Best Multi FX Hardware

[Shask]

I went from axefx over to eventide eclipse and lexicon

Axefx has more versatility and is more flexible and potentially easier to use. But the eventide and lexicon has the magic sauce when it comes to sound IMO.

Axefx was almost too perfect and clean that it had no coloration or character like the eventide and lexicon units have

Yeah, sometimes I use my old Lexicon MPX-1, TC G Major 2, and Rocktron Intellifex and Replifex. They have more of a "sound" than the old Axe II I use. It can sound very vanilla compared to those older units. Very clean and plain. I run them all through a parallel rack mixer.

However, having an easier time editing, being able to run more effects at once, editing software, librarian software, block library to build presets from, etc.... it is hard to compromise that little bit of tone for the modern conveniences.

 

[Rackman]

That is probably because the Axe III came out after the Axe II and can do the same everything and more.

The Eclipse was the last of that series. If they made an Eclipse II that did the same and more, the original Eclipse probably would have dropped the same.

Nah, the Orville which was the 2u version released at the same time as the Eclipse, has subsequently been overtaken by the 8000, 8000FW, 7600 and 9000 and still commands decent prices. Because it still sounds good and has a large body of players and engineers who know what they're good for.

The reality is that AxeFX units have a history of burning their owners. Now, some people don't care about that, some do. Just like some people don't care about deep editing, some do.

On the plus side you can bet when the AxeIV comes out in a few months there will be a flood of $500 AxeIIIs that suddenly don't sound so great for some mysterious reason. Of course what's really happening is they no longer get an appreciative "oooh" from the other endodontists. So if you like the unit, you're about to be able to get one very cheaply.

 

[saxxamafone]

Nah, the Orville which was the 2u version released at the same time as the Eclipse, has subsequently been overtaken by the 8000, 8000FW, 7600 and 9000 and still commands decent prices. Because it still sounds good and has a large body of players and engineers who know what they're good for.

The reality is that AxeFX units have a history of burning their owners. Now, some people don't care about that, some do. Just like some people don't care about deep editing, some do.

On the plus side you can bet when the AxeIV comes out in a few months there will be a flood of $500 AxeIIIs that suddenly don't sound so great for some mysterious reason. Of course what's really happening is they no longer get an appreciative "oooh" from the other endodontists. So if you like the unit, you're about to be able to get one very cheaply.

I remember the AxeFx Ultra in 2008 sounded just like a tube amp. It was game over back then according to the Axefx lovers. I had one too.

It really is the iPhone of guitar gear

 

[Rackman]

I remember the AxeFx Ultra in 2008 sounded just like a tube amp. It was game over back then according to the Axefx lovers. I had one too.

It really is the iPhone of guitar gear

They all sound exactly like a tube amp. It's the mantra of the amp modeler

 

[Rackman]

Which model H3000 first allowed a connection to a computer for editing?

I think any one that has the Patch Factory, Mod Factory 1 and Mod Factory 2 algos. With all the replacement roms and revisions out there, I personally would have to inspect any given unit.

That said the editing seems super rough.

 

[Rackman]

Looking into the H3000 a bit, my take-away is that you can't really "program" them at the algo level like you could a DSP4000 onwards. But you can edit deep algo parameters with MIDI SysEx messages which allows you to control in particular the "Factory" algos into a wide variety of things.

That said, it seems like many people have started an H3000 parameter editor for use with various MIDI controllers, and no one has finished one.

If someone wanted to get into a deep dive on Eventide it seems like an H8000(FW or no) would be the system to have if you didn't want to pay for an H9000.