Def Leppard talks about switching to the AFXIII

[steve_k]

Upon hearing the news, Fractal audio stock just went through the roof as Rockchippy just bought all available units.

This will open up a new line of #hashfags for FlogginChippy™ on InstaGlam.

 

[BYTOR]

i’m not being negative, but Def and Journey both have highly processed tones anyway, so i see why they are using them...why not? they sound excellent for that. But if you want The Darkness/Pyromania Plexi tone, you can’t beat the real deal.

Leppard get killer High N Dry album tones as well as their Pyromania stuff from their Fractal Rig.

Countless major A-List metal/rock/pop bands around the world sing its praises & have chosen it over any other modeler/profiler or tube amp. Metallica don't need to save money....that's not why they have gone 100% Fractal live. It's just simply way more consistent night to night & sounds great.

Even Rig Talk member victim5150 with his killer Ozzy tribute band sounds just as good or better live with his AX8 than when he was using his EVH tube amps. He says he basically gets the identical tones if not better from the AX8 than from his 5153 amps. Nobody would ever think the Ozzy & Sabbath stuff he's playing in his videos are coming from anything other than a tube amp.

Get on board dude

 

[steve_k]

If Metallica can pull it off, DL for sure can. Their tone is all processed anyway.

 

[aftec]

The difference is, Axe is "kinda sounds like" lets perfect it, the kemper is "jeez this sounds pretty much spot on" let me notch the bass up a bit.

Damn, I need a Kemper.

Sorry to completely derail the thread

What is the preference these days? I recall a lot of forum guys saying FRFR was the way to go when the Kemper first came out. Is that still the case?

Sorry, I don't aim to hijack this thread.

FRFR is great if you want a lot of tones with the original cab profiled or if you have some favourite cab profiles.
If you are into straight up rock, with 4 basic tones, your favourite cabs will be fine enough.
You won't get away with small FRFR cabs. A Yamaha DXR15 will move enough air and will maintain the low end enough to feel comfortable. (the same applies to the Fractal stuff too)

The mindset is the difference. With the Fractal, you have a model and you can tweak around and get a great tone. With the kemper, you have a great sound, you capture it, and recreate it any time. Producers/engineers use it to capture a miced amp/cab, board eq, etc. to be able to recreate a sound if needed any time.
There are some really knowledgeable guys with great gear and experience to set up a good sound. You will not have 1 model, like with the fractal, you will have like 10+ profiles of an amp with different gain settings. You pick the one matches your guitar and play style make adjustments like you do on an amp mainly and use it.
If you go the FRFR way multiply it with the number of cabs and speakers profiled. I have a BE100 profile pack containing more than 300 profiles with all options, gain settings and a lot of cabs profiled. Do I need that much? No. But it's really nice to have the option to try out a different cab and setting without the need to re eq or level the setup, because it is already done, by people who know what they are doing.

 

[zuel69]

i’m not being negative, but Def and Journey both have highly processed tones anyway, so i see why they are using them...why not? they sound excellent for that. But if you want The Darkness/Pyromania Plexi tone, you can’t beat the real deal.

Absolutely!

 

[Racerxrated]

i’m not being negative, but Def and Journey both have highly processed tones anyway, so i see why they are using them...why not? they sound excellent for that. But if you want The Darkness/Pyromania Plexi tone, you can’t beat the real deal.

I can see these groups using them more out of convenience than anything else. No 4x12's to lug around, no mic's on a cab, easy setup and tear down.

This right here.

 

[Wayniac3]

At the Progpower USA fest (19th one was last week), even back in the early days, we had guys using Line 6 and Behringers and once it's going through the PA and FOH EQ's it - 95% of the audience has no idea.

We've been seeing the Fractal and Kemper stuff for several years now... I LOVE those changeovers, and the FOH and monitor guys love it.
Out front, all you hear is great tones. Convinced me enough to pick a Kemper up when engineers such as Miro, Simone Mularoni, Pontus Norgren and Michael Spiess say they have a hard time hearing the difference. Once I played one and felt the response, I was hooked.

Still looking into an Axe FX at some point, but I'm not a tweaker anymore... so though they make great tones and have amazing effects, I'm not sure I'll ever have one unless I get one for a great score.

Modeling has come a LONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG way

 

[thisguy]

At the Progpower USA fest (19th one was last week), even back in the early days, we had guys using Line 6 and Behringers and once it's going through the PA and FOH EQ's it - 95% of the audience has no idea.

We've been seeing the Fractal and Kemper stuff for several years now... I LOVE those changeovers, and the FOH and monitor guys love it.
Out front, all you hear is great tones. Convinced me enough to pick a Kemper up when engineers such as Miro, Simone Mularoni, Pontus Norgren and Michael Spiess say they have a hard time hearing the difference. Once I played one and felt the response, I was hooked.

Still looking into an Axe FX at some point, but I'm not a tweaker anymore... so though they make great tones and have amazing effects, I'm not sure I'll ever have one unless I get one for a great score.

Modeling has come a LONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG way

I've played at churches using at Tech21 Flyrig direct and got lots of compliments on how good my sound was. Throw in a better delay, Pigtronix Echolution for me, and it's even better. If I want to get fancy I can add in a compressor, Xotic EP booster or a modulation pedal. The biggest problem with that is needing a monitor mix that allows me to hear myself. Most of the people listening don't know the difference.

 

[BYTOR]

For all intents & purposes, despite certain fringe naysayers, Digital is obviously the clear winner by far in all the 4 categories below........will the trend continue with tube vs digital


1)Analog studio recording vs Digital - Digital won
2)Vinyl records vs Digital - Digital won
3)Film cameras vs Digital- Digital won
4)Tube TVs vs Digital - Digital won



Tube amps vs Digital -

 

[paulyc]

There are many reasons WHY digital won, but that doesn't mean analog isn't better, it's just more costly or more cumbersome.

 

[thrashinbatman]

For all intents & purposes, despite certain fringe naysayers, Digital is obviously the clear winner by far in all the 4 categories below........will the trend continue with tube vs digital


1)Analog studio recording vs Digital - Digital won
2)Vinyl records vs Digital - Digital won
3)Film cameras vs Digital- Digital won
4)Tube TVs vs Digital - Digital won



Tube amps vs Digital -

The issue being that digital is getting really good at emulating tube tones, but how well will it be at creating new tones wholesale? Will we be in a scenario where the Mesa Mark VII is an all digital amp or something? All these digital modelers are more interested in emulating tube amps (hell, without real amps the Kemper wouldn't work at all). Creating something new seems to be uncharted territory for this medium.

 

[phil b]

For all intents & purposes, despite certain fringe naysayers, Digital is obviously the clear winner by far in all the 4 categories below........will the trend continue with tube vs digital


1)Analog studio recording vs Digital - Digital won
2)Vinyl records vs Digital - Digital won
3)Film cameras vs Digital- Digital won
4)Tube TVs vs Digital - Digital won



Tube amps vs Digital -

Were these the same type of contests that Hit Parader setup for the readers poll. IE: Best Bassist=Nikki Sixx, Best Vocalist=Vince Neil,
Best Drummer=Dave Holland.. Etc....?

 

[BYTOR]

There are many reasons WHY digital won, but that doesn't mean analog isn't better, it's just more costly or more cumbersome.

Regardless of 'better' or not........once certain tech comes along that is embraced by the vast majority of consumers, it basically starts to quickly cause older tech to become obsolete because there is not enough demand anymore for it to be financially viable to be produced anymore.

 

[crwnedblasphemy]

For all intents & purposes, despite certain fringe naysayers, Digital is obviously the clear winner by far in all the 4 categories below........will the trend continue with tube vs digital


1)Analog studio recording vs Digital - Digital won
2)Vinyl records vs Digital - Digital won
3)Film cameras vs Digital- Digital won
4)Tube TVs vs Digital - Digital won



Tube amps vs Digital -

Were these the same type of contests that Hit Parader setup for the readers poll. IE: Best Bassist=Nikki Sixx, Best Vocalist=Vince Neil,
Best Drummer=Dave Holland.. Etc....?

i remember those. so dumb.

 

[BYTOR]

For all intents & purposes, despite certain fringe naysayers, Digital is obviously the clear winner by far in all the 4 categories below........will the trend continue with tube vs digital


1)Analog studio recording vs Digital - Digital won
2)Vinyl records vs Digital - Digital won
3)Film cameras vs Digital- Digital won
4)Tube TVs vs Digital - Digital won



Tube amps vs Digital -

Were these the same type of contests that Hit Parader setup for the readers poll. IE: Best Bassist=Nikki Sixx, Best Vocalist=Vince Neil,
Best Drummer=Dave Holland.. Etc....?

i remember those. so dumb.

.......yes, but mine is not a poll. In those 4 categories it's a simple fact that Digital has pretty much made those older 4 techs basically obsolete, or just a small fringe thing at best.

 

[Racerxrated]

For all intents & purposes, despite certain fringe naysayers, Digital is obviously the clear winner by far in all the 4 categories below........will the trend continue with tube vs digital


1)Analog studio recording vs Digital - Digital won
2)Vinyl records vs Digital - Digital won
3)Film cameras vs Digital- Digital won
4)Tube TVs vs Digital - Digital won



Tube amps vs Digital -

Were these the same type of contests that Hit Parader setup for the readers poll. IE: Best Bassist=Nikki Sixx, Best Vocalist=Vince Neil,
Best Drummer=Dave Holland.. Etc....?

i remember those. so dumb.

 

[paulyc]

There are many reasons WHY digital won, but that doesn't mean analog isn't better, it's just more costly or more cumbersome.

Regardless of 'better' or not........once certain tech comes along that is embraced by the vast majority of consumers, it basically starts to quickly cause older tech to become obsolete because there is not enough demand anymore for it to be financially viable to be produced anymore.

Not exactly... digital sure as shit doesn't sound better than tape, but the maitanence on an analog 24 track and all the outboard gear and console etc is expensive, TAPE is expensive...memory is cheap, so digital "won" by being cheaper and easier to use, but not if judged on sound quality alone...

 

[Racerxrated]

There are many reasons WHY digital won, but that doesn't mean analog isn't better, it's just more costly or more cumbersome.

Exactly.
The beauty of the AXE is the portability and ease of use with recording/gigging, and the direct to FOH does sound great. No need to mic up your rig. Plug and play.

However....
If the best TONE is what you REALLY want then it just doesn't measure up to a decent tube amp. I had an AX8 for a month and it was cool for quiet playing, ease of use and if I were still gigging I'd have used it. But, after playing it for a bit and then plugging in to my tube amps it's just no contest tonewise. It's a solid state imitation of a tube amp without any feel or bite. The reason I buy the amps that I do is because the tone that I get, feel and thump of the power section. Even with FRFR, or running through a tube power amp the AX8 still fell way short in a direct comparison.
The AXE is not there yet to really compete with a tube amp no matter how you set it up in front of you. A great tool for recording and gigging, to use in addition to tube amps.
But not good enough to make me want to sell any amp. Not even close.

 

[paulyc]

I have an AXE II and I feel the same way...it's a great tool, but not the be all end all. Give me a real tube amp any day.

 

[gibson5413]

I'm sure that these big bands don't care how they get their tone anymore. Compared to back in the day Def Leppard uses so much more gain then the recorded albums anyways. Convenience wins the day. From a savings standpoint it is more money in their pockets from a decrease in labor and transport costs. I saw them last year and they had no amps or anything on stage. I'm sure most of us would like to have an amp roaring behind us but I'm sure they don't care anymore. I play shows both ways and frankly it doesn't matter to me. I would prefer a real amp behind me but as long as I can hear myself on stage (amp or monitor) I don't care so much. It takes me twice as long to setup my tube rig and pedalboard than to setup the Kemper. Doesn't mean I like the Kemper better than my tube amp rig by any means but it sure is easier to setup.