ED finally playing nice with my Axe FX

[primal]

After getting my Axe FX, my thinking was not only did I have the ultimate late night recording tool, I also had the piece of gear that would cure all needs for all other pedals. I would need no OD's, no compressors, no wah, no delay flange.

It had all the inputs and outputs needed to go both in front of my amp and in the loop.

I bought a beringer fcb1010 with the uno firmware so I could do both stompbox and patch mode. It came with the two pedals for wah and volume.

I was pumped.

So I go ahead and hook it up with my ED and get the most God awful ground loop hum I had ever heard. Totally unusable.

I tried a few different things and came close to solving the problem with the ebtech two channel hum eliminator. But I noticed it was altering the tone noticably. I then went and picked up the ebtech hum x wallwart. Plugged my furman into it, plugged the Axe FX and ED into the furman. While the ground loop hum was reduced significanty, there was still way to much.

I had pretty much given up and was going to return the walwart to GC today.

Then last night, while researching ground loop hum I came across a picture that showed the ground loop flow, and I realized by plugging both ED and the AXE FX into the Furman, the two units still shared the same ground.

So I went ahead and just plugged the ED directly into the Ebtech Hum X.

GROUND LOOP HUM WAS GONE!!!!!

I can now finally use my Axe FX as a complete effects unit for my ED and do not have to go spend the money on additional stompboxes.

The Axe FX models a lot of the famous OD's. Fulltone OCD, RAT, FAT RAT, Tube Screamer, BBE Exotic etc.

I will say this. It is a pain in the *** setting up the Axe FX to work with the ED both in front and in the loop.

You have level knobs for every single input and output and getting them right takes some time.

The effects also sound great to me, but to be fair I am not a huge effects guy. Like a touch of delay on my solos and maybe a little boost. Screw around with the wah from time to time. And that's about it.

But it is nice knowing finally after spending all that money between the ED and Axe FX and footswitch, I can start saving for guitars.

 

[sted]

Glad you got it sorted mate, btw you have just cured any AxeFx gas I ever had! :lol:

 

[primal]

It is definately an awesome peace of equipment. But if I could only keep the ED or the Axe FX, I would keep the ED for sure.

 

[Scary]

It is definately an awesome peace of equipment. But if I could only keep the ED or the Axe FX, I would keep the ED for sure.

Is that because you can hear the difference between tube and solid state? Is it the feel? Don't need that many options?

 

[primal]

It is definately an awesome peace of equipment. But if I could only keep the ED or the Axe FX, I would keep the ED for sure.

Is that because you can hear the difference between tube and solid state? Is it the feel? Don't need that many options?

There are a few reasons, but probably the biggest reason is that i have just gotten accustomed to the ED being "my" tone (ok, our tone). I identify with it and I am way past the honeymoon phase. It has a feel to it that I can only describe as organic, which may be a buzz word but ED owners know what I mean. And for some strange reason the fact that it's following has been small (albeit devoted) gives it a little uniqueness that appeals to me as well.

There is truly something to be said for just walking up to an amp, plugging in and just playing and not worrying about adjusting any knobs. When I plug into an ED, I spend a maximum of 5 seconds adjusting knobs and the rest of the time playing. I don't know that I have ever been able to say that about another amp. Certainly not my Road King.

As far as being able to tell the difference between tube and solid state, I'm sure I would not be able to tell the difference with the Axe FX, especially in a mix. Cliff really did an excellent job with the power amp simulation. Some of the controls like Sag and Warmth really bring those amps to life. And you really do get that feel when you simulate cranking the amps.

It is a kick *** peice of gear, and I use it all the time (especially late at night). And now it will be my effects for my ED all the time as well.

But I am a pretty simple guy. And at the end of the day, I love just being able to walk up to the ED, plug in and not worry in the least about tweaking knobs or any of that.

It just sounds the way it should.

 

[Scary]

It is definately an awesome peace of equipment. But if I could only keep the ED or the Axe FX, I would keep the ED for sure.

Is that because you can hear the difference between tube and solid state? Is it the feel? Don't need that many options?

There are a few reasons, but probably the biggest reason is that i have just gotten accustomed to the ED being "my" tone (ok, our tone). I identify with it and I am way past the honeymoon phase. It has a feel to it that I can only describe as organic, which may be a buzz word but ED owners know what I mean. And for some strange reason the fact that it's following has been small (albeit devoted) gives it a little uniqueness that appeals to me as well.

There is truly something to be said for just walking up to an amp, plugging in and just playing and not worrying about adjusting any knobs. When I plug into an ED, I spend a maximum of 5 seconds adjusting knobs and the rest of the time playing. I don't know that I have ever been able to say that about another amp. Certainly not my Road King.

As far as being able to tell the difference between tube and solid state, I'm sure I would not be able to tell the difference with the Axe FX, especially in a mix. Cliff really did an excellent job with the power amp simulation. Some of the controls like Sag and Warmth really bring those amps to life. And you really do get that feel when you simulate cranking the amps.

It is a kick *** peice of gear, and I use it all the time (especially late at night). And now it will be my effects for my ED all the time as well.

But I am a pretty simple guy. And at the end of the day, I love just being able to walk up to the ED, plug in and not worry in the least about tweaking knobs or any of that.

It just sounds the way it should.

That's how I feel about my Mark amps. Although many people spend alot of time tweaking them, most of the time I just turn it on and start playing. Also, if I do need to tweak.. it's twisting a couple knobs, instead of paging through menus and various sub menus.

I still want the axe fx because it seems like the best late night tone available right now.

 

[primal]

That's how I feel about my Mark amps. Although many people spend alot of time tweaking them, most of the time I just turn it on and start playing. Also, if I do need to tweak.. it's twisting a couple knobs, instead of paging through menus and various sub menus.

I still want the axe fx because it seems like the best late night tone available right now.

I never had to do to much tweaking of my Mark IV either, though I read many had.

I just had a room overwhelmed with sound proofing and recording crap and decided one amp was going to go to get an Axe FX and get all the garbage out of the room. And as much as I loved the Mark IV, for my tastes it just wasn't getting near the playing time the ED was and was starting to collect dust.

I would say not only late night recording. It may be my lack of recording skills and poor room acoustics, but I get a better recorded sound plugging the Axe FX straight into the mixer then I do putting an SM57 in front of any cab.

 

[creekhed]

As a poor MF I WANTED the Axe FX but couldn't afford it...so I ended up with the Line 6 M13. Great pedal for those who cannot afford the more expensive alternative.

 

[danyeo1]

I tried the ED with a POD HD500 and the POD really messed up the tone of the ED. If you have the Axe hooked up in the 4CM can you get the ED to sound exactly the same if the Axe is hooked up or not? And i mean with no effects on at all, just the ED in the Axe's loop? Thanks.

 

[ifailedshapes]

The effects also sound great to me, but to be fair I am not a huge effects guy. Like a touch of delay on my solos and maybe a little boost. Screw around with the wah from time to time. And that's about it.

Ummmmm, then why the hell did you buy an Axe FX?? :lol:

 

[creekhed]

Thats why I like the M13...with the 4CM I can run it dry and retain tone...then add effects as I wish.... no coloration, no Amp models, just "stompbox's"...

 

[danyeo1]

Thats why I like the M13...with the 4CM I can run it dry and retain tone...then add effects as I wish.... no coloration, no Amp models, just "stompbox's"...

Interesting. I wonder why i had trouble with the HD500 since it is similiar to the M13. Are you using an ED? Do you use the amp in the M13's loop and how many levels did you have to adjust? Thanks.

 

[creekhed]

The HD 500 might be similar... or not so much... I'd actually bet it's the latter...

The M13 is like putting pedals and NOTHING ELSE in the Loop and in front of the amp (which is why I like it).

The way I set it (The 4 cable method) up, I have my delays and time based effects in the loop of the amp...and all of my OD's and such go in front of the amp. You can set up the M13 so any (or ALL) of the "Banks" go in front of the amp, or in the loop, or any combination you wish (I run the 1st 2 banks up front and the last 2 banks in the loop). This is another great feature.

I run the ED Trim in the most aggressive position (Clean Trim).
I spend 90% of my time in the Vintage Blue channel. Once in a while I'll go to red...and once in a while i'll go to clean...

I'm not sure what levels you are referring to... If its volume levels that's never an issue. If its effects levels you are refering to those are simple to play with in the M13, in fact I use an expression pedal to control those on the fly.
For example, toe up for a small bit of OD, toe down for full on distortion OD.
The M13 will accept 2 expression pedals which I am going to add as I would like 2 controls for the OD level and Wah, for example.

 

[primal]

The effects also sound great to me, but to be fair I am not a huge effects guy. Like a touch of delay on my solos and maybe a little boost. Screw around with the wah from time to time. And that's about it.

Ummmmm, then why the hell did you buy an Axe FX?? :lol:

Because I love plexi tones, and because I live in a relatively small house, and cranking a plexi at 11:00pm (or really any time when the family is home) is out of the question.

Even playing the ED at an acceptable volume once everyone goes to bed is out of the question.

Axe FX is far more then an effects rack. It is a modeller on steriods. And it's models sound awesome.

From a home recording standpoint it is a dream.

 

[ifailedshapes]

Ok, I misunderstood you then. I thought you said you only used the Axe for those few basic effects. I've read a lot about the Axe FX and am amazed at how many well-known artists endorse it. It seems to be the real deal. Did you get the standard or ultra?

 

[ryjan]

I'm getting an Axe Fx also. My other guitarist in my band has a Line 6 amp that has the XLR outs on the back that he plugs straight to the board at gigs and I mic my Mark IV. His tone is almost always better and is very consistant where I'm always having to run at less than optimum volumes and dragging a halfstack in and out of trucks and up and down stairs. One small rack, one duffle bag, one guitar case. That's all I'm hauling from now on.

 

[primal]

I'm getting an Axe Fx also. My other guitarist in my band has a Line 6 amp that has the XLR outs on the back that he plugs straight to the board at gigs and I mic my Mark IV. His tone is almost always better and is very consistant where I'm always having to run at less than optimum volumes and dragging a halfstack in and out of trucks and up and down stairs. One small rack, one duffle bag, one guitar case. That's all I'm hauling from now on.

you will be very pleased.

The only drawback I find is that "amp in the room" sound. I am sure there are people out there who can get that. For my "amp in the room" sound, I use my ED.

From a recording standpoint it is just killer.

It does the Mark sound very very well.

I like it the most cause I get plexi tones straight into my tascam.

 

[ryjan]

I was thinking for that "in room" sound I'd just get a little ss power amp and run my 4X12. Maybe a 20/20 down the road. The majority of practice and jamming will be through my PA so I can hear how it should sound live.

 

[Laskyman]

From now on- all of you can ONLY talk about negatives of the Fractal. I am seriously working on STOPPING the G.A.S., and you gents aren't helping with all the "one rack, one bag, easy tone to the board" crap....
Knock it off. I almost had this beat. ****.

 

[kfinkel1966]

I hear you Laskyman. It is not so much the fact that I need it (I have the ED 1 X 12 with an OCD and Riot for additional gain options)- but that I think having that many tonal options available to me at any volume would be awesome. Kind of like having more tools in the toolbox with which to create. I will not, I repeat NOT get rid of my ED. I know I would miss it and regret that decision instantly if I sold it. Best amp I have ever had for the tones I like...