Axe-FX III with Real cab vs. the Real thing

Is there a noticeable difference when your playing Axe-Fx III with power amp and cab vs. Amp + cab?

  • I hear or feel a difference in the room, but I like them both equally

    Votes: 37 28.0%

  • I hear a difference in the room, but I prefer Axe-Fx III with a power amp and cab

    Votes: 17 12.9%

  • I hear a difference in the room, I prefer real amp with cab

    Votes: 25 18.9%

  • I can't hear or feel a difference, and don't think I could tell in a blind test.

    Votes: 53 40.2%
  • Total voters
    132
jaycal6 said:
Yeah I've read through that whole TGP thread a few times by now. What about best practice for running Fractal > Power Station > Real Cab? Use an impedance curve that most closely matches the real cab, or set it flat (resistive load)? Seems like there was debate on that.
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Running a resistive load impedance curve does not sound very good with this setup IMO. I much preferred running a similar impedance curve and then manually dialing back the resonances a bit.
 
seeing presence / depth / EQ knobs on a power amp intended for Axfx use makes me shudder (whether tube (ie PS..) or SS (ie Pedal Baby...) because if those knobs have to be adjusted "to taste" across diverse models then it's a deal breaker since I won't be able automate their changes from preset to preset.
 
sprint said:
seeing presence / depth / EQ knobs on a power amp intended for Axfx use makes me shudder (whether tube (ie PS..) or SS (ie Pedal Baby...) because if those knobs have to be adjusted "to taste" across diverse models then it's a deal breaker since I won't be able automate their changes from preset to preset.
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Better to leave them flat and handle EQ within Fractal then yeah?
 
sprint said:
seeing presence / depth / EQ knobs on a power amp intended for Axfx use makes me shudder (whether tube (ie PS..) or SS (ie Pedal Baby...) because if those knobs have to be adjusted "to taste" across diverse models then it's a deal breaker since I won't be able automate their changes from preset to preset.
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I feel the same about volume knobs :D. In the last couple of days with my Matrix GT1000fx I've def found a sweet spot between 1-3 O'Clock. Seems like a company could just default the sweet spot then we can use the AFIII levels to adjust volume. Most of my hifi tube and solid state gear has been like this.
 
I use Crown power amps for monitoring.

I would only trust them and QSC or a vintage Hafler or Crest Audio, if you could find them in good condition. There's a lot of snake oil peddling that I will not fall for.
 
jaycal6 said:
Yeah I've read through that whole TGP thread a few times by now. What about best practice for running Fractal > Power Station > Real Cab? Use an impedance curve that most closely matches the real cab, or set it flat (resistive load)? Seems like there was debate on that.
Click to expand...
People are "getting there" different ways... Post #120 in this thread is just letting it rip but putting some parametric at the end of the chain.

For me personally, I just pulled back the speaker impedance curve resonances in the fractal a little bit- I never thought to try a parametric. That may be fine as well.

When I was still trying to run FRFR, I always found it hard to keep the amp from being harsh. I could tame the high end with EQ but it would then be dull. Rolling the impedance resonances back a little bit seemed to be the perfect fix for me and because of that, I wouldn't be concerned about the impact on FOH since I wouldn't want that to be harsh either.
 
You guys make me think about going power amp/ cab…
I currently run the Axe through high end monitors (ATC SCM 50 ASL), but I’m curious about having both options readily available…
 
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Chris Hurley said:
People are "getting there" different ways... Post #120 in this thread is just letting it rip but putting some parametric at the end of the chain.

For me personally, I just pulled back the speaker impedance curve resonances in the fractal a little bit- I never thought to try a parametric. That may be fine as well.

When I was still trying to run FRFR, I always found it hard to keep the amp from being harsh. I could tame the high end with EQ but it would then be dull. Rolling the impedance resonances back a little bit seemed to be the perfect fix for me and because of that, I wouldn't be concerned about the impact on FOH since I wouldn't want that to be harsh either.
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I’m not in front of my AF3 but I’m intrigued. What do you mean by rolling the impedance resonances back? I can’t remember the options, hi and lo resonance? In the Amp or Cab block?
 
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Amsz said:
You guys make me think about going power amp/ cab…
I currently run the Axe through high end monitors (ATC SCM 50 ASL), but I’m curious about having both options readily available…
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It opened up a whole new world for me - even using the PowerStage 200, which may not be the best option, but so far it works for me. W/D/W patches with my studio monitors are heavenly.
 
When talking about the feel of things you've got to be comparing things reasonably. You can't say that a modeler doesn't feel the same as a cranked Marshall if you're not playing the modeler cranked up as well. A Marshall at reasonable volumes sure as hell doesn't feel like a cranked Marshall.

A couple nights ago I played a Jeff Beck tribute show. It was at a decent size club and let's just say the stage volume was nucking futs. I was running an FM9 into a RCF ART 708 and direct to FOH. I had the RCF cranked and the FM9 output was pretty damn high too. I haven't played that loud for any length of time in years. I used a single patch for my whole set - 1987x marshall into factory cab marshall 4x12 with greenbacks. My guitar sustained like a real amp, I got controlled feedback like a real amp, the guitar felt alive like a real amp, etc.

Oh, when it came time to carry my rig out to the car, it was nothing like a real amp :)
 
FractalAudio said:
I took part in the test too. I liked the right speaker every time. The right speaker simply sounded better.

When Eric Johnson recorded Ah Via Musicom his cab had all the same speakers in it but he had a favorite speaker in that cab that sounded "best".
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I used to come across this all the time when I worked in studios as an engineer.

I’d routinely check all the speakers in every multi-speaker cab by or combo because they would all sound different and usually one sounded better than others.

This would happen regardless of the speakers being all the same brand/model/spec and installed at the same time in the factory, sometimes with the same production stamps on them.

I’d usually mark the favourite speaker with a little bit of painters tape on the grille in the position I used to help me get back to it in subsequent sessions.
 
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