Axe-Fx 2 user wants to know what you prefer about the Axe-Fx 3

Ant Music

Fractal Fanatic
Hi guys, I still love my Axe Fx 2 and I'm sticking with it for the time being. I know it inside and out and I'm still discovering incredible tones and weird crazy shit out of it. But I am curious what the best things you think are about upgrading to the Axe Fx 3?

What is the biggest difference that you like and what can you now do that you couldn't do before?

What effect blocks have been re vamped and improved now that you really like?

Thanks guys. ;)
 
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Hi Ant,

I remember thinking it's clearer.... So the clarity... And rarely having to worry about CPU (Though it does happen)... The lush lush reverb...
It's better. But the 2 is awesome!
Thanks
Pauly
 
Besides the awesome tones, some of the big hitters for me are:
  • 4 channel blocks with scenes means I can use scene switching in just one patch for an entire gig
  • Single channel modifiers means no need to duplicate blocks for use with and without modifiers
  • Input and output blocks make multiple in/out routing so much simpler
  • No power-off transient to blow speakers and eardrums
  • Extra power allows high quality reverbs, etc
 
Besides the awesome tones, some of the big hitters for me are:
  • 4 channel blocks with scenes means I can use scene switching in just one patch for an entire gig
  • Single channel modifiers means no need to duplicate blocks for use with and without modifiers
  • Input and output blocks make multiple in/out routing so much simpler
  • No power-off transient to blow speakers and eardrums
  • Extra power allows high quality reverbs, etc
Thanks for the response. I'm particularly curious about the Univibe emulation. I've been really chasing a good Hwendrix/Trower Univibe squishy thick sound but I'm finding it difficult to really get there on the Axe 2 . I did notice there seems to be couple of different Vibe settings and additional parameters in the Phaser block. What are your take on that? Does it sound better in the Axe3.

Also I'm surprised to see that the Synth Block seems virtually unchanged. I was hoping to see some polyphonic capability there by now.
 
Yeah, the FAS Vibe type works great, at full default settings.
 
Obviously, the Axe 3 has many advantages...
Way superior UI, slightly better amp modelling, more inputs/outputs and so on. Simply more features...
But for a guitar player, you will not feel limited by the Axe FX 2... So, even though better amp modelling is cool, the extra features are not really necessary. The bigger, 3U size was too much of a downgrade to deter me from upgrading to Axe FX 3.
Now... FM3... That's the thing I want.
 
Obviously, the Axe 3 has many advantages...
Way superior UI, slightly better amp modelling, more inputs/outputs and so on. Simply more features...
But for a guitar player, you will not feel limited by the Axe FX 2... So, even though better amp modelling is cool, the extra features are not really necessary. The bigger, 3U size was too much of a downgrade to deter me from upgrading to Axe FX 3.
Now... FM3... That's the thing I want.

My rack case with a III is much manageable than the one with the II.
In other words: the extra height of the III outweighs the extra depth of the II.
 
Nothing wrong with the II. I still have my Ultra and XL and they each bring a unique sound. In addition to the many things mentioned above I find the FC foot switches and the ease of integration, via Editor, to be a major plus.
 
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Obviously, the Axe 3 has many advantages...
Way superior UI, slightly better amp modelling, more inputs/outputs and so on. Simply more features...
But for a guitar player, you will not feel limited by the Axe FX 2... So, even though better amp modelling is cool, the extra features are not really necessary. The bigger, 3U size was too much of a downgrade to deter me from upgrading to Axe FX 3.
Now... FM3... That's the thing I want.
The bigger screen you get with the 3U height is worth it.
 
Besides the technical differences, I find that it is easier to get instant good tones with the III. No need for much tweaking

There are many amps that I've never paid attention to, and now I am enjoying playing with them
 
Aside from everything everyone else has listed, to me one of the best improvements is the FC-12 over the MFC 101. The control I have at my feet is so much more powerful. The Control Switch feature is awesome, and I really love having fully customizable LED rings and per preset layouts. You can have a custom layout and label for each different preset, which is very powerful.

I also love the larger grid size along with the CPU increase. It makes more complex presets much easier to create.

Finally, the PERFORMANCE TAB is A+! One of my gripes with the XL was it wasn't really quick or intuitive (for me) to make adjustments on stage. If I just wanted to quickly dial out some bass or high end, or maybe reduce the mix of a reverb, it's not something that I ever felt comfortable with in a hurry on stage. The performance setting of the knobs is like having real amp (or FX) controls right there on the front panel.

Those are my 3 favorite things... but there are many more. Dude, I LOVED my XL. It was a game changing device for me, and waited a while to upgrade. Trust me, there is ZERO regret about the money I spent to upgrade. This thing is on an entirely different level and has changed the game again.
 
The biggest draw for me was simply having the most advanced modeler on the market. The II was fantastic but the III was taunting me with more updates to the amp modeling and boy does it make a difference. I'm no longer wasting time doing mental gymnastics trying to convince myself that I don't really need the incremental improvements but just buying it anyway shut my brain up quick.

Also Simeon Harris's presets on this thing are even more ridiculous and that's really saying something.
 
the color blue

In all seriousness, I miss the greenness of the previous generations. Doesn't help that green is my favorite color. Been debating getting some yellow cellophane or something to put over the logo. Not even sure if that would work. I also miss the logo saying "Axe-FX" instead of "AXE-FX" like it's yelling at you like "AMP MODELLING, BITCH!"
 
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