Dumb feature related question...

Atmospheric

Inspired
I'm strictly a 2CM user into a clean-ish amp. I don't need to control amp channel switching or access an effects loop.

Is the AX8 a superset of the functionality found in the FX8? In other words, if I changed over to an AX8 and just turned off amp modeling, IRs, etc., would I have ALL (100%) of the functionality of an FX8?

What's prompting this question is the murky support and potential dead-end upgrade path for the FX8.
 
Maybe better to ask in the AX-8 section?

I don't think that AX-8 has the relays, but since you don't need them I think your answer is "yes"... But I own neither an AX-8 nor an FX-8, so take my answer for what it's worth ;)
 
I own an AX-8 but not an FX-8. I think the FX-8 may have some effects that are not in the AX-8 like ring modulator, resonator, vo coder.
 
Fewer instances of some effects like Reverb in the AX8, a little noise in comparison to the FX8. Still pretty quiet though.

Not sure why abandon the FX8, seems like sour grapes because of "lack of support"? I get it, it's natural to expect something when it's been the norm but my understanding is the only thing "wrong" with the FX8 is not being able to backup with Fractal Bot. Seems like cutting of your nose to spite your face.

There have been no major effect tweaks in the Axe II or the AX8, it's all been amp updates, nothing that would translate to the FX8. The III of course will receive more love since it's the flagship and still relatively new.

I still use the FX8 with my amps without issue and if it does not receive anymore updates, it's still the best multi effects unit on the market.
 
The FX8 is more transparent in front of an amp. I would stick with the fx8 for your use case. But if you want to explore modeling, get an AX8 and send it to your fx return skipping your amp front end you would have a lot more tone options and nearly the same original tone.
 
I run my FX8 4CM into a Mesa TC50 using MIDI/scenes to switch everything (amp channel/solo boost+effects) on the fly.

I did try to go the Ax8 in 4CM route for a while with my TC50, as I didn't need the FX8's relays to switch my TC50 via MIDI (which the Ax8 of course can do). I figured it would be fun to have modeling when I wanted to go through my FRFR and have the same great effects in 4CM when going through my TC50. But I learned again that I'm just not a modeling guy -- not yet -- and went back to the FX8/4CM for my tube amp playing. It just flat out sounds better with a tube amp to my ears and is easier to use/set up in that application. I really felt like my AX8 colored things and added quite a bit of noise, especially to higher gain stuff.
 
I run my FX8 4CM into a Mesa TC50 using MIDI/scenes to switch everything (amp channel/solo boost+effects) on the fly.

I did try to go the Ax8 in 4CM route for a while with my TC50, as I didn't need the FX8's relays to switch my TC50 via MIDI (which the Ax8 of course can do). I figured it would be fun to have modeling when I wanted to go through my FRFR and have the same great effects in 4CM when going through my TC50. But I learned again that I'm just not a modeling guy -- not yet -- and went back to the FX8/4CM for my tube amp playing. It just flat out sounds better with a tube amp to my ears and is easier to use/set up in that application. I really felt like my AX8 colored things and added quite a bit of noise, especially to higher gain stuff.
The AX8 will color your sound as much or as little as you want it to. In that sense, it's no different from the FX8. But the FX8 has ultra-low-noise front-end components, and that makes a difference with high-gain 4CM applications.
 
FX8 has the ring mod, no vocoder or resonator. Does the AX8 have the ADSR and sequencer? The big looper?

Honestly I'd just stick with the FX8 if you only need effects. It still sounds as good as you're capable of making it.
 
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