Hell froze over....

[Rogue]

I have no idea...

Typical.

 

[ejecta]

I have no idea...

Typical.

Welcome to the jungle.

 

[Bob Savage]

Mentoneman has an AxeFX in his possession.

Was just a matter of time...

 

[mentoneman]

Mentoneman has an AxeFX in his possession.

Was just a matter of time...

bobby s!

dude I was waffling for a bit...there was a D60 on the bay I almost jumped on and a carol ann selling on tfp i looked at HARD

but in the end the axe may give me 80-90 percent of the realism of ALL the amps and 100 percent of all the rack effects I desire

and the upgrades/refinents make it even sweeter

 

[Rogue]

tomorrow should be FUN

Well?

 

[thiswaythatway]

Zach's "No More Tears" tone has chorus on it.

It was wet as hell, but the basic amp tone was thick, delicious Marshall tone. I'd like to see if any of these modelers can get that girthy, solid-like tone.

2 Marshall halfstacks with a chorus pedal. Plus all his speaker cabs are loaded with 200 watt EVM's. When i think of great Marshall tones Zakk Wylde is NOT what comes to mind.

This is more like it.

 

[ejecta]

tomorrow should be FUN

Well?

Dude give him time to dig through the gazillion parameters and find his tone....... jeez.

 

[mentoneman]

tomorrow should be FUN

Well?

Fun indeed!

As far as Zack tone goes,
I'm not the right guy to ask. I did pull up the jcm800 model and got a raunchy dry tone,

but one thing that remains the variable is what the axe is connected to.

I'm using a tech 21 1x12 powered cab and a mackie studio monitor.

and a Tyler strat. The axe is powerful but it's not a genie granting me magic wishes.

I tried the presonus in front of the axe and the only model that benefitted was the dumble.

Haven't made it far enough to experiment with the loop of the axe yet.
All of the dirty tones love being hit by the Hermida dual boost.

I was hoping my tone press compressor would do the same for the clean tones but no dice.

So far I have dialed in a clean fender with verb that is great sounding even though the tube bounce and valve compression isn't as dynamic as the real thing.
But it comes across as a well produced fender tone through effects as heard in the control room through monitors.

I also have a nasty dirty fender tone hit with a drive pedal I'm dialing in.
It's going well!

 

[Rogue]

Dude give him time to dig through the gazillion parameters and find his tone....... jeez.

You----shut up!

 

[Rogue]

tomorrow should be FUN

Well?

Fun indeed!

As far as Zack tone goes,
I'm not the right guy to ask. I did pull up the jcm800 model and got a raunchy dry tone,

but one thing that remains the variable is what the axe is connected to.

I'm using a tech 21 1x12 powered cab and a mackie studio monitor.

and a Tyler strat. The axe is powerful but it's not a genie granting me magic wishes.

I tried the presonus in front of the axe and the only model that benefitted was the dumble.

Haven't made it far enough to experiment with the loop of the axe yet.
All of the dirty tones love being hit by the Hermida dual boost.

I was hoping my tone press compressor would do the same for the clean tones but no dice.

So far I have dialed in a clean fender with verb that is great sounding even though the tube bounce and valve compression isn't as dynamic as the real thing.
But it comes across as a well produced fender tone through effects as heard in the control room through monitors.

I also have a nasty dirty fender tone hit with a drive pedal I'm dialing in.
It's going well!

I'm just yanking your chains.....and also trying to dig into first impressions. There are a lot of tone serious tone people that are happy with the Axe. I guess I'm still on the "really?" side...at the same time in the market to try it out. 80-90% "realism" is close enough for me, for sure. At the same time, I wonder if in the future I might feel something lacking.....but that doesn't seem to be the case with long time AF users. Alternatively, you know how fanboys are. I'm trying to get some info between skeptic and fanboy from you....you know, when it's still objective.

 

[mentoneman]

tomorrow should be FUN

Well?

Fun indeed!

As far as Zack tone goes,
I'm not the right guy to ask. I did pull up the jcm800 model and got a raunchy dry tone,

but one thing that remains the variable is what the axe is connected to.

I'm using a tech 21 1x12 powered cab and a mackie studio monitor.

and a Tyler strat. The axe is powerful but it's not a genie granting me magic wishes.

I tried the presonus in front of the axe and the only model that benefitted was the dumble.

Haven't made it far enough to experiment with the loop of the axe yet.
All of the dirty tones love being hit by the Hermida dual boost.

I was hoping my tone press compressor would do the same for the clean tones but no dice.

So far I have dialed in a clean fender with verb that is great sounding even though the tube bounce and valve compression isn't as dynamic as the real thing.
But it comes across as a well produced fender tone through effects as heard in the control room through monitors.

I also have a nasty dirty fender tone hit with a drive pedal I'm dialing in.
It's going well!

I'm just yanking your chains.....and also trying to dig into first impressions. There are a lot of tone serious tone people that are happy with the Axe. I guess I'm still on the "really?" side...at the same time in the market to try it out. 80-90% "realism" is close enough for me, for sure. At the same time, I wonder if in the future I might feel something lacking.....but that doesn't seem to be the case with long time AF users. Alternatively, you know how fanboys are. I'm trying to get some info between skeptic and fanboy from you....you know, when it's still objective.

my first impression is this:

immediately it does not "feel" as gratifying and pure as it does plugging straight in to a very great tube amp, but i do see that you can easily reproduce the "sounds" of most any amp, so if you are willing to wade through tons of variables to get to the sound you're after, it's probably in there. so the velvety touch of valves loading and exploding, and the interaction of a pulsing 4x12 is missing at the moment. and when you try to reproduce it using compression, or cab thump, or bass controls, it's not the same. but it's way better playing through a power amp/speaker than it is with headphones. i need to try it with my bogner 4x12

there is also a thing in the highs i'm struggling with. with a real amp the zing of the metal in the string comes though clearly on a nice fendery clean tone and touch controls how bright or how dark you make it. i come from an acoustic background so i'm very picky about touch affecting tone in that regard. that part doesn't seem as delicate on the axe, although it is surprisingly sensitive to pick nuances on gainier patches. but higher gain sounds are always easier to achieve on any modeller. it's the clean and low gain tones i feel modellers earn their keep and the axe so far is great in this realm but i'm not totally satisfied yet.

my biggest complaint about the thing is:

i scoured all 300+ presets to find 10 i could start working on.
steve did mention i could download dry patches and start from there, which i will probably do, but not right of the bat until i know the unit better and feel comfortable storing and transferring data. i'm curious about the IR but that seems light years away from my ability and depth with the thing right now.

i'd suggest the factory starting with the first 10 presets being classic dry amps with knobs at noon, from fender twin clean, fender bassman dirty, vox ac 30 clean and dirty, marshall jtm 45 clean, marshall plexi dirty, mesa clean, mesa dirty, dumble clean, dumble dirty,

with drive box, cab, compression, reverb and delay in the chain but disabled, and all of these items set to ideal parameters ready to go if the user enables them in the chain.

then as you scroll up the preset numbers the sounds can become more boutique and fx laden. maybe the next 10 presets should be the top 10 user designed presets owners are downloading and liking (brown, U2, echoplex, tristereo, etc)

i love the sounds of the effects in this box. the best rack effect unit i have personally ever owned. and it's not a knock against my gforce because that thing is sick too, but it doesn't do lexicon verb like axe does, nor does it do eventide pitchshifting like the axe does, nor does it do a 2290 emulation as well as the axe does! pay attention tc!

 

[manyaxes]

I think the tech21 is influencing your opinion on the axe, and I don't think it is a great amp (but I could be mistaken), I don't even know if you have to keep the cabinet sims thru it. I mean you're hearing the axe thru an active guitar cab with its own sound, that is going to colour what the axe is producing. But then you try to compare it to various sounds and feeling you've gotten from several tube amps plus their cabinets (or combos). And if you play thru monitors, you should expect them to sound like a miced tube amp from the control room, which can be a quite different feeling.

If you want an apples to apples comparison, I would get your bogner or whatever head you're familiar with, and A/B it with an axe + a good solid state poweramp, all thru your guitar cabinet of choice. If you do it correctly, after a few tweaks you should get them sounding and feeling VERY close. That is the moment when most people realize its power (and sell all their tube gear).

Some people are able to get a FRFR monitor or a PA sounding just like a real guitar cabinet, but that takes more work and/or skill. Some people don't get it exactly the same, but actually prefer the PA sound. YMMV.

 

[mentoneman]

I think the tech21 is influencing your opinion on the axe, and I don't think it is a great amp (but I could be mistaken), I don't even know if you have to keep the cabinet sims thru it. I mean you're hearing the axe thru an active guitar cab with its own sound, that is going to colour what the axe is producing. But then you try to compare it to various sounds and feeling you've gotten from several tube amps plus their cabinets (or combos). And if you play thru monitors, you should expect them to sound like a miced tube amp from the control room, which can be a quite different feeling.

If you want an apples to apples comparison, I would get your bogner or whatever head you're familiar with, and A/B it with an axe + a good solid state poweramp, all thru your guitar cabinet of choice. If you do it correctly, after a few tweaks you should get them sounding and feeling VERY close. That is the moment when most people realize its power (and sell all their tube gear).

Some people are able to get a FRFR monitor or a PA sounding just like a real guitar cabinet, but that takes more work and/or skill. Some people don't get it exactly the same, but actually prefer the PA sound. YMMV.

i'm using the tech 21 power engine..a neutral powered celestion open back 1x12 with tone controls

and a mackie studio monitor with a tweeter

just to see what the axe can do through either. i'll try it through the return of my eggie tol 100 and in the front of my super champ as well.

definitely in experiment phase so my opinions may change over time.

 

[Digital Jams]

Well this will be the most poetic evaluation of the axefx we have ever seen, this much I do know.

.........as I entered the crystal caverns of promise and purity in search of tonal nirvana I bid farewell to kings and queens with the intention of not returning to the fields of gold without total conviction for better or worse..............

 

[tweed]

Well this will be the most poetic evaluation of the axefx we have ever seen, this much I do know.

.........as I entered the crystal caverns of promise and purity in search of tonal nirvana I bid farewell to kings and queens with the intention of not returning to the fields of gold without total conviction for better or worse..............

I love those things!

 

[mentoneman]

i will swirl a scintillating snifter of vermouth as i relish a luxurious pull from a scandinavian hailing horn brimming with apple rum tobacco, in my burgundy smoking jacket and matching slippers, before a roaring fire issuing from the glimmering ultra.

do tell kind sir; is it three twists and a clockwise rotation of the wrist when removing your corks?


pa-pa will be ever so vexed if I implore him yet again for such pedestrian matters.

 

[Bob Savage]

dude I was waffling for a bit...there was a D60 on the bay I almost jumped on and a carol ann selling on tfp i looked at HARD

but in the end the axe may give me 80-90 percent of the realism of ALL the amps and 100 percent of all the rack effects I desire

and the upgrades/refinents make it even sweeter

Hey Pat!

Mmmmm... you know my opinion of the D60/D412.

I just came back to this thread so I haven't read your current findings and thoughts on the Axe, but I really think it's going to give you what you need. It should be killer for the church gig.

 

[mentoneman]

dude I was waffling for a bit...there was a D60 on the bay I almost jumped on and a carol ann selling on tfp i looked at HARD

but in the end the axe may give me 80-90 percent of the realism of ALL the amps and 100 percent of all the rack effects I desire

and the upgrades/refinents make it even sweeter

Hey Pat!

Mmmmm... you know my opinion of the D60/D412.

I just came back to this thread so I haven't read your current findings and thoughts on the Axe, but I really think it's going to give you what you need. It should be killer for the church gig.

the notion of a pedal or two, the axe, and a midi controller, DI to house....that would be amazing.

but it's a mono house and i'd be limited to one floor wedge, so i have to overcome some obstacles to create a stereo vibe for me onstage and not get phasey and weird in the house, summing stereo down to mono, or just sending one side of a stereo patch...

 

[Mark Day]

I have a couple of requests if you have time and so desire.

One, should be easy enough, I'd really like to know what people feel about just the amp models. Most of clips are fairly wet. Strip away all the effects, and just play with the amp models. How do they sound/feel?

I'd like to hear the amp do thick, girthy tone. The thickest fattest daddy of them all, a JCM800 tone machine. Not a pussy, shrill, GNR type tone, but a fat, larger than life No More Tears type of tone.

The modelers do the modern thing pretty well, it seems, but modern amps they don't have that girthy, almost solid sounding depth that some of the classics amps do. I want to see if a modeler can simulate that, not just the surface tone.

Impress me, give us some No More Tears tone.

Don't wish to hijack tweed's thread.
Here is my basic AxeFx tone...while playing No More Tears...no chorus. It's live so forgive the quality.
No More Tears is in the vid from about 4:00 to 6:00mins

Mark

 

[mentoneman]

Don't wish to hijack tweed's thread.
Here is my basic AxeFx tone...while playing No More Tears...no chorus. It's live so forgive the quality.
No More Tears is in the vid from about 4:00 to 6:00mins

Mark

hijack away my man-
you are the resident metal axecat and the perfect one to ask about zack tones. and even though i don't gravitate to hi gain as my practical live sound i really enjoy what you do with it. good tone is good tone period.

now if you could only embrace the srv/ej/landau/hendrix clean and dirty realms with the axe......