Adrian Belew Power Trio

DigiSage

DigiSage

Member
I'm at the Adrian Belew Power Trio right now and checked out both Adrian's rig and Julie's (bass) rig, and noticed two interesting things:

  1. Adrian is using an old AxeFX Ultra! Not even a II or XL.
  2. Julie is using both an AxeFX II XL and also a Kemper rackmount.
What do you guys think? Just thought I'd share.

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Adrian has always used new technologies to achieve very unorthodox tones.

Since he doesn't tend to go for "traditional" tones, it isn't surprising he isn't necessarily using the latest from Fractal. The old unit is still pretty powerful.

On the other hand, since he is usually so cutting edge and pushing the envelope, it does seem a bit odd that he isn't using the latest version.

So... I basically argued both sides there, I guess :)
 
Tain't nothing wrong with the Ultra. Good is good, and the Ultra is good, not just "good for a _____". Stacked against a lot of expensive amps I've owned over the years, the Ultra kills most of them, not all, but most. And the few it doesn't outright slay are just one particular sound in an particular amp, but as a whole, the Ultra sounds better than hundreds of high end amps. If we did't have a new version with different knobs and thingys to gush over, the Ultra would still be touted as the best sounding thing out there. I in fact didn't think the II sounded any better, a little different than the Ultra, but no better or worse for the most part.
 
Just watched the opening act (Saul Zonana) and he used the AxeFX II XL in Julie's rack. So maybe that's his and Julie uses the Kemper.
 
I guess another reason for Adrian sticking to the Ultra is the amount of time he spent with dialing and perfecting his patches. Those are probably not your typical amp-cab-delay patches but a lot of in depth FX tweaks.
I think I even remember him saying something like this in a rig video or so.
 
I've been lucky enough to have been a fan since his first Zappa tour in 77, saw him with talking heads, Bowie, Crimson, the BEARS, the Power Trio, and Adrian always is awe inspiring. he also turned me on to the best performance and practice stool, the amazing Swopper......www.swopperusa.com
 
Saw him in September for maybe the 3rd or 4th time? He's a longtime modeler user, and will hold on to gear for a long time...he used a dual Johnson Millennium combo rig for years...2002-whenever he snagged the Ultra I believe. I think he's kind of a "if it's not broke, don't fix it" kind of player. Also, he tends to build songs around fx and the patches he builds...so it's a lot of work to port things to a new unit. Such a beast of a player.
 
somata said:
Saw him in September for maybe the 3rd or 4th time? He's a longtime modeler user, and will hold on to gear for a long time...he used a dual Johnson Millennium combo rig for years...2002-whenever he snagged the Ultra I believe. I think he's kind of a "if it's not broke, don't fix it" kind of player. Also, he tends to build songs around fx and the patches he builds...so it's a lot of work to port things to a new unit. Such a beast of a player.
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That is what he told me. You invest a lot of time and effort dialing in your sound and are loathe to re-create the beauty of what you have accomplished.

I’m looking for Ultra continued enthusiasts who are game to share our creations, particularly those of Belew inspiration and quality.

Anyone out there?
 
Wish I could help...I'm a huge fan, but I don't really play that kind of music. In terms of his sound, I'm not even sure where to begin...mod delays, some chorusing, reverse delay, and some pitch shifting for sure. Looping is also a huge part of what he does. The problem is he's running a guitar synth, the Digitech Impossible pedal, Guitar Rig, and the Line 6 Variax stuff too...so it's not just the Fractal and it's hard to guess at what's doing what.

Such a cool player, but hard to copy. I don't even know what amp model to start with. Maybe a Fender combo of some sort, with a dirt or distortion pedal....or maybe a Marshall model for the gainer stuff?
 
Much appreciated. I run a number of rigs simultaneously with my Parker Fly Deluxe:

My Ultra with Atomic FRFR on one side and a Mesa Boogie Triaxis powered by a Stereo 2 90 on the other, with an external GK3 to a Roland GR1 and other synth modules on the 3rd out.

I use a Liquid Foot pro for the Ultra and have an intellifex on the Boogie.

I couple a few extra stomp boxes for looping/delay, pitch shifting and delay and lastly compression.

All in all, it creates a pretty nice symphony that I’ve spent a few years isolating and then combining sounds.

I vary a few more guitars (Tom Anderson Drop Top, PRS custom 10 24, ES 175, strats and teles, depending upon the material) and several more amps (Roland Jazz Chorus and a Mark V lunch box with sattelite 12” cabs).

My sounds are everything from complex layered delays overlayed by Hendrix style solos to outer worldly stuff inspired by everyone from Jeff Beck to Monsignor Belew himself.

Not trying to be some other cat, but have been indoctrinated on good players and want to add a few notes/sounds of my own to the mix.
 
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