Most guitar-electronics companies make a direct-recording preamp, many promising to provide ultimate distortion and overdrive via impulse responses (IR) or cabinet simulations. Dave Friedman, of course, is known for putting his name on high-end tube heads and combos, so when he slaps his vaunted brand on an IR box, expectations rise.

The IR-X Dual Tube Preamp is a high-voltage, two-channel unit with two glowing 12AX7 tubes inside, all controlled by a digital back end.

A few things genuinely stand out about the IR-X. First, you can set it like the front panel of a guitar amp, twiddling knobs until you find sounds you like, and then stomp away. Channel 1 is your clean-to-dirty channel (think Nashville twang to Aerosmith), while Channel 2 is dirty-to-insane (Led Zeppelin to Van Halen or Alice in Chains). There’s a third footswitch for Boost, which gives added kick on either channel. Next to it is a small switch, which offers three 4×12 cabinet IRs each, based on Friedman’s favorites from his own collection. There are also Tight/Bright switches to tailor the tone to taste, and an effects loop for time-based pedals.

In studio tests, the IR-X offered scary-good tones. While many manufacturers offer good crunchy tones, this unit delivers the actual thump of a loud 4×12 cab. Recording into a DAW, its captured guitar sounds were beefy and rockin’, with all kinds of EQ options to sweeten them up. There are USB and MIDI connections so you can access Friedman’s easy editing software and save up to 128 presets. Still, many will use the IR-X as a basic piece of hard-rock hardware, turning knobs and savoring the fury of those tubes and fine circuitry.

No matter how you apply it, the Friedman IR-X is a serious stack-in-the-box.

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.