Official Axe-Fx Q&A thread!

[olli576]

i tried changing to a deizel amp (i think the herbies are deizel aren't they?) and put a high pass filter right at the end of the chain around 65hz and got this result, sounds a fair bit more clearer but that might just be the gain from the herbie

https://soundcloud.com/olli576/highpass-tone-deizel

btw thanks Redstone i'll try your IR later today!

 

[Rook]

Are you afraid to put my IR in your axe or ...

Ah that must be it.

I disagree, but that's fine.

EDIT: I just want to clarify, from an electrical and signal standpoint, my standpoint as an electrical engineer, all a cab impulse does is EQ a signal. That's it. Clarity and all these other terms musicians like to throw around aren't physical quantities that you can improve by turning something up. Muffling is the effect of a dip in high end, a muffled signal and a non-muffled signal can't have the exact same spectra and people in the past have tried to show they do then referred to 'just 3db difference' like its a small change. Unless of course it's just that, and you're getting clarity by just turning 10+kHz up by 3-5dB, more that doubling the signal power and referring to the increase in bandwidth as clarity.

To clarify further, if your amp sound is tight all round, whatever can impulse you use is gunna sound tight, if part of it is loose (lower frequencies are clipping or the clip is quite slow) then simply turning that down with post EQ won't make the sound tight as much as just quieter the looser parts of the spectrum. What you said to me sounds a little bit like putting your fingers in your ears when someone's talking to you, doesn't mean they aren't saying anything. Hence my 'mostly' (mostly, not completely) amp comment, which I stand by. Just wanted to give my perspective without being patronising.

I'm also not trying to get anyone to download my stuff.

 

[redstone]

Since you know IRs are EQs and any EQ can be turned into another EQ, how can you think the amp parameters are flexible enough to save a dark sounding IR, when such so-called darkness is a matter of fine tunings. The less fine tuning needed to clean up the IR, the better, that's how I quantify a good IR. Cleaning up entirely a generic axe IR requires about 50 PEQs, whose half are tight notches. Mine only needs a low-pass, that's a fact.

I don't get the last sentence. I give my best IR for free so.. what ? So you're right and I'm wrong ? Or I'm eer.. suspect ? Sure, the only way to denigrate its qualities is to ignore them. You don't want to give it a try, whatever. I'm stopping that pointless, insidious argument.

 

[Rook]

This isn't an argument and it isn't pointless or insidious?!

With regards to dark IR's sounding dark, don't use dark IR's? There are plenty in the axe that aren't and that's what the mic blocks are for

I just bring this because you're making these blanket statements about IR's, I have no idea why you're saying you have all these complicated EQ adjustments to make IR's sound 'good' when that's entirely subjective, that's all. I use different IR's for different tones and only ever high pass and suck a little 500Hz out of them to open it up a bit, that's it. I have plenty of decent sounds out of them. A lot of people's core tones are defined by the IR's they use and how.

I don't know I just disagree with your 'one good IR' notion, questioning you on it has apparently annoyed you though

I apologise if you feel this comes across as me being bored at home deciding to just troll some guy on SSO, but your sweeping recommendation of you IR as a 'good' one, like there's some objective, quantitative factor that you can define that by that makes it so, struck me as a bit off. I haven't been sitting here trying to start an argument but you do seem to be getting on the defensive somewhat ending sentences with things like '..basic knowledge' like its my intelligence that's the problem, or telling me I'm too scared to try your random IR. I understand slightly better what you're saying but I still disagree, like I said before, that's fine.

I'll repeat one more time for my sanity, I'm not looking to call you out or start an argument about anything, certainly not an 'insidious' one.

EDIT: Just to make double sure, this is all said in the calmest tone of voice, its curiosity, I don't live to shoot people down on the internet and I lack both the intellect and interest to do so

 

[DropTheSun]

Hi guys!
I just got my Axe FX II today and was wondering, that what is your way of organize the presets? For example, do you put many clean sounds in a row and after that same thing with High gain amps etc. or what?

 

[Rook]

At the moment I have random presets laid around all over the place

I found naming is far more important that ordering.

For live use however, my footswitch has instant access to four presets so I put the four patches I'm mostly to use live in spots 1-4, then another set of four in 5-8. I then make use of the stomp box capabilities for everything else.

 

[asher]

Whatever makes sense to you, really!

When I got my Ultra I sat down with Excel and actually logged the spot, name, amp, and a quick description of every patch already on there. All 385 or so but it means I can check where everything is and browse faster. It's easier to see everything laid out like that. Ideally, I will keep it updated (and my Surface is easy to throw in my rack bag) as I tweak and move stuff around.

As far as arranging for live, I just put things in an order that made sense for my pedalboard, an FCB1010. So I had clean stuff on the left (pedals 1, 2, 3, and 6), high gain on the right (4, 5, 9, 10) and midgain stuff in between, and then swapped things around on the Axe to make them fall where they needed.

 

[Genome]

Hi guys!
I just got my Axe FX II today and was wondering, that what is your way of organize the presets? For example, do you put many clean sounds in a row and after that same thing with High gain amps etc. or what?

I use a Behringer FCB1010, which uses 10 presets per bank, I order them like this:

1: BYPASS (completely blank preset so I can mute everything with one hit, use it for tuning and if I get a nasty noise or something)
2: Clean Tone 1 (usually chorus)
3: Clean Tone 2 (usually phaser/flanger)
4: Crunch Rhythm
5: Crunch Lead
6: Hi Gain Rhythm 1
7: Hi Gain Lead

And then 8, 9 and 10 are usually song dependent tones, slightly more unique. That's all I really need for my current band's stuff.

 

[DropTheSun]

Second day with Axe FX II. Time to make a tonetest:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/25064384/Axe FX II/icarus FX.mp3

 

[Rook]

Nice bass tone, that AFX2?

 

[DropTheSun]

thanks. yeah, the bass is AFXII.

 

[Rook]

Care to share?

 

[DropTheSun]

Sure Rook. The Bass preset is Nolly's (periphery) bass preset, that i found from the net.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/25064384/Axe FX II/p001015_NollySmackyBass.syx

 

[Ghillie-Up]

I apologies in advance for another question about the Fractal power-house.

I have the chance to trade my Peavey 6505 and Engl Fireball for a unused still boxed Axe-FXII Mrk1. (Not the Mrk2).

After Googling about I can see the differences between the Mrk1and Mrk2 are extra ventilation and an updated MFC conector for the foot-switch.

I was just curious to ask:

1. Was there much of a cooling issue or overheating problem between the 2 units that Fractal needed to address the Mrk2 with extra vents? Should I be worried? Anyone with the Mrk1 had any problems with heat?

2. I assume that the MFC-101 is still compatible to be used with a cat5 cable (for powering the unit) using the mrk1?

Many thanks guys.

 

[SnowfaLL]

I would do it just on the fact you probably would be able to sell the II fast, where as it'll take forever selling amps like that.

I dunno much about the Mark I thing; I have a Mark II.. I doubt its a massive deal though, unless maybe you plan on using the MFC (I dont care at all for it)

 

[Ghillie-Up]

I would do it just on the fact you probably would be able to sell the II fast, where as it'll take forever selling amps like that.

I dunno much about the Mark I thing; I have a Mark II.. I doubt its a massive deal though, unless maybe you plan on using the MFC (I dont care at all for it)

Thanks for the feed back. I do think the re-sell value would be worth the trade even if I decide the Axe-FX way is not for me.

I do plan on using the MFC as the main reason for selling the two tube heads is to get rid of my stomp-boxes and get everything off the floor and in to once place. (as well as all the other benefits of the Axe-FX).

 

[Genome]

I apologies in advance for another question about the Fractal power-house.

I have the chance to trade my Peavey 6505 and Engl Fireball for a unused still boxed Axe-FXII Mrk1. (Not the Mrk2).

After Googling about I can see the differences between the Mrk1and Mrk2 are extra ventilation and an updated MFC conector for the foot-switch.

I was just curious to ask:

1. Was there much of a cooling issue or overheating problem between the 2 units that Fractal needed to address the Mrk2 with extra vents? Should I be worried? Anyone with the Mrk1 had any problems with heat?

2. I assume that the MFC-101 is still compatible to be used with a cat5 cable (for powering the unit) using the mrk1?

Many thanks guys.

Not really. I have a Mark I and while it does get a bit warm to the touch (warm is the most I would describe it, not hot) it's never been a problem.

 

[Rook]

^That, it was mostly because people complained about the fan, there's no major advantage to the 2 over the 1.

I use mine every day, most days for 5+ hours as it's also my interface, no overheating, not even a single hitch, fault or freeze.

 

[olli576]

could someone have any idea what kind of amp/cab sims these guys would be using? I know they use axefxII with bareknuckle aftermaths and blackhawks but its so interesting how much high end smooth sizzle i'm hearing, i really like it!

Masks | Stories

 

[redstone]

EDIT: Just to make double sure, this is all said in the calmest tone of voice, its curiosity, I don't live to shoot people down on the internet and I lack both the intellect and interest to do so

Ok, no offense then. I wish I could find an IR that is clean enough by itself, and I really, really tried. Cleaning up IRs and miced cabs isn't deforming them, it's mostly removing strident frequencies and is necessary to sit in a clear mix. The IRs keep their character, I don't turn them into the same one. Of course a clear mix isn't mandatory and up to the artist.