There's a few things I'm wondering in regards to the Axe FX systems.

A few things have my concern in regards to live use and tone shaping. I'll start with the easier tone shaping stuff first.

Fuzz. Plain and simple. What's the deal with fuzz on this unit? Does it have settings for Fuzz Faces, Big Muffs, Tone Benders? Or does it just have a generic fuzz setting you tweak? I've seen that the guy from Smashing Pumpkins (the one that's not Billy) is using one. So I assume some fuzz is available there. What about some of the Queens of the Stone Age styled stuff? Are these things possible? I just see that a lot of metal and shred dudes are using them for the most part, so I'm not sure how some of these more unconventional tones come across.

The next thing I'm wondering comes to live use. Do you use a cabinet and power amp? Do you go direct? Are there benefits to one or the other?

I've read that these things have that "already recorded" type tone. How does that come across when you run a power amp through a speaker cabinet? Does it get nasally like running other modelers through cabinets? I know you can turn the cab modeling off, but I'm just curious.

Do you just have all your guitar pumped through the monitors when you run direct? Does it feel weird not having any air move behind you? How do you generate feedback? Or is that not a concern?

I'm sure I'll think of some more questions soon enough!

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2012 Screw the Past Rig

Bump as I've also always wondered about those things myself.

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crew

Selling BOSS FW-3. I live in Brazil, mind you, so prepare yourself for $30-ish for shipping and waiting. Local pickup available, along with beautiful beaches and cheap bitches.

Hey! I can help!

It has specific models. And within those models a massive amount of tweaking can be done. Here's the current list of models: http://wiki.fractalaudio.com/axefx2/...e=Drive_(block)

And there's more coming. There's at least one new addition in the 7.0 beta firmware I'm testing now.

Within the block you've got your usual drive, tone, level controls. But then you've got an EQ section and controls for adjusting the clipping modelling, clipping threshold, etc.

The defaults sound great. You can get very deep making them your own.

I'm a fuzz nut and fuzz pedals are one of the things I didn't part with when I went Axe-Fx. But over time I've slowly been modeling my favourite fuzz pedals and I'm at the point where all but two pedals are easily done in the Axe-Fx II. My Jordan Bosstone and my Scrambler+ are the two outstanding pedals I have to try and cop.

I don't really know much QotSA stuff aside from Little Sister. There's on octave model in the Drive block. There's also stuff you can *only* do in the digital domain -- there's a bit crusher mode that's awesome. And in the 7.0 release there's sample rate reduction available for all the models. That's cool stuff. Sounds like this: New Sample Rate Reduction feature in Drive block

I'm not a metal or shredhead guy and I'm very happy.

I've even got great Neil Young tones: Neil Young 5e3 Thing by iaresee on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free -- no drive block used there! Just a melting Tweed!

Direct. I am 100% biased. With a direct approach you're using full range, (hopefully) flat response amplification which means you're hearing 100% what the modeler is doing. If you run in to a conventional amp and cab you have to account for the fact that they are not full range or flat response reproduction systems and you're not going to be able to hear the modelling accurately.

When I can't run direct I use a little powered wedge. A Yorkville E10P. Which is FRFR and loud enough to hang with most drummers in a small club.

I would say this was true for the Standard and the Ultra. The Axe-Fx II took a different approach to the modelling -- it's far more open and "in the room" sounding. And I can say, with some of the stuff that's going in to the 7.0 release, that's only getting to be more and more the case.

I use a stereo cab block where I mix a near field and a far field IR in near equal amounts, panned dead center both of them, for just about all my patches. And that, combined with the power amp modelling in the II, sound like the amp is right there at my feet. Close my eyes, it's the amp.

I've been using IEMs for a while now so it's not weird. And live, I've been playing my guitar cabs mic'ed for...a long time. So no: it wasn't a big shift for me. I never had that "feel the air" thing happening in the past. If I was feeling the air, I was likely bleeding like hell in to everyone else's mics and the FoH mix was sounding like ****.

For feedback, I do it the way I've always done it: I stand next to a speaker and try not to stop the guitar's body from vibrating. If I needed feedback on demand for a lot of what I was playing I'd probably keep my E10P at my feet, pointing at me, and running just me through it so I wouldn't rely on having a perfect monitor mix to get it. I don't do it much in my music though.

Ask away! Always happy to talk about my rig!

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- IAN C. -
Rig: PRS | Schecter USA | Gibson | Axe-Fx II | empress effects
Beta tester: Fractal Audio | empress effects

Thank you for the very detailed reply...

Since you run direct or through a powered monitor, do you find the need to re-EQ each patch from system to system (PA)? Or is it pretty much ready to roll through any system? I figured there would be too much variance from soundguy to soundguy.

If I was to use a live rig something like a Peavey Powered Impulse 110 (just using this as an example as I'm familiar with them) with the Axe FX, would that be a suitable rig?

The whole thing intrigues me... But I'm not sure I'd be willing to give up all of my gear for one.

I really love the idea of consolidating everything but it seems risky as well. And unfortunately, I would have to get rid of a decent part of my collection to get a suitable Axe FX rig going as I don't really have the resources to just drop like that. But man it seems like it'd be great.

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2012 Screw the Past Rig

I never re-EQ from room to room. I let the sound guy work it out. That's his job, they usually do it really well. In fact: their job is easier when they don't have guitar amps bleeding in to all the other mics on stage.

That's similar to the E10P. The key here is FRFR. Not all PA speakers are FRFR and some are more FRFR than others. Shop around. There are guys on the Fractal board who flip FRFR wedges every couple of months. The current favourites are the RCF NX-12SMA (pricey, but apparently glorious in sound) and the QSC K10s. I like the Yorkville E10P but as soon as I can, I'm replacing it with either a RCF or the soon-to-be-released Atomic Amps CLR powered wedge.

I can't really say much here. I was already a big fan of recording direct. I'd been doing it for many years with amps and my trusty Palmer PGA-04 unit. The Axe-Fx just seemed like the next place to go for me. I understand the risk you're feeling. I haven't regretted it once yet.

In fact, I *bought* a wicked Mission Amps 5e3 Tweed Deluxe last year. Stellar amp. And then I quickly realized I'd never get to play the f'ing thing because it was HELLACIOUSLY loud at home and not at all what I needed with the band. So I sold it. But not before I realized how I could pretty much get all those tones from the Axe-Fx and not annoy my neighbours and wake up my kids at the same time. So win for me.

The only thing I miss a bit is the look. I loved the way that Tweed looked. Sexy as hell. It smelled good too.

But once I start playing, and it's all at my back, I forget about that.

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- IAN C. -
Rig: PRS | Schecter USA | Gibson | Axe-Fx II | empress effects
Beta tester: Fractal Audio | empress effects

I have to admit, I've been intrigued by the Axe-FX as well..... A simple rig is all I've been looking for, thought I had it, but what I've heard of the Axe-Fx doesn't exactly help the idea of it though Just me maybe, but that recorded type tone was one of the reasons I even shied away from VHT amps as well.... Yet I've been using Line 6 stuff to record direct. Maybe it's the lack of tubes or something.

I have to admit this is a great topic though, and the clips, sound pretty sweet and convincing actually, first decent towards what I'm looking for that I've heard. Just too used to a 4x12 behind me, the in ear monitors probably make a world of a difference!

My question is, how busy does it keep you searching for that tone? Or is it done, you've set it, and pretty much can forget it, you have all you'd ever need? Just seems complicated, having to edit with a software and such instead of turning knobs.... Don't know if endless is a good or bad thing....

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ESP Eclipse Limited (3/100) or Gibson Les Paul Standard (97) - Fulltone OCD - H.B.E. Detox EQ - Laney GH50L - 80's Ibanez AD-9 (in loop) - Randall XL 4x12
Tortex "The wedge" picks, Blue Steel strings, Line 6 Moble In, Charvel Model 6 modded to a Model 5FX.... Probly other stuff as well

I have 5 go-to amp+cab combinations that form the basis of my tone. A Marsha HB/HBE amp/cab for my general rock stuff. An Recitifier Orange amp/cab for my higher gain rock tones. A JCM800 amp/cab for when I need that really trebly Marshall sound. And then a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp/cab patch for cleans.

Lately I've been using a HiWatt for cleans too -- it's got more girth and a bigger low end, less mid-range scoop than the Fender.

Those standard combinations came out of necessity -- they gave me sound specific sounds I needed for the band I was working with. And I've just grown to love them.

But every now and then I'll waste a night flipping through all the other amp and cab combinations. There are many and it can be a bit daunting, but they all sound so good and unique it ends up being a fun escape from the world.

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- IAN C. -
Rig: PRS | Schecter USA | Gibson | Axe-Fx II | empress effects
Beta tester: Fractal Audio | empress effects

Hey Iaresee, I suppose an Axe FX could get a good overdriven sound on low volumes? Doesn't it feel odd at first? I mean most guitarists are used to the tone changing when the volume changes?

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I reject reality and substitute my own

I guess so.

I've been playing in headphones or quietly and direct for so long now it's second nature to me. Doesn't phase me at all.

If you play it through a speaker at stage volumes, it behaves like an amp so you wouldn't really notice.

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- IAN C. -
Rig: PRS | Schecter USA | Gibson | Axe-Fx II | empress effects
Beta tester: Fractal Audio | empress effects