Can't get a decent sound with Axe FX II, Matrix and 1x12 EVM12L....

younga10 said:
I just went through this with going to a power amp and cab.
If you are missing the low end chug, try this:

- Take off noise gate or lower threshold (make be squeezing tone too much)
- Turn off drive block ( assuming this...)
- 12 o'clock your tone controls on amp block, drive to taste.
- Add a GEQ block after your amp or at the very end of signal chain.
- EQ something like this:
0 to 31
+3 db's to 63
+3 to 125
+3 to 250
-2 to 500
-2 to 1k
-1 to 2k
-2 to 4k
0 to 8k
0 16k
- Now EQ your amp block, add back noise gate to taste, and drive to taste.
If that doesn't fix your chug, scoop more mids from eq block.
The GEQ is more of a clean eq and doesn't affect the character of the amp, as changing eq of amp bock will alter the sound/character of amp head.
Hopefully that will help. If not, faulty power amp, lol.
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it does help, but it does not compare to the aggressive response of the mesa boogie JP-2C that I owned, I think I need a tube power amp like the Mesa boogie 2:90 or a VHT 2/90/2.
I'm getting a good distorted tone but a real tube amp is head and shoulders above the matrix I'm using. ive seen youtube videos where people are achieving authentic tube tone with the axe FX I just don't think that the matrix is the power amp of choice to achieve that sound. I should have kept my JP-2C, I feel like a fool, I gave the Matrix a chance and I'm not happy. lesson learned.
 
DR DARK said:
hi every one
i bought the JP-2c and the AXE-fx2 since 4 months ago but i'v been very busy to even unbox it
and since 3 days finally i did it and i tried both of them but when i tried to connect them i failed to get the sound that i thought i will get
as vai or JP tones
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I just sold my JP-2C (big regret) I got an axe fx and decided that I should be like all the young and hip guitar players and just go axe fx all the way. I sold my JP-2C and got a matrix and the MFC 101 pedal board with some left over cash. not happy. the Matrix is solid state, I should have gotten a tube power amp like the Mesa Boogie 2:90.
well at least your axe fx is powered by that mesa boogie. it may take you months to get the tones you are looking for, especially if you are going after the Steve Vai sound, he is an axe fx genius, don't feel bad, you have the tools to get the sounds you are looking for, you just need to be patient and put in the time and effort of learning how to use the axe fx. there are axe fx lessons by carter cooper on www.creativelive.com
I'm new to axe fx as well and those classes are helping me to understand the unit.
 
its chunky and thick and the distortion is there but it sounds fake, I had a mesa boogie JP-2C, and I sold it because I got an axe fx and thought that it would be a good idea to go axe fx all the way, the Matrix does not have the authenticity of the mesa boogies that I have owned.
 
Kiko Loomis said:
its chunky and thick and the distortion is there but it sounds fake, I had a mesa boogie JP-2C, and I sold it because I got an axe fx and thought that it would be a good idea to go axe fx all the way, the Matrix does not have the authenticity of the mesa boogies that I have owned.
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Can you give us an example of the kind of tone you're going for?
 
Mr.nobody said:
Pretty sure the 2:90 wont work.:D
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Actually, I have a 2:Ninety. And when I was using it, it worked pretty damn good. Wasn't fun to carry, but it did sound amazing.

Unfortunately, like anything else, one needs to go through trial and error to find out what works for them.

For what it's worth; I had a Matrix and it wan't my cup of tea either, so... whatever works for you.
 
Sharka said:
Actually, I have a 2:Ninety. And when I was using it, it worked pretty damn good. Wasn't fun to carry, but it did sound amazing.

Unfortunately, like anything else, one needs to go through trial and error to find out what works for them.

For what it's worth; I had a Matrix and it wan't my cup of tea either, so... whatever works for you.
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Just a thought: do you have power amp modeling enabled in your Axe-Fx? If not, give that a try before you give up on the Matrix.
 
Kiko Loomis said:
I don't know how to get sound out of the axe fx without a power amp. I don't have DAW software or any headphones
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Just plug it into a pair of studio monitors or buy a headphone. To see what is causing you the headache you have to rule out the possibilities. If you are not satisfied about your Axe fx presets (with the Matrix plugged in) in the first place then the Matrix isn't the problem.
 
Having just gone through the similar pains when I got my Gt1000fx the past 2 months I totally understand some of the criticism. I was initially somewhat disappointed.

The thing that made a night and day difference was using a High Cut and low Cut, either in the amp block or via a PEQ block. If you are trying to push a whole lot of flub and fizz through the speaker you will never get close, it wont allow what you are looking for to come through. Cut > Boost.
 
Judging from Kiko's experiences with his setup and real amps, I would first suspect a faulty poweramp.

Kiko - have you had the chance to use a different poweamp with your cab? Or a different cab with your setup? Or running some other preamp into the matrix?

Before dropping even more cash on a new poweramp, try to eliminate possibilities, there may be something wrong with the setup, something as small as a dodgy cable.

If you haven't yet swapped out components to figure out if something is broken, I would for sure do that first. Buy a cheap poweramp like the 44 magnum (and return if it also sounds like shit to you).

All that being said, I'm tempted to go the tube poweramp route with the Fryette Powerstation, as many people seem to really like that poweramp, and from all the stuff I've read, it seems like SS still isn't quite 100% there when it comes to the feel of the tube poweramp and its interaction with the cab. It would also be simpler for me as I wouldn't have to mess with the speaker page in the axe fx, which you kinda have to do with a SS poweramp. That's down the road for me though, as I'm currently really happy with the sound of my cheap solidstate poweamp and 2x12 guitar cab.
 
Pretty sure a 2:90 will not make a huge difference if the Matrix isn't broken.

IIRC the matrix was actually designed specifically for modellers to have a uncoloured but fast-reacting power source. The speed of tubes, without the tone. Precisely for the modeller to do the tube power amp tone and feel and the matrix providing only the power to move the speaker. That's the only way to have the fully modelled tones from AC30 to tweed Fender to Dual Recto in one rig. Matrix can be found in countless professionals racks, so they must be doing something right.

If that's not working there is something wrong with the amp, the modeller or the programming.

The AxeFx is a pretty complex product. If you don't have the patience to learn about where your particular piece of magic can be found, it just may not be for you. Get a mesa and some pedals and be happy.
 
I know how you feel as well, Kiko. I have an Axe-FX II, and a Matrix GT1000FX, and I also have a Triple Rectifier. The one thing I struggle with the most is getting that low end punch where the sound just jumps out at you. The Triple is amazing at this, and I am always trying to dial in the Axe to do the same. If the Axe/Matrix rig had the same low end punch, it would be game over. I dont think the Matrix is at fault though. It is an amazing power amp. I just think it is a restriction of having a solid state power amp. They dont interact with the speaker the same way a tube does. They dont receive the same type of feedback the way a tube design does.

I agree with the advice in this thread. I typically put an EQ after the amp, and boost the lows. I typically use a low pass parametric EQ to boost 180hz and below about 5db. I also find scooping 500hz about -4db or so helps clear up the low end some. I have also had good luck using high/low cut as mentioned above. I use about 70hz for low cut, and about 13000hz for high cut. This seems to clear up the mud and fizz. This is a recording trick, but I feel it helps even with a real guitar cab. Another important thing not mentioned much is the speaker page in the amp block. You HAVE to change the low end resonance to a frequency where it sounds like your cab is about to explode. You then have to change the amount of low end resonance to balance with the lows added by the parametric EQ. Using these tricks I can get the sound to probably 90%-95% of the tone and feel of my Triple Recto. It is just still missing that last little bit of chest-crushing punch when you palm mute a chord.

The problem with the 2:90 you want, is that everything will sound like a Mesa. Sometimes I use the power amp section of my Triple Recto, it sounds and feels amazing, but it pretty much makes every amp model sound and feel like a Mesa. To me, that defeats the purpose.... to run a $2000 processor into an amp.... just to model the same amp, lol. I have also thought about the Freyette Power Station mentioned above, because they are suppose to be more flat in their response, and it can be used as an attenuator for tube amps. I have also considered a FRFR cab like the Friedman ASM because then I could use IRs. It seems like dialing in for a guitar cab is the hardest way to use an Axe-FX.

EDIT: Oh, and I have an ART SLA-2 power amp that I used to use before the Matrix. The Matrix is a better power amp overall, but both have the same low end punch / speaker interaction characteristics.
 
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