Hello guys, I have a first version of Axe FX II (not MKII) which I have issues with when I try to use it with Neumann KH 120A monitors.
Just to check all the possible red flags:
I thought that maybe Neumanns are just crap or my acoustics are too bad for it to work because even when playing music through Axe FX, using it as interface, it seems that the sound is very congested and not at all how I feel a pair of 1000e monitors should sound. They do have 5,5" woofer and I thought maybe that was the main issue, but I've seen stories of people having great results and praising both them and other 5-7" monitors.
I've decided to see if maybe the Axe FX is the issue so I connected:
* One monitor to Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd gen (left out) using Klotz shielded balanced TRS/XLR male cable
Conclusions were that playing music and guitar through reaper with amped roots sim gave me more realistic guitar sound with fuller low end, lot less congested mids (300-1000Hz), monitors started sounding usable for listening and mixing using Focusrite as the audio interface.
To make sure it's not just difference in cable manufacturers, even though both cables I used were high end ones I connected one monitor to balanced out1 left and other monitors to unbalanced out 1 left and compared the sounds using both Axe FX models and Amped Roots amp sim via Reaper and conclusion was once again that outputs on Axe FX just sound congested undefined and weak in the low end.
Am I having a faulty unit here?
Or is that how Axe FX deals with its output maybe some kind of optimization so the outputs sound good with 12" FRFRs?
I am left confused because I've spent around 1500e combined on monitors, cables and stands just to have my Axe sound like 200e practice amp. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE how it sounds using my headphones, I can get great tones from so many amps, all sound crystal clear, punchy, there is a lot of distinction between different IRs and amps. I've tried playing through patches I made on headphones, making patches from scratch, but on Neumanns it just doesn't sound right.
Here is my history of gear used with Axe FX:
I am thinking possibly as a last resort to try and get Dynacord AXM 12A (which is said to be pretty much equal to Atomic CLR which isn't in stock, ever) but if Axe is going to make the output sound bad then I feel like I would just waste another 1000e trying to chase usable tone.
Does anyone have any idea what's going on?
Just to check all the possible red flags:
- I am using cab simulations
- using Poweramp simulation, similar as with headphone setup
- connected high quality SHIELDED, BALANCED XLR Vovox 2m cable into Axe FX output 1
- using Strandberg Boden 7 with Fishman Fluence Modern pickups
- my output EQ on out1 and out2 is set flat, all on 0
- monitors placed on quality stands - Ultimate MS-90/36B
- my Axe has the latest Ares 2 firmware
- tried using friends Ibanez RG7321 and my Harley Benton Dullahan
- tried the monitors in 3 different shaped and sized rooms
- input level on Axe is set correctly, just tickling red sometimes when playing hard
I thought that maybe Neumanns are just crap or my acoustics are too bad for it to work because even when playing music through Axe FX, using it as interface, it seems that the sound is very congested and not at all how I feel a pair of 1000e monitors should sound. They do have 5,5" woofer and I thought maybe that was the main issue, but I've seen stories of people having great results and praising both them and other 5-7" monitors.
I've decided to see if maybe the Axe FX is the issue so I connected:
* One monitor to Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd gen (left out) using Klotz shielded balanced TRS/XLR male cable
- Second monitor to Axe FX Out 1 (Balanced XLR left) using Vovox shielded balanced XLR male/XLR female cable
- Connected both devices to Macbook Pro via USB and played music via Spotify, switching the Focusrite and Axe to hear the differences
- Using the same setup I opened Reaper with ML SoundLab Amped Roots plugin with ML IRs and played Strandberg throught it
Conclusions were that playing music and guitar through reaper with amped roots sim gave me more realistic guitar sound with fuller low end, lot less congested mids (300-1000Hz), monitors started sounding usable for listening and mixing using Focusrite as the audio interface.
To make sure it's not just difference in cable manufacturers, even though both cables I used were high end ones I connected one monitor to balanced out1 left and other monitors to unbalanced out 1 left and compared the sounds using both Axe FX models and Amped Roots amp sim via Reaper and conclusion was once again that outputs on Axe FX just sound congested undefined and weak in the low end.
Am I having a faulty unit here?
Or is that how Axe FX deals with its output maybe some kind of optimization so the outputs sound good with 12" FRFRs?
I am left confused because I've spent around 1500e combined on monitors, cables and stands just to have my Axe sound like 200e practice amp. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE how it sounds using my headphones, I can get great tones from so many amps, all sound crystal clear, punchy, there is a lot of distinction between different IRs and amps. I've tried playing through patches I made on headphones, making patches from scratch, but on Neumanns it just doesn't sound right.
Here is my history of gear used with Axe FX:
- Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80ohm headphones - currently my favorite way of using Axe via Headphone out, getting the best feeling and sounds
- Alto TS210 - sold because the low end/low mid boom was uncontrollable
- Orange PPC112 (v30) with Seymour Duncan PowerStage 170 - sounds full and rounded but too boxy at the same time, around 350-400Hz but that's the Orange signature sound for 1x12, I've heard it in PPC112 IR also.
- Harley Benton 2x12 vertical (v30) with Seymour Duncan PowerStage 170 - I have a feeling that it has some odd phase cancellation between the speakers due to slanted design since it just sounds too odd in low mids and lows, there is no punch whatsoever
I am thinking possibly as a last resort to try and get Dynacord AXM 12A (which is said to be pretty much equal to Atomic CLR which isn't in stock, ever) but if Axe is going to make the output sound bad then I feel like I would just waste another 1000e trying to chase usable tone.
Does anyone have any idea what's going on?
Last edited: