The first clip is Axe then amp. The second clip is amp then axe. Or maybe it's the other way 'round![]()
In the "Questioning" thread I posted the waveform of the Axe-Fx followed by the real amp. I then posted the clip for that waveform. Do you hear a difference?
http://www.fractalaudio.com/tmp/triaxis_comp.mp3
Here's the same clip but with the parts reversed:
www.fractalaudio.com/tmp/triaxis_comp_reversed.mp3
I think it's the other way round. The first part in the first clip sounds more dynamic and natural. The second seems to have less dynamic range with a slightly muddier low end. The first part also has better blended early reflections, which makes me think it's miked. If I'm wrong, then bravo!![]()
The second half of the first clip is crisper and clearer to my ears. Ten years ago, in the days of the Boss GT-8, I would have said this was due to odd number harmonics caused by transistorised clipping. With the sound clarity that has come with recent software released I would not know which is which. Whether I like it more of less depends on context. The crisper sound might stand out better in a mix, or it might grate on my ears.
This best sums up my experience. There may be a small difference but maybe a slight turn of the knob could minimize that even further. Nothing to agonize over, at least for me.It seems like an auditory illusion to me. When I listen to them consecutively the first clip sounds better to me; more clarity, more open, and less compressed then the second clip. However, if I jump back and forth to the same spot in each clip they sound the same to me. I believe it may be because the clips seem to end on higher frequencies than they start, so the beginning of the second clip appears to sound a little duller and more compressed when compared to the end of the first clip. But, when I jump back and forth to when they should be playing the same frequencies they sound the same to me.
Could even be all Triaxis or all Axe-fx....
As soon as you ask if people can hear a difference, a lot probably will.
It's the way our brain works. As soon as you get a piece of information, your brain processes it and clouds your judgement.