Official Axe-Fx Q&A thread!

[Shask]

I think there was one like two days ago - It added some of the III’s modeling and a JCM 800 2204.

Yes, 10.01 sounds amazing! It is probably the best it has ever sounded. However, I would surprised if there are many more updates to follow. I can maybe see one final update, but I don't expect too much more.

 

[lewis]

only thing I would say about the used Axe II (which i did want to do originally) is lack of warranty.
I love feeling safer when buying something high end is all.

£1200 with 3 years warranty seems way more up my alley for that peace of mind.
Also, Im a real simple guy. I dont need dual amps, I dont use 3 reverbs or anything.

I literally need a 1 amp high gain rhythm tone, a 1 amp high gain solo tone with 1 reverb and 1 delay, an intentionally "shit" sounding tone, and a clean tone with compression, chorus, reverb and delay.

thats it.
Just getting access to the Axe II amps, cabs, and effects for as cheap as possible seems a winner.
PLUS... we are close to being added to a show next year in Portugal so Im thinking for fly dates, taking an Ax8 on the plane with me as carry on luggage seems so convenient.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Okay so I have this weird question about weird settings.

So I wanna try and emulate an old talkbox, and I got really close. I have the Formant block at the very end of the chain. Only problem is that it sounds too dark, and I know it's the cab block. Because when I disable the cab and mess with it, it sounds spot on.

So I'm kinda curious if there's a way to set the auto-engage to where the cab block turns off when the Formant block is auto-engaged on?

TLDR: Is it possible to have an auto-disengage of sorts?

 

[LeviathanKiller]

Okay so I have this weird question about weird settings.

So I wanna try and emulate an old talkbox, and I got really close. I have the Formant block at the very end of the chain. Only problem is that it sounds too dark, and I know it's the cab block. Because when I disable the cab and mess with it, it sounds spot on.

So I'm kinda curious if there's a way to set the auto-engage to where the cab block turns off when the Formant block is auto-engaged on?

TLDR: Is it possible to have an auto-disengage of sorts?

You're going to need to use a scene or have alternate tracks and use the mixer for X/Y where it outputs by using left and right channels going

 

[lewis]

Im methodically planning my Ax8 rig so I have a complete plan in place for when it arrives. I already own the massive pedaltrain board (forget the models).

Anyone know what the cheapest compatible expression pedal is that will work with the Ax8?
Literally just for divebomb effects.

 

[Elric]

Im methodically planning my Ax8 rig so I have a complete plan in place for when it arrives. I already own the massive pedaltrain board (forget the models).

Anyone know what the cheapest compatible expression pedal is that will work with the Ax8?
Literally just for divebomb effects.

M-Audio’s EXP pedal works, it is like $22 on Amazon.

 

[Shask]

Im methodically planning my Ax8 rig so I have a complete plan in place for when it arrives. I already own the massive pedaltrain board (forget the models).

Anyone know what the cheapest compatible expression pedal is that will work with the Ax8?
Literally just for divebomb effects.

I use a Roland EV-5 with my Axe II that can be found cheap.

 

[lewis]

will check em both out. Thanks guys!!!

 

[mnemonic]

I’ve pretty much never messed with effects beyond boost pedals, I guess all these years I’ve been missing out. After seeing this video and downloading the Devin Townsend patches:



I’ve been having a hell of a lot of fun messing around with delay and reverb. Especially fun on leads. Here I was, playing dry all these years.

I guess part of it comes down to not really knowing what I’m doing with the settings in reverb and delays. I just copied the ones out of those patches into my own (and reduced the mix a lot).

Those patches themselves are also super good sounding, and I rarely have any luck with other people’s patches.

 

[Shask]

I’ve pretty much never messed with effects beyond boost pedals, I guess all these years I’ve been missing out. After seeing this video and downloading the Devin Townsend patches:



I’ve been having a hell of a lot of fun messing around with delay and reverb. Especially fun on leads. Here I was, playing dry all these years.

I guess part of it comes down to not really knowing what I’m doing with the settings in reverb and delays. I just copied the ones out of those patches into my own (and reduced the mix a lot).

Those patches themselves are also super good sounding, and I rarely have any luck with other people’s patches.

Cool video. I need to try that also.

I have always been the same. I mostly play with a dry distorted tone, but I have been playing around with delay and chorus lately. I have played a little bit with reverb, but not quite as much. I like how he uses it to sound more huge in this video, but yet it doesn't really stand out as an effect either.

 

[mnemonic]

Is anyone using the Behringer FCB1010 with their axe fx? Can it be set up to switch patches, and toggle scenes, or toggle individual effects on or off?

Or are there any other affordable midi controllers I should look into?

 

[laxu]

Is anyone using the Behringer FCB1010 with their axe fx? Can it be set up to switch patches, and toggle scenes, or toggle individual effects on or off?

Yes to all of those. You do need the Eureka ROM or UnO chip for that though but they don't cost much and are easy to install yourself as the ROM chip is socketed.

 

[Shask]

Is anyone using the Behringer FCB1010 with their axe fx? Can it be set up to switch patches, and toggle scenes, or toggle individual effects on or off?

Or are there any other affordable midi controllers I should look into?

I have always considered grabbing one of the BJ Devices MIDI Controllers. They are cheaper than some (but more than Behringer), not as huge and figiity as the Behringer. They even allow people to write their own code for them. There are some threads on the Axe-FX Boards.

EDIT: And most importantly, you can use 2 MIDI cables for bidirectional communication, so it will display patch names....

 

[mnemonic]

Yes to all of those. You do need the Eureka ROM or UnO chip for that though but they don't cost much and are easy to install yourself as the ROM chip is socketed.

I have always considered grabbing one of the BJ Devices MIDI Controllers. They are cheaper than some (but more than Behringer), not as huge and figiity as the Behringer. They even allow people to write their own code for them. There are some threads on the Axe-FX Boards.

EDIT: And most importantly, you can use 2 MIDI cables for bidirectional communication, so it will display patch names....

Cool cheers guys.

Looks like the FCB1010 can do bidirectional also so it at least shows the LEDs lit for what is on.

Looks complicated though! Maybe it’s easy once you get the hang of it.

Those BJ Devices ones look good but are all sold out on their website. I may keep an eye out for a used FCB1010 and then get one of those eprom chips.

Forgive the noob questions since I still don’t understand anything about midi, but is this possible with the FCB1010? This would basically have me set.

I have a bunch of patches now for various purposes, it’s in the fx loop of one amp, and I also have outputs going into a solidstate matrix amp and into a tube poweramp, so I could, for example, set patches 1 though 5 as bank 1, that could be my eq and effects patches in the fx loop of my amp. Then patches 6 through 10 could be bank 2 which are my full amp models for the matrix amp, etc.

I remember my pod XT live back in the day was laid out basically the same as the above.

 

[Elric]

Is anyone using the Behringer FCB1010 with their axe fx? Can it be set up to switch patches, and toggle scenes, or toggle individual effects on or off?

Or are there any other affordable midi controllers I should look into?

I just got a Yamaha MFC10 it is extremely easy to setup, no special chip required.

 

[Ericjutsu]

Cool video. I need to try that also.

I have always been the same. I mostly play with a dry distorted tone, but I have been playing around with delay and chorus lately. I have played a little bit with reverb, but not quite as much. I like how he uses it to sound more huge in this video, but yet it doesn't really stand out as an effect either.

Also remember Devin Townsend utilizes a wet/dry/wet setup. I find using this approach, you can get away with using heavy effects on a distorted tone.

 

[Shask]

Also remember Devin Townsend utilizes a wet/dry/wet setup. I find using this approach, you can get away with using heavy effects on a distorted tone.

I know many people used to use the W/D/W setup, but I have always wondered how much this matters with all-in-one-units like the Axe-FX, where every effect has a mix control. I know that I have played with running blocks parallel vs. series using the mix control, and it is hard for me to tell a difference.

 

[Andromalia]

C'mon G66, c'mon, you said June.

 

[brian_ward]

Considering an Ax8 or maybe and AxeFx II. Would the extra cash to get a used AxeFx II be with the cash over an Ax8? Also what’s the difference between the different revisions of the AxeFx II?

 

[mnemonic]

I’m really liking some of the more 80’s and 90’s non-metal amps lately. Like the Cornfork MK50, x99, and Bogner Fish.

The x99 has been one of my favourites for a while now, but I just got finished playing on the Fish model (Strato channel) and with a boost it’s pretty thick and heavy, very thick mids. It gets a real Cantrell kind of vibe.

Considering an Ax8 or maybe and AxeFx II. Would the extra cash to get a used AxeFx II be with the cash over an Ax8? Also what’s the difference between the different revisions of the AxeFx II?

If you buy a used II you’ll preserve more of the resale value, if that’s important to you. Any time you buy something new, you’ll be taking a hit if you then later try to sell it (unless it’s something high-demand, low-supply).

All of the Axe II models sound the same, run the same firmware, etc. However the differences as I recall are as follows:

Mark I - first axe fx II, the oldest ones at this point.

Mark II - next model, from what I remember it was just an upgraded, quieter fan. These models are pretty much the same.

XL - added some ‘power user’ features, some extra connections on the back I didn’t care to look more into, and a larger memory so it can store more impulse responses, and a few other things. It can fit a larger firmware file also, there was a point where a firmware upgrade was available for just the XL models and not the I/II, until cliff compressed it in another way or something. Same DSP so same sound though.

XL+ - same as the XL, but different screen controller since the old one was discontinued. Needed a designation since it requires a change in the firmware so the screen works.

I think that was it...