Axe Fx Ultra ( reasons not to ? )

[Boerboel666]

After having been beaten over the head for the last month by a couple of Axe Fx owners about how good the unit is I am on the edge of of putting in my order . It will be used as a studio tool and I figure it's going to save serious ££ in the long run when compared to physical amp purchases . The only thing is I have not laid hands on one in the flesh ... Wondering if anyone has anything bad to say about this unit ?

 

[TheWinterSnow]

I know nothing about the Axe Fx in terms of quality and usability, but just some food for thought. Some time ago I made an amp shootout between my 5150 and a line 6 Spider II head. Most people actually like the Spider mic'd up in a blind test and left me with the impression that I like digital amps for jamming and writing scratch ideas down. Now if a Spider can sound that good mic'd up, I imagine that an Axe-Fx and a Solid State Power amp mic'd up would sound amazing for studio work and live work, even giving you the option of using direct recording with impulses for scratch ideas, and like you said, saving you a lot of money on physical amp purchases.

I would say, if the Axe-Fx sounds even a hair better than any of the line 6 modeling amps, why would you need to hear one in the flesh? Yeah they might be difficult to dial in but that shouldn't pull you away from purchasing a quality modeling amp if it sounds good.

 

[SoundSpiral]

In my experience the Axe Fx sounds flat no matter how you use it (miced, direct: doen't matter)
There is just something missing when compared to a miced up tube amp.
With the Axe you get a shitload of different sounds to choose from but a 5150 going thru a mesa cab will always sound better in the end.

I really wanted to like the unit 'cos it would have been so convenient.
I have done a bunch of shootouts during guitar trackings and the Axe just always falls short in comparison.

 

[Boerboel666]

Thanks for your input chaps , I am def drawn by the flexibility of the unit . One of the guy's I know using it is a long time session player\composer with more endorsements and boutique amps than I could ever dream of and he feels that it is so close to the real thing that it's a no brainer . It is good to hear different opinions though ....

 

[Ola Englund]

Dude consider this. You pay what 2000 bucks for it and you will never get more versatility than any other product out there. Yes there are some haters out there but trust me dude, paired up with any tube amp it's going to deliver.

You need one demoed to you in person. At least with someone who knows what he's doing. You'll be sold.

 

[drew_drummer]

Now I think me and Guitarguru are gonna have another rant at each other here, hehehe.

I was going to get an Axe-FX. But to be honest, all that power and ability to dial in craziness... I just don't want it, and I don't want to be sidetracked. When I'm making hip-hop or dubstep, I'll be as knob-tweaky and anally retentive as the next man. But with playing guitar... I just want to turn some knobs, have a sickniz tone.. and crank out a powerchord.

So I decided I am going to get a VHT Sig: X. It has some level of complexity to it, and a wide range of tones. But it's all right there in front of you - each parameter has a control, and you can actually touch them.

I don't think that is something to overlook.

Just my 2p.

 

[Notuern]

In my experience the Axe Fx sounds flat no matter how you use it (miced, direct: doen't matter)
There is just something missing when compared to a miced up tube amp.
With the Axe you get a shitload of different sounds to choose from but a 5150 going thru a mesa cab will always sound better in the end.

I really wanted to like the unit 'cos it would have been so convenient.
I have done a bunch of shootouts during guitar trackings and the Axe just always falls short in comparison.

Saying that it sounds flat might be a bit of an exaggeration.. but sure, it cant compare with a real tube head.
.. but just to pick at you, personally, i would say that 5150 sounds really flat compared to most other tube amps on the market.

The Axe FX is always a good investment though.. because when you decide to get a really good tube-head, you still have the most versatile effects unit ever

 

[Boerboel666]

Versatility , efficiency ( +tone ) is what I am after . Hopefully I can organise a demo this week . Ola have you tried the unit straight into a mic pre then computer if so how does this compare to using power amp cabs etc ? ( I have a mesa strategy which will hopefully do the business )

 

[Ola Englund]

Versatility , efficiency ( +tone ) is what I am after . Hopefully I can organise a demo this week . Ola have you tried the unit straight into a mic pre then computer if so how does this compare to using power amp cabs etc ? ( I have a mesa strategy which will hopefully do the business )

Well yeah where have you been last 10 months

 

[Boerboel666]

Sweet , that was the perfect test for my new apple tv through some big speakers and screen , very surreal ! Sounded pretty good to me , loving your riffing too should prob check your band out ! Back on track .... think I am pretty close to pulling the trigger on this one

 

[D20]

Dude consider this. You pay what 2000 bucks for it and you will never get more versatility than any other product out there. Yes there are some haters out there but trust me dude, paired up with any tube amp it's going to deliver.

You need one demoed to you in person. At least with someone who knows what he's doing. You'll be sold.

+1

 

[Ola Englund]

Sweet , that was the perfect test for my new apple tv through some big speakers and screen , very surreal ! Sounded pretty good to me , loving your riffing too should prob check your band out ! Back on track .... think I am pretty close to pulling the trigger on this one

Do it already, you'll be very pleased. If you have trouble getting a good sound, donwload my patches and go from there.

 

[Boerboel666]

Put the order in , fortunately they don't have any in stock so I won't have to pay until after Christmas thank fuck ! . Will check your patches regardless of how I am doing with it when it arrives . Cheers to all for opinions .

 

[guitarguru777]

I just recorded an artist who used nothing but AxeFX in the studio and I have to say I am very very impressed. The realism is amazing!

While it was in the studio we ran it through the power section of my 5150 and with some tweaking I say we got a great passable tone that noone in the world would guess was the AxeFX.

If you have the cash to dump and you want UBER versaility while not worrying about the tone being a little bit sterile then the AxeFX is for you. Its still not the PERFECT replication of a tube amp, but its so fucking close that the average every day listener will never notice the difference.

 

[S-O]

I just recorded an artist who used nothing but AxeFX in the studio and I have to say I am very very impressed. The realism is amazing!

While it was in the studio we ran it through the power section of my 5150 and with some tweaking I say we got a great passable tone that noone in the world would guess was the AxeFX.

If you have the cash to dump and you want UBER versaility while not worrying about the tone being a little bit sterile then the AxeFX is for you. Its still not the PERFECT replication of a tube amp, but its so fucking close that the average every day listener will never notice the difference.

Also, in the mix, discerning between teh toobz and dah Axe becomes even more difficult. Not impossible, though.

 

[lordofthestring]

The Axe-FX ultra is simply awesome. I've been doing amp simulation through hardware and software solutions for over 10 years and I can tell you it's the best thing out there. Worth every dime but a word of advice, learn how to use it! While the interface is pretty friendly, read the manual and learn the device...it's a very powerful piece of gear. Ola is a great representative of the product (give him royalties Fractal!) and his videos should really help you in your decision. Only downside is no USB, can't seem to think of any other cons.

 

[LeSedna]

Is the ultra worth it over a standard axe fx ? I see there is not so much more things in it...

 

[Ola Englund]

The Axe-FX ultra is simply awesome. I've been doing amp simulation through hardware and software solutions for over 10 years and I can tell you it's the best thing out there. Worth every dime but a word of advice, learn how to use it! While the interface is pretty friendly, read the manual and learn the device...it's a very powerful piece of gear. Ola is a great representative of the product (give him royalties Fractal!) and his videos should really help you in your decision. Only downside is no USB, can't seem to think of any other cons.

Thanks mang, I threw away my Axe now that I'm with DAR... fractal can go fuck themselves.

 

[SimonSez]

I think the AxeFx is a great tool, but it doesn't replace a real tube amplifier. I use the AxeFx mostly for recording because it's easy to get the sound I want but when playing live and comparing my Dual Rectifier to the DR model on the AxeFx, there is a similarity but the depth and sweet highs aren't there on the AxeFx. I think the AxeFx is a bit overhyped online and I think guys have paid so much for it that they WANT it to sound really good and maybe they are denying reality or maybe they honestly like the sound of the AxeFx and I have no problem with that. Beware that when you go on the Fractal forums there are some very stern defenders of the AxeFx and if you don't like the sound of it and post on there then they will make you aware that it's your fault it doesn't sound good.

 

[Dave1978]

I had an Axe FX for 1 year. We've recorded that EP with it: https://www.sellaband.com/en/projects/mirroredinsecrecy

I've sold that thing though, because for me it wasn't worth 1800 €. I had to work even harder to get some decent metal-tone out of it, as I usually work on VST-ampsims.

There's no doubt that this unit delivers, once you get an idea how do use it properly, but it's not that much better than Revalver, TH1 or even the free stuff most of the people on this board are using.