Digidesign Eleven rack

[beachjammer]

Hey guys,
I'm very seriously considering getting one of these. I've talked to one guy here on the board that has one and loves it. I'm curious as to what everyone else thinks that has tried them. They seem really nice and they have all the tones that I'd want in it. It seems similar to an AxeFx but alot simplier. I have no desire for an AxeFx right now as that's just way over my head. There's too many options on those things which is why this unit is appealing to me. It seems to have limited stuff but what it has is very good stuff and stuff I'd use. The thing is that I can't try one out locally. I've watched videos and heard clips. Now I just want some feedback from my JCF bros.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

I think the plugin sounds good... Thats the best I can give you.

[hippietim]

A buddy of mine brought his Eleven over and I was able to A/B it vs. the Axe-FX and a POD X3. I was very interested in it as an alternate and/or backup. I ran it through my FBT 12ma Verve FRFR speaker which sounds great. The Eleven sounds OK. I was able to get plenty of decent tones out of it. The clean to crunchy tones were very good - the high gain stuff wasn't to my liking.

The Eleven is not in the same league as the Axe-FX in terms of sound quality. In terms of usability the Eleven might be easier to use than the Axe-FX but I didn't have any trouble with either unit. I wouldn't say the Eleven is simpler than the Axe-FX. The Axe-FX has more options but that doesn't make it any harder - it's not like you have to use it all.

Sadly, it wasn't a huge improvement over the X3 either. About the only thing the Eleven does noticeably better than the X3 is cabinet modeling. The effects on the X3 are more versatile and simpler to dial in. The Eleven has a better user interface design than the X3 (which is pretty craptacular).

If you are going to run through a FRFR system then the Eleven is better than an X3. If you are going to run through a traditional guitar cabinet the choice is less clear to me given that you can get an X3 Live for less than $500. The Eleven is going to require you to buy a MIDI footcontroller so you will be spending around $1000 for the Eleven rig with less versatility than the X3 and not much more in terms of tone quality.

[beachjammer]

Thanks for the info! That was what I was wanting to hear. I wanted to hear something from someone that had tried several units and it's great that you were able to A/B them.

[emperor_black]

Hey guys,
I have no desire for an AxeFx right now as that's just way over my head. There's too many options on those things which is why this unit is appealing to me.

IMO the only reason one should dismiss the AXE should be the cost vs a 11R. Its not at all complicated to setup. its as simple as setting it up like a real-life situation. Add a drive block, an amp block, a eq, cab and that's it! You can make it as complicated as you want but you dont have to.

[wilkinsi]

At the price, they SHOULD be good. I've always wanted to try one myself but no-one nearby stocks any.

[chrisolson]

I have both a Pod X3 Live and the 11R. I've played through an AxeFx - they're awesome, but not (to me) 3x the cost awesome... The Pod X3 is pretty impressive as Pods go. I guess the thing that makes me go the the 11R over the Pod is that I don't NEED all the extra crap. It gets in the way of good tone, and sometimes less is better - IMHO.

It's hard to go wrong with the current generation of modelers. It just really comes down to what you WANT to afford. I find what I like and don't deviate from it a whole lot -- I've been playing Soldano and JCM800 models since day 1 with modelers. It's what I like. I don't need Diezels, Engls, etc... It isn't the sound I have in my head. Line6 and 11R have got me there. I don't need more.

[jgcable]

I have both a Pod X3 Live and the 11R. I've played through an AxeFx - they're awesome, but not (to me) 3x the cost awesome... The Pod X3 is pretty impressive as Pods go. I guess the thing that makes me go the the 11R over the Pod is that I don't NEED all the extra crap. It gets in the way of good tone, and sometimes less is better - IMHO.

It's hard to go wrong with the current generation of modelers. It just really comes down to what you WANT to afford. I find what I like and don't deviate from it a whole lot -- I've been playing Soldano and JCM800 models since day 1 with modelers. It's what I like. I don't need Diezels, Engls, etc... It isn't the sound I have in my head. Line6 and 11R have got me there. I don't need more.

I have been totally happy with my Pod X3 both for rehearsal and especially in the studio. Reamping and using the SPDF is awesome.

[javert]

What worries me about getting something like the Fractal stuff is that as we have witnessed, things are changing very quickly in the quality of amp modeling. I would very much like to have an Axe FX, but at the price, I'm worried that it'll take a huge loss in value over a few years as technology change. That's not the case for good amps. It's a bit like with smart phones at the moment - you know it'll be dated in a few years.

[emperor_black]

^ Not true. I was looking for a Mark IV head for a LONG time and when I got a quote of $1900 for a brand new one, they were selling for $1800 on the fleabay. The moment the Mark V came out, the price dropped to $1400's and now its dropped to $1000. Where's the value?

The AXE on the other hand has been selling for $1800+ consistently since it came out. Just this week one sold on the Fractal forums for $1900.

[emperor_black]

BTW to the OP, here is a relevant thread from the TGP forums. According to some people who've owned both, they say if you're looking for more "classic" tones, go for the 11R. If you want modern tones, go for the AXE. Not sure what to make of those conclusions, but its up to you.

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=756855

[javert]

^ Not true. I was looking for a Mark IV head for a LONG time and when I got a quote of $1900 for a brand new one, they were selling for $1800 on the fleabay. The moment the Mark V came out, the price dropped to $1400's and now its dropped to $1000. Where's the value?

Here, it seem that used amps go for about 50-60% of the price of a new unit, although there are of course examples of rare or vintage units going for more, or crap units going for less. Amp technology and features are not changing very fast, though, and a good amp today likely will be a good amp tomorrow - a good modeler today maybe worthless in a few years if something better comes along, which is likely for such relatively new technology.

[hippietim]

Here, it seem that used amps go for about 50-60% of the price of a new unit, although there are of course examples of rare or vintage units going for more, or crap units going for less. Amp technology and features are not changing very fast, though, and a good amp today likely will be a good amp tomorrow - a good modeler today maybe worthless in a few years if something better comes along, which is likely for such relatively new technology.

Why would a modeler that sounds great today be worthless in a few years? It will still sound as good as it did when you bought it, right? In the case of the Axe-FX it has gotten substantially better than the day I bought it and it started off being the best one out there.

As for the 11R being better for classic rock - I would have to disagree there. My band plays a bunch of classic rock and I am much happier with the tones of the Axe-FX than what I could get out of the 11R. But there is a certain point where it is just a matter of preference. The 11R is certainly a very good unit.

[javert]

Why would a modeler that sounds great today be worthless in a few years? It will still sound as good as it did when you bought it, right? In the case of the Axe-FX it has gotten substantially better than the day I bought it and it started off being the best one out there.

Because many previous amp modelers were praised when they first came out. Maybe they were indeed much better than the previous ones at the time but still not quite up to snuff long term. But you're right. I'm basically talking based on my knowledge of prior amp modelers, so I'm basically also assuming that it is still possible to improve on the Axe FX, which may or may not be the case. Don't get me wrong, I like the modelers and I'm certain they'll playing a larger and larger role in music as the technology improves.

[javert]

To exemplify my point further, consider a 20 year old amp. It still holds significant value - the technology hasn't changed much. A 20 year old digital multi-effect unit does not hold much value as that technology has changed dramatically. Would you buy a 20 year old computer?