Axe-Fx problem

[Megadeth79]

Guys I need your help. I have an axe-fx ultra and I have a really weird problem with it. The B note (the 7th fret on the low E string and the 2nd fret on the A string) feedbacks like crazy on high gain presets and sounds heavier (don't know how to describe actually, it pops up much more if I can say). I have updated the firmware but it did not solve the issue. I also have e-mailed Fractal audio about it and they have told me that this is a problem caused by the guitar or the monitors. But I don't think that this is the case cause I tried with 4 different guitars and had the same problem. Monitors? Don't think so either. Why only the B note is causing the problem then??? Any suggestions?

[chrisolson]

I would try the Fractal Forum for this one...

Have you tried different monitors? Could it be a "tuned port" issue? Does it occur at all volumes? Does it do it if you play in a different part of the room?

Personally, I hated my Axe through monitors - it's actually a big part of why I got rid of it.

[Trem]

hmn, now that you mention it i remember having something similar happen. i just can't remember if it was when i had my ultra for sure but i kind of think it was, the only other thing i've played thru in years would be my mp-1 and microcab - i'm more inclined to think it was when i had my ultra. all i know is it must have been brief and went away somehow. i didn't have any feedback or whatever just that a B power chord at the second fret A string seemed to be at a higher volume.... not all the time i had it, it was just something that happened and then went away one way or another so i didn't put much thought into it - i slightly remember thinking at that moment something about my guitar must be resonating funky, then that it might be a Cab resonance frequency or along those lines in the axe. being that while experimenting with the axe my settings changed often, it was not something that happened but at that one time. i would imagine that if it's not something that has been experienced before by more than a few people, there is a possibility that a certain setting with all the right variables could produce that anomaly, that is if it doesn't occur on every patch. Is it on a patch you tweaked yourself? guess should be a question asked.

[Twitch]

Man, I think its something in the atmosphere lately. My 6505+ is doing something similar with my high E string. Mines an oscillation though, not feedback. I know this doesnt help, just thought it was just as odd though.

[Megadeth79]

Man, I think its something in the atmosphere lately. My 6505+ is doing something similar with my high E string. Mines an oscillation though, not feedback. I know this doesnt help, just thought it was just as odd though.

Really man? It is quite disturbing huh

[Megadeth79]

hmn, now that you mention it i remember having something similar happen. i just can't remember if it was when i had my ultra for sure but i kind of think it was, the only other thing i've played thru in years would be my mp-1 and microcab - i'm more inclined to think it was when i had my ultra. all i know is it must have been brief and went away somehow. i didn't have any feedback or whatever just that a B power chord at the second fret A string seemed to be at a higher volume.... not all the time i had it, it was just something that happened and then went away one way or another so i didn't put much thought into it - i slightly remember thinking at that moment something about my guitar must be resonating funky, then that it might be a Cab resonance frequency or along those lines in the axe. being that while experimenting with the axe my settings changed often, it was not something that happened but at that one time. i would imagine that if it's not something that has been experienced before by more than a few people, there is a possibility that a certain setting with all the right variables could produce that anomaly, that is if it doesn't occur on every patch. Is it on a patch you tweaked yourself? guess should be a question asked.

Dude, it occurs on factory presets.

[Megadeth79]

I would try the Fractal Forum for this one...

Have you tried different monitors? Could it be a "tuned port" issue? Does it occur at all volumes? Does it do it if you play in a different part of the room?

Personally, I hated my Axe through monitors - it's actually a big part of why I got rid of it.

Chris, it occurs more on high volumes. I will try to play in a different room.

[Newc]

Maybe you're hitting a specific harmonic resonance point. On some of my 1101 and MP-1 patches, certain notes stand out more than others with a certain guitar and a certain pickup.

I'd say it's a converging harmonic node, where the peak resonance of the pickup combines with the peak resonance of the given note and the peak resonance of the EQ curve in the preamp to basically double or triple that one note.

Are you using a speaker/cabinet sim in the unit as well? Is it a factory sim or a user-made/3rd party sim? Should you be using a cabinet sim if you're going through a real cabinet? I'm not sure how the A-FX is set up, but the GSP-1101 manual suggests setting it for what you're playing through (i.e. 2x12 open/closed/half, 4x12, direct to mixer, etc) rather than what you wish it was going through (i.e. 4x12 when you're really going into a mixer, etc).

[DonP]

Go get yourself a real modeller, something from Line 6

[Megadeth79]

Maybe you're hitting a specific harmonic resonance point. On some of my 1101 and MP-1 patches, certain notes stand out more than others with a certain guitar and a certain pickup.

I'd say it's a converging harmonic node, where the peak resonance of the pickup combines with the peak resonance of the given note and the peak resonance of the EQ curve in the preamp to basically double or triple that one note.

Are you using a speaker/cabinet sim in the unit as well? Is it a factory sim or a user-made/3rd party sim? Should you be using a cabinet sim if you're going through a real cabinet? I'm not sure how the A-FX is set up, but the GSP-1101 manual suggests setting it for what you're playing through (i.e. 2x12 open/closed/half, 4x12, direct to mixer, etc) rather than what you wish it was going through (i.e. 4x12 when you're really going into a mixer, etc).

It is a factory sim. I can say that it is more obvious on some presets and some amp models.

[Trem]

Well for whatever reason it's happening for you - my line of thinking is a long with Newc in that i thought it was a resonating frequency type thing in my non educated guess when it happened to me.

Question: Do you only plan on using the factory patches? I personally didn't give thought to any factory patches when i bought the Axe the first thing i did was flip through some patches for a few minutes and went straight to the Amp models an started building my own patches.

Anyway for whatever reason it's happening to you, i would first try starting your own patch from scratch. Pick an amp and a cab - play thru it and see if that problem occurs, if not go ahead and tweak you bass/mids/treble more to your liking. Try it out again, if you want to go deeper into tweaking the tone just add one thing at a time and keep checking it out.

For a quick test on a factory patch, maybe try one thing. Give a tweak of the cab resonant frequency setting. I think it's in the deep editing of the AMP sim, not the cab sim. I have the feeling that it's worth a try because i'm pretty sure around then that i was trying to dial in the roundness and punch/girth of the low frequency i found that the cab resonant frequency setting was the thing that i used to get my final tweak in.
It was usually the last thing i messed with after i got all my eq and everything as close as possible it seemed to dial in the last piece of the puzzle. It might have been while messing around with that setting that the loudness thing happened to me.

If you just can't get rid of it and on different guitars or speakers, then i would probably talk to Fractal again with it and tell them it's not working out with everything you've tried.

[Megadeth79]

Well for whatever reason it's happening for you - my line of thinking is a long with Newc in that i thought it was a resonating frequency type thing in my non educated guess when it happened to me.

Question: Do you only plan on using the factory patches? I personally didn't give thought to any factory patches when i bought the Axe the first thing i did was flip through some patches for a few minutes and went straight to the Amp models an started building my own patches.

Anyway for whatever reason it's happening to you, i would first try starting your own patch from scratch. Pick an amp and a cab - play thru it and see if that problem occurs, if not go ahead and tweak you bass/mids/treble more to your liking. Try it out again, if you want to go deeper into tweaking the tone just add one thing at a time and keep checking it out.

For a quick test on a factory patch, maybe try one thing. Give a tweak of the cab resonant frequency setting. I think it's in the deep editing of the AMP sim, not the cab sim. I have the feeling that it's worth a try because i'm pretty sure around then that i was trying to dial in the roundness and punch/girth of the low frequency i found that the cab resonant frequency setting was the thing that i used to get my final tweak in.
It was usually the last thing i messed with after i got all my eq and everything as close as possible it seemed to dial in the last piece of the puzzle. It might have been while messing around with that setting that the loudness thing happened to me.

If you just can't get rid of it and on different guitars or speakers, then i would probably talk to Fractal again with it and tell them it's not working out with everything you've tried.

Thanks so much man! I will start tweaking the cab resonant frequency setting. This is the best sounding unit I have ever owned but this was also why I was hesitating before buying it coz I am really dumb when it comes to modelling stuff. Will try to create my own patches from scratch and see if it will work out. Thanks again guys.

[Trem]

Another thing about the Factory patches is they are very outdated. First off they were made as the thing was being developed and by different people. It wasn't like a big company who has people making patches that are specific as can be for the unit and to go smoothly with as much types of gear as possible. They are all pretty random and the volume between them is inconsistent ect... they don't go back and tweak all 300 patches to sound good for each new update. If anything they are just something to go by when building your own, or maybe you'll find one here or there to tweak just a little and it's good, but don't judge the Axe by them, most of them are useless.

[bratfink]

Try cutting the 125Hz range on the eq and see if that helps. That would be the frequency of B that seems to be getting excited.

(actually it's 123.7Hz, so cut between 120 and 125).