Rick
Axe-Master
*Note* Mine arrived with firmware 1.03 installed.
I will begin by saying this will be a summary. Thirty minutes with the Axe FX III told me I won't be covering this in one quick post. I hope others will fill in other portions of the story, and I'll add more as I learn!
Appearance: Kinda sexy, really. The online pics don't give you a real indication. I'm a bit of a gun guy, so you'll forgive me if I say it's akin to a really well made two-tone gun. The face plate it a sort of black brushed aluminum; shiny but not gaudy. The more matte finish interior plate (where the screens and controls are) offsets it nicely and is, perhaps, why it doesn't look too “slick” out front. It looks electronically badass.
Size: I know the stat sheet says it's a pound heavier, but it doesn't seem like it for some reason. I thought it was going to make my rack, which is deep to allow for cords and such, front-heavy. Nope. Feels the same as it did with my XL+ in it. I did move my patch bay to the rear, so that may explain it. But even in the hands, it doesn't feel heavier. Once in the rack, there is what looks like a huge amount of extra space in the rear now. I might eventually go to a shorter rack, but the storage is nice right now!
Sound: I wired up my PRS 513 and the RCF NX12SMA, my standard in front of and behind the XL+ for years. All sounds tested were at least as good, and I swear there's a bit more clarity on some. Not brighter or anything like that. More... spatial. Coming from a single speaker, that was a bit surprising. I don't know what FAS did to make that so, or if it is just benefitting from the extra power available, but it is noticeable. Pretty sure it's not placebo, but I'll take it if it is. It's inspiring.
Presets: This is where I am not sure that I won't have to disagree with what I've heard. Same amount as in the XL+? I think it's many more. 384 slots used, yes, but there are many iterations of these things in many of them, some with as many as 8 scenes! If you were to put all of that in single presets, it would be more slots than even the XL+ had. I will allow that, yes, there are 384 presets, but you're not really being fair to all the work that is in all of the scenes representing many, many more possibilities. It is AWESOME! By the way, the new HBE presets are massive. Don't know what you did, but it was something good. Oh, and the Petrucci one... and Dweezil's freaking gain-monster... and...
Rear Panel: Man, did they ever separate new from old here! So many options, it's like having two of my XL+s to route inputs and outputs. I didn't see a midi power input, but being as this will be using a new foot controller, I assume that was deemed superfluous. Personally, I love the way this is set up.
Controls: Somehow simplified without making it harder to get around or control things. LOVE the way the push-turn knobs work and are labeled in the screen above. Reminds me a bit of the Eleven Rack, and it's a great addition. I also like that they didn't make only one way to move around... using the knobs or nav keys is great!
Screen: Oh, that big beautiful screen. Clear, crisp, colored bliss. So much more on it, so much easier to see from ALL angles. I will no longer be in fear of having to do a quick adjustment at the gig. This is such an improvement. I guess I will throw in here that the new backlit logo looks great. While you could spot the Axe Fx green screen from a mile away, I believe the glowing blue logo is how the next generation will be spotted in years to come. The ZOOM feature is awesome, and I just love that building presets doesn't have to go completely east to west before sound happens. I see this, combined with the extra inputs/outputs, as being a huge expansion of capability. If it makes sense to say it like this, it feels easier to wrap your head around what you're creating looking at this screen.
Tuner: Yes I know, it's a tuner, what's there to tell? A lot actually, thank you. I was a big fan of the Magic 8 Ball in the XL+. It was quick and accurate as hell. I thought I wouldn't like the change, and I was right. I actually love it. Very fast, much easier to see, and the new "strobo-display" works great! It is better, so good work you guys, and sorry for doubting. In addition, the mini-tuner that is visible in most performance screens is a great idea, very useful, and something I've already referred to several times today!
Channels: Saving what I think is the best for last. CHANNELS! This is glorious, y'all. I get it... 2 amp blocks? Can't we have 8? Well, yes you can. Maybe not 100% autonomously, but you can have 8 amps available to you in a single preset, two at a time, and that's pretty badass. Apply that to most of the other blocks and the REAL available block count is staggering! I normally use 7 or so presets a night for gigging, and fully believe I could build all 7 into a single preset with some work. I won't, but that I can is mind-blowing.
Also Channels (Channel 2): I know I hear a lot on the forum about gaps, and that's been the question here. I hear nothing. As in nothing... no gap when switching. Now, I am sure someone will come in with their audio version of the 1000-frames-a-second-camera and prove me wrong, but I am telling you that for my purposes and to my ear, this is too quick to hear. YMMV, depending on what craziness is in your presets I suppose, but in the several tests I did it was clearly better than the bevy of multi-thousand-dollar amps I have that use footswitches to channel select. It is awesome, awesome, awesome.
Ok, I realize none of this is earth shattering news... but it is just such an experience rolling through it. Once I get my bearings and build up my gigging presets, I will add more. My gig rig is in the picture: Furman PL-Pro DMC at the top, Axe III below, Vafam patch bay in the rear, going to the NX12SMA under the stand. Compact and sounds killer!
I will begin by saying this will be a summary. Thirty minutes with the Axe FX III told me I won't be covering this in one quick post. I hope others will fill in other portions of the story, and I'll add more as I learn!
Appearance: Kinda sexy, really. The online pics don't give you a real indication. I'm a bit of a gun guy, so you'll forgive me if I say it's akin to a really well made two-tone gun. The face plate it a sort of black brushed aluminum; shiny but not gaudy. The more matte finish interior plate (where the screens and controls are) offsets it nicely and is, perhaps, why it doesn't look too “slick” out front. It looks electronically badass.
Size: I know the stat sheet says it's a pound heavier, but it doesn't seem like it for some reason. I thought it was going to make my rack, which is deep to allow for cords and such, front-heavy. Nope. Feels the same as it did with my XL+ in it. I did move my patch bay to the rear, so that may explain it. But even in the hands, it doesn't feel heavier. Once in the rack, there is what looks like a huge amount of extra space in the rear now. I might eventually go to a shorter rack, but the storage is nice right now!
Sound: I wired up my PRS 513 and the RCF NX12SMA, my standard in front of and behind the XL+ for years. All sounds tested were at least as good, and I swear there's a bit more clarity on some. Not brighter or anything like that. More... spatial. Coming from a single speaker, that was a bit surprising. I don't know what FAS did to make that so, or if it is just benefitting from the extra power available, but it is noticeable. Pretty sure it's not placebo, but I'll take it if it is. It's inspiring.
Presets: This is where I am not sure that I won't have to disagree with what I've heard. Same amount as in the XL+? I think it's many more. 384 slots used, yes, but there are many iterations of these things in many of them, some with as many as 8 scenes! If you were to put all of that in single presets, it would be more slots than even the XL+ had. I will allow that, yes, there are 384 presets, but you're not really being fair to all the work that is in all of the scenes representing many, many more possibilities. It is AWESOME! By the way, the new HBE presets are massive. Don't know what you did, but it was something good. Oh, and the Petrucci one... and Dweezil's freaking gain-monster... and...
Rear Panel: Man, did they ever separate new from old here! So many options, it's like having two of my XL+s to route inputs and outputs. I didn't see a midi power input, but being as this will be using a new foot controller, I assume that was deemed superfluous. Personally, I love the way this is set up.
Controls: Somehow simplified without making it harder to get around or control things. LOVE the way the push-turn knobs work and are labeled in the screen above. Reminds me a bit of the Eleven Rack, and it's a great addition. I also like that they didn't make only one way to move around... using the knobs or nav keys is great!
Screen: Oh, that big beautiful screen. Clear, crisp, colored bliss. So much more on it, so much easier to see from ALL angles. I will no longer be in fear of having to do a quick adjustment at the gig. This is such an improvement. I guess I will throw in here that the new backlit logo looks great. While you could spot the Axe Fx green screen from a mile away, I believe the glowing blue logo is how the next generation will be spotted in years to come. The ZOOM feature is awesome, and I just love that building presets doesn't have to go completely east to west before sound happens. I see this, combined with the extra inputs/outputs, as being a huge expansion of capability. If it makes sense to say it like this, it feels easier to wrap your head around what you're creating looking at this screen.
Tuner: Yes I know, it's a tuner, what's there to tell? A lot actually, thank you. I was a big fan of the Magic 8 Ball in the XL+. It was quick and accurate as hell. I thought I wouldn't like the change, and I was right. I actually love it. Very fast, much easier to see, and the new "strobo-display" works great! It is better, so good work you guys, and sorry for doubting. In addition, the mini-tuner that is visible in most performance screens is a great idea, very useful, and something I've already referred to several times today!
Channels: Saving what I think is the best for last. CHANNELS! This is glorious, y'all. I get it... 2 amp blocks? Can't we have 8? Well, yes you can. Maybe not 100% autonomously, but you can have 8 amps available to you in a single preset, two at a time, and that's pretty badass. Apply that to most of the other blocks and the REAL available block count is staggering! I normally use 7 or so presets a night for gigging, and fully believe I could build all 7 into a single preset with some work. I won't, but that I can is mind-blowing.
Also Channels (Channel 2): I know I hear a lot on the forum about gaps, and that's been the question here. I hear nothing. As in nothing... no gap when switching. Now, I am sure someone will come in with their audio version of the 1000-frames-a-second-camera and prove me wrong, but I am telling you that for my purposes and to my ear, this is too quick to hear. YMMV, depending on what craziness is in your presets I suppose, but in the several tests I did it was clearly better than the bevy of multi-thousand-dollar amps I have that use footswitches to channel select. It is awesome, awesome, awesome.
Ok, I realize none of this is earth shattering news... but it is just such an experience rolling through it. Once I get my bearings and build up my gigging presets, I will add more. My gig rig is in the picture: Furman PL-Pro DMC at the top, Axe III below, Vafam patch bay in the rear, going to the NX12SMA under the stand. Compact and sounds killer!
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