Does Steve Vai use the 4 cable method?

trancegodz

trancegodz

Fractal Fanatic
Admin M@ said:
The new plan was to compact the ENTIRE show into just THREE PRESETS. We'd use the brand new "Program Change to Scene Mapping" feature (it ended up being four presets though... at the time, X-Y had not been added to scenes and we needed too many delays in the final set).

PS: Facebook status summary re-cap: "Definition of Ambitious: erasing and re-programming Steve Vai's guitar rig with only 28 hours until show time. Definition of Insane: Doing it again the next day with only seven. From 40 presets to 4? Hello SCENES!"
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Does Steve Vai use the 4 cable method?

So Steve Vai's whole show is done with 4 presets and scenes. Could you describe the basic templates you used for the 4 presets. What is the order of the effects chains, and which effects are in series and which are in parallel?

Connecting using 4CM with combo/preamp - Axe-Fx II Wiki

Steve Vai Backline Part 1

Steve Vai Backline 01 - YouTube

Steve Vai Backline Part 2

Steve Vai Backline Part 2 - YouTube
 
He uses the axe for fx only, as far as I know. I know that people speculate that he uses the sims secretly but I don't see why he would. If the axe is close to the sound of an actual amp,why wouldn't he just use his amp? It's not like he has to drag the amps and set them up himself. The axe sims are a nice alternative to have if you don't want to drag a couple of stacks to your gig but some people still prefer the actual amp, myself included. The amp sims sound good to me but I still prefer the in room sound of my red plate combo and its real light so the convienience of using a power amp and cab is not an issue. I use the axe as a full on replacement for my pedal board and am very happy with the results.
 
I've heard this from a few people, most recently my SW salesman. I imagine for simplicity and possibly cleaner more consistent tone he might like using the Axe better. I think the reason he would keep his amps on stage would be for endorsement purposes. Not sure but I myself want an empty tube head just to fool my die hard tube loving friends.
 
Another question, why is Mr Vai, carrying around the Legacy 3 amps and the older legacy amps ? Although I use the word carry figuratively as I don't suppose he carries them that much himself.
 
Keg8605 said:
I've heard this from a few people, most recently my SW salesman. I imagine for simplicity and possibly cleaner more consistent tone he might like using the Axe better. I think the reason he would keep his amps on stage would be for endorsement purposes. Not sure but I myself want an empty tube head just to fool my die hard tube loving friends.
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I don't think it's cleaner or simpler to use the sims as a matter of fact I think it's much simpler to use an amp. As for consistency I can see that but he has a tech that does all his setups and amp maintenance for him so I don't think that's a problem for him.
 
Well now the Fractal has come to the point and specially with Versions 7 to 9,where
now you have a choice.You can either use a Tube amp and you'll be amazing,or use the Fractal and you'll
be amazing. They both are head to head it all depends how you want to use it.

Do I care what Petrucci does with his Fractal,absolutely not for me the thing is the best rig
I have ever played or will ever play,so I can't really be bothered. Version 10 would give the more in room
feeling,from what I am understanding in terms of the way people describe it.
Vai has his endorsements,has an entire touring team behind him,a guitar tech and all. So he can easily stack
a lot of amps and can use them all if he wants,which he does obviously cause he "CAN". There are certainly guys that have endorsements and have
left them for the Fractal and have gone simply direct. So it's basically a choice,you can't go wrong with any of them now.
 
immortal_soloist said:
Well now the Fractal has come to the point and specially with Versions 7 to 9,where
now you have a choice.You can either use a Tube amp and you'll be amazing,or use the Fractal and you'll
be amazing. They both are head to head it all depends how you want to use it.

Do I care what Petrucci does with his Fractal,absolutely not for me the thing is the best rig
I have ever played or will ever play,so I can't really be bothered. Version 10 would give the more in room
feeling,from what I am understanding in terms of the way people describe it.
Vai has his endorsements,has an entire touring team behind him,a guitar tech and all. So he can easily stack
a lot of amps and can use them all if he wants,which he does obviously cause he "CAN". There are certainly guys that have endorsements and have
left them for the Fractal and have gone simply direct. So it's basically a choice,you can't go wrong with any of them now.
Click to expand...
I agree entirely.
 
I know the 100% truth on this debate.

I was having a conversation with someone at namm, lets call him TN

TN and I were talking about random guitar stuff for a while, and I was telling him about FW10 which he didn't hear about- I mentioned the 5150 clip cliff posted and how great its going to sound and described the MIMIC technology- and we were talking about all sorts of stuff... He mentioned in passing a guitar player lets call him SV he basically said "SV Only uses it for effects"

and I stopped him... and I said "ok tell me the truth i've heard rumors i've heard this and that- does he use the preamps or only use it for effects'

TN told me- he only uses it for effects and he prefers the carvins as preamps... he has used it from time to time- in the studio once in a while for everything but live- he's using the carvins as pres into the 2 carvins stereo w/the axe2 for effects only.

The most interesting part of the conversation was the comment he made after 'effects only'
He said- (TN) that he thinks the preamps are better and good enough to use and sound great- and that SV won't listen and still insists on the Carvins no matter how much he tries to convince him to use the Axe's preamps.

That was only a min or two of our conversation- but i got the definiative answer.

So i'd say the correct answer is "effects only" but don't be surprised if it turns into more in the future after TN persuades him some more
 
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