Hi Jay,
Always a pleasure getting your insight into things. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
Jay Mitchell said:
You're combining two independent items here: amp sim and cab sim. It is my position that the Axe-Fx already provides more-than-adequate tools to address both issues.
Given your highly specific transducer preferences, as well as a desire for mismatched transducers, I can tell you that only a farfield IR will produce satisfactory results. You already have the option of generating and uploading any IR you wish in the Axe-Fx. I can't imagine why anyone would expect more than that.
Just to be clear, I am not expecting an exact duplicate of my Super Reverb, with its mismatched speaks, from the Axe-Fx. I would LOVE this, but I'm not expecting this. I just brought this up in response to another post with the intent of stating what I WOULD like if I were granted a magic wish about what Fender sound I could have in the Axe.
I do think that it is reasonable to expect to get in the close vicinity of the type of Blackface sounds that are like my Super Reverb and other Blackface Fender amps that I have played, and I do think it reasonable that the other Fender amps simms currently represented in the Axe sound similarly close. Seeing the magic that Cliff has poured into so many other amp simms, I can't help but feel that his brilliance could breathe greater life into the Fender simms.
However, it has already been discussed that connecting the Axe to a SS power amp (QSC PLX3602) into the real world Fender cabs do not produce satisfactory results IMHO, so I believe that there is room for improvement in the amp simms themselves and not just an issue of IR's.
So, I do understand your position of stating that, with the ability to load in any IR, that tool is in place. That said, I would hope that adding additional or improved IR's is something Cliff continues to develop as well. However, as I feel that the amp simms themselves could be improved upon, I would argue that that particular tool is not in place.
Once again, this is not meant to bash Cliff or his excellent work, but only to request that these amp simms be revisited/revised. I'm sure that Cliff has new tricks up his sleeve since they were first created, and probably better/increased access to good specimens of the amps in question. I'm just asking that, since so many of us are running into the same road blocks, that Cliff help us out with some specific advice and possibly see about building upon his past work.
Only you know what your definition of a "classic Fender sound" is. Ergo, only you can tweak the amp/cab combination to get the sounds you hear in your head. Like many other users, I have had no difficulty satisfying myself in this regard. For example, I've gotten the same sound from the Axe-Fx that I used to get from my brownface Bassman. Even though that is a "classic" Fender amp, its sound (at least, the sound I got from it) is radically different from that of other ca. 1950s-1960s Fender amps.
I think it is important to restate that I am not trying to obtain an idealized sound in my head. I am trying to obtain a sound similar to some real world examples of the amplifiers in question. I think this is an important distinction because it is less subjective.
You state that many other users have had no difficulty satisfying themselves with these sounds. I would just point out that many other users feel as I do as well and have had great difficulty here. Therefore I think there is some validity to what I'm saying and not me just being my typical OCD self. :mrgreen:
My goal with the Axe-FX is and has always been to replicate, as closely as possible, my real world amps for use in direct recording. So for me, accuracy is important, not just a subjectively good tone. I know that others have different goals/uses for the Axe, all of which are just as valid as mine, but which may contribute to whatever level of satisfaction that experience.
Naming the amp is a meaningless exercise. Different examples of the same amp sounded noticeably different, and any given amp can produce a huge spectrum of sounds, depending on the instrument, pedals, studio postprocessing (which has been pretty ubiquitous since the 1950s) and, most importantly, the player.
Partially agreed-partially disagreed. Amps will vary in tone from amp to amp. Less so with modern PCB circuit designs and more so with handwired vintage designs with aging parts, etc. This is why I think it is important to model the simms on quality specimens. Cliff may not (or he very well may for all I know) have the resources in obtaining these specimens that the bigger guys (Digidesign, Line 6) do. However, good specimens of any amp, will share enough commonality for their trademark sounds to be recognized as that particular amp. Furthermore, I think that many could agree upon what makes a good specimen versus a bad. Therefore naming a list of amps is, IMHO, very meaningful.
The other dependencies of its tone that you list, i.e., the instrument, pedals, studio processing, the player, etc, are all external to the amp and therefore should affect the Axe-Fx in the same way (in a perfect modeling world) as the real amp, so can be ignored for our purposes.
Hopefully none of this comes across as arguementative. It is not my intention. As I said, I have great respect for Cliff, the Axe-Fx, and also for you, Jay, and your many excellent contributions. I've learned much by what you have shared thus far and look forward to learning more in the future.
Cheers,
-Matt
