Hey guys,
I've been a fan of Fractal for a few years now and have loved my Ultra. Not every patch or amp model sounds great - in fact, I only tend to have about 10 or 20 patches at a time that I consider useable live and only maybe 5 that I think sound really good and pretty nearly indistinguishable from a tube tone - however, I still think the Ultra is a pretty amazing unit for what it is and is very usable live, especially with a power amp and cab. Back when I used a traditional cab and power amp, I was actually very satisfied but the problem was that every patch sounded very similar since they're all going to sound a lot like the cab their coming out of. It's nearly impossible to get a convincing Fender tone through Vintage 30's. But later I went FRFR and now use a Matrix Q12a, and while that opened up the world of IR's and I was able to get MUCH more varied tones through the use of different cab models, I always felt it didn't have quite a convincing enough feel and tone.
Some areas are better than others (if all I needed was a few good high gain patches, or progressive metal tones, I would probably be satisfied), but overall I've really wanted to upgrade for a while and I'm hoping that the tones will be on a whole new level. I just wanted to write this in part because I'm excited to get my new Axe II now that my name has finally come up on the list, but also to see what kind of responses I'd get. Part of me is still relatively satisfied with the Ultra and I kind of need a "push" to get me to finalize my order. I've still never actually played an Axe II or heard one in person except for hearing bands live. I just wonder if the tone and feel is really a huge upgrade, or if a well dialed Ultra patch is pretty comparable to the II in terms of raw guitar tones.
I'm hoping it's a truly profound difference and not just mostly about features and usability with modest tonal upgrades. For those who have used or heard both, especially those who have actually used an Ultra and directly compared it with recent Axe II firmware releases, I'd like to hear your opinions. I'm especially hoping to hear that things like the "in the room" tones you can get (even with FRFR) are much improved, that most or all amp models are good or great (not just a select few), that great tones are easier to get and don't require hours and hours of tweaking just to get to a useable place, etc. I appreciate any comments and opinions. I'm hoping to hear I will notice a major upgrade, especially in the feel and tone departments, and I'm hoping your comments will be the "push" I need to go ahead and pull the trigger now that my name is up on the list.
I've been a fan of Fractal for a few years now and have loved my Ultra. Not every patch or amp model sounds great - in fact, I only tend to have about 10 or 20 patches at a time that I consider useable live and only maybe 5 that I think sound really good and pretty nearly indistinguishable from a tube tone - however, I still think the Ultra is a pretty amazing unit for what it is and is very usable live, especially with a power amp and cab. Back when I used a traditional cab and power amp, I was actually very satisfied but the problem was that every patch sounded very similar since they're all going to sound a lot like the cab their coming out of. It's nearly impossible to get a convincing Fender tone through Vintage 30's. But later I went FRFR and now use a Matrix Q12a, and while that opened up the world of IR's and I was able to get MUCH more varied tones through the use of different cab models, I always felt it didn't have quite a convincing enough feel and tone.
Some areas are better than others (if all I needed was a few good high gain patches, or progressive metal tones, I would probably be satisfied), but overall I've really wanted to upgrade for a while and I'm hoping that the tones will be on a whole new level. I just wanted to write this in part because I'm excited to get my new Axe II now that my name has finally come up on the list, but also to see what kind of responses I'd get. Part of me is still relatively satisfied with the Ultra and I kind of need a "push" to get me to finalize my order. I've still never actually played an Axe II or heard one in person except for hearing bands live. I just wonder if the tone and feel is really a huge upgrade, or if a well dialed Ultra patch is pretty comparable to the II in terms of raw guitar tones.
I'm hoping it's a truly profound difference and not just mostly about features and usability with modest tonal upgrades. For those who have used or heard both, especially those who have actually used an Ultra and directly compared it with recent Axe II firmware releases, I'd like to hear your opinions. I'm especially hoping to hear that things like the "in the room" tones you can get (even with FRFR) are much improved, that most or all amp models are good or great (not just a select few), that great tones are easier to get and don't require hours and hours of tweaking just to get to a useable place, etc. I appreciate any comments and opinions. I'm hoping to hear I will notice a major upgrade, especially in the feel and tone departments, and I'm hoping your comments will be the "push" I need to go ahead and pull the trigger now that my name is up on the list.
