Brand New Axe FX II......Hmmmm; not too happy! Help!?!

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dannyd_1

New Member
Got my AXE FX II (MII) last week and I've been playing around with it for a few days.....thoughts/concerns:

- Almost every stock preset clips my output ??
- Sounds B A D through headphones....but my headphones are not really HIFI either!
- Sounds BAD through my studio monitors:-(
- I cannot get a decent overdriven sound e.g. drive into amp into delay/reverb; It's like there's no sustain at all! Drives sound thin and harsh OR a crunchy amp tone with drive sounds too bottom endy with no top??
I really have to work hard on the guitar here to get solos going....I guess rhytm sounds are ok.

I own a VOX Ac30, I used a 12 unit rack for years and a rather large pedal board with all sorts of pedal and it has always sounded great!!!
I tried the AXE with the 4CM and it sounded ok....and it has a ton of possibilities that I really dig (routing, expression control etc!)

Why why why???????
Some of the guys on youtube get great tones I must admit with lots of sustain, dynamic response and realistic sounding tube amp replication.....what am I doing wrong here????

Daniel
 
Sounds like it could be a gain structure problem. Find Scott Peterson's video on setting gain, it's really helpful.

Sorry, I should have included that the video is in a post here in the Axe II section. Just run a search (I think it used to be stickied, but I didn't look to see if it was before I started writing this.)
 
Be patient and trust that many folks are die hard fans and many pros use this for a reason......it sounds great. But learning curve there is and once you get it, you got it. Not hard...just takes a little studying and forum cruising. Best of luck!
 
Have you got your input levels set correctly? Maybe your guitar output is on the hot side?
 
Actually the start should be quite simple. Press I/O, set your input level so the meter tickles red when you strum hard.
If you're having a hard time dialing in presets you can look for good ones in Axechange. You might like the soloAweek preset for "I want it all" if you're used to the Vox sound :)
The easiest way to avoid output clipping is to lower the level parameter in the amp block. Are you connected via USB and using the Axe as an external soundcard?
If so you have to consider that the level of any playback you are running adds to the overall level in the Axe, which can lead to patches clipping that wouldn't by themselves.

If you find your patches boomy don't take away all the bass in the amp. Bring up the low cut in the amp block and maybe turn down proximity, that can really help sometimes.

Have fun!
 
Loopback777 said:
Sounds like it could be a gain structure problem.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Def sounds like a gain structure issue. Are the LEDs on the front panel touching the red when you play hard? If not start there. Also try adjusting the input trim on the amps your using. What fireware are you on?
 
Have you tweaked the stock presets?? Maybe do a full system reset and see if that helps things.

Mine sound AMAZING through my monitor speakers and headphones. Something's fishy...
 
You gotta be patient Im three months in and just found the microphones for the cabs, there is alot going on with this unit. Its complex for a reason, how many times have we bought rigs and had to tweek for weeks buying new pedals this and that, same here. I first got mine and it was way to bright for my set up but I have since found the magic, its in there you have to build it.
Like the folks say we are all here to help and these guys know there stuff. Good luck.
 
Yeah man. We've all been there. If you look back through my posts there's something like "HELP I THINK I MADE A MISTAKE BUYING THIS OH GOD SHOOT ME NOW" - or something to that effect. The best thing you can do at this point, is really, really slow down and work one parameter at a time. I'll give you the advice I first received:

1. Start with just an amp and a cab. Just and amp. And a cab. If, after a while, the stock cabs don't do it for you (they really haven't done it for me, personally), go and download the Ownhammer V31 betas. Available here: OwnHammer.com - Public Beta Redux

- you can load these using a program called sysex librarian. Instructions are here: Cab (block) - Axe-Fx II Wiki

2. Look up what the MV should relatively be set at for the amp/sound type you are playing with and adjust from there. For example, I wouldn't set a metal amp MV at like... 9 and try to add drive. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I might not do it right from the get go, you dig?

3. Set up your low and hi cuts to eliminate boom and hiss/fizz. I personally pull up the amp low cut to somewhere around 200 if I'm going for overdriven sounds. Just pull it up until the boom goes away. Realize that if you're in an untreated room you probably aren't getting a realistic depiction of your low end. That's just how it is. I generally cut highs in my DAW, and with my particular pickups and the IRs I use, I like to set my high cut somewhere from 7,000-8,000 Hz. It may seem like it's overkill, but since I bumped it down from 10,000 my guitars fit into my mix so much better it's amazing.

4. Once you start finding a sound that works for you, then add a drive pedal in front of the amp. This will alter the way your amp sounds, but try working with the drive instead of changing things in the amp until you get a sound you "like".

All in all, this takes some patience and discipline to stick it out, but you will be rewarded. And realize what you think sounds great today will change as you begin to understand how making guitar tones functions with this piece of gear. You will consistently look back and say "My God... how did I think that sounded good?" - or maybe you're not like me and right from the get-go you'll be flying high once you get this thing working for you. Just remember to only tweak at first, for about 10-20 minutes and then take a break. It's extremely tasking and on a long enough time frame, everything sounds terrible. Good luck, and keep it up!
 
So interesting. When I first got it, while the default presets weren't my cup of tea, right off the bat I was able to hear the potential and awesomeness of this unit. There's something definitely not right here. I'm chalking it up to bad gain structure too. The first fifty presets or so should at least have a nice starting point for you.

What monitors are you using. Oh, and if your headphones aren't halfway decent, don't even bother. Bad headphones do not do this thing justice.
 
Yeah, something is not right as indicated by all stock presets clipping.
Get that resolved and go from there.

I honestly do not even do that much tweaking of stock amp presets in the first 50+ presets,
and I use various guitars, both humbuckers and single coil.

Sounds great through monitors, headphones, and the FBT.

Only time I had issues which required a lot of tweaking was running through effects loop of my old Mesa F-50.
I sold it.
 
Wooooow.....I rest my case!!!!!
Just did another attempt of going through my studio monitors after having turned the amp volume down (to get rid of the clipping!) Dialed in preset 12 and: BINGO!!! Sound GREAT with my Les Paul gold top. Added some drive, modified reverb and delay....nice crunch break up bluesy sound whre you can hear the sound of the guitar!!!
What a relief, I'm telling you it sounded crap through my headphones (still do!?) but now there's hope! I've tweaked a lot of stuff in my life but this thing had me nearly kicking my guitars out the window.
Thanks guys for all the help - in record time!
Next for me is to sit down and get this thing completely up and running; for home use and live;-))
 
Nice! Glad to hear. Now you're in for a treat. So much fun mucking around with this thing! Once Axe Edit 2.0 comes out, we're going to be in tone tweaking heaven. :)

Also, I can't stress this enough. MAKE SURE YOUR INSTRUMENT INPUT LEVEL IS SET RIGHT! Click the I/O button, start strumming and strumming hard. Set the very first knob to where the RED input LEDs are only coming on once in a while.

Go get yourself some decent headphones. Sony's MDR-7506 are nice, sound good, are durable, portable(folding), industry standard, and won't break the bank. $90 brand new and well worth it.

Amazon.com: Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone: Musical Instruments

dannyd_1 said:
Wooooow.....I rest my case!!!!!
Just did another attempt of going through my studio monitors after having turned the amp volume down (to get rid of the clipping!) Dialed in preset 12 and: BINGO!!! Sound GREAT with my Les Paul gold top. Added some drive, modified reverb and delay....nice crunch break up bluesy sound whre you can hear the sound of the guitar!!!
What a relief, I'm telling you it sounded crap through my headphones (still do!?) but now there's hope! I've tweaked a lot of stuff in my life but this thing had me nearly kicking my guitars out the window.
Thanks guys for all the help - in record time!
Next for me is to sit down and get this thing completely up and running; for home use and live;-))
Click to expand...
 
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Or Beyer DT770...

I cut the bottom freq and 16 k completly. Yesterday i boosted 500-1000 too. Everthing sounds fatter without boom. I allways try to master eq with the global eq. So if i switch speaker setup, i´ll change that eq. Much faster than eq every preset IMO.
 
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