AX8 Scenes VS Presets - How best to play live sets

Retro Rick

Inspired
I'm a new AX8 user, totally love this rig!
I'm currently working on setting up my live sets, and was looking for feedback from folks who've had more time with the unit. From what I can see, for me, playing mainly Pink Floyd, the most practical way to take advantage of the flexible stomp buttons, is to either set up 16 different presets for various tones and effects, like Crunch, Flanger Solo, Clean, Mild Solo, Phaser Crunch, etc. And then hop around these 16 presets using the different tones I've created to play all my songs. Or, Alternatively, save one preset per song, and use scenes to play the different parts of the songs, ie Scene 1 Intro, Scene 2 Main Rhythm, Scene 3 Middle 8, Scene 4 Solo, Scene 5 Outro. Unfortunately, this choice has the drawback of getting limited CPU errors on complex songs. Anyway, any wisdom about how to best use the AX8 live would be really appreciated!
 
Welcome to Fractal Land! :cool:

I am also a new user so I can't speak with a lot of experience with the AX8 or Fractal products, but I think using scenes is a big plus and will be trying to do that for the most part. I am trying to develop patches on a "Per Song" basis, with scenes for the variations in song sections. For me this will probably cover most of my needs because I really don't need to have uber complicated signal paths for the most part. I have already run into running out of processor power on a number of presets I have loaded. Most of them have a lot of effects I don't really need at one time though.

It's going to take a little thought on how best to set things up - what should be relegated to scenes, what should be split off into seperate presets... I guess if you have the need for more effects than will fit in one preset, your decision is made for you. You will need to have multiple presets back-to-back to cover songs where that is the case.

I also would set up a few "generic" presets where you have a few scenes available on foot switches, (clean, rhythm grind, lead), and the rest of the foot switches controlling separate effects, or toggling Amp1/Amp2. A preset like that might cover a number of songs and give you the ability to change things on the fly like a traditional pedalboard.
 
Welcome to Fractal Land! :cool:

I am also a new user so I can't speak with a lot of experience with the AX8 or Fractal products, but I think using scenes is a big plus and will be trying to do that for the most part. I am trying to develop patches on a "Per Song" basis, with scenes for the variations in song sections. For me this will probably cover most of my needs because I really don't need to have uber complicated signal paths for the most part. I have already run into running out of processor power on a number of presets I have loaded. Most of them have a lot of effects I don't really need at one time though.

It's going to take a little thought on how best to set things up - what should be relegated to scenes, what should be split off into seperate presets... I guess if you have the need for more effects than will fit in one preset, your decision is made for you. You will need to have multiple presets back-to-back to cover songs where that is the case.

I also would set up a few "generic" presets where you have a few scenes available on foot switches, (clean, rhythm grind, lead), and the rest of the foot switches controlling separate effects, or toggling Amp1/Amp2. A preset like that might cover a number of songs and give you the ability to change things on the fly like a traditional pedalboard.
Thanks, it's great to hear from someone in a similar situation. The thing you mentioned about effects not being used, I don't think it matters whether they are turned off or on, what's been happening to me is the Reverb is the first to go, I have to delete another effect to have a working reverb. You are right, I will most likely have to have certain songs with a lot of changing parts set up as pre-sets. Wish it was like a PC, where you could just add more ram. But anyway, I really dig it, it's perfect for doing covers of many different tones easily. And the tone is amazing, makes me want to through my BOSS GT100 in the garbage!
 
Yeah, you're right, it doesn't matter if they're on or off, they still count against "The Cap". You have to tweak a number of other effects to use less CPU intensive settings, or just delete effects entirely until you are under the maximum. I do love the tone though, and it's been a "night & day" difference for me compared to other gear. If I have to sacrifice some things to get there, so be it. I'ts worth it for me.
 
I use 1 preset per song, with 4 scenes setup for my rhythm,lead, solo parts...
Hi Chris, since scenes have no naming feature, do you have a system for remembering what the different scenes are? As far as labeling, I'm using 1.5"x2.25" write on/wipe off rubber magnets for my temporary use, later I'll use attach glow in the dark tape once I finalize what I want on there. The reason I mention that is, there isn't enough room for both Song Name and Scene info, unless the scene info is always the same, it would not be for me. Just wondering how you deal with that...
 
For Pink Floyd in particular, I'd suggest you check out Fremen's preset bundle. Over 400 presets and he has a continually evolving set of many Pink Floyd presets as well for many songs and particular styles, dialed in already. It may be a fast way for you to get the presets setup and get your scenes as you like.
 
Hi Chris, since scenes have no naming feature, do you have a system for remembering what the different scenes are? As far as labeling, I'm using 1.5"x2.25" write on/wipe off rubber magnets for my temporary use, later I'll use attach glow in the dark tape once I finalize what I want on there. The reason I mention that is, there isn't enough room for both Song Name and Scene info, unless the scene info is always the same, it would not be for me. Just wondering how you deal with that...

Yea, its a problem. Normally I have them setup from left to right... Scene 1(switch #5) is the intro, scene 2 (switch #6) is the verse, etc... I submitted a request to add names to the scenes, would make life a lot easier!
 
Yea, its a problem. Normally I have them setup from left to right... Scene 1(switch #5) is the intro, scene 2 (switch #6) is the verse, etc... I submitted a request to add names to the scenes, would make life a lot easier!
Yea, I'm making presets, I'm trying to do them in order left to right, I'm repeating scenes instead of going back and forth, hopefully 8 will be enough. As you said, it would be great if the were named, and also if, when you went into Scenes, if it would display the eight scene names,
even 3 letters would be good, so you can pick the scene you need. INT (short for intro), RHY (Short for Rhythm), etc
 
Buy Fremans pre sets for sure. Key is your have to use the exact IR's makes all the difference! A killer sounding pre set can sound really bad with the wrong cab/IR

As for live yeas 1 pre set with scenes maximizing X/Y's. For instance my rhythm sound has less delay mix and feedback levels in the 'X' scene 1 and scene 2 is solos with 'Y' delay with more feedback and mix and 'Y' amp which has more volume which is far better than using the popular filter block with increased gain -which to me is no where near enough of volume boost.
 
I use 1 preset per song also and use the axe to keep my set list, I even have a few blank presets named end of set + guitar change. With all the presets available they are very easy to copy and rename, move around. You can use more then 1 preset per song and still use scenes. I always set my scene's(1-6) for Intro, clean, lead, rhythm, lead 2, rhythm 2. lead 2 and rhythm 2 are not used in all songs put are used for special effects that a song may require.
 
I make one preset per song, and I use scenes to get the different sounds I need

I put the scenes in chronological order - could be: Intro - Verse - Chorus - Solo - I do have to remember,which scene is verse, and which is chorus, but I have not had any trouble with that so far - Basically, I just have to be able to remember the song.
 
I use 1 preset per song also and use the axe to keep my set list, I even have a few blank presets named end of set + guitar change. With all the presets available they are very easy to copy and rename, move around. You can use more then 1 preset per song and still use scenes. I always set my scene's(1-6) for Intro, clean, lead, rhythm, lead 2, rhythm 2. lead 2 and rhythm 2 are not used in all songs put are used for special effects that a song may require.
Thanks for your post, the big problem for me is remembering or coming up with a system for knowing what my scenes do, I've been trying sequential, but playing live we are often changing things up, "let's do a short version tonight" for example, and I'm all screwed up. I can't use labels for scenes, because my labels are names of the songs I play, the pre-sets.
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Thanks for your post, the big problem for me is remembering or coming up with a system for knowing what my scenes do, I've been trying sequential, but playing live we are often changing things up, "let's do a short version tonight" for example, and I'm all screwed up. I can't use labels for scenes, because my labels are names of the songs I play, the pre-sets.
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That is why all my presets for songs are set up intro, clean, lead, rhythm, lead 2, rhythm 2. I set it up like this with my mfc also, not hard to remember 1= intro 2=clean 3=lead 4=rhythm 5=lead 2 6=rhythm2. I do not need song names by the switches, they are saved as the preset name. I put them in set list order before arriving at a gig, if we change the set order it then gets a little confusing.
 
Like you I'm a new AX8 user. This weekend I was working on setting up my current pedal board, cut down to Tremolo and Eventide H9 Max on the FXloop. Reason is to save CPU memory on those rather involved sounds that are needed for the likes of Pink Floyd.
I was also looking at the Ipad Apps that are available. I hope that it'll help in switching between songs to different presets, and making sure I know which blocks are on/off/available. As I'm getting past it, I find it hard to see the LED screen at my feet, let alone tap dance like Gene Kelly, and read at the same time.
 
Hi All, I'm still very new to FAS and to the forum but I've been lurking in the background haha. Anyways, so one thing that confuses me like crazy is when you guys are switching from scenes to scenes in a single song. When you change any parameters, they change through all scenes correct? How would you have different eq'n for different parts of the song?
 
Yes, but I don't do big eq changes between parts of songs. I do exactly as I would with my old tube amp rig. I have one amp setting, and then I switch'pedals' in and out.
 
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