first Axe-FX Gig review

[stratotone]

So I had a gig last night, used the following gear:

Axe-Fx Standard, wireless transmitter, Rocktron MidiMate, two controller pedals (one for volume, one for wah), and four guitars (USA Charvel SoCal tuned to E, EJ strat Eb, PRS McKorina tuned to E, Gibson Explorer Faded Eb) and a QSC HPR122i.

Sat the QSC behind me, and put the 4 space rack on top of it. Had a monitor on the front of the stage with just my guitar in it also.

First impression was that the QSC sound and the monitor sound were very close tone-wise... usually when I use my tube rigs (Bogner 101B or Randall RM100 and either a 2x12 or 4x2 cab), the tone from the monitors suck in comparison. It was really nice to have that nice a tone coming back to me... and reassured me that my guitar tone was pretty good through the mains too.

Axe FX setup was so much quieter than my tube rigs too... I never used a gate that I liked, the axe-fx's is very effective and still allows the guitar to breathe, if that makes sense. I could also get controllable feedback if I really tried... was harder than with tube amps, but the lack of noise made up for it.

Of the five patches I set up, I only used three - a clean, a Van Halen patch I did that was awful close, and one that was built off a Mesa Boogie Mk IV model. The other two patches at gig volume just washed out and need more tweaking. I also had to go into global and cut the low end quite a bit, the QSC was shaking the stage with all the bottom frequencies.

I also could fit the QSC, my 4 space rack where the axe fx lives, and my guitar stand/case that holds six guitars in the back hatch of my MazdaSpeed 3. Very nice! Bandmates said my sound was clearer, they didn't hear the noise between songs, and whatever it was I better keep.

Pete (check out the axe-fx behind me)

 

[Juggernaut]

Awesome.... So thats what you look like.

 

[ttosh]

I think that is an OSU cowboy on your Charvel. A Tulsan here!!!

 

[degenaro]

Nice shot Pete. I'm having the best time with the Axe with in ears myself.

 

[stratotone]

I think that is an OSU cowboy on your Charvel. A Tulsan here!!!

Very cool, Tulsa here also. My wife is going for her MBA with OSU/Tulsa, and her dad is a professor at OSU Stillwater.

The OSU mascot is named Pistol Pete, and hey, I'm Pete too, and the colors were right and what the heck. Had a few comments on it at the gig.

 

[Drkorey]

Sweet - after I get my Axe tweaked I may need to look into downsizing as an option

 

[stratotone]

Nice shot Pete. I'm having the best time with with in ears myself.

Thanks Ed. One of my bands uses in ear monitors, but I'm so used to being able to move around onstage to vary my 'mix' so to speak by getting closer/further from monitors or my cab. I am thinking about leaving the QSC at home after a few more gigs though and see how that works out... less gear to take to a gig = less hassle. One nice thing about the QSC is that it seems to be a pretty good indicator as to how well my patches are going to sound out the mains.

 

[Subclavian]

i'm so glad you're not a sooner fan pete.


I'm a razorback myself


glad to see you're liking the Axe-Fx


sub

 

[SkyhighRocks]

Cool review Pete. I'll be trying out my Ultra live for the first time this weekend...show on friday night and then sunday late afternoon. I'm not sure if I'll ever go to a smaller setup with the band I'm in now only because we're doing an arena type show with the Bon Jovi thing and the look is pretty important to the show. But down the road I can see myself eventually switching.

 

[ttosh]

I think that is an OSU cowboy on your Charvel. A Tulsan here!!!

Very cool, Tulsa here also. My wife is going for her MBA with OSU/Tulsa, and her dad is a professor at OSU Stillwater.

The OSU mascot is named Pistol Pete, and hey, I'm Pete too, and the colors were right and what the heck. Had a few comments on it at the gig.

Pete you will have to tell me next time you play so I can come out to catch your band and check out the Ax FX live.

 

[mctallica1]

Good stuff Pete!

 

[stratotone]

I think that is an OSU cowboy on your Charvel. A Tulsan here!!!

Very cool, Tulsa here also. My wife is going for her MBA with OSU/Tulsa, and her dad is a professor at OSU Stillwater.

The OSU mascot is named Pistol Pete, and hey, I'm Pete too, and the colors were right and what the heck. Had a few comments on it at the gig.

Pete you will have to tell me next time you play so I can come out to catch your band and check out the Ax FX live.

Cool beans man. My classic rock band is playing Crow Creek on September 19th, should be an interesting gig since I heard they are super harsh on loud bands. Come out and I'll buy ya a beer!

Pete

 

[Digital Jams]

Killer pic Pete, you should hang that in the bedroom for your wife

 

[stratotone]

Cool review Pete. I'll be trying out my Ultra live for the first time this weekend...show on friday night and then sunday late afternoon. I'm not sure if I'll ever go to a smaller setup with the band I'm in now only because we're doing an arena type show with the Bon Jovi thing and the look is pretty important to the show. But down the road I can see myself eventually switching.

I hear ya, forgot to get a shot of my little QSC with the rack on top of it... looked rather puny compared to the Bogner and the '76 Marshall slant cab.

Here's an idea - get some dummy cabs made up!

Pete

 

[SkyhighRocks]

I hear ya, forgot to get a shot of my little QSC with the rack on top of it... looked rather puny compared to the Bogner and the '76 Marshall slant cab.

Here's an idea - get some dummy cabs made up!

Pete

I already have enough stuff to carry to gigs.

 

[duesentrieb]

Pete, do you run that thing thru a SS-poweramp? QSC isn't tube, right?

 

[stratotone]

Pete, do you run that thing thru a SS-poweramp? QSC isn't tube, right?

Yep, the QSC is a powered monitor - Scott Peterson at the Gear Page raved about it, and a lot of people are using them. Here's a link to more info on one:

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/document ... _id=101764

I actually prefer the axe through the QSC over my tube stuff, which works out better for me, as what I dial in with the full range system is pretty much how it's going to sound out the mains.

Pete

 

[SkyhighRocks]

The more I read about people using the Axe, the more it seems like alot of them are using those or SS power amps. I was going to go tube but each day my mind shifts the other way.

 

[duesentrieb]

Interesting. Thanks for the link, Pete.

 

[stratotone]

The more I read about people using the Axe, the more it seems like alot of them are using those or SS power amps. I was going to go tube but each day my mind shifts the other way.

A few things pushed me personally over... and I even already had a good tube poweramp to run with mine, racked up and ready to go... and a choice of several guitar cabs to use too.

1) If you dial in the axe to sound good with your tube setup and guitar cabs, it's not going to be the best tones IMHO in the PA/front of house. There is a setup tweak in the axe where you can run one set of outputs without speaker and poweramp sims for your guitar rig, and have an output for direct WITH the speaker/poweramp sims... but you're still tweaking for your tube amp/guitar cab.

2) Other thing to do would be to run the axe into the tube/guitar cab rig, and then mic it. However, this destroys a lot of the reason why you are using the axe in the first place... one of my goals is consistent sound wherever I go, and miking a cab, even though I've gotten pretty good at it, changes from day to day. I even started taking an E609 Silver and an SM57 to gigs because sometimes the 57 sounded like crap and sometimes the 609 sounded like crap - usually if one sounded really bad then the other rocked.

3) If I can get a good sound on the QSC, then I *know* it's going to rock in the PA as long as the sound guy doesn't mess with it too much, and the two guys that run sound for the bands I'm in do a great job. They can polish a turd, but can leave a good tone alone too.

4) Using a full range speaker setup allows you to use all the different cab and mike and poweramp emulations. Some sounded ok on top of a guitar cab, but it's like wearing contacts and then putting on eyeglasses.

I almost went with a SS power amp and a seperate cab, but it's like my KRK powered monitors at home - I'd rather buy the speakers with the power amp built in/designed around them for a flatter response.

The above is just my opinion and there are guys out there happy with tube rigs and the axe, I just figure might as well take advantage of all the axe stuff.

Oh, and the QSC is 500 watts, and will flap your pants no problem at a gig if you want it to. I had to go into global settings and cut a lot of bass out, I was shaking the stage at our last casino gig.

Pete