For all you gigging with your AX8's!

dsouza

Experienced
How many of you carry your laptops with AX8EDIT, Audio Boxes, and Monitors with you in additional to your AX8, Guitar(s), FRFR/PA Speakers and/or Real Amps?

What is the essential setup a gigging guitarist who uses the AX8 needs to bring with him to every venue?

I'm scared to death of my laptops etc being stolen, even if left in hotel rooms while on the road.

Also without a laptop you're at the mercy of the AX8 manual mode to re-program everything if it craps out on you or the concert/event venue changes requirements (eg, song order etc). With the AX8EDIT software you can relax and make a concert setlist on the fly in minutes..

But bringing all this to a gig seems overkill, dangerous if stolen, and cumbersome.

What are the AX8 essentials a gigging musician should bring?
 
Just the AX8 into the PA. I'm not editing anything on site. I used to bring a tablet + USB adapter with FracTool installed for some time to be on the safe side but never had to use it.
 
Same as above. If I need a tweak I use the front panel. Also, just a few clicks to get to next list of presets.
 
Interesting the first gig I took my AX8 to it crapped out and volume levels dropped for no reason. We didn't know what was going on and the issue was with PA. I checked with Fractal and was told to power down and power back up and it should fix itself after the gig. I had heard others had a similar problem. Any thoughts?
 
Interesting the first gig I took my AX8 to it crapped out and volume levels dropped for no reason. We didn't know what was going on and the issue was with PA. I checked with Fractal and was told to power down and power back up and it should fix itself after the gig. I had heard others had a similar problem. Any thoughts?
I used the AX8 live twice a week for almost a year without any issues at all.
 
I've never gigged with my AX8 but I have travelled and moved it from one location to another in some warm and colder temperatures.

What I noticed is that everytime I moved it and set it up again for a full day or two later it would have a small hiss to it. The hiss would go away after some time on its own.

This happened on two AX8's, the one I have now which just sits nicely in my studio w/o giving me trouble, and one I bought and returned from a music store last xmas.

I can't afford to have my AX8 producing hissing noises everytime I need to gig in some new location. And I can't afford to wait 24 hrs for the hiss to go away.. I think it's temperature related .. It was cold like -30 degrees celcius and brought into a warm location around 25 degrees celcius.

It's not damaged in any way. At least I don't think so.. I mean this happened consistently with wide temperature changes with not one but two ax8's.
 
you're sure this is caused by your AX8 ? very unlikely to have two of them producing the same noise while apparently nobody else has the same problem
 
On another note how many of you are entrepeneurs in the music industry booking , producing, performing your own gigs, and how many of you are hired out by agencies, talent scouts, producers etc. ?

Which is easier to make better money? I feel some of these agencies pay like 100$ to inexperienced performers. If you have a lot of experience in music industry like 20+ years say as a recording artist, would it be better to run your own business and book your own shows, and charge you own fees or attach yourself to a producer and label and take whatever cut they give you?

Thoughts?
 
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On another note how many of you are entrepeneurs in the music industry booking , producing, performing your own gigs, and how many of you are hired out by agencies, talent scouts, producers etc. ?

Which is easier to make better money? I feel some of these agencies pay like 100$ to inexperienced performers. If you have a lot of experience in music industry like 20+ years say as a recording artist, would it be better to run your own business and book your own shows, and charge you own fees or attach yourself to a producer and label and take whatever cut they give you?

Thoughts?
What’s your YouTube channel link that shows venues what you can do?
 
What’s your YouTube channel link that shows venues what you can do?
I do have a YT channel and Bandcamp channel I've been running for over a decade. The latter the past 3 years or so.

However, I created mostly U2 videos because I love the sound of the effects and the variety of the music. I wish to become some sort of U2 Tribute guitarist (solo is ok), being booked to perform at local events.

Although I have recorded 30 performances on YT and BC together, I am only now creating what I call the performance series, which will be around 20-22 of U2's greatest hit guitar instrumentals recorded on the AX8. So far I have only 1 video in the series and my album that I play. However, another performance series video is due out in a couple weeks once I get my HR108 fully configured.

I realize creating 20-22 hits will take me several years, however, I don't have to wait until all of them are finished to start gigging. I can take small gigs along the way starting with as little as 5 tracks a gig then going up to 20+ a gig.

My YT channel is not world famous by any means but it does act as a sort of resume. The same can be said of my BC channel.

For those who want to critique:

YT: https://youtube.com/u2adrian1000/videos

BC: https://electrical-storm.bandcamp.com
 
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I use my AX8 live and my laptop stays home. I just bring the AX8, 2x12 EVH 5150iii, Power amp and 2 guitars. Pretty basic setup, 2x12 is really just a guitar monitor as i usually run direct into PA.. I run thru tone checks at home or at rehearsal room. Only thing I have had to adjust live so far is my volume.
 
How many of you gigging are playing solo and how many of you in a band?

Cover music or original music?

Those of you who are solo, are you using loopers and making a song your own or are you using backing tracks live?

I'm concerned about licenses regarding the latter....
 
Cover band here, using the looper during one song for a harmonized solo sequence. Legal stuff is very much dependent on the country you're in.
 
Sometimes I get bogged down by how much I have to take with me to setup a gig compared to my all tube and a guitar.

For example , to gig with my AX8 I have to take my guitar and case, My AX8 and case, ,my expression pedal, my two headrush 108s, and two stands to put them on. I have to also pack all my xlr cables , my humbuster cables to connect to the 108's, my guitar cable, my surge protectors with extension cord , my audio mic with stand to introduce songs. That doesn't include a mixer which I may need to run backing tracks should I decide to go that route down the line.

For my tube and guitar. All I need to pack is my guitar and case, guitar cord, vox ac10 which can sit on ground, surge protector and I'm good to go.

While I don't mind getting the FAS ready for a high paying gig like $1350+ CAD for a small gig like $250CAD it makes almost no sense bringing such expensive equipment seeing it could get broken down with repeated outings or stolen. Not to mention it's more difficult to setup.

Some may argue the vox and guitar need a pedalboard but one can gig very nicely with a vox alone. It's got enough crunch. And it's loud enough.

I feel I almost need two gigging systems depending on how large the event is, and how much they're paying me.

The VOX AC10/Strat for a small gig, the AX8/HR108's/Strat for a large gig.

On another note: Do any of you leave your equipment overnight at a venue? Say a banquet hall etc? I am dead scared of getting my equipment stolen and feel some of these environments may require setups a day before.

Thoughts?
 
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Gigging with the AX8 is a lot less for me to carry since we'll have to bring the PA anyway. You should compare apples to apples. So one AC10 vs one AX8+one HR108. The 2nd HR, the stands, the mixer, etc etc is bonus.
 
Gigging with the AX8 is a lot less for me to carry since we'll have to bring the PA anyway. You should compare apples to apples. So one AC10 vs one AX8+one HR108. The 2nd HR, the stands, the mixer, etc etc is bonus.

You're correct , so in essence all things being equal it's just the AX8 that has to be additionally carried. Which is easy enough in a small leather carrying bag I bought with it.

Have you ever used IEM? What do you think of that instead of bringing the HR108?
 
You're correct , so in essence all things being equal it's just the AX8 that has to be additionally carried. Which is easy enough in a small leather carrying bag I bought with it.

Have you ever used IEM? What do you think of that instead of bringing the HR108?
We use IEMs all the time. I takes time getting used to it and takes you even farther away from the amp-in-the-room feel. For me it's a necessary evil when the stage is too small to put up monitors but that's just me. From the bottom of my heart I'm a rocker and nothing beats two full stacks that give you all the natural feedback you want. IEMs and silent stages don't have feedback. Your sound m/f/d will love it. YMMV
 
I'd feel isolated from the crowd if I can't hear the crowd roar. I prefer using the FRFR cabs on stage myself. But I know IEM are a favorite for many.

You can address this problem by putting up a mic towards the crowd and feed it into your IEMs or using semi-isolating IEMs.
 
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