AX8 with tube amp

ric_sant

ric_sant

Member
Hi All,

I am anxiously waiting for my AX8 invitation coming probably in the next month.
My budget does not allow for an FRFR speaker as of now. Therefore, I will be using the AX8 with my Fender Blues Deluxe combo which has a Power Amp input thus bypassing the preamp and going directly to the power section of the amp.

Is anybody using the AX8 + tube amp with this setup with satisfactory results ?

Thanks
Ricardo
 
Hey,

yeah this surely works and will sound very good. I use a modified Hughes & Kettner Puretone (added a Metro Loop) and use the FX Return with my AX8. Of course the cab and tube power amp will color the sound. Make sure to play around with power amp modelling (I prefer it to be still active altough I use a tube power amp for amplification)

Cheers
Dan
 
ric, I'm considering the exact same setup so I'll be interested to hear what you think of it. As mDaniel said you'll still get some coloration from the power amp and especially the cab, but it should sound good.

Keep us posted...
 
i just tried something similar today. I used the AX8 amp models through the aux input of my Quilter Aviator 12.

The Quilter is a solid state amp that works perfectly as a clean base for pedals. The aux input is basically the same as an effects return for this purpose--it bypasses the preamp.

I globally bypassed the Cab blocks in the AX8 and let the Quilter's 12" speaker do the work.

I only auditioned the Fender models today. For me, it was a great way to experience the Ax8 amp models with that "amp in the same room" sound I'm used to. The Cab IR blocks are fantastic, but they sound like an amp on the other side of a studio control room window.

I haven't tried models of amps that would typically connect to larger closed back cabinets yet.

The Fender models I tried today sounded wonderful this way. Very authentic. Not sure how the high gain stack stuff will sound through the Quilter's open 1x12, but I'll try it eventually. Hopefully it produces something usable.

I actually prefer smaller open cabinets because everybody can hears them easily at reasonable volumes. I find closed 4x12 to be a big instigator of volume wars because they are only heard clearly about 10 feet in front and not well by the player standing right next to it or the drummer beside it.

But I digress. I'm just thinking it would be cool if I could monitor a reasonable tone through my little open 1x12; keep the stage volume down; and send an authentic 4x12 sound to FOH when appropriate.
 
My AX8 is scheduled to arrive on Monday (I am so excited!!!) ... I plan to try running mine through by little Fender 65 Princeton Reverb. I will try to post my thoughts after that.
 
Yesterday I try AX8 in 4CM and direct into amp return. No hum, no hiss. After a bit of tweaking I have useable sound, and with a little more tweaking they start to sound very good. I prefer the 4CM probably because I love my fine customize preamps sound.
 
I love it through my power amp and 1x12 setup. When it comes time to record I'll definitely tweak patches for it through headphones and/or studio monitors, but for general playing, I go to 'real' style setup. Just turn off cab modeling. I've found so fast that I like the power amp modeling on.
 
I love the versatility of FRFR (monitor), I think I prefer go direct to bank if I had to record. Gigging... well. To tell the true I still prefer a real boxy cab, be it 1x12, 2x12, 4x10 or 4x12. I don't know why, it subtle but the feel is... better. The drive block also seems more alive in front of real amp.
 
Keep in mind when you run this way that it's never going to sound like certain things you might be going for. An open back 1x12 cabinet is of course a great thing but you will never get the tight punch of a closed 4x12 no matter how hard you try. And he power section is going to impart it's sonic signature as well. I have no doubt that it's going to sound great but just know that the power amp and cab will be a constraint.
 
I finally got a chance to play the AX8 through by little Princeton at church yesterday. I thought it sounded great. Thick, clear, clean, and chimey though by G&L tele. I had a tube amp player come up and play a bit and he was impressed and another fella make a compliment on the sound.

I am no master of amp tones, I am not looking for a specific amp tone, I am just looking for tones that sound great and work well in the mix of who I am playing with. It was a delight.
 
Mine gets its first run tomorrow night at rehearsal. I am playing it through a Mesa 20/20 and Marshall 1936 Cab. So far it sounds nice in my room however, the live band situation might be more challenging. Fingers crossed
 
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mmpete said:
Mine gets its first run tomorrow night at rehearsal. I am playing it through a Mesa 20/20 and Marshall 1936 Cab. So far it sounds nice in my room however, the live band situation might be more challenging. Fingers crossed
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My last modeling rig was through a 20/20 and two 1x12 Bogner cubes. Wish I would have kept those but ah well.
 
I play through the effects return of my Peavey 6505+. It's a loud amp and the 6l6 power section works ok with the AX8. It sounds fairly consistent but of course, some models would sound off. I usually turn power amp modeling off or on depending on the virtual amp im using. With amp that get their distortion from their virtual preamps, I just turn the power amp modeling off. But for Marshall type models, power amp on sounds better.

It's kinda tedious for me doing it this way so I'm looking to buy an SS Matrix power amp to simplify my patches and just leave power amp sims on.
 
mmpete said:
Mine gets its first run tomorrow night at rehearsal. I am playing it through a Mesa 20/20 and Marshall 1936 Cab. So far it sounds nice in my room however, the live band situation might be more challenging. Fingers crossed
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Devastated ... :oops:

So ... ever had one of those rehearsals where you leave wanting to dump everything in the bin and take up yoga or something more zen. I was so keen to get there and play with my new toy. I have been working hard all week to get some usable sounds through my Mesa 20/20 --> Marshall 1936 cab and was really happy with how they sounded in my rather small room at home - you know the one - it has everything in it that has been banished from other parts of the house. The other guys sounded glorious with their Boss ME50 pedals into their amps (meh) and I sounded dull, flat, and lifeless, one dimensional ... etc etc etc. the only exception was the Acoustic patch I stole from Bank 64. With the Takamine going through it - it was really nice.

I'm the new guy in the band so still finding my own space and thinking I'm adding something to the overall sound. At the end of the rehearsal, (3rd rehearsal), the most devastating comment was - "gee Pete, I really liked that sound to had at the gig the other week - with that small amp (Mesa Express 5:25) maybe you should stick with that ..." In truth, that was the bass player talking - I mean - who TF does he think he is - speaking at all o_O

Next steps include, but are not limited too;

Attend 'old guy with new tricks sounding crap therapy classes
take up meditation
start yoga
eat better food
tell the wife I love her
let the kids out of the cupboard more often
then;​

Work on the sound again. I'm thinking that I need to consider leaving the power section in the amp modelling turned on to get some added depth to the sounds. I've read a bunch of threads talking about having to turn off PA Sag as well as turning off the PA itself if you are using a real power section so my question is, if I am going to use PA modelling as well, should I leave SAG on or off ? I'm guessing the reason it should be turned off is that my Mesa 20/20 will have it's own version of real life sag going no - so lets not double up on that one ... but then again, the whole power amp will be doubled up if I model on it.

Thoughts anyone?
 
Wow! Sounds like a crappy day if you were contemplating taking up stamp collecting and the like! Ah well, been there & done that unfortunately. Did you have cab modeling switched off? I would think with both a real power amp & a real guitar cab you would want power amps & cabs switched off.

I haven't run the AX8 this way yet but I did have some luck with other modelers running into the power amp in (FX loop in) on a small Egnater Rebel 30 and into the Rebel 30 1-12" cab. I don't think I had either of those elements switched off but It may have been a lot less coloration going on with that amp than a Mesa 20/20.
 
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