First impressions... pt1

cobbler

cobbler

Fractal Fanatic
First impressions... Part 1 of ?

From a Beginners Perspective

Preface

I am basically a beginner player. I am 55. I had always wanted to learn to play the guitar and my experience over the years consisted of picking up an acoustic from time to time and relearning the same 3 to 5 chords and a few songs over and over. I just never had the time to correctly pursue learning. My experience with amps was singular. I have an old 65 Deluxe Reverb collecting dust in a closet and used it a handful of times over the years.

In 2008, I retired from a secondary career in sports which freed up a lot of time for me. I decided to finally pursue that elusive goal and learn to play. I picked up a semi nice Strat and plugged in to the Deluxe Reverb. Right away I knew this wasn’t going to work because there was no headphone jack and you had to turn the amp up high to obtain its full potential. Not a good combination with someone learning the basics. The girlfriend had input in this area. :)

So off to Guitar Center I went to buy a red kidney bean for practicing and figured when I got better I would invest in a real amp/cab setup. They were out of stock so I then looked online and came across the Ultra. After much research I took the leap of faith and have never regretted it. Never went to that “real” amp setup either.

So for 3 years I have been learning how to play and also learning all the other aspects that comprise the signal chain. At first it was daunting. I was truly overwhelmed. I was having difficulty just hooking all the equipment up properly for gosh sakes. Many experienced persons here took the time to guide a beginner like me over some very simple hurdles. I have learned a lot and I am forever indebted to them.

I have prefaced these first impressions so you realize I have a very limited experience, I am not familiar with all the terms and nuances of the guitar world, and I am not trying to influence or more importantly offend anyone. I am just a home hobby player with no interest in gigging. These are just simply my initial impressions from a beginner’s viewpoint. I certainly don’t wish to get flamed for my opinion based on limited experience.

My gear:

PC: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7, Intel Core I7 930 2.80GHz, WIN 7 Ultimate 64-bit, Sonar X1
Audio Interface: RME Fireface UFX
Keyboard/Workstation: Yamaha PSR300
Midi Controller/Keyboard: MPK49
Midi Controller: MFC-101
Output: Adam A7 & Sub8, Atomic Reactor Wedges (2)
Cans: Sennheiser hd-650, Grado GS1000i
Guitars: Taylor 810, Taylor Jason Mraz, Taylor T3/B, Fender 50th Anniversary Strat, 76’ Gibson LP Deluxe
Processors: Axe FX Ultra, Axe FX-II


I have had about 5 to 6 hours with the FX-II and will update this over time as I continue along the path.

Chassis & Hardware

What can I say here other than it is built like a tank. The II is both heavier and deeper than the Ultra. This was not an issue for me as my unit is in a desktop rack that never gets transported. The Screen Area is sweet! It is recessed and incorporates both the display and all the activity lights. Though subtle, it’s a nice feature to have all the lights in one area on the faceplate. The buttons, control knobs, and Value knob all have a nice feel them. As I have only had a few hours to peruse some of the presets, I have yet to get to the new controls. So much to do and so little time! I know I am going to love the new X/Y switching features.

Two points of note from my perspective in comparing with the Ultra. For the first hour or so the II’s fan was fairly loud and seemed to fluctuate with load. It was as loud if not louder than my Ultra which I had replaced. After 5 hours or so it seems to have settled in and isn’t nearly as noisy. More likely I have just adapted to it. Regardless, if I feel the need, changing the fan is a 5 min task and no big deal. The other is the front panel input jacks for the Phones and Instrument. As we all know the Ultra front input jack was loose to the touch (verified by Cliff as normal). I just simply wrapped the guitar cable around the handle to avoid any movement. It will not be an issue on the II. I couldn’t chip the jack off the front panel with a chisel if I wanted to. As I said… built like a tank.

I am not going to go into all the possible ways one might configure their connections with all the I/O options available. I am looking forward to hooking up the II with my UFX via AES/EBU when my cables arrive. I’ll expand on that in time.

cont...
 
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part 2

USB

What can I say? It was a simple install of the Fractal USB driver and now Axe-Fx II is recognized in Windows Device Manager as a Fractal Audio USB 2.0 Audio Device and Axe-Fx II Audio is recognized under the Sound-Video - Game controllers header:

divicemgr.png



Sonar X1 recognizes the Axe II but I have yet to configure it and will expand on that later as well. From a beginner’s standpoint, this is a blessing. It truly is plug and play. At least that is my experience. And no more MIDI interface issues! Whooo hoooo!

USB also delivers the audio! This has made practicing so simple I now have no excuse for any procrastination. Turn it on, pull up a backing track or song on your favorite media playerand then pick a preset and jam along. Thant’s it. Seconds! No need to fire up the UFX audio interface and its multi-client ASIO mixer though I can also go that route if desired. How cool is that? I have done a few A/B comparisons of media output from the Axe-II and the UFX as standalone and the sound quality was outstanding in both cases with no real perceptible difference.


MFC-101

As with the Axe-II, your PC must be updated with the new MFC-101 Firmware Version from Fractal. At this time it is 1.0. Again, this was a simple install. Per instructions I used Midi-Ox to transfer the SysEx file from my PC to the MFC thru the UFX Midi out. It worked flawlessly the very first time. Don’t forget to change the transfer settings in Midi-Ox per Cliff’s readme notes and to restore to factory defaults by booting up while pressing #11 after a successful transfer!

After replacing the MIDI cables with the Cat5 connector, operation of the MFC couldn’t be easier. I had the MFC connected with two 5 pin cables through a midi merger with my Ultra and I had various connectivity issues with the unreliability of my MIDI network. Now I simply turn on the II and *poof* there’s the MFC in all its bright green, red, and Kick Tag adorned glory!



So, let’s recap a little here.

In the few hours I have been able to spend with the Axe-II I have noticed and commented on several marked improvements in hardware build when compared to Ultra. I have noted that connectivity to your PC and MFC-101 are much simplified with the incorporation of the USB and Cat5 interfaces. I have not had the chance to work with the new quick control buttons but find the possibilities there encouraging. I guess that’s about it…


Ohhh… I forgot! :) That touchy subject of how does it sound? Does it blow away the Gen 1 units? How do the new Amp models sound? Here is my inexperienced and limited opinion for what it’s worth and I please ask that you not shoot the messenger. It is simply my opinion.

Amp Modeling and Sound

My experience with the Ultra grew from spending about a year just using a few desirable presets while learning the basics of playing. As I grew in my skills (still pathetic at best) and knowledge of the signal chain I was able to expand my tweaking capabilities. I rarely if ever went deep into any advanced parameters and if I did it was on with an “ears only” approach as I couldn’t tell you what the vast majority of them do from a technical approach even if I read books about them.

So yes, the Ultra was light years over my head in complexity. But I learned and eventually was able to create patches either by using an existing preset and modifying it or starting from scratch. It was this learning process that I feel has helped with my overall knowledge in everything guitar. The Ultra was expensive no doubt. But considering the access I had to the multitude of Amps, Cabs, Effects, etc. it offers, I considered it one of the best bargains I have ever purchased. How many of you can say your journeys through the Fender, Vox, Marshall, etc. worlds as you were learning cost you less than 2 grand? The ultra was and is an amazing piece of gear and it was also an indispensible learning tool for a beginner like me. And yes, there were many times I wanted to give up because it seemed so daunting. That is where this forum shines!

I have seen several posts here lately where guys who are excited about the Axe-II are being chastised for making over the top comments. Here is my take and again it’s just my humble opinion. I had heard several of the reviews where people are actually “blown away” by the sounds coming from the II. I took it with a grain of salt as it’s the new thing and the early users were most definitely fans of the Fractal products to begin with. I actually was going in with a doubting attitude when I first flipped the switch. No more! I too am blown away! It sounds truly amazing and is definetly a huge step forward. I think there are also several factors to consider here:

1) The experts like Cliff, Jay, Scott, Sean, Mark, Matt etc. are going to be able to tweak their Gen1 units better than the average Joe and most certainly better than a beginner like myself.
2) The II’s first 40 or so presets are AMP oriented. These presets are all usable as is and also create the ultimate starting point for building patches on that tone. In other words, the bright guys dialed in the amp patches for us with what seems like the ideal defaults for the Amp.
3) With these wonderful defaults, a few minor tweaks and you have tones that took you hours to dial in with the Ultra. It’s just much simpler.


My conclusion is twofold…

First, the skill level of the user is directly proportional to the differences in sound from “fully” tweaked patches between the two units. Obviously an expert with years of experience using real world amps can dial those in much better than some goober like me. So I have the advantage of those patch foundations already created for me on the II and I see the difference between the units as more drastic than the guy that could dial those in similarly with the Gen 1.

Second, with that said, and I cringe here at the thought of the backlash along the lines of “WTF are you talking about? That’s a newbie for you”. IMO, the mids sound more pronounced on the II. I have also asked several people here what the “guitar world” term is for how the strings “feel”. Whatever you want to call it, it’s definitely there and more pronounced with the II. I feel the interaction much more cleanly. I am probably not making any sense here. In other words, there is more a singular feel to the strings. For me it’s a double edged sword as I can now hear and feel more definition but that leads to less covering up of my mistakes.

I want to stress that I am keeping my Ultra to use as a keyboards effects unit so I have no horse in the race with regards to Gen1 resale value. I think the Ultra is a spectacular piece of gear that lost NOTHING when I brought the II home. The II’s new connectivity features, IR improvements, and default settings on the Amp presets creates a running start for the II users where it was for some a vast learning curve experience on the Gen1. While I absolutely do feel there is a marked improvement in sound overall, I also feel that gap isn’t as wide as some of us users with limited experience perceive. If it is after all, then we have been lying to ourselves for years, no?

Please forgive the rambling. I will edit and add to this doc as I continue on with this exciting journey.

More to come later... BTW, you gain gurus are going to love the II.

Craig

Update: How could I forget? Huge kudos to Matt for what I feel is the best manual I have recieved with a piece of gear to this date. It's nice to have a hard copy as you are tinkering. Impressive delivery Matt!
 
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Not a beginners guitar collection either haha, im loving the taylors you chose :D
How does the axe fx II sound through the adams? I have the a7xs and will be monitoring through them. On stage I will run it through my 1960a quad.
 
Rotaholic said:
Not a beginners guitar collection either haha, im loving the taylors you chose :D
How does the axe fx II sound through the adams? I have the a7xs and will be monitoring through them. On stage I will run it through my 1960a quad.
Click to expand...

I have had my Adams for years. Love them and love the sound from the II through them. I have a small room and mix the wedges and A7's all the time. Heck, I just goof around being intrigued by all the nuances.
 
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Sounds to me like you're underestimating your talent. Very well written article. I hope you'll be generous enough to share more.
Thank you,
Joe
 
Quality Review ... written with objectivity and maturity ... look forward to your updates ... thanks ...
 
part 3

Well,

I go grab a bite to eat, log back on to check the forum a hour later and already have to update the review.

I just started my 6th hour with the Axe-II. Let me repeat that, my 6th hour, and I begin with a FIRMWARE UPDATE! Are you kidding me? I had noticed the small popping sound when switching Amps. It wasn't even something I would have brought up and yet the fix is already coded, tested, and implemented. X/Y copy? How cool! What a way to A/B compare-changes no? Added Tube Pre model to boot. No clue what it is but hey, goodies to check out!

Did I mention 6th hour? :)

As for the firmware update:

Ok guys, how many hours have we spent over the years not only attempting updates of the firmware but discussing all the issues involved with 3rd party interfaces and "checksum" errors in pursuit of a success upload? For me, it was inconsistent. One time it would work after a couple attempts, others took multiple tries. Not anymore!

Downloaded the Update, loaded Midi-Ox, set the II up for reception, click, new firmware. Total time: 6 mins. Total attempts -----------> 1

-----------------------

Another hour with the Amp presets and my initial opinion is the most drastic improvements are in the higher gain realm. Again, it's just my opinion, but I always felt the cleans on the Gen1's were spectacular and the high gain stuff was lacking a bit and needed the fine tunings people much smarter than I could achieve. No biggie for me as I was never really into the high gain stuff. *looking over shoulder for Mr Days stern look* After reading all the posts over the years with respect to somehting missing from the high gain sounds I can sincerely say you are going to love it!

Again, I am not advocating that the more talented tweakers of the Gen1's cannot get close to these tones I am hearing but for someone at my level, they are all now at my fingertips. I just need to make minor tweaks to fit my needs. Words really cannot convey the feeling. You'll see! I am really looking foward to seeing what the guru's do when starting from this point.

I find myself going back and forth between the Euro Blue, Shiver Clean, and Shiver Lead for whatever that is worth. Just going by what sounds I am liking. I cannot stay away from those 3. I have no clue what they are based on. It's kind of a blessing for me IMO in that I have no experience with the real Amps so it's not about how close the Axe imulates it but just what sounds great to me. I know, BLASPHEMY!!! ;)

Craig


*Stepping on soapbox*

One of my decision factors in choosing the Ultra years ago and upgrading to the II was this community and Cliff's involvement and support. With all the craziness of the last several weeks and all the mudslinging tossed their way, Fractal continues to produce units and Cliff has taken the time to listen and make changes not only to the II, but the shopping cart in the store as well. I would think a lot of people are feeling a tad embarrassed at the moment.

*stepping down*

 
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Very very nicely written - thoughtful and at the same time there's a certain amount of tipping the hat to the gen1 users. I think with such staggering amounts of humility, anyone willing to flame you will look like the biggest asshole on planet earth!

Personally, I'm sure the Axe II is better. Come on, who launches an updated product that doesn't AT LEAST sound quite a bit better, (let's just ignore the X3 for a moment, shall we?) that too from the manufacturer that redefined amp modeling? I suspect it WILL be a lot better, thus the price tag, and thus the dual core CPU and what not!

That said, and maybe I'm just saying this to myself because I paid a lot of money for the Ultra owing to the fact that I live in a third world country, the Ultra smokes anything else out there, by a few miles, and that includes quite a few of my favorite metal records! Getting an awesome guitar tone has never been this easy. I think you hit the nail on the head - it's definitely going to be easier to dial in sounds. Yes, there IS a certain amount of work involved in getting a good sound out of the ultra - you have to know your signal chain! I've been recording bands for 6 years and more, and it still took me a fair amount of time to get up to speed with the unit, experimenting with a bunch of IRs with the woefully limited 10 slots and getting the 10 best IRs that fit every situation. And I'm still a little shocked everyday at what this thing can do! I'm sure with the algorithm improvements, extra IR slots, and stock redwirez & ownhammer IRs, it's going to be MUCH easier to dial in a kickass guitar tone. However, I also believe, in the right hands, the outright difference in tone, heard and felt, between the 2 units, is not going to be as wide as some users claim. There are free vsts out there today that hold their own with the Ultra. Sure the Ultra is better, but mostly, for me at least, it's because it's MUCH easier to get a good sound out of the ultra than from the vsts, not to mention the insane amounts of options! I'm sure the jump from the gen1 units to the II will be similar.

I still love my ultra :) And to be perfectly honest, there is a part of me screaming for the II! But with the current stocking scenario, and the price hike, and with the major hit I'll take on an Ultra sale, I think it'll be some time before I upgrade.

Eh, sorry for the thread hijack :p! And once again, great thoughtful review! I must wonder though, for a beginner, you sure have a LOT of great gear! Kudos! What an inspiring retirement plan :) Keep it up and have fun!
 
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nicely done. I notcied u got a taylor acoustic .... it the axeII any use for that guitar ..... i got i taylor with the ES sistem too .... i was wondering how this combi sounds ....
 
greyanaroth said:
I must wonder though, for a beginner, you sure have a LOT of great gear! Kudos! What an inspiring retirement plan :) Keep it up and have fun!
Click to expand...

I still have my primary daytime IT job! I can pretty much retire anytime but its hard to walk away from the paycheck. Soon though.

As for my gear, I had the Gibson from ages ago. It needs work. The 810 I bought in 93 and that was the acoustic i was talking about that I picked up a couple times a year over a decade or more. I have always built state of the art PC's for myself and the remaining guitars, keyboards, controllers etc were all bought post Ultra purchase in 08. Yes, my gear far exceeds my skills or potential but that's more a result of my age and wallet as opposed to ability or time expended.
 
kuky said:
nicely done. I notcied u got a taylor acoustic .... it the axeII any use for that guitar ..... i got i taylor with the ES sistem too .... i was wondering how this combi sounds ....
Click to expand...

To be honest I have only briefly experimented with the acoustics. I know Scott Peterson and several others discussed the various ways to deal with acoustic guitars with the axe and all had great results. My 810 was retrofitted with a modified ES system ad the Nylon came equipped with it. The couple times I created a simple patch per their recommendations the Taylors sounded beautifull.

Here's a start: Search for taylor and I am sure you will find more. This forum is a wealth of information if you just dig a little.

http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-general-discussion/28685-axe-fx-acoustic-pre.html

http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-f...30166-acoustic-guitars-axe-ultra-awesome.html

http://forum.fractalaudio.com/share...e-have-really-good-acoustic-guitar-patch.html
 
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