Diagram on how I (Tyler Grund) setup my Axe-Fx for home use

Gamedojo

Gamedojo

Power User
Diagram Showing How I (Tyler Grund) setup my Axe-Fx for Home Use

I've gotten enough emails asking about this that I drew up this diagram to help others if they wish to follow my lead.

FRFR speakers are great for pumping major volume for stages, but I personally feel a good home stereo setup is ideal for making good patches since that is the method in which we listen and enjoy music. Just seems to make sense. And its worked out pretty good for me so far.

tylergrund_axefx_monitorsetup.jpg
 
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Love your playing and all the amazing patches you've shared Tyler, so no reflection on you, but got to say, wow.... are there really that many people who really were so baffled by a simple 1/4 to RCA stereo output that it required (a very nice btw) illustration ?
 
Gamedojo said:
All analog audio goes a long way to make it sound like tubes.
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I'd give that credit to Cliff. I remember before buying real monitors I used to play my first modelers (a POD and Johnson (anyone remember those) through my home stereo (Onkyo receiver, big old Cerwin Vega 15" speakers) and while all analog output paths it sure didn't sound much like my tube amps LOL
 
lqdsnddist said:
Love your playing and all the amazing patches you've shared Tyler, so no reflection on you, but got to say, wow.... are there really that many people who really were so baffled by a simple 1/4 to RCA stereo output that it required (a very nice btw) illustration ?
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Not exactly. Its more about the mental disconnect that happens combining major guitar tones and home stereo. They are two different areas and we usually don't combine them in the real world. You'd blow your stereo speakers in 15 miliseconds with a marshall head! :) My diagram just lays it out and makes them feel safe its a proven good route.

lqdsnddist said:
I'd give that credit to Cliff. I remember before buying real monitors I used to play my first modelers (a POD and Johnson (anyone remember those) through my home stereo (Onkyo receiver, big old Cerwin Vega 15" speakers) and while all analog output paths it sure didn't sound much like my tube amps LOL
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...Think of it more in terms of how would you want to listen to your favorite vinyl or CD rather then making your guitar sound more like something. Analog gear can add a musicality to the sound that just makes it sound good. Like a great tube sound to a classic hendrix record.
 
Very interesting. I'm going to try this with my home stereo. 20 year-old Denon receiver and a pair of killer Klipsch speakers (2 12's and a horn in each!). Thanks, Tyler!
 
Gamedojo said:
All analog audio goes a long way to make it sound like tubes.
Click to expand...

Haha I remember playing another companies magic red box back in the day. And I always came out of it thru the headphone jack with a stereo splitter. Took away alot of the harshness of the digital unit :)
 
Tyler - I used my home stereo to amplify my Rockman eons ago, but it really never crossed my mind with the Axe. I suppose I was too worried I'd have some peak signals that might not play well with the speakers, as in damaging. Do you use this for both compressed (via the amp model, not a compressor) overdriven sounds as well as clean punchy types? The latter just seem on the crux of disaster, with the feel I get through my powered speakers. Thanks for sharing with the masses! Lee
 
Went a similar rout with a couple vintage JBL L100 and a Carver TFM-42 Power amp with a small mixer in front combining Axe and other incoming audio (CD,DAW…). Instant bliss, tone and feel.
 
Tyler, great post and diagram...thanks for sharing.

I had heard about this but never got around to trying it. When you say it's "worked out pretty good", can you please elaborate a bit? Is it comparable to using monitors or an FRFR? Does the stereo amp. colour the tone a lot? Technically, I guess it would be not much different than playing through headphones...correct?

I have a Luxman receiver and great sounding pair of Canadian made PSB speakers, I bought back in 89-90. Recently, I dusted it off and I've been playing my CD's on my Luxman 24 bit CD player and I was blown away by the richness of the sound. I forgot just how good CD's sound and how much we're missing listening to crap MP3's. I was listening to Zeppelin IV, the album they recorded in the stairwell of what is now Jimmy Page's house and it feels like you're in the staircase with them. You hear every little detail, with such clarity.
 
I have thought of doing this with my HTS, Onkyo TX-NR801 and Polk Audio TR110's. looks like I'm going to have to give it a try. How long are your RCA cables?
 
inkeyes said:
Tyler, do you record direct via USB?
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Yes. Direct into Garageband.

Sixstring said:
... How long are your RCA cables?
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Not very long. I've got my Axe-Fx 2 sitting on top of my receiver now. I used to have it in a flight case and used slightly longer RCAs, but I just put the Case near the stereo.

Toopy14 said:
Tyler, great post and diagram...thanks for sharing.

I had heard about this but never got around to trying it. When you say it's "worked out pretty good", can you please elaborate a bit? Is it comparable to using monitors or an FRFR? Does the stereo amp. colour the tone a lot? Technically, I guess it would be not much different than playing through headphones...correct?

I have a Luxman receiver and great sounding pair of Canadian made PSB speakers, I bought back in 89-90. Recently, I dusted it off and I've been playing my CD's on my Luxman 24 bit CD player and I was blown away by the richness of the sound. I forgot just how good CD's sound and how much we're missing listening to crap MP3's. I was listening to Zeppelin IV, the album they recorded in the stairwell of what is now Jimmy Page's house and it feels like you're in the staircase with them. You hear every little detail, with such clarity.
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You already answered your own question. If Jimmy Page's tone is great, and sounds like he's in the room with you, what better setup to play your axefx through?
 
Well I'm officially impressed with the tones you have created using that system. Have you checked them against a pair of good studio monitors to hear the differences?
 
unfortunately no... I've never come across an opportunity to do so.

Sixstring said:
Well I'm officially impressed with the tones you have created using that system. Have you checked them against a pair of good studio monitors to hear the differences?
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I got a pair of adapters today ($2.00 on Ebay w/ free shipping, *LOL*) and tried this out through my Denon receiver and Klipsch speakers. Sounds great!
 
Gamedojo said:
unfortunately no... I've never come across an opportunity to do so.
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Sixstring said:
Well I'm officially impressed with the tones you have created using that system. Have you checked them against a pair of good studio monitors to hear the differences?
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Your patches translate brilliantly on studio monitors Tyler as I'm sure anyone with studio monitors (like myself) will agree.

And I totally agree it makes a lot of sense to create patches on a Hi Fidelity medium that you actually listen to produced music on, it kinda cuts out the middle man whereby your not creating patches on studio monitors which are generally very flat.

Do you add any kind of post processing when creating your patches.

Cheers.
 
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