Wizard of Ozz
Well-known member
dirtyfunkg":u1orve0l said:
I like this.
I like this.
crwnedblasphemy
Well-known member
Well, either way it's brilliant marketing. Don't go/pay NAMM bullshit, and you know people will be talking/posting monday morning after the event, so launch to web and forums day after. Good business move there...
bste328
Active member
Metlupass2":vd0maex0 said:
I'm not resident in the US (I'm in Italy) but don't you have some kind of return policy there for online purchases also?
Metlupass2
Well-known member
B. Ste":2bp2nkn8 said:
Not when you're a shithead whiny baby like these guys were being.
W
Whowantsamustache
Banned
New member
Those fucking pole smokers!
I just bought an XL after Christmas. And the sale continues on. Suckered.
Pissed yet don’t care at the same time. Meh
I just bought an XL after Christmas. And the sale continues on. Suckered.
Pissed yet don’t care at the same time. Meh
romanianreaper
Well-known member
I've never used a Helix or Kemper but my Axe-FX II at this point is so easy to use it is ridiculous. When I first got it, I was overwhelmed, turning dials, wondering what I was missing, etc. Now when I do a firmware update, I barely touch a thing. The amps sound so good that it literally becomes just a nitpicking thing, like should I use this 4x12 instead of that one?
It is great having a piece of gear that I can use in my home and keep simple but still have enough options that professional bands are using them on the road and adjusting a million things. Like I said years ago, this box helped me understand amps and effects better. I never used "ducking" with delays and find myself using it a lot lately.
It is great having a piece of gear that I can use in my home and keep simple but still have enough options that professional bands are using them on the road and adjusting a million things. Like I said years ago, this box helped me understand amps and effects better. I never used "ducking" with delays and find myself using it a lot lately.
Spaceboy
Well-known member
I owned the Kemper and three versions of the Axe FX (Ultra, II, AX8) and did the Helix Native demo. I enjoyed the II the most, and it let me approach modeling like I would any normal rig. I simply choose the amp and cabinet I want, voila, sounds good. I tweak from there, but it seems like 'all noon' on any FAS model sounds good. Kemper was a rabbit hole of chasing down the newest profiles, a constant sort of social network around the product that keeps you second guessing what you already have available. I'm bad at "set it and forget it", and Kemper set those tweaker tone-chasing ways of mine on fire. The AX8 was a failed product for me. I would constantly run out of DSP with what I thought were simple setups. Helix Native sounds great, but the GUI is awful, although intuitive for routing. While stock settings/all at noon works for FAS, it does not work for Helix. The knobs are setup much like the amps they models. For example, it's common to turn down bass to zero on many Marshall amps. You basically have to do something similar to that on Helix. I set up a Plexi or JCM800 model fairly close to how I would approach the knobs on the real amp, and and it sounds great. This doesn't give you as much room to tweak and craft a brand new sound, especially since the Helix parameters do not go as deep. It also means that if you decide to chase a sound with an amp you are not familiar, you sort of have to figure out the particular characteristics of that amplifier, where with FAS models it was simpler for me to get the sound in my head because I always had the same basic options to tweak, and understood what those options did for the tone. I just found the II constantly inspiring to play, and the most simple for me. I got rid of it because I was tired of looking at a $2000 practice amp since it never left the home, and was chasing down another path exploring the Suhr RL/Fryette Powerstation possibilities. I'm ready to go back for my fourth Axe FX.
Norton666
Member
I had an Axe II and loved it. I really thought they would go for Kempers throat with their next release. By that I mean , putting more emphasis on their “profiling” capability. It looks like it is 3u correct? I would’ve loved to see them throw a powered version out there
romanianreaper
Well-known member
I was just over on the Fractal forum. People are losing their minds as expected. LOL! It is like Lord of the Flies over there. People are like "what no video???", "I'm done with the Axe-Fx because I wasn't told about this!!" and other hilarious stories. 
Always cracks me up when something new comes out and everyone acts like the sky is falling. It is a good thing but you would swear it is the Apocalypse. All of the Axe-Fx units are awesome. There are people still using the Ultra for crying out loud.
Always cracks me up when something new comes out and everyone acts like the sky is falling. It is a good thing but you would swear it is the Apocalypse.
All of the Axe-Fx units are awesome. There are people still using the Ultra for crying out loud.
Tone Ranger
Active member
I owned a 2 for about 2 years, then jumped on the holiday sale just so I could get something a little newer. To my surprise, the xl+ sounded a little more in your face. Not a lot but it could have been placebo... I'm not going to cry about today. What I have now sounds freakin awesome and I don't need all that extra horsepower. I'll give it a few months before I really start gassing for the 3. My good friend that sold me my first Axe FX is on the wait list. I'll see what he thinks.
thiswaythatway
Well-known member
I'm glad I just sold my AX8 for $1300. I predict a Fractal dumpster fire sell off. Meanwhile the guy with the kick ass amp 10 years ago, still has that same kick ass amp and it's not about to be out-processed.
steve_k
New member
There's a bounty on Cliff's head now.
G
gtr31
Well-known member
Just looking at the cab screen shot of FB
Looks like a nightmare of parameters and a computer DOS readout albeit some text is in purple
It looks like the basically tried to go after Helix
But where Helix makes things simple Fractal makes things for engineers
Looks like a nightmare of parameters and a computer DOS readout albeit some text is in purple
It looks like the basically tried to go after Helix
But where Helix makes things simple Fractal makes things for engineers
L
lessthan12
Member
O really? How about telling that to the guys that spent $2500 on Johnson Millenniums and Line 6 Vettas lol. A new AX8 hasn't been announced so Im not sure about the relevancy of selling yours offdanyeo":209zx4xl said:
Its not like all of a sudden the II's are obsolete, they still sound as amazing as they did yesterday and will continue to do so.
BYTOR
Well-known member
danyeo":14i6oc3k said:
So dumb
There has never been a Fractal “dumpster fire sell off”, & it won’t start now. The AxeFx2 released Sept 2011 just recently got updated to Quantum firmware 9.04. The same exact firmware for the flagship XL+ Model. They have held value better than 90% of tube amps.
These units will sound as great as they do now, 10 years from now. 20 years from now. The ultra can still sound amazing & it is 11 years old.
Great tone now doesn’t suddenly sound bad next year.......The Axe3 is not coming out because of complaints about tone at all. It just needed some modern updating to the onboard user interface & some updated features.
crwnedblasphemy
Well-known member
Spaceboy":n21mxbzr said:
Good insight here. Never thought of the Kemper as “rabbit hole” unit, but I totally see your point.
thiswaythatway
Well-known member
BYTOR":3vqvia75 said:danyeo":3vqvia75 said:
So dumb
The AxeFx2 released Sept 2011 just recently got updated to Quantum firmware 9.04. The same exact firmware for the flagship XL+ Model. They have held value better than 90% of tube amps.
These units will sound as great as they do now, 10 years from now. 20 years from now. The ultra can still sound amazing & it is 11 years old.
Great tone now doesn’t suddenly sound bad next year.......The Axe3 is not coming out because of complaints about tone at all. It just needed some modern updating to the onboard user interface & some updated features.
I guess you haven't looked at The Gear Page Classifieds? There were NO Fractals on there yesterday, today is a different story.And I don't disagree with anything you're saying, I think the Axe-2 is pretty cool. I'm making light of "some" of the Fractal crowds gotta have the latest greatest attitude. I've seen soo many stupid comments like, "oh, i wonder what it will sound like". "Oh man, it's going to sound BETTER than tubes amps" Really? Did these nitwits ever play a real amp in their lives?
thiswaythatway
Well-known member
steve_k":22odr72f said:
His loyal followers threatened to sue him when he released the II. They claimed he withheld the II's announcement and let people buy the Ultra. I think CLiff really is a genius, but half his clientele has lost their minds. Maybe overtweak syndrome?
steve_k
New member
danyeo":1f2obd8t said:steve_k":1f2obd8t said:
His loyal followers threatened to sue him when he released the II. They claimed he withheld the II's announcement and let people buy the Ultra. I think CLiff really is a genius, but half his clientele has lost their minds. Maybe overtweak syndrome?
His biggest seller would be a single rack unit FX only. Not sure why he is hesitant to build it. They would sell 4X more of these than an Axe FX.
ChurchHill
New member
This ^^^^
As it is, I don't see myself even remotely considering any version of the AxeFX. While I'm sure they're great for small touring, recording, and backup rigs, as far as I can tell, it doesn't bring anything new to the table that would compete with my collection of amps, cabs, processors, or pedals. Just my opinion, of course, and I could very well be wrong.
Now, if there was an Effects Only version, especially if it did something that no other processor could do (other than consolidate complex rigs)... I'd at least be curious enough to take a serious look. It's just that the last thing I think I need is another modeler, and again, maybe I'm wrong about that, too. BTW,I also feel this way about Kemper and Helix. There's no doubt at all that they're great tools for what they do. It's just that what they do isn't what I'm looking for.
As it is, I don't see myself even remotely considering any version of the AxeFX. While I'm sure they're great for small touring, recording, and backup rigs, as far as I can tell, it doesn't bring anything new to the table that would compete with my collection of amps, cabs, processors, or pedals. Just my opinion, of course, and I could very well be wrong.
Now, if there was an Effects Only version, especially if it did something that no other processor could do (other than consolidate complex rigs)... I'd at least be curious enough to take a serious look. It's just that the last thing I think I need is another modeler, and again, maybe I'm wrong about that, too. BTW,I also feel this way about Kemper and Helix. There's no doubt at all that they're great tools for what they do. It's just that what they do isn't what I'm looking for.