# axe fx converts here?



## Pstar (Jan 28, 2011)

any axe fx converts from tube amps?, anyone use ax fx live? likes or dislikes?


----------



## Guest (Jan 29, 2011)

Yup. Me. There are a few of us here.

A whole lotta like from me. 

On the minor quibbles side:

Software is taking a long time to get good. It's clunky, buggy now.

Tap tempo on it is odd.

Thats it really.


----------



## Pstar (Jan 28, 2011)

hi, what r u using for amplification? what have u tried for amplification? u still use guitar tube amps?


----------



## Guest (Jan 29, 2011)

I have a Yorkville E10P but I wouldn't recommend it. It's got a lot of high end that needs taming to make it sound right.

Most of the time I run direct. And then monitor through in-ears.

All my tube amps are all gone. I still have and use some pedals on occasion.


----------



## holyman (Dec 22, 2009)

Funny this topic should come up now. I been seriously considering getting an Axe-Fx for month or two now but have yet to take the plunge. Is is really worth the money? Also, how do the amp simulations sound without the effects engaged? There are lots of Axe-Fx demos out there but they all use way too much (IMHO) delay and modulations and whatever which makes it hard to know if the amp sims are any good. 

I wonder how the Fx would compare to the new Line 6HD series. I have no doubt the Axe sounds better but does the increase in tone quality justify the greater expense?


----------



## Guest (Jan 30, 2011)

holyman said:


> Funny this topic should come up now. I been seriously considering getting an Axe-Fx for month or two now but have yet to take the plunge. Is is really worth the money?


Only you can decide for yourself. And you've got a week to make that call -- they'll take it back within the first week if you don't like it.



> Also, how do the amp simulations sound without the effects engaged?


Superb. I do most of my tracking at home dry, effects are added at mix time.



> There are lots of Axe-Fx demos out there but they all use way too much (IMHO) delay and modulations and whatever which makes it hard to know if the amp sims are any good.


Have to looked on the forum? Recordings -- there are plenty of dry clips in that section.



> I wonder how the Fx would compare to the new Line 6HD series. I have no doubt the Axe sounds better but does the increase in tone quality justify the greater expense?


Subjective questions, both of them. Only you can decide the answer to those.


----------



## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

I love my AXE FX. It totally changed the game for me. No more hauling around big amps and cabs or dealing scorching stage volumes to get decent tone. The tonal flexibility with the different amp and cab sims and the effects is a dream. The amp sims sound great without effects. I don't miss my tube amps one bit, and I had some smokin' good amps over the years. 

I have been using the Axe-fx for over 3 years. for practice and live. At home you can play it at whisper volumes without tone loss, that turns out to be one of the biggest pluses for me live too, no more blarring 100 watter on stage. I go direct to the FOH live and have it running thru my vocal monitor in front of me. I have a QSC K12 powered monitor. These monitors are great. You do need good amplification for the Axe or it will sound, well, as good as your amplification. 

I have run the AXE thru a solid state amp and then into guitar cabs. thats sounds good too. 

Can't comment on how it sounds compared to the new Line 6. I did try a couple of older versions of the Line 6 years ago and that convinced me to stick with tube amps at the time. I have heard good things about the 11 Rack unit which is cheaper than the AXE FX. Big_Daddy here on GC just got one of those units.


----------



## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

I don't have one but do use a Digitech GSP1101 which is the poor mans AXE LOL!!!
Its no where near the quality of the AXE but is neck in neck with the line6 HD500 which I did try and I had the X3 Live for a while and hated it.
The Line6 products to me were never the same, constantly tweaking and not playing, the GSP is set up and forget, just play.

Any of these products are good to great but they need your time and patience to set up not to mention the right power amp.
If you don't like computers or tons of effects then I would stay away, lots of guys are selling for that reason.


----------



## Pstar (Jan 28, 2011)

How important is it to run the axe in stero? In live application/jams. Good or bad idea of tube amp with axe, amp is old traynor?


----------



## Guest (Feb 6, 2011)

Running in stereo isn't important at all. In fact: I've gone back to mono live because stereo was a right pain in the butt to mix properly. Lots of people running the AxeFx in 4-cable mode with tube amps. Or even just as an FX processor (that's how Vai is using it live right now). Works great, though you do lose some flexibility with the amp and cab models if you run it through a guitar cab to hear it.


----------



## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...the axe fx would only work for me if it was a complete all in one box that left me with no need for devices like the strymon timeline, a good vibe pedal, or even a wah.

or, if it came sans effects and i used it strictly for clean and overdriven tones. even then, i have to wonder if it can achieve modern high gain tones.


----------



## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

david henman said:


> ...the axe fx would only work for me if it was a complete all in one box that left me with no need for devices like the strymon timeline, a good vibe pedal, or even a wah.
> 
> or, if it came sans effects and i used it strictly for clean and overdriven tones. even then, i have to wonder if can achieve modern high gain tones.


It is an all in one box that fits into a two rack space. It has some 70 different amp models, every kind of speaker cab from 1-12's and 2-12's to 4-12 stacks, all the pedal effects anyone would want including wah and vibe. You can even choose the type of mic you want to use to mic the cabs. Think of it like an entire rig (virtual of course), with amp, cabs and pedal board in a separate room, and the lead from the mic you are using on the cab goes straight to the board. This 'room' if full of amps, cabs and effects that you can set up and route in any way you want. 

a midi foot controller is good to have though, but not essential. I show up at gigs now with my two rack space unit with the AXE FX, a foot controler with wah and volume pedal, and that is it. 

The high gain tones are superb imo. Listen to some of the clips out there on youtube etc.


----------



## Guest (Feb 9, 2011)

david henman said:


> ...the axe fx would only work for me if it was a complete all in one box that left me with no need for devices like the strymon timeline, a good vibe pedal, or even a wah.


Technically it is an all in one box. I carry a 3U shallow rack with me. The AxeFx + a power conditioner. That's it. I have a pedalboard still in the form of an All Access controller and two expression pedals and the whole thing functions like a traditional rig. Wah, delay, vibe all come from the AxeFx, controlled with the expression pedals and All Access at my feet.

Here's a dub-style delay example, roughed up feedback, feedback level is controlled by the expression pedal: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/870088/sounds/dubdelay.mp3



> or, if it came sans effects and i used it strictly for clean and overdriven tones.


People do use it that way. I run pedals in to it from time to time.



> even then, i have to wonder if it can achieve modern high gain tones.


What do you consider modern high gain? There's a great cross section of high gain amps in the unit. All sound superb and slightly different.

That single coils vs. double coils clip I did used the AxeFx. I can't remember which model, but there's gain there: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/870088/sounds/chug.mp3

This clip as the SLO100 (SOLO 100) model on it: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/870088/ddtribute/New Religion.MP3


----------



## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

I've had the Ax FX for almost 4 years. It hasn't fully converted me yet though. I have not been able to get it to sound as good as my Mesa Roadster at gigging volumes? It drives me crazy too because it sounds a feels so fantastic at low volumes when I practice at home. It serves me well for practicing and recording.


----------



## Guest (Feb 9, 2011)

ne1roc said:


> I've had the Ax FX for almost 4 years. It hasn't fully converted me yet though. I have not been able to get it to sound as good as my Mesa Roadster at gigging volumes? It drives me crazy too because it sounds a feels so fantastic at low volumes when I practice at home. It serves me well for practicing and recording.


Thus far I've had my best results running it it to TurboSound mains. Superb sound. I don't like the way the E10P I have sounds, loud.

What are you running for loud use of the AxeFx? Powered monitor? Guitar cab + power amp?


----------



## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

iaresee said:


> Thus far I've had my best results running it it to TurboSound mains. Superb sound. I don't like the way the E10P I have sounds, loud.
> 
> What are you running for loud use of the AxeFx? Powered monitor? Guitar cab + power amp?


yeah, you really do need very good amplification to get the unit to sound its best. Just like a guitar amp needs a good cab. run of the mill powered monitors for example, will not cut it. Mind you, one of the reasons I like the AXE so much is because I don't have the same gig volumes that were intolerable when I was using a normal rig.


----------



## Guest (Feb 9, 2011)

bluesmostly said:


> yeah, you really do need very good amplification to get the unit to sound its best. Just like a guitar amp needs a good cab. run of the mill powered monitors for example, will not cut it. Mind you, one of the reasons I like the AXE so much is because I don't have the same gig volumes that were intolerable when I was using a normal rig.


 Absolutely! For the most part I don't run with ambient monitors. I use in-ears. The TurboSounds are the mains for the band and at rehearsal I just like to stand in the front of them to feel my pant cuffs flap.


----------



## Pstar (Jan 28, 2011)

so, using a clean flat tube amp with lots of headroom with axe running into the guitar input jack is a good idea? or by-pass the amp's preamp section and re wire the axe to the post phase inverter ? and adding a master vol. how does the axe o/d compare to boutique o/d pedals for tone?


----------



## Guest (Feb 10, 2011)

Pstar said:


> so, using a clean flat tube amp with lots of headroom with axe running into the guitar input jack is a good idea?


A flat tube amp that has an instrument input? Does such a think exist?

I wouldn't recommend running the AxeFx in to the instrument input of an amplifier. Can be done, but you'd better pay careful attention to the output level of the AxeFx as you'll clip that input section on the amplifier pretty easily.

Better would be to run the AxeFx straight in to the power section of the amplifier, via the effects return jack.

Though, all that said, there are guys running the AxeFx in 4-cable mode: Guitar -> AxeFx -> Input on amp -> F/X send -> AxeFx FX In -> AxeFx F/X send -> Amp F/X return. Which lets you do some crazy stuff with the AxeFx and your amp's preamp, though I personally think it's overcomplicated and unnecessary.



> or by-pass the amp's preamp section and re wire the axe to the post phase inverter ? and adding a master vol.


Yes, that'd be much better.



> how does the axe o/d compare to boutique o/d pedals for tone?


I'm the wrong guy to answer that. I have somewhat jaded opinions on "boutique" OD pedals. Lets say the AxeFx has excellent overdrive pedal models. And excellent fuzz pedal models. And a few overdrive options you can't do in the analog world. And you can tweak them like you wouldn't believe.


----------



## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

PM sent..happy reading!


----------



## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


----------



## Guest (Feb 11, 2011)

Bevo said:


> PM sent..happy reading!


I'd be lying if I said I _wasn't_ curious.


----------



## Guest (Feb 11, 2011)

nkjanssen said:


> I have an AxeFX and think it's great. I do find it a little overwhelming at times. I'm not the kind of guy who needs 10,000,000 different sounds. Certainly for gigging, I just like to have a clean sound, a slightly dirty sound and a more dirty sound. Then a little delay. For me, an amp and a couple of pedals works better to get that. I use the AxeFX mostly for recording - when I want to get some sound that's different than what I have in my basic arsenel.


I've been building up these "single patch" rigs lately and it's been a lot of fun. The idea is: one patch that I can use for a ton of things. Just like a traditional guitar rig. Where I bring effects in and out of the chain and basically stick to one amp as The Sound for the patch.

Here's a "2 channel amp" setup I did around the XTC clean and overdrive amp models. Just like the real world analog: I ran both amp sims in to one cab sim. I can toggle between them with an IA switch on my All Access. And then around it all I have the typical effects I use on a pedalboard, just virtual this time. It's a lot of fun to play with this patch. Much like ye old tube amp days, I don't sweat the sound so much. I'm not all wrapped up in getting a very, very specific sound for every moment of a song. I just make do, and play!


----------



## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

I sent him a link to a metal site where the guys have a huge forum dedicated to all things AXE, lots of reading.
What the hey here you go Offical Axe-Fx Q&A thread! - Sevenstring.org


----------



## Guest (Feb 13, 2011)

Cool. Thanks! Good reading there.


----------



## JMann (Feb 18, 2007)

Thought I'd resurrect this thread now that I've had my AxeFx for 2-3 months. Quick signal path: Tele/SG w/P90>AF>ART SLA2>Avatar Vintage 2x12 and just recently a Traynor Darkhorse cab(stereo)

The AxeFx is, in a word, magnificent. As in sound, tonal and routing options but mainly the sound. 

I defy anyone to not like the EJ Clean preset. It's impossible. The Dirty Tape Echo preset is a close second. 370 or so other presets? Yeah, I might get to them before I die. But these are the 2 I can ride off into the sunset with.

Plug in a Tele or your favorite single coil git and be prepared to be inspired. I still can't believe how good it sounds, especially as you crank 'er up. ( I play and practice fairly loud at home). 

That is all for now. 

Jim


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

JMann said:


> Thought I'd resurrect this thread now that I've had my AxeFx for 2-3 months. Quick signal path: Tele/SG w/P90>AF>ART SLA2>Avatar Vintage 2x12 and just recently a Traynor Darkhorse cab(stereo)
> 
> The AxeFx is, in a word, magnificent. As in sound, tonal and routing options but mainly the sound.
> 
> ...


Whats the power amp you are running it into?


----------



## JMann (Feb 18, 2007)

ART SLA2 power amp.


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

I would love to see a nice comparison of this unit and the 11 rack


----------



## JMann (Feb 18, 2007)

I have both. The trouble I have with the 11r is getting a decent clean tone and I heard some digital high end harshness that I couldn't really dial out. I seem to remember manipulating the guitar volume to smooth out the highs. The AF clean options outshines the 11r imo. Conversely, the Plexi tones on the 11r, especially the first preset, are awesome and have a real nice rich, warm break up. I haven't really sussed out the AF for Plexi tones but it would not surprise if they were as good as the 11r.


----------

