Axe-FX Re-Amping Tutorial

[GlennO]

Re-amping is one of the most under-appreciated aspects of the Axe-FX. I suspect that's at least partially because it seems like it might be a complicated process. In this tutorial I show that, in spite of being a powerful technique, it's actually quite simple.

One note about an option to consider when using this method: Instead of using an I/O plugin as is shown at 3:22, set the output for the DI track to usb channels 5/6 and turn on input monitoring for (and unmute) the wet track. That can be useful in some cases if you have effects applied to the wet track and you want to audition presets through those effects. This option is also useful in Cubase where you might be prevented from using the same input channel for the return that is already in use on a track.

 

[Budda]

Thanks Glenn! I never record DI’s because 90% of the time it’s just tracking a riff or two, but I’ll bookmark this for later.

 

[sixtystring]

Nice! This is different than how I’ve reamped the past (using Reaper). I’m gonna have to try out your method with ReaInsert. Hoping it will speed up my workflow for my next mix.

Thanks for doing this!

 

[jin1995x]

thanks ! completely forgot about something like reainsert existing.

 

[MackieFX]

Re-amping is one of the most under-appreciated aspects of the Axe-FX. I suspect that's at least partially because it seems like it might be a complicated process. In this tutorial I show that, in spite of being a powerful technique, it's actually quite simple.

I was wondering when you'd start making videos! You should do videos about all the latency stuff as well! <3

 

[GlennO]

Nice! This is different than how I’ve reamped the past (using Reaper). I’m gonna have to try out your method with ReaInsert. Hoping it will speed up my workflow for my next mix.

Thanks for doing this!

Like so many things with the Axe-FX, there are multiple ways of re-amping. That's a testament to how flexible it is. However, this method has the advantage that you can listen to the track you're re-amping in the context of the full mix while you browse through presets.

 

[Brian Coonan]

Great vid - I'm wondering if someone might be able to help me because re-amping doesn't work for me - not this method or with Cooper Carter's or any of the others and I know it's because of how my Axe and Focusrite are set up, but I don't know how to correct it. I'm using the Axe and the Focusrite as Aggregate devices and this is what it looks like in my MIDI Set Up:


I feel like somehow the Axe should be the first ins/outs so that it's consistent with how we do re-amping and other things. My Axe is connected via USB to my Mac mini as is the Focusrite and the Focusrite is connected to my Adams monitors so that I can hear my computer output as well as Axe output if I use input monitoring in Logic. When I record guitar from the Axe its on inputs 11/12, the dry track is on 15/16.

Thanks for any tips/help!
Brian

 

[sprint]

Great vid - I'm wondering if someone might be able to help me because re-amping doesn't work for me - not this method or with Cooper Carter's or any of the others and I know it's because of how my Axe and Focusrite are set up, but I don't know how to correct it. I'm using the Axe and the Focusrite as Aggregate devices and this is what it looks like in my MIDI Set Up:
View attachment 114336

I feel like somehow the Axe should be the first ins/outs so that it's consistent with how we do re-amping and other things. My Axe is connected via USB to my Mac mini as is the Focusrite and the Focusrite is connected to my Adams monitors so that I can hear my computer output as well as Axe output if I use input monitoring in Logic. When I record guitar from the Axe its on inputs 11/12, the dry track is on 15/16.

Thanks for any tips/help!
Brian

Are you setting Input1 to "digital" in Axfx GlobalSetup/Audio before sending DI track from DAW into Axfx for to reamp?

The order within the aggregate definition is not relevant in my experience - mine is defined like your and works fine with Logic on Mac Pro / Ventura.

 

[GlennO]

Great vid - I'm wondering if someone might be able to help me because re-amping doesn't work for me - not this method or with Cooper Carter's or any of the others and I know it's because of how my Axe and Focusrite are set up, but I don't know how to correct it. I'm using the Axe and the Focusrite as Aggregate devices and this is what it looks like in my MIDI Set Up:
View attachment 114336

I feel like somehow the Axe should be the first ins/outs so that it's consistent with how we do re-amping and other things. My Axe is connected via USB to my Mac mini as is the Focusrite and the Focusrite is connected to my Adams monitors so that I can hear my computer output as well as Axe output if I use input monitoring in Logic. When I record guitar from the Axe its on inputs 11/12, the dry track is on 15/16.

Thanks for any tips/help!
Brian

You can re-order your aggregate channels if you like by removing the Scarlett by unchecking it, then adding it back. That will put the Axe-FX first. Either way will work.

 

[Brian Coonan]

Are you setting Input1 to "digital" in Axfx GlobalSetup/Audio before sending DI track from DAW into Axfx for to reamp?

The order within the aggregate definition is not relevant in my experience - mine is defined like your and works fine with Logic on Mac Pro / Ventura.

I did do that yes - mimicked the settings that Glenn O showed in the vid. I can hear the DI track but can't get it to go back through the Axe like to get different preset sounds. Tried adding a new track as well to preserve the original DI but no luck.

You can re-order your aggregate channels if you like by removing the Scarlett by unchecking it, then adding it back. That will put the Axe-FX first. Either way will work.

Ok - this worked, kinda. I can now hear a different preset on the DI track by changing presets in the Axe (Thank you!) but now all my audio is routing through the FRFR including any YouTube or AppleMusic and will not go through my monitors at all. Seems this only works when the Focusrite is 1st in the MIDI settings. Also, when I recorded the re-amped track in Logic it sound real bad - whooshy, almost like there was a WAH on...very odd.

I just went back to my original configuration and everything coming through my monitors connected to the Focusrite was all staticy - rebooted and that cleared up.

I guess I'm going to just stick to manually re-recording tracks with different sounds! lol!

Thanks both of you for your help though - I really appreciate it - and that vid is a great, easy way to do it Glenn!

 

[GlennO]

Ok - this worked, kinda. I can now hear a different preset on the DI track by changing presets in the Axe (Thank you!) but now all my audio is routing through the FRFR including any YouTube or AppleMusic and will not go through my monitors at all. Seems this only works when the Focusrite is 1st in the MIDI settings. Also, when I recorded the re-amped track in Logic it sound real bad - whooshy, almost like there was a WAH on...very odd.

If you re-order the devices in your aggregate, don't forget to change the usb channels you're using for output from Logic (and in your system settings if you're using the aggregate as your system audio output device). You'll have to change those to get the output to go to the intended device after re-ordering your aggregate.

In any case, the aggregate should work fine with the devices in either order.

 

[Chewie5150]

bookmarked* thanks @GlennO great resource. The handy thing here is looping over a quick idea with the reamped DI signal in the context of mix so you can dial in right amp sound like you show. One thing that I always go back and forth with. Mono vs stereo recording. In the example you provide you mentioned simplest way here was setting up stereo. I'm thinking about the classic kind of approach of double tracking guitars separately (mon) apply panning. I suppose depends too if you like to record the effects (stereo) and print vs adding in effects in post....

 

[GlennO]

bookmarked* thanks @GlennO great resource. The handy thing here is looping over a quick idea with the reamped DI signal in the context of mix so you can dial in right amp sound like you show. One thing that I always go back and forth with. Mono vs stereo recording. In the example you provide you mentioned simplest way here was setting up stereo. I'm thinking about the classic kind of approach of double tracking guitars separately (mon) apply panning. I suppose depends too if you like to record the effects (stereo) and print vs adding in effects in post....

While I recommend recording the DI to a stereo track to get the reamp levels right, that doesn't mean the wet track needs to be stereo. You can can record a mono preset to a mono track if you prefer. However, like you say, recording a mono preset to a stereo track has the advantage that it's easier to later apply stereo insert effects in some DAWs.

On the third hand, if I'm recording a mono preset, I'll generally record it to a stereo track with the wet in one channel and the DI in the other channel. That way, audio edits, like comping, are easily applied to both wet and DI. I might do an "advanced re-amping" video at some point to demonstrate techniques like that.

 

[Jirai]

A while ago I tried re-amping just out of interest, but it didn't work. I had no time and also no specific need to explore the problem, but your video gave me the encouragement to try it again.

 

[Todd McNaughton]

I was wondering when you'd start making videos! You should do videos about all the latency stuff as well! <3

Yes, please.. when I reamp the same DI to a left and a right, even if it's the same preset, I get phasing because each new reamped track has a different latency. It's confusing, maddening, and disappointing.

Also, I am wondering if this is the same effect as just adding a USB block and connecting it to the Input 1 block. ?? Like I've seen others on this forum setup.

What is the advantage of all of these steps? I'm curious and wondering if it's a different approach with the same result or if there are advantages to this setup. Thank you to whomever responds to these questions.

 

[GlennO]

Yes, please.. when I reamp the same DI to a left and a right, even if it's the same preset, I get phasing because each new reamped track has a different latency. It's confusing, maddening, and disappointing.

Also, I am wondering if this is the same effect as just adding a USB block and connecting it to the Input 1 block. ?? Like I've seen others on this forum setup.

What is the advantage of all of these steps? I'm curious and wondering if it's a different approach with the same result or if there are advantages to this setup. Thank you to whomever responds to these questions.

If you re-amp the same DI twice with the same preset, you should get the same thing twice, with no phasing. I don't recall ever seeing different latencies in that situation. This is an Axe-FX III? What DAW are you using? Are you using the latest DSP and USB firmware?

In most cases, adding a USB block just adds steps to the process unnecessarily and prevents you from browsing presets the way I did in the video. So, while it will work, I wouldn't recommend that method.

 

[ToneLabRat]

I had no idea about the insert plug-ins. Thanks Glenn!

 

[Rick]

Gre video, Glenn! Very useful information, clearly explained.

 

[Reaper]

Great! thx

 

[David Houck]

Finally set this up in Reaper today. Followed the instructions as in the video and it's working fine, including using ReaInsert. Thanks!