New Axe-Fx III user .... All I can say is ....

axedude

Member
Hi All. After a number of years of looking at different modeler products including the Axe FX, The Kemper and Helix, and lots of research about the pro's and con's of each, I finally pulled the trigger for an Axe Fx III !!

Before buying the AF3, I bought an Atomic Amplifire 3 "AA3" about a year ago, and used it with an Atomic CLR wedge and a Line 6 HX effects. At the time I felt like I could accomplish the great tones and effects I was looking for in a less expensive configuration. Yes this set up works really nicely and does sound good and the effects in the HX are quite nice ! BUT ..... after using it for a year, I kept feeling like it I could't get it dialed in the way I had hoped. And while the CAB sims are nice in the AA3, they just don’t compare to the better modeler units. I used the HX Effects as the effects ONLY and the AA3 as the AMP tones ONLY. So the HX was like my MIDI board which controlled the AA3 when I selected a new preset. I ran all of this in 4 cable method which I found was the best way to get clearer effects and tones overall. FYI: I played the above set up with a PRS CE 24, a Tom Anderson Hollow-T and a Fender American Strat.

Ok, so here goes .... I've now owned the AF3 for about a month now and I have to say at first it felt a bit overwhelming, but in a couple of hours I was navigating around the AF3 and Axe Edit with ease.

The AF3 tones are amazing and such a big step up from my AA3 config in so many ways! I've been pretty blown away buy this thing and can’t believe I waited so long to take the plunge...

1) The AF3 not only has better tones, and effects but it can also be used as an audio input device for recording to Logic Pro too! This works and sounds great too ! (one of the factors that really swayed me to go with AF3 over Kemper)

2) The AF3 input and routing options alone make it worth the price of admission. I can jam with others and share ONE single pre-amp processor for a 2nd guitar or 2nd guitar and bass if necessary. I may not use this frequently but it's really nice to have this ! BUT it's also so much easier for live situation than my prior set up too!

3) The AF3 forum is another reason for choosing the AF3 too. There are so many helpful tips, tricks and helpful information. This stuff is invaluable!

4) One device covers all ! My previous set up with AA3 and HX required a pedal board, separate power supply and lots of cables! Now I have the AF3 in a 4U Gator Bag with casters for easier carrying, and my CLR and my guitar, thats it !! Woo hoo ! No MORE beastly amps, or pedal board issues to deal with !

5) Last and certainly not least, The available CAB packs - One thing most guitar players know, or at least SHOULD KNOW, getting great tone starts with getting the right amp tone from the beginning before ADDING any effects. If the amp/cab tone is not good at the beginning then the effects will only cover the fact that the tones is not great in the first place. In other words, like putting lipstick on a pig ! LOL

After researching lots of CAB packs online I discovered the Austin Buddy 1000+ Naked amp pack ! I can understand many of you might prefer to buy PRESETS rather than amp / cab tones. But I can tell you after only one night with the tones painstakingly created by Austin Buddy I suggest BUYING THIS PACK IMMEDIATELY ! The sounds are unreal and honestly the "feel" of each amp alone is hard to beat ! Buying this gives the user an amazing foundation to work from, so you can create your own presets that will kick-ass over MANY of the presets I've heard. Remember, it ALL starts with great tone !!!

Not only are the tones AMAZING, but the way these are organzied simply cannot be duplicated easily without spending god knows how many hours of tweaking and tweaking and more tweaking ..... LOL

I ONLY bought the CAB pack last night and got so lost in listening to how great they sounded, I hardly cared about effects except on rare occasion!! You will NOT find a much better base of cabs and tones to work with anywhere !! Its not just the cabs, or amp tones, its because these were very specifically matched to each other in a way that MOST do not. Many amps and cabs are matched that might not normally go together, but I can assure you, they work GREAT ! This is what makes this magical! Its the way things were paired together and tweaked until they sounded EXACTLY the same as the real thing, and probably better ! Certainly easier to use, and to get ALL of the REAL amp tones would cost a fortune !!!

These sounded so good, I immediately backed up my AF3, then removed ALL of the factory presets and uploaded these with the CABs! Now I have everything nicely organized by Amp style and brand. There's literally something for everyone here from gorgeous clean to Monster Metal and everything in between !

Now I just copy and paste an amp tone into a User preset / Scene and Voila !

As a last comment about the Austin Buddy ("AB") tones / presets. IMO, I have NO IDEA why Cliff and company don't work out a licensing deal with AB to make these presets and tones the factory presets !!!

Once again, The AF3 has been an amazing experience so far. Now I just wish they would release the FC12 controller !!!

Enjoy and happy playing ! Mark
 
So happy your search has ended with your discovery of the Axe-Fx III!

And thanks for your kind words about the 1000+ Naked Amps TonePack for the Axe-Fx III. (Awww... blushing). My mission is to democratize great guitar tone, and the Fractal Axe-Fx III is the best tool on the planet to do that. Months and months of hard work go into this and I appreciate you seeing and commenting on that.

Today I got my wait-list email and ordered my FC12 and FC6 foot-controllers, can’t wait to get them working with the Axe-Fx III and integrated into the next update version of the 1000+ Naked Amps TonePack later this summer!
 
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