Sorenspete
Inspired
It can sense your fear, but it is the real deal.
I've had my Axe-Fx III Mk II for less than a week, but I'm already beginning to get a sense of what it's about. People will tell you the thing is plug-and-play, but it's not. Paradoxically, as a plug-and-play processor it would be good for the very people who probably aren't serious enough to spend the amount of money it costs. For those who are more discerning and learned, the Axe-Fx III Mk II is not to be trifled with, underestimated, or slept on. As you'll have heard, it is "the most powerful guitar signal processor in the world". 100% true. But there's a reason for that: if you don't have extensive knowledge of recording, amplification, and sound engineering principles, you are going to struggle to get this thing to do what you want. You might even be a great guitar player and still find that you can't get the tones you have heard either from real amps or from the Axe-Fx III in action. The bottom line is this: the factory presets are baselines, but they aren't great. If you want the tones you've been promised you have to be prepared to tweak every knob and do a lot of homework. Is it worth it? Yes. Will it take time and effort? Also yes. Some guys aren't "tweakers". I am. You might be. Or you might not be. And if you aren't, your ideals you had about this unit are going to fly out the window very quickly.
These units clearly are manufactured to very high standards, and the fit and finish is outstanding.
The amount on options you wouldn't even think would be there that are is incredible, and no - in my opinion the front panel interface is not "near impossible" to use once you get used to it. The unit has so many helpful tools, and the tuner is fantastic.
If you want to forego guitar speaker cabinets and physical power amps, you have to do your research on PA's/studio monitors, because you can't just put them anywhere, and you won't be rewarded for cheaping out on them. The question of buying an Axe-Fx III is more of a question of whether you want to buy an Axe-Fx III AND two (very good) studio monitors/speakers/etc. (obviously this isn't an issue if you're running power amp/s and speaker cabinet/s).
The sheer amount of possibilities that the Axe-Fx III presents is staggering (you may have heard the phrase "option paralysis"). This unit really is the kind of thing we could only have dreamed of 30 years ago, but it's a reality now. The way I see it, you're buying $500,000 worth of gear for $4,000 NZD. The Axe-Fx III is a no brainer for those with the wherewithal to tame it.
I've had my Axe-Fx III Mk II for less than a week, but I'm already beginning to get a sense of what it's about. People will tell you the thing is plug-and-play, but it's not. Paradoxically, as a plug-and-play processor it would be good for the very people who probably aren't serious enough to spend the amount of money it costs. For those who are more discerning and learned, the Axe-Fx III Mk II is not to be trifled with, underestimated, or slept on. As you'll have heard, it is "the most powerful guitar signal processor in the world". 100% true. But there's a reason for that: if you don't have extensive knowledge of recording, amplification, and sound engineering principles, you are going to struggle to get this thing to do what you want. You might even be a great guitar player and still find that you can't get the tones you have heard either from real amps or from the Axe-Fx III in action. The bottom line is this: the factory presets are baselines, but they aren't great. If you want the tones you've been promised you have to be prepared to tweak every knob and do a lot of homework. Is it worth it? Yes. Will it take time and effort? Also yes. Some guys aren't "tweakers". I am. You might be. Or you might not be. And if you aren't, your ideals you had about this unit are going to fly out the window very quickly.
These units clearly are manufactured to very high standards, and the fit and finish is outstanding.
The amount on options you wouldn't even think would be there that are is incredible, and no - in my opinion the front panel interface is not "near impossible" to use once you get used to it. The unit has so many helpful tools, and the tuner is fantastic.
If you want to forego guitar speaker cabinets and physical power amps, you have to do your research on PA's/studio monitors, because you can't just put them anywhere, and you won't be rewarded for cheaping out on them. The question of buying an Axe-Fx III is more of a question of whether you want to buy an Axe-Fx III AND two (very good) studio monitors/speakers/etc. (obviously this isn't an issue if you're running power amp/s and speaker cabinet/s).
The sheer amount of possibilities that the Axe-Fx III presents is staggering (you may have heard the phrase "option paralysis"). This unit really is the kind of thing we could only have dreamed of 30 years ago, but it's a reality now. The way I see it, you're buying $500,000 worth of gear for $4,000 NZD. The Axe-Fx III is a no brainer for those with the wherewithal to tame it.
