Advice needed: Edit: I have the Ultra now!!!

S

supreeth

Member
Hey Everyone,

I am thinking about redesigning my entire rig from scratch and need your thoughts, feedback and suggestions. A few months ago I looked into the AFX as a pure effects processor and decided not to take the plunge and stuck with my brand new Mesa Mark V head and analog pedals. Now the situation is a little different. I will be getting married soon and the wife and I will be moving into an apartment complex which has a lot of families with little kids, and loud amps are a big no-no. We're also looking to be as space efficient as possible. I have been toying with the idea of unloading my entire tube amp rig (and cab) and pedals for a much more simpler setup consisting of the AFX Ultra, Liquid foot Jr. or RJM MIDI foot controller, expression pedal, and studio monitors (M-Audio BXA5). For whatever little live playing I will do I just plan to go direct to the PA. This move makes sense financially too since the AFX/Foot controller will cost less than the rig I have now after I sell it off. In other words this move makes too much sense to not happen.

I'm a little wary of this change too since I love the dynamics of a tube amp and more specifically the Mark V which I waited 6 months for. I've looked at several videos of the AFX and it seems to do the tube modeling very well indeed. My goal is to be able to play what I play at low(er) volumes without sacrificing any tone, and yet be portable enough that I don't need to cart around 100-150 lbs of gear when I go out to jam. My questions are

1. Have any of you moved away from a full tube amp rig to the AFX and regretted it?
2. If you had second thoughts, what caused them?
3. How does the AFX sound straight through active monitors without using a tube power amp/cab?
4. I know this is a very subjective question but can the AFX be considered a good replacement for the Mark V in your opinion? Please elaborate.

Any comments, feedback and suggestions you have will be of great help for me to plan my future rig around the AFX.

Thank you,
Supreeth
 
Re: Advice needed: Moving away from a tube amp rig to the AFX.

Hummmm,

A couple grand and 10 days to try it out.

Answer all you questions first hand... priceless.
 
Re: Advice needed: Moving away from a tube amp rig to the AFX.

supreeth said:
Hey Everyone,

I am thinking about redesigning my entire rig from scratch and need your thoughts, feedback and suggestions. A few months ago I looked into the AFX as a pure effects processor and decided not to take the plunge and stuck with my brand new Mesa Mark V head and analog pedals. Now the situation is a little different. I will be getting married soon and the wife and I will be moving into an apartment complex which has a lot of families with little kids, and loud amps are a big no-no. We're also looking to be as space efficient as possible. I have been toying with the idea of unloading my entire tube amp rig (and cab) and pedals for a much more simpler setup consisting of the AFX Ultra, Liquid foot Jr. or RJM MIDI foot controller, expression pedal, and studio monitors (M-Audio BXA5). For whatever little live playing I will do I just plan to go direct to the PA. This move makes sense financially too since the AFX/Foot controller will cost less than the rig I have now after I sell it off. In other words this move makes too much sense to not happen.

I'm a little wary of this change too since I love the dynamics of a tube amp and more specifically the Mark V which I waited 6 months for. I've looked at several videos of the AFX and it seems to do the tube modeling very well indeed. My goal is to be able to play what I play at low(er) volumes without sacrificing any tone, and yet be portable enough that I don't need to cart around 100-150 lbs of gear when I go out to jam. My questions are

1. Have any of you moved away from a full tube amp rig to the AFX and regretted it?
2. If you had second thoughts, what caused them?
3. How does the AFX sound straight through active monitors without using a tube power amp/cab?
4. I know this is a very subjective question but can the AFX be considered a good replacement for the Mark V in your opinion? Please elaborate.

Any comments, feedback and suggestions you have will be of great help for me to plan my future rig around the AFX.

Thank you,
Supreeth
Click to expand...
1- no. Never had it better.
Although I never had bouteek amps, and it is different to a tube amp in the room.
2- N.A.
3- Great. IMHO YMMV. I leave a bit of maneuvering room because it still could get better.
4- Marco Sfogli seems to think so, for recording at least. viewtopic.php?f=11&t=10133&start=70 . be sure to check out the recording on a previous page.
 
Re: Advice needed: Moving away from a tube amp rig to the AFX.

Thanks! I have also been searching the forums for more info and am going to take sixstring's advice and buy the AFX Ultra to try out (I know I'll keep it 99% already). Wow, I just read another thread where there's a video of John Petrucci fooling around with an AFX backstage. I play a Ernie Ball JP6 guitar, and if it's good enough for JP and Mark Sfogli it's a huge motivation for me to try this out for myself!! The tone Sfogli got out of the AFX for the Mark V was was unreal. I cannot get the same tone out of my Mark V without extensive tweaking, and that tone (plus the IIc+ and Mark IV settings) was the rason why I bought the Mark V :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: I think I am sold on the AFX!

I already have dreams of showing up to a gig with a 3 space rack (AFX and Furman w/RJM mastermind), hook up direct to the PA and still have all the tone that I want plus an enormous amout of flexibility. It's also going to be so back friendly! :) It definitely looks like I'll have a whole bunch of gear and pedals up for sale a day after I get the AFX ultra!!!

Thanks,
Supreeth
 
Re: Advice needed: Moving away from a tube amp rig to the AFX.

To have it in hand Is really the best way to know. As to moving away from a tube rig I'm getting closer and closer all the time. When it happens I will more than likly dump all remaining gear that supports an amp and cab and go with a pair of Fratomic's or FBT's.
 
Re: Advice needed: Moving away from a tube amp rig to the AFX.

For whatever additional this is worth... Cliff was a big boogie user (as I was, for well over 20 years). He nails the mesa stuff so well it's scary. You may someday want one little class A amp around just for nostalgia's sake, but when it comes to a lot of tones at your feet nothing comes close. You will not regret one iota.

In terms of direct live and recorded tones, I played a show last week with house sound, and told the soundman "just give me two cables, feeding two adjacent channels, panned hard right and left". He was skeptical, but within a few minutes he had headphones on at the board shaking his head with a huge grin. And he kept motioning to waitresses to try on the headphones (not that I'm that good... but I do program great tones and great FX patches). I'm convinced that if you are patient enough there is nothing you won't be able to do. Buy it. Now.
 
Re: Advice needed: Moving away from a tube amp rig to the AFX.

I had a Mark IV combo with EVM12L speaker before I bought the Axe. It was the first one to go. The reason is because to my ears, Axe FX sounded better than the real thing. And that was many, many firmware upgrades ago, so now it's better still.

The only tube amp I have right now is a Egnater TOL 100 head, because I had one a while back, sold it, and regretted selling it for a couple of years. So when I bought my second one, I swore I'd never sell it. But I haven't turned it on for a few months now. :) If push came to shove, I'd sell all the rest of my "traditional" gear except for a couple of guitars, the Axe and the monitors. I don't really need the rest of the stuff, it's just there for the sentimental value.
 
Re: Advice needed: Moving away from a tube amp rig to the AFX.

plexi59 said:
The only tube amp I have right now is a Egnater TOL 100 head, because I had one a while back, sold it, and regretted selling it for a couple of years. So when I bought my second one, I swore I'd never sell it. But I haven't turned it on for a few months now. :) If push came to shove, I'd sell all the rest of my "traditional" gear except for a couple of guitars, the Axe and the monitors. I don't really need the rest of the stuff, it's just there for the sentimental value.
Click to expand...


I said the same thing about my Lee Jackson XLS 1000 head. A rear bird for sure and just killer sounding. I actually fired it up a few days ago and the smell of burnt dust permeated the room :lol: . The 412 cabs are nothing special except for the 17 year old Vintage 30's that are in them. They have to be the best sounding cabs I have ever heard.
 
Re: Advice needed: Moving away from a tube amp rig to the AFX.

Thanks for all the thoughts and opinions everyone. I just ordered the AFX Ultra and hopefully will get it soon!!! :shock: I cant wait to work with the AFX! Initially the $2k price tag was putting me off from taking the plunge but then I realized that the Ultra offers all them amp models/effects, everything that Eventide and Lexicon procressors do, and all at the price of the Mark V head which made my decision easy. That said I have never been much of a tweaker (I did not like programming the TC G-Major when I had it in my Triaxis rig), but hopefully the AFX will make me a tweaker :)

For a foot controller I will be getting the RJM Mastermind thanks to its small footprint (and ability to fit into the side of a 3-4 space rack for easy transport).

Thanks again for all the advice and thoughts! I will keep everyone posted on my first experience with the AFX Ultra!!

cheers,
Supreeth
 
Re: Advice needed: Moving away from a tube amp rig to the AFX.

supreeth said:
1. Have any of you moved away from a full tube amp rig to the AFX and regretted it?
2. If you had second thoughts, what caused them?
3. How does the AFX sound straight through active monitors without using a tube power amp/cab?
4. I know this is a very subjective question but can the AFX be considered a good replacement for the Mark V in your opinion? Please elaborate.
Click to expand...

1) I moved away from all other modelers - and never regretted it.

2) IMHO does the AxeFx sound closer to the sound of a tube amp then any other current modeler.
Per design will it sound like a miced tube amp - and not at all like a tube amp next to you.
The latest firmware versions offer this much options, user cabs... so you can get close to any sound you like.

3) Great - that's the setup it was designed for - check out the new FRFR monitors for best results.

4) I own the AxeFx ultra for some time and have bought the Mark V - the AxeFx can not at all replace the sound of the MK V next to me.
 
I got the Ultra yesterday via UPS and spent some time going over the presets without tweaking anything. I was using going into my M-Audio BX5A monitors using the unbalanced outs. I was pleasantly surprised at how usable the presets are when compared to other companies' effects processors whose presets are pretty much noise and more noise with some effect that you'll never ever use.

I also plugged in the AFX into my Mark V power section (Got to love the pure class A-10/class AB-45/simulclass 90 W modes plus the ability to choose between tube rectification, solid state rectification, and triodes/pentodes) and immediately realized that to me the AFX completes my existing rig to perfection. I also realized that my studio monitors did not deliver the warmth that my 2x12 cab did but then it is a studio monitor for a reason. Over the weekend (when I'm not watching football) I'll be trying out the different Mesa models in the AFX through the Mark V power section. Can't wait. I haven't been blown away by the amp simulations yet because I don't know how to tweak them but they sound pretty darn good. Effects wise I was quite blown away at the quality. Mind blowing stuff. I can't wait to expand my depth of understanding of the AFX now.

I wanted the AFX to be my entire rig but the Mark V stays because the AFX and Mark V power section seem to complement each other very well indeed(especially with my power section currently running a combo of KT-66s and 6L6GCs). I'm already armed with an RJM mini amp gizmo which will switch channels on the Mark V via MIDI. Each channel will be set to a different power amp combination for subtle sound differences. Needless to say all my effects pedals will be on sale very soon plus a whole lot of cables and other stuff now that I can record direct too!

As a computer science professional and researcher that designs and develops low level software/firmware which runs on network cards I immediately appreciated Cliff's attention to detail and ease of use for the end user. Not too many people put much thought into how to design an efficient user interface in a limited display area and EEPROM space but obviously it is not the case here. Thanks, Cliff!

I think I'm also going to hold out for the MFC-101 since it is made specifically for the AFX. I really hope it comes out soon!! All in all I am very glad to be a member of the AFX family and I'm here to stay :)

cheers,
Supreeth
 
Supreeth.... breath, exhale... slow down.
Enjoy the process, forget about jumping into conclusions, you will change your mind about a lot of things once you start to get familiar with everything.

It took me 2 weeks just to realize that my AXE-FX input was not setup properly and I was doing it all wrong..... that was 2 years ago, today I have a totally different outlook on everything.

The main thing is already achieved, you see potential!
Don't jump to conclusions, explore and learn.
The truth is that the AXE-FX is so flexible you can achieve almost any task with it once you master all of it's parameters.

;)
 
Thanks, Andrew. I have indeed been exploring the AFX and learning about it. There is no subsititute to hands on experience with the AFX. Alex's excellent newbie guide has helped a lot in getting me started.

I have been spending a lot of time with the AFX just barely scratching the surface of what it can do. The tones sounded like magic when I route it through my Mark V power section or direct record into SONAR 8.3 producer (monitoring via headphones), and not so much direct into the BX5A. I think I started off on the wrong foot putting the AFX through some not-so-good studio monitors. I definitely need to get better speakers and have been reading the threads regarding FRFR speaker recommendations.

As to amp simulations, I am totally sold on the Mesa models (I'm sure the non-mesa models are equally great as well, but I'm not familiar with those amps having been a Mesa player for years). I have not messed around with the effects at all but from the presets, I know that the quality of the effects is unparallelled. Suffice to say the AFX has been growing on me big time!!

My next goal is to learn to be able to set each effect up properly at the rate of one effect per day. Can't wait to play with the Marshall models, the harmonizers, and multi band compressor!!

cheers,
Supreeth
 
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