On the brink of giving up.

M

MetalGarret

Inspired
I've tried everything to get the tone that I want. For some fricken reason I cant get the same warmth or girth as everyone else here.

I've used different guitars. I've used different interfaces. I've used tone matching 80 times. I've EQed like crazy. I bought new strings. I mixed with headphones. I mixed with monitors. Tried Drive. Tried no drive. Tried so many different impulses and combinations of impulses from Red Wire. Tried one amp. Tried 2 amps. Stereo cabs. Mono cabs. Tweaked with every knob the axe 2 has to offer. I've tried downloading presets of axe-change. It's not good enough.

For everyone else, it works like a dream and in almost an instant. For me, it's special. It doesn't want me to have nice things.

Does anyone else out there have a hard time like this? It's been two months of this. My ears are fried.
 
What tone are you going for?
What sound is in your head?
What amp did you gave before the axe?
What cabinet are you using?
 
Metal Garret what is your rig? FRFR or thur real cabs?
what amp are you coming from, what is the sound you're trying to capture?
 
If you haven't messed about with the advanced tab in the amp block then I'd head there next ... I couldn't get "great" tones from the stock amp sims, just "good" in my opinion.
 
The goal was this to start then adjust to make it my own. Dream Theater - On the Backs of Angels (Guitar stem only) - YouTube

I'm basically aiming for a Mark V amp.

Im just using the Axe 2 going into my mackie 820i mixer. Onboard EQ is off. I tried using an NI Audio 6 but there was no change.

Guitar is a Dean Phantom X with Dimarzio Liquifire and Crunch Lab pickups.

The amp I used before was a Line 6 Spider IV

Here's the current preset I have. I ALMOST have it. But the attack is a bit weak.
 

Attachments

  • Angel Rhythm 2.syx
    6.3 KB · Views: 50
Are you sure its not in the chops? I see so many guys seek a tone and try everything but the obvious (to me) - The fingers and hands. Strings, guitars, tubes, amps, eq, compressors. But it al starts in the hands. I'm sure you know this already. Just reiterating.
 
Yeah I know what ur saying. I have decent chops for someone whose been playing for 20 or so years. But I like to think I know how to play lol.

I have listened through both studio monitors and headphones in both my mixer and the axe 2 itself.

The mackie COULD be but I compared to to an Audio 6 interface and it sounded the same.
 
I generally find Tone Match Presets do not work well for me Live.
I use an FRFR and Straight to FOH.
I had QSC K8 sidewash and a QSC K10 floor Monitor.
I recently upgraded my K10 Floor Monitor to a RCF NX 12SMA, but I was still real happy with my K10. But since the Band needed another Monitor...
I run a 201 Standard American Strat with HSS, a Gibson Dark Fire Les Paul which has a P90 and a Burstbucker 3, and a Petrucci 7 String Ernie Ball Music Man.

With my Setup I can Generally start with a New Preset and get it close at home with Headphones and/or KRK Studio Monitors.
Then I tweak it in with a Few minor Adjustments at Practice and I am good to go.
I generally find other peoples presets have too much Effect for me.
I generally run less than 3% Mix Level on Delay and Reverb. I turn that up around 10% for Leads some of time.
I generally try to Mix in a good amount of Mids, to cut through the Mix.
I currently use:
Crunch: Diezel VH4 3 and 4, Diezel Herbert 2+ and 3, Mesa Recto Orange Vintage, Marshall JVM OD1, Marshall Silver Jubilee (Brit Silver)
Clean: Fender Vibro Verb, Fender Deluxe Verb, Fender Vibrato Verb, Marshall JTM45, Vox 30 Boost.

I do most my EQ'ing with the Amp Parameters (Bass, Mid and Treble, Presence) and Hardly ever touch the Graphic EQ.
I generally set a Low Cut in the CAB between 75Hz and 120 Hz so I don't step all over my Bass Player.

Hope some of that helps. Good Luck.
 
The Axe has multiple output options... why is the Mackie even in mix?

Unless I'm recording I switch my monitors in between the back of the Axe and my 003

I'd also stay away from IR's and all that stuff until you get a good tone first then move on to those...

The first 20 factory presets are meant for single coil guitars (so that might have an effect)
go thru all the factory stuff and take note of/keep/organize the ones you like then go from there... mess with the eq and factory cabs...and go from there...

make sure your settings (speaker sims on/off, power amp sims on/off, etc) are right for how you're using it...

And overall I'd say a $300 mixer is more to blame then a $2200 guitar processor that changed the world,

I'd also avoid tone matching until you've found something you like already from what you can do with factory presets/factory amps/factory effects/factory cabs...

it takes a lot of work.... it didn't come quick for me- and i still haven't put a tenth of the work i need to into the axe2

also- i'd suggest go for a more realistic rig- a lot of guys put 100 effects/routed crazy ways and get bad tone/noise/etc... tread it as you would if you were setting things up in the real workd-- maybe just even start with amp/cab and thats it... then start adding everything..
or take a preset that sounds decent- bypass all but amp/cab and build from there...

idk
 
Step away from the axe. Know exactly what you mean. For me its running the effects ,so that it gives me a full and stereo sound. Most of my patches don't sound as good without effects. Simple is better, amp speaker,delay and reverb
 
I just took a look at your patch. It's odd.

I'd start again man, one amp, one cab and go from there.
 
MetalGarret said:
I've tried everything to get the tone that I want. For some fricken reason I cant get the same warmth or girth as everyone else here.

I've used different guitars. I've used different interfaces. I've used tone matching 80 times. I've EQed like crazy. I bought new strings. I mixed with headphones. I mixed with monitors. Tried Drive. Tried no drive. Tried so many different impulses and combinations of impulses from Red Wire. Tried one amp. Tried 2 amps. Stereo cabs. Mono cabs. Tweaked with every knob the axe 2 has to offer. I've tried downloading presets of axe-change. It's not good enough.

For everyone else, it works like a dream and in almost an instant. For me, it's special. It doesn't want me to have nice things.

Does anyone else out there have a hard time like this? It's been two months of this. My ears are fried.
Click to expand...

It took me several months to start getting what I wanted out of my Axe FX II.

These links helped a great bit:

Tutorials and How-Tos - Fractal Audio Systems Wiki

Axe-Fx II Wiki Home - Axe-Fx II Wiki

There is a great 6 part video series called Revolution of Rock Guitar on YouTube. Here is a link to part 3. It was done on an old Axe Ultra. These 6 videos proved to me that you could get just about any sound anyone was looking for, you just needed to learn how to do it.

(R)evolution of Rock Guitar-Fractal Audio Axe-Fx Ultra Preamp/Effects processor-Part 3-Ketil Strand - YouTube

For me a lot of the problem was what I was playing the Axe FX II through. It sounded completely different through my studio monitors; through different PA Systems, using it with a Mesa Boogie 50/50 power amp and two 4x12 Celestion cabs; or using it with a pair of Vox AC30s, Plexis, or Hiwatts.

The problem I had was that the sounds I created on the AXE FXII that sounded great through my studio monitors, and for recording direct, sounded terrible through all of my normal live set ups.

I believe it is possible to program the AXE FX II to sound good with any of the normal real amp/cab setups I've used, but I would have to create presets for use with what ever amp setup I chose right from the start, and not create my sounds listening to my studio monitors.

The Axe FX II sounds the best to me through studio monitors, or through a pair of good powered PA cabinets like the QSC K12s, or something similar.
So that is how I am using it for now.

All the very best!
Terry
 
  • Like
Reactions: gpz
Well. It seems you've tried it all. Unless the monitors/headphones were utter shite there are no more options to explore. Did you ever hear clips of the Axe-Fx that do resemble what you're looking for?

I always say the key to tone is the cab sim. But you've tried loads of those. If nothing works for you it's time to consider moving on to a real Mark V. I'm very curious if you do get that one to work for you.

What can we say. For some people it just doesn't work out.


It is confusing that in the OP you go on like you're nowhere near a happening tone, and halfway down the page you "ALMOST have it". That seems out of balance.
 
Jeries said:
The Axe has multiple output options... why is the Mackie even in mix?

Unless I'm recording I switch my monitors in between the back of the Axe and my 003

I'd also stay away from IR's and all that stuff until you get a good tone first then move on to those...

The first 20 factory presets are meant for single coil guitars (so that might have an effect)
go thru all the factory stuff and take note of/keep/organize the ones you like then go from there... mess with the eq and factory cabs...and go from there...

make sure your settings (speaker sims on/off, power amp sims on/off, etc) are right for how you're using it...

And overall I'd say a $300 mixer is more to blame then a $2200 guitar processor that changed the world,

I'd also avoid tone matching until you've found something you like already from what you can do with factory presets/factory amps/factory effects/factory cabs...

it takes a lot of work.... it didn't come quick for me- and i still haven't put a tenth of the work i need to into the axe2

also- i'd suggest go for a more realistic rig- a lot of guys put 100 effects/routed crazy ways and get bad tone/noise/etc... tread it as you would if you were setting things up in the real workd-- maybe just even start with amp/cab and thats it... then start adding everything..
or take a preset that sounds decent- bypass all but amp/cab and build from there...

idk
Click to expand...

How else am I suppose to record with the axe? I already tried an NI Audio 6 and there was no difference.

I have used just an amp and cab and I'd get REALLY close to what I'm after and is figure that I'd find the missing piece by adding drive or using an IR. I've started over 80 times. Haven't learned anything new.
 
Dutch said:
Well. It seems you've tried it all. Unless the monitors/headphones were utter shite there are no more options to explore. Did you ever hear clips of the Axe-Fx that do resemble what you're looking for?

I always say the key to tone is the cab sim. But you've tried loads of those. If nothing works for you it's time to consider moving on to a real Mark V. I'm very curious if you do get that one to work for you.

What can we say. For some people it just doesn't work out.


It is confusing that in the OP you go on like you're nowhere near a happening tone, and halfway down the page you "ALMOST have it". That seems out of balance.
Click to expand...

I mean I'd get close then i would lose what I have thinking I had a better sound and save over it. Then is start all over.
 
Usually when things like this appear there's only one thing that can be the reason. And I'm sad to say I mean it's the player himself. Ears and playing style are things that no amp tweaking can cure.

I hated JPs new album tone in the full band mix and don't like it here either. I don't suggest you match his tone here since it's definitely not his best.

For what it's worth I love Petrucci's other tones a lot. For that tone I suggest you use OwnHammer Free Beta Bogner IR's or GuitarHack's impulses. Those sound just like JP. Maybe a bit more bite in the OwnHammer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom