Hey everyone — looking for a quick sanity check on a Friedman IR-D.
I just picked one up yesterday and I’m trying to dial it in, but I’m running into something that doesn’t seem right.
Current test setup (isolated):
Guitar → IR-D → Headrush FRFR (flat mode)
Using the stock Friedman power supply
No other pedals in the chain
Settings:
Channel B engaged
Gain maxed (or close)
Volume around 2–3 o’clock
Cab/IR ON (since I’m using FRFR)
Issue:
Even with gain maxed, I’m getting a mostly clean tone — maybe slight breakup at best. Also feels like output is lower than expected. Definitely not what I’d expect from a high-gain tube preamp.
From everything I’ve read and seen, this pedal should be very obviously distorted at high gain, even into FRFR.
Things I’ve already checked:
Using the correct input/output jacks (not FX send)
Correct power supply (included Friedman adapter)
Tested completely isolated (no pedalboard)
Tried different cables and inputs on the Headrush
Intended use case:
Ultimately I’ll be running this into a Pedal Baby + 2x12 (V30/Creamback), but I’m just using FRFR at home to test and dial it in.
Question:
Does this sound like expected behavior through FRFR (maybe I’m misunderstanding something)… or does this point to a faulty unit?
Would really appreciate any input from folks who own or have used the IR-D.
Thanks!