Apparent UI Complaints

R

RafterRattler

Inspired
This is gonna be kind of a useless thread.....but I'm genuinely curious. I constantly come across posts in TGP that refer to the steep learning curve with the Axe UI - while the Helix and Kemper are much easier. I really don't get it. I find the grid system insanely intuitive, and I bonded with the UI (even the front panel) within an hour of turning it on for the first time. There are obviously parameters that I have yet to learn, but the UI is a breeze. I even found the controller and modifier panels completely intuitive - and started using them immediately without cracking the manual. I really think FAS did a great job, even if it does look like something from the 80s. ;) So...am I in a minority? Do most people really find the UI itself difficult to learn? Or is it just the TGP community?

RR
 
RafterRattler said:
This is gonna be kind of a useless thread.....but I'm genuinely curious. I constantly come across posts in TGP that refer to the steep learning curve with the Axe UI - while the Helix and Kemper are much easier. I really don't get it. I find the grid system insanely intuitive, and I bonded with the UI (even the front panel) within an hour of turning it on for the first time. There are obviously parameters that I have yet to learn, but the UI is a breeze. I even found the controller and modifier panels completely intuitive - and started using them immediately without cracking the manual. I really think FAS did a great job, even if it does look like something from the 80s. ;) So...am I in a minority? Do most people really find the UI itself difficult to learn? Or is it just the TGP community?

RR
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I had no trouble figuring it out or using it from the get go. Add in Axe Edit and it's a breeze. Some people like to complain just for the sake of complaining. If you can figure out a smart phone or guide your way through the menus on a PlayStation, then the AxeFx should be easy enough.
 
I don't know about ya'll but to me the line 6 ui looks like a kids video game. I care more about the tone then the looks. I have no problem with the green screen, I think it works good in the dark on stage. at home axe edit works great, I had a pod and never really cared that the effects blocks looked like the real effect in the editor (they didn't sound like it). but it did make a good temp midi control for my axe fx until I got an mfc.
 
It took me using axe-edit for a bit to "get" the front panel interface, but it's smooth sailing now.
 
I do most of my editing on the front panel. Probably 70/30 I'd say. I had absolutely no problems understanding and navigating the Axe UI from day one. I find it to be very simple, straight forward, and clear. Now I would agree that it is not the most visually attractive interface out there, but I didn't buy the Axe to be eye candy. I'd say the UI does it's job quite well. That said, the one feature I find myself frequently missing when front panel editing is a list page from which to choose cabs. I wish selecting a cab worked the same way as selecting an amp model. Scrolling through them while only seeing one at a time when you have like 500 different cabs loaded can be fairly tedious. I frequently scroll too fast and pass right by the one I'm looking for. With a list like on the Amp block's TYPE page, you could use the arrow keys to jump through the list more easily. Not a huge deal or anything, but it would be nice.
 
Sacha said:
Those people obviously never tried to program an Eventide rack unit
Click to expand...

Ha! Ain't that the truth! I have an h8000fw that largely gathers dust because it is near impossible to use. You could buy 3 Axes for what I paid for that thing. Sounds great--impossible to use. Axe has always been a breeze for me, especially with Axe Edit
 
The AxeFx UI is not difficult to use IMHO ....and a breeze compared to some of the devices I used before the AxeFx !!!! :p
 
I've honestly always thought the Axe UI was pretty intuitive. I don't know who said that the keeper's UI was easier to get around, but whoever they are I will staunchly disagree with them. That interface makes absolutely no sense to me.
 
I had an Eventide H3000 D/SE and Eclipse before the Axe FX. Back then, there was no GUI for programming. You had to use algorithms to build presets. It was very involved, but rewarding when you were finished. The Axe Edit is a great interface if you like to see what you're doing on the big screen.
 
Have always found front panel editing simple. Axe edit editing is insanely good though

once had a boss gt8 on my room but no computer in there. THAT was a bitch to edit.
 
In addition to an XL and AX8, I own an Eclipse, a few Lexicon units and several other devices which utilize monochrome displays and "utilitarian" UI.
These interfaces are child's play- for professionals. By and large, far easier to comprehend than the humans who complain about such matters.

-Disclaimer: I am a Systems Administrator by day.
 
Maybe in terms of interfacing with the unit, the Axe interface is a bit difficult? It's hard for me to judge because I am so used to it, it seems easy to me. The AX8 is definitely a bit more difficult than the rack units though (on-unit); fewer buttons makes it harder to navigate. The Helix interface, by comparison is very nice in terms of it being pretty easy to get around. However, conceptually, it makes waaaaay less sense than the Fractal interface. Figuring out how to do something like having Delay and Reverb both parallel to the main chain and independent of each other is easy to conceive and implement on the Axe FX or AX8. Not so much on the Helix (IME).
-
Austin
 
In spite of the ability to dig deep and guru out an overlooked beauty of FAS is the ability to plug, play, and sound great. I have not noodled with presets much in 8 years because there is such an abundance of good sounds out of the box. The first Ultra came with ONLY 128 presets, 1 being bypass, and I still found stellar sounds. A little verb adjustment, some EQ and bingo.

Have I missed a bunch by not tweaking. Probably. But there is an old adage 'if you're looking you ain't cooking'.
 
Everyone should familiarize themselves with the hardware first IMHO, if you need to do something without the computer you will feel foolish, especially if under the gun.
 
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