A friend got the Axe III....

frenchman

New Member
Hi, this is my first post but I have been reading this board for years. I own an Axe II and it has served me very well, but I always felt it wasnt there yet. It had nothing to do with it having a "digital" sound or a soundprint, it just wasnt breathing exactly like the amps we have in our studio.
Yesterday a friend of mine brought an Axe fx III. OMG. it responds SO naturally. I tested it for 3 hours comparing and definately there is a HUGE difference. The reason for posting this is just to ask why is there so much difference in the way the amp compresses, and (this is why its in the axe2 board) if it is possible to transfer those algorithms to the axe II even if it cripples other functions.

Thanks
 
there is a lot of discussion on this forum already about getting the Axe-Fx III "stuff" back to the Axe2.

the Axe3 was created and released for a reason. the hardware, components and design are different, and those differences are a big part of the reason the 3 sounds the way it does. it's not all about the firmware.
 
its really night and day in some ways...I do think even the higher gain amps have more PING...but true the fenders are pretty spectacular
 
I've looked @getting an Ax2 Board (instead of the Axe-III)...I had the Axe-FX II (mark 1) for over 4-5 years (and I had the original Axe-FX for several years). I sold my Axe-FXII/MFC-101 in preparation for the III...I still hope to get the email, however, I'm looking for something that may fill the void ;). Thanks for the post...guess I'll just have to wait...
 
Damn, I though the main difference was the processing power, so if could just take a lot more effects, and that the algorithms were somewhat the same. As I mainly use my XL for amp + cab (these days) in the studio, I never get anyewhere close to maxing out the cpu. And I do love(!!) my XL, and thought my setup ain't broken, don't fix. So if what you're saying is that even the amp+cab is noticably different between the two,... :-s
 
Damn, I though the main difference was the processing power, so if could just take a lot more effects, and that the algorithms were somewhat the same. As I mainly use my XL for amp + cab (these days) in the studio, I never get anyewhere close to maxing out the cpu. And I do love(!!) my XL, and thought my setup ain't broken, don't fix. So if what you're saying is that even the amp+cab is noticably different between the two,... :-s

There is a slight difference. From what I've heard, I didn't think the difference was significant...
But the differences between them will increase with time.
 
Even with my stock iPad speakers I hear a significant difference, especially with the Class A amps on the edge of breakup. The III growls like my real AC30 does whereas I always had to complain that my II lacked something.
Oh no, did I say that? Shit, now I have to get me myself the III...
 
I'm somewhat puzzled....
With Quantum, everyone agreed that you couldn't hear the difference between the original amp and the Axe-Fx II anymore.
Even some of the pros.
So now the III is even better than the II....
Hence....the III must be better than the original amps then?
 
The II sounds great, the III sounds and feels even better. Play them side by side and you can totally tell the difference. Listen to the II on its own and it’s still fantastic.

I totally wanted to keep my ax8 and sell my III as doing so would of kept a lot of money in my wallet, but when you a/b them the III just sounds that little bit better and ends up costing money. It’s like “yeah this cost over twice what the ax8 does but it just sounds sooooo good”
 
I'm somewhat puzzled....
With Quantum, everyone agreed that you couldn't hear the difference between the original amp and the Axe-Fx II anymore.
Even some of the pros.
So now the III is even better than the II....
Hence....the III must be better than the original amps then?

Better is and will always be an opinion.
 
I will say that having used the III for a few weeks now, I find myself stomping on my Vox models as much or more than my Plexi models during rehearsals (depending upon the song of course). I never would have done that on the II.

In regard to MisterE's question, I haven't had the personal luxury of A/Bing every "original amp" to compare sounds, but I will say that the flexibility, ease, and sound of the "entire package" (in my case an AxeIII with two Atomic CLR wedges plus occasional routing to a Matrix GT1000FX through a variety of real cabs (just for grins), plus routing direct to FOH) ABSOLUTELY BLOWS AWAY any 'real amplifier/pedal/cab/mic' experience I have ever personally had in my 40+ years of playing the electric guitar. I realize this answer deviated from the original question, but wanted to use it as an opportunity to extend a huge thanks to Cliff and company - I don't take the privilege of this technology for granted.
 
I get the whole routing flexibility thing.
This is also one of the reasons I'll be getting one ;-)
But my original question still stands...
Since everybody is saying it SOUNDS better than the II an that sounded just as good as the original amps.....
 
It sounds better than the amp in many cases. I’ve owned a deluxe reverb and know the sound well, the tone from the III using the deluxe model sounds even better than my amp did. Between the improved reverb, the added tonal options from the new cab block, and the modeling in general, it’s like playing the amp at the perfect volume, in the perfect room.

My real amp couldn’t be cranked so it was a comprise of tone and volume. The III model has no such limitations and as such is an idealized version of the amp
 
I get the whole routing flexibility thing.
This is also one of the reasons I'll be getting one ;-)
But my original question still stands...
Since everybody is saying it SOUNDS better than the II an that sounded just as good as the original amps.....

Sounds like a logic problem.

Let A = original amp, B = Axe-Fx II, C = Axe-Fx III.

If A = B and C > B...
 
See, I thought as much :)
Pure logic.
I can rest assured and wait patiently for the liberating e-mail....
 
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