Few questions from a new user

dumbeat

Inspired
1. Any reason you cant use more than 2 amp and 2 cab blocks in a preset? I would really like to do that.

2. Since there are 4 different cabs within a cab block, can i send them to individual outputs for mixing on my board as i would do if i recordrd the cab with several different mics?

3. I really cant make sense of the Cab lists. Thete are all kinds of letter and number designations. Id like to generally use the same exact speaker ir with different mics. However it looks quite confusing. Whatbis an easy way to understand all of the designations?

Thanks!
 
1. Any reason you cant use more than 2 amp and 2 cab blocks in a preset? I would really like to do that.
CPU. so then people ask why not just add x amount until CPU is full? the Axe, controllers, axe-edit and other midi devices need to know how many blocks there can be to assign MIDI CC#s and other control functions. if you suddenly have a 5th amp block, what is the CC# for that?

this is a common question and functionality will likely never change, always having a predetermined number of max block instances.

2. Since there are 4 different cabs within a cab block, can i send them to individual outputs for mixing on my board as i would do if i recordrd the cab with several different mics?
the cab block can blend 4 different cabs so you don't have to "mix them on your board." it is not intended for all 4 to have separate outputs. you also don't have to use all 4.

3. I really cant make sense of the Cab lists. Thete are all kinds of letter and number designations. Id like to generally use the same exact speaker ir with different mics. However it looks quite confusing. Whatbis an easy way to understand all of the designations?
each IR producer has their own "codes" or designations. you'll need to ask or look at the resources for each IR producer. IRs these days are typically produced with "real" mic positioning, meaning they put the mic where it sounds good and give you that, not just 2" from cone, 3" from cone, 4" from cone, etc. if 3" doesn't sound good, they sometimes don't include it for example.

i don't do that much with IRs, but from the packs i've seen, it's pretty simple to find the same speaker with different mics. not sure what trouble you're facing.
 
What about 1A, 2A, 2B etc. not sure it is clear. Is there any decoding list of designations? It seems like too much of a mystery
 
3. I really cant make sense of the Cab lists. Thete are all kinds of letter and number designations. Id like to generally use the same exact speaker ir with different mics. However it looks quite confusing. Whatbis an easy way to understand all of the designations?

This is really good point. Why the necessity of such cryptic names in the unit. Why not name them something more logical. Who cares what the originator of the IR named it? Give them more meaningful names.

Ultimate, use your ears is the best advice. But I can see where it could be helpful if there were more descriptive names.
 
This is really good point. Why the necessity of such cryptic names in the unit. Why not name them something more logical. Who cares what the originator of the IR named it? Give them more meaningful names.

Ultimate, use your ears is the best advice. But I can see where it could be helpful if there were more descriptive names.


If your using other purchased cab packs from those 3rd parties who also provided some stock IR content I think you’d want to keep the naming convention so you know what it is.

Would be pretty confusing if my ML cab packs were labeled differently than the ML stuff in the stock cab list, especially if they renamed it totally different
 
I have no issues with the IR creator keeping his initials. That is totally cool. What is a bit weird is all the kryptic naming as an example, i dont know if 1a and 2a are w different positions on the same speaker or 2 different speakers.

Reason is, im making some presets that are authentic starting points. Say a plexi 50w with a basketweave pre rola speakers. I want to mic the same cabinet the way id do it at my studio with a real Cab. Honestly I coudnt figure out which ir’s to pick as im not sure what is what. 1a? 1b?

It would be awesome if there were blocs that came containg a Cab with 4 or less mics on the same spker/cab so i can pull that block as one. Its a bit unfriendly to try and guess what is what in order to build an authentic cab.
 
in order to build an authentic cab.
As much as the Axe is designed to create great sounds, I don’t think this is a goal of the Axe, if that makes any sense. I see this so often, especially with the common “only show the original amp controls” request since day one.

As I mentioned earlier, the IR makers don’t capture all positions for “completeness”; they typically capture and share the good/useable sounds these days. They don’t capture all 4 speakers of a 4x12 so you can recreate that exact 4x12 with “four speakers.” That’s not the point or the goal. Studio recordings don’t mic all 4 speakers either, typically.

Remember the Axe creates a mixed sound, what you’d hear in the engineer room, the result of mic’ing an amp in an iso room. The intent isn’t necessarily to send 4 different IRs individually to 4 speakers to approximate a 4x12 sound (though you could I guess with 2 stereo outputs).

And again, the IR producers have their own codes for what A means or B, etc. Many just use “A” to mean that speaker, “B” to mean another speaker in the same cab, and so on. Again, it’s not a goal of theirs to have you reconstruct the cab exactly. In theory, it doesn’t matter if A is the top left speaker or bottom right. It’s how it sounds. If you prefer A, then just use it.

And that type of “worry” is what makes people think the Axe is difficult many times. Instead of making music, we are fretting about making sure we aren’t adjusting the Mid amp control since the original didn’t have it. I mean.... it’s about the resulting sound. If you need to adjust mids, then adjust it.
 
I have no issues with the IR creator keeping his initials. That is totally cool. What is a bit weird is all the kryptic naming as an example, i dont know if 1a and 2a are w different positions on the same speaker or 2 different speakers.

Reason is, im making some presets that are authentic starting points. Say a plexi 50w with a basketweave pre rola speakers. I want to mic the same cabinet the way id do it at my studio with a real Cab. Honestly I coudnt figure out which ir’s to pick as im not sure what is what. 1a? 1b?

It would be awesome if there were blocs that came containg a Cab with 4 or less mics on the same spker/cab so i can pull that block as one. Its a bit unfriendly to try and guess what is what in order to build an authentic cab.

You can find the cab list here: https://wiki.fractalaudio.com/axefx2/index.php?title=Cabinet_models_list

That should help...
 

Thanks. Sure, ive used that as a guide, but it is also very partial and not synchronized with The latest Firmware/Cab list in the Axe Fx3.

It is somewhat helpful, but i still find it very difficult to navigate and find what you want and more importantly UNDERSTAND what each cab in the list was in reality... I think the Cab list organization leaves a lot to be desired...

I think a basic Cab preset list that corresponds to the Original Amp would have used would be a great starting point, instead of starting each time with the Pignose and trying to decode and guess what is what, not being sure if you are even using the same speaker in the 4 instances of the Cab...

The chaos in the lists is great for experimenting but not for recreating a properly mic'd cabinet/Speaker.
 
Authenticity is kind of a fallacy. There was no one “correct” cab for a given Plexi because owners paired them with lots of different cabs over the years. Likewise there is no “correct” mic to use, placement etc.

Even if you have a Combo amp that only came with one type of speaker, what was the “correct” mic and placement for it ?

I always see people say they want a given amp to be paired/default with a specific IR, because they want it to be authentic, but then even the mic and position will vary.

So if someone used a Chinese v30, with a sm57 15 degrees off axis and 2” left of center, for a given amp that means it should pair with that cab/IR, but who is to say that is correct for how another guy mic’d his ?

Also how much of being authentic was just a side effect of being too poor to change a speaker ?

I had tons of amps over the years I used with the speakers they came with, not because those were the best, but because it was a pain and expensive to swap them.

In the modeling world I can easily hear tons of different speakers for a given amp, with no added cost, no rewiring needed.

I can hear pre-rola GB’s, v30’s, UK and Chinese, Cream backs etc all effortlessly. I don’t care what it did or didn’t originally come with, I care about making it sound the way I want.
 
Authenticity is kind of a fallacy. There was no one “correct” cab for a given Plexi because owners paired them with lots of different cabs over the years. Likewise there is no “correct” mic to use, placement etc.

Even if you have a Combo amp that only came with one type of speaker, what was the “correct” mic and placement for it ?

I always see people say they want a given amp to be paired/default with a specific IR, because they want it to be authentic, but then even the mic and position will vary.

So if someone used a Chinese v30, with a sm57 15 degrees off axis and 2” left of center, for a given amp that means it should pair with that cab/IR, but who is to say that is correct for how another guy mic’d his ?

Also how much of being authentic was just a side effect of being too poor to change a speaker ?

I had tons of amps over the years I used with the speakers they came with, not because those were the best, but because it was a pain and expensive to swap them.

In the modeling world I can easily hear tons of different speakers for a given amp, with no added cost, no rewiring needed.

I can hear pre-rola GB’s, v30’s, UK and Chinese, Cream backs etc all effortlessly. I don’t care what it did or didn’t originally come with, I care about making it sound the way I want.


This is all well and fine, and you have a right to do things the way you want to, Its your world, but at least I want to KNOW what im doing. Can you explain what is 1A,2A, 1B...?
 
This is all well and fine, and you have a right to do things the way you want to, Its your world, but at least I want to KNOW what im doing. Can you explain what is 1A,2A, 1B...?

Chrs and others have already explained the random IR nomenclature
 
As much as the Axe is designed to create great sounds, I don’t think this is a goal of the Axe, if that makes any sense. I see this so often, especially with the common “only show the original amp controls” request since day one.

As I mentioned earlier, the IR makers don’t capture all positions for “completeness”; they typically capture and share the good/useable sounds these days. They don’t capture all 4 speakers of a 4x12 so you can recreate that exact 4x12 with “four speakers.” That’s not the point or the goal. Studio recordings don’t mic all 4 speakers either, typically.

Remember the Axe creates a mixed sound, what you’d hear in the engineer room, the result of mic’ing an amp in an iso room. The intent isn’t necessarily to send 4 different IRs individually to 4 speakers to approximate a 4x12 sound (though you could I guess with 2 stereo outputs).

And again, the IR producers have their own codes for what A means or B, etc. Many just use “A” to mean that speaker, “B” to mean another speaker in the same cab, and so on. Again, it’s not a goal of theirs to have you reconstruct the cab exactly. In theory, it doesn’t matter if A is the top left speaker or bottom right. It’s how it sounds. If you prefer A, then just use it.

And that type of “worry” is what makes people think the Axe is difficult many times. Instead of making music, we are fretting about making sure we aren’t adjusting the Mid amp control since the original didn’t have it. I mean.... it’s about the resulting sound. If you need to adjust mids, then adjust it.

So why even name the cab IR's...? I think you are correct that the ear should decide, So if its a game of chance it is one thing, but i do not understand partial information...
 
not being sure if you are even using the same speaker in the 4 instances of the Cab..
Can you explain what is 1A,2A, 1B...?
And again, the IR producers have their own codes for what A means or B, etc. Many just use “A” to mean that speaker, “B” to mean another speaker in the same cab, and so on.

You’re making this way more complicated than it really is.
 
Thanks. Sure, ive used that as a guide, but it is also very partial and not synchronized with The latest Firmware/Cab list in the Axe Fx3.

Tell me where it's partial and not synchronized.
 
Even if you have a Combo amp that only came with one type of speaker, what was the “correct” mic and placement for it ?
And which pre-amp? And what were the settings of that preamp? And what was the recording medium? Was it then mastered? By what device (software or hardware)? .....
 
And which pre-amp? And what were the settings of that preamp? And what was the recording medium? Was it then mastered? By what device (software or hardware)? .....

Its not about the settings, just the major components... Im not a novice who needs others to program settings for him, i just need to know what each component is... not sure its too much to ask, but maybe it is..;-)
 
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