Do Pro Users Record the Axe-Fx through a mic pre?

When recording an album what output do you use?

  • Balanced outpus into the DAWs interface

    Votes: 27 24.5%
  • Balanced outputs into a mic pre...

    Votes: 13 11.8%
  • S/PDIF output

    Votes: 24 21.8%
  • USB output

    Votes: 45 40.9%
  • Other

    Votes: 1 0.9%

  • Total voters
    110

DFauvre

Inspired
What method do the top Pro users of the Fractal Axe-Fx use to record an album?

1. Do they run the balanced outs through a high end mic pre?

2. Does Fractal Audio make a recommendation?

3. Do they use record using the S/PDIF or USB outputs?

I realize that different pro users who make albums may have their own preferences.
My question is, if you are recording a pro level album, which I am doing for the first time using an Axe-Fx II XL+, what is the preferred method to go from the Axe-Fx II to the DAW interface?

4. Please point me to a good forum thread on reamping and how to do it with the Axe-Fx II XL+

Thank you!
David
 
Professional in this question means:
A guitar player who either has a career in a well known band, or solo career, who uses the Axe-Fx II when they record their albums like Satriani, Vai, The Edge and many others or who is a session guitarist who makes their living touring and recording in support of major artists.
 
Chris, I am looking for answers from those who have a lot of experience and/or who know what the pros do when they record the Axe Fx. I am not trying to keep someone like yourself who has a lot of knowledge to share from sharing...so please share your thoughts on this question.
 
I think that's a pretty limited definition of "pro." I've made my living just from music for over 15 years, but I've never been in a well known band or toured with a major artist (although I did a short "tour" of Europe with a jazz trio once). I do a little over 100 shows locally each year, and teach privately and at a university.

For recording, I've found myself using SPDIF a lot, mainly so I can monitor separately the mix and my AxeFX output. Otherwise I like USB. I prefer digital not because I hear any difference with analog, but because I know I'm recording at consistent levels and I can record dry tracks for possible reamping at always consistent levels when using digital.

I wouldn't use a preamp for the Axe, as the sound coming out is very polished and finished as is. There's already the preamp feature in the cab block that adds a nice color when desired, though. Usually in mixing, I only find myself doing some small EQing to fit the tracks into the mix, and maybe a little bit of light, musical compression. Otherwise the tracks straight out of the Axe are pretty great already.
 
I am looking for answers from those who have a lot of experience and/or who know what the pros do when they record the Axe Fx.
plz-stop-post.jpg
 
I think that's a pretty limited definition of "pro." I've made my living just from music for over 15 years, but I've never been in a well known band or toured with a major artist (although I did a short "tour" of Europe with a jazz trio once). I do a little over 100 shows locally each year, and teach privately and at a university.

For recording, I've found myself using SPDIF a lot, mainly so I can monitor separately the mix and my AxeFX output. Otherwise I like USB. I prefer digital not because I hear any difference with analog, but because I know I'm recording at consistent levels and I can record dry tracks for possible reamping at always consistent levels when using digital.

I wouldn't use a preamp for the Axe, as the sound coming out is very polished and finished as is. There's already the preamp feature in the cab block that adds a nice color when desired, though. Usually in mixing, I only find myself doing some small EQing to fit the tracks into the mix, and maybe a little bit of light, musical compression. Otherwise the tracks straight out of the Axe are pretty great already.

SPDIF and the AES port the same for all intensive purposes? Just a matter of cable/connector type being different?
 
Great question, wondered this myself.

I'll hop on board to ask: What's the practical difference between S/PDIF & USB?

I'm not sure how correct I am with this, but some of my patches push the low 90% of CPU, and I found that recording USB with those causes pops and stutters as the CPU seems to have more load. I use SPDIF through my DSP Pro24 and no issues at all.

However when I record with a dry signal I use USB and then I have to make a plan with the patch to reduce CPU.

That's the practical difference for me and is the reason why I use one or the other.
 
Great responses!
I hope more join our discussion.

1. I have found S/PDIF sounds a little harsh compared to the balanced XLR outputs. I assume that's because the guitar signal is not going through the Fractal Axe-Fx II's converters?

2. Can someone please point me to a thread or manual instructions on how to record guitar BOTH through the Axe-Fx preset and dry at the same time so that the dry track can be reamped later if needed?

3. And, I would like to hear from someone who knows what the pros do. Are they going through a mic pre? Do they use S/PDIF? Balanced outs?

4. I have ATC Pro 25 monitors which reveal tonal characteristics far beyond any monitors I have ever used before. The S/PDIF definitely sounds different than going through the Fractal converters to the balanced XLR outputs.

5. Over the next few days I am going to test the Axe-Fx II balanced outputs through three high end mic pres: The Tube-Tech MP 2A, Neve Portico 5012, and API 3124+. If anyone would like to hear the results, I will post them here. Let me know.
 
Has anyone tried running the guitar through the Hi Z instrument input of a high end mic pre and then into the Axe-Fx II?
A mic pre may be unnecessary, and, I want to know what the pro guitarists with access to the best audio engineers do on their albums.
 
I wouldn't call myself a pro, though I have run a small recording studio previously for a number of years and my own band has been going for over 20 years and has a lot of underground success worldwide and a great deal of international radio play.
So that being said I spent a fair amount of time evaluating the differences between the various options for recording the Axe FX when I got mine. In general I found there was no difference in "quality" between all the options. However I did find the spdif was slightly "brighter".
My personal preference was to go analogue into the DAW interface, as I know my interface and "what I'm hearing". That being said, I always have the spdif connected, and have recorded additional "layers" with spdif for contrast and it cuts through the mix well.
I hope this helps, all just my opinion, and as always there is no right or wrong, just what you like the sound of and what works for you.
 
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Great question, wondered this myself.

I'll hop on board to ask: What's the practical difference between S/PDIF & USB?

Soundwise, there's no difference. Feature-wise, there are a couple differences:

SPDIF - Sends a stereo L/R signal of Output 1 to your interface. Your DAW will playback through whatever speakers/headphones you have hooked up to your interface. How you hear your guitar in the mix depends on the interface, DAW, and any latency issues. I use Pro Tools, and there's just a little too much latency to monitor through the software, so I have my FRFR wedges on and hooked up to the Axe. In that regard, it's not much different than recording a regular amp, other than it's direct and thus no microphone.

USB - Sends both a stereo L/R signal of Output 1, as well as the dry signal on what shows up in the DAW as Out 3/4 (dry is typically mono, though, so you only need to record one or the other of 3 or 4). The Axe *is* your interface in this setting, so all monitoring will be done through the Axe outputs. This also eats up a little bit of CPU, so complex patches may start to crackle and tear, or not even work at all if it's a really extreme patch.

You can still record a dry signal through SPDIF, but it'll use up one of the two outs. I run a shunt all the way across the grid and pan it hard right, and pan my mono output hard left. You won't be able to record a stereo signal this way, though.
 
I vote not as a pro. I think USB is the best way for recording and reamping without losing quality and saving space in the hard drive. The best "price/quality ratio".
I usually record at 24/48
:D
 
I have experimented with running my XL thru dual LA 610 Mk II preamps and it offered up no advantage at all. In reality it was a pain in the butt. The USB has given me great quality however my preference is balanced analog outs primarily because ease of use of the 3rd party audio interface monitoring software.
 
Has anyone tried running the guitar through the Hi Z instrument input of a high end mic pre and then into the Axe-Fx II?

I have some 500 series pres that I have plugged into before going into the Axe and it was pretty cool. I liked using them as a distortion box kind-of-thing. For jazz, it sounded great going into the DI input, then just rolling off some top end and putting some reverb on it in the Axe, no amp or cab.
 
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