Front - rear instrument input comparison

[FractalAudio]

To be honest this looks like a design flaw to me. I can't think of any reason why the two inputs should be treated differently.

It's not a design flaw. The rear input is intended for use with, i.e., a wireless receiver. There was no scenario where someone would plug directly from their guitar into the back of the unit so the Auto-Z circuitry was not duplicated on the rear input.

What is wrong with everyone lately? So much negativity and accusatory rhetoric.

 

[WbbS]

There was no scenario where someone would plug directly from their guitar into the back of the unit

In my studio I plug the guitar on the back of the unit so that I have no cables on the desk.

 

[FractalAudio]

In my studio I plug the guitar on the back of the unit so that I have no cables on the desk.

We didn't envision that. My bad.

If you would like to return your unit I will authorize a full refund of the purchase price.

 

[WbbS]

We didn't envision that. My bad.

If you would like to return your unit I will authorize a full refund of the purchase price.

It is possible to have some kind of reference chart to be guided to do manually what the Auto-z does automatically?

 

[FractalAudio]

It is possible to have some kind of reference chart to be guided to do manually what the Auto-X does automatically?

It changes the input impedance. You can see the resulting values on the Input block. I suppose you could build some sort of box with a rotary switch and various resistors. Seems like a lot more work than simply plugging into the front.

 

[crdark]

In my studio I plug the guitar on the back of the unit so that I have no cables on the desk.

Same use case here, but it's actually not that big of a deal to just run an angled cable to the back of the rack. It's not even really noticable with these new really flat cables.

e: Like this for example

 

[WbbS]

It changes the input impedance. You can see the resulting values on the Input block. I suppose you could build some sort of box with a rotary switch and various resistors. Seems like a lot more work than simply plugging into the front.

Ok. Thanks!
I’ll plug into the front.

 

[OrganicZed]

To be honest this looks like a design flaw to me. I can't think of any reason why the two inputs should be treated differently.

I see your point, but I think the rear input is mostly intended for those who use a wireless transmitter. For that use case it won't make any sense to have the variable impedance on that input.

 

[Ghast]

This is a timely thread for me. I just picked up a Sennheiser EW100 G4 wireless, and I have to trim the input on it by A LOT to get it to not clip the transmitter. The receiver makes up some gain on the other end, but it's not the same tone as when I plug into the front. I lose a fair bit of gain and my pinch harmonics die out long before they should.

I probably have some futzing to do with the wireless unit itself, but are there other parameters I should investigate on the AF3?

 

[FractalAudio]

I probably have some futzing to do with the wireless unit itself, but are there other parameters I should investigate on the AF3?

No.

 

[WbbS]

Sorry to bother but I just don't understand. I have a Axe-Fx II Mk II Turbo.

If I'm on the input block I see the same behavior of the front input and the rear input.

On both, for example, Preset 59 Bassguy changes automatically from 1M to 22k when I engage the Drive. And come back when I disengage it.

What I'm missing? It's something else that happens internally that I don't see on the block?

 

[FractalAudio]

Sorry to bother but I just don't understand. I have a Axe-Fx II Mk II Turbo.

If I'm on the input block I see the same behavior of the front input and the rear input.

On both, for example, Preset 59 Bassguy changes automatically from 1M to 22k when I engage the Drive. And come back when I disengage it.

What I'm missing? It's something else that happens internally that I don't see on the block?

Yes, it's a hardware thing.

 

[yek]

It is possible to have some kind of reference chart to be guided to do manually what the Auto-z does automatically?

https://wiki.fractalaudio.com/wiki/index.php?title=Input_impedance

 

[WbbS]

https://wiki.fractalaudio.com/wiki/index.php?title=Input_impedance

Yes, I got that on the wiki, but even knowing the parameters it is an hardware feature, so no way to replicate it on software base.

 

[WbbS]

I did a (stupid) short recording to compare the behavior of the Front and the Rear input when a Fuzz is engaged.
I always used the rear input, and I'm impressed by how the front one react to "vintage" drives.

The following recording is:

• PRS (single coil split) volume from 10 to 6 - REAR Input
• PRS (single coil split) volume from 10 to 6 - FRONT Input
• Fender Strat (position 5) volume from 10 to 6 - REAR Input
• Fender Strat (position 5) volume from 10 to 6 - FRONT Input

You can hear how the guitar clean up best rolling back the volume when plugged into the front input. Amazing!

I totally missed that because of the incorrect info on the website/manual. This is why I gave this answer here (https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/real-fuzz-pedal-in-front.181775/post-2229127).

 

[PBGas]

It's an easy switch for my rack so I'm going to do this and move it to the front. Thx for posting up the difference in tone!

 

[jaycal6]

Glad this info came up! I only use my Axe-FX at home, without a wireless transmitter, but I’ve always plugged into the rear input just because it seemed less cluttered for my space. Gonna switch that now.

 

[HockeyWhippet]

Glad this info came up! I only use my Axe-FX at home, without a wireless transmitter, but I’ve always plugged into the rear input just because it seemed less cluttered for my space. Gonna switch that now.

Me too.

 

[boyce89976]

What is wrong with everyone lately? So much negativity and accusatory rhetoric.

Probably gas prices, threat of World War III, highest inflation since the '70's...

So for someone like me, running a stereo pedalboard into the Axe III using Input 1 on the front and Input 2L on the back, is there a difference between the two inputs? Input 2 is 1M standard according to the manual, and Input 1 always shows 1M with Auto-Z engaged? More just curious, since it's really hard to hear a difference between two sides of a stereo field.

 

[Mladen]

Glad this info came up! I only use my Axe-FX at home, without a wireless transmitter, but I’ve always plugged into the rear input just because it seemed less cluttered for my space. Gonna switch that now.

I already did that before I asked the topic here.