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  1. Ben Randolph

    NASA's mega expensive moon rocket will make its public debut Thursday

    Closing in on 51 here. I had that football game as a kid! I like having experienced the early days of video games. But I am also in awe of how far they've come. We have great tech being ruined by corporate greed (Day 1 DLC, absurd micro transactions, etc). I remember when you bought a game and...
  2. Ben Randolph

    The James Webb Telescope Has Finally Launched

    I wonder if it an see Uranus.
  3. Ben Randolph

    Cabs

    To be honest, UR cabs are what you want 99% of the time.
  4. Ben Randolph

    Digitech Drop Pedal

    The Virtual Capo makes the Drop redundant. I use my Drop with tube amps.
  5. Ben Randolph

    Philip K. Dick Content

    Thanks. Incredible author with an incredible story.
  6. Ben Randolph

    FRFR Upgrade

    I started out with a pair of the old Atomic tube FRFR cabs. They were not bad, but they both failed within a few weeks of each other. One literally caught fire. I now have a pair of Friedman ASM-12s. They blow away the old Atomics. Honestly, two of them is more than I need, but I wanted to...
  7. Ben Randolph

    COVID. Thought for sure that I was in the clear.

    The FDA would differ. As would accepted medical science. You say you're a "qualified medical professional." Well, your assertions do not adhere to accepted medical science. You are advocating quackery. You should absolutely frack off. I am using Battlestar Galactica lingo, but please fill in...
  8. Ben Randolph

    COVID. Thought for sure that I was in the clear.

    Mine too. Because someone is a genius in one area does not mean they are qualified in other areas. Part of the problem with medical misinformation is that people like the OP (sorry, not meaning to pick on you) go to places like Facebook and here rather than qualified sources. People on the...
  9. Ben Randolph

    COVID. Thought for sure that I was in the clear.

    Exactly. Cliff is a genius at what he does, but he is not a medical professional and not qualified to give medical advice. Again, this thread and those like it should be deleted. OP should go to a qualified doctor, not to this forum.
  10. Ben Randolph

    COVID. Thought for sure that I was in the clear.

    Ivermectin for COVID is bad advice. It's popular in conspiracy theory circles but can be very dangerous for humans. This is a forum for the AxeFX. Please do not come here for medical advice. Go to qualified medical professionals. Avoid Facebook and Youtube. You're already getting pointed to...
  11. Ben Randolph

    Health Update

    Man, take months off from the forum and I come back to find this story! First off, I hope you continue to get better. Take good care of yourself, brother. You are not old and this was a bitch of a diagnosis, but you appear to be on an upswing and that's great. My respect for Zakk shot up...
  12. Ben Randolph

    WOW! Is it just me or have prices sky rocketed on gear?

    I sold a Friedman 412 cabinet last year for $750. It as a grand new when I bought it a few years ago so I was going by used prices based on that. I should have looked on Sweetwater because they are $1400 now! Oh well, I'd already agreed on the deal and the guy was very nice and cool. I'm glad he...
  13. Ben Randolph

    Ask your doc about your testosterone levels!

    I'll be honest I went to one of those T-clinics when I was in my early 40s. It was 100% insurance covered and I figured "what the hey?" if it's costing me nothing. I felt a little bit of pep for the first couple of weeks, then that tapered off. The place just didn't feel professional. The staff...
  14. Ben Randolph

    Ask your doc about your testosterone levels!

    Mind you, the prostate cancer could be totally unrelated to the t-therapy. Correlation != causation
  15. Ben Randolph

    Fractalverse, Please Settle This Important Debate: Motley Crue vs Pearl Jam

    Old men yelling at clouds. Two irrelevant bands arguing which one is more irrelevant. It's really sad, actually. Vedder needs to be thankful for his success despite confusing mumbling with a mouthful of marbles for actual singing. Vince needs to quit drinking, get with a dietician and a...
  16. Ben Randolph

    AFIII Summer Song - Joe Satriani

    Thank you all for listening.
  17. Ben Randolph

    About Fractal Audio as a company in general

    Fractal is pretty small. They don't act like a big faceless conglomerate. The owner comes and posts here regularly. Not to sound morbid, but take care of yourself Cliff. Don't take up base jumping or anything.
  18. Ben Randolph

    “Jesus, is there anything you people don’t bitch about”

    If you want cabs that are more accurate than accurate, just get an external power amp and run into a real guitar cab. It'd be nice to have FullRes on the gen 1, but if Cliff says it's not possible it's not possible. I'd rather Fractal push the envelope than artificially hold back advancement for...
  19. Ben Randolph

    Poll: MK1 owners, 1024 User 2 cab slots or 32 FullRes cab slots?

    FullRes for the win. Just like amps. We have zillions, but if you're anything like me, I tend to gravitate to only a few.
  20. Ben Randolph

    AITR

    Hey Cliff, regarding my earlier post about me thinking FullRes will come to MkI.....don't hit me if you think I'm speaking for ya! I just know that Fractal likes to make its customers happy :)
  21. Ben Randolph

    AITR

    I'll be honest, I fully expect Fractal to make FullRes available for Mk1 users. Maybe not immediately, but I think Cliff will give us the option. Back in the AxeFX II days there was a Firmware release that he initially made available only to MkII and greater users. There was some issue where...
  22. Ben Randolph

    AFIII Morning Star - Vinnie Moore

    I've deconstructed this piece over the past couple of weeks. Vinnie is absolutely not human, let me tell ya. This is recorded at a somewhat slower tempo than what Vinnie Moore does on the album. There are some sweeps that are honest to god faster than my top speed is. I can do it at 100%, but...
  23. Ben Randolph

    World-wide vacuum tube shortage

    We were told in the early 90s that tubes might be running out in the future. 30 years later tube amps are still strong. I think we'll be okay. I have an AxeFX if tubes really did go away.
  24. Ben Randolph

    [SOLVED] My Guitar sounds incredibly fuzzy, flabby, and frankly awful with modern high gain tones - what can I do to fix the sounds?

    In the late 2000s I bought an Ibanez that had the pickup selector switch wired backwards. I was just restarting guitar and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why my bridge pickup sounded so muffled and dark in high gain sounds. I went to a tech and had him look at it (that tech was a...
  25. Ben Randolph

    Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records

    Btw, I wish we had Troy Grady back in the Shrapnel days to help deconstruct what these wizards were doing!
  26. Ben Randolph

    Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records

    Does anyone know if Shrapnel Records is still a functioning entity? During their 80's heyday they featured so many incredible players. I'm learning Vinnie Moore's Morning Star right now. So many great techniques I'm learning just deconstructing this song. Shrapnel has a website, but it is...
  27. Ben Randolph

    GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE — Official Trailer

    Okay, I'll say it, the 2016 Ghostbusters was not as bad as people say. Was it as good as the original? Not even close. It had a talented cast and people behind it, but it was a film no one wanted and without an audience. It didn't need to be made. Still, it was better than Ghostbusters 2. GB 2...
  28. Ben Randolph

    AFIII Summer Song - Joe Satriani

    Thanks. I used 2290 delay. To get the harmonics working I had to turn the delay up in the mix. In the original recording, you can really hear the delay in those harmonics. What kind of Peavey amp are you using?
  29. Ben Randolph

    AFIII Summer Song - Joe Satriani

    Thank you so much. I've really gravitated to the humble JCM 800 in 16.05. The patch is a modification of Leon's #34 in the Brit 800 preset. I assume that is Leon Todd's preset. I really like him.
  30. Ben Randolph

    AFIII Summer Song - Joe Satriani

    Thank you. I tend not to be a big whammy bar user like Satch. In fact, the trem on my 550 is decked.
  31. Ben Randolph

    I Lost my wife last night

    That's awful. I'm sorry you had to go through this.
  32. Ben Randolph

    AFIII Summer Song - Joe Satriani

    Satch has always been one of my favorite players, so it was a treat to challenge myself and learn this song. I'm using a JCM 800 sim with a Tube Screamer pushing the amp. A 2290 delay and some Rich Hall reverb round out the patch I used. Ownhammer IR of a 1970 Marshall 412 with pre-Rola...
  33. Ben Randolph

    Anyone else suffer a little bit from Imposter Syndrome?

    Absolutely. I'm not a professional guitarist, but I've played since 1988. I put the guitar down when I was 25 and picked it up again when I was 38. That was twelve years ago. I've played on seven albums since as primary rhythm and lead guitarist, written music and played for years in a guitar...
  34. Ben Randolph

    Axe FX sounds better after a few minutes?

    Cygnus firmware simulates the effect of tubes getting hot.
  35. Ben Randolph

    Didnt have time to finish. Is it good?

    Sped up with no real musicality.
  36. Ben Randolph

    Boutique amp distribution facility is on fire :O

    That sucks. I hope they have good insurance.
  37. Ben Randolph

    New Cab Day - Mesa edition

    Now, will you have a gig that benefits from a full stack in the near future? Nice cabs. I have a full stack of Friedman cabs. Totally self indulgent.
  38. Ben Randolph

    SMG Not Impressed with DI from AxeFX

    For some reason Glen seems to be a longtime critic of Fractal. This goes back to 2015 when he did amp->modeler comparisons and said that you should just spend $500 for a used 5150 instead of pay thousands for an AxeFX, totally neglecting the fact that if you buy the 5150, you have a 5150...
  39. Ben Randolph

    Moon Audio Headphone cables

    90% of the time this is snake oil woo. Mind you, I do own Evidence guitar cables and mostly use Mogami Platinum (they seem more durable).
  40. Ben Randolph

    Axe-Fx III Firmware Release Version 16.00 "Cygnus"

    I'll wait a day or two before installing. Fractal tends to follow up .0 releases with .01 that fix a few minor bugs.
  41. Ben Randolph

    New Axe-Fx III Sounds Dark/Muddy, Advice?

    What kind of monitors are you using? Usually when I hear things like this, it's because a cab model is going into a non-FRFR monitor. Such as if I run my AxeFX into my Fryette power amp and into my Mesa 212 cab, but forget to turn off the cab modeling.
  42. Ben Randolph

    Vacay in The Sunshine State

    I went into a Wal-Mart in the Florida panhandle. Now I know a little bit what Gathering of the Juggalos is like.
  43. Ben Randolph

    Other hobbies!

    I like building and painting Warhammer miniatures. Its a game where you build miniature armies and play not the tabletop against other people.
  44. Ben Randolph

    Apple Silicon

    Intel needs to do something quick. Maybe bring back the ads with the dancing chip techs?
  45. Ben Randolph

    Hubble Cygnus image (Veil Nebula)

    I can see Uranus.
  46. Ben Randolph

    How many here play live vs. do not play live?

    Over the past five years I've recorded seven full-length albums and played guest on a few more. The last club show I played was in 1993, with a really terrible garage band I was in. None of use had tuners and we had cheap Peavey and Marshall solid state amps. Last time I played live was around...
  47. Ben Randolph

    Home Gym stock thread

    I think it's just like a guitar teacher. I'm on a year without lessons after years of taking lessons. Those first couple of years, there were big revelations. After a while, like any diligent student, I developed a measure of self-sufficiency. Weekly lessons didn't have the same impact. Now...
  48. Ben Randolph

    Home Gym stock thread

    You are technically right (the best kind of right!). Since I was a newbie, I wanted a coach at least in the initial stages. My trainer is $40/hour. I'll have a few sessions with her at the outset, then ween myself off and go solo. I just didn't find body weight training to be as effective in my...
  49. Ben Randolph

    Home Gym stock thread

    I'd rather not see this thread derail into matters of policy like the other one did and get locked. But, at the age of 48 I started a regimen of personal training in November 2019. I looked better, my shirts fit tighter in the right places rather than the wrong ones, and I could lift over twice...
  50. Ben Randolph

    You guys are in for another treat.

    This is the biggest hype since Cyberpunk 2077. Don't disappoint people like Cyberpunk 2077 did.
  51. Ben Randolph

    People that make you an offer on gear you have for sale and then vanish

    Some people just love to answer ads. I don't understand it, it's just annoying, but some people do. I also wonder why it's so rare for someone to just offer you're asking price without trying to haggle like it's a Moroccan bazaar. I normally research the going price for my item beforehand. I...
  52. Ben Randolph

    How long can you remember how to play a song?

    Depends on the song. I think any of us could figure out Smoke On The Water and it'd be hard to forget it. There's a Wes Montgomery song I learned back in 2012 that I've started re-transcribing. I'm finding licks and lines coming back pretty naturally. Even touring bands have to decide on a...
  53. Ben Randolph

    Phosphine found on Venus: life?

    I wonder if we'll find life on Uranus.
  54. Ben Randolph

    Not liking the H9 for Reverb ... need MIDI ... Ideas?

    I have a Big Sky and can confirm it's worth checking out.
  55. Ben Randolph

    72 hours without electricity

    We were out of power for nearly 40 hours. Our green iguana passed away. A local Red Cross shelter took us and our dogs for two days and fed us. I am furious with certain politicians and corporate leaders (won't mention names since I don't want this to be a political post, but you can probably...
  56. Ben Randolph

    Scam websites selling Maine Coon cats

    You shouldn’t buy animals period. Too many adoptable ones to justify buying.
  57. Ben Randolph

    Dealing with hot guitar

    I thought you were going to say your guitar was stolen.
  58. Ben Randolph

    What is your favorite Virtual drummer or Drum VST?

    If you can find a drummer who is a) not in 5 different bands, b) has money for gas to make it to the gig, c) shows up to practice, d) doesn't try to hit on your girlfriend, e) learns the fracking song and can play to a click, then that's the best option, sure.
  59. Ben Randolph

    Next big thing for Fractal

    I know Fractal used to sell an effects-only board in the FX8. I was looking at my pedalboard today with its Strymon trio of Big Sky, Timeline and Mobius. I was thinking that Strymon should market a board that combines these three pedals into a complete effects solution for guitarists who are not...
  60. Ben Randolph

    Guitar Center Ghost Town

    They certainly wouldn't steal your money. I would verify that what you order is ready for immediate shipment, though.
  61. Ben Randolph

    Guitar Center Ghost Town

    I've heard since that there's just a supply problem with guitars now. Demand is outstripping supply and GC's bankruptcy doesn't help. It's probably a temporary thing.
  62. Ben Randolph

    Guitar Center Ghost Town

    Exactly, it's a no-win situation. Local stores vary in quality. Some are fantastic, some specialize in higher end gear (such as Dallas, TX's The Guitar Sanctuary), some are junk shops, some absolutely suck. I love to support local shops, but not everyone lives near one that's worth a flip...
  63. Ben Randolph

    Guitar Center Ghost Town

    Are you referring to GC's Pro Coverage by any chance? They push Pro Coverage on anything and everything, it seems. For an in-stock item, such as a pedal or a tuner, you can't simply go to Guitar Center and swap it out. You have to call a number to a 3rd party (It think Asurion). I did buy Pro...
  64. Ben Randolph

    Guitar Center Ghost Town

    Dallas 635 and Mesquite. These pics were taken at Mesquite. I had to be discreet since they might not like random guys inside photographing the place.
  65. Ben Randolph

    Guitar Center Ghost Town

    I know Guitar Center is going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It was really no surprise, given the amount of corporate debt they have. But, I'm beginning to wonder if suppliers have cut them off and/or they're planning to shutter some stores. I was in a couple of Dallas area Guitar Centers...
  66. Ben Randolph

    1969 Moon Landing Conspiracy Theory

    Always wear your tinfoil hat when playing through your AxeFX. That way the government can't spy on you.
  67. Ben Randolph

    Klon Centaur

    Ceriatone Centura here. The hype is real. Totally transforms a vintage Fender amp to be even more awesome.
  68. Ben Randolph

    Godfather

    https://thehardtimes.net/blog/you-come-into-my-guitar-store-and-ask-to-try-a-les-paul-on-this-the-day-of-my-only-shift-this-week/?fbclid=IwAR1ozqUXtHACm4iC3Mipi3FnlPJwcktaDqyxRGjISmFUDMKZPR4OaaLZ2VE
  69. Ben Randolph

    Axe-Fx III Firmware Release Version 14.03

    Not sure what changed, but The Brown Sound patch is dead on with no tweaking.
  70. Ben Randolph

    RIP EVH

    I can't even......
  71. Ben Randolph

    What’s your favorite touch sensitive amp?

    Friedman BE100. I'd like to see the BE100 Deluxe modeled at some time.
  72. Ben Randolph

    Would you get the ADA MP-1 Classic for $100?

    I love my MP-1. I use it with a Fryette power amp and a Mesa 212 cab. It takes pedals beautifully. The trick is to use the effects loop in the power amp, not in the MP-1. The MP-1's effects loop is a tone sucker.
  73. Ben Randolph

    The future?

    Honestly, I'm ambivalent on it. I can see this being used to prevent people from buying an amp, profiling it and returning it. But I can also see it used to disable an amp that's been profiled.
  74. Ben Randolph

    Apple moves to ARM

    If it really bothers you, you could return your MacBook, but I'd just let it ride. The first ARM Macs won't appear until late this year at earliest. I expect the entire line won't transition to ARM until some time after that. Then, Intel Macs will be supported for years after that. When your...
  75. Ben Randolph

    AFIII "Flying In A Blue Dream"

    I've got to say Flying and Surfing are two great back to back albums. I also really like is 1995 self-titled album and his latest, Shapeshifting, is awesome. I'm getting the vinyl of Shapeshifting for Father's Day tomorrow :-) (my wife and I share the same Amazon account)
  76. Ben Randolph

    AFIII "Flying In A Blue Dream"

    Thanks for sharing! Yes, this is definitely not a "beginner" song. It's bloody hard :) Next song I'm tackling is Cliffs of Dover. It's interesting unlocking the approaches of the masters. That's how you evolve your playing. Was it Theloneous Monk who said regarding learning music, "It's all...
  77. Ben Randolph

    AFIII "Flying In A Blue Dream"

    Not a bad price if it's in good shape. Mine (the one I played on this track) has had a lot of wear. It's 33 years old and, judging from the fretboard, was played a lot. It's been refretted at least once, my tech is pretty sure. Used RG550's are great values. Mine has a super comfortable neck. It...
  78. Ben Randolph

    AFIII "Flying In A Blue Dream"

    It's just a tweak of the Alien Surfer factory preset. Here it is.
  79. Ben Randolph

    First 3 days with Axe FX 3, I thought it was the worst sound ever (b/c I didn't read the manual)

    Believe me, you're not the first person to make this mistake. Don't feel bad.
  80. Ben Randolph

    AFIII "Flying In A Blue Dream"

    This was a real challenge to learn. I tried it nearly 10 years ago. At the time, this song was still a bridge too far for me, but I told myself I'd go back and learn it when my playing had developed. I'm using a Marshall JVM model (JS410 Lead Orange) in the AxeFX III with digital stereo delay...
  81. Ben Randolph

    RIP Neil Peart

    Through triumph and adversity, Neil was the consummate professional and gentleman. Part of my youth and adulthood. I would not be playing music today were it not for Rush. His impact on the band cannot be understated. Rush’s music was with me through some difficult points in life. And their...
  82. Ben Randolph

    RIP Neil Peart

    Oh I am in shock! Such a loss! He had a daughter who was around 10, I think. After his wife and first daughter passed away in the 90s, he was trying to start his life anew.
  83. Ben Randolph

    Wow, Headrush company is acting creepy

    Wow, there is nothing on their website indicating that they've stopped producing or supporting Headrush. Are you sure you didn't just get some disgruntled employee on the line?
  84. Ben Randolph

    Oh what a wonderful hobby!

    I started at 16 and played until I hit burnout at 25. Picked it back up 10 years ago at 38 and have played on 5 albums as principle guitar and several more as guest soloist.
  85. Ben Randolph

    Have you ever been embarrassed for an artist?

    BB King. I saw him in 2012 a couple of years before his death. He'd almost totally lost the ability to play guitar. He mostly just sat and told stories, maybe did a couple of bends on his guitar. But if you were expecting the magical BB of old, that was long gone. His band was phenomenal, though.
  86. Ben Randolph

    Things you sold, then bought again.....

    Ibanez TS-808 HW. I literally bought it, sold it back to Guitar Center, then bought the same one again later on.
  87. Ben Randolph

    I had a Sobering Experience Last Night

    Remember also that FRFR and a real cab will sound very different. If you want to hear what I mean, get a real cab and a good power amp. Turn off cab simulations and run the AxeFX this way. You will hear it sounds very much like a real amp in the room.
  88. Ben Randolph

    NAD: Friedman BE-100 Deluxe

    I'd say the clean channel would be the Smallbox plexi clean and the BE and HBE channels are more or less like their corresponding AxeFX models.
  89. Ben Randolph

    Favorite Tube Power amp with the Axe Fx III?

    Fryette Power Station. And an AxeFX into a real amp is quite different than going FRFR, even with something like a Friedman ASM. I have both and like them both for different reasons.
  90. Ben Randolph

    NAD: Friedman BE-100 Deluxe

    Just sold my Friedman BE-100 and got a BE-100 Deluxe. Fantastic evolution of the BE-100. It'd be nice to see this in a future firmware upgrade, though for now using the Friedman BE and the Smallpox amp models will basically get you the gist of a BE-100 Deluxe. The BE100 Deluxe isn't simply a...
  91. Ben Randolph

    Band names for seniors

    KISS
  92. Ben Randolph

    New Axe-Fx III basic price - $1,999

    Either than or a MK 2 is on the horizon and Fractal wants to clear out existing inventory.
  93. Ben Randolph

    Fryette Power Station. Power amp sims on or off?

    Just to verify, by turning off L and H Resonant Freq, you mean to to the Speaker tab in the amp block and turn the LF Res Freq and HF Res Freq knobs all the way to the left?
  94. Ben Randolph

    Fryette Power Station. Power amp sims on or off?

    Thanks Yek, I will do exactly that!
  95. Ben Randolph

    Fryette Power Station. Power amp sims on or off?

    Title says it all. I usually run FRFR, but today I experimented with running my AxeFX III into a Power Station and out to a Mesa Recto 212 cab. It sounds fantastic, but wondering what people typically do with a more neutral power amp such as the Power Station.
  96. Ben Randolph

    New Yamaha THR II series

    The one thing that always annoyed me about the THR10 series was that you had to buy separate amps if you wanted all the tones. A regular one, a classic and a high gain. From what I see in Anderton's review, the THR10-2 will have all the amps in one unit. That's enough to make me go to Guitar...
  97. Ben Randolph

    What’s better than an Axe-Fx 3?

    I have 2 ASM 12s. I never thought to turn them into a stack like that.
  98. Ben Randolph

    Port City possibly getting into to FRFR game

    I'm sure your FRFR solution would be great. I will say that there are a lot of FRFR offerings today compared with a few years ago. When I first got into Fractal back in 2010, Atomic was really the only game in town for FRFR aimed at guitarists. I'd say make something that looks like a guitar...
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