A short review and a concern

don_joe

Experienced
I know I'm late with a review for an EOL product, but I hope still to solve a few problems and maybe learn something I missed before, if I'm going to stay in the digital realm.

After owning a FX II Mk 2 for 8 years now, I just can't say that I'm happy with it in situations where I play loud with other people. It might be a user error or just suboptimal amplification in all those different rehearsal rooms where I was occasionally playing from time to time, outside of my "home studio". I can use it well for recording and for playing through normal inexpensive desk monitors, even with my CLR Atomic on normal listening levels. As soon as I crank up the volume, the sound quality seems to deteriorate and becomes Lo-Fi and grainy, with certain irritating latency. In all those 8 years, I didn't manage to leave the rehearsal room happy, not one single time.

I see that some users are quite happy and proud with their sound. They just need to plug their FX II into the mixing pult or whatever and leave it to the sound engineer. What am I doing wrong?

Fletcher-Munson? I can dial it in some wrong frequencies but why does it sound Lo-Fi and grainy? And why does it have this latency?
I would often play through a mix pult with 15" speakers. 15" isn't optimal but it should at least sound OK. What about other users, don't they play through big speakers too? Could the impedance of the mixing pult be a problem here? Is Axe FX II meant to be played only through Hi-Fi equipment? Do the other users experience this graininess and latency if they go FOH? A stage monitor can help but I suppose not everyone and always uses them.
Then, playing through CLR Atomic, which is built exactly for this, doesn't make it any better, and it has a 12" speaker (beside the tweeter). The experience of playing it cranked up loud isn't even close to a real amp. At first I thought that CLR wasn't such a good PA solution but I've seen a lot of good reviews. That's why I even bought it in the first place.

I would like to stay digital and I'm considering the FX III or FM3 but the purchase doesn't solve any of my mentioned problems, I'm not sure that I want them. I still don't know, am I doing something wrong or is the FX II often hard to dial in in live situations on different equipment?

Many thanks for any hint that can help me or for your experience if you're willing to share.
 
What is a "mix pult"?

How is everything connected?

I have played my Axe Fx II (both mkII and XL+) many times thru FRFR or guitar cab loud at home or at gigs where there was also a PA.

There is no percievable latency in the Axe Fx.

Possibly you're hear an analog latency because you're further away from the sound source (PA speakers)?

There is no difference in the "quality" (i.e., "graininess") of the audio coming out of the Axe Fx based on how loud it is turned up. However, possibly you are overdriving the INPUT of whatever you're sending the signal to.

The CLR has specific instructions for "gain staging" setup to prevent that. Whoever is running FOH would need to tell you if that's happening at the mixer.

Fletcher Munson can have an effect for sure on the overall EQ. Also, when you play louder you may hear things you don't at lower volume.

Create live presets at live volume...

Post a preset or two, maybe someone with an Axe Fx II can make sure there's not something in your presets causing this. I'm an Axe Fx III owner now so I would be able to confirm.

The experience of playing it cranked up loud isn't even close to a real amp.
Remember that it is modeling a real amp into a real speaker into a microphone into a mixer channel strip (mic preamp). It isn't intended to sound like a real amp into a real cab alone.
 
What is a "mix pult"?

How is everything connected?

I have played my Axe Fx II (both mkII and XL+) many times thru FRFR or guitar cab loud at home or at gigs where there was also a PA.

There is no percievable latency in the Axe Fx.

Possibly you're hear an analog latency because you're further away from the sound source (PA speakers)?

There is no difference in the "quality" (i.e., "graininess") of the audio coming out of the Axe Fx based on how loud it is turned up. However, possibly you are overdriving the INPUT of whatever you're sending the signal to.

The CLR has specific instructions for "gain staging" setup to prevent that. Whoever is running FOH would need to tell you if that's happening at the mixer.

Fletcher Munson can have an effect for sure on the overall EQ. Also, when you play louder you may hear things you don't at lower volume.

Create live presets at live volume...

Post a preset or two, maybe someone with an Axe Fx II can make sure there's not something in your presets causing this. I'm an Axe Fx III owner now so I would be able to confirm.


Remember that it is modeling a real amp into a real speaker into a microphone into a mixer channel strip (mic preamp). It isn't intended to sound like a real amp into a real cab alone.

Thank you for your quick response. Sorry for my bad English, it's not my mother tongue. "Mix pult" is just our local term for the mixing console.

You could be right about the INPUT, I'll check this one. Btw, do you consider 90% too much (Axe FX II, "I/O")? The LEDs are nowhere near the top, jus a bit over the middle.

I'm also aware of the CLR gain staging, I've done everything according to the manual. The sound didn't change that much, I wasn't that far away.

Your last sentence: you're right, the sound can't be the same. I just want that "direct" feeling with a normal pick attack. I'm feeling like everything is under lot of power with too much pick attack, sensitiveness and abrasiveness.

Thanks!
 
Thank you for your quick response. Sorry for my bad English, it's not my mother tongue. "Mix pult" is just our local term for the mixing console.
No problem... I assumed both, but wanted to make sure. Your English is just fine :)
You could be right about the INPUT, I'll check this one. Btw, do you consider 90% too much (Axe FX II, "I/O")? The LEDs are nowhere near the top, jus a bit over the middle.
I'm guessing you mean 90% knob value? That's really very dependent on the preset level. I tried to keep my Output at 50% and then adjust external gear as needed. With presets dialed in around the 0dB mark on the Axe Fx VU meter this worked well for me.

I'm also aware of the CLR gain staging, I've done everything according to the manual. The sound didn't change that much, I wasn't that far away.
Ok... Just wanted to make sure you knew ;)
Your last sentence: you're right, the sound can't be the same. I just want that "direct" feeling with a normal pick attack. I'm feeling like everything is under lot of power with too much pick attack, sensitiveness and abrasiveness.
Have you adjusted the High Cut in the Cab block? The sound of a mic close to a guitar cab speaker is much different from listening to the same speaker directly with your ear from a few feet a away.
 
No problem... I assumed both, but wanted to make sure. Your English is just fine :)

I'm guessing you mean 90% knob value? That's really very dependent on the preset level. I tried to keep my Output at 50% and then adjust external gear as needed. With presets dialed in around the 0dB mark on the Axe Fx VU meter this worked well for me.


Ok... Just wanted to make sure you knew ;)

Have you adjusted the High Cut in the Cab block? The sound of a mic close to a guitar cab speaker is much different from listening to the same speaker directly with your ear from a few feet a away.

Thanks again. 😊 I would say that I'm doing all of these mentioned things right. I really don't know what it is then. This graininess is more in the lower frequencies (I have a low cut usually around 85 Hz). I want punchiness but I get a hypersensitive pick attack...
 
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