Axe-Fx - Ultimate Low Volume Solution?

A

abetaque

Member
Hey all -

I don't have an Axe-Fx yet, and I'm hoping that some of you with experience can help me with this question. I'm interested in the Axe-Fx primarily as a solution to very low volume playing. I have two great tube amps, but I can never turn them up past "1" because we have babies in the house. As you know, tube amps don't sound their best at this volume. If I get the Axe-Fx with studio monitors and a sub, would that allow me to get a full tube tone at very low volumes? I'm really not that interested in all of the features of the Axe-Fx, and I don't like to tweak. I would only get it if it would be better sounding than actual tube amps at low volumes. Thoughts?

Thanks!
 
I can get that cranked tube amp tone and feel with the AxeFx running through a power amp and guitar cab at low volume but I can't say I really enjoy playing through my monitors (KRK RP5's). The AxeFx sounds great recorded but playing through monitors feels nothing like playing through an amp to me.
 
There are way cheaper methods for getting low volume tone, if all you need it for is practicing. The Sansamp character pedals are said to be good, so are the Vox plugamps.
Just saying, if you don't like to tweak...

If you don't mind 'some' tweaking, the Axe-FX is the hands-down-far-out-best unit to get good direct-to-Full-Range-tone in existence.

If you get a sub you'd still be waking the babies, I think. With a (small) mixer or headpone-amp or break-out-soundcard-box and good headphones, you are set for doodling without disturbing.

Great sound you can definitely get. Great feel at low volume... Possibly, but not likely since that is strongly tied to volume.
 
abetaque said:
Hey all -

I don't have an Axe-Fx yet, and I'm hoping that some of you with experience can help me with this question. I'm interested in the Axe-Fx primarily as a solution to very low volume playing. I have two great tube amps, but I can never turn them up past "1" because we have babies in the house. As you know, tube amps don't sound their best at this volume. If I get the Axe-Fx with studio monitors and a sub, would that allow me to get a full tube tone at very low volumes? I'm really not that interested in all of the features of the Axe-Fx, and I don't like to tweak. I would only get it if it would be better sounding than actual tube amps at low volumes. Thoughts?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

IMO that should work, maybe you won't need sub but that depends on monitors.
Just bare in mind that low volume affects the EQ so you might need to push high end in general EQ, maybe.
As for tweaking, people have different experience, probably due different guitars, monitors, tone preference etc.
In my case 95% of factory presets work just fine, hopefully you'll get the same impression. ;)
 
Skip the sub. I find that with my Atomic FR the one thing I am battling is too much low end from the 12" speaker. I use the global EQ to cut it quite a bit.

Just know that no matter what you're using, louder volumes still sound better. It's simply speakers being driven and especially how we hear things. It doesn't matter if it's solid-state, tube, Axe-Fx or whatever. With that said, you can get fantastic tones out of the Axe-Fx at any volume.

I'd also like to warn you about headphones, I haven't been quite satisfied using the Axe-Fx with those. I've got two different ones, wired AKG K-400s and wireless Sennheiser RS130s and I don't enjoy using either compared to using stereo monitors or the Atomic FR. The Sennheisers especially seem to have something in the midrange response that makes them sound nasty, work fine for music tho...
 
laxu said:
Just know that no matter what you're using, louder volumes still sound better. It's simply speakers being driven and especially how we hear things. It doesn't matter if it's solid-state, tube, Axe-Fx or whatever. With that said, you can get fantastic tones out of the Axe-Fx at any volume.
Click to expand...

Yup. There's NO SUBSTITUTE for volume. End of story. Bedroom volume is *kind* of a myth, as you can get the tone of the cranked tube amp to some extent at low volume, but none of the character (guitar-volume interaction, dynamics).

That being said, you will tweak your patches differently with low volume, as when you turn it up, you'll hear different things. That's why it's so hard to tweak for the stage (for me) at low volume the night before. It may sound muddy and flabby at low volume, then brittle and thin when you crank it up to band volume.

FWIW, the Axe-FX is by FAR the best solution out there coming through studio monitors and/or the Atomic FR.
 
You may want to take a look at an FBT 8ma; I have the 12ma and it's been perfect for less than (and equal to) gig level practicing.
 
Thanks all for the responses so far. This is really helpful. It seems that the general consensus is that the Axe-Fx sounds really good at low volumes but, like a tube amp, sounds best at higher volumes. Maybe it wouldn't be the improvement I'm hoping for.
 
abetaque said:
Thanks all for the responses so far. This is really helpful. It seems that the general consensus is that the Axe-Fx sounds really good at low volumes but, like a tube amp, sounds best at higher volumes. Maybe it wouldn't be the improvement I'm hoping for.
Click to expand...

I would say that it sounds better at higher volumes, but for different reasons. With a tube amp you get the power section kicking at higher volumes, but with the Axe-Fx you can do that virtually so you don't need to turn up to get rid of that can of bees tone some tube amps have at low volume.
 
marshall2553 said:
I can get that cranked tube amp tone and feel with the AxeFx running through a power amp and guitar cab at low volume but I can't say I really enjoy playing through my monitors (KRK RP5's). The AxeFx sounds great recorded but playing through monitors feels nothing like playing through an amp to me.
Click to expand...
Have you tried the Atomic FR?
 
laxu said:
I find that with my Atomic FR the one thing I am battling is too much low end from the 12" speaker. I use the global EQ to cut it quite a bit.
Click to expand...
Hmm... I'm planning on getting an Atomic FR for a low-to-medium volume practice rig. I'm not looking forward to adjusting EQ settings on every patch to cut out low end. Would studio monitors be better?
 
QuadAllegory said:
laxu said:
I find that with my Atomic FR the one thing I am battling is too much low end from the 12" speaker. I use the global EQ to cut it quite a bit.
Click to expand...
Hmm... I'm planning on getting an Atomic FR for a low-to-medium volume practice rig. I'm not looking forward to adjusting EQ settings on every patch to cut out low end. Would studio monitors be better?
Click to expand...

As one who goes both studio monitors and the Atomic FR, don't waste your time thinking any patch will translate from bedroom volume to band volume. There are simply things in there you won't hear until it's loud.

And the Atomic FR is a 50 watt tube amp, so it's pretty damn'd loud. If you need more than that, you're in a heavy and LOUD band, or you have a huge stage that doesn't use monitors in the stage mix.
 
QuadAllegory said:
laxu said:
I find that with my Atomic FR the one thing I am battling is too much low end from the 12" speaker. I use the global EQ to cut it quite a bit.
Click to expand...
Hmm... I'm planning on getting an Atomic FR for a low-to-medium volume practice rig. I'm not looking forward to adjusting EQ settings on every patch to cut out low end. Would studio monitors be better?
Click to expand...

That's why the global EQ is there, so it can be used to tailor the sound to a particular room and has an effect on all patches. I believe you could also use the global amp options for that.
 
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