Axe Fx Effects Loop with Eventide H9 and Strymon Timeline

B

breath

Member
Does the AFXII have one effects loop or two? I am trying to run my H9 in one loop for mostly for reverb and the Timeline in another loop...
 
Just one, but it's stereo, so if you're clever with your routing and careful with left/right panning to avoid feedback loops, you could rig it into two mono effects loops.
 
So how would I? There is no where I can see that describes this... What do i need to buy to get both pedals working independently and simultaneously..
 
breath said:
So how would I? There is no where I can see that describes this... What do i need to buy to get both pedals working independently and simultaneously..
Click to expand...

I'll second what Cliff said about the Axe's reverbs being top-notch. That said, all the Strymon stuff sounds fantastic right out of the box. Needing only one loop would simplify things. Or none if you go with all your effects on the Axe.

That said, to get two mono effects loops, you'll have to go into the FXL block with the first signal panned hard right, and the second hard left (or vice versa). There are a number of options in the Axe to do this, as a lot of blocks have L/R panning built into them. This would take care of the sends. You would then use the Send and Return blocks to loop the signal back through the FXL a second time. However, this method is prone to feedback loops if you're not careful with the panning, plus it requires a lot of planning to get all the pans to L/R and back to center worked out. More work and grid resources than it's probably worth.

To contrast, if you only used the Strymon in the loop, you'd just have the FXL block by itself on the grid, inserted wherever you want the Timeline, and just plug two 1/4" cables in for send and return and you're done.

Or you can use the Axe delays. However, if your patches are very bourgeois, outsourcing the delays can shave off a lot of CPU usage.
 
I recently bought the axe fx so i was just curious... I mostly use Space on the H9 and Ice on the Timeline... I'll have to download some presets.
 
breath -- Definitely try it out. Also, you can put the H9 and Timeline in one loop and control them via MIDI from the Axe.

Cliff -- I do love you, but please listen to Strymon's sound samples before dismissing them. They work really hard too.
 
The Strymon Grit and filter have been the hardest part for me to replicate the feel/sound of. I do love the sound of the
axe delays, the only thing i wish I could get out of it is the "swampy" sounds of the delays in the strymon.
 
I use multiple H9's in a stereo FX loop and they sound great.

As far as "Ice" sounds to get similar Effects on the H9 or Axe-FX look for "Crystals"

As to "Why?"... Because we can?

But seriously. personally I like the idea of being able to get another manufacturers "Flavour" of effects into the mix and love the Eventide "Flavour" of effects... Also helps in off loading CPU grunt from the Axe-fX.
 
FractalAudio said:
The bigger question is why? The Axe-Fx has much better reverbs than the H9. I'm not familiar with the Timeline but I can't imagine it can do anything the Axe-Fx can't.
Click to expand...

Cliff I agree, I love the verbs on the Axe, now if you could give me the same "grit" and "crinkle" features as the Timeline or El Cap I would be in pure Heaven. And yes everyone I have tried to match them by spending hours in the delay block, it just can't do it. Those type of organic delays is the Axe's only weakness IMHO but it is still the best damn purchase I have ever made:)
 
FractalAudio said:
The bigger question is why? The Axe-Fx has much better reverbs than the H9. I'm not familiar with the Timeline but I can't imagine it can do anything the Axe-Fx can't.
Click to expand...

Love the reverbs of my h9! Love the improved reverbs of the Axe too. But I wouldn't want to say one is better than the other. That's highly subjective. So I can totally see the use of the h9 in the fx loop. There are some sounds in the h9 that are really great and different than the Axe. Not only reverbs but some pitch algos and the resonator and delays are also great. Same goes for other pedals; some sounds are hard to replicate exactly on the Axe. Each machine has it's own distinct sound that can't always be nailed 100% by the Axe fx. That's why people still use pedals along their Axe fx.
 
Last edited:
FractalAudio said:
The bigger question is why? The Axe-Fx has much better reverbs than the H9. I'm not familiar with the Timeline but I can't imagine it can do anything the Axe-Fx can't.
Click to expand...

Some people like whole milk, some like 2% milk. Which is better? Depends on the criteria used.

I like the sound of old 16-bit reverse reverb algorithms. Last time I checked there was still no reverse reverb in the Axe. So, in that regard, my old Digitech DSP-128 is better.
 
i think the allure of that stuff, which I admittedly miss sometimes, are the things that are built in to one preset on a unit like that. Just easier plug and play and get really cool effects quickly. i have no doubt the Axe can do everything those boxes can do and do it much better, just a longer road to get there, especially if you don't aren't certain how to get there.
 
jlynnb1 said:
i think the allure of that stuff, which I admittedly miss sometimes, are the things that are built in to one preset on a unit like that. Just easier plug and play and get really cool effects quickly. i have no doubt the Axe can do everything those boxes can do and do it much better, just a longer road to get there, especially if you don't aren't certain how to get there.
Click to expand...

This ^^^

Without having a rather large understanding of or doing deep research on how to build "certain" effects, trying to reproduce that effect that someone else has built can be very time consuming. I'm pretty sure it's been mentioned before but like their cab packs maybe FAS should consider selling pre built Effects packs of popular or hard to reproduce effects pedals?
 
FractalAudio said:
The bigger question is why? The Axe-Fx has much better reverbs than the H9. I'm not familiar with the Timeline but I can't imagine it can do anything the Axe-Fx can't.
Click to expand...

Not only did I sell my H9, I sold ALL my pedals. The Axe covers it all baby!:encouragement:
 
As much as I like the AF2, I can see having a couple of different stomp box units for ease of use or saving of CPU.

I have actively investigated looking at getting an H9 simply because if I am running two amps + UR cabs with preamp + delay + EQ/Filter + Chorus + delay + modifiers, then running certain hi quality reverbs max out the memory.

I am totally cool with that scenario, as I already use my my 535 wah chained to an optical compressor because at the click of a switch I have the effect that I want underfoot without additional CPU load.

Since we have no way of plugging more memory into the unit, if we want long chains of effects with multiple amps & cabs without compromise, this seems a more economical route, rather than getting a second Fractal unit and chaining them together.

If had the scratch, I would love to support Fractal in that way, but I don't have the economics to do so.
 
Sixstring said:
This ^^^

Without having a rather large understanding of or doing deep research on how to build "certain" effects, trying to reproduce that effect that someone else has built can be very time consuming. I'm pretty sure it's been mentioned before but like their cab packs maybe FAS should consider selling pre built Effects packs of popular or hard to reproduce effects pedals?
Click to expand...

To me this seems a bit backwards. I've had units in the past that have had a number of models of existing pedals, but what I always wanted was the ability to further craft my own unique tones. Having this nearly unlimited tool, and using it to just reproduce something tons of people have already been using for decades.

When I first got my Axe I spent a lot of time trying to A/B with a bunch of pedals and get the settings exact but then I started to wonder why I'm doing that ?

Why am I trying to confine myself to matching the limitations of a hardware pedal instead of just trying to create a tone that sounds great ?

That way when someone comments on my tone and says "hey, what delay are you using?" I can say its a unique sound I created my ear, rather than just trying to create a digital model of something tons of people already have used and already made famous.

In the hardware world, there is this big market for modding pedals, to take something common and generic and try to make it a little more unique. The Axe gives us all that ability without needing to know how to solder!

All we need is our ears, an open mind, and a finger to click the mouse in Axe-Edit
 
lqdsnddist said:
To me this seems a bit backwards. I've had units in the past that have had a number of models of existing pedals, but what I always wanted was the ability to further craft my own unique tones. Having this nearly unlimited tool, and using it to just reproduce something tons of people have already been using for decades.

When I first got my Axe I spent a lot of time trying to A/B with a bunch of pedals and get the settings exact but then I started to wonder why I'm doing that ?

Why am I trying to confine myself to matching the limitations of a hardware pedal instead of just trying to create a tone that sounds great ?

That way when someone comments on my tone and says "hey, what delay are you using?" I can say its a unique sound I created my ear, rather than just trying to create a digital model of something tons of people already have used and already made famous.

In the hardware world, there is this big market for modding pedals, to take something common and generic and try to make it a little more unique. The Axe gives us all that ability without needing to know how to solder!

All we need is our ears, an open mind, and a finger to click the mouse in Axe-Edit
Click to expand...

i see your point....but sometimes I'm not worried about signing my name at the bottom of a signal flow work of art...I just want a cool tone to play with or inspire me. I can't tell you how many times the Timeline or Space would have a preset that totally inspired my playing/writing without having to do anything....wouldn't have happened, or at last not nearly as quickly, had I needed to add blocks, turn virtual knobs, etc.

there is something to be said for immediate inspiration...
 
I also use some strymon stuff in the FXL. The reverbs in the AF2 are good, but there's no reverbs that sound like the "Bloom" or "Cloud" or octave verbs on the BigSky...I've had to use several effects on the Fractal to get close, but still none of them sound as smooth to me as the BigSky effects. I'm open to things to try though...it would be a lot easier to only have to use the AxeFX
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom