An Axe-Fx III Buying Checklist

Jawoom

Jawoom

Inspired
Mild shock... but the FM3 has hooked me enough to want an Axe III so I'm making a checklist of things to consider as I'm trying to estimate the total cost of this upgrade. Please point out anything anything that could be worth consideration!

Overall my intended use for this rig in the near future would be:
  • Playing with myself at home :rolleyes:
  • Recording in a home studio I have frequent access too.
  • Jamming with my band (I don't see us playing live anytime soon with COVID).
Considerations:

1. Foot Controller:
Currently I have a Boss ES-8 that I was planning to sell as l like the FC6 would just be much better. I think the FC12 would be overkill for me. I still have an external 2 button footswitch that I got for the FM3 which I could still use with the FC6

2. Power conditioner:
Honestly I couldn't tell you the exact reason why I need one of these besides it supposedly protecting a very expensive piece of gear I'm going to purchase. I feel like it's buying a tuner or power supply. No on really wants to do it, but it is worth it in the end (though my Strymon Zuma has to be the most beautiful power supply I've ever seen 😂).
  • Haven't done any research on these yet, but my understanding is Furman is the king of power conditioners with a variety of price points.

3. Sound projection:
  • I currently own 2 2x12 guitar cabinets that I enjoy a lot, but might consider parting with if I tried a really good FRFR in person. I would require a power amp to continue using them as I will be selling my guitar amps to fund the Axe.​
  • I have a PA with 2 unpowered speakers and a single powered speaker (which I mainly use with my FM3 at the moment). For how cheap the powered speaker is, I'm surprised at how happy I am with the FM3's sound through it so I don't feel the need to push for a more expensive FRFR right now.​

4. Power amp - Something in a 1 rack format or pedal form to help reduce costs so I'm considering the following:
  • SD 170/200 (can these sit in a rack tray well?). The 700 seems like way too much power for what I need as it's 700 watts per side and it can't run at 16 ohms?​
  • Orange Pedalbaby (can this also sit in a rack tray well?)​
  • A used 1U rack Matrix power amp​
  • Freytte LX II (heard amazing things, but most likely too expensive for now)​
  • I've read SO MANY threads trying to research which of these I'd get for my FM3 and I never came to the conclusion yet. I feel like it's pretty hard to make a bad decision power amp wise, with most likely buying blind.​

5. A patch bay:
Do I really need this? How fast do the jacks wear out? My FM3's don't seem to be wearing down very quickly though I've only had it since April. I've seen some people have them, but not as many as I thought.

6. Expression Pedals & Pedalboard:
  • Currently I have a EV1 which I primarily use as a volume pedal.​
  • I am considering a Mission Engineering pedal for a wah. I actually don't use wah that much and feel like I might be falling into the trap of musician's wanting everything "just in case I decide to use it."​
  • Pedalboard wise I'll probably downsize from my massive Pedaltrain since the FC6 + 2 expression pedals would still be too large for this.​

7. Storage for the Axe 3:
I'm leaning towards a GR-6S (6U Gator case shallow) as I would need:
  • 3 spaces for the Axe​
  • 1 for a power conditioner​
  • 1-2 for a power amp (I think the Matrix 2U power amps I want are too expensive for now).​
  • 1 for a patch bay? I've also heard of people mounting the patch bay to the rear end to save space? I don't imagine the shallow case would have enough space. I'm currently looking through the Axe III rig thread to get ideas.​
I'm thinking about a Gator 8U regular depth case as I found one really cheap on Craigslist but the thing looks overkill for my needs.

8. Yes I got on the wait list ;) Also looking to buy used locally.

If anyone reads my essay I appreciate you!
 
Q1) excluding the AFX3, how much $$$ do you want to spend on the rest of your rig?

Q2) what size room(s) will you be playing in, and how loud do you like to play (and/or how is your hearing)?

Q3) once your rig is set up, do you envision changing it around a lot on a regular basis, and will it stay in one place or will you be gigging out often?

Q4) how much do you like to “toe dance” changing presets/FX/etc as you play?

Answers to these will help define the answers to your excellent questions!
 
1. The FC integration with the Axe3 and FM3 are worth the money. So many options to lay things out exactly how its useful to you.

2.i have the furman pl-plus C... probably don't need it but peace of mind is worth something and... you know sweetwater.

3. i'm running mine currently through a 2x12 avatar cab with v30s, a 4x12 mesa trad slant (holy shit) and a pair of krk rokit 5's ( which aren't anything to write your mom about but i don't really have any complaints)

4. have the SD 700, sounds great. the pedal platform is probably fine too. there's probably better but I have a Mark IV head that has been my main amp for close to a decade and I'm a little unnerved to say axe3->USA Lead Mid gain->SD 700->mesa 4x12 sounds better than Mark IV->mesa 4x12... maybe I need new tubes.

5. dunno, Fractal doesn't cheap out on parts so probably fine

6. personal preference. I like the ev-2s

7. I have the GR-6s you mentioned. its fine, everything fits.
 

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The Axe III is brilliant, the end.

I agree with what’s been said regarding the FC controllers. They definitely add flexibility and the ease of programming. Fractal thought those out and they perform well, IME.
That said they are not necessary, the Axe III is midi capable should you choose another foot controller.

Cliff or someone else affiliated with Fractal said specifically that the Axe III does NOT need a power conditioner.
It has internal protection as far as I understand.

If you plan to use cabs, then you will need a power amp. Personally, I have gone to direct FOH, rather than cabs to minimize weight, backline, etc. We are using in-ear monitoring, so cabs are not an issue.
However, for preset making purposes you will need decent studio monitors and/or a FRFR speaker. Again, this is my experience and my opinion. I have KRK VXT8 studio monitors AND a FRFR CLR speaker. The studio monitors get used most because I use Axe-Edit on my computer to create and audition presets.

Power amps are available in many shapes and sizes these days. I have a Quilter Pro Block 200, Seymour Duncan 170, Matrix, and a Fryette Powerstation. The SD is small, powerful enough to drive a 4X12, and has an on board EQ. So, if you like the idea of an almost pedal sized power amp, I might steer you toward to the 170 or 200 depending on whether you need 2 speaker outs or not. The Matrix is great, and the Quilter has EQ shaping controls as well. The Powerstation is a tube power amp, it’s quite heavy, sounds amazing.

If you will be plugging and unplugging daily, maybe worth it.
That said, I do have a custom patch bay set-up so I can have easier access to the most used jacks and sound tech‘s don’t make as many mistakes when plugging and unplugging things because everything is clearly labeled.

I use an EV2 for volume, that’s it. I do also have a spring-loaded Mission pedal I can hook up for Wah, Formant, etc, although I find myself using other means of triggering the Wah so I don’t have to bring the extra pedal. If I had a permanent pedal board, maybe I’d just put the Mission on there as the Wah pedal, but I don’t at the moment. I travel too often and a pedal train or whatever would be WAY too bulky in the suitcase.

For transport, I use a 4 space SKB fly-rack. The Axe III is 3 spaces and my Shure Wireless is one. If you pass on the power conditioner and get a SD170/200 “pedal type” for power, then put the patch bay on the back of the rack, you don’t need to go to 6 or 8 spaces. That’s getting bigger, heavier, and more bulky. I like having a telescoping handle and the in-line wheels on the case and the rack simply pulls out and sits on top of the case. Easy peasy.

Best of luck with your rig. Regardless of the choices you make to complete it, you will REALLY love having an Axe III. It has surpassed my expectations and is a significant upgrade from the previous versions.
 
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5 - I have a patch panel with my III mainly because of my experience with USB jacks wearing out faster than anything else. I’m very happy with it. It was made by BTPA and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them if you go that route.
 
I appreciate all of the replies everyone! Definitely helps me refine my thought process :) While I love my FM3 and can see myself getting another one further down the road when portability will be of more importance, the Axe III is more of what I'm looking for right now.
 
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