Thinking about switching it up

[izzwardo]

I currently have a Mark 5:25 and a Mark V 90w head running with a rectifier 2x12 cab and I was thinking about selling the 90w head and buying a Fractal FX 2 and then running the unit through the 5:25. What are your guys thoughts about this. Positives, negatives? I just really like all the features that the fractal offers but am also worried that is might be to complicated for me.
Or I was also thinking I could sell the 5:25 and buy the older FX ultra and run that through the 90W Mark head but the older ultra does not have all the cool new features that the FX2 has. I also thought about the FX8 instead of the Axe FX. ha ha. Or just keep the two marks. Decisions decisions.
Any input would be great guys thanks

 

[screamingdaisy]

I've never owned an Axe but I have owned a couple of multi-effects.

At the end of the day all I ever used them for was compression, gate, chorus and delay, so I sold them and bought a chorus and delay pedal, then used the leftover money to buy sweet set of studio headphones.

IMO, programable multi-effects are great when you're working a set-list and you can pre-program all the songs you'll play so the gig is just a bunch of simple taps and the performance is consistent. IMO, programable multi-effects kind of suck when you just want to jam with friends or play guitar in your house as they lack the flexibility to just sort of do whatever it is you want in the moment as you're always having to rely on predefined patches.

That's my take on it anyway.

 

[izzwardo]

That's what I was wondering. I only play with a few friends each week and wondered if it would be easier to use. If I paired it up with a foot controller maybe that would make it easier. I did recently buy a eventine H9 ultra and should be getting that tomorrow usps but I also worry that that will be a pain in the *** to use if I wanted to switch effects during a song. Do you know what MIDI foot controller is a good match for the H9?

 

[barryswanson]

I too have been considering crossing over to the dark side. I'm scared I will like it too much and have to sell my Boogies in order to fund neutral power amps and full range flat response speakers and matching pedal boards that work with the axe/kemper and so on and so on.... But like screaming daisy I use few effects and I only want all the different amp options. But a little voice in my head says to me, "why buy a box that pretends to be a heap of real amps when I can just have real amps?" They are very attractive though.

In theory you could use the axe fx the way you want but the power amp and speaker are going to colour your tone a bit,and you will be left wanting to take advantage of all the options in your new tonal pallet and will find yourself in the same boat as I mentioned before. But crossing over to the dark side is an expensive commintment and and even more expensive if you don't like it and wanna come back to real amps.

 

[primal]

I own a Mark V25 and an Axe FX II.

For me they are two separate rigs.

I understand the desire to use two great pieces of equipment together. I used to try all the time to use my Axe FX II in the 4cm method (basically in front of my amp AND in the loop)

And it sounded great. But to be honest, with all the amps I tried it with (Electra Dyne, Stiletto and Mark V) it sounded just as good using one of the Axe FX models going straight into the Effects return on the amp. And it had the added benefit of letting me change preamp sections to one of over a hundred different amps. And I felt kind of bad simply using a nice Mesa Boogie amp as a power amp only.

So I have a pedal board I use strictly for my tube amps, and with the Axe FX I use a clean solid state power amp (Carvin DCM1540L) to get the most out of the modeling.

I would say having both the 90 watter and 25 Watt Mark V you probably have some redundancy there. So I don't think selling one to help fund an Axe FX is a bad idea at all. And maybe using the two together will be great. But for me I love them both separately.

 

[Hypnotoad696]

A fractal and a V? why oh why??? Don't turn to the darkside

 

[OldTelecasterMan]

Always buy, never sell. It is not redundancy it is a backup.

Search your true feelings...these are not the drones you are looking for, never go to the dark side. Your ears are analog keep the tone true.

 

[OryCheyne]

The diversity of musicians is as limitless as is the progress of technology. I guess there are those of us who's attachment to our sound and how we go about getting it is part of the inspiration and attraction of making music. But that must include those who like to, or are required to, modify or diversify their sound for their art and who have probably always been okay with the idea of having digital effects as part of the process of creating their music.
I've never sampled or compared this new technology, I don't actually own or need any effects, but I certainly am inspired by people who's music is created by using effects. When I play their songs/pieces it's my rendition, I don't go chasing their sound to the minute detail, my voice is not the same my guitar is not the same. If I want to hear them I press play.
I know I'm doing nothing to help with your decision that Primal's post hasn't already articulated. You're keeping a Boogie, you'll be safe. If you're up for an effects unit it sounds like these are the best and more.
It has to be analogue again at the speakers after all our ears don't do binary.

Now the cynic... The guitar Auto-Tune is not for everyone. Next step will be to digitize the signal before it leaves the guitar so as to maintain the purest of digital signal to the processor, presumably using Wi-Fi... Oh wait that's already been done!

Boogie gave us the Spirit of Art through technology.
I need for nothing else (except better guitars - but please don't tell my wife).

 

[jb's 52]

IMO, programable multi-effects are great when you're working a set-list and you can pre-program all the songs you'll play so the gig is just a bunch of simple taps and the performance is consistent. IMO, programable multi-effects kind of suck when you just want to jam with friends or play guitar in your house as they lack the flexibility to just sort of do whatever it is you want in the moment as you're always having to rely on predefined patches.

That's my take on it anyway.

I agreed.

I used a different brand of multi-effects and even though I prep'd as best as I could at home and at full band rehearsal, when it came to gig time we never seemed to play exactly like "the time before." Invariably, there would be something just a little off. Either tempo or sound wise for me. Tweaking during a break of lull in the song was impossible, with all the menus I would have to "tab" through.

Now, I find it easier with individual old school pedals. Sometimes, I'll even forget to set it before a song starts...hehe...happens all the time but I don't worry about it since it's easy enough to squat down and tweak before the pedal is employed.

That being said, I can totally see the benefit of a beefy unit like that for recording. At this point though, I'd probably keep both and use the mini for a gig back up.

 

[dhamiii]

Don't do it imo.

I sold a Mark V and 212 cab due to some medical expenses a couple years ago. I eventually recovered and when I got into my current band I had to borrow an amp from a friend of mine. I saved some cash and bought the Axe FX 2 XL and a QSC k12, thinking I should be set as far as gear goes. The Axe sounded great at home, but when I took it to practice it sounded quite small in comparison to the amp my other guitar player was using (splawn street rod). I sent it back and bought another Mark V rig and am now much happier.

Also, consider this..... 20 years from now the mark V will be a classic tube amp and retain a lot of its value, while the Axe FX 2 will be an outdated computer that probably wont be worth much at all.

My .02

Don

 

[gitaryzt1985]

For me, the better option would be to sell the Mark you use the least and get another really awesome amp for diversity. Never been a fan of modeling and always come back to amps. With the cabclone in the Mark V25, I really have no use for amp modeling anymore.

 

[izzwardo]

I almost sold the 5:90 head but I really can't bring myself to sell it. The 5:25 is my amp I play at home only and the 5:90 I play out with my buddies on the weekend. I would still love to get a axe fx but for now I'm going to be happy with what I have. Plus I don't have a tone of money so in order to buy a newer axe fx I would have to sell a amp and something else to afford it and that's just to much of a pain. Then I would also need a foot controller as well. Way to much money to come up with