Axe-Fx / Matrix Rig Problem

doughboy

Member
I've been using my Axe FX with my monitors, headphones & for recording & it's sound great.

I just bought a Matrix GT1000FX & a FR212 cab & unfortunately it sounds really bad. Bassy, loss of highs & really artificial sounding.

Now, I know that the Matrix amp/cab combo is really popular for Axe FX & have heard a lot of demos that sound great, but I'm shocked as to why it sounds so bad for me.

Any tips or info from Matrix/AxeFx users would be much appreciated.
 
did you turn off Cab Simulation since you're using a real cab now?

check out the owner's manual that shows how to do different setups, toward the front of the manual.
 
did you turn off Cab Simulation since you're using a real cab now?

check out the owner's manual that shows how to do different setups, toward the front of the manual.


I'm using the cab sims, but since the Matrix FR212 i supossedly total neutral & flat, wouldn't the cab sims work?
 
It's like starting over. If your presets sound good in headphones then they won't sound good on a full rig setup.

You've likely read it here a million times but first step is to dial in your presets at stage volume. Once they are dialled in for the stage cab and you try listening to them in phones you'll probably hate them

Once you push more air through larger speakers your gain levels on presets will probably need lowered as compared to phones or studio monitors.

The Matrix GT1000FX needs it's input volumes set to at least 3 o'clock position to make it sound best - then control actual output volume from the AxeFX.

The FR212 does come alive once you push up the volume too - but at lower volumes you will get that bass heavy sound. I have both the Matrix GT1000FX and the FR212 .... I changed to 2 1x12 FRFR cabs and I got on better with them.
 
I've been using my Axe FX with my monitors, headphones & for recording & it's sound great.

I just bought a Matrix GT1000FX & a FR212 cab & unfortunately it sounds really bad. Bassy, loss of highs & really artificial sounding.

Now, I know that the Matrix amp/cab combo is really popular for Axe FX & have heard a lot of demos that sound great, but I'm shocked as to why it sounds so bad for me.

Any tips or info from Matrix/AxeFx users would be much appreciated.
That is very interesting. are your other listening sources bright sounding? If you eq'ed them for brighter speakers then they might sound dark through the fr212. Try creating a new patch from scratch to sound good with these new speakers rather than tweaking a patch you already know and like through monitors/headphones
 
If the FR212 is a true FRFR cab, it's similar to my gt1000fx setup. I'm using mine for guitar with a home built FRFR 2x12, and for bass with a set of fEARfuls. I'd just go through and start simple: dump all your blocks. Run guitar straight thru and mess with global eq/etc. until you get that uber dry tone sounding right, then add in the cab, then the amp, and so on. That setup should get you to something sounding solid, because your setup is FINE. It'll sound great once you get the kinks worked out of your configuration in Axe.
 
Yeah it probably just a case if your presets sounding good for one output device and not this one.

Make a new preset as a test and tweak on on that system.
 
Let me explain....

After much deliberation and re-enforced hype and misdirection from the G66 website I was lead to believe that Matrix was the Elixir of FRFR.

Until Cliff himself agreed that this equipment is not actually endorsed or affiliated with G66 in any way. Moreover, it seems that Matrix could have waged a fee to advertise products on the site that appear to be recommended by Fractal.

So I purchased a GT1600 amp with two Fr212 speakers to go with it at an astronomically ridiculous price and my god was I disappointed!!

I complained on the forum that my sound was Shit. "yes!" they all retorted "why did you purchase such rubbish?"

Well I said... I guessed that seeing as it was on the G66 site I presumed it was decent equipment. "oh no they all said" We all use Atomic or Gemini gear!!

Thanks a lot.

Cut a long story short..... I pissed about with the Matrix gear for weeks and could not get a decent sound out of it until Cliff finally said get rid of it because it is rubbish.... And guess what... He is right!
 
Let me explain....

After much deliberation and re-enforced hype and misdirection from the G66 website I was lead to believe that Matrix was the Elixir of FRFR.

Until Cliff himself agreed that this equipment is not actually endorsed or affiliated with G66 in any way. Moreover, it seems that Matrix could have waged a fee to advertise products on the site that appear to be recommended by Fractal.

So I purchased a GT1600 amp with two Fr212 speakers to go with it at an astronomically ridiculous price and my god was I disappointed!!

I complained on the forum that my sound was Shit. "yes!" they all retorted "why did you purchase such rubbish?"

Well I said... I guessed that seeing as it was on the G66 site I presumed it was decent equipment. "oh no they all said" We all use Atomic or Gemini gear!!

Thanks a lot.

Cut a long story short..... I pissed about with the Matrix gear for weeks and could not get a decent sound out of it until Cliff finally said get rid of it because it is rubbish.... And guess what... He is right!


Oh no. Sorry to hear about this.

I've read so many good things about Matrix & heard so many great sounding clips that I decided to go for the Matrix amp/speaker combo.

I'm still tweaking it & really hope to get some realistic usable tones. So far, they all sound grainy & artificial sounding, but I think I need to work on it more. I really want this to work for me as I've already started to sell off my tube amps to make space.

What did you end up getting for your AxeFx?
 
FME you need to spend a lot of time tweaking things like your cab IR settings and global EQs to make tones that sound as good as they do FOH direct and through power amps/cabs simultaneously. Also testing the cab sound against a mix of speakers is key - like good quality studio monitors and in ears for example. I have managed to do this by sculpting my cab blocks to a point in which the direct sound adequately matches the nice punchy and bright sound one would expect to have through an amp and cab. This is beneficial because live it's not always the case that i have the luxury of a cab, and sometimes the sound guy would prefer to mic up....I like to give them both options.
 
Let me explain....

After much deliberation and re-enforced hype and misdirection from the G66 website I was lead to believe that Matrix was the Elixir of FRFR.

Until Cliff himself agreed that this equipment is not actually endorsed or affiliated with G66 in any way. Moreover, it seems that Matrix could have waged a fee to advertise products on the site that appear to be recommended by Fractal.

So I purchased a GT1600 amp with two Fr212 speakers to go with it at an astronomically ridiculous price and my god was I disappointed!!

I complained on the forum that my sound was Shit. "yes!" they all retorted "why did you purchase such rubbish?"

Well I said... I guessed that seeing as it was on the G66 site I presumed it was decent equipment. "oh no they all said" We all use Atomic or Gemini gear!!

Thanks a lot.

Cut a long story short..... I pissed about with the Matrix gear for weeks and could not get a decent sound out of it until Cliff finally said get rid of it because it is rubbish.... And guess what... He is right!

You're totally mixing up things here.

G66 is a partner of Fractal Audio with rights to sell direct in Europe. G66 is a commercial company which exists because it sells products. Calling the information on their website "hype and misdirection" is not only wrong but also very naive as a consumer.

Matrix amplifiers are being used by pros all over the world. Even a band like Metallica relies on them for live performances. Also, many forum members use them. Where and when did members of this forum call it "rubbish"? It's really nonsense.

Matrix also makes cabs, traditional as well as FR. Opinions vary, as they do with all cabs.

Sound is the result of a combination of parts. In your situation it may have been the cabs, or just user error.
 
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I have a matrix gt800 and frfr212 cab and it's awesome, pucker frfr sound yo go with the axe fx2 , had the matrix gear for 4 years and gas free , all about tuning the hi / lo cut on the cabs and setting the eq on the amps etc
peace
G \../
 
John contacted me from Matrix with some really helpful hints & after many hours of tweaking, I dialed in an amazing Fender clean tone that sounds really good through the Martrix amp/cab.

I still can't get a distortion sound that sound remotely good, but I'm sure another 40hrs of tweaking will fix that.

Thanks to John for the quick response & great tips.
 
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