NGD - Fractal Axe FX III

HellraiserJohnny

HellraiserJohnny

Active member
It's been a . . . "What have you learned Grasshopper" moment for me. After converting to all tube amps and analog processors and wrestling with the nuances of recording with mics in front of cabinets and then trying to use the direct XLR outs into the DAW, I've realized that you just can't beat technology.

One of the lushest and versatile units I have ever heard for recording is the Axe FX III which is lightyears ahead of the FX II. Been looking for one of the FX III's for a few months now and finally found one that was reasonably price and not beat to hell so I pulled the trigger. I've been downloading manuals, software, tutorials and a sh*t ton of user made FX blocks and presets (Leon Todd stuff in amazing!) in preparation of bolting it into the studio rack.

No; I'm not selling the tube\Analog stuff, I will still keep that to play live, but this unit will make my life much easier and make the tones and FX I use live far easier to record. The idea is that I can now spend my time writing and recording and not spend hours with mic setups and EQing and processing signals before I actually cut a track. I normally feel guilty about buying new gear but this is one of the few things I’ve purchased guilt free.

Axe FX III.jpeg
 
harddriver said:
I loved the tone of the ToneX but the platform really sucks. At least AXE FXIII , Kemper is all on a unit which you own fully and can be stand alone.:2thumbsup:
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The ToneX pedal is really meant to be a player pedal that is a compliment to the software plugin. It is also meant to just be an amp pedal that is paired with other pedals. It was never meant to be an all-in-one. Totally different design than an Axe-Fx.
 
Well, I'm going to admitt that comparing what I was using to record guitar tracks dirct into the DAW when not using the tube rigs and processors in the studio is like comparing the Wright Brothers plane to the Space Shuttle.

Behringer V-Amp -Pro.jpg
 
The Axe FX III is still top of the heap currently in my book when it comes to the modeling/profiling stuff. The effects sound better, most the amps sound better, it is more powerful and allows greater freedom to build rigs... Unless you HAVE to have profiling, it is the best option.
 
JonPearson1994 said:
The Axe FX III is still top of the heap currently in my book when it comes to the modeling/profiling stuff. The effects sound better, most the amps sound better, it is more powerful and allows greater freedom to build rigs... Unless you HAVE to have profiling, it is the best option.
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I agree with you on all points for the FX III. As to whether I HAVE to have profiling, the difference is simple to me.
I can struggle getting all this set up and recorded . . .
20210710_172820.jpg


Or just plug this in . .

Axe FX III.jpeg
 
HellraiserJohnny said:
It's been a . . . "What have you learned Grasshopper" moment for me. After converting to all tube amps and analog processors and wrestling with the nuances of recording with mics in front of cabinets and then trying to use the direct XLR outs into the DAW, I've realized that you just can't beat technology.

One of the lushest and versatile units I have ever heard for recording is the Axe FX III which is lightyears ahead of the FX II. Been looking for one of the FX III's for a few months now and finally found one that was reasonably price and not beat to hell so I pulled the trigger. I've been downloading manuals, software, tutorials and a sh*t ton of user made FX blocks and presets (Leon Todd stuff in amazing!) in preparation of bolting it into the studio rack.

No; I'm not selling the tube\Analog stuff, I will still keep that to play live, but this unit will make my life much easier and make the tones and FX I use live far easier to record. The idea is that I can now spend my time writing and recording and not spend hours with mic setups and EQing and processing signals before I actually cut a track. I normally feel guilty about buying new gear but this is one of the few things I’ve purchased guilt free.

View attachment 438385
Click to expand...

Yeah, the AFX is pretty slick. It hasn't made me want to sell off anything, but it's definitely a useful tool and a timesaver. The best part is the frequency and quality of the updates, like getting new toys for free every month or so.

Also useful as just effects or just for IRs combined with a load box or any combination. Bonus is the models sound pretty good, too. It'll never replace my Lexicons and Eventides, but they won't replace it, either. All just tools, and this one is a really good one.
 
I have a couple of Fractal rigs. This is the full digital one. Is it a tube amp? No. Is it really good at what it does? Yes. So long as I play, I’ll probably always have something Fractal in the mix. So many options at that price point…
 

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I’ve been using the AxeFx3(turbo) for the last 15 months. I am impressed. It sounds damn good.
I’m not 100% sold. But, that has more to do with how it feels when I play through it, rather than how it sounds.
I’m loving the flexibility of being able to dial in the needed tones with the AxeFx.
Both myself, and the other guitar player in the band are using AxeFx run through tube power amps, into x2 KSR 2x12s, and it sounds effing massive.
Looking forward to seeing how it works during gigs.
 
i’m dabbling with a new to me Axe FX II XL.
lived in a studio, babied, came with a mint MFC 101 mark III all for $725. a great buy imo.

perfect for picking an amp model and looping ideas/practicing leads, great sounding rack delay/verb fx and succession planning for my 2290 & H3k which are currently being resurrected at Foleytronics.

IMG_3143.jpeg


so far just monitoring with headphones, the XL amp models i’ve briefly messed with—cameron atomica, carol ann od2r, plexi, ac30—are fun but not as easy to tweak or as realistic as the ones i’ve spent more time with in the Tonex pedal.
definitely worth having both around!
 
Airwave said:
I love my AXE-FX III (turbo) it's been very convenient for session work or silent-stages. My #1 setup will always be Tube Amps but technology is great also.
View attachment 438549
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Saw you over on Sevenstring! Curious about that rack stand, I have seen a couple people recently with those. Can I ask where you got that? Link maybe?
 
I couldn’t get mine to sound anywhere near a realistic amp sound. Probably user error. Glad you guys are loving yours.
 
The Axe FXIII is also an excellent complement to tube-based guitar setups. The FX are best in class - way better than Kemper, Line 6, QC - and using the four-cable method, you can run your tube amps or preamps either in the loop of the Axe FX (this will require a loadbox of some kind) or run the Axe FXIII in the loop of the tube amp.
 
It was the best gear purchase I’ve ever made, hands down and with zero debate. It’s the one thing that actually did make me play better because once I could get tones I couldn’t previously, I started diving into the genres related to the tones and my playing got more versatile.

And when I got the FM9 on release, just knowing the capabilities it could bring to a live situation, ended a 10 year band hiatus for me, even though I run it into real cabs.

If ya got a good, neutral tube power amp, go ahead and give the amp models a run through a real cab. At this point IDGAF if the preamp has tubes or 0’s and 1’s, I just need a tube power section pushing a cabinet and I’m happy as a pig in shit.
 
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