Do I still need my FX8?

cragginshred

cragginshred

Fractal Fanatic
With my Ax8 arriving this Friday I will use it to its fullest potential -recording, FRFR, real cabs, live ect. However, I still plan to use my real amps periodically. Just to confirm I can by pass the amp models to use the Ax8 in the loop of a real amp just like I did with my Axe II and real amps correct?

Is there anything my FX8 does that I cannot do in the loop of my real amps with my Ax8? If so one lucky buyer may not have to wait to get an FX8 (and my bank account gets a boost)!!
 
cragginshred said:
With my Ax8 arriving this Friday I will use it to its fullest potential -recording, FRFR, real cabs, live ect. However, I still plan to use my real amps periodically. Just to confirm I can by pass the amp models to use the Ax8 in the loop of a real amp just like I did with my Axe II and real amps correct?

Is there anything my FX8 does that I cannot do in the loop of my real amps with my Ax8? If so one lucky buyer may not have to wait to get an FX8 (and my bank account gets a boost)!!
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I had the fx8 and now have the ax8. Sure you can leave amp and cab out and just put effects in the chain. I do not miss the fx8 but some say it sounds slightly more transparent than the ax8 when used in 4CM. One important difference is that with the the FX8 you may use two instances of certain effect blocks whereas with the AX8 only one instance of these efx is possible. Eg reverb and drive if my memory serves me right. To some this seems to be a serious limitation but not so much to me - sometimes a workaround is possible. I for myself would not keep the fx8 and the ax8.
 
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The AX8 is noisier and not as transparent in 4CM as the FX8. I don't use amps enough to justify keeping both so I sold the FX8. The AX8 works just fine in 4CM for my purposes, plus I could not use the relay switching with my RedPlate RP40. If I only used amps, I would have kept the FX8 because it is definitely quitter and more transparent.
 
I do not relay anything, and the gate works just fine, plus my HJS Satch Marshall head has a gate too in ea channel. @ethomas1013 do you use 'hum buster' cables by any chance? Buying them eliminated 1/2 my noise source even with the FX8 gate and Marshall gate together
 
Yes, I do use humbuster cables with the AX8 and my amps. They help, but the FX8 without humbuster cables was still quieter than the AX8 with them.

I'm not a high gain player so killing lots of noise is not a problem for me. My primary amp these days (when I play an amp) is a RedPlate RP40. Not exactly a gain machine. I also have a Budda Superdrive 30 but use it for mid-gain tones.
 
The added hiss with the AX8 vs the FX8 is minimal. It should be noted that I did not have both units side-by-side. The FX8 was sold shortly before acquiring the AX8. Had I felt that the little bit of added noise was significant, I would have bought another FX8 by now.

The True Bypass option on the FX8 is what really tells the story for how well designed and how quiet the FX8 is with an amp.

But I don't want to make it sound like the AX8 is too noisy with an amp. Like I said, it works well enough for me.
 
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