Axe-Fx Ultra Live Direct: Thinking of Selling my Amps?

[DeezDemos]

Although I've pretty much been a tube-snob forever, now that I've gotten used to using the Axe-Fx Ultra with an FRFR monitor and going direct, I think I'm going to sell off all of my amps if the market ever picks back up. The Axe is sooo much easier as far as Load-In, Set-Up, Load-Out etc. etc. and on top of that, the FRFR solution is way more consistent soundwise from venue to venue than any of my high end tube rigs.......... Wow I can't believe I'm a modelling convert.........I never thought I'd see the day.

Axe-Fx Ultra & Fender American Deluxe Strat:

Coming To A Dive Bar Near You!!

 

[ejecta]

What's your FRFR set up?

Nice tone BTW.

 

[Flump]

Even with the axe i just seem to prefer to run poweramp and cab. I'm 25 though and loading gear in and out isn't so bad....yet. It did replace my mod 50 though, so one less thing to carry.

 

[gkinsingapore]

Great sound.....just one more video that gets me a step closer to the Axe and ditching my other gear. To be honest the main thin stopping me is with technology what costs 2k today will be worth nothing tomorrow......

BTW go get your drummers double kick pedal and threaten to ram it up his a$$ if he doesnt stop overplaying

 

[Doubleneck]

Sounds good. Really thinking about an Axe as well.
What's an FRFR?

 

[jinch0]

I hate you great tone

 

[JTyson]

Tube snob??

 

[Ventura]

Great sound.....just one more video that gets me a step closer to the Axe and ditching my other gear. To be honest the main thin stopping me is with technology what costs 2k today will be worth nothing tomorrow......

BTW go get your drummers double kick pedal and threaten to ram it up his a$$ if he doesnt stop overplaying

Gonna have to side with this comment. I am on the sidelines when it comes to the AxeFX Ultra. My latest rack build (Mak 4, Fryette 2:90:2, power conditioner, etc.) was designed with an extra 2U for the AxeFX unit. I'm just going to wait till:
a) the price drops
b) the technology gets better with every iteration of it

I'm a tube snob, and I'll say it again - there is something 'missing' in a live environment when going strictly with an Axe. I've been witness to it, heard with my own ears, my friends have been witness to it, and we've experienced it in different venues with different artists. Some of whom have the top dogs when it comes to techs and soundguys.

1's and 0's cannot replace the 4th dimension that exists with a signal driven through hot, varying, breathing (metaphorically speaking), in-flux tubes. A tube driven amp is an extension of the guitar which is the extension of the artist/player. The Axe is a processor. Plain and simple. It's a damn, damn fine processor, that we're ALL seeing very clearly, but it's not 'alive' in my humblest of opinions.

Peace,
V.

 

[glpg80]

1's and 0's cannot replace the 4th dimension that exists with a signal driven through hot, varying, breathing (metaphorically speaking), in-flux tubes. A tube driven amp is an extension of the guitar which is the extension of the artist/player. The Axe is a processor. Plain and simple. It's a damn, damn fine processor, that we're ALL seeing very clearly, but it's not 'alive' in my humblest of opinions.

Peace,
V.

going to have to agree with all of this.

design wise the axe fx tries to replicate all of the variables in a tube amplifier and make them adjustable - but its a human mind behind it all to begin with, and there are countless more variables that are not being accounted for. processors today are powerful and can run the algorithms needed to get closer to true analog - but it is far from replacing status.

 

[DeezDemos]

What's your FRFR set up

I'm using an RCF 310a powered wedge for my stage sound. I tried a bunch of others but the RCF sounds more organic to me!

The coolest thing I've found since switching to this rig is that I don't have to worry about volume or stage size issues regardless of the venue. That in itself has been really nice, especially casino gigs etc. I have a lot of really nice amps, Diezels, Bogners, Boogies etc, and I'd be the last person to start the debate on which is better, The Amps or The Axe?.......... All I know is that in this stage of my musical endeavors, the Axe-Fx is working better for me.

 

[jlbaxe]

I luv mine and learn more about tweaking it everyday. I do not spend much time tweaking but have a dozen core tones I like and use. From there I add effects and spend 5-10 tweaking then play for and hour or so.

It is not replacing my amps But is an extension, another tool, and sounds great.

Care to share your patch setting ?

 

[JTyson]

Oh great great guitar playing in the clip, really annoying drummer...

 

[Nico]

Great sound.....just one more video that gets me a step closer to the Axe and ditching my other gear. To be honest the main thin stopping me is with technology what costs 2k today will be worth nothing tomorrow......

BTW go get your drummers double kick pedal and threaten to ram it up his a$$ if he doesnt stop overplaying

I feel the same way, but if we base ourselfs on this argument we should not buy computers, cell phones, dvd's, tv's, etc... because each and every one of those things is going to be improved and replaced by something better and cheaper, its just the nature of technology.

Even if you wait till the next big thing in modelling technology, it will still be outdone again and again... And thank God that is the case...

 

[ejecta]

What's your FRFR set up

I'm using an RCF 310a powered wedge for my stage sound. I tried a bunch of others but the RCF sounds more organic to me!

The coolest thing I've found since switching to this rig is that I don't have to worry about volume or stage size issues regardless of the venue. That in itself has been really nice, especially casino gigs etc. I have a lot of really nice amps, Diezels, Bogners, Boogies etc, and I'd be the last person to start the debate on which is better, The Amps or The Axe?.......... All I know is that in this stage of my musical endeavors, the Axe-Fx is working better for me.

It's all about what works best for you. I've had an AxeFX in the past and I think it was a nice unit but not the be all end all. A tube amp still offers something different and that's a fact but it's very subjective on whether you feel that "different" is better or something you recognize but the benefits of what you need the Axe for out weigh being able to use tube amps.

My situation has changed with my wife working full time from home in the other room where it has to be quite so I had to quit jamming at home with loud amps so I picked up another AxeFX standard to play direct into my computer and use headphones. It fit's my needs really well. Were I to go back to playing loud and jamming with other people I'd probably go back to using tube amps.

 

[sinfish]

Sounds good! nice playing! I am so on the fence about the Axe FX. I would have one if the cost was not so high.

 

[DeezDemos]

Care to share your patch setting ?

All I can really tell you is that they are very basic. The clip in the video is the Marsha HBE, 550ms Delay, Stock 4x12 & thats it. If I remember correctly, the gain for the Marsha block is at about 1:00 and the everything else at around 12:00 with the exception of the master volume which is set to taste. All my gear is in the band trailer so I don't have access to it on a daily basis. I don't know how to use the axe-edit yet so unfortunately I couldn't show you anyway. I'm pretty much a simpleton when it comes to this stuff....

Oh great great guitar playing in the clip, really annoying drummer...

If I were to post the entire video, you'd see that we were "All" pretty annoying considering none of us have a clue how this tune actually goes. It was by request, and the dude tipped us $20 so in the fashion of "Bar-Bandom" we attempted it anyway!

On a side note. The drummer is an unfortunate health case who has had a hip replacement & quadruple bypass before he was thirty-five, so I tend to cut him some slack most of the time. He's actually really good!

 

[Joeytpg]

yeah man but you were the one soloing..... it's VERY important in a band context and that style of music to let the music breathe. That part of the tune didn't call for a drum part to stand out.

laid back beat hitting the ride and stay calm, let the guitar do its thing

 

[dfrattaroli]

To be honest the main thin stopping me is with technology what costs 2k today will be worth nothing tomorrow......

Gotta get over that. That's how it is. You can look at this way: Considering what the Axe gives you in one package, even if the price hits 50% of what it is now in 6 months, you're still getting ALOT of stuff for $2000. People are still paying $1200 for a 2290. The Axe is kind of like that in that it has world class effects, amp sims, etc., etc.

I used to think like that before I got it. Now I don't. When I'm playing it, I wonder how I'd ever get along without it.

Dave

 

[DeezDemos]

yeah man but you were the one soloing..... it's VERY important in a band context and that style of music to let the music breathe. That part of the tune didn't call for a drum part to stand out.

laid back beat hitting the ride and stay calm, let the guitar do its thing

In a perfect world.......Yeah........

Do you know what the "Star-Mic" is? Please don't take this wrong, but when your my age(42) and you've dedicated most of you life to playing for a living, you may understand a little more...............

 

[glpg80]

I wonder how I'd ever get along without it.

it is still a modeling unit. it still takes you 20 years to fiddle with presets and variables, and it still lacks the tube warmth and added real-life presence of a tube amplifier running wide open. take the ROM battery out of the unit and you loose all of your precious settings - last time i checked i can take the tubes out of my amplifier and the settings stay the same. no solid state power amplifier or modeling unit will ever come close enough because electrons are why tubes work. you cant model electrons in a vaccum no matter how hard you try.

its the same reason you cant divide by zero.

no matter the price - its a modeling unit. the same category as line 6, eleven rack, vypyr, etc - the only difference is the increased complexity in options and algorithms. thats it.