To AX FX or Not ???

[guitarman1956]

I'm an older player. Been going strong over 30 years. I've tried everything Line 6 came out with. When they say they would model a certain amp, I would put that amp beside their amp and compare. So, my Line 6 gear all went by the way side. I truely wanted that gear to work, but I just couldn't bond with it after playing the real deals for so many years.

 

Enter AX FX. Is this the Real Deal? Has anyone "actually" compared their amp modeling to the actual amp? I'm speaking to you players who gig or have gigged alot with the real deal amps....I need some Real Advice here. Should I buy an AX FX or just stay with the Real Amps?

 

Thanks for your input.

[3shiftgtr]

First, I haven't been here since the HCF 2.0 debacle, so I'm sure NO ONE will read this.

 

Bu there are tons of threads about the AX EFX in the amp forum.

 

Personally I can't tell you about using one live, which I am very curious about. This is keeping me from buying one.

 

But thru an Avalon into the board in a studio setting, the thing is freaking AMAZING. Truly. In a studio, it is irreplaceable. If you do lots of varied studio work, and need multiple tones, all with lots of tweakability, and ABSOLUTELY NONE of that "digital thing" that the line 6 stuff gives, the AX and an AVALON is state of the art.

[nick.]

I have a phobia of amp emulators.

[Longhair]

I was looking into one of the Axe-FX systems myself not too long ago...

 

The biggest turn off for me was that 99 out of 100 posts I have read said that studio monitors - not cabs - were the only way to go. Someone even went as far to point out that the person developing the Axe-FX system didn't even bother using guitar cabinets.

[3shiftgtr]

 

I was looking into one of the Axe-FX systems myself not too long ago... The biggest turn off for me was that 99 out of 100 posts I have read said that studio monitors - not cabs - were the only way to go. Someone even went as far to point out that the person developing the Axe-FX system didn't even bother using guitar cabinets.

 

 

Yeah, me too. While I do some session work (certainly not as much as I used to), I'd mostly want to use it for live. I know one guy who tours with a label act and plays mostly sheds and theaters and uses one with an Avalon and a foot controller. They also have NO amps onstage, and use IEM's. Maybe in that situation, but for the rest of us out here.....it takes a LOT of tweaking to make the Axe sound good thru a guitar cab....or so I hear.

 

But I have heard it thru their Atomic wedges, and it is pretty spectacular. And they are just tweaked powered monitors. Expensive ones at that.

 

Bottom line is 2 wedges, an Axe II Ultra, and a foot controller, and you are in the 6k range, shipped. Oh, and don't forget another 2k for the Avalon and a rack case.

[Sadowsky13]

 

I'm an older player. Been going strong over 30 years. I've tried everything Line 6 came out with. When they say they would model a certain amp, I would put that amp beside their amp and compare. So, my Line 6 gear all went by the way side. I truely wanted that gear to work, but I just couldn't bond with it after playing the real deals for so many years. Enter AX FX. Is this the Real Deal? Has anyone "actually" compared their amp modeling to the actual amp? I'm speaking to you players who gig or have gigged alot with the real deal amps....I need some Real Advice here. Should I buy an AX FX or just stay with the Real Amps? Thanks for your input.

 

 

 

I feel where u r coming from, 41 yrs old and been lugging great amps and cabs around for years. Had tonnes of different amps ranging from marshall, fender and mesa. went recently to an axe fx ultra and have no regrets, solds all my amps and pedals and just use this for gigging. I run stright in the FOH PA but picked up a mackie srm450v2 for my own monitor when needed and for use at home. As for using it through a pa instead of a cab the difference is through a pa you have access to the cab similuations from the axe fx. When running it through a cab you would disable the cab simulations. I have found these are really quite good. Sound wise I would say you r 99% of the way there, havent used mine with a power amp into a cab yet so cant really say what that is like.

[ozzeh]

I'm relatively newbish to playing guitar (3+ years) and I have a really simple set-up that offers a lot of different and quality tones via a boss me-70 and a DS-2 pedal only straight into my tube amp on the clean chan...

 

However after watching some demos of the axe fx, I have to say : HOLY CRAP, the TONES are awesome!! The clean and metal tones are just phenomenal.

 

What confuses me, is all the damn equipment you have to buy in order to amplify the FX... studio monitors, PA equipment, I know nothing of this type of stuff.

 

There has to be a simplistic, cost-effective way of simply plugging the AXE FX into a quality amp and running it directly that way? While still retaining the impeccable tones?

 

How could one do this on a budget?

 

I think you can pick up an AXE FX for pretty reasonable used price but all the other gear that it seems like someone would need... seems to be the problem to me, at least.

 

But alas, due to the AMP MODELS the FX covers and QUALITY of reproducing the original sounds, I think I will definitely invest in one.

 

This will be after I get a nice high gain head and 2x12 cab though... after that, I see no reason to add more heads/amps when something like the AXE FX offers so much more versatility.

[daddyO]

I've spent a lot of time in the past 6 months researching modelers.

First off, TGP seems to be the unofficial AxeFX fanboy and expert site. Good resource on the AxeFX.

Second, investing in a proper AxeFX rig will cost the same as a very nice amp and a decent pedal board.

Axe II $2200 with discount $2600 without.

MCF midi floor controller $800. You ca use cheaper but that would be like bias ply tires on your Ferrari F430.

Expression pedal $50

FRFR powered monitors - from $300 for a single Mackie Th12a to $700 for a single QSC K12 to $850 for an Atomic powered wedge or maybe drop a $1,000 on a decent used tube power amp and 4x12 if you want to try the guitar cab route.

Rack case-$150

So that's anywhere from $3500 up . . .

You could buy a used Two Rock or Soldano SLO.

Sure, get a standard or Ultra used and save $500.

But I believe that one of the other big boys, Line 6, Digitech, BOSS, or Avid will come out with a processor to rival the AxeFX for under $1,000. Heck, Avid's Eleven Rack is already 90% there for under $900.

Because of this, I went HD300 and a Mackie TH12a so I can get a giggable modeling rig but not be in it too deep $$$ when new products come. I know it's half of what an AxeFX is, but I'm only out $150 when the new stuff hits.

[Sadowsky13]

 

I'm relatively newbish to playing guitar (3+ years) and I have a really simple set-up that offers a lot of different and quality tones via a boss me-70 and a DS-2 pedal only straight into my tube amp on the clean chan... However after watching some demos of the axe fx, I have to say : HOLY CRAP, the TONES are awesome!! The clean and metal tones are just phenomenal. What confuses me, is all the damn equipment you have to buy in order to amplify the FX... studio monitors, PA equipment, I know nothing of this type of stuff. There has to be a simplistic, cost-effective way of simply plugging the AXE FX into a quality amp and running it directly that way? While still retaining the impeccable tones? How could one do this on a budget? I think you can pick up an AXE FX for pretty reasonable used price but all the other gear that it seems like someone would need... seems to be the problem to me, at least. But alas, due to the AMP MODELS the FX covers and QUALITY of reproducing the original sounds, I think I will definitely invest in one. This will be after I get a nice high gain head and 2x12 cab though... after that, I see no reason to add more heads/amps when something like the AXE FX offers so much more versatility.

 

 

budget wise I would think find an axe fx ultra used, throw in an mfc 101 footswitch (but you can also go used with a ground control pro or similar) then get a powered monitor (I'm usuing a mackie srm450v2), buy a used rack for it and a used power conditioner. obviously your still looking at between 2500-3000. so not exactly cheap. The catch is the versatility and sound quality when compared to the line 6 stuff. When I was looking I was seriously considering getting a line 6 hd500. Ending up almost getting it when I tried an axe. I can honestly say there is no comparison, from dynamics, feels, tone etc. So ultimatley the axe fx is not a cheap option. It is a professional quality quitar preamp and that's what you are paying for.

[bvester]

 

I was looking into one of the Axe-FX systems myself not too long ago... The biggest turn off for me was that 99 out of 100 posts I have read said that studio monitors - not cabs - were the only way to go. Someone even went as far to point out that the person developing the Axe-FX system didn't even bother using guitar cabinets.

 

 

 

 

The only reason that using a traditional guitar cabinet is not preferred by some users is that it limits what you can do with the Axe. It sticks you with one cab, rather than several, which can be switched with a simple click.

 

I myself use the Axe live (has been on two tours) with an Emperor 6x12. Having all the effects and amp sims of the Axe is quite versatile enough for me without having the cab sims. Some people even continue to leave cab sims on while plugged into a traditional cab.

 

 

Also, what's so bad about FRFR? If you really want to get your money's worth and use the Axe's cab sims, then do it! I understand that most FRFR speakers don't look as cool as a guitar cab. Fractal's own Atomic series is the answer to this (for now).