Are you using a " virtual amp & stompbox" setup?

Stompboxmode or Patches?

  • i use a virtual pedalboard (stompboxmode)

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  • Total voters
    26

TonyGring

Inspired
Just curious as to how Axe users have their setups configured. Are you using the Axe in a "virtual amp & stompbox" setup? Or separate patches to use within one song? I play in a classic rock cover band as well as a P&W band at church. In the past I've always used a good clean amp with pedals for dirt and FX. I'm configuring my patches loosely on this type setup. The difference with the Axe being that I don't need a dirt /drive pedal(s) to get great mid to higher gain. I just use the right amp sim to get me there. For example, we cover David Lidley's " Mercury Blues". In the past I would use a ZVEX Box of Rock ( or a couple dirt boxes stacked ) into my clean amp to try to get that killer tone he gets. I could get 60-70% of the way there. The *umble amp sims on the Axe are fantastic. I found the preset " That's MISTER dumble" to get 90% of the tone I'm hearing on that cut. My FX are setup in I/A to toggle on/off chorus ,trem, delay, etc. So, I'm stoked! I'll be going through our song lists trying to get close to what those tones are using the Axe. Tom Petty songs are next ( AC-30 , Deluxe, Princeton, tweed ) It's going to take a while, but I know I should be able to get so much closer than what I could before. So- what's your setup? Thanks!
 
At present, I use "virtual amp/stompbox" mode exclusively. I only use a handful of effects, and my amp/cab models are configured to provide the range of saturation I want via changes to the guitar's controls and playing dynamics. I also set the compressor to provide signal boost in addition to compression. All of the effects in my presets (everything other than amp and cab blocks) are saved in the "off" state, and the cc settings for them are global, so the same buttons operate the same effects for all of my presets.

If I were ever to end up playing highly arranged pieces calling for radically different guitar sounds at different places within a tune, I would not hesitate to set up multiple presets for use within a single tune. So far, I haven't found that necessary.
 
I also play in a PW setting, with a lot of spontaneity. I typically work with a couple of clean patches, a couple of slightly broken up patches, a crunch patch, a couple of lead patches and a special FX patch or two. Once I find the sound I want for a song (i.e. the right patch) I usually live within that patch for most of the song. Within each patch I have a bit of reverb and I switch delay or chorus on as needed. In most cases I will switch to a different patch for leads, but I've started working with my volume a bit more.

When we go into something spontaneous it could easily be something very different musically from where we started. In that case I will often work with a number of patches, depending on what's happening. On something with energy I might want an aggressive crunch. On something sweet a clean or an FX patch (swirling delays, etc.) might be in order. Having all these sounds on tap provides a lot of freedom for me, and I love it.

I use a Liquid Foot, so I have 12 patches and 10 IA's available. I came from a Behringer FCB1010, and the Liquid Foot has been awesome to work with. It facilitates all of the above.

Terry.
 
Hey thanks Terry and Jay for the replies so far. Jay, That's exactly how I have my patches set up; All my effects ( chorus, delay, trem, etc. ) are in bypass state and are global. My 8 I/A buttons are assigned to an individual effect. I toggle each effect on/off in any patch that contains those effects. I also find the Axe very responsive to guitar vol. knob for varying saturation levels within a particular amp patch. Great stuff... and no connecting cables between stompboxes to short out!
 
I do the virtual pedal board thing too.
I usually set up just a couple of patches with switchable drive blocks, fx etc , and use the guitar controls much of the time.
Feels more 'organic' to me that way.
You dont get that 'Jeez, did another guitarist walk in the room?' feeling.
 
TonyGring said:
All my effects ( chorus, delay, trem, etc. ) are in bypass state and are global.
Same for me. I use 5 patches (dumble clean, trainw crunch, mesa lead, acustic patch, twin clean). I have only 5 I/A buttons, I'm waiting for a new FAS pedalboard... :cool:
 
+1

The AxeFX made me discover the volume and tone knobs on my guitars! I like a number of amp models in the Axe, notably the Blackface and the JTM45 models. For each of these amp sims, I have made two patches: a clean patch and a dirty patch.

On the clean patch, when I play with my volume on 6-7 it is totally clean and with volume full on it starts to break up slightly. My dirty patch goes from there on volume 3-4 until quite some overdrive with volume fully open. I then optionally can switch on/off effects around this basic amp sound, such as an overdrive pedal, chorus, delay and tremolo. I sometimes add a null filter at the end for an additional 6dB boost that I can switch on if I have the volume rolled off on my guitar.

Finally, I set my patches quite trebly, so that it sounds good with the guitar tone knob around 7. I then have room to go for either more or less treble depending on whether I'm playing a solo, or background rhythm.
 
I also use the virtual amp & stompbox setup

I play 90% with 5 amps from clean to solo (brownface, top boost, trainwreck, Brown, solo 100)
and as much virtual stompboxes as possible:
WAH - FILTER (to give even more drive) - DRIVE (with 2 settings) - TREMOLO - PHASER - DELAY (short) - DELAY (tap) - MULTI - CHORUS - REVERB - FILTER2 (boost)
 
Virtual amp & stomp box mode here; that's simply how I approach guitar and it is what works for me.

I do design patches for certain songs; but that's a rare occurrence with the material I've been playing. If it's called for, I'm on it.
 
I go by songs. It winds up being variations of about 6 different setups and then a dozen or so specialty patches.
 
Scott Peterson said:
Virtual amp & stomp box mode here; that's simply how I approach guitar and it is what works for me.

I do design patches for certain songs; but that's a rare occurrence with the material I've been playing. If it's called for, I'm on it.

+1

D
 
With any rig I've owned, if there was ever anything to programm, I always went for the patch per song setup when playing live. Sometimes songs need 1, sometimes 5 different patches. All patches are always programmed in the right order of the setlist.
On the last tour I was, if there were any changes known before the show my guitar tech reprogrammed the order. Main reason for this way of working is that I've always tried to be as close to my recording tones as possible. Different delay times tuned to BPM and so on is very important to me...
 
VegaBaby said:
With any rig I've owned, if there was ever anything to programm, I always went for the patch per song setup when playing live. Sometimes songs need 1, sometimes 5 different patches. All patches are always programmed in the right order of the setlist.
On the last tour I was, if there were any changes known before the show my guitar tech reprogrammed the order. Main reason for this way of working is that I've always tried to be as close to my recording tones as possible. Different delay times tuned to BPM and so on is very important to me...

That about explains it for me. Song and Setlists w/ the MIDI controller is my friend :). We also play to video at times so being tempo sync'd can be important.
 
javajunkie said:
VegaBaby said:
With any rig I've owned, if there was ever anything to programm, I always went for the patch per song setup when playing live. Sometimes songs need 1, sometimes 5 different patches. All patches are always programmed in the right order of the setlist.
On the last tour I was, if there were any changes known before the show my guitar tech reprogrammed the order. Main reason for this way of working is that I've always tried to be as close to my recording tones as possible. Different delay times tuned to BPM and so on is very important to me...

That about explains it for me. Song and Setlists w/ the MIDI controller is my friend :). We also play to video at times so being tempo sync'd can be important.
Yep, the best is if there are four presets per bank on the controller and one song fits exacly in. Then all you need to do is go a bank up after a song is done :D
 
VegaBaby said:
javajunkie said:
VegaBaby said:
With any rig I've owned, if there was ever anything to programm, I always went for the patch per song setup when playing live. Sometimes songs need 1, sometimes 5 different patches. All patches are always programmed in the right order of the setlist.
On the last tour I was, if there were any changes known before the show my guitar tech reprogrammed the order. Main reason for this way of working is that I've always tried to be as close to my recording tones as possible. Different delay times tuned to BPM and so on is very important to me...

That about explains it for me. Song and Setlists w/ the MIDI controller is my friend :). We also play to video at times so being tempo sync'd can be important.
Yep, the best is if there are four presets per bank on the controller and one song fits exacly in. Then all you need to do is go a bank up after a song is done :D

That and after you program your songs, all you have to do if your set list changes (which mine does weekly) is put in the new order and your done.
 
Specific Cover songs = Specific Individual Patches

My Signature Sound = Stompbox mode.

If I'm doing a cover song that has a specific guitar sound to it (Streets Have No Name, Sweet Home Alabama...) and I NEED to keep that certain guitar sound because the band leader wants it exactly the same then I'll use a specific patch. For anything and everything else I use stompbox mode as I'd rather people hear my tone than my immitation of another player's tone. Stompbox Mode all the WAY!!!
 
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