ax8 and Matrix GT800 not loud enough and don't sound very good at band practice

Wurs

Wurs

Member
I just got my ax8 about a week ago and took it to practice to night for the first time. I have a Port City 212 with a v30 and alnico cream back and the AX8 and Matrix GT800. I play a Les Paul with Lollar pickups.

I was having several problems:

#1 its not very loud. I have the matrix turned up to 2pm and the output on the ax8 at 100%. I tried this with a preset I made with the fx loop and no cab and the regular presets with a cab on but It wasn't very loud.

#2 it sound really bad. all the presets sound very thin nothing like what an amp and cab should sound like. even the preset I created sounded thin and lifeless.

I thought it was my Imput because it was only hitting the green if I hit my guitar hard. so I increased the input to 0db which didn't really do anything. This is my main guitar and I was just playing it through and amp and cab and it sounded great.

Did I get a dud?
 
Are you connecting from AX-8 to Matrix input with guitar or XLR cables and from Matrix output to cab with speaker cables?

Post a preset...

Did you adjust your presets at performance level or bedroom level? Make sure you dial things in a performance level if possible.
 
Is the cab a stereo one or just mono? If stereo (the optional back plate with 3 jacks on it), make sure you just use one channel on the Matrix to test. Set the Matrix to Stereo (if in bridged you'll get a phasey kinda sound) and just run one cable from one channel of the amp to the cab. Does that improve things? If the cab is a mono one with just one input it should be ok as it is. Are the signal lights on the Matrix lighting up? They give an idea of power the amp is dishing out. If they are not lighting up then the signal from the source needs boosting.
 
Wurs said:
I thought it was my Imput because it was only hitting the green if I hit my guitar hard. so I increased the input to 0db which didn't really do anything. This is my main guitar and I was just playing it through and amp and cab and it sounded great.
Click to expand...

Have you checked the guitar input cable? You've said you use a Les Paul with Lollar pickups and only hitting the green. One of my guitars is a Les Paul with Duncan antiquity pickups (similar in ouput to Lollar imperial pickups) and even at 12dB input pad the red light lights sometimes. Also be sure the level of the presets is ok, check it with the integrated Vumeters. Also: the level of the matrix amp is an attenuator, so don't be afraid to push it to the max and lowering the AX8 output.

Another thing: if you use a guitar cab be sure to disable cab modeling or don't use a cab block in the preset.
 
I would create a new preset with just an amp block set to the defaults.... also check the Matrix, is it bridged? It's got plenty of power:

Bridged mode 8 ohm: 800w RMS
Bridged mode 16 ohm: 520w RMS
 
Do you get the same results with factory presets?

If not, it's obviously your preset. If you do, then maybe it's your speaker.

Otherwise, as others have indicated, it can be a variety of problems ranging from super easy (gain setting on the powered speaker) to complex (deeper editing on the patch or a defective component).

good luck
 
Also check your internal level in the AX8 is zero'd with the internal vu meter. Adjust with the amp output level control and make sure none of your blocks are killing the level. Should be plenty loud.. Like half stack loud.
 
I'd start by making CERTAIN that the output level is at +4db, not -10db as that significantly lowers the headroom. Go into settings, output, then adjust the Output1 to +4db. I'm betting that's what's going on here.
  1. Press SETUP; Press footswitch 2 for the I/O menu; Turn to the LEVELS page.
    Turn E/NAV to select MAIN OUT NOMINAL LEVEL and change this setting to “+4 dBV”.
 
I also figured out out to increase my imput. I didn't realize you needed to hit the shift button first. The manual doesn't say anything about that.
 
Wurs said:
I also figured out out to increase my imput. I didn't realize you needed to hit the shift button first. The manual doesn't say anything about that.
Click to expand...

This on p. 19 didn’t work?

Press SETUP; Press footswitch 2 for the I/O menu; Turn to the LEVELS page. Turn E/NAV to select INSTRUMENT INPUT PAD. Change this setting to 0dB, 6dB, 12dB or 18dB based on the output level of your guitar. Be aware that as you increase this PAD setting you also increase the noise foor, so set it as low as possible
 
To get to setup you have to first hit the shift button or at least I had to to get it to work.
 
Yep using the Bridged output on stereo basically gives you only half a portion of the signal so it's all out of phase and thin sounding. Glad you got it sorted and even though it was that, there are still some good suggestions above for getting the best out of the rig you have.
 
Page 12: SETUP (Shift+Store) - opens the SETUP menus

It's also indicated visually on the top panel of the AX8.
 
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