What's all the hype about Axe Fx?

[beachjammer]

I read some online stuff and it just seems like the regular run of the mill modeling stuff but I've heard several of you all speak highly of the system. So what's so special about it and how does it work?

[Matt_B]

From everything I've read, it has the most dynamic and responsive modeling combined with top-tier effects, along the lines of the Eventide Eclipse and similarly priced Lexicon gear.

I've been reading the official forum for a few months now, reading the manual and I've been noodling with the editor. I do know that it can do some really amazing stuff but the thing that I care about most if the amp modeling. I've already got some good/really good rack gear for pure effects.

Lots of folks have bought one (an Axe FX) and ended up selling off expensive tube amps so that's either means it's as good a some folks claim it is or they've had too much Axe FX Kool Aid to drink.

I'm going to order one this week so I'll have more to say about it in a wee bit.

[jgcable]

Its the new flavor of the month. From the reviews I have read its a really good flavor.
I would like to hear one live. Some extremely respected musicians on this forum give it the thumbs up so usually that means it must be very good.

[Leo Chang]

I am sure more experienced guys will come along soon and add to this, but I'll give it a shot:

1. extremely high quality components, including the high end analog / digital converter + very powerful CPU that's way beyond what any other modeler has . . .

2. . . . all of which allows Fractal to do "digital" as it was meant to be done, with algorithms that can fully represent the physical hardware it's supposed to sound like. (I think Cliff, the designer, went as far as to actually emulate each component in the amps modeled.) All other modelers on the market right now don't have that luxury... they have inferior processing power, and therefore cannot use algorithms that accurately represent the original hardware. It's not that it couldn't have been done before, it's just that no one before this has bothered to make the kind of investment required to do digital right.

3. Insane degree of flexibility. Not only can you get the modeled amps and effects to sound like they are in the physical world (or more accurately, VERY well recorded versions of those physical hardware), you can do things with them that are not possible in the physical world.

Routing options, Input/Output options, having 2 separate "rigs" in the same patch, control over an insane amount of parameters (or you can just stick with the "basic" parameters to avoid overwhelm) You also have access to control parameters that are NOT on the original hardware, if you want to experiment with that kind of thing.

See the Axe Fx Wiki or Axe Fx Forum for details.

http://www.fractalaudio.com/forum/

http://axefxwiki.guitarlogic.org/index.php?title=Main_Page

4. Even if you don't use ANY of the preamp + poweramp emulations, the effects themselves are worth the price. I think Eventide effects units are around the same price range, and they only do effects. With the Axe Fx, you get Eventide quality effects, plus a whole lot more.

5. Very active forum support + excellent customer service from Fractal. Very frequent firmware updates. A lot of times users haven't even upgraded to the last update and the newer update is out. And these updates (for the most part) are not remedial measures to fix something that's broken... usually they are enhancements to existing functions. Plus tons and tons of user created patches and cabinet Impulse Resonance files.

6. If you want, you could literally replace your entire rig with just this one 2 rack space unit. Axe Fx --> active Full Frequency Full Responce PA = you are done. Or you could do Axe Fx --> Poweramp --> guitar cab as well. (in which case, disable the poweramp simulation on the Axe Fx)

I probably got a few things wrong there, but that's the gist of what I got from reading the Axe Fx Forums and User Manual (I am gassing for an Ultra )


- Leo.

[AK47]

I will have to purchase the Ultra after reading all the hype.

[roodyrocker]

I got the Axe-Fx Ultra and run it into a QSC powered monitor. That right there replaces a ton of amps, effects, rack gear, etc... and it sounds killer! I have not really edited a whole lot in it, just tweaked a couple things here and there. The other nice thing about it is that Cliff, who invented it, is constantly updating things in it and you can download these updates for free! Not only are the effects in the same league with Eventide but the amp sounds are awesome whether it be on clean or distortion. It can also sound like a cranked tube amp at room level volumes. Thats something amps like my Rhoads Marshall head simply can't do. I still have my tube amps and won't sell them but its not because the Axe Fx can't replace them its simply because I like them and some are collectible. The Axe-Fx is no hype, drink the Kool Aid my friends, it tastes damn good
BTW, I just picked up another QSC HPR122i powered monitor so now I can run the Axe-Fx in stereo

[Matt_B]

Man, you guys have to calm down pimpin' this thing. I've been waiting to get one for weeks and the wait is killing me! I've got 3 weeks off in about week so I'm going to put that thing through its paces.

I was playing with the editor tonight creating presets that allow me to do crazy things like have a crossover split my signal into 2 different amps (Mesa and Marshall) and 2 different cabs (112 EV and 412 with 25w Greenbacks) or, again with a crossover, have higher frequencies get a different stereo quad chorus than the low frequencies. The thing is insane!

[roodyrocker]

What are you going to run yours through Matt_B? I initially tried mine with my Mesa 2:90 power amp into a 4x12 but it sounded better to me just going Axe-Fx into the QSC powered monitor and ditching the Mesa power amp and 4x12 cab. Also, are you getting the Standard or the Ultra? They're both killer either way.

[Newc]

Routing options, Input/Output options, having 2 separate "rigs" in the same patch,

This right here is all that interests me. I've been running dual signals for 20 years - 2 sets of pedals (homemade Y-box splitting to two separate distortion>modulation>amp chains), then dual racks when I moved up.

Even now I'm still using 2 preamps - ADA MP-1 and Line6 AM-4 - panned at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock in the mixer.

However, unless the effects do something truly awesome compared to my Digitech TSR-12 (and I'm not talking about subjective sound-quality differences which will be buried in the full mix), it's not worth the money to me. If they do a preamp-only version (amps, EQ, etc - everything but the modulation and time-based effects) for under $700, I might look into it.

[jgcable]

to play devils advocate here you have to ask yourself... if this thing is so good, how come the pro's playing live don't use it? Heck.. for that matter, how come the pro's playing live most of the time use traditional tube amps? I have been to tons of arena shows over the last 3 years and I haven't seen a single band playing a modeler or a software driven modeler or anything like it.

[MOSHWITZ]

From everything I've read, it has the most dynamic and responsive modeling combined with top-tier effects, along the lines of the Eventide Eclipse and similarly priced Lexicon gear.

I've been reading the official forum for a few months now, reading the manual and I've been noodling with the editor. I do know that it can do some really amazing stuff but the thing that I care about most if the amp modeling. I've already got some good/really good rack gear for pure effects.

Lots of folks have bought one (an Axe FX) and ended up selling off expensive tube amps so that's either means it's as good a some folks claim it is or they've had too much Axe FX Kool Aid to drink.

I'm going to order one this week so I'll have more to say about it in a wee bit.

Sup?
YES,,it is



and,,I'm diggin it.

Now, being a full blooded high gain metal head,,this thing is tits,,but what has really impressed me so far is how awesome some of these clean presets are,,and this thing really has that "THWACK",,that tubes give you when you give the strings a good diging into,very tasty indeed. There is no Fake,,or that "almost real" feeling that you get with any of the other modelers. This feels, and acts like a real amp.

Beyond tweakable too,,down to bright cap. values, Transformer LF, and HF values, B+ capacitance, Speaker res. freq.....and all kinds of other shit, and in addition to the factory cabs,,you can load 10 user cab IR's

All the monster gain presets are cool too, and I can believe when I've always read that they just need a little personal tweak and then they would be righteous. I found one of the factory presets that was so close to one of my main sounds I had to laugh. I really like some of the user presets that are floating around too, It seems the real high gain ones that I hear that grab me the most are all based off of the Diezel simulation,,and I really like some of the lower gain ones with a drive block(stomp) in front,,,,,,but it does them ALL righteously.

There are even a few written by Dweezil Zappa that sound fuckin awesome.( he replaced his whole rig with 2 Ultras and is touring with them right now,,and also posts up on the Fractal Forum,,and said he's gonna upload some clips that he recorded IIRC..last week,,when he gets a chance to do a little editing)

I've been reading the Fractal Forum since before January, lurking and reading, and listening to the clips and was finally convinced(and had enough paid off to afford one) I ordered mine on sunday, It got the latest firmware loaded to it on Mon.



shipped out on Tues, and I have had mine since Thursday of last week.
It is light years beyond anything that is known as a modeler, and I've had a bunch of them( Vetta II, Digitech, Vox, Boss, POD) that they don't even compare.

The support for the unit is awesome too, Cliff(the creator) constantly works at making it better, by actually listening to the customers and addressing any bugs,, an even items from the "wish list" on the forum that people post to, get added into the "FREE" firmware updates that he provides all the time( unlike some companies...once or twice a year..or at all) to make the product better, and better suited for his customers. Hell,,,he was even working Memorial Day, as this is the day my Firmware was loaded and its still a very small company.


I've already sold 2 of my 3 Digitech 2120's, I have a Boss GT-PRO in the classifieds, and even my ENGL Savage 120 can hit the fuckin road when I get around to listing it, cause the Ultra gives me all I need and what I've been looking for.

Anyway,,,5 days in and I wont miss any of my gear that is gone or going,,,,,,these are the real deal,,,no shit

MOSHON
DAVE

[Chad]

I already gave my opinion today in this thread starting with post #24:

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1249210

BTW, to the person who said "flavor or the month", I believe the AxeFx has been out over 3 years.

Here's an interesting interview with the creator:

http://www.g66.eu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=340&Itemid=61

[Chad]

I've already sold 2 of my 3 Digitech 2120's, I have a Boss GT-PRO in the classifieds, and even my ENGL Savage 120 can hit the fuckin road when I get around to listing it, cause the Ultra gives me all I need and what I've been looking for.

I've sold a few thousand $ of gear and still have more to go.

[Chad]

to play devils advocate here you have to ask yourself... if this thing is so good, how come the pro's playing live don't use it? Heck.. for that matter, how come the pro's playing live most of the time use traditional tube amps? I have been to tons of arena shows over the last 3 years and I haven't seen a single band playing a modeler or a software driven modeler or anything like it.

Because they have a road crew, larger budget than the average layman, and they don't need the versatility of the AxeFx. If a person is a pro making big bucks and they only need a handful of main sounds and regularly play in arenas, then yeah, the big tube amps are fine.

As far as pros using the AxeFx........Dweezil Zappa is a huge name and he replaced a truckload of gear with a couple Ultras. Last I heard that was only for his overseas shows where transport of the monster rig was a problem, but I wonder if he'll go Axe all the way eventually.

Other notables:

http://www.fractalaudio.com/artist.html

[Matt_B]

However, unless the effects do something truly awesome compared to my Digitech TSR-12 (and I'm not talking about subjective sound-quality differences which will be buried in the full mix), it's not worth the money to me.

I can tell you on paper that the effects are light years ahead of the TSR-12. Read the manual (available online) and see for yourself).