Do you guys ever "start over?"

Xrocker said:
Hey Cliff, what do you look for in a complimentary IR when you switch to stereo?
Are you leaving the cab block panning at default or hard panning them for stereo FRFR?

I know, use your ears and if it sounds good it is good and all that, but I haven't much experience with stereo cabs.

Thank you for everything! Loving Q1.03.
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My typical workflow is to choose an R121 or M160 first as these have the best low end. Then I choose an IR from one of the other mic types to get the desired brilliance. This is usually an SM57 or 4047. I just don't like 906s or 414s but that's me.

I leave the panning at default but that's just my preference.
 
When I was gigging with my Axe-Fx I would carefully build core presets and labour intensively over details. It was a lot of work to maintain with all the firmware updates. I didn't always trust my ears, so I'd regularly drag out a real amp or two just so I could A/B.

Part of my problem was I'd always want to keep big complicated presets loaded with blocks to cover any stompbox I might want within each preset, even though most blocks would stay bypassed most of the time. The other problem was the IR rabbit hole.

Even though I knew I could eliminate those problems just by simplifying and having a more easy going mindset about it, 'starting over' was always difficult. There's this mental thing you get where you feel you MUST squeeze out every possible benefit from your setup, since it can do SO much stuff so well.

Eventually I did simplify.. first by ditching IRs and using real guitar cabs. Much easier with that variable eliminated, but still some work. Half the battle is just volume leveling.. I'd need all 14 or whatever blocks within multiple presets to all have the correct relative output level to be ready for gigging.

Eventually I realized I was almost always going back to the same 2 or 3 amp blocks.. and mostly just one. I really wanted to use 12 or 20 or 50 amps live.. because.. well.. you can! Except, I never did. So I ended up going back to a real, physical amp with stompboxes. Then the FX8 came out and gigging has been a joy ever since.

All of the above reflects my experience with LIVE \ GIG presets only, NOT studio\recording. Gig presets need to be consistent and dialed, and volume levelled. For the studio I don't maintain ANY presets, I 'start over' every time I want to record something. It's easy, I more or less use Cliff's method. Only put in the blocks I need for the part I'm tracking at the time. Levels are easy, usually no footswitching involved while recording. I just dial up something good and record. Bam.
 
unix-guy said:
But are you doing this in band context or a recording context?
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Well both. Obviously if I have a complicated grid set up with 8 scenes I might keep that but if I change the IR's I will also reset my amps. But sure I was mainly talking about recording clips.

It's hard to compare that to a tube rig. You would change your amp settings if you changed the cab you're using but usually people are stuck with one amp and cab right?
 
All the time...for major firmware updates I always reset my amp blocks (and sometimes the cab block and a system reset), any FX blocks that have been updated, and redo the amps from scratch.

For Quantum I took Cliff literally; I pretended it was a brand new device I was trying for the first time and started with just an amp/cab and nothing else. I build my live presets (five main ones-clean, med-gain/bluesy, rock/mid-gain/Marshally, higain, lead) with only the amp/cab pretty quickly (in a couple of hours-and a lot of that time was just playing and enjoying myself, not actively tweaking). I've been adding back FX as I go along. Am not gigging at the moment so I have lots of time to start everything from scratch.

I also have tons of presets for recording, user presets, experimenting, FX , etc. and I just tweak them as needed. Usually, the user presets I have are more about the FX and not the amp/cab.

I'll never get rid of the most awesome preset ever, the synth intro to "Tom Sawyer" from Simeon lol...that one is sooooooo fun...
 
USMC_Trev said:
Go back and re-read his post with a reasonable understanding that he obviously didn't mean that his entire process only took a few minutes.
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I think you could argue either way...

I was just pointing out that he did say that.

I guess we have to wait for Cliff to chime in...
 
I haven't touched my high gain presets in months, apart from my new deliverance patch which is my new favorite, which took about five minutes to dial in.

If I'm happy with my tones I just kinda leave them. But when I update firmwares (still on 19 at the moment because I'm too lazy to find my usb cable) I start over just because its so damn easy. If I get bored sometimes I just pull up a new amp or reset my current preset to get a new sound.

Back when I used a POD, I used to dread "starting over" just because of the sheer amount of time and effort I had to put in to get a decent sound. But with the axe ii, things sound at least decent just with the default settings, and go to great or amazing just with basic amp eq changes.
 
USMC_Trev said:
Go back and re-read his post with a reasonable understanding that he obviously didn't mean that his entire process only took a few minutes.
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I am not new to the forums and when a dispute occurs I wait a few days til things calm down to post my thoughts.


I'm sorry that my silly question originated that debate, even though my English is limited I understood that Cliff took a few minutes ONLY for tweaking the amp knobs, choose an IR is more tricky. He said he stuck with compatible IR's (4x12 for a Peavey) but I wanted him to explain in more detail his method for choosing IRs.

My question was not properly formulated but now I have this nice answer from Cliff:

"My typical workflow is to choose an R121 or M160 first as these have the best low end. Then I choose an IR from one of the other mic types to get the desired brilliance. This is usually an SM57 or 4047. I just don't like 906s or 414s but that's me.
I leave the panning at default but that's just my preference."


This was exactly what I was looking for

For me this forum is the equivalent of the Academos gardens of ancient Greece where the teacher was walking with his students and acquired knowledge from questions and answers.
How priceless knowledge we now enjoy comes from stupid questions ?
 
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Strumzilla said:
Yep. The AxeFx is so good now, you really don't have to understand what the hell you're doing other than pick an amp, put a cab block behind and go to town. Nothing else is needed for great tone, but obviously there's a lot more you could do.
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Sure seems to be true :cool:
 
I've started over from scratch a few times. New firmware, amp models and IR's yield different results. Tastes change too! Us tone chasers are constantly refining our sound. It will never end. Experiment and have fun!

FYI, Quantum is the Lamborghini of firmware updates. You need it like you need oxygen. It's that friggin' good!
 
I don't really start over. My layout has been basically the same since the Ultra days. I tweak it constantly, but the general idea behind my patches has always been the same.
 
ETOLKIEN said:
For me this forum is the equivalent of the Academos gardens of ancient Greece where the teacher was walking with his students and acquired knowledge from questions and answers.
How priceless knowledge we now enjoy comes from stupid questions ?
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Picturing Cliff in a robe and sandals... Thinking the next ad should have him in it dressed like that.

"Toga, toga, toga... I'm an Axe FX II, get it?"

Firmware upgrades.... "Thank you sir, may I have another!"
 
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