Which option would be best and most versatile for a power amp with the Synergy modules and why. I’ve been gassing for several tube amps that are just expensive and take up too much space to own them all. I’m relatively new to the synergy stuff and curious your thoughts about the best solution for building this option. Currently I would hope to use 90% bedroom/small studio volume (through cabs usually) and 10% small venue gigs. I will be doing some recording as well. Thanks for responses.
Hi Mtb!
Sorry for the delay in replying to you!
Great question.
PS-2A
As you mentioned versatility and 90% bedroom/studio volume, 10% small gigs. I would consider the PS-2:
- For home studio, it can do silent recording; see here, How do I use the Power Station for silent recording with IRs, can it be used without a speaker?
- Again in a home studio setup, you can use the Synergy preamps and get power amp distorting from the PS-2, see here, Self-Attenuation mode: Can the Power Station add power tube mojo to my modeller or preamp?
- It works at bedroom volume–crank the Synergy modules and use the Power Station to set whatever level you want for bedroom playing.
- It re-amps to 50W in a live situation, which for small places, is typically more than enough.
PS-100
The PS-100 offers a bit more flexibility, particularly for live playing, so you could consider it. It can footswitch between two level settings, etc. see here to understand the differences:
- Fryette PS-2 or PS-100 - Which One Do I Need?
- Are there any sonic differences between the PS-2 and PS-100?
- Is the PS-2 or the PS-100 better for bedroom playing?
LXII
The LXII is awesome; I keep on saying that one of these days I will get one. It is stereo, which is good for recording, and it is also small; that is a bonus, as you mentioned size and space was an issue: it is a 1U 100W (50W+50W) power amp. It is a little less versatile for your specific application because it is probably too loud without an additional attenuator.
Syn5050
This was also designed by Steve!
Conclusion
For versatility, size, and space, it is hard to beat the PS-2 for your application. Consider the PS-100 if you need more power and need to switch the front panel controls.
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