1st post, paralysis: Mark V / Axe / Triaxis / spoilt ;)

[topper]

Hi all! First post, be gentle... Hoping this place will be down to earth and not sno... Anyway, I'll get to my post.

I'm a typical weekend warrior with a day job, involved in a few cover bands, 70s to modern rock / funk / blues of all sorts, also a fun original band. I'm getting more serious, the gigs are piling up, and I'm in a pleasant yet annoying paralysis by analysis phase.

Jamming rig is a Pedaltrain Nano, and whatever I happen to plug into. Gigging rig is a Hot Rod Deluxe with pedals for dirt (many options in the cupboard, Allums mods, Marshall Guvnor, RAT, Jemini) and modulation (Hardwire, love them). Home studio rig for recording and practice is an Axe Fx Mk2 v1, bought last month. Gratuitous non-pretentious board photos attached below.

Getting the Axe opened my eyes. I used to have a POD which was pretty good, but the Axe is another level of clarity, quality, and response. So I thought, hmm, my live rig looks a bit average (yes it's all relative, I'm able to get great tones for many scenarios). I do have the temptation to try the Axe live. I'm not sure I'm ready to try it direct yet, but I thought I could sell the HRD, get a power amp and a cab, and be on my way.

However I'm not sure if I want to use the Axe live yet, I haven't mastered it, and for certain situations I'd probably want to have a more traditional rig behind me i.e. amp not modelling. I figured if I get a power amp and a cab, I can definitely try the Axe live, but I'd need to get a preamp for a (slightly) more traditional approach. I've always fancied a Triaxis, and a power amp opens the door to that as well, but one thing seems to be leading to another here.

The weight and bulk of the HRD annoys me (I can hear you laughing but I'm not a big guy), and I'd have thought that a head and 1x12 cab would be more comfortable to transport. A 2x12 seems out of the question in practical terms (maybe at some point I could add another 1x12). This is where the rack idea seems to go pear-shaped. Wouldn't a rack with power amp and Axe or Triaxis get really heavy? Everything I read says that the 2:90 is the best match for the Triaxis, people seem to be so sure that a 20/20 won't do the job that I might as well save up for a back operation at that point. I'm not playing stadiums, even my HRD has the 12AT7 in V1, which I find makes the volume knob much more usable. The problem is that I don't know how much of it is "wattage snobbery" and how much is real.

Finally, I've been offered a Mark V head at a great price. Maybe I should just get that, a 1x12, and run the Axe (or my pedal board) through the loop for effects only or into the power amp section for modelling? In other words, forget about the rack, and just put the amp head on the Axe live.

I'd finance this adventure by selling equipment. I'm thinking with a Triaxis / Mark V, I could get rid of most of my dirt pedals, although I'm ridiculously attached to them. Nothing boutique, but a Marshal Guvnor, Ibanez Jemini, and various pedals with Monte Allums mods which I really enjoy.

Anyone able to give some clarity based on a similar experience? What did you buy, in what order, and what were the pros and cons?

 

[prodrigu]

If you are going with the Axe FX, I would not get a Triaxis (I have had both), I would definitely get the Mark V (still have mine).

Yes, the rack with triaxis + Power amp got very heavy for me (Mesa 50/50 I was using) plus tuner, effects, etc. But more important if you use the Axe-FX with the power amp you should be covered.

My main advice though... don't gig with the Axe FX until you have practiced for a while with your band in this context. I did it once and it was almost a major disaster; if you are not comfortable with making minor adjustments quickly on the fly (different venues may require it) it will be a nightmare. After my first attempt, I went straight back to a pedalboard similar to yours (which I like quite a lot by the way) and only now I am starting to prepare again for the AXE8 stuff live.

Good luck

 

[topper]

So I guess you think that the Axe preamps are close enough to anything that the Triaxis can do, right?

Your last sentence is exactly why I don't want to gig with the Axe right away, you expressed it perfectly.

You say "definitely get the Mark V" - and "use the Axe-FX with the power amp" - do you mean keep two rigs 1) Mark V 2) Axe and power amp, or could I just run the Axe through the power section of the Mark V to get the same result?

Yes, my board is not posh, but it does the job for sure, especially as I rotate the distortions to suit. Smart stacking and boosting can produce some great results.

 

[Racerxrated]

Since you like the Axe, why not buy a 1u Matrix power amp and run it that way? Give it a shot, you already have the investment in the Axe and enjoy it. Or a powered monitor of some kind. With the power amp you'll need some kind of speaker cab to go with it obviously. Not an Axe user but plenty of guys use them live and dig it.

Welcome, BTW

 

[topper]

The Axe did impress me when it turned up, despite the fact that I've been following the hype and wanting one ever since it came out. But no way that I'm ready to use it live. What about when I get to a given venue and all my patches sound too wet / dry / not enough mids / muddy as hell / tinny, etc? On a real amp, I just tweak for a minute and I'm ready. Organizing patches is also a story in and of itself. Plus FRFR speakers are not easy to find (especially second hand), and not usable with a traditional amp.

Thanks for the welcome. I'm... a bit tired of forums where people endlessly fete these pieces of wood and metal, and debate almost undetectable nuances between Klon clones and non-differences between so-called tonewoods, and spend more time on that in the basement than practicing or gigging. (And yep, I'm guilty of not practicing enough as well.)