Axe FX II Cameron amp dynamics

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As much as it sounds good to me, with all due respect to your enthusiasm, I do not hear "Dynamics" at play here. Not at all.. This is IMHO the antonym of dynamic playing. I do hear the results of a change in load being "abruptly" accomplished by use of either a fast turn of a volume knob or pedal.
Dynamics are realized without mechanically altering the load. Instead you use altering dynamic picking and are able to go from pristine clean to full crunch simply by altering your picking dynamics.

Try it again without the mechanical influence. This time try using actual "Dynamics" to achieve your "Dynamics". This simply shows a normal response to basic changes in input load, via volume change, which is not what the term Dynamics is about.
 
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That's one of the worst sounding clips I've heard when you "clean down" ;)
Maybe its over-dynamic? ;)

I also agree w the prev. poster. I'm still somewhat frustrated by a lack of dynamics vs real amps I played. Of course, volume helps and I still have a lot to try out.
 
kerrlehr said:
As much as it sounds good to me, with all due respect to your enthusiasm, I do not hear "Dynamics" at play here. Not at all.. This is IMHO the antonym of dynamic playing. I do hear the results of a change in load being "abruptly" accomplished by use of either a fast turn of a volume knob or pedal.
Dynamics are realized without mechanically altering the load. Instead you use altering dynamic picking and are able to go from pristine clean to full crunch simply by altering your picking dynamics.

Try it again without the mechanical influence. This time try using actual "Dynamics" to achieve your "Dynamics". This simply shows a normal response to basic changes in input load, via volume change, which is not what the term Dynamics is about.
Click to expand...

It was just an example of extremes, going from crunch to clean and back to crunch via the volume knob, nothing else. Nothing about the playing, just the different amounts of gain via the volume knob. The idea of doing this, and still having a bright clean tone with the volume down is relatively a new thing to me (since getting decent pick ups and the AFX!).

But aside from that, do you mean I should be getting the dynamics by the playing only, with the means to achieve an almost clean sound, without the help of the volume knob? That would be another good test!
 
The ideal may sometimes be that you sound clean when picking very lightly and have a whole range available when digging in, not just a bit.
That for me is "dynamics". Sure, if you pick extreeeeeemely lightly on a distortion sound, you may come close, but it's not realistically doable.

You may be able to get that to some extent (maybe better with some amps, liket the Wrecker?), but I find real amps make me feel they are much better at that somehow.
I feel I can go to zero (like on a real amp) but I can not nearly go as much in the other direction, which makes it feel rather undynamic... It may also be a psychological thing, other factors involved, things that can not be modeled (as some are suggesting), ...

Try this smilefan patch, "Best dynamic response I've ever dialed in"...
http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-f...t-iii-smilefan-patch-thread-2.html#post597273
Again, my expectations were way too high... I'll try doubling my volume and use some ear protection next time... :mrgreen

Again, I also admit many parameters seem to influence it, and I'll be documenting and trying those more.

What I like is the dynamics of a Larry Carlton or Robben Ford for example. I believe they often dial it in just before breakup, so when they dig in, you get the immediate sense of dynamics, and playing just slightly lighter gets you to pretty clean.

There are probably people who feel this is all "no problem" on the Axe. Please share your most "dynamic" patch :)

Of course, how hard you pick for starters is an aspect by itself. If you already pick fairly hard, you can not dig in much deeper. Maybe that is part of my problem.
 
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vAmp said:
The ideal may sometimes be that you sound clean when picking very lightly and have a whole range available when digging in, not just a bit.
That for me is "dynamics". Sure, if you pick extreeeeeemely lightly on a distortion sound, you may come close, but it's not realistically doable.

You may be able to get that to some extent (maybe better with some amps, liket the Wrecker?), but I find real amps make me feel they are much better at that somehow.
I feel I can go to zero (like on a real amp) but I can not nearly go as much in the other direction, which makes it feel rather undynamic... It may also be a psychological thing, other factors involved, things that can not be modeled (as some are suggesting), ...

Try this smilefan patch, "Best dynamic response I've ever dialed in"...
http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-f...t-iii-smilefan-patch-thread-2.html#post597273
Again, my expectations were way too high... I'll try doubling my volume and use some ear protection next time... :mrgreen

Again, I also admit many parameters seem to influence it, and I'll be documenting and trying those more.

What I like is the dynamics of a Larry Carlton or Robben Ford for example. I believe they often dial it in just before breakup, so when they dig in, you get the immediate sense of dynamics, and playing just slightly lighter gets you to pretty clean.

There are probably people who feel this is all "no problem" on the Axe. Please share your most "dynamic" patch :)

Of course, how hard you pick for starters is an aspect by itself. If you already pick fairly hard, you can not dig in much deeper. Maybe that is part of my problem.
Click to expand...

It is no problem; just depends on what you want to do.

Larry Carlton or Robben Ford use a more Dumble type of tone, not a Cameron though. Apples vs. Oranges.

My most dynamic presets are Trainwreck, Vox and Matchless.

I love the Cameron, but I use the Channel 2 and it's one of my heaviest. I can get dynamics out of it; but it's a very odd amp because it is a VERY high gainer that doesn't compress as much as others that do that sort of tone. What the OP is trying to showcase might not match what you are discussing, but it's no reason to mock the guy.

I'm not sharing presets because my presets are all tied to multiple expression pedals and would do most folks no good. Dialing up the three presets based on amp blocks I mentioned is simple if you follow my method though. No fancy tricks. Dynamic to a fault.
 
Slightly off topic, but the most dynamically responsive tube amp I've ever played is a Mesa Mark V. I had one here about a month ago for a few days. I have never in my life played an amp where the right hand (right handed player) could determine, to such a degree, the amount of gain coming out of the speakers. I ended up returning it and going with a Marshall JVM 410H which is just more my flavor of gain.-killer amp.

Back to topic-Yeah, I agree, that clip does the Axe2 no favors in terms of showcasing dynamics. I think that pretty much every amp I've ever played cleaned up dramatically when rolling back the guitar's volume knob. Set the vol knob wide open, then show what the Axe2 will do with just changes in your right hand. Easy for me to be an armchair quarterback as I sit here eating my cereal. :)
 
Scott Peterson said:
It is no problem; just depends on what you want to do.
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If it's no problem, I wonder why there's NEVER a demo or preset sounding like it... (maybe I mostly mean the "narrowing of bandwith" effect, when digging in; I know you can get "some" dynamics of course)

Larry Carlton or Robben Ford use a more Dumble type of tone, not a Cameron though. Apples vs. Oranges.
Click to expand...
It was prefaced that we're talking about dynamics and what a few others feel that is, not "dynamics" as in changing your vol pot.

My most dynamic presets are Trainwreck, Vox and Matchless.
Click to expand...
Thx

What the OP is trying to showcase might not match what you are discussing, but it's no reason to mock the guy.
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I see no problem in explaining that he might be using the wrong term (true or not).
I've not mocked the guy or his use of "dynamics", just the sound :mrgreen (which should be to his advantage)

I'm not sharing presets because my presets are all tied to multiple expression pedals
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- No worries. I'm presuming it won't be in there either, or I would have heard it by now.
- OTOH, I know how settings can be very people and guitar specific, so I'll dig in to learn what I must. Not complaining and very happy nevertheless.
But I'm not one who will be hitting much on people that come in still preferring real amps though.

BTW, what I was talking about was decribed here:
http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-f...less-reviews-countless-forums.html#post614437
And in another thread someone agreed that it's because of an aspect that can't be modeled (yet). IIRC, something to do with the cab.
OTOH, I would think that the seemingly "narrowing of bandwidth" when you're digging in would not be that hard to model or fake (maybe even by ourselves with modifiers). I will look into all of that.
 
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vAmp said:
If it's no problem, I wonder why there's NEVER a demo or preset sounding like it... (maybe I mostly mean the "narrowing of bandwith" effect, when digging in; I know you can get "some" dynamics of course)


It was prefaced that we're talking about dynamics and what a few others feel that is, not "dynamics" as in changing your vol pot.


Thx


I see no problem in explaining that he might be using the wrong term (true or not).
I've not mocked the guy or his use of "dynamics", just the sound :mrgreen (which should be to his advantage)


- No worries. I'm presuming it won't be in there either, or I would have heard it by now.
- OTOH, I know how settings can be very people and guitar specific, so I'll dig in to learn what I must. Not complaining and very happy nevertheless.
But I'm not one who will be hitting much on people that come in still preferring real amps though.

BTW, what I was talking about was decribed here:
http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-f...less-reviews-countless-forums.html#post614437
And in another thread someone agreed that it's because of an aspect that can't be modeled (yet). IIRC, something to do with the cab.
OTOH, I would think that the seemingly "narrowing of bandwidth" when you're digging in would not be that hard to model or fake (maybe even by ourselves with modifiers). I will look into all of that.
Click to expand...

Folks don't understand how to use FRFR properly IMHO. It has to do with the NF use only in the cab blocks; it's not natural.

We'll agree to disagree; I don't need to prove anything to you no more than you'll be convinced if I make the effort. I know what i have, I know what I do and dynamics are a HUGE part of it. With the changes added to the II with 5.xx.... sorry man, we completely disagree.

What anyone else thinks, says, believes or anything else is not relevant to me; I know what I have. It's not about volume knob 'clean up' either; it's about player dynamics being translated in real time via pick attack.
 
Scott P is right on this one....it is dynamics from the player that matters...case in point is the Cameron creator...Mark Cameron. He has a very dynamic playing style that has hard and light right hand technique. Check out his CCV demos. His playing is really fun to listen to IMO and is very well suited to his Cameron CCV.
 
I was just playing on the Cameron stock preset - #32 (with gain turned down to about 5) - and found it to be quite great (scared to say the word "dynamic" again). You can use a super-light touch and get nice clean, clear notes. Clean, but without losing the power behind it. Dig in hard and get tons of gain. The string separation is great. I find it to be very dynam...uh...versatile depending on how you play. I can get clean to crunch to gained-up depending how you play. That's a lot of fun. I'll be using the Cameron sim quite a bit I believe.
 
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Yeah maybe I should have named this thread 'listen to how nicely it cleans up with the volume rolled down' rather than use the word "dynamic"!

Anyway, the idea of getting an almost clean sound from the pick attack alone would be absolutely AMAZING, so I can see why people have pointed that out.

(PS. I'm not a guy by the way)
 
I use the Cameron Channel 2 as one of my go-to high gain preset amp blocks.

I can vary the pick attack and get tremendous amounts of DYNAMIC results from the amp because it faithfully behaves like the super uncompressed amp it is patterned after.

I'm not afraid to say it; and it applies to guys and women. If I have time, I'll do a clip... but it's off to a gig now...
 
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