Don't run at me with fire and pitchforks. Axe-FX Questions..

[romanianreaper]

I know the Axe-FX questions have been flying across this board for the past few years but I have a few, easy-to-answer questions about the unit. I've seen vids and heard clips so I know what it is capable of but just wondering about a few things:

- Do the presets sound good enough to keep a player busy for a few days/weeks?

- Is it easy to take a preset and swap out a different amp (Marshall to Mesa for instance) without having to completely tweak speaker resonance, air, speaker fabric, temperture near speaker cone, etc.?

I have been going back and forth about this thing for the last year or so. On one hand, I've been playing for 25 years and have never had the opportunity to "own" every amp I ever dreamed of having with tons of great effects. On the other hand, I feel tweaking this thing could end me up in a straight jacket.

- For the people who say it was too much tweaking, do you think it was too much tweaking to get a certain amp where they want it to be or just too much tweaking because they wanted to master all 60 or so amps that are available?

I've never owned a Diezel, Bogner, CarolAnn, etc. or other boutique amps. I wonder if the Axe-FX would completely blow me away in a good way since I normally only own one amp at a time?

 

[thiswaythatway]

 

[daveg62]

I think you have a legitimate question about the reasons why people say it is too much tweaking. I have owned mine for over a year now and honestly I'm thinking about selling it. No it is not hard to switch amps without changing any other settings. The pre-sets do sound very good and you can easily edit them and bypass/tweak the effects, amps, cabs , anything you want until your hearts content.
Getting back to why I am thinking of getting rid of mine. Lately i have been using my Mesa amp and just using the axe-fx for the effects. I find myself playing a lot more rather than constantly switching sounds, patches, trying to hear witch amp sim sounds better than the others. The axe-fx is awesome! there's no denying that but for me I just wanna get back to playing my guitar. I would highly recommend the axe-fx to anyone who asks. It is very easy to use, and by far one of the best purchases you will ever make. Just be prepared to possibly be a bit overwhelmed with it. It's kind of like having a room full of amps... which one do you want to plug into next?

 

[romanianreaper]

LOL!!!

I should insert a picture of me dressed up like Frankenstein, carrying an Axe-FX.

 

[romanianreaper]

I think you have a legitimate question about the reasons why people say it is too much tweaking. I have owned mine for over a year now and honestly I'm thinking about selling it. No it is not hard to switch amps without changing any other settings. The pre-sets do sound very good and you can easily edit them and bypass/tweak the effects, amps, cabs , anything you want until your hearts content.
Getting back to why I am thinking of getting rid of mine. Lately i have been using my Mesa amp and just using the axe-fx for the effects. I find myself playing a lot more rather than constantly switching sounds, patches, trying to hear witch amp sim sounds better than the others. The axe-fx is awesome! there's no denying that but for me I just wanna get back to playing my guitar. I would highly recommend the axe-fx to anyone who asks. It is very easy to use, and by far one of the best purchases you will ever make. Just be prepared to possibly be a bit overwhelmed with it. It's kind of like having a room full of amps... which one do you want to plug into next?

Great info man, thanks! I think it also depends on what the player is using it for. I used to gig but now I'm more of a bedroom player and would like to get back into recording eventually. I might jam with friends down the road or could end up gigging again but I'd be using it at home most likely. I can see how it could get a bit addicting but nice at the same time.

I used to own a PODXT and although I liked to tweak things a bit, I don't think I'd go crazy with it. Since I do play at home, I could maybe tweak something for 20 minutes and come back another day to tweak the same patch more, etc.

I have been on this forum for awhile and was on Harmony Central (until I left it) since 2001. It has been near impossible for me to get an accurate feel of how people like it or hate it overall. There are players that have been on here forever making patches and posting great vids. At the same time, there are players on here that have tons of amps and didn't like the Axe-FX. Some people have had one for years and others don't even get it out of the box.

Feelings on the Axe-FX definitely swing wide both directions.

 

[Ventura]

I think it really depends on the player/person/owner and what their expectations are. If someone is buying it without knowing exactly what they WANT or NEED it for, you probably will end up going apeshit with the tweaking and options and everything else. Not that this is a bad thing, and it's really not a difficult thing to modify or change up, but ya, you could spend countless hours, weeks, months, just going for broke trying to define "your" tone - a tweaker. But hey, I know what I wanna hear, I've also had a lot of experience with a lot of amps - and damn it if this thing doesn't make it able for me to cross up the amps I wish I still had or have had, and BOOM, link 'em up, and there it is - a very, very precise facsimile of said sonic combinations

You gotta go in knowing what you want out of it. I did, and I'm pleasantly surprised by the added benefits. But I'm not pulling a kid-in-the-candy-store headspace just cracking out on the thing for days on end, going World of Warcraft on it and pissing in jugs... Just you know, really grooving with it... I know what I want.

I'm telling anyone who asks - buy one, try it out - they let you use it for 2 weeks and hey, if you don't like it, you're only out the shipping costs. If you miss that boat? The resale market is ace My words are not right or wrong, they're only indicative of my personal experience with this unit...in this case most certainly, YMMV!!! And you're totally 100% completely ENTITLED to your own opinion. But do yourself the favour, if it's really something making you itch, get one and find out for yourself. It's the only way

V.

 

[romanianreaper]

I think it really depends on the player/person/owner and what their expectations are. If someone is buying it without knowing exactly what they WANT or NEED it for, you probably will end up going apeshit with the tweaking and options and everything else. Not that this is a bad thing, and it's really not a difficult thing to modify or change up, but ya, you could spend countless hours, weeks, months, just going for broke trying to define "your" tone - a tweaker. But hey, I know what I wanna hear, I've also had a lot of experience with a lot of amps - and damn it if this thing doesn't make it able for me to cross up the amps I wish I still had or have had, and BOOM, link 'em up, and there it is - a very, very precise facsimile of said sonic combinations

You gotta go in knowing what you want out of it. I did, and I'm pleasantly surprised by the added benefits. But I'm not pulling a kid-in-the-candy-store headspace just cracking out on the thing for days on end, going World of Warcraft on it and pissing in jugs... Just you know, really grooving with it... I know what I want.

I'm telling anyone who asks - buy one, try it out - they let you use it for 2 weeks and hey, if you don't like it, you're only out the shipping costs. If you miss that boat? The resale market is ace My words are not right or wrong, they're only indicative of my personal experience with this unit...in this case most certainly, YMMV!!! And you're totally 100% completely ENTITLED to your own opinion. But do yourself the favour, if it's really something making you itch, get one and find out for yourself. It's the only way

V.

Love the "WOW, pissing in jugs" comment. I work with a few of those.

I get what you are saying. For example, I like a Doug Aldrich type of tone so I know what amp I'm trying to emulate with a certain song, etc. I think the part that "scares" me, is not knowing how deep a basic amp tone gets. I know the basics and understand what mic I'd want, cab, etc. and even understand a bit of amp-ology so to speak. It gets hairy for me with those things that can be tweaked but are not on the front of a regular amp because they are built in (sag, etc.)

 

[Code001]

I thought the stock presets sucked, but swapping the amps, cabs, effects, etc. was fairly easy. I didn't have the patience to keep tweaking the preset to get it to how I wanted it, but I might give it another go in the future. It's just not high on my priority list at the moment.

 

[Khoi]

I know the Axe-FX questions have been flying across this board for the past few years but I have a few, easy-to-answer questions about the unit. I've seen vids and heard clips so I know what it is capable of but just wondering about a few things:

- Do the presets sound good enough to keep a player busy for a few days/weeks?

- Is it easy to take a preset and swap out a different amp (Marshall to Mesa for instance) without having to completely tweak speaker resonance, air, speaker fabric, temperture near speaker cone, etc.?

I have been going back and forth about this thing for the last year or so. On one hand, I've been playing for 25 years and have never had the opportunity to "own" every amp I ever dreamed of having with tons of great effects. On the other hand, I feel tweaking this thing could end me up in a straight jacket.

- For the people who say it was too much tweaking, do you think it was too much tweaking to get a certain amp where they want it to be or just too much tweaking because they wanted to master all 60 or so amps that are available?

I've never owned a Diezel, Bogner, CarolAnn, etc. or other boutique amps. I wonder if the Axe-FX would completely blow me away in a good way since I normally only own one amp at a time?

1. I've had mine for a couple months, and I'm still on the presets... a lot of them are very good, I doubt you'll even be able to go through them all!

2. Yes, you literally click the amp block, and scroll to the amp you want, it doesn't change any of the other parameters such as drive, comps, etc.

3. I barely find any tweaking. Maybe the first couple days to screw around with, but I end up tweaking the presets how I want and its not hard at all. Or I just download another person's patch.

I think you'll like it.

 

[Shark Diver]

It is worth a try. You don't HAVE to tweak it. I think it's been said in a lot of threads - if you have owned or have a good knowledge of the amps you want to model you will have greater success at getting the tones you like. Whether they are in there or not is up to you. But as V said, really no risk in trying it.

 

[romanianreaper]

1. I've had mine for a couple months, and I'm still on the presets... a lot of them are very good, I doubt you'll even be able to go through them all!

2. Yes, you literally click the amp block, and scroll to the amp you want, it doesn't change any of the other parameters such as drive, comps, etc.

3. I barely find any tweaking. Maybe the first couple days to screw around with, but I end up tweaking the presets how I want and its not hard at all. Or I just download another person's patch.

I think you'll like it.

Thanks everyone for the replies! One thing I was wondering about was when you load a new amp block. Does it come up with "suggested settings" like a POD would or is everything zero'd out so it is up to you to know what the best settings are?

 

[Ventura]

1. I've had mine for a couple months, and I'm still on the presets... a lot of them are very good, I doubt you'll even be able to go through them all!

2. Yes, you literally click the amp block, and scroll to the amp you want, it doesn't change any of the other parameters such as drive, comps, etc.

3. I barely find any tweaking. Maybe the first couple days to screw around with, but I end up tweaking the presets how I want and its not hard at all. Or I just download another person's patch.

I think you'll like it.

Thanks everyone for the replies! One thing I was wondering about was when you load a new amp block. Does it come up with "suggested settings" like a POD would or is everything zero'd out so it is up to you to know what the best settings are?

The amps are EQ'd in advance, but all you have to do is press a button and BOOM, you're looking at the virtual front panel of the amp in question - global, drive, bass, treble, mid - and after that - next page over, amp powersection sag, etc. It's easy peezy.

V.

 

[9ball]

i wonder how long these things are gonna last before - if and when - they become outdated, or something better comes along?
or if it's gonna be like an old amp that will always be good to go back to. i mean if it has the tone in it i would think it will always have a place, just wondering if they'd become obsolete at some point.
im still undecided about wether or not i should get some other good amp, or just get the snaxfx when i get ready to.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

i wonder how long these things are gonna last before - if and when - they become outdated, or something better comes along?
or if it's gonna be like an old amp that will always be good to go back to. i mean if it has the tone in it i would think it will always have a place, just wondering if they'd become obsolete at some point.
im still undecided about wether or not i should get some other good amp, or just get the snaxfx when i get ready to.

Not for a while as the sharc processor chip they are using has yet to be replaced by an upgraded model. Right now they cannot make a more powerful unit until the tech catches up.

 

[romanianreaper]

i wonder how long these things are gonna last before - if and when - they become outdated, or something better comes along?
or if it's gonna be like an old amp that will always be good to go back to. i mean if it has the tone in it i would think it will always have a place, just wondering if they'd become obsolete at some point.
im still undecided about wether or not i should get some other good amp, or just get the snaxfx when i get ready to.

That is a good point. There were a few folks here on the forum talking about the Rockman that Tom Scholtz put out years ago. Also, alot of people here on the forum love the old Marshall Plexi and other classic amps even though alot of newer amps have come out.

 

[Shark Diver]

i wonder how long these things are gonna last before - if and when - they become outdated, or something better comes along?
or if it's gonna be like an old amp that will always be good to go back to. i mean if it has the tone in it i would think it will always have a place, just wondering if they'd become obsolete at some point.
im still undecided about wether or not i should get some other good amp, or just get the snaxfx when i get ready to.

Not for a while as the sharc processor chip they are using has yet to be replaced by an upgraded model. Right now they cannot make a more powerful unit until the tech catches up.

The chip they use is 4-5 years old. The Sharc 2 is out, but not used in the Axe.

 

[Ventura]

i wonder how long these things are gonna last before - if and when - they become outdated, or something better comes along?
or if it's gonna be like an old amp that will always be good to go back to. i mean if it has the tone in it i would think it will always have a place, just wondering if they'd become obsolete at some point.
im still undecided about wether or not i should get some other good amp, or just get the snaxfx when i get ready to.

Not for a while as the sharc processor chip they are using has yet to be replaced by an upgraded model. Right now they cannot make a more powerful unit until the tech catches up.

The chip they use is 4-5 years old. The Sharc 2 is out, but not used in the Axe.

Marketing will be the only thing that gets better... Seriously, unless a newer processor makes a more accurate emulation of an amp or cab or whatnot, what's the "better" unit going to offer?? Sure, more stuff, maybe a better room dynamics palette or the like, more input/output options, but at the end of the day, it sounds great as is. And that's where it's at for me - it sounds great.

V.

 

[jcj]

Title is priceless

 

[Shark Diver]

i wonder how long these things are gonna last before - if and when - they become outdated, or something better comes along?
or if it's gonna be like an old amp that will always be good to go back to. i mean if it has the tone in it i would think it will always have a place, just wondering if they'd become obsolete at some point.
im still undecided about wether or not i should get some other good amp, or just get the snaxfx when i get ready to.

Not for a while as the sharc processor chip they are using has yet to be replaced by an upgraded model. Right now they cannot make a more powerful unit until the tech catches up.

The chip they use is 4-5 years old. The Sharc 2 is out, but not used in the Axe.

Marketing will be the only thing that gets better... Seriously, unless a newer processor makes a more accurate emulation of an amp or cab or whatnot, what's the "better" unit going to offer?? Sure, more stuff, maybe a better room dynamics palette or the like, more input/output options, but at the end of the day, it sounds great as is. And that's where it's at for me - it sounds great.

V.

There are enough people who max the CPU out. The newer chip would help that. I'm sure the tones would get even better with the tweaks that a new processor would allow. Maybe more IRs, mic positions, things like that. Who knows? It will only help, always good to have more power. (insert Tool Man grunt)

 

[romanianreaper]

Title is priceless