Anyone using two Axe FX Live?

AndyOrr

AndyOrr

Experienced
So...

I have a great amp / cabinet tone using the Matrix GT1000 to an Avatar 2x12 Alnico Blue. I keep power amp emulation on, cabinet emulation off. I'm pretty happy with this rig. I use it when we need to be mic'ed up - festivals, fairs and such.

I also have a great FOH tone going direct but with cabinet emulation turned on. Our FOH engineer would prefer me to just go direct but I've had a few bad experiences playing multi band gigs where they're set up to mic cabinets on ancient boards and not work with going DI.

So, I'm using two different tones in different scenarios (not at the same time) mainly due to cabinet emulation turned on to the PA and turned off to amp/ cabinet. For the most part, the rest of the presets are a near exact match. Cab emulation is the main difference.

I would like to continue going direct to FOH in order to keep the mix pristine as possible BUT I would like to have my cabs on stage with me. I haven't tried this in rehearsal yet so I'm not sure if it's going to work as well as I hope. As far as I know, I would need to use my backup AF2 along with my primary to send these two different sounds to their destinations. I'll use one MFC to control changes to both rigs. I use lots of presets. We use a click.

1. Is anyone else doing it this way?

2. Is there a non-complicated workaround for using one AF2 and sending cab emulation via balanced outs to FOH and using 1/4 outs to the amp without cab emulation? If not, that would be a very cool firmware update...:)
 
I have been putting the cab block last and use an fx loop block right before the cab. Output 1 has cab sims on, Output 2 goes to the Matrix with no cab sims feeding 2-4x12 cabs. Best of both worlds with 1 preset. I actually only use 1 preset with 6 scenes.
 
Thanks drgamble. Great suggestion. I wired my 2x12 cab in stereo and usually run Axe FX DI balanced outs panned hard L&R but am going to experiment with your method in mono. I think I might just go back to mic'ing my cabinet... I'm able to get great tones at lower volumes and I really enjoy having more me on stage. Plus the inconsistencies in some of the PA's we have to use make a mess of the DI sounds I've dialed in. Thanks again for the advice.
 
drgamble said:
I have been putting the cab block last and use an fx loop block right before the cab. Output 1 has cab sims on, Output 2 goes to the Matrix with no cab sims feeding 2-4x12 cabs. Best of both worlds with 1 preset. I actually only use 1 preset with 6 scenes.
Click to expand...

I used to do this with my Ultra&Mesa 50/50 setup. Mesa into my cabs (fx loop/out 2) and XLR to FOH
 
luke said:
Why not just go FRFR on stage? It's a lot easier than the work around a IMO, and gives you access to limitless IRs.
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Theoretically, your suggestion is definitely the way to go and, that would be my preference. But, my DI signal has been slaughtered enough by poor quality sound contractors, crappy preamps at the board or a sound engineer not awake enough to change the board settings to adjust from mic to DI. For summer festival season - where you have 30 minutes to change the stage - I'm thinking the tried and true mic'ing of the cab is the best compromise. The nice thing is that The Axe can still get some killer tones without ear splitting decibel levels on stage. But, it's definitely a louder stage than we're used to.

I ran the stereo mic'ed cabinet at a show last night with no DI signal. I used two Heil PR30 mics on the stereo cab. The guitar player in the act before us, who was gigging with a beautiful '68 Goldtop and a Suhr Badger, kept bringing me shots of tequila to the side of the stage while we were playing. He was all pumped up about my tone.

Thanks!!!
 
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AndyOrr said:
Theoretically, your suggestion is definitely the way to go and, that would be my preference. But, my DI signal has been slaughtered enough by poor quality sound contractors, crappy preamps at the board or a sound engineer not awake enough to change the board settings to adjust from mic to DI. For summer festival season - where you have 30 minutes to change the stage - I'm thinking the tried and true mic'ing of the cab is the best compromise. The nice thing is that The Axe can still get some killer tones without ear splitting decibel levels on stage. But, it's definitely a louder stage than we're used to.

I ran the stereo mic'ed cabinet at a show last night with no DI signal. I used two Heil PR30 mics on the stereo cab. The guitar player in the act before us, who was gigging with a beautiful '68 Goldtop and a Suhr Badger, kept bringing me shots of tequila to the side of the stage while we were playing. He was all pumped up about my tone.

Thanks!!!
Click to expand...


Mic'ing a cab really doesn't get around the poor engineering issues because your still running through the board though ???? If anything, in my experience with either unskilled or just lazy sound engineers is that a DI signal proves better results than mic'ing a cab because its less work to set up. If I can give them a "turn key" signal to run to FOH, and then just have them adjust my monitor mix, that is pretty simple and hard to muck up. If I have to rely on them to properly mic my cab, eq it, et al., there is a lot more room for error.

Anyone who's recorded a guitar knows that getting a good guitar sound is an art, and you don't just randomly stick a mic in front of a cab. Takes a bit of work with axis, distance, type of mic, how you eq it etc. It can produce great results, but also can produce horrible results.

I'd much rather just give a DI that I've set up to translate to most any system right to the FOH and know what I'm going to get. Just have them mix it in with the band and they can sit back and be useless LOL
 
lqdsnddist said:
Mic'ing a cab really doesn't get around the poor engineering issues because your still running through the board though ???? If anything, in my experience with either unskilled or just lazy sound engineers is that a DI signal proves better results than mic'ing a cab because its less work to set up. If I can give them a "turn key" signal to run to FOH, and then just have them adjust my monitor mix, that is pretty simple and hard to muck up. If I have to rely on them to properly mic my cab, eq it, et al., there is a lot more room for error.

Anyone who's recorded a guitar knows that getting a good guitar sound is an art, and you don't just randomly stick a mic in front of a cab. Takes a bit of work with axis, distance, type of mic, how you eq it etc. It can produce great results, but also can produce horrible results.

I'd much rather just give a DI that I've set up to translate to most any system right to the FOH and know what I'm going to get. Just have them mix it in with the band and they can sit back and be useless LOL
Click to expand...

I agree 100% but we're not recording the guitar. We're setting up 4 musicians at multi band local festival in under 30 minutes - usually less - as another band is coming off. In my experience, the most you can hope for, is the stage hand asks, "Where do you want me to point the microphone?" Also from experience, the DI signal sounds very different on different systems. That's pretty much an accepted fact. So, unless we're using our PA, I trust what I can hear.

Again, theoretically I agree with you and endorse the idea completely. In practice, it's just doesn't work as well as I've hoped.
 
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