AFIII CLIP: Axe-Fx III vs "real amp"

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This will be quite a deep analysis but let's start with the clip first and then the info.



Let's start by explaining what you're listening to:

1. Axe-Fx III Friedman HBE 2018 with default settings through an IR of the same mic up as the second clip

2. Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 50w head through a Marshall 4x12

3. Axe-Fx III USA Lead through an IR of the same mic up as the fourth clip

4. Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 50w head through a Mesa 4x12

Okay first, can we finally unanimously acknowledge that the cab and mic up makes a bigger difference to your guitar sound than the amplifier? :) And second, can we give praise to the Marshall JCM2000 DSL series for being able to sound this close to two of IMHO the best amp sims in the Axe-Fx? The third part is pointing out that the DSL is not featured as an amp sim on this unit, so getting it sounding close to these other amplifiers is pretty cool.

Now for the analysis part.

I didn't spend too much time trying to get these sounds perfect. Maybe 10min per amp? I know they're not 100% there but I think I got them to a point where I don't know which one I prefer. I've heard some comparison clips of the Friedman vs DSL in a room and it sounded very close. Here are the settings that I used with my Marshall:


This is not the high gain channel of the amp and as you can see I've dialed it down quite a bit. So if anyone is looking for Marshall tips - they usually have more gain than you realize.

These are my DSL settings for the Mesa Mark IV type sound:


Same channel as the Friedman clip but with different EQ settings. I used the deep switch for both examples. Without it it's a bit hard to get that bottom end.

I'm not sure what this proves but I have to say this, at no point in any of these tests did I feel like I was working with an inferior modeler type sound. The Axe-Fx III completely sounds like a real tube amplifier. Not many people get to try a super cleanly shot IR and a real mic compared to each other like this. This is what I do every week. :)

I'd love to hear your thoughts!
 
B:ASSMASTER said:
I liked #1 better than #2 because #2 sounded more muffled in the lows.

I liked #3 better than #4 because #3 had more clarity and bite to it.

Guess I prefer a modeler over a real amp. :D
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Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Like I said, these aren't the same amps anyways but also in many blindfold challenges people tend to prefer the modeler's sound even if they think it's the modeler. We're a part of a revolution! ;)
 
#3 sounded best to me. I know that’s probably not the point.. I am totally on board with the cab / mic or Ir makes the biggest noticeable difference in tone. That being said the new 2018 Friedman C45 is stupid good. I’m in the process of making it my new go to. On cabs, it seems like I gravitate towards vintage greenback/58 sounds for rhythm, but this sounds thin and harsh for leads. I’m still searching for an ir that makes me happy for my leads but not too different than my greenback/57 rhythm sound
 
#1 they sound super close
#2 I prefer the Axe3 in many cases when I can hear a difference
#3 cab IR and EQ is more important than I thought
#4 digital has caught up and the price/weight of tube gear has me questioning why I don’t unload my tube amps. time to let go of tradition.
 
B:ASSMASTER said:
I liked #1 better than #2 because #2 sounded more muffled in the lows.

I liked #3 better than #4 because #3 had more clarity and bite to it.

Guess I prefer a modeler over a real amp. :D
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You're not the first person to have this opinion. :) Actually most of the answers I get in these comparisons are people thinking that the Axe-Fx is the real amp. I don't know how that's possible but maybe people are more used to the Axe-Fx sound these days than real amp sound? That's what you'd call evolution right?
 
Tahoebrian5 said:
#3 sounded best to me. I know that’s probably not the point.. I am totally on board with the cab / mic or Ir makes the biggest noticeable difference in tone. That being said the new 2018 Friedman C45 is stupid good. I’m in the process of making it my new go to. On cabs, it seems like I gravitate towards vintage greenback/58 sounds for rhythm, but this sounds thin and harsh for leads. I’m still searching for an ir that makes me happy for my leads but not too different than my greenback/57 rhythm sound
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Definitely one of my favorite amps as well. They're so easy to dial in and many times yo don't even have to dial it in. It just works on default settings. I spend some time comparing the C45 to the regular version and I decided I like the C45 better with single coils and the regular version with humbuckers.

The older Greenbacks have a super smooth high end which is good for leads. Do you have an Axe-Fx III? Try my factory PR75 IR's for example.
 
Daveis said:
#1 they sound super close
#2 I prefer the Axe3 in many cases when I can hear a difference
#3 cab IR and EQ is more important than I thought
#4 digital has caught up and the price/weight of tube gear has me questioning why I don’t unload my tube amps. time to let go of tradition.
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This times a million. :) Before that happens though... we have to model ALL TUBE AMPS.
 
camilovelandiamusic said:
Great work man. Both the amp and the Axe sound great. Blind folded I couldn't tell which is which
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Thank you buddy! It's really interesting that I can turn a couple of knobs on the amp to make a Marshall sound this close to a Mesa. If anyone said that 10 years ago, no one would've believed it. You most definitely can't make a V30 sound like a Greenback by placing the microphone differently... it that's a point of reference. :)
 
LucasLeCompte said:
Another thing that you can easily hear from this is that IRs are super important for a great sound and that they have come a very long way. A great IR can take a okish sounding VST and make it great sounding.
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Oh for sure. I realized this very early on in the Standard Axe-Fx days. That ultimately led me to start making my own IR's because I wasn't really getting the exact results I wanted with what was out there. That quite quickly led me to become and official Cab Pack producer for Fractal Audio. :) All thanks to this forum by the way.

Yes, IR's matter a lot. A LOT! :)
 
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