First impressions of the Axe II and NEED HELP QUICK !!!!

kelstervonshredster

kelstervonshredster

Member
Hi all, I just received my brand spanking new Axe FX II yesterday. Unboxed it, turned it on, plugged it into my Atomic 50W Reactor and started dialing through the tones. Firmware v12. Gotta say, first impressions were lackluster to say the least. Plugged in some high end headphones and had the same reaction. I was expecting way more tone wise out of the box than what I was hearing. Keep in mind I've been playing with a Kemper for the past few months (don't hate me) and before that a Boss GT-100; it wasn't until I loaded Glenn DeLaune's patches (for the GT-100) that the thing came to life. Same thing for Kemper; it wasn't until I loaded the third party TAF & Soundside profiles that the Kemper really started to shine and blow me away. I have researched this unit for about 2 years and knew the learning curve was steep so I'm not really surprised that I'm not blown away straight out the gate. I had a similar reaction to my Boss GT-100; but to be quite honest I found the tones straight out of the box better on the GT-100 than the Axe which I find very strange. I would have expected a unit of this caliber & reputation to blow my socks off right out of the gate. We are talking $2500 vs a GT-100 that cost me $350 used. Obviously they are apples and oranges so let's not go there...I'm just trying to illustrate the "out of the box goodness" if you know what I mean. I was impressed with the clean tones from the Fender/Vox amps however; but I couldn't find one searing blistering high gain tone which is just bizarre.

So, this is why I'm here. I just dropped almost 2K on a Kemper a few months ago and have been enjoying it immensely. But the tones I have been chasing I often find in the Axe FX videos...so I got the Axe II. I would really appreciate any comments and suggestions that would quickly get me up to speed on the Axe and to start coaxing the killer tones that this piece of gear is known for. Where should I start other than the obvious which is to read the manual? Any great tutorials anywhere? I only joined this forum a few weeks ago; like some other buyers, I did not entrench myself in the forums for years listening to people's issues with the unit, I just went out and got it after watching numerous videos and reading numerous reviews on the Axe.

I generally am not a patient person so I'm willing to tame my initial reaction to the unit in hopes that you guys can help me out and make me bring this unit to life and give it the raving review that I'm sure it deserves. I can tell that it's a ridiculously powerful unit; extremely pro-level and might even be too much for me....time will tell.

Thanks in advance!
 
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First: Welcome :)

Second: What kind of tones are you looking for?

Third: Check out Axe-Change, Axe-Wiki and turn the knobs.

If you send me your mail, i can send you some patches. They may work (they do for me :) ), but it depends on guitars, pup`s, etc.
 
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Modellers are never going to sound good out the box. As suggested, download some pre made tones from Axechange and see how you go with that
 
I just recently got my axe fx II about 2 months ago, so im sorta in the same boat as you. You need to go on axechange and download some presets and some IRs. Once you do this it will help you get a hang of how to get some tones. The axe does have a little learning curve, but once you get the hang of it its amazing.
 
coughlinkelly said:
But the tones I have been chasing I often find in the Axe FX videos...so I got the Axe II.

I generally am not a patient person so I'm willing to tame my initial reaction to the unit in hopes that you guys can help me out and make me bring this unit to life and give it the raving review that I'm sure it deserves. I can tell that it's a rediculously powerful unit; extremely pro-level and might even be too much for me....time will tell.

Thanks in advance!
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The tones that you've been hearing in the videos...were they raw guitar straight from the Axe or were they part of a processed mix? The problem that a lot of people have (and I'm not accusing you necessarily) is that they hear a full mix that's been edited, compressed, EQed, limited, etc. and then expect their guitar to sound just like that straight out of the box. Those people are in for a big shock. Just double/quad tracking in a mix changes the perceived tone considerably. Plus, you add in EQ, compression, limiting...well, you get the picture.

Unfortunately, if you want the most out of the Axe you have no choice to be patient. A great guitar tone in a mix often doesn't sound so great by itself. Tones that sound great by themselves often don't sit well in a mix. There are many that will disagree with me but I feel the Axe has a very steep learning curve and you have to invest a huge amount of time into it to get what you want out of it. Sure, you can load up a factory preset and get a usable, decent tone immediately but to craft "that" tone that you're craving, it's going to be a lot of work.

In my opinion, this is not meant to reflect negatively on the Axe. It's a fantastic product. The learning curve is a testament to the power that lies in the Axe. But, it may not be the thing for people who don't enjoy spending a lot of time tweaking and want immediate results.

Personally, I go back and forth. I'm a tweaker at heart. But, there are times when I simply would like more immediate satisfaction. I'm no Axe fanboy like a lot of people on this forum are. I'm very willing to try other products and am not afraid to state my opinion. I'd love to try out a Kemper. For right now the Axe gives me just about everything I need (albeit with a lot work and time invested). The Axe has a lot more features (effects, routing, etc.) and versatility than the Kemper which you may/may not need. In terms of just basic amp tone, however, I find it unlikely that you'll find that either one stands head and shoulders above the other. Just different strokes for different folks. Not necessarily "better".

If you're willing to put in the effort, this is the place to start. There are thousands of posts here on the forum that will help. The Axe Wiki and manual are also must-reads. Be patient. It took me several months to be truly happy with what I was getting from the Axe and most of that came from developing an understanding of how guitar tone relates to an overall mix.
 
I would add that the factory presets in the Axe are kind of a base reference. Meaning that not all of them are going to work perfectly with the large choice of outboard gear that is out there.

If you looking for a specific distorted tone you will have to build it pure and simple. Start with something that is close to what your looking to hear with out effects and start playing with the parameters. Move to the cabs and find an IR you like and I'll be willing to bet you will have 5 minites into something that will kill.
 
Sixstring said:
I would add that the factory presets in the Axe are kind of a base reference. Meaning that not all of them are going to work perfectly with the large choice of outboard gear that is out there.

If you looking for a specific distorted tone you will have to build it pure and simple. Start with something that is close to what your looking to hear with out effects and start playing with the parameters. Move to the cabs and find an IR you like and I'll be willing to bet you will have 5 minites into something that will kill.
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I do realize that it's VERY early on in the process and yes I will certainly wait AT LEAST 3-4 weeks before deciding if the unit is a keeper. Looking forward to digging in and seeing what I can come up with.
 
Have you tried Yek's or Fremen's patches? I would be very surprised if you didn't find several great tones in there right off the bat. The best tones are the ones you dial in using your own guitar and monitoring gear from scratch but you need to know your way around the unit.

I have also owned the GT100 and KPA and my experience is that they offer some superficially impressive tones out of the box but ultimately lacking in depth. YMMV.
 
nick1527 said:
Modellers are never going to sound good out the box. As suggested, download some pre made tones from Axechange and see how you go with that
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Better yet: make your own patches by experimenting and turning knobs. Other users patches can be a good start however it is rare that they really impress me. That's is because everyone is searching for a different tone. And everybody is using different gear, other guitars, other pickups, other monitors, other live cabs etc. etc. So what works for someone else will probably not work for you. So check other users presets to learn something from them and then make your own.
 
Make your own preset. Choose an amp you are familiar with and an appropriate cab. Don't use any effects to start. Just learn the Amp and Cab block.
 
jeppekristoffer said:
Make your own preset. Choose an amp you are familiar with and an appropriate cab. Don't use any effects to start. Just learn the Amp and Cab block.
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other's on the gearpage have suggested the same...I'll do that. Thanks. I downloaded Freman's patches but some of them left me with no audio output which was odd. So I downgraded my firmware to v11 as I wasn't sure if his v11 patches would conflict with my v12 firmware
 
coughlinkelly said:
other's on the gearpage have suggested the same...I'll do that. Thanks. I downloaded Freman's patches but some of them left me with no audio output which was odd. So I downgraded my firmware to v11 as I wasn't sure if his v11 patches would conflict with my v12 firmware
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His patches work with V.12 as well. Just make sure that the patches that you load are pointing to an IR CAB, as he uses is own IRs. If the CAB is pointing to an empty slot, just choose an another CAB to your liking.
 
coughlinkelly said:
other's on the gearpage have suggested the same...I'll do that. Thanks. I downloaded Freman's patches but some of them left me with no audio output which was odd. So I downgraded my firmware to v11 as I wasn't sure if his v11 patches would conflict with my v12 firmware
Click to expand...

Sometimes patches have no output if there's a volume block with a modifier attached. If so, just bypass it or put a shunt there.
 
The Axe-Fx II is not a device for impatient people. It can create any guitar sound imaginable but that requires the patience to understand how guitar sounds are created in the real world and translating those practices to the digital paradigm.

Downgrading your firmware is highly discouraged. You're just asking for trouble doing that.

If you have some TAF profiles you really like simply Tone Match them. Or tell me which ones you like and I'll do it and share the presets.
 
jeppekristoffer said:
Make your own preset. Choose an amp you are familiar with and an appropriate cab. Don't use any effects to start. Just learn the Amp and Cab block.
Click to expand...

+1 I've never used a factory preset. I've never scrolled through the presets to listen to how they sound. I've never downloaded a user preset and used it. One time I downloaded a Tommy Emmanual Tone Match block for acoustic.

Start simple and pick an amp and a cabinet - no other effects. Before the Producer Mix cabs were in the system, with baked-in mics and mic pre's, I'd change the mic model on the cabinet, or the modern, vintage, mode on the amp to get "good right out of the box" basic tones, before I'd start turning any amp knobs.

If you, yourself cannot get a good tone, and rely on presets, the Axe may not be the right thing for you, unless you happen to find someone else that is awesome at programming that uses the same guitar, strings, and picks you do, and positions his hand at the same general area on the strings as you do. Therefore, his programming will work well for you.
 
FractalAudio said:
The Axe-Fx II is not a device for impatient people. It can create any guitar sound imaginable but that requires the patience to understand how guitar sounds are created in the real world and translating those practices to the digital paradigm.

Downgrading your firmware is highly discouraged. You're just asking for trouble doing that.

If you have some TAF profiles you really like simply Tone Match them. Or tell me which ones you like and I'll do it and share the presets.
Click to expand...

Worlds best service at work right there!!
 
Bodde said:
Better yet: make your own patches by experimenting and turning knobs. Other users patches can be a good start however it is rare that they really impress me. That's is because everyone is searching for a different tone. And everybody is using different gear, other guitars, other pickups, other monitors, other live cabs etc. etc. So what works for someone else will probably not work for you. So check other users presets to learn something from them and then make your own.
Click to expand...

+1
 
in the global menu, make sure power amp modelling and cab modelling are both on

let us know what sort of tones you're after and we may be able to help with some suggestions
 
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