noob_pwn":2lnd8y12 said:
As many of you will be aware, I used to run an axefx ultra -> 2/90/2 -> fatbottom 4x12.
Not long after i started demoing for our album with the AxeFx, I swapped that for an axefx/mackie HD1531 setup which i find superior. The reason being is one of the thing's I've learnt touring is no matter how good your tone is, you audience hears about 5% of your sound from your actual speaker cab and 95% of your sound through the FOH PA.
Unless you use an iso cabinet, good luck nailing the same tone through that PA every night. Unless you are an extremely well off band you won't be able to always tour with a sound guy who will use the same mic & miccing technique at every venue to get a result you like, and lets face it, mics are very sensitive to placement which can easy be altered by accident in a live environment. Throw into that mix some room reflections and spillover and you have yourself quite a mess. Chances are your sound guys won't give 2 shits about it.
I run an direct XLR signal to the desk (preamp, poweramp, cab & mic sims on) and this is what comes through the PA. I have the signal going to my mackie eq'd with the highs and lows rolled off a bit so it sounds more like a cab. Does it sound exactly like a cab? no. Does it sound like the sweet spot of my ideal tone from every angle on stage? yes. This is more or less exactly what the audience hears.
My point is, if your tone is amazing good luck capturing it. My rig feels like a tube amp, those 1000-1800w of power blow my hair back further than any tube amp out there, my rig is literally half the size (my rack weighs 18kg) and It is unbelievably consistent, cost effective, fast to set up and pack down, easy to load in and out and above all reliable. I can also hear it from any corner of the stage without any foldback because of the amazing sound dispersion the mackie has. Of course there are other options available such as the H&K redbox but the IR ability of the axefx blows that out of the water.
It was a giant leap of faith and did take a shit load of tweaking to get right but I won't be going back any time soon, and i would imagine the AxeFx II will close that realism "gap" even further. My band has never sounded so tight and clear before and we get complements left right and centre on our stage sound.
what you have done makes plenty of sense and i can see why you did what you did. but what you have done is essentially create a 1 size fits all application no matter the gig, acoustics of the building, how drunk the PA guy is that night, etc.
to say the same thing about a tube rig is not ideal. i wouldnt haul two cabinets, mics, a rack, and iso cabinets or extra guitars if the gig didnt call for it. same goes for an axe-fx setup with a tube amp at a bar. 9/10 ill just bring a 5150, a 2x12, and run a few pedals in the loop at the low end places. will it sound as great as two 4x12's and the big effects W/D W/D rack? of course not. but you do without and choose accordingly. i still get the all-tube punch and feedback that i desire, and its not anymore of a headache to carry than a mackie 1800W self powered PA.
it goes both ways. as far as what the audience is hearing - if you are playing a gig large enough to care about what they are hearing, then you have enough time for a sound check. that still does not solve having stages soak up your low end and no ability to hear what you are playing on stage even with two 4x12's going full tilt outside. chances are 9/10 either tubed or axe-fx if you have a shitty quality PA system you're going to get shitty quality sound regardless of your guitar setup or where you stand and this is the god honest truth.
