Synergy Amps Debuts Machine-Learning in Friedman IR-Load & Wampler Pedalhead
Synergy brings authentic tube feel to Class D portability!
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Synergy Amps Debuts Machine-Learning in Friedman IR-Load & Wampler Pedalhead · Source: Boutique Amps Distribution
Synergy Amps is looking to bridge the final gap between digital convenience and analog soul. This new Machine-Learning tech is going into both Wampler and Friedman products this year! They have teased some information ahead of NAMM, so let’s take a look at both products.
Synergy, Wampler, & Friedman
Synergy Amps Machine-Learning
On the eve of NAMM 2026, the company has unveiled a patent-protected “Machine-Learning” power amp technology designed to provide a no-compromise solution for guitarists seeking the feel of a tube amp in a portable, Class D format.
The technology is making its debut in two high-profile collaborations: the Wampler Pedalhead and the Friedman IR-Load. Both units have been shared on Facebook, with Brian Wampler teasing the Pedalhead and Pete Thorn showing off the Friedman IR-Load.
Smarter Class D Amps?
While Class D amplifiers have long been praised for their lightweight efficiency, critics often describe them as “stiff” or “hard” compared to traditional vacuum tubes. Synergy’s new system aims to address this by using machine learning to monitor the speaker’s output voltage and current in real time.
When a user connects a speaker cabinet, the unit performs “controlled sweeps” to learn the cabinet’s unique impedance profile. The system then continuously adapts, mimicking the sag, compression, and harmonic richness of a tube power section.
“Synergy’s invention takes a fundamentally different approach,” the company stated in a press release, noting that the tech combines high-efficiency output with advanced digital signal processing to react dynamically to the speaker, just as a tube amp would.
This could be perfect for guitarists who want the tone, but also need a lightweight, flexible, modern setup, so great news!
Wampler Pedalhead
Teaming up with pedal maker Brian Wampler, Synergy has introduced the Wampler Pedalhead. This pedalboard-friendly, 240-watt stereo power amp (equivalent to 60 tube watts) is designed to be the “engine” for players using digital modelers or preamps.
It features six power amp models, an onboard IR loader, and MIDI integration, allowing players to maintain a tube-like feel even when running direct to a PA or using a traditional cab.
We will update you once a price and availability have been officially announced.
Friedman IR-Load
Developed in collaboration with Dave Friedman and renowned guitarist Pete Thorn, the Friedman IR-Load is being marketed as a “kitchen sink” solution for professional rigs.
Thorn, who consulted on the project, described the device as a way to transparently re-amp or record a tube head without losing the “punch” of a real amplifier. “Most Class D sounds super stiff,” Thorn noted. “The design in the IR-Load can actually respond in real-time to the particular speaker cabinet that you are plugged into… it feels just like your amp.”
Head or Rack formats
Available in both head and rackmount formats, the 360-watt unit (90-tube watt equivalent) functions as a load box, attenuator, and IR loader. We will update you once we have price information and a release date.
End of the Digital/Analog Divide?
Rather than competing with the increasingly dominant amp-modeling market, Synergy’s new technology is designed to augment it.
By providing the “reactive” element that digital rigs often lack, Synergy is positioning these units as the missing link for players who want the portability of a modeler with the tactile response of a heavy tube head.
Exciting news for us guitarists, and all three of these companies have solid reputations for making great equipment, so this could be huge. Both the Wampler Pedalhead and the Friedman IR-Load will be officially showcased at NAMM on January 22.
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