Lovin the Axe-FX

[cliffc8488]

Are you insinuating something Cliff? Don't tell me you've just maxed out the standard's capabilities and you're going to really differentiate the ultra from now on?

Just joking around. Seriously though, we've considered discontinuing the standard. For every standard sold, we sell five Ultras.

 

[stratotone]

How do the effects of the Axe compare with the stompboxes of the world? Are the delays right there with the top crop of delay pedals? Can the phase cop a decent version of a Phase 90? How about a CE-2 like chorus?

I love my axe standard, but I can't get it to sound like a phase 90 to save my life, or an MXR flanger... the effects are too 'hi fi' sounding. Not to say they aren't incredible, but they all sound like high end rack versions of the effect. You get tons of tweakability though.

Pete

 

[GITTarzann]

One thing that I am finding is that using other peoples presets doesn't seem to work out so well. It seems like it's very rig-specific including guitars, pickups, power amp, cabinets, speakers.

This is what I have found as well.

I have found some really great presets, but if the patch poster includes clips...what I hear on my rig is usually quite a bit different..although sometimes still great in a different way.

I LOVE my Axe too...

and I got an

!!

 

[Mark Day]

How do the effects of the Axe compare with the stompboxes of the world? Are the delays right there with the top crop of delay pedals? Can the phase cop a decent version of a Phase 90? How about a CE-2 like chorus?

I love my axe standard, but I can't get it to sound like a phase 90 to save my life, or an MXR flanger... the effects are too 'hi fi' sounding. Not to say they aren't incredible, but they all sound like high end rack versions of the effect. You get tons of tweakability though.

Pete

How about these Phase 90 attempts:

It kicks in after the A, G ,D change

More obvious

Mark

 

[stratotone]

How do the effects of the Axe compare with the stompboxes of the world? Are the delays right there with the top crop of delay pedals? Can the phase cop a decent version of a Phase 90? How about a CE-2 like chorus?

I love my axe standard, but I can't get it to sound like a phase 90 to save my life, or an MXR flanger... the effects are too 'hi fi' sounding. Not to say they aren't incredible, but they all sound like high end rack versions of the effect. You get tons of tweakability though.

Pete

How about these Phase 90 attempts:

It kicks in after the A, G ,D change

More obvious

Mark

Nice playing! But the Phaser still doesn't sound right. It's not a huge deal for me, since I can just stick a $50 Phase 90 in the front end - but it would be cool to get the tone out of the Axe itself.

Pete

 

[cliffc8488]

I love my axe standard, but I can't get it to sound like a phase 90 to save my life, or an MXR flanger... the effects are too 'hi fi' sounding. Not to say they aren't incredible, but they all sound like high end rack versions of the effect. You get tons of tweakability though.

Pete

The latest firmware allows you to roll off the high end of the flanger (and chorus) for that vintage, lo-fi sound.

 

[stratotone]

This is what I can't get out of the axe... just did this clip, stock regular phase 90 in the front end, grabbed one of my live presets (brown amp) and an Eb tuned guitar.

Pete

 

[Erock]

Unless it has a catastrophic failure, a monkey could swap a vacuum tube.

Well you can't just write off catastrophic failure. It can happen. And if it does, that monkey can eat a dick before he's able to fix it.

hehe, true. don't get me wrong, Im not trying to say the Axe is unreliable, I just thought it wasn't a good idea to slag on tube amps for reliability in comparison. The Axe is a very complex unit using IC's and software, while a tube amp is a collection of simple circuit components and vacuum tubes. Even though the axe is at the cutting edge of where we are in digital technology, that doesn't necessarily mean something as old and basic in design as a tube amp is going to be inferior as far as reliability and repair. That's like comparing an electron microscope to a magnifying glass. With the complexity of a unit like the Axe, the monkey is screwed no matter what goes wrong, catastrophic or not. Screw the monkey though, I still plan on getting an Axe.

like Ed said too, it's really a moot point, since anyone that is serious about gigging is going to have a backup no matter what they use.

 

[Mark Day]

This is what I can't get out of the axe... just did this clip, stock regular phase 90 in the front end, grabbed one of my live presets (brown amp) and an Eb tuned guitar.

Pete

One thing, it proves that the AxeFx takes pedals well Just like a good amp should.

BTW smokin playing


Mark

 

[metalsoup]

The Axe-FX can sing, but can it chug, say, along the lines of something like:

I suspect the answer is a pretty convincing "yes" provided the requisite power amp, cabinet, mic, etc., are all included as well.

So, my real question is can the Axe-FX produce convincing "thump" without actually moving around a lot of air (i.e., direct recording instead of micing a loud and resonating cabinet). I've listened to a number of clips of the Axe-FX and other such things that make use of IRs (impulse response) and similar technology when going direct to mimic the sound of cabs, but have yet to be really impressed. I'm still not hearing that resonating cab thump/djent so many of us know and love that evidently is reproducible only by actually driving a cab & speaker HARD (and thus moving around a lot of air and making a lot of noise).

I live in an apartment and want to be able to recreate that super heavy sledgehammer sound at home when throwing in palm mutes and so forth. Sure, I drool over a couple of heavy Fortin clips I've heard, but what good is a killer amp to me if recording at loud volumes is required?

Does the Axe-FX really solve this issue for direct recording via its cab/speaker/mic "simulations", or is a satisfying solution still waiting to be revealed in the hopefully not too distant future?

Does anyone know of direct recording chugging type clips that really impress you in the same way your favorite miced cab sounds do?

I've been working on this problem for a number of years now, yet with only partial success. Perhaps this is simply a case of wanting to have my cake and eat it too, but to me the best metal, the very kind I find so inspiring and that seduced me into playing guitar from day one, is founded on thick, crushing, no-compromise guitar tone. So far, with direct recording it always comes away sounding, well, compromised.