Axefx Ultra after 2 hours of plugging in...

[Econ]

Thanks a lot of the fast response. I have the money for the Ultra, but need to save for the power amp and the studio monitors.

[emperor_black]

Thanks a lot of the fast response. I have the money for the Ultra, but need to save for the power amp and the studio monitors.

Um, dont you mean Power amp and Cabs OR Studio monitors? If you already have cabs, then yeah you need a power amp. If not, you need to get both. The studio monitors are what are called Full Range and they need a cab simulation to sound good. I have a pair of 115db LOUD Active monitors for which I paid $300 a pair. KRK Rockit, Behringer TRUTH, Mackie...there are a ton of low-cost options.

Also, you can simply stick a set of headphones in the o/p of the AXE and rock-away. Dont try IPOD earbuds though. Any speakers will really do. Some people hook up the AXE to their home music system. I had it hooked to a $40 Panasonic Boom Box home stereo for sometime and it was not too bad. Of course when you turn it up, the speakers cant handle the bass that sounds farty but at strict bedroom levels, it sounds greats. Many options really with the AXE. Good luck!

[Trem]

Holy Crap Mixing Redwirez together is Frikin Sweeeet!!


Are you kidding me!! WOOT!!

[Econ]

Im ready to get an Ultra, but I'm confused about the poweramp and sound amplification situation. I want to use an ART SL2 poweramp. With that setup, what kind of studio monitors would you recommend? It would be for bedroom paying purposes.

[emperor_black]

Most people who use the ART use it as a regular guitar power amp. i.e. ART o/p -> ART SLA2 in -> 2x12 or 4x12 guitar cabs with cab modelling disabled in the AXE. That way, you get the "Amp in the room" feeling. However, I have looked up the specs of the ART and it can also operate as a Full range power amp. So, you can get what are called Passive Studio Monitors that operate in the full range and connect to the ART.

The downside, the ART is very heavy. The AXE is like 10 lbs. But the ART is like 22 lbs. My Carvin TS100 100Watt tube power amp was around 25 lbs. Once you add AXE + Power conditioner + ART + Rack weight, its over 60 lbs. There are many newer Peavey, Carvin power amps that are under 7 lbs. But people say they dont sound as good as the ART since it has a Toroidal transformer in it.

That's the reason people split the weight between Rack + AXE + Power conditioner and a Active Powered studio monitor like the QSC K12, QSC HPR , FBT Verve 12ma, etc.

The ART is also preferred because its super high wattage. Something like 500 Watt bridged that means you have the most clean headroom when playing in a Band. but if you're gonna be playing only in the bedroom, you can get a regular solid state power amp like the Roctron velocity or carvin dcml series.

Hope I did not confuse you by giving too many options.

[Econ]

Thanks for the help Emperor. It certainly helped a lot. I'm going to check the Carvin Power Amps to see if that could also be an alternative to consider.

[Robert Burns]

Im happy with my single rack space Peavey 200 SS stereo amp! Cost me about $180 20 years ago! Get a SS amp, and USE THE ULTRAS AMP sims! Nirvana...
IMO...the peavey SS amp, WITH the Ultras amp sims beat out turning off the ultras amp sims, and going with my VHT 2/90/2 stereo tube amp...imo its about 20%
better sounding WITH the SS amp!

[Robert Burns]

Plus you get to be a crazy scientist...and drop your transformer down to 35 hz if you want! Or about 20 other crazy things, that would blow up your tube amp!

[Econ]

Robert,

Are you using a regular cab with the Peavey SS poweramp and the Ultra?

Im happy with my single rack space Peavey 200 SS stereo amp! Cost me about $180 20 years ago! Get a SS amp, and USE THE ULTRAS AMP sims! Nirvana...
IMO...the peavey SS amp, WITH the Ultras amp sims beat out turning off the ultras amp sims, and going with my VHT 2/90/2 stereo tube amp...imo its about 20%
better sounding WITH the SS amp!

[Robert Burns]

ECON... 100 watts per side SS Peavey stereo rack amp...out to the Ultra Fractal...then left channel to my 4/12 VHT FB cab...
and Right Channel to 2 Crate 2/12' Celestion cabs... my stereo field is about 6' apart, and im right in the middle of it!
So im using the AxeFx "Amp Sims...(usually the CAE + 3 or the 5150 II.. Make sure you check out the insane "Drive"
stacking...about 20 of the worlds great overdrive pedals... able to stack them and tweak them in a 100 variations! insane gain.. yet quiet
when your not playing. Noise suppression is outstanding!

[DonP]

Hey Robert,

So how do you like the AxeFX Ultra after having it for a year?
Is this thing seriously worth dumping all amps for?
Tweed Champ to Marshall to Mesa to whatever?
Same feel as a tube amp?

I'll come back in 6 month checking for a reply from you

[Jack Napalm]

Well, I am not Robert but I'll chime in here. I have had a standard for about six months I think. Best piece of gear I have bought in a long time. I am not dumping my tube amp, Randall Lynch Box/RM100, but I have only used it twice in the last few months.

I bought the AxeFx because I was working with a group that required a clean stage and everything was in-ear-monitors. I had been following the Axe for a while and that prompted me to make the purchase. I was at a gig with my LB and it blew as I turned it on minutes before we were to go on. Ended up doing that show with a loner Twin Reverb. It took me about six weeks to get my amp fixed.

In that time I needed to do something for rehearsals and an up coming gig. I started trying to replicate my amp setup. I was using the LB with a Mr. Scary, Blackface and JTM modules with a Line6 M13 4-cable method. It took me an afternoon to replicate that setup. Out of the gate the effects were much better than the M13. Massive improvement there. It took me about two rehearsals to get the tone to where it matched or exceeded the LB. I was using a QSCK12 as my amp. Live I also go to FOH with a direct feed. There was 'feel' that was missing however. I got though the gig and went back to the drawing board.

The Routing capabilities alone are worth the price of admission. Amazing flexibility not seen before with out paying 10's of thousands of dollars. You also have custom IR's that give you the ability to 'emulate' other cabs. For me this was a turning point in getting the right 'feel'. I also went back to basic amp setups without changing the defaults much at all. A little goes along way in the Axe and there are many parameters you can adjust which is good and bad. You can hang yourself easily but you have relatively complete control.

I broke out my LB a few weeks ago for a jam session just because I could and I realized I really like the my Lynch Box cabinet. I hooked up my AxeFx into a power amp and plugged into the LB and loved it even more. I started down the road of making my own custom IR of the LB but quickly realized that to do it right I didn't have the tools. So, at end of the month I am taking my cabinet to a professional speaker designer who is going to create IR's of my cabinet. I'll now be able to have that cabinet with me in my AxeFX.

I bought it with the intention of using it for recording and another project. It became my primary rig while my amp was getting fixed and has stayed at number 1. I probably should sell the LB but its my backup now in case something happens with the Axe. If there is an AxeFX II that comes out I'll probably get that and sell the LB making my current Axe the backup.

My other two amps, XXX and a RM20, haven't been turned on since I got the Axe. The RM20 was used for rehearsals quite a bit because it was easily portable. The XXX was the backup until I decided to give the Axe a shot.

[jgcable]

Well, I am not Robert but I'll chime in here. I have had a standard for about six months I think. Best piece of gear I have bought in a long time. I am not dumping my tube amp, Randall Lynch Box/RM100, but I have only used it twice in the last few months.

I bought the AxeFx because I was working with a group that required a clean stage and everything was in-ear-monitors. I had been following the Axe for a while and that prompted me to make the purchase. I was at a gig with my LB and it blew as I turned it on minutes before we were to go on. Ended up doing that show with a loner Twin Reverb. It took me about six weeks to get my amp fixed.

In that time I needed to do something for rehearsals and an up coming gig. I started trying to replicate my amp setup. I was using the LB with a Mr. Scary, Blackface and JTM modules with a Line6 M13 4-cable method. It took me an afternoon to replicate that setup. Out of the gate the effects were much better than the M13. Massive improvement there. It took me about two rehearsals to get the tone to where it matched or exceeded the LB. I was using a QSCK12 as my amp. Live I also go to FOH with a direct feed. There was 'feel' that was missing however. I got though the gig and went back to the drawing board.

The Routing capabilities alone are worth the price of admission. Amazing flexibility not seen before with out paying 10's of thousands of dollars. You also have custom IR's that give you the ability to 'emulate' other cabs. For me this was a turning point in getting the right 'feel'. I also went back to basic amp setups without changing the defaults much at all. A little goes along way in the Axe and there are many parameters you can adjust which is good and bad. You can hang yourself easily but you have relatively complete control.

I broke out my LB a few weeks ago for a jam session just because I could and I realized I really like the my Lynch Box cabinet. I hooked up my AxeFx into a power amp and plugged into the LB and loved it even more. I started down the road of making my own custom IR of the LB but quickly realized that to do it right I didn't have the tools. So, at end of the month I am taking my cabinet to a professional speaker designer who is going to create IR's of my cabinet. I'll now be able to have that cabinet with me in my AxeFX.

I bought it with the intention of using it for recording and another project. It became my primary rig while my amp was getting fixed and has stayed at number 1. I probably should sell the LB but its my backup now in case something happens with the Axe. If there is an AxeFX II that comes out I'll probably get that and sell the LB making my current Axe the backup.

My other two amps, XXX and a RM20, haven't been turned on since I got the Axe. The RM20 was used for rehearsals quite a bit because it was easily portable. The XXX was the backup until I decided to give the Axe a shot.

Thats a great testimate to how good this thing must be. I still don't have one and am happy with my RM100 and my AOR30 and my 5150II and my V3 and my Quad X and my Lab L5 and the X3 etc.... but one day I will probably have one.

[DonP]

Thats a great testimate to how good this thing must be. I still don't have one and am happy with my RM100 and my AOR30 and my 5150II and my V3 and my Quad X and my Lab L5 and the X3 etc.... but one day I will probably have one.

It makes incredible good sense for you to get one. I know you are a tweaker and can get the max use out of it.

Me? I'm happy with a POD 2.3 1A setting I'm not much of a tone tweaker. I was back in the day, I tweaked more than played. Now, I just want to plug in and play without much tweaking.

I will say it does sound tempting to get an AxeFX Ultra and dump all the tubes and tube amps I've collected over the years, but there's a lot of fear in dumping that much dough into something without trying it firsthand. And that's probably not a good idea either for me. The only amps that I was "love at first hear" were the Marshall 25/50 and the Laney AOR30 Combo. It took a long time for my DSL100 to "age" and become my #1, and my Laney AOR 50 head sat for an even longer time before it became #2.

[Rupe]

I traded mine about a month ago for several reasons:

1. Missed the ability to tweak tones on the fly during a gig.
2. Spent more time dialing in tones than I did playing.
3. Got an offer that I couldn't refuse...I can easily sell the amp that I took in and dell it for a profit, allowing to repurchase a new Axe and pocket some $$$.

I definitely miss it in the month or so that its been gone...I'm sure I'll end up with another.