A Axe-FX Review

[tweed]

Are the same people who complain about tweaking an Ax-Fx the same people who complained about tweaking a Mesa Mark IV? I laughed at the comments that it took endless tweaking to get a IV to sound decent.

I don't know anything about the Ax-Fx but let me ask a question. Is it that hard to just start with the Ax, Poweramp, Cab.....then pull up an amp sim, tweak some EQ controls, add some reverb and go with it? Do you have to do much more than that for a basic sound?

I wouldn't think so, but what do I know. I can't believe people are snagging everything under the sun at the axe exchange. Mark and many others share their patches, should be easy enough to load one of theirs and get rolling.

Ah crap, that's it, I can't read this thread anymore. I have thoughts of selling off some guitars to aquire one and that is where I draw the line dammit LOL!

 

[tweed]

The tones are great and it feels like a real amp. The Standard and the Ultra both are great. I sold mine and I am back to Wizard Amplifiers. I cannot get the Wizard to sound or feel digital but I am sure I have just not spent enough time with it.

 

[RedB4Black]

After hearing SamHills videos i decided to go with the art-sla 2 and at first it was quite a challenge getting rig of that solid state high end, But after reading countless thread's especially the whole "Countour your sound" Thread which i have to say there is 2 PEQ In every single one of my chains,

Do you have a link to that "Contour your sound" thread. Sounds like I need to read it. EDIT: n/m - I found it.

I just got my Ultra/ART SLA2 last night. I only had about an hour to mess with it. I went through the presets and wasn't overly thrilled. Then I turned everything off but an amp (the Diezel sim to compare to my Herbert). I got a tone I was pretty happy with, but it needs something more to be on par with the real thing.

 

[Rogue]

I played with it for nearly two months. I would tweak and tweak...think I had some cool things happening, listen to another clip, and tweak and tweak again. Mixed IRs and tweaked some more. When I had finally believed I had everything where I wanted it, I played a spider valve mkii at GC, went home and played the Axe-FX through my cabinet and that was the beginning of the end. It just sounded cold comparatively, although it captured some intricacies better. It just lacked the warmth. And I would run into instances I felt it sounded thin.

I've since heard clips of the Axe-FX and I detect that coldness. It's a cool unit, no doubt, and it sounds pretty good, but no one will ever convince me it sounds as good and particularly feels like a good tube amp. Been there, done that. That isn't to say it doesn't sound and feel better than a bad tube amp.

I went the digital route, bought an 11R, sent it back, bought an Axe-FX, sold it, bought a Spider Valve mkii, sold it pretty quickly, and back to tube amps...and I'm damn happy I am back there. It's not as convenient, but that is the price I pay and am willing to.

If I couldn't tweak it right, so be it. I'm quite happy with my tweaking on my Renegade and didn't take nearly as long.

I wished Fractal would release a lower cost delay and reverb unit. I'd buy its brains out. Other effects would be cool I guess, but I only really care for delay and reverb and the Axe-FX has some fantastic delays and reverbs.

In the end, it's all personal opinion. Many are very happy with it. I liked the Axe-FX until I realized what it wasn't doing for me. To each his own.

 

[Audioholic]

Are the same people who complain about tweaking an Ax-Fx the same people who complained about tweaking a Mesa Mark IV? I laughed at the comments that it took endless tweaking to get a IV to sound decent.

I don't know anything about the Ax-Fx but let me ask a question. Is it that hard to just start with the Ax, Poweramp, Cab.....then pull up an amp sim, tweak some EQ controls, add some reverb and go with it? Do you have to do much more than that for a basic sound?

Mostly no, for direct, its pretty easy to get a good usable sound from the getco. I mean pick an amp, pick a cab, then tweak. Not completly happy with the sound? I would start with trying out different cabs, you can easily run through the gammet of cabs in a few seconds, as well as try out different mics (Personal favorite is the 121 model, it really seems to bring a depth and dimension to the sims). Then if you want to add efx and what not, go for it. Pretty straight forward to me. When I try out new user settings, it really only takes me a few moments to adjust to my guitars or sound I want.

I found that it took me more time to tweak when running through a poweramp and real cab, switching off the cab sim, specially with distorted sounds, they usually were thinner and too bright when using the same sound with the cab sim. So it takes a bit of tweaking to get it sounding right with "YOUR" particulair setup. nothing daunting if you ask me, but then again I am quite used to digital gear.

I think with the newer OS release, the axe is getting better with some of the sounds, and its getting better sounding.

 

[sebby123]

The AxeFx isnt for everyone if you want the most out of it your going to have to spend some time with it.
I dont want to discourage anyone, Its a an amazing unit, and very user friendly but its very easy to get lost with all the options it can be a little overwhelming at first, but once you get it to know it, Most if not all GAS will be killed which for me is worth the time tweaking alone

The best sentance to sum up the Axe right there^^^^^

With a pice of gear that is so deep and complex in every way it can possably be for guitar use, it's not really a plug and play type of deal. Especially when everyone has a sound in their head that they are going for. Yes you can drop in an amp block and a few Fx and hook up to a PA and cab and get a pretty good sound fairly quick but chances are it wont be exactly what "your" looking for without some kind of tunning.

I'd be willing to bet that sebby123 can dial in a sound with just about any amp sim in that Axe in just a few minutes now that he knows the unit. With 40+ amps at his finger tips, when he gets board with one he go to the next without spending a dime not to mention all the crazy signal routing and connections you could never do with a traditional analog rig. So yes it's more work up front but the benifets far out weigh the work in the longrun. On a side note it has really developed my ear when working with EQ's.
Though I disagree it will kill ALL your GAS, now that I have all this tonal freedom I find my self needing more guitars... dammit

Well i meant amp gas , I still hunger for a Suhr Classic, And a Bill Nash Strat

 

[sebby123]

Are the same people who complain about tweaking an Ax-Fx the same people who complained about tweaking a Mesa Mark IV? I laughed at the comments that it took endless tweaking to get a IV to sound decent.

I don't know anything about the Ax-Fx but let me ask a question. Is it that hard to just start with the Ax, Poweramp, Cab.....then pull up an amp sim, tweak some EQ controls, add some reverb and go with it? Do you have to do much more than that for a basic sound?

The Mark IV isnt that hard to tweak at all! But like every amp you have to get to know it to know what its all about, Thats my tweaking process but my little Secret is i put a Hi-watt Amp sim on break up in the background of every amp, So 75% Main Patch and 25% Hi-watt for some reason it feels better and allways sounds better this way. It has its tricks but i really dont think its as impossible to setup as some people make it out to be. At the end of the day I found my tone in it so im happy. Having owned a mark iv, and used strictly power amp gain from it, im confident in saying that i can get a very close to it, But my taste for amps has changed since then so who knows.

 

[ejecta]

I have to be honest... the whole "You probably didn't like it because you didn't spend enough time with it to find your tone in a unit as deep as the Axe." is getting real old. As if people know what a person's ability is or experience with effect units or dialing tones in is let alone how much time is enough.

Seriously... old or not it is what it is. Regardless to wether you know how to or not to manipulate frequency and tone, if you don't spend time with a tool that has so manny possibilities how can you possibly think you know how to use or work with it?

Like I said as if people on forums know what a person's ability is or experience with effect units or dialing tones in is let alone how much time is enough. You may feel you know that but I don't think you do.

I know I didn't spend enough time with it because people told me that I didn't. I'm for certain that if I really spent enough time with it or if I ran it through an Eleven Rack then to a real amp like Ed D., I would have even more realer tones.

The tones are great and it feels like a real amp. The Standard and the Ultra both are great. I sold mine and I am back to Wizard Amplifiers. I cannot get the Wizard to sound or feel digital but I am sure I have just not spent enough time with it.

 

[ejecta]

It's a cool unit, no doubt, and it sounds pretty good, but no one will ever convince me it sounds as good and particularly feels like a good tube amp. Been there, done that. That isn't to say it doesn't sound and feel better than a bad tube amp.

I liked the Axe-FX until I realized what it wasn't doing for me. To each his own.

Exactly!

 

[stillborn]

I've played many high end tube amps and I own an ultra. I can get the exact sound or pretty damn close. I enjoy tweaking, adding effects, parameters, etc. I love my axe. but yea as said above to each their own

 

[Gainiac]

Bah, i'm fooking broke and I have mad gas for an ultra. Yeah H, I know you are probably lurking in this thread, no I don't need a pic of your Ultra shot to my phone, and no I don't need a voicemail telling me how much I would benefit from having one.

I gave up on you Months ago!

But, I'm with you. You dont want one.
Trust me. Too many options, too many amps, too much flexibility. ONE tone is good for you.

 

[dfrattaroli]

I have to be honest... the whole "You probably didn't like it because you didn't spend enough time with it to find your tone in a unit as deep as the Axe." is getting real old. As if people know what a person's ability is or experience with effect units or dialing tones in is let alone how much time is enough.

People say this about all kinds of amps. Especially Mesa amps. Everyone has their own experience. I honestly am able to get what I feel is excellent tone very quickly with the Axe. Once you have the global settings appropriate for the gear you're using, creating a great sounding patch should be simple. On the other hand, I remember when firmware 9.0 came out, I felt my existing patches took a hit. A visit to the website and reading some threads quickly led to a solution.

It's a revolutionary product and so the old rules don't apply. It can be many different things to different people and if you're willing to spend time on the forums as well, the pay off is big. Not everyone wants to do that and that's cool. If you're a guy who likes to see the knobs, turn them a bit, play a bit, turn them a bit, play a bit more, then the Axe may not be for you. I'm still more comfortable using a tube head. But it's easy for me to get great sounds from the Axe. And so, when I turn the Axe on and play it, I may spend 10 minutes of that hour just looking at the menus and experimenting. I find this so cool. I get stereo effects and tones that just make me shake my head and smile when I play. The same way my Mark IV makes me feel.

Dave

 

[dfrattaroli]

...but no one will ever convince me it sounds as good and particularly feels like a good tube amp. Been there, done that. That isn't to say it doesn't sound and feel better than a bad tube amp.

Fair enough. To me, the Axe sounds and feels like an amp. As far as what's a good amp or bad amp, that's subjective. So we keep running in circles.

 

[tweed]

Bah, i'm fooking broke and I have mad gas for an ultra. Yeah H, I know you are probably lurking in this thread, no I don't need a pic of your Ultra shot to my phone, and no I don't need a voicemail telling me how much I would benefit from having one.

I gave up on you Months ago!

But, I'm with you. You dont want one.
Trust me. Too many options, too many amps, too much flexibility. ONE tone is good for you.

Are you trying to make me have a heart attack you cac?!?!?! Seriously I want one, but I can't freaking afford it.

 

[ejecta]

...but no one will ever convince me it sounds as good and particularly feels like a good tube amp. Been there, done that. That isn't to say it doesn't sound and feel better than a bad tube amp.

Fair enough. To me, the Axe sounds and feels like an amp. As far as what's a good amp or bad amp, that's subjective. So we keep running in circles.

I'm curious what type of amps you play or played before you got the Axe. Also do you run the Axe into power amp and cab or do you do the FR thing?

 

[Rogue]

Fair enough. To me, the Axe sounds and feels like an amp.

I'm open to amps I'm not as familiar with, but with Marshall style amps, both plexi and 800s, I could not get it to feel like it was supposed to. It was always easier and more touch sensitive than the amp. But so has all modelers I've played. Even the 11R, which I think feels most amp-like of the ones I've played, it didn't feel quite right either.

I can understand people saying the tone is there or close, but saying the feel is the there or close is a mystery to me. That is not my experience at all under any circumstances, through computer or through an amp and cabinet. No dialing I did ever got it there. I could get it sounding better, but could never get it feeling better.

 

[stratotone]

I own over 1/2 dozen of the tube amps emulated in the axe, it's pretty dang close. I still like having the real deal, but use mine all the time for recording since it's so easy to set up.

The axe hasn't replaced all my tube amps, but I haven't sold it either... and I've had mine for around 2 years now I think. It does too many things well to get rid of it.

Pete

 

[155]

"40-60 Hours of tweaking" I would have sold it if it took me that long....I am the "set my amp and forget it" guy

exactly why you wont see me with one of these anytime soon.... I do see the need for gigging musicians with alot of tones.

 

[Rogue]

I own over 1/2 dozen of the tube amps emulated in the axe, it's pretty dang close. I still like having the real deal, but use mine all the time for recording since it's so easy to set up.

The axe hasn't replaced all my tube amps, but I haven't sold it either... and I've had mine for around 2 years now I think. It does too many things well to get rid of it.

Pete

If I had the extra money and had the amp setup I was happy with, I'd buy another one. It's an excellent recording tool and easy to setup and go. I won't have it (or any of them) in place of a tube amp again.

 

[killertone]

I don't know anything about the Ax-Fx but let me ask a question. Is it that hard to just start with the Ax, Poweramp, Cab.....then pull up an amp sim, tweak some EQ controls, add some reverb and go with it? Do you have to do much more than that for a basic sound?

I did exactly that when I was checking out a friend of mine's. I got a decent sound but then plugged into one of my amps that was sitting in the studio and the tone from it destroyed what I was getting from the Axe FX. I tweaked for probably 3 hours trying to get one type of tone that was comparable in quality to them amp that was in my studio at the time. It never happened and I got sick of trying. I said it then and I'll say it now, others can make it sound really good, but the Axe Fx is not for me at all. I embrace digital technology and am not anti digital at all, either.