AFX3.. yeh or ney

Ditto the FM3 + FC6 recommendations.

if you are playing at home for fun, that should be plenty.

create a few patches that split up infrequently used effects and you'll have plenty of switching to go around.

also, read up on the FC functionality. It's much more advanced than the MFC and gets more done with fewer switches.
 
Note, the FM3 has a stereo in, so your keys can hit it as well.

I use mine to process a mic along with my guitar. Works great.
 
Hi Paul,
Ive got an AxeFx III and the PT15 and am local-ish to you.
If you fancy meeting up at Quad in leicester - I can bring both and a 2x12 cab and atomic CLR.

You can check out AXE Fx III against your AXE Fx II through the same CLR (CLR has two inputs, so we can AB them through same rig). Can also then check out vs a real amp in the room.

PM me if youre interested.
 
Hey Paul, nice to see you back on here.

So much like when the standard and Ultra were replaced with the Axe 2, at first the differences in sounds were slight. When the 3 was released I thought the differences were pretty small compared with the 2. BUT and it's a big but. Over time as the firmware has improved and developed, that difference is now, to me anyway, huge. The feel of the thing is the most improved. There'll be a period of playing sloppy I guarantee just like when you go back to a tube amp that is not as forgiving and needs more accurate playing. This happened a while back in the firmware. Now the dynamics are superb and I'm sure will improve. I was showing a friend (who has a Helix) how the volume cleans up but then how when cleaned up you can get the playing dynamics when playing harder now. That was always kind of there but now is way more accurate.
Definitely worth the upgrade. When I take my Ax8 to rehearsals now, I'm genuinely missing the sound of the Axe 3 and even apologising to the rest of the band how bad my sound is (even though I've used the Ax8 on about 50% of gigs and they think it's great). Axe 3 all the way matey.
 
Lightningboy said:
Hey Paul, nice to see you back on here.

So much like when the standard and Ultra were replaced with the Axe 2, at first the differences in sounds were slight. When the 3 was released I thought the differences were pretty small compared with the 2. BUT and it's a big but. Over time as the firmware has improved and developed, that difference is now, to me anyway, huge. The feel of the thing is the most improved. There'll be a period of playing sloppy I guarantee just like when you go back to a tube amp that is not as forgiving and needs more accurate playing. This happened a while back in the firmware. Now the dynamics are superb and I'm sure will improve. I was showing a friend (who has a Helix) how the volume cleans up but then how when cleaned up you can get the playing dynamics when playing harder now. That was always kind of there but now is way more accurate.
Definitely worth the upgrade. When I take my Ax8 to rehearsals now, I'm genuinely missing the sound of the Axe 3 and even apologising to the rest of the band how bad my sound is (even though I've used the Ax8 on about 50% of gigs and they think it's great). Axe 3 all the way matey.
Click to expand...
This
 
Lightningboy said:
Hey Paul, nice to see you back on here.

So much like when the standard and Ultra were replaced with the Axe 2, at first the differences in sounds were slight. When the 3 was released I thought the differences were pretty small compared with the 2. BUT and it's a big but. Over time as the firmware has improved and developed, that difference is now, to me anyway, huge. The feel of the thing is the most improved. There'll be a period of playing sloppy I guarantee just like when you go back to a tube amp that is not as forgiving and needs more accurate playing. This happened a while back in the firmware. Now the dynamics are superb and I'm sure will improve. I was showing a friend (who has a Helix) how the volume cleans up but then how when cleaned up you can get the playing dynamics when playing harder now. That was always kind of there but now is way more accurate.
Definitely worth the upgrade. When I take my Ax8 to rehearsals now, I'm genuinely missing the sound of the Axe 3 and even apologising to the rest of the band how bad my sound is (even though I've used the Ax8 on about 50% of gigs and they think it's great). Axe 3 all the way matey.
Click to expand...
Hey, good to here from you. How's things?

I'm not surprised with your comments. The fractal stuff has always been small increment improvements rather than drastic ones. That's what you get with frequent fw updates.

I think the afx2 was at about fw 6 before its tone and feeling become so much better than the standard/ultra for it to be worth upgrading just for that. I did expect afx3 to be the same and certainly in the first 6 months I wasn't hearing anything convincingly different.

3 years learning, and building my keys rig has left me out of the loop... and thete are no afx3/afx2 comparrisons out there with the current af3 fw.

Given I can permanantly wire the keys into an afx line for fx (I'll set up a send from my interface which returns over spdif so I can run as I do now without turning the afx on or with it if I want the fx) I'm definately wanting the afx3 over fm3... just trying to get as much info on how much the 3s fw has changed feel wise.
 
I was in the same boat as you. AXE FX guy for years then went back to tube amps. Picked up a AXE 3 for a steal and got back into the game. At first it seemed similar to the AXE 2. Over the last 2 years and especially with CYGNUS, this to me was a game changer. My AXE 3 replaced my FX8 for effects via the 4CM with my real tube amps. With all the ins/outs and in 4CM with a simple patch change I can have the AXE 3 just supply the pre and post effects to my real tube amps in the 4CM and without re-cabling, I can switch a patch and have the AXE 3 amp sims run through the power amp of my tube amp. Having all the ins/outs I can run 2 real 412 cabinets being powered by my tube head and I can run 2 Friedman Powered FRFR monitors running amp sims at the same time to get the best of both worlds sonically. This approach also allows me to quickly and easily tweak my amp sim presets to sound identical to my real tube head with keeping all of the gear apples to apples with exception of using the real tube head as the source of the tone or the amp sim. The AXE 3 coupled with my FC12 and I am good for any and all needs. I have posted many times that I have posted videos online of me A/Bing the AXE 3 and the real tube amp online and all that responded picked the AXE 3 tone as the real tube amp. I have pretty much dialed in my Friedman BE100 Deluxe amps tone spot on along with my EVH EL34 100w S head. The tone was so convincing I have since sold the Friedman BE 100 Deluxe.
 
Well - as always with this community, some helpful responses.

Just pressed the button on an AFX3 and F12. While the FM3 would suit me in terms of technical ability...it physically doesnt suit me to have the unit on the floor - I need more buttons than the FM3+FC6 and the FM3+FC12 is too wide really. I have my 4U rack on my deskspace as is - and taking the AFX2 and FXunits RAC12 (which Id no longer need with the 5 dedicated encoders under the screen - normally use the RAC12 live for gain, bass, mid, treb and master so thats all good). The rack version suits me - and I can permanently cable up my synth gear via a dedicated pair of outs from my audio interface to utilise the FX with that rig (but not have to change anything when the AFX isnt powered up except on the interfaces control panel...ie un muting the direct inputs).

I did have a wobble moment when I HAD to use paypal (even for credit card payments) with their totally unrealistic 4% fee..... thats £100 on the purchase ffs - but it is what it is. Couldnt do a bank transfer as it needs to go on teh credit card until mid May when I get a lump sum in to pay for it, so didnt have a choice. could have waited but everytime Ive considered this in teh past either the AFX3 or the FC12 was out of stock - G66 had both in stock at present. didnt want to risk that changing.

Now just got to wait for a week or so for customer (wont ship until thursday.... customer dont allow processing after 14.00 - WTF is up wiht that) and they have to hold it for 24 hours after that for any inspection). HOWEVER, Monday is my daughters 18th (as well as bank holiday) and Im still off next week. Hopefully Ill get it wed and have a couple of days to get it all set up before i go back to work. In the meantime - read the manuals, complete the set=up plan on paper, and ask lots of questions on setting the FC/AFX up......
 
Welcome back. You are gonna Love the supercharged I/O and FX for your synth gear as well as the glory of Cygnus. ...the Performance Pages kick all manners of ass so yes , your Rac-12 will join mine in the forever to be neglected part of your racks...
 
Why are you set on the FC12? You can connect your MFC via MIDI and it should work fine (though I have neither an MFC nor a III so someone with more experience tell me if I'm wrong). The FC12 is cool, but it can be an upgrade later if you feel you need it. The MFC will need some setup of course with the III, but the FC12 is the price you pay for plug-and-play.
 
paulmapp8306 said:
Well - as always with this community, some helpful responses.

Just pressed the button on an AFX3 and F12. While the FM3 would suit me in terms of technical ability...it physically doesnt suit me to have the unit on the floor - I need more buttons than the FM3+FC6 and the FM3+FC12 is too wide really. I have my 4U rack on my deskspace as is - and taking the AFX2 and FXunits RAC12 (which Id no longer need with the 5 dedicated encoders under the screen - normally use the RAC12 live for gain, bass, mid, treb and master so thats all good). The rack version suits me - and I can permanently cable up my synth gear via a dedicated pair of outs from my audio interface to utilise the FX with that rig (but not have to change anything when the AFX isnt powered up except on the interfaces control panel...ie un muting the direct inputs).

I did have a wobble moment when I HAD to use paypal (even for credit card payments) with their totally unrealistic 4% fee..... thats £100 on the purchase ffs - but it is what it is. Couldnt do a bank transfer as it needs to go on teh credit card until mid May when I get a lump sum in to pay for it, so didnt have a choice. could have waited but everytime Ive considered this in teh past either the AFX3 or the FC12 was out of stock - G66 had both in stock at present. didnt want to risk that changing.

Now just got to wait for a week or so for customer (wont ship until thursday.... customer dont allow processing after 14.00 - WTF is up wiht that) and they have to hold it for 24 hours after that for any inspection). HOWEVER, Monday is my daughters 18th (as well as bank holiday) and Im still off next week. Hopefully Ill get it wed and have a couple of days to get it all set up before i go back to work. In the meantime - read the manuals, complete the set=up plan on paper, and ask lots of questions on setting the FC/AFX up......
Click to expand...
Great choice!
 
Repartee41 said:
Why are you set on the FC12? You can connect your MFC via MIDI and it should work fine (though I have neither an MFC nor a III so someone with more experience tell me if I'm wrong). The FC12 is cool, but it can be an upgrade later if you feel you need it. The MFC will need some setup of course with the III, but the FC12 is the price you pay for plug-and-play.
Click to expand...
2 Way comms...... That was why i went from my all access to the MFC a decade or more back. Its a game changer live. The MFC with the AFX3 doenst have that 2 way comms.
 
paulmapp8306 said:
Well - as always with this community, some helpful responses.

Just pressed the button on an AFX3 and F12.
Click to expand...
Paul,

Got to say, your timing could not be better. I bought the Axe FX III relatively soon after it was first available in Europe. Already had an AFX II XL, and because the FC12 wasn't available yet, carried on gigging with that, and the old MFC-101. At the time, they sounded pretty similar, and although I loved the functionality of the AFX III front panel, I was pretty happy to continue to gig with the AFX II. Then last year I finally got an FC12, and the only thing I don't like about it is the lack of gigs to play. I use it all the time at home, and cannot wait to get out and use it live. I have had to move myself out of MFC-101 "reveal" headspace, I used to use that all the time to turn a preset and scene controller into an effects controller. FC12 and scribble strips, and incredible (near on infinite!) flexibility of layouts involved thought, but has meant I don't miss the MFC-101 at all anymore. Couple that with the additional block and channel availability in every preset, and you'd think there was every reason in the world to switch to the AFX III and FC12, but I haven't even got to the best bit yet...

I'm guessing you know how good sounding Quantum, and then Ares v2.0 had become? Since then the firmware has really forged ahead. The drives became unrecognisably better last year, but the latest release of Cygnus has done something completely remarkable in terms of making the amps sound and genuinely feel like tube amps. For me this is most obvious either side of the "edge of breakup", which is where I spend a lot of my life, particularly with Marshall and Fender amp models. I no longer spend ages looking for an IR that might work for a particular amp model, because they all sound good, and by the way the stock IR library now contains a bunch of "peaches" that weren't there before as well. Oh and you can align them in the time domain if you want to too. Like having Cab Lab built into the Axe.

So you maybe will have landed with steeper learning curve than I did, but you will find that it's really, really worth it. There is so much more available, it is so much more accessible, it is so much more flexible, but above all, just sounds and feels so good. If you don't find yourself with a "sh1t eating" grin on your face in the first 30 minutes of playing around I will be very surprised.

Good choices!

Liam
 
Am I the only one puzzled why you would need so many switches if you are using such simple presets? You said maybe a drive, a reverb, a delay, maybe a phaser and a chorus. That is a total of 5 things to switch (if you want both a chorus and a phaser). And six switches isn't enough? Get what you want to make you happy, but it didn't make any sense to me.
 
Are - but Im old fashioned lol.

I want an IA for each effect I use - I want a button to access each channel or an amp block - OR direct access to 4/5 presents from one button. I want a tap tempo button, I need bank up and down buttons.

So even though my patches may be simple, Id need reverb, drive, delay, chorus, phaser IAs, one for tap, one for bank up,. one for bank down, 4 for amp channels....Even putting the bank up and down on holds rather than taps (along with patch changes) I still really need 10 fo how I work.

i cant use scenes because Im very much "freeform" playing. I dont do the "set list - this song needs these two scenes" I what to select the amp, drive and whatever effects I feel like at any time. I know I can double function but 10 is the least I can work with... and the FM3 plus FC6 only gives me 9.... 1 too few.
 
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