So to all the Axe-FX owners, what's...

[vchizzle]

I still love mine...had it - shit, I don't remember 1 or 2 years I run mine thru a 2502 and 4x12 live. I've spent so little time with it to learn...I haven't even got my GCP instant access buttons controlling effects yet. I have a GCX in there too, controlling channels on my other amp. I should take a week off work to sit with it and get all my shit straight. I'm just too lazy though

But it sounds tits, right?? Hence the reason ya haven't had to screw with it, I'm assuming...

V.

Yes, I had to do very little to get what I need it to do and have it sound kick ass. I use it to compliment my Bad Cat and layer tones. I could really just run it in stereo and do something similar but I really like my Bad Cat too, so I use both. I really wanna put some serious time in with it soon so I can instant access effects and get my expression pedal working thru the GCP for control. I should really buy the stuff I need to do updates as well, I'm missing out on all the killer new amps

 

[9ball]

so basically you have to keep spending money on models and "IR"s if you want to have the best sounds available and keep it up to date?
meh....

 

[jcj]

so basically you have to keep spending money on models and "IR"s if you want to have the best sounds available and keep it up to date?
meh....

No.

The models are in the Axe, as are a standard set of IR's. If you'd like additional aftermarket IR's, they can be purchased from outside sources, and used with the Axe.

Had mine for probably 2.5 years, and long ago did the "set it and forget it"; I never tweak it at all...just play

 

[Ventura]

so basically you have to keep spending money on models and "IR"s if you want to have the best sounds available and keep it up to date?
meh....

No.

The models are in the Axe, as are a standard set of IR's. If you'd like additional aftermarket IR's, they can be purchased from outside sources, and used with the Axe.

Had mine for probably 2.5 years, and long ago did the "set it and forget it"; I never tweak it at all...just play

I think it's safe to say in this case, as with any super successful digital/software based product, that once it goes live and people go apeshit on it and it becomes uber popular (which the Axe certainly, certainly has!!), a ton of after market cats figure they can exploit their goods and profit on the wave of indirect market momentum. Kinda like "apps" for the iPhone, same shit. Not necessary, but available to those who want a little something extra or different...

I'm cool with that... But it'll never replace my choice 100W heads (I know, I know....mark my words, right?? Right!!)

V.

 

[9ball]

so basically you have to keep spending money on models and "IR"s if you want to have the best sounds available and keep it up to date?
meh....

No.

The models are in the Axe, as are a standard set of IR's. If you'd like additional aftermarket IR's, they can be purchased from outside sources, and used with the Axe.

Had mine for probably 2.5 years, and long ago did the "set it and forget it"; I never tweak it at all...just play

I think it's safe to say in this case, as with any super successful digital/software based product, that once it goes live and people go apeshit on it and it becomes uber popular (which the Axe certainly, certainly has!!), a ton of after market cats figure they can exploit their goods and profit on the wave of indirect market momentum. Kinda like "apps" for the iPhone, same shit. Not necessary, but available to those who want a little something extra or different...

I'm cool with that... But it'll never replace my choice 100W heads (I know, I know....mark my words, right?? Right!!)

V.

oh. i see.
i've never been an amp whore - i'm pretty happy with my modded TSL 60, but it pretty much always sounds like a marshall mostly lol.
i might be coming onto some extra cash sometime soon, and i might be getting one of these things as part of a home recording thing as well as just to have an axefx.
maybe.

 

[Ventura]

so basically you have to keep spending money on models and "IR"s if you want to have the best sounds available and keep it up to date?
meh....

No.

The models are in the Axe, as are a standard set of IR's. If you'd like additional aftermarket IR's, they can be purchased from outside sources, and used with the Axe.

Had mine for probably 2.5 years, and long ago did the "set it and forget it"; I never tweak it at all...just play

I think it's safe to say in this case, as with any super successful digital/software based product, that once it goes live and people go apeshit on it and it becomes uber popular (which the Axe certainly, certainly has!!), a ton of after market cats figure they can exploit their goods and profit on the wave of indirect market momentum. Kinda like "apps" for the iPhone, same shit. Not necessary, but available to those who want a little something extra or different...

I'm cool with that... But it'll never replace my choice 100W heads (I know, I know....mark my words, right?? Right!!)

V.

oh. i see.
i've never been an amp whore - i'm pretty happy with my modded TSL 60, but it pretty much always sounds like a marshall mostly lol.
i might be coming onto some extra cash sometime soon, and i might be getting one of these things as part of a home recording thing as well as just to have an axefx.
maybe.

This is how it starts you know.... Gets under your skin as a "no chance in HELL I'm buying into THAT load of techno-crap!!!", and before you know it, you're checking out the Fractal site, but quickly closing it down before your poor judgment gets the better of you... Then you plug into your modded TSL 60 and really really try not to think about the Axe and all that it offers and think "there's NO way that little black box can do THIS!!!!" and the sound you make just when you think "THIS" doesn't sound like the sound in yer head... Your fingers get sore, you go for a smoke, check your email, and then casually browse onto the Fractal site again, maybe look at RT, read a post of some gear whore named V. or Mo or Mojo or whatever the hell they call him, and post something about MAYBE trying out an Axe and before you know it....

...add to cart.

...checkout.

...and the tracking number becomes your latest obsession

Cheers,
V.

 

[9ball]

lol
i would be really interested to hear that thing right next to my amp plugged into a vintage cab so i could see if it really can deliver lol. i guess if you use it like that you'd have to have a power amp?
it's interesting with all of the versatility it seems to have. seems like it's be a good useful purchase.

 

[ejecta]

Yeah know....IRs is a funny thing I got Recabinet (the original ones and the brandnew ones), I got Redwirez, O got ownhammer and while there are mosdef some fun rides there isn't one in there I prefer to the ones Jay cloned off my Golds and 65s and are stock in the box.

As for other fx boxes out there....
The Eventide Eclipse that was my go to time based box was replaced by the Axe in my rack.

Which ones are yours Ed?

 

[degenaro]

Yeah know....IRs is a funny thing I got Recabinet (the original ones and the brandnew ones), I got Redwirez, O got ownhammer and while there are mosdef some fun rides there isn't one in there I prefer to the ones Jay cloned off my Golds and 65s and are stock in the box.

As for other fx boxes out there....
The Eventide Eclipse that was my go to time based box was replaced by the Axe in my rack.

Which ones are yours Ed?

the 2x12 gold...and the 65 which if i recall is mislabelled h30

 

[robertkoa]

Ola, is that because you aren't running the Axefx through a tube power amp and cab? I wonder how it compares like that for enjoyment, just using it as a preamp....that Marsha clip recently was pretty close to the real thing...not quite as good to my ear, but same ball park definitely.
.

I ran it up against a Fish, X88, X99, CAE and a few others. (VHT, Soldano and Mesa power amps with Thieles loaded with EVMs and a few Scumback cabs) I liked all the original preamps more, but not by enough to matter to most. It's worth checking out though.

I wonder if anyone will do a Tube Preamps into Cab Impulses VS. Axe Fx into cab Impulses demo /shootout.

Or a Tube Preamp WITH Axe Fx Demo since they might be great together,( not one or the other).

And even the Axe Fx Vs. A Tube Preamp with the tube preamp going into the Axe Fx Cab Sims ( turning the "Amp Model" OFF and substituting the Tube Pre for it but keeping the rest of the Axe Fx signal chain intact).

The AXe Fx might be a great way to use a Guitar Tube Preamp live into a PA* ( adding FX, and of course Cab Impulses ) and some monstrous complex tones could probably be done with a Guitar Tube Pre in Parallel with the Axe or in it's loop somewhere ( might be too complicated for "Live Gigs", though ).

I'm impressed that Ed D and others have felt able to go "direct" at his live Gigs - and again for certain gigs where you need beefy , screaming tones without high SPLs ( sound pressure ) anywhere or more even coverage Axe Fx enables that.

*So far no one has a reliable way to download Cab Impulses and store them in a hardware device either, except Axe Fx, so to have your studio tones happening "live" at almost any volume is pretty amazing, without a sophisticated ,huge Rack of stuff.

So Axe seems like a very useful device for some people- I just wish it had about 5 more knobs, but it's on my Radar as something to check out.

 

[mixeduplydian]

The lack of knobs is probably the ONLY thing that's kept me from pulling the trigger on an ULTRA.
I do keep finding myself at the Fractal site trying to figure out how to justify another 2K+ gear purchase to the wife though!

 

[degenaro]

Ola, is that because you aren't running the Axefx through a tube power amp and cab? I wonder how it compares like that for enjoyment, just using it as a preamp....that Marsha clip recently was pretty close to the real thing...not quite as good to my ear, but same ball park definitely.
.

I ran it up against a Fish, X88, X99, CAE and a few others. (VHT, Soldano and Mesa power amps with Thieles loaded with EVMs and a few Scumback cabs) I liked all the original preamps more, but not by enough to matter to most. It's worth checking out though.

I wonder if anyone will do a Tube Preamps into Cab Impulses VS. Axe Fx into cab Impulses demo /shootout.

Or a Tube Preamp WITH Axe Fx Demo since they might be great together,( not one or the other).

And even the Axe Fx Vs. A Tube Preamp with the tube preamp going into the Axe Fx Cab Sims ( turning the "Amp Model" OFF and substituting the Tube Pre for it but keeping the rest of the Axe Fx signal chain intact).

The AXe Fx might be a great way to use a Guitar Tube Preamp live into a PA* ( adding FX, and of course Cab Impulses ) and some monstrous complex tones could probably be done with a Guitar Tube Pre in Parallel with the Axe or in it's loop somewhere ( might be too complicated for "Live Gigs", though ).

I'm impressed that Ed D and others have felt able to go "direct" at his live Gigs - and again for certain gigs where you need beefy , screaming tones without high SPLs ( sound pressure ) anywhere or more even coverage Axe Fx enables that.

*So far no one has a reliable way to download Cab Impulses and store them in a hardware device either, except Axe Fx, so to have your studio tones happening "live" at almost any volume is pretty amazing, without a sophisticated ,huge Rack of stuff.

So Axe seems like a very useful device for some people- I just wish it had about 5 more knobs, but it's on my Radar as something to check out.

I have done a JMP into impulses/Axe youtube joint....

As for impulses and hardware...talk to Shark Diver, he's doing that with the Two Tone, no?

 

[9ball]

holy CRAP i just compared a little
axefx plus the fractal midi foot controller = about $3000
digi gsp1101 plus the digitech ground control foot controller = 800 bucks new lol

 

[Ventura]

holy CRAP i just compared a little
axefx plus the fractal midi foot controller = about $3000
digi gsp1101 plus the digitech ground control foot controller = 800 bucks new lol

Scrap the 101 foot controller that Axe builds and go with a VL GCP, it'll save you $300 or so. Taken on the advice of Mr. Reza, thank you, and everyone on the Fractal Support Forum agrees.

As for the price, well man, you don't hear or read 10,000's of people spewing about the digitech now do ya?? Just sayin', one of these things AIN'T like the other

V.

 

[9ball]

yeah just have to think about it i guess. see if i can find one to try out.

 

[ejecta]

holy CRAP i just compared a little
axefx plus the fractal midi foot controller = about $3000
digi gsp1101 plus the digitech ground control foot controller = 800 bucks new lol

Scrap the 101 foot controller that Axe builds and go with a VL GCP, it'll save you $300 or so. Taken on the advice of Mr. Reza, thank you, and everyone on the Fractal Support Forum agrees.

As for the price, well man, you don't hear or read 10,000's of people spewing about the digitech now do ya?? Just sayin', one of these things AIN'T like the other

V.

It all brings into question what's a value to you and how much you are willing to pay for the difference. I did a head to head with my AxeFX and an 11R this weekend. Now this was through another guys set up using a FRFR but just from that experience the 11R was more present in the room but the Axe sounded more "real". Yeah you can get an 11R and be either $500 or $1100 difference without foot controller with the Axe so in that realm only you have to decide. I've played the new Pod HD and a GSP1101 and the difference in tone and feel was such that I would by no means go all direct with either of those set ups not matter how cheap they are.

In my experience if price is a consideration then I'd go 11r over a POD or GSP by far!

I'll be getting an 11R for the live situations and the guy who I let try my Axe who owns an 11R will be getting and Axe as well. Both are great for different situations. If I could only have one and was mainly doing recording it would be the AxeFX. if I was playing mainly live it would be the 11R.

 

[9ball]

yeah i dunno. we'll see.
i have read though that the gsp pretty much has crap factory presets and you need to make your own to make it sound better lol. i've found a few clips of it that sound pretty good.
not gonna be any time soon anyways though so who knows lol.

 

[ejecta]

yeah i dunno. we'll see.
i have read though that the gsp pretty much has crap factory presets and you need to make your own to make it sound better lol. i've found a few clips of it that sound pretty good.
not gonna be any time soon anyways though so who knows lol.

I did too. But I can't on the same token imagine guys spending $3000 for a single head that at best has two to three channels and that's it. Don't get me wrong...... live I much prefer tube amps so I'm by no means turned into a digital zealot but it's hard to deny the difference gap has closed to the point where the conveniences of some digital vs tube goodness have started to weigh close enough at least for me where they are almost equal for certain situations.

 

[9ball]

yeah i dunno. we'll see.
i have read though that the gsp pretty much has crap factory presets and you need to make your own to make it sound better lol. i've found a few clips of it that sound pretty good.
not gonna be any time soon anyways though so who knows lol.

I did too. But I can't on the same token imagine guys spending $3000 for a single head that at best has two to three channels and that's it. Don't get me wrong...... live I much prefer tube amps so I'm by no means turned into a digital zealot but it's hard to deny the difference gap has closed to the point where the conveniences of some digital vs tube goodness have started to weigh close enough at least for me where they are almost equal for certain situations.

yeah - i'm keeping my marshall forever. unless i sell it for a different marshall lol.
but im wanting to get a good home recording set up.
i just found out from a co-worker im supposed to be getting a nice signing bonus though, so it may be more sooner than later now lol
"11R" - you mean you have one of those eleven rack units? i see those in catalogs alot, but i haven't seen too many people talk about them. sounds good live huh? cool.

 

[Doubleneck]

When is it due? Want to hear your review.