RifferMcDuck
Inspired
Hey everyone!
I recently bought a used Axe-Fx II hoping for some release from 8 years or so of battling with cheap digital amp sims.
However, I'm frustrated, as mine doesn't sound at all different from the usual amp sims you can download for free online. In every video I've seen of it in action, it sounds beautiful and almost indistinguishable from real tube amps, and I don't understand why mine is so vastly different. I only watch tutorial videos of people using stock amps/cabs with stock IRs and no EQ, and still mine sounds nowhere near as full bodied and realistic as theirs, no matter the combo. The best way I can describe it is that it's no different in sound from a free digital amp sim - it's hollow, weak, and has very little dynamics, especially in regard to distortion. Of course I can tweak my butt off and get "usable" tones, but I shouldn't have to work this hard to make it stand apart enough to justify the price.
My chain:
LTD H1001 with EMGs -> Axe-Fx II -> Yamaha HS5 monitors
So far I've troubleshooted by:
-Ensured the power amp & cab modeling is on
-Moved my pickups both up and down, replaced battery
-Swapped cables
-Reset system parameters/reinstalled firmware
-Tried a different guitar
-Ensured my input signal is "tickling the red"
I apologize for being frustrated, as there's no way to return it if I'm unhappy with it. But any help on how to improve my experience would be wonderful. Maybe I'm just an awful guitar player?
EDIT 2: False alarm, issue still persists. I'm about to throw this thing into the garbage.
I recently bought a used Axe-Fx II hoping for some release from 8 years or so of battling with cheap digital amp sims.
However, I'm frustrated, as mine doesn't sound at all different from the usual amp sims you can download for free online. In every video I've seen of it in action, it sounds beautiful and almost indistinguishable from real tube amps, and I don't understand why mine is so vastly different. I only watch tutorial videos of people using stock amps/cabs with stock IRs and no EQ, and still mine sounds nowhere near as full bodied and realistic as theirs, no matter the combo. The best way I can describe it is that it's no different in sound from a free digital amp sim - it's hollow, weak, and has very little dynamics, especially in regard to distortion. Of course I can tweak my butt off and get "usable" tones, but I shouldn't have to work this hard to make it stand apart enough to justify the price.
My chain:
LTD H1001 with EMGs -> Axe-Fx II -> Yamaha HS5 monitors
So far I've troubleshooted by:
-Ensured the power amp & cab modeling is on
-Moved my pickups both up and down, replaced battery
-Swapped cables
-Reset system parameters/reinstalled firmware
-Tried a different guitar
-Ensured my input signal is "tickling the red"
I apologize for being frustrated, as there's no way to return it if I'm unhappy with it. But any help on how to improve my experience would be wonderful. Maybe I'm just an awful guitar player?
EDIT 2: False alarm, issue still persists. I'm about to throw this thing into the garbage.
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