Axe-fx!!!

[Decca]

Hello jdurso.
Great review....please continue.
BTW
Hello everyone - just joined.

I have a question.
I just bought a Mesa 20/20 and have been thinking of buying the Axe Fx in a few months.
Now, does the Axe Fx work well (or at all) with tube power amps going into a stereo 2x12, or is it critical to go SS power amp using monitors?

Also I use Amplitube, GTR3 and Guitar Rig 3...direct in PC with Sonar etc...
Does the Axe Fx perform well up against these? (if you have used them)
Are Impulse Responses added manually into the patch or are they there already?
Sorry for my simple questions....
Thanks again for the great review.

Decca

 

[jdurso]

Hello jdurso.
Great review....please continue.
BTW
Hello everyone - just joined.

I have a question.
I just bought a Mesa 20/20 and have been thinking of buying the Axe Fx in a few months.
Now, does the Axe Fx work well (or at all) with tube power amps going into a stereo 2x12, or is it critical to go SS power amp using monitors?

Also I use Amplitube, GTR3 and Guitar Rig 3...direct in PC with Sonar etc...
Does the Axe Fx perform well up against these? (if you have used them)
Are Impulse Responses added manually into the patch or are they there already?
Sorry for my simple questions....
Thanks again for the great review.

Decca

welcome to the board Decca... i'll see if i can answer your questions but keep in mind i'm still elarning all the ins and outs of the axe-fx. It's one of the most comprehensive modellers/preamps/fx units i've ever used and has so many different options and functions.

As far as the power amp goes... I can't really talk from experience yet but from what I gather a SS power amp or 2 powered monitors are the optimal setup for the axe-fx because a huge part of its amp modelling is the power amp section (adding depth and sag) and their cab models seem to be very good. If you try using the amp models with a tube power amp your essentially replicating the same effect twice which can make things a little muddy. Same goes for using a cab that colors your tone, vs a full range flat response (FRFR) type setup (powered monitors). If you search the fractal audio forum you'll see a lot of guys going for the QSC hpr122is because they have a lot of power and a very flat response which allows your modelling to do what they're there for. BUT.... i did all my playing with the axe through the power section of my roadster and my two 2x12s and the amp and cab models sounded at the very elast very good, some sounded amazing.

As for the axe's performance against the software mentioned above, i can't really talk to that. From what i've read the amp modelling in the axe-fx is light years ahead of those programs but again this is just word of mouth.

As for the IRs... the cab simulators in the axe are basically IRs. The great thing about the axe is if you have a set of IRs you wnat to load into the Axe that are created by another company you can. There is way more information on IRs on the fractal audio forum so i would take a look over there because frankly, that stuff is a little over my head.

Hope that helps.... remember take a look around the Fractal Audio forum as the guys there know waaaaaayyyyyy more than me about the Axe-FX.

 

[jdurso]

Very cool news for Axe users and stalkers... they just joined up with Atomic Amps and formed a new company. Each product line will keep their names but I thought that was a huge step forward for both. Right now they are creating an Atomic FR specifically designed around the Axe. I think this will bring a lot more accessablity to both product lines and actually give the Axe a definitive amplifier platform which to this point has been a more "pick your poison" type deal. Should be interesting to see what these two companies can put together as far as R&D goes.

 

[bsideexperiment]

does anyone know how direct recording with the axe sounds?

Upon reading a few forums i gather some use internal pci sound cards and some use external audio interfaces...just wondering which would sound better

 

[Robusto]

does anyone know how direct recording with the axe sounds?

Upon reading a few forums i gather some use internal pci sound cards and some use external audio interfaces...just wondering which would sound better

sounds great, my friend and i have made a couple jam recordings and they sound pretty good.

 

[jdurso]

sounds great, my friend and i have made a couple jam recordings and they sound pretty good.

what interface are you using? I'm getting a new computer in a week or so (xmas present for myself ) and hopefully sometime after christmas i want to get an interface so i can do some direct recordings with the Axe-fx. Just wondering what you've been using.

 

[Robusto]

sounds great, my friend and i have made a couple jam recordings and they sound pretty good.

what interface are you using? I'm getting a new computer in a week or so (xmas present for myself ) and hopefully sometime after christmas i want to get an interface so i can do some direct recordings with the Axe-fx. Just wondering what you've been using.

since it is his axefx, I will shoot him an email and let ya know, bud.

 

[Robusto]

here is his reply, copy and pasted for you.

I hope it makes sense...LOL!!!

interface = M Audio Omni I/O Delta Series
recording software = Cubase SX


If it does...tell me what it means :?:

I hope that helps.

 

[jdurso]

here is his reply, copy and pasted for you.

I hope it makes sense...LOL!!!

interface = M Audio Omni I/O Delta Series
recording software = Cubase SX


If it does...tell me what it means :?:

I hope that helps.

It makes sense, and i have been looking at the Omni for a while so its good to know its working well for someone.

Basically the interface is what you use to feed the signal from a device (could be a mic, line out from amp or fx unit) into the computer. it acts more or less like an external sound card with the hardware being able to hand certain types of input levels. Most of these devices are USB or Firewire type connection to your computer.

The recording software is just what it says, the software you use to record the signal coming from your interface. I hope that explains it for you.