New To Axe FX Modeling

HornsUp247

HornsUp247

Member
I have used variations of almost everything Line6 has ever put out and have spent hundreds of dollars on Amplitube and other, similar, software. I recently bought an Axe FX hoping that it would be the gold standard of modeling but my first impressions are: A- The presets (including the shared user presets in AxeEdit) don't sound as good as presets I've uncovered elsewhere. B-There is a substantial learning curve to the Axe FX.

I'm hoping against hope it's just a learning curve. Right now I'm plugging a PRS Custom 24 directly into the front end INSTR jack and a pair of Bose noise canceling headphones into the PHONES jack. I'm using a Monster Prolink cable for the guitar. From poking around in here I'm guessing my headphones are to blame but honestly I've gotten quality tones from other types of devices and software with them so I'm nervous.

How am I getting better tones out of the box from a damn Line6 POD HD? What am I doing wrong? Thanks for letting me vent. I have started a trouble ticket with Fractal as they suggested when I inquired about a return. Hoping to make this work, I have had good luck dialing in tones on much less regarded equipment so I'm a little stunned with my lack of success so far.
 
The factory presets are just the tip of the iceberg. Build your own presets from scratch to match your guitar, pickups, and preferences. Keep is dead simple at first. Just amp and cab and maybe a touch of reverb since you are listening with headphones. The Cab IR chosen makes all the difference in the world. You have to experiment with different combinations until you find the combo you like. You might also use the cab block high cut and shave off a bit of the high end as well. Otherwise It can get a bit shrill through headphones at times. Also, don't worry about all the advanced parameters either. Focus on the ones you recognize from real gear. The others are nice for specific fine tuning but are in no way needed to get good tones. Dial things in the way you would physical gear. Most of the pot tapers match the real deal.
 
HornsUp247 said:
Right now I'm plugging a PRS Custom 24 directly into the front end INSTR jack and a pair of Bose noise canceling headphones into the PHONES jack.
Click to expand...

Have you followed the procedure in 'Section 3.1' of the manual, on setting levels? The very first sentence reads...

"For the Axe-Fx II to work properly, it is important that input and output levels be configured correctly."

I found that once I did this, it helped my setup a great deal.

Not sure if you have a hard copy of the manual, but here's a link to the PDF copy;

http://www.fractalaudio.com/downloads/manuals/axe-fx-2/Axe-Fx-II-Owners-Manual.pdf

Give it a try and see if it helps. If not, don't give up...there's lots of support in the Fractal community. :)
 
Initially after buying I had a similar sentiment to you, "why do I like the old stuff better?" After playing with it long enough to ween my ears off the other stuff it started to sink in how much better the axe was (going back to my pre axe recordings are a night and day thing for me). I think you have a certain expectation of how things should sound and how to get there with the less accurate sims and it's hindering your ability to utilize the axe. For now I say start simple, amp and cab, and work from there
 
Toopy14 said:
Have you followed the procedure in 'Section 3.1' of the manual, on setting levels? The very first sentence reads...

"For the Axe-Fx II to work properly, it is important that input and output levels be configured correctly."

I found that once I did this, it helped my setup a great deal.

Not sure if you have a hard copy of the manual, but here's a link to the PDF copy;

http://www.fractalaudio.com/downloads/manuals/axe-fx-2/Axe-Fx-II-Owners-Manual.pdf

Give it a try and see if it helps. If not, don't give up...there's lots of support in the Fractal community. :)
Click to expand...

Absolutely do this first!! It was a step I missed for awhile and I struggled until I came across it. I have used a PRS Custom 24 into the Axe as well and, depending on the sounds you like, a good starting point would be Mark Day's HBE (Fremen had a free version of it that was even better IMO). That preset was the first one I found that was almost plug and play and gave me a good place to start messing around with stuff. Also, yeah... lose the headphones.
 
jlynnb1 said:
lose the headphones
Click to expand...


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^This ... in spades.

The headphone experience for me took a lot longer to dial in correctly than a traditional (stereo) speaker output. I ended up prefering powered headphones and auditioned many pairs via Amazon until I landed on the Blue MoFis.
 
∞Fractals said:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^This ... in spades.

The headphone experience for me took a lot longer to dial in correctly than a traditional (stereo) speaker output. I ended up prefering powered headphones and auditioned many pairs via Amazon until I landed on the Blue MoFis.
Click to expand...
Just curious, what other headphones did you try?
 
Fenderbendr said:
Just curious, what other headphones did you try?
Click to expand...

Note: For the AXE FX only and was going on posted Forum recommendations (as I've owned at least 20-30 pairs of other brands in my life; wish I had never sold my Stax electrostatics - we've all been there.) I'll also add that none of these blow are audiophile territory, but that wasn't the objective either.
  • Beyerdynamic DT 770 80 ohms - very comfortable, sounded like crap.
  • Beyerdynamic DT 880 250 ohms - very comfortable, sounded like crap.
  • Beats (already had them laying around; these are sort of special - not made differently that I know of, but gifted from Andre himself ... these were an early run (by Monster I belive) and there was a hint of the target sound and clarity I wanted. One big clue was that they are powered/amped and although seriously over emphasizing the bass, lead me to buy/try a headphone amp for the Beyerdynamics (and others), but that didn't quite get me there - so I was about to get the Focals due to my experience with the company but nearly every review on Amazon said they hurt your ears after 20 mins. I have large ears - so I don't really dig it when they hurt after such a short period.)
  • Bose QuietComfort 25 (already had these too as I used to fly a lot).
  • Blue MoFis - as recommended here on the forum. Full stop - sounds great, less filling. Winner winner chicken dinner.
Best of luck.

woof woof
 
Last edited:
Welcome friend. The FX is more of a tweakers dream than the POD gear. I had POD prior to going with FAS years ago. I agree with other posters that headphones are probably the problem. I find some of my presets that sound rich and full through my monitor amp sound rather thin and brittle with headphones. Even my high-end reference mixing headphones just do not sound the same as the open room sound from my amp.

I think the FX can be a bit overwhelming for someone who is completely new to it. The manual is very helpful, as is the wiki page. Your Fractal may take a bit more effort than the POD, but hang in there. The FX is well worth the effort. You have taken a good first step in reaching out to the forum members. Again, welcome.
 
I had about a week to play around with the Axe when I first got it. It really grew on me and I ended up using a lot more than I thought from the begging. Now I can't see myself using something else...
 
Never get lost in the Axe Fx. There are tons of features but only use the ones that you can wrap your head around. Just because you can turn all the knobs you should not do that. There are so many settings that I never use and I'm fine with that...
 
I'd highly recommend avoiding the advanced parameters at this stage. Keep it simple and stick with the main controls that correlate to the amp model you're using.

There is a learning curve, but once you get familiar with Axe-Edit everything will make complete sense, and the result will be tone that puts Line6's POD and other antique modelers to shame. I remember my first couple of days sifting through all of the options seemed daunting and overwhelming, but I've learned that I don't need to mess with 85% of the parameters in order to make killer presets. They're there for those who like absolute and total control over every facet of an amp / cab, but it's not necessary to use or understand what they do in order to get the most out of the unit.

In my opinion, the stock presets aren't indicative of the tonal quality that the unit is truly capable of, either.

Lastly, I own the original POD / POD XT and the Axe FX runs circles around both of them.
 
If you're going to monitor on headphones, then open the CAB block and define some room settings so that it doesn't sound like you've got your ear a couple inches away from the speakers. That's the primary intention of those settings, as I understand it.
 
Last edited:
Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply, I have also been getting feedback from a rep at Fractal who, like many of you, suggested setting the input level appropriately. I did lower the level a bit but never really experienced what I would consider clipping although red warning lights would occasionally flash with some presets. I'm still not getting great tone or even hearing the effects properly. I was going to purchase some higher end "flat" headphones but the rep at Guitar Center suggested studio monitors like many of you. I'm looking to pick up a pair of 5" studio monitors tomorrow although the floor under the desk is starting to look like a plate of spaghetti and adding even more cords is sure to make that worse. I'm only going to spend about $150-200 per speaker, that's the budget. Any suggestions? I'm hoping for a night an day difference between what I'm hearing now on the headphones and what I was expecting when I bought the Axe FX. I've heard some great tones out of this thing - from other users. Hopefully the monitors give me the tones I'm looking for. It can't hurt to try I guess.
 
Take your guitar and your Axe-FX to local stores and try out different monitors. Check out stuff beyond your budget right now just to get a better idea of what the potential is, and to compare vs. less expensive monitors.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom