Hey guys, new to the forum here, excited about my new toy, Mark II or XL ?

T

Torrid

Member
Just introducing myself, I just sold my Strymon Timeline, Strymon Big Sky an Origin Effects Cali76 TX, a Rivera Rock Crusher an Ethos Overdrive and a Pigtronix Infinity looper so I can buy the MARK II (this was a huge sacrifice from my end, my pedal board is pretty much empty, lucky for me I barely took a hit resale wise....(considered the XL but didnt see the gain-not sure if it matters for me) anyone got anything to say in regard to choosing the Mark II over XL pro or cons....

Im typically a simple layout type of player, love to compose and shred, especially bluesy progressive stuff, Im certain the AXE-FX is way over kill for me, but Im an old guy who cant get past owning the best although Im usually late to the party as I am just now buying an AXE-FX unit....

If anybody has any serious pros to choosing the XL over the Mark II, I would appreciate them chiming in, my Paypal cash will be clear to spend at the end of this month and I dont want to buy the Mark II only to find another $350 bucks and I could have had the XL especially if it would matter in the long run.

No need to suggest used gear I only buy new, I dont mind selling stuff, I take good care of my gear, but I dont like to take a chance on pre user issues myself, so its either the Mark II or the XL for me anyone ?
 
Presets for the XL can't be used on the 2. Meaning that half of whats shared on the forum will be unavailable to you if you have the 2. That and the additional IR slots have many 2 owners wishing they had an XL. If you're into trying other peoples presets and you think you'll like to use a lot of different user IRs, get the XL. If those things don't matter to you, get the 2. Just think long and hard about what you want to do with your AxeFX, as you said, there's a potential for regret here. I personally highly recommend the XL and I think most will agree with that. Welcome by the way ;).
 
Damn, both good points, starting to make me sweat and I havn't even bought it yet..lol I appreciate the input, as you know theres a whole lot to try and discern and not having owned one its a little to tough to try and gleen all the possibilities from the forums before I no longer have the patience to hold my cash, Im just itching to see one of them on my door step, but I have to say Im glad I didnt buy an standard or ultra first, the Mark II and XL are certainly better and more practical not to mention still valid update wise.
 
jlynnb1 said:
i wouldn't let presets sway you....they rarely translate from user to user due to style, what is being used for amplification, guitar/pups used, etc. They end up as a source of frustration as often as not.
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Jlynn is correct, presets will never sound exactly the same when shared. Every aspect of the signal chain is important. I disagree with the last part though, I can't imagine why it would frustrate anyone unless they expect it to sound exactly the same. Personally, preset sharing is immeasurably valuable to me as an educational tool. Each user does something different, you can learn something new from many presets on the forum, especially when you first start using your axe and it's still confusing to you. It's varied like all things. Some of us love preset sharing, others hate it, others are neutral to it.

Just imagine this scenario: you see a post on the forum telling everyone how to emulate a pedal you really like and really want to use in your presets. You get super excited and download the preset. Load it into your Axe. Now you get a message telling you that you can't use it because you only have the 2 and not the XL. If this sounds like something that wouldn't bother you, factor it out of your decision making process. I'm just making sure you're aware of how frustrating such a scenario can be for some of us.

Fortunately, you are sort of lucky here. If you buy the 2 and wish you'd gotten the XL, you can always sell the 2 for minimal loss. Fractal products, even used, are in high demand so it's easy to make close to all your money back.
 
Thanks Anthony, and i appreciate you guys making these possbilities and short comings known to me, Im only about $350 shy of the XL, so its not out of reach, I certainly dont want regret right off the bat, sadly I hardly scratch the surface on my gear potential, though I am satisfied with what little I do use, what I really wish was that the FX8 was available now and that it had a few amp and cab sims on it, then this would be a no brainer for me, its the lack of availablity and the lack of amp and cab sims that put me in the awkward position of having to go for massive over kill with the Mark ii or xl to start with...

Im thinking down the road Fractal will end up simplifying alot of this to be more user friendly and to reach a wider audience at friendlier price points, certainly seems like it would be easier production wise...though that often leads to production issues so who knows..

Wish I knew more about the "drive" capabilities on the FX8 I play fairly clean most of the time it may be just what the doctor ordered, not to mention it would save me a grand....hmmm...
 
Wish I knew more about the "drive" capabilities on the FX8 I play fairly clean most of the time it may be just what the doctor ordered said:
Are you asking about the drive blocks? The drives in the FX8 are the same as in the Axe. A lot of us really like the drives, and others say the drives need work. I personally don't find them lacking once you learn how to use them, which is easy.
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Yes I guess I am, I know little about the FX8 drive capabilites, there really isnt much showing what it can do, being a minimalist compared to most rack users, I am thinking the FX8 may have everything I need, unfortunately I dont know how long the wait to get one will be, I dont feel like waiting another 6 months that much I know......personally I think once you throw on a little delay and a hint of reverb a "less" than perfect drive becomes a non issue, especially if tubes are invloved....

I always figure if I can get a decent Pink Floyd/Rush lead tone Im pretty much set, I really require little else, so you can see why the FX8 seems pretty darn appealing, not to mention the simplicity of use compared to the Mark II......damn I wish I knew when it would be available. (I know, I know, sometime first quarter of 2015, yeah what ever...)
 
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Torrid said:
Yes I guess I am, I know little about the FX8 drive capabilites, there really isnt much showing what it can do, being a minimalist compared to most rack users, I am thinking the FX8 may have everything I need, unfortunately I dont know how long the wait to get one will be, I dont feel like waiting another 6 months that much I know......
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A demonstration video would be immensely appreciated among prospective buyers. Hopefully one will come soon. I would check out the FX8 section of the forum, there might be more info there that would help you. I have no plans to buy one, so I have made little effort to learn about it. Here is a link for convenience:

FX8 Discussion
 
I have the xl and am very glad I spent the extra cash. look at it this way how much would 200 tube amps cost? now how about 100's of great effects? now how about 100's of cabs? Pretty cheap if you ask me.
 
I've got the II, does everything I want and I've been thoroughly satisfied, but the XL's extra IR spots are worth the price alone. Add the fact that presets aren't backwards compatible and that sways me a bit more. The differences probably aren't enough for me to sell and buy an XL, but they are more than enough to pay the premium for the difference if I was buying new right now.
 
I bought the XL I didn't want to buy a unit and not be able to look at the other presets people share. I almost never use a preset I download but as mentioned above there is a lot to be learned from the way the preset is routed and how some of the effects are tweaked. And for just a little more money. I mean once you have spent $2200 what's 200 more?
 
Not enough $ difference to not get the XL, IMO. If I had to do it again, I'd buy the XL. But there is no bad choice and no reason for me to sell what I have just for that.
 
For me my axe fx II mark II is a real winner and it is by far more than I can handle for now, so for me there's no reason to go for an xl .. but if you are a power user and need those extra stuff go for it.

Any way you go you will be very happy with it I'm sure, so just go ahead and join the revolution in sound and possibilities and get prepared to get amazed again and again as the firmware evolves and cliff and company come up with new awesome features that we get as free updates ..
I really do believe that 99.9 % of the users here are all agreeing that this is the best buy ever ..

I certainly feel that way, and you see it all over the forum .. :)
so welcome

:)
 
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Welcome aboard the good ship Fractal!
I have a II, but if I had to buy one tomorrow, I'd likely go for the XL.
A wise man once told me, when it comes to computers and computer based electronics, buy the most powerful product you can afford since technology advances so rapidly.
Either way you go, both the II and the XL should hold their resale value for quite sometime.
 
$300 for something you may or may not need isn't that bad of a trade off when you're considering a new device. Personally I would buy the XL even if you never use all of it's potential, my 02.

Welcome to the Machine!
 
If you are going new, go with the XL. If you are going used get a Mk1 or Mk2.

In any case you're getting the best guitar effects processor on the planet.
 
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