AFX clean tones

I have liked the clean tones a lot. I really just think the Axe is more like a super-sonic tonal shaper than merely a guitar amp/cab/effect simulator so I believe that you could get just about any tone out of it. With all these parameters, I think it depends on the "tweaker".
 
I've been very happy with the clean tones I get. The only thing I missed for a while was open back cabinets. All of my favorite clean amps are open back, so I'm used to the way that sounds and feels. I got over it pretty quickly though.

That of course isn't the Axe-FX' fault. I was considering picking up an open back cab and power amp at one time because I missed the sound, but I wanted the versatility so I stuck with it (running direct to console). With the new reverb block, I don't miss the open back cabs at all.

D
 
Radley said:
I have a good friend who recently tried the AFX. He said he liked the overdriven tones a lot, but was disappointed with the clean sounds, and ended up sending it back. What are your impressions of the clean tones you are getting from your AFX?
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I'm still missing the Bell-like really warm "pop" sound that I get from my Fender Blues Jr. That I can't get with the Axe-Fx. Yes, it sounds warm but it isn't as warm and not the same as my tube amp. I find that when I just plug into my BJr I like to pluck the strings of my Strat more because there's this sound that happens that doesn't happen with the Axe-Fx. That combined with the real spring reverb tank of the BJr...It's just a lot more alive and uncompressed but Super mellow and warm. The Axe-Fx is almost a bit too clean sounding.
 
Having said I'm happy with my clean tones (and I still am ;-)), I DO notice a type of bloom (compression?) in clean amps, even at low volume, that I haven't found yet with any combination of sag/damp/etc or compressor settings in the AxeFX. Possibly Fractomic users get this?
 
BlueLotus said:
I'm still missing the Bell-like really warm "pop" sound that I get from my Fender Blues Jr.
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You can do an experiment.
1) Record a dry guitar.
2) Send 1 into AXEFX, without cab sim on, rec into PC.
3) Send 1 into BJ, DI into PC, rec it.
4) Compare and tweak.
5) Let's share the clips. :mrgreen:

I do like BJ, around 3-4 has the kind of warmth tube compression I like, but is a little boxy, with limited dynamic. You will find other emulations that will give you similar clean, but improved in these aspects. Watch for trainwrek & dumble.
 
When it comes to warm bouncy clean tones i have truly yet to play anything as good as revalver III. On the whole the product has abysmal support, but man do the cleans rock. Its the first time ive played a modeller clean and not wanted to even fire up my peavey ranger (an old fender twin clone). I not sure why, but its scary accurate. maybe its because it can use Full IR's instead of truncated ones? ( edit: i really think this is it because when i turn off the high res and resample option on revalver it doesnt sound nearly as good)
It must be because it sounds scary "in the room" bell like pop and chime. its inspiring.
On the other hand i love the axe-fx feel on leads. Revalver doesnt have that same liquid sound on leads.
Mx
 
I am in the same boat, no clean bloom. But its getting closer over time. Overall though the AX FX is the best I have owned in a direct type box. I've been spoiled by a Line6 AX2. (Yeah I know, but it was their best effort, and after 10 years with it I know how to coax it.) I am sure the AXFX will offer the same satisfaction in the future. And yes the AX2 with open back cab w/EV 's is something I am sure makes a difference. Using 2 Bose right now... a work in progress.

http://www.duaneramelot.com
 
I'm not sure if we mean the same by "clean bloom"... but I found myself missing a "bouncy" quality when playing single note lines using AxeFx's Fender clean sounds. I recently stumbled on using the Dumble clean sim– Spec OD1. It's really helped get what I was looking for.

On the more tele/country-ish side, I really got closer to the "Fender-ish" sound that I like using the Dr Z MAZ-38 sim.
 
Hey the dumble 1 is pretty good. I did put in the Wrecker tonestack though, geeze so many options.
Gonna work on Radleys reverb and peq tips abit today.

Hey my son got me an Ebow for christmas.... I would have never bought one for myself.
Now if i can get it to work like phil keagey does...
too many toys lol

www.duaneramelot.com
 
I am happy with my clean sounds so far, but I would love to hear more transparent highs (an equivalent of the 10pf to 22pf cap across the Fender Reverb 3.3M isolation resistor, which causes the Fender's reverb channel to have such a 'glassy' high end - much different than the switchable 120pf bright cap). To my knowledge, this has never been successfully duplicated in a digital modeler.
 
Radley said:
I have a good friend who recently tried the AFX. He said he liked the overdriven tones a lot, but was less impressed with the clean sounds. He also said the AFX was too complex for him to deal with. What are your impressions of the clean tones you are getting from your AFX?

Edit: Note that I am happy with what I'm getting for clean sounds - just want to get some other opinions.
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The cleans I'm using (5 basic cleans that apply to 80% of what I do in a night) vary from tinkling crystal breaking to thicker almost distorted.
The possibities, as they say however, are endless.
 
I'm experimenting with cleans right now and I'm getting pretty good results with the Brownface and no Cab. Added a light Chorus a touch of Reverb and a Compressor in front. Really glassy and transparent. I've been also playing with the low and high cut advanced parameters of the amp. I'll post a clip when I'm ready.
 
Perhaps I can dupe the Fender clean (reverb channel) sound by 'nixing' the Cab block altogether? I've never tried it, but I'm open to all methods/possibilities. We'll see how it goes....
 
Radley said:
Perhaps I can dupe the Fender clean (reverb channel) sound by 'nixing' the Cab block altogether? I've never tried it, but I'm open to all methods/possibilities. We'll see how it goes....
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Rather than nixing the cab block, have you tried the "Air" setting (in the Cab block)? This allows some highs from the amp to pass un-filtered. I'm sure you're aware of this feature, and if it was mentioned previously in this discussion, my apologies for missing it.

Not exactly the same as the bypass you describe in the actual amp, but I'd have to wonder if this might get you closer to that "glassy" character.
 
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