Your take on AxeFx?

[drew_drummer]

Just to expand, I am pretty much with Loren here. I'd rather record real amps, and for demo purposes, many of the freebies plus Redwirez do it for me.

For live... well... to be honest... everyone is pissed... it's loud as fuck... you're competing with the crowd talking shit and shouting bollocks, as well as with your bassist and drummer (and other guitarist!) ... at the end of it all... I'm not convinced that for live use you would hear much difference between the Pod HD series and the Axe-FX. So if I were going to get a all in one unit for live use, it wouldn't be the Axe. Too pricey for the kinds of places we play.

Now as a studio recording tool and fx processor... I can see it has a place. Too pricey for me, but other people spend that much on a single compressor or reverb, etc...

 

[kev]

I doubt it. Don't get your hopes up. In my test, side by side A/B'd through same power amp and cab, the Axe-FX Ultra was destroyed by the 5150 no matter how much tweaking I did on the Axe. The real tubescreamer sounded better than the tubescreamer sim in the Axe-FX too.

I don't foresee the Axe-FX II being a significant improvement in amp modeling. It's still using the same old impulse responses for cabs. They just fixed a few of the inconveniences of the first Axe-FX and added a lot more processing power so that you can now do just about anything with the effects without running out of CPU. I expect the actual amp sim tones to sound pretty much the same, and the clips I've heard so far seem to indicate that as well...

I'd love to have an Axe-FX II + MFC-101 foot controller to cover all of my effects usage, but the price to have that is ridiculous. I can't justify 3 grand just for effects when my entire setup already costs less than that...

Thats what I bought in the end haha. I'll test it out and see how it works out. I also got a VHT 2/50/2 to "tubify" the rig a little. I guess I should have it all within about two weeks for testing, so should be interesting. I've heard some crazy clips out of the new one. The best so far is of one of the cameron amps that has a crazy amount of dynamic and it really nailed it. I havent really bought this for direct recording to be honest, thats just a bonus. I have no interest in impulses as they largely sound too static. Looks like the axe II has plenty of room for evolution so maybe the next step in cab simulation will be available on it whatever it may be.

Heres that clip of the cameron just in case you guys havent heard it, and this guy doesnt seem to be the creme of tweakers either. The real amp is ferocious, and the axe II has certainly covered it astonishingly to my ears and thats just a direct clip.



Heres the real thing in action:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmsZqO0i1hM&feature=related[/ame]

 

[halcyonwayband@aol.com]

I've had a Standard for about 3years and I use the hell out of it in the studio. Just bought a power amp to try it with a cab too but it's incredible for direct recording. On our albums we've used real amps for that extra couple percentage points of tone, and Lasse has smoked it with the reamping, but it's a great piece of gear. I'm using a Framus Cobra live ATM and love that but can see the attraction in bringing the Axe and that's it to a gig....

 

[dcb]

the ultra is cool, especially with the new firmware 11.

i thought the axe would solve all my tone problems, everything i hated about real amps (heavy weight, how they react to my playing, high end fizz...)

this weekend i compared the new diezel hagen with the axe on firmware 11.
both through the same poweramp.

you best axe tone will sound great in the room. but recorded - its only 50% of what the diezel does.
im going back to analog after 10 years. played pod xts live, axe fx, now back to diezels.
axe fx is cool for fx and demoes. i was a firm believer of the new modellers. since this weekend, they dont come even close to a great amp.
sad but true (for me at least).

 

[Sacha]

It's an amazing and useful tool, the best guitar FX processor ever made IMO. But I didn't buy it to replace my amps, I still love my amps and use them as well. Depends on what you're looking to get out of it I suppose. I originally bought it to be the FX brain for my live rig and it performed that task perfectly, so the amp modelling was only a huge bonus for me which I got into using later on.

 

[B36arin]

I was lucky enough to get to work with Meshuggah when they played in The Faroe Islands last Friday... They played right after Travis. Travis turned up with a full van of full stacks, loads of guitars, stompboxes etc... We delivered the drumset for Meshuggah, so they were just travelling with their guitars and three Axe FX 2 units. And Meshuggah sounded so much better, even if it's hard to compare the two genres. I've always been impressed with the units for live use, but seeing how smoothly and amazingly everything worked with the Meshuggah set totally blew me away.

 

[P-E]

To me, Axe FX is the ultimate live rig, but real amps always sound better in the studio.

 

[TaylorG]

I've owned an Axe-FX for about two years now, and while it's very very awesome to have in the studio, the high gain tones leave something to be desired.
It takes quite a bit of tweaking to get them to sound where I need them.

Lead sounds, mid gain tones and cleans are fantastic though.

 

[midget donkeys]

I was lucky enough to get to work with Meshuggah when they played in The Faroe Islands last Friday... They played right after Travis. Travis turned up with a full van of full stacks, loads of guitars, stompboxes etc... We delivered the drumset for Meshuggah, so they were just travelling with their guitars and three Axe FX 2 units. And Meshuggah sounded so much better, even if it's hard to compare the two genres. I've always been impressed with the units for live use, but seeing how smoothly and amazingly everything worked with the Meshuggah set totally blew me away.

I saw Meshuggah a long time ago and I think they were using line 6 stuff at the show. Their sound quality was top notch and way better than alot of the other bands playing. I think alot of them sounding great is the fact that they play great.

That being said I would love to hear them with their new gear too.

 

[bogchop]

Bulb just picked himself up an AxeFX 2 and has posted his first hi-gain test clip after 10 mins of tinkering:



Not too bad at all.

 

[angryoldsoundguy]

Bulb just picked himself up an AxeFX 2 and has posted his first hi-gain test clip after 10 mins of tinkering:

Thats the thing, I've heard way better sounds out of free VST amp sims and cab IRs.

I can understand using the AxeFx for live use if someone prefers that to a Pod, but if someone is really considering buying one for studio use, they might want to consider checking other options first, unless they have a few grand burning a hole in their pocket.

 

[Vendo]

The comments are the best....... some made me laugh quite hard.

 

[ApeScaleConflict]

Ahhh, the comment's to that clip. Actually quite weird sound. Nice but so "wuum wuum" hahaha

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Dang that bulb clip sounds like shit.

He's produced better tones with the first one. Surprised that's all he could muster out of it.

I'm starting to suspect that this is more the hype of it and not people actually using their ears. Which, more power to fractal for producing such an environment of sales on this thing.

 

[Chryst Krispies]

BTBAM's live tone was fucking sick with the AxeFx.

I do think there's a shit ton of hype though with this and that's what's making it a huge deal.

 

[Megin]

Thats the thing, I've heard way better sounds out of free VST amp sims and cab IRs.

And I´ve heard clips of people using topnotch amps and still sound like shit. It's all about the user and player. Until you've tried one for yourself......Need I say more?

 

[AndrewPGlover]

I have one and I love it. It may not replace your head completely but in my studio I consider it a priceless commodity. I can start a record with it, leave on tour and be able to pull up exactly where I left off. I can't do that with real amps. The "set it and forget it" ability of it is great.

Lately I am usually working on multiple projects at a time and have other people using my place constantly. My tracking room can be used for whatever without a chance of some dumb drummer knocking into my guitar cabinet or someone screwing with it and fucking up my sweet spot. That peace of mind makes it worth the 2k I dropped on it alone.

Obviously, everyone can get a tone they like better with their choice of amp/cab/mic when they compare it to Joe Shmo's AxeFX YouTube video. Put the Fractal unit in that self proclaimed amp-guru's hand and they'll probably be able to accomplish something right up their alley.

The lack of tactile feel and all the knobs kind of sucks (on the Ultra) but Axe Edit makes it feel like you are working with any of the amp sims you want but it's much more powerful.

I'll end my rant here; but if you have any desire to have one, don't hesitate. If you don't have a desire to have one, don't buy one.

 

[Vendo]

" The Axe-Fx II is beyond modeling or effects processing, this is the new standard for guitarists." - Misha Mansoor


I´ve heard that before.......

 

[dcb]

 

[Glenn Fricker]

I doubt it. Don't get your hopes up. In my test, side by side A/B'd through same power amp and cab, the Axe-FX Ultra was destroyed by the 5150 no matter how much tweaking I did on the Axe.

...Had the exact same test last Christmas & got the same result. Here I thought I wasn't tweaking the AxeFX properly!