Posted this on TGP too.
*****
Welcome to my review of the Axe Fx Ultra.
First, a bit of background that will put some of my findings into context.
I'm 39 and have been playing guitar for 4 years, entirely self-taught. I'm a basement rocker hoping to one day play out but for now my daughter's my biggest fan.
I've owned several amps and built three. For the last three years, my main amp has been an 18-watt clone I built from a kit from Trinity Amps. My main guitar is an 08 Les Paul Standard with Bareknuckle Mules.
In terms of amp modelers, I've tried just about all of them, from Boss to Digitech to Line 6 to Zoom to VSTs. Hell, I even have Amplitube for my iPod.
As some of you may have read here, my latest foray into modeling was with the POD HD500.
I'm going to use it as a comparator to the Axe FX.
For ease of reading, I'll break the review into sections.
So away we go.
Ease of setup
I received my Ultra (thanks Black Squirrel!), hooked it up to the computer with an EMU Midi 1X1 and I used XLR cables to hook it up to my audio interface, a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40. My monitors are a pair of five-inch Rokits. I'm also running it into a 100-watt powered Yorkville FRFR wedge.
I had already downloaded Axe Edit.
I turned it on and..............keraaaang!
Well, more like a gentle chime since it was dialed into a Deluxe Reverb preset set to clean. The point is, I had no hiccups (at this point) and was off to the races. It was about the same degree of difficulty as the Pod since you need to download a program, install it and then update drivers/firmware (My Ultra came with the latest firmware so I can't speak to how easy it is to update).
All that being said, I'd give the edge to the Ultra, but only by a 3-inch cable length.
Hardware interface
I'll admit up front, I hate using hardware interfaces. They confuse the hell out of me. There were times I wanted to pitch my Digitech RP500 out the window because of the interface. Maybe it's my spatial reasoning, but having to remember how many menus deep I am when trying to adjust the Q sweep on a wah is for the birds.
However, for the sake of this review, I tried to edit a patch using the Ultra's hardware interface. I found it to be fairly intuitive and setting up a basic patch was pain-free. I was even able to configure an expression pedal (although I did need to read the manual for that task). I'd say it's about on par with the HD500's hardware interface in terms of intuitiveness. The buttons all have descriptive enough names that you can figure things out without resorting to the manual.
Computer editor
Ah, now I'm in my element. I'd like to give Axe Edit its props first: most of it is intuitive. I like the layout – it's clean and makes sense. Signal in, signal out, with a bunch of spots to drop in effects, amps and cabs. Right click on a block and up pops a menu to choose from. The effect, amp or cab parameters then appear in a field below the main one so you can tweak to your heart's content.
Now the downside. There was one time I couldn't get a connection between Axe Edit and the Ultra. I tried a new midi cable, I tried restarting Axe Edit and my computer. No dice. In the end I ended up uninstalling and reinstalling Axe Edit which did the trick.
The second issue I've encountered with Axe Edit is that it seems to 'lag' sometimes. For example, I'll call in a new amp model to override an existing one and it takes a minute or so for the new amp to register. So if I tried to call in the Jazz model over the JCM 800, I'll get that screaming lead tone for a minute until the Jazz amp finally loads. Same with effects. I haven't figured out a fix to this or if maybe it's user error but I don't think it is because it only happens about a quarter of the time I use the Ultra. It is annoying though.
The third issue? The preset manager. Ugh. Menu on the left, menu on the right, arrows pointing back and forth. It took me trial and error and a few trips to google to finally load an IR.
The POD HD500 editor? Intuitive and bug-free. It gets the edge.
Okay, okay, I can hear you saying, but how does it sound?
In short – I have drunk the Kool-Aid and it is good.
Amps
The range of amps – 70! – is astounding and captures about every sound you could want, from jazz and country to pop to rock to metal. There's something for everyone. Since I've only played a few of the modelled amps in real life, I can't say how accurate all of them are but the blackface, tweed and marshalls all cop the sound of their real-life counterparts. If you can't find your tone in this range of amps, you're not trying hard enough. Compared to the HD's line-up, it's no contest. (Although the HD does have some great amps).
Cabs
Again, a great range of cabinets (and mics) to choose from. And it's here that I first noticed the pretty wide disparity between the Axe and the Pod. I found most of the cabinet/mic selections on the Pod to be grainy compared to the Axe. While not all combinations work (obviously) on the Axe, it does sound 'better' to these ears in almost every instance. More clarity, more fidelity, more realism. I've also got the BigBox Redwirez set of IRs but that's for another review (The Marshall Basketweave – my god, the Basketweave!).
Effects
Line 6 holds its own when it comes to the effects in terms of range of offerings and sounds, with the (important) exception of the drives (which I'll touch on in the 'depth' portion of the review). Especially nice are the studio compressor and the reverbs. I got a boatload of great reverb sounds with very little effort, from slapback to cavernous waves washing across the room.
Feel
It seems the general consensus out there is this is one area where the Axe really outshines its competition and I'd concur. Having built, bought and played a wide range of tube amps, the Axe has more touch responsiveness than any other modeler out there by a wide margin. Even on low-gain settings with the Pod, I felt it was too compressed. I could hear it saying to me, 'Cleans? You bought me to rock! Get with the black metal!'
Or something like that.
Point is, the Axe responds extremely well to picking dynamics and cleans up with the proverbial volume knob. My test for picking responsiveness is Live Wire by AC/DC. Without touching the volume knob I was able to lightly pick and get the clean-ish Plexi sound and slowly dug in to bring out the growl. Turn the volume up and it roared.
In short, it behaves like a tube amp does. Axe by a mile.
Sound
Okay, it feels like a real amp, but how does it sound? The same. From clean to raging, I heard no digital artifacts, no fizz and no 'blanket over the amp' sounds. I got Albert King tones from the Jazz model, I got Neil Young tones from the Supertweed, Malcolm Young tones from the Plexi and Tom Petty tones from the Vox.
This is not your grandfather's modeller. It is as close as you can get to the real deal in terms of tone. For more on the amps, read on.
Depth
This is where I think the Axe really, REALLY shines. Really. The range of controls makes the Axe as simple or as complex as you want it. There's three levels of controls for a lot of the black: beginner, advanced and geek.
Just want volume/gain and tone controls on your amp? You can do that. Want to add bias control? You can add that. Care to tweak the B+ voltage? Yep. How about the drive effects? Like the Big Muff Pi with an SE diode? Can do. Prefer germanium? It's in there.
This makes the Axe the most powerful tone tool I've ever used. To be fair, the Pod HD500 has some pretty decent depth controls like bias and sag on the amps but the Axe basically lets you build your amp from the transformers up. A+
Overall
While I know some may think, “He's just trying to justify a $1,500 purchase” I've tried to be as honest as a I can. Believe me, I've got no problem letting go of gear that doesn't do it for me. I've got the track record to prove it!
So the final verdict?
I'm selling my two amps. I'm a digital convert.
Since I mainly play cover tunes, the ability to dial in the tones from numerous genres and artists makes the Axe the ideal solution for me. It makes a lot more sense to have one Axe than two amps and a dozen stompboxes. Not to mention the hassle of micing them and the fact I have a wife and daughter upstairs.
Welcome to the new frontier!
And in order to mark my first day ampless, here's me playing the first song I learned to play start to finish.
I recorded this using my Les Paul and the Supertweed (what else) amp into a Redwirez 1X12 with a Jensen.
Clip: [soundcloud]http://snd.sc/j1dCMW[/soundcloud]
Guitar only:
Backing track for those of you playing at home: Neil Young - Rockin In The Free World (2) Free Guitar Backing Track
P.S. Anyone in the Barrie area looking to jam with an ampless rhythm player?
*****
Welcome to my review of the Axe Fx Ultra.
First, a bit of background that will put some of my findings into context.
I'm 39 and have been playing guitar for 4 years, entirely self-taught. I'm a basement rocker hoping to one day play out but for now my daughter's my biggest fan.
I've owned several amps and built three. For the last three years, my main amp has been an 18-watt clone I built from a kit from Trinity Amps. My main guitar is an 08 Les Paul Standard with Bareknuckle Mules.
In terms of amp modelers, I've tried just about all of them, from Boss to Digitech to Line 6 to Zoom to VSTs. Hell, I even have Amplitube for my iPod.
As some of you may have read here, my latest foray into modeling was with the POD HD500.
I'm going to use it as a comparator to the Axe FX.
For ease of reading, I'll break the review into sections.
So away we go.
Ease of setup
I received my Ultra (thanks Black Squirrel!), hooked it up to the computer with an EMU Midi 1X1 and I used XLR cables to hook it up to my audio interface, a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40. My monitors are a pair of five-inch Rokits. I'm also running it into a 100-watt powered Yorkville FRFR wedge.
I had already downloaded Axe Edit.
I turned it on and..............keraaaang!
Well, more like a gentle chime since it was dialed into a Deluxe Reverb preset set to clean. The point is, I had no hiccups (at this point) and was off to the races. It was about the same degree of difficulty as the Pod since you need to download a program, install it and then update drivers/firmware (My Ultra came with the latest firmware so I can't speak to how easy it is to update).
All that being said, I'd give the edge to the Ultra, but only by a 3-inch cable length.
Hardware interface
I'll admit up front, I hate using hardware interfaces. They confuse the hell out of me. There were times I wanted to pitch my Digitech RP500 out the window because of the interface. Maybe it's my spatial reasoning, but having to remember how many menus deep I am when trying to adjust the Q sweep on a wah is for the birds.
However, for the sake of this review, I tried to edit a patch using the Ultra's hardware interface. I found it to be fairly intuitive and setting up a basic patch was pain-free. I was even able to configure an expression pedal (although I did need to read the manual for that task). I'd say it's about on par with the HD500's hardware interface in terms of intuitiveness. The buttons all have descriptive enough names that you can figure things out without resorting to the manual.
Computer editor
Ah, now I'm in my element. I'd like to give Axe Edit its props first: most of it is intuitive. I like the layout – it's clean and makes sense. Signal in, signal out, with a bunch of spots to drop in effects, amps and cabs. Right click on a block and up pops a menu to choose from. The effect, amp or cab parameters then appear in a field below the main one so you can tweak to your heart's content.
Now the downside. There was one time I couldn't get a connection between Axe Edit and the Ultra. I tried a new midi cable, I tried restarting Axe Edit and my computer. No dice. In the end I ended up uninstalling and reinstalling Axe Edit which did the trick.
The second issue I've encountered with Axe Edit is that it seems to 'lag' sometimes. For example, I'll call in a new amp model to override an existing one and it takes a minute or so for the new amp to register. So if I tried to call in the Jazz model over the JCM 800, I'll get that screaming lead tone for a minute until the Jazz amp finally loads. Same with effects. I haven't figured out a fix to this or if maybe it's user error but I don't think it is because it only happens about a quarter of the time I use the Ultra. It is annoying though.
The third issue? The preset manager. Ugh. Menu on the left, menu on the right, arrows pointing back and forth. It took me trial and error and a few trips to google to finally load an IR.
The POD HD500 editor? Intuitive and bug-free. It gets the edge.
Okay, okay, I can hear you saying, but how does it sound?
In short – I have drunk the Kool-Aid and it is good.
Amps
The range of amps – 70! – is astounding and captures about every sound you could want, from jazz and country to pop to rock to metal. There's something for everyone. Since I've only played a few of the modelled amps in real life, I can't say how accurate all of them are but the blackface, tweed and marshalls all cop the sound of their real-life counterparts. If you can't find your tone in this range of amps, you're not trying hard enough. Compared to the HD's line-up, it's no contest. (Although the HD does have some great amps).
Cabs
Again, a great range of cabinets (and mics) to choose from. And it's here that I first noticed the pretty wide disparity between the Axe and the Pod. I found most of the cabinet/mic selections on the Pod to be grainy compared to the Axe. While not all combinations work (obviously) on the Axe, it does sound 'better' to these ears in almost every instance. More clarity, more fidelity, more realism. I've also got the BigBox Redwirez set of IRs but that's for another review (The Marshall Basketweave – my god, the Basketweave!).
Effects
Line 6 holds its own when it comes to the effects in terms of range of offerings and sounds, with the (important) exception of the drives (which I'll touch on in the 'depth' portion of the review). Especially nice are the studio compressor and the reverbs. I got a boatload of great reverb sounds with very little effort, from slapback to cavernous waves washing across the room.
Feel
It seems the general consensus out there is this is one area where the Axe really outshines its competition and I'd concur. Having built, bought and played a wide range of tube amps, the Axe has more touch responsiveness than any other modeler out there by a wide margin. Even on low-gain settings with the Pod, I felt it was too compressed. I could hear it saying to me, 'Cleans? You bought me to rock! Get with the black metal!'
Or something like that.
Point is, the Axe responds extremely well to picking dynamics and cleans up with the proverbial volume knob. My test for picking responsiveness is Live Wire by AC/DC. Without touching the volume knob I was able to lightly pick and get the clean-ish Plexi sound and slowly dug in to bring out the growl. Turn the volume up and it roared.
In short, it behaves like a tube amp does. Axe by a mile.
Sound
Okay, it feels like a real amp, but how does it sound? The same. From clean to raging, I heard no digital artifacts, no fizz and no 'blanket over the amp' sounds. I got Albert King tones from the Jazz model, I got Neil Young tones from the Supertweed, Malcolm Young tones from the Plexi and Tom Petty tones from the Vox.
This is not your grandfather's modeller. It is as close as you can get to the real deal in terms of tone. For more on the amps, read on.
Depth
This is where I think the Axe really, REALLY shines. Really. The range of controls makes the Axe as simple or as complex as you want it. There's three levels of controls for a lot of the black: beginner, advanced and geek.
Just want volume/gain and tone controls on your amp? You can do that. Want to add bias control? You can add that. Care to tweak the B+ voltage? Yep. How about the drive effects? Like the Big Muff Pi with an SE diode? Can do. Prefer germanium? It's in there.
This makes the Axe the most powerful tone tool I've ever used. To be fair, the Pod HD500 has some pretty decent depth controls like bias and sag on the amps but the Axe basically lets you build your amp from the transformers up. A+
Overall
While I know some may think, “He's just trying to justify a $1,500 purchase” I've tried to be as honest as a I can. Believe me, I've got no problem letting go of gear that doesn't do it for me. I've got the track record to prove it!
So the final verdict?
I'm selling my two amps. I'm a digital convert.
Since I mainly play cover tunes, the ability to dial in the tones from numerous genres and artists makes the Axe the ideal solution for me. It makes a lot more sense to have one Axe than two amps and a dozen stompboxes. Not to mention the hassle of micing them and the fact I have a wife and daughter upstairs.
Welcome to the new frontier!
And in order to mark my first day ampless, here's me playing the first song I learned to play start to finish.
I recorded this using my Les Paul and the Supertweed (what else) amp into a Redwirez 1X12 with a Jensen.
Clip: [soundcloud]http://snd.sc/j1dCMW[/soundcloud]
Guitar only:
Backing track for those of you playing at home: Neil Young - Rockin In The Free World (2) Free Guitar Backing Track
P.S. Anyone in the Barrie area looking to jam with an ampless rhythm player?
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Have the funz I say!
