different use cases.  The ROOM processing is always active in any of these output modes.

• Amp Bypass mode can be used to send a preamp signal such as from a dedicated preamp or the effects send from your amplifier (or a line level signal from your amplifier first passing through a load box, then, into Iridium) to use with the IR cab processing.
• Cab Bypass mode can be used to send Iridium’s amp modeling signal to use as a preamp into the effects return/power amp input of your amplifier or into another speaker cab processing device.

To bypass either the amp or IR cabinet:

• Press and hold the ON footswitch at power-up to enter this mode. 
• Turn the DRIVE knob to select the output mode.  The status is shown by the color of the FAV LED.
  • Amp+Cab both ON (default) – RED LED
  • Amp Bypass – GREEN LED
    • Amp bypass is used for when you would like to disable the amp modeling on Iridium, or would like to use another preamp in front of the pedal.
  • Cab Bypass – AMBER LED
    • Cab bypass is used when when you would only like to utilize the amp modeling from Iridium without the IR speaker cabinet.

• Note: During normal operation, the ON LED will take on the color of the selected mode when lit.
  
  • RED (default) LED for normal mode (both Amp and Cab processing active)
  • GREEN LED for Amp Bypass mode
  • AMBER LED for Cab Bypass mode

You can change the input level mode on Iridium to accept either instrument level (default) or line level signals.

To change the Input Level:

• Press and hold the FAV footswitch while connecting power to the pedal.
• Once both LEDs flash, release the footswitch.
• Turn the DRIVE knob to select the Input Level.  The FAV LED indicates the status:
  • Instrument – GREEN LED (default):  Use with guitar level signal sources.
  • Line – RED LED: Use with line level signal sources.
• Press the ON or FAV footswitch to exit and store the Input Level.

NOTE: The Input Level power up function persists through power cycles.

You can select from 3 different ROOM sizes (small, medium, and large) for the ROOM ambience feature of Iridium.

To change the ROOM size:

• Press and hold the ON footswitch  until the LEDs blink.
• Turn the ROOM knob to select the size of the room:
  • Small – GREEN LED
  • Medium – AMBER LED
  • Large – RED Led
• Press the ON footswitch to store the new room size setting to Iridium.

NOTE: The ROOM size is saved individually per preset.

On the back of the Iridium chassis, you will find the Audio Routing selector which selects the input audio routing for the pedal.

• mono: Use when connecting a mono signal source, such as a guitar, into Iridium’s IN jack.  Output in this mode is stereo.  Use OUT L for mono output.
• stereo: Use when connecting a TRS stereo input signal to Iridium’s IN jack.  Output is stereo.
• sum: Use when connecting a TRS stereo input signal that you would like to sum to mono.  Both OUT L and OUT R will provide a summed mono output signal.

You can bypass either the amp or the IR speaker cab on Iridium if you desire.  The ROOM processing is always active in any of these output modes.

To bypass either the amp or IR cabinet:

• Press and hold the ON footswitch at power-up to enter this mode. 
• Turn the DRIVE knob to select the output mode.  The status is shown by the color of the FAV LED.
  • Amp+Cab both ON (default) – RED LED
  • Amp Bypass – GREEN LED
    • Amp bypass is used for when you would like to disable the amp modeling on Iridium, or would like to use another preamp in front of the pedal.
  • Cab Bypass – AMBER LED
    • Cab bypass is used when when you would only like to utilize the amp modeling from Iridium without the IR speaker cabinet.

• Note: During normal operation, the ON LED will take on the color of the selected mode when lit.
  
  • RED (default) LED for normal mode (both Amp and Cab processing active)
  • GREEN LED for Amp Bypass mode
  • AMBER LED for Cab Bypass mode

There is an output Level Trim feature on Iridium that allows you to adjust the output volume for both the 1/4″ Output and the Headphone output together without altering the level that is saved to a Favorite setting.  It is essentially a global output level adjustment that does not affect the saved levels between your presets.  It is also useful when monitoring  with headphones.

• To adjust the Level Trim on Iridium:
  • Press and hold the ON footswitch until the LED’s blink.
  • Turn the LEVEL knob to scale the output level.  The FAV LED indicates the status:
    • The knob will sweep from -20dB at the (GREEN LED at lowest setting) to +3dB (AMBER LED at maximum setting).
    • The ON LED turns RED when there is no boost or cut of the output level, at the 12 o’clock noon knob position.
  • Press the ON or FAV footswitch to exit and store the Level Trim setting.

NOTE: The LEVEL TRIM value is not stored as part of a preset and resets each time the pedal powers up.

You can set the EXP jack on Iridium to accept an expression pedal to act as a volume pedal that is placed either right before the amp modeling, or right after the IR cabinet, but before the ROOM ambience in the pedal’s internal signal routing.

***By default, Iridium’s EXP jack is set to Volume PRE mode from the factory.

To set the EXP jack to Volume PRE mode:

• Press and hold down the FAV footswitch while connecting power to the pedal.
  • Once both LEDs on the pedal flash, release the footswitch.
• Turn the LEVEL knob so that the ON LED will light up AMBER to indicate Volume PRE mode.
• Press the ON or FAV footswitch to exit and store the EXP jack setting.

To set the EXP jack to Volume POST mode:

• Press and hold down the FAV footswitch while connecting power to the pedal.
  • Once both LEDs on the pedal flash, release the footswitch.
• Turn the LEVEL knob so that the ON LED will light up RED to indicate Volume POST mode.
• Press the ON or FAV footswitch to exit and store the EXP jack setting.

NOTE: EXP jack assignment persists through power cycles.

You can set the EXP jack on Iridium to accept an expression pedal for real-time control over any one or more of the knobs on Iridium in any direction.

To set the EXP jack to Expression mode:

• Press and hold down the FAV footswitch while connecting power to the pedal.
  • Once both LEDs on the pedal flash, release the footswitch.
• Turn the LEVEL knob counter-clockwise and the ON LED will light up GREEN to indicate Expression mode.
• Press the ON or FAV footswitch to exit and store the EXP jack setting.

NOTE: EXP jack assignment persists through power cycles.

To assign knobs to be controlled with the expression pedal:

1. Connect an expression pedal to the EXP jack of Iridium using a TRS cable.
2. Press and hold down both footswitches until BOTH LEDs blink GREEN.
3. Rock the expression pedal to the HEEL position and the FAV footswitch will blink GREEN.
4. Set the knob(s) you would like to control to the desired settings for the HEEL position of the expression pedal.  The FAV LED will turn RED.
5. Now, rock the expression pedal to the TOE position.  Now, only the ON LED will blink GREEN.
6. Set the knob(s) you would like to control to the desired position you would like for the TOE position of the expression pedal.  The ON LED will turn RED.
7. When you are done, press either of the ON or FAV footswitches to save this assignment.

Make sure to save your Favorite or MIDI preset to save the expression pedal assignment for use with your presets.

NOTE: Expression pedal assignment is saved independently per Favorite/MIDI preset.  We recommend an expression pedal with a 25k Ohm minimum potentiometer. 

Set MIDI Output Mode

The MIDI Output mode must be set to determine what kind of MIDI data is sent out by Iridium.  ***NOTE: If you are only sending MIDI data to Iridium or if you are using the Strymon MIDI EXP cable, the MIDI Output mode must be set to OFF.***

• Press and hold down both footswitches while connecting the pedal to power.  Make sure the pedal is NOT connected to a computer via USB during this step.
• When the LEDs stop blinking, release the footswitch and turn the LEVEL knob to select what kind of MIDI data is sent from Iridium to other MIDI devices.  The ON LED will show the status:
  • GREEN – ON – Using Iridium’s knobs and switches generates MIDI messages that are sent out of Iridium.
  • AMBER – THROUGH – Incoming MIDI messages are sent out of Iridium without any additional MIDI messages generated by Iridium.
  • RED – OFF (default) – No MIDI messages are sent out of Iridium.

Saving and Recalling Presets on Iridium with MIDI

Saving Presets via MIDI

With the EXP jack set to DIGITAL mode, the currently loaded settings can be saved to any of Iridium’s 300 preset locations at any time.

• To initiate the SAVE process, press and hold the FAV footswitch.  The FAV LED will start blinking BLUE.
• Send a MIDI Program Change message from your connected MIDI device to Iridium.  The LED will stop flashing and Iridium will save the settings to the preset location that corresponds with the MIDI Program Change message it received.
  • To save a preset to the currently loaded preset location, simply press the FAV footswitch once again while the LED is flashing.

Recalling  Presets

You can perform a factory reset to clear out and restore all factory presets, expression pedal assignments, secondary functions, customized IR cabs, and power up modes.

To perform a factory reset:

• Press and hold the ON footswitch while connecting power to the pedal.
• Once both LEDs flash, release the footswitch.
• Sweep the MIDDLE knob from 0% to 100% twice to RESET; status on both LEDs.
  • Turn 1 – AMBER
  • Turn 2 – RED
  • Turn 3 – AMBER
  • Turn 4 – Both LEDs blink RED, pedal resets, and power cycles
• After the pedal power cycles during the reset, when the ON LED lights up RED, the pedal is ready to use again.

Iridium’s LEFT and RIGHT audio outputs are 1/4″ unbalanced buffered outputs.  The buffered signal when both engaged or bypassed can handle sending signals over long cable runs. However, in some setups, using a DI may help if you encounter any noise or ground loops when connecting Iridium’s outputs directly to a PA/mixer. 

Iridium can output from instrument up to line level and is adjustable by its LEVEL knob and Level Trim secondary function.  The Level Trim function can be used to boost or attenuate Iridium’s output without affecting the leveling between your stored presets.

• To adjust the Level Trim secondary function:
  • Press and hold down the ON footswitch until both LEDs start blinking while the pedal is already connected to power.
  • Release the footswitch and turn the LEVEL knob to adjust the Level Trim.  The status will be shown on the FAV LED.
    • -10dB to -10dB = GREEN
    • +/- 0dB = RED
    • Up to +3dB = AMBER

Headphone Compatibility

Make sure to use headphones with an impedance between 25 to 70 ohms and with sensitivity as close to 100dB/mW as you can get for best performance with Iridium’s headphone output.  The higher the impedance of your headphones, the lower the output volume of Iridium’s headphone output will be.

Power Requirements

When using the headphone output on Iridium, this requires the pedal to draw more current than it normally would when the headphone output is not in use.

• If you will not be using the headphone output on Iridium, we recommend providing 9V DC center-negative and at least 300mA of current.
• If you are using the headphone output one Iridium, we recommend providing 9V center-negative and at least 500mA of current as Iridium requires additional current to power the headphone amplifier.

Noise Performance

Iridium was designed as a an amp modeler solution in a pedal format that you can drop into any pedalboard.  Like most other guitar pedals, it receives its ground connection via the 1/4″ output jacks.  When listening to Iridium through the headphone output and using a wall adapter, there is no connection earth ground like there is with an amplifier.  This causes some noise (hum) and is usually reduced when you ground the guitar by touching the strings.  The adapter that is included with Iridium significantly reduces this hum when compared to similar parts.  If an amplifier with an earth ground connection is available, then, the hum can be eliminated by connecting the LEFT or RIGHT OUT from Iridium to the input of the amplifier.  The amplifier doesn’t need to be powered on for the ground to be provided.  Power supplies like the Zuma and Ojai have much better filtering and isolation which will improve the noise performance.

With Iridium, you can use compatible 24 bit/96kHz ‘Null Cab’ IR files to use as a ‘bypassed cab’ that you can load to either side (LEFT or RIGHT or BOTH) of the 9 Cab Slots with the Strymon Impulse Manager software.

The ‘Null Cab’ files are useful for bypassing one or both sides of the speaker cab processing on Iridium for different routing options.

Downloads

Null Cab Mono

Null Cab Stereo

Loading Null Cab IRs to Iridium

• Download the mono or stereo Null Cab IR file(s) above to save on your computer.
• Open the Strymon Impulse Manager software and navigate to the dowloaded ‘Null Cab’ IR’s with the Impulse Responses browsing folder at the top left of the application.
• Drag the ‘Null Cab’ IR file to the desired Cab Slot:
  • You can drag the ‘Null Cab Mono’ IR file into either the LEFT or RIGHT (or both) sides of each Cab Slot.
  • The ‘Null Cab Stereo’ IR file will replace both sides (LEFT and RIGHT) of the Cab Slot.
  • NOTE: The ‘Null Cab’ IR files are a bit loud, so make sure to adjust the IR level settings in the ‘info’ box for the selected Cab Slot.
• Click ‘Sync Changes’ when you are done editing to save the changes to Iridium’s memory.

Input Impedance:  1M Ohm

Output Impedance:  100 Ohm

Input:  1/4″ TS mono; switchable 1/4″ TRS stereo (unbalanced)

Outputs:  1/4″ TS (unbalanced)

A/D & D/A:  24-bit 96kHz

Max Input Level:  +8dBu

Frequency Response:  20Hz to 20kHz

Signal to Noise:  110dB typical

DSP Performance:  1585 MegaFLOPS

Bypass Switching:  Buffered Bypass

Dimensions:  4.5” deep x 4” wide x 1.75” tall (11.4 cm deep x 10.2 cm wide x 4.4 cm tall)

Power requirements:   9VDC center negative; 500mA minimum when using headphone output, 300mA minimum without headphones

There are 3 selectable amplifier models available via the TYPE switch on Iridium:

• round: Based on* a Fender® Deluxe Reverb®, this amp is clean, bright, and mid-scooped, with plenty of headroom.  Set the MIDDLE knob at noon for the original tonal characteristics of the Deluxe.  Turn down the MIDDLE knob for a more scooped sound, or turn it up for tweed-era tones.
• chime: Based on* the Brilliant channel of a Vox® AC30TB, this amp is jangly and bright.  The MIDDLE control acts as a Tone Cut knob, providing high-end roll-off.  Setting DRIVE beyond 3 o’clock activates a frequency-shaped front end boost.
• punch: Based on* a Marshall® Plexi, this powerful amp is meatier, with higher gain than the other two, and has a powerful midrange response plus a buttery smooth overdrive.  Set the DRIVE control above 2 o’clock to access custom hot-rodded Plexi high gain tones.

*All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Strymon. These product names, descriptions and images are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were studied during Strymon’s sound design process.  Fender®, Deluxe Reverb®, Blues Junior®, and Vibrolux® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Vox® is a registered trademark of Vox R&D Limited.  Marshall® is a registered trademark of Marshall Amplification Plc.

The current consumption on Iridium can vary quite a bit depending on whether or not the pedal is being used with headphones.  Iridium requires 9V DC center-negative power and between 300-500mA of current depending on usage:

• If you will not be using the headphone output on Iridium, we recommend providing at least 300mA of current.
• If you are using the headphone output on Iridium, we recommend providing at least 500mA of current as Iridium requires additional current to power the internal headphone amplifier.

NOTE:  The factory power supply that is included with Iridium provides enough power to cover both use cases above.

All Strymon pedals sold within North America (except OB.1) include a 9VDC 660mA power supply. OB.1 includes a 9V battery.

We don’t recommend using daisy chain power supplies. Ground loops are commonly caused when using a daisy chain power cable to power multiple pedals. This creates a ground loop between every pedal in the daisy chain. Ground loops allow stray magnetic fields to introduce hum into your signal path.

If the only type of effect you use is distortion you may not have (or hear) the ill effects. But, if you have modulation and delay pedals the likelihood of ground loops wreaking havoc on your signal is high.

If you don’t plan on using the included power adapter, we recommend an isolated power supply. An isolated supply works by using a transformer (or multiple transformers) to keep every power outlet completely electrically isolated. We offer two fully-isolated, high current DC power supplies, Ojai and Zuma. Click below for more info:

Strymon Impulse Manager is an application for editing the impulse response (IR) speaker cabs that are loaded to Iridium’s 9 IR cab slots.  See the Strymon Impulse Manager support page for downloads and instructions on using the software.

We always work hard to improve the experience our customers have with our products. The release notes below list the new features we’ve added to Iridium and/or issues we’ve resolved.  Download the Strymon Update software to update the firmware on your Iridium.

Current Release

Iridium Firmware REV v1.19 (Released July 2020)

What’s Fixed?

• Setting Input Level power-up mode to LINE is now retained after powering down the pedal.
• Saving a preset immediately after power-up now stores settings correctly when the EXP/MIDI jack mode is set to External Favorite switch.
• Iridium now generates MIDI data from the MIDI OUTPUT when MIDI OUT power-up mode is set to ON.
• Expression pedal MIDI CC# 100 sent via USB now works during the expression pedal setup procedure.
• Changing the MIDI Channel at power-up now changes the USB port MIDI communication channel as well.
• You can now save presets by sending a MIDI PC message via USB.

What’s new?

• Added MIDI CC# 9 for setting the PRE (value 0) or POST (values 1-127) positioning of the Volume pedal (MIDI CC# 7) when the EXP/MIDI jack is not set to VOLUME PRE or VOLUME POST.

Iridium Firmware REV v1.17 (Released April 2020)

What’s Fixed?

• Fixed a random behavior where the knobs could “wake up” on their own after a Favorite or MIDI preset is recalled.

Iridium Firmware REV v1.16 (Released March 2020)

What’s Fixed?

• Fixed an issue that could potentially lock up the user interface if the pedal received a MIDI reset message or oddly timed MIDI messages.

Archived Releases

Iridium Firmware REV v1.12 (Released December 2019)

What’s fixed?

• Fixed an issue that could lead to bit-crushed static-like audio signal from the ROOM ambience.
• Corrected the gain and leveling between the IR cabs when in AMP BYPASS mode.
• Save preset now responds to USB MIDI Program Change messages

Strymon Non-Transferrable Limited Warranty

Warranty

Strymon warranties its products and their varying components to be free from defects in material and workmanship for the following periods of time from the original date of purchase when purchased from an Authorized Strymon Dealer:

• Effects Pedals
  • 2 Years* – Compadre, Iridium, NightSky, Riverside, Sunset, Volante,
  • 1 Year* – BigSky, blueSky, Brigadier, Deco, DIG, El Capistan, Flint, Lex, Mobius, OB.1, Ola, Orbit, TimeLine
• Eurorack Modules
  • 2 Years* – AA.1, Magneto
• Power Supplies
  • 5 Years* – Zuma, Zuma R300, Ojai, Ojai R30
  • 1 Year* – Factory power supplies for pedals
• Accessories
  • 1 Year* – MiniSwitch, MultiSwitchPlus, original MultiSwitch, MIDI EXP Cables, DC Power Cables, EIAJ-05 Link Cables, 24V Power Adapter for Ojai/Ojai R30, Polarity Reversal Adapters, Voltage Doubler Adapters, Daisy-Chain Power Cables

*The warranty period applies to products purchased in North America.  For all other regions, please contact your dealer/distributor as different regions may have a different warranty period.

If the product fails within the warranty period, Strymon will repair or, at our discretion, replace the product at no cost to the original purchaser.

Exclusions

This warranty covers defects in manufacturing discovered while using this product as recommended by Strymon. This warranty does not cover loss or theft, nor does the coverage extend to damage caused by misuse, abuse, unauthorized modification, improper storage, lightning, or natural disasters. Damage caused by any of the above circumstances may result in a non-warranty repair fee.

Products that were purchased from an unauthorized dealer are not covered under warranty.  The warranty is non-transferrable and does not cover used or second-hand products.

Limits of Liability

In the case of malfunction, the purchaser’s sole recourse shall be repair or replacement, as described in the preceding paragraphs. Strymon will not be held liable to any party for damages that result from the failure of this product. Damages excluded include, but are not limited to, the following: lost profits, lost savings, damage to other equipment, and incidental or consequential damages arising from the use, or inability to use this product. In no event will Strymon be liable for more than the amount of the purchase price, not to exceed the current retail price of the product. Strymon disclaims any other warranties, express or implied. By using the product, the user accepts all terms herein.

How to Obtain Service Under this Warranty

For North American customers: Contact Strymon through our website at https://www.strymon.net/support for Return Authorization and information. Proof of original ownership may be required in the form of a purchase receipt.

For International Customers: Contact the Strymon dealer from which the product was purchased from in order to arrange warranty repair service.

To locate your nearest authorized Strymon dealer, please use the following link:

Authorized Strymon Dealers

You can also contact Strymon directly at (805) 468-8788 or (800) 980-8160 for help finding your nearest authorized Strymon dealer.

Strymon products purchased from an authorized dealer are covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.  A purchase receipt from an authorized dealer is required with any request for warranty service.

Please note that any Strymon products that have been purchased from an unauthorized dealer are not eligible for coverage under the manufacturer’s warranty. If you are uncertain, please contact Strymon directly at (805) 468-8788 or (800) 980-8160 before your purchase.

***NOTE: Warranties for Strymon products are non-transferrable.  Second-hand items, including sales from websites such as craigslist, Ebay, and Reverb are not covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.  Furthermore, there are no authorized dealers on Amazon, Ebay, or Reverb selling “NEW” Strymon products in the USA.***

Your warranty is valid in the region of purchase. For example, if you buy your product in Japan, any service-related issues will need to be handled in Japan. Products purchased in the United States can only be repaired in the United States.