Am I setting my Axe-Fx up wrong, or is something wrong?

Carlswe

Member
Hi guys!

I am struggling!

So, I have had my Axe Fx3 for a year. I have long thought something isn't right, but I have convinced myself that it is just nonsense, that it's just my ears. I have bought a lot of cabs, i have spent more hours tweaking than playing, I have been struggling with lifting the blanket off my axe and getting the attack right, and everytime I have convinced myself that I am getting it wrong. It's just me. Well, I don't think it is anymore.

Today youtuber Ola Englund released this video:

And I thought he got a great tone right out of the box, so I went for those presets, the recto 2 orange stock (at 3:08 in the video) and then changed the amp (still remaing on the recto everything else) to HBE V2 as he does in the video at 6:35. (I don't think I need to attach the stock patches for you guys)

Here is the soundclip of me using the same presets, played on my Arisitides 070s with Lundgren bleack heavens. I have also tested my US made PRS custom 24 with fishman fluence classics in it, it is even more muffled and less attack.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sc9xccu29cijz20/AristidesAxeFX3.mp3?dl=0

I am playing a regular D chord, an open E, and a G, nothing on the low B-string. First is the recto, followed by the friedman.

Just to save some time:
I know he is about 10000 times better than me.
I have tried different cables, 4 different guitars, and both inputs on my axe.
I am recording direct from my Axe FX via USB.

But what I am hearing is not JUST my own lack of technique and right hand pick attack. It is a totally different sound overall.
Is it a setting I don't know where to find? Or is it a faulty Axe? Or am I just crazy? )If I am crazy please let me down nicely) :eek:o_O

Thanks guys! This forum is awesome! :)
 
Are cab sims and power amp modeling turned on in the Setup> Global section on the front panel?
 
Something is wrong....nothing should sound like that from an axe, unless its on purpose, or you really are THAT bad lol

That is NOT the Recto Orange sound with fluence at all

Now, you may be crazy, but thats’ not our call to make.....i mean, I’m leaning towards yes, after hearing your riff and that you posted it, but my opinion on that doesnt matter lol jk jk

Chris usually catche things like that^ but honestly, with fluence , your guitar should be a lot brighter

Did you accidentally turn off and or adjust a parameter, either globally or just on your favorite preset, mistakenly?

Wish i could help more, but I can’t teach you how to play lol jk jk again

What i would do since its new is do a global reset
 
Thanks WLOD!
And thank you for not evaluating my mental health. :p

Well, I am glad to hear at least one more person hearing something..
I alos forgot to mention I have owned a cpl of rectos and Mk4s in real life. And I am hearing nothing like them :oops:
 
Was that a direct out recording or mic'd? Can you post your rig setup of what amp and speakers you are using?
Check your input settings under I/O and make sure you have them high enough to get the input red led on the front to blink when you slam your strings. Also check what your output level is set at, in I/O/Audio. I'm set at +4dbu.
And if you are connectiong to an amp or powered speaker, check the output levels on the front of the AXE. I run around 75% for the output to my guitar amp and 50% to my FOH Out.

Several years ago when I got my first axe, I wanted to crush it. It was mainly because I didn't understand it. I came from tube amps with a couple of knobs to twist. What I mostly found was I was pumping too much bass for my rig and FOH. So I rolled off some of the amp block bass, turned on the amp's bright switch. I also found, on some amp blocks I was using, that the master volume was pegged to 10. Turning that down until I found a sweet spot helped. I also did some final tweaking with a PEQ block at the end of my chain, right before the out block.
I got all this information to try, from many of the great people in the forums.
 
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Hi Tommy! Thanks for your response!

That is a direct USB recording. I am using the same stock presets as Ola i using in his video, as described in my original post.

I have checked my input settings, and output levels. It makes no difference when i try -10 vs +4, and I don't think it should considering I am going direct USB in?

I am connecting straight to my iMac via USB. Everything then goes out via an UA apollo twin, and 5" monitors. I am listeing to both my own recording and Olas on this setup and the difference is huge.
 
For a test, to eliminate the possibility of USB, computer, Apollo Twin interference, can you connect the AXE FX out to your monitors direct?
 
Yes, done. Does not make any difference.

Still sounds the same. I can even A/B the two, or connect one to the Axe and the other to the apollo, and controll output, mute and have them simultaneously.

I tried recording direct via USB, or SPDIF through the apollo. Same result.
 
Mine sounds pretty similar to the video...

Are you playing on the bridge pickup? Tone and volume turned all the way up on the guitar?
What kind of cable are are you using / have you tried a different one?
 
Well man.....I’m sorry to say, I don’t think your crazy...........but that must mean you just suck....that technique is very bad

I think you finally hear how bad you are because you got an axe 3, and your old amp’s fuzz was covering your sloppy technique


(Jk dude, I’m a kidder, i tease a lot, dont mean anything by it)
 
I’m curious, could you do a raw DI recording of your guitar playing the same thing in your clip? Then we could load it into our DAWs and reamp it see how it sounds. This would be interesting to see!

edit: so record using USB input 5 in your DAW and share the wav file with us
 
Hey Dude ,

try this back off a bit of the highs but does it chug or sound blanketed

its not the range this is recto 1 red .the cabs are different I changed to stock options ,so you could check it out
 

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