Fractal drives, fuzz etc with tube amps....anyone like?

R

randombastage

Experienced
I've had the Ultra and the AxeFx II but I never used the effects with a tube amp.
Now I'm looking at the FX-8 and trying to remember how the drive blocks were because if I have to use a bunch of pedals in the mix I might as well stay with my current traditional pedal solutions.

Is anyone using an AxeFx with a tube amp and liking the drive blocks? I know I liked a lot of the AxeFx mods and delays etc. and the controls and routing are the best I've ever seen. It's the drive stuff I have doubts about.

I 'think' I remember the fuzz stuff being less than worthy but then that's my opinion of most fuzz pedals using analogue circuits too. Fuzz preference is very personal I think, beyond subjective, bordering on religious.

Anyway, let's hear it if you have replaced any drive pedals by using the AxeFx drives, boosts, fuzz, etc.

Thanks
 
I tried the 4CM with a Maz18 once. Didn't love the drives in front of that amp. Harsh, gritty. And that's TS, BB types.

I use analog drives with that head and I'm quite happy.

The Axe2 as itself, DI, with the Axe drives hitting the amp models--that sounds much better to me.
YMMV of course.

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The drives in the Axe are great. The octave fuzz, bender etc all sound like the real deal. The FAS one is excellent too. Having plenty of gain on tap in most of the amps reduces the need to call on them as much, unless you want the coloration they add.
 
Martyntb said:
The drives in the Axe are great. The octave fuzz, bender etc all sound like the real deal. The FAS one is excellent too. Having plenty of gain on tap in most of the amps reduces the need to call on them as much, unless you want the coloration they add.
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That sounds like you are using them with the amp sims....I'm looking for people's experience using the drive blocks in front of real tube amps the way they will be used with the FX-8.
 
Well I am only using them with the Amp sims and I think they sound harsh.. Im only wanting a little bit of break up from the BB and it sounds really harsh.. Any ideas why?
 
randombastage said:
That sounds like you are using them with the amp sims....I'm looking for people's experience using the drive blocks in front of real tube amps the way they will be used with the FX-8.
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I'd be surprised if they didn't sound good in front of a decent valve amp, really surprised.
 
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I just gave the drives a try into my 1978 Marshall JMP 2203, and they really do work as well as any pedal I've owned. I wasn't surprised actually. Tonal shaping is extremely easy with the available controls, but was definitely required from the default settings. I actually might have to go dig out my tube bin and roll some pre's now, it's been a while..... Anyways, I just used the looper block and did a couple riffs, then tweaked away hands free. I only used the controls on the drive block and nothing else as I wanted to see how advanced/in depth you could get with it and how well you can sculpt the tone and it rules, pretty much full control right in the block. I even cranked it up for a bit to "way louder" than gig volumes, and was able to get some very decent dirty and high-gain tones in very little time.

For signal flow, I just did a simple straight in and through the Axe FX II, only using a single drive block on the grid, and then into the high sensitivity input on my Amp. Running a single 4x12 JCM800 Lead Series Cab with G12-65's and it just screams.
 
My experience was exactly like gtrnstuff's. They didn't work for me. I quite possibly could have come up with something usable, but my analog pedals are so much easier to use and sound fantastic with no "tweaking". This was in front if a Bogner Shiva EL34 via 4CM. I'm currently using the axe in the shiva loop for delays and mods etc. or in a w/d/w config.

My conclusion was when using a real amp the axe works best like a multi effect unit in my loop.
 
nater said:
My experience was exactly like gtrnstuff's. They didn't work for me. I quite possibly could have come up with something usable, but my analog pedals are so much easier to use and sound fantastic with no "tweaking". This was in front if a Bogner Shiva EL34 via 4CM. I'm currently using the axe in the shiva loop for delays and mods etc. or in a w/d/w config.

My conclusion was when using a real amp the axe works best like a multi effect unit in my loop.
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I have to agree with this, I think they are capable of sounding great but making them do so is from my experience much more difficult than the actual pedal's. One of the reasons I've been hoping Cliff will get a chance to improve the pedal's by either making them easier to dial in great sounds from them like he did the amp and cab model's. I tend to find the effects in the same boat as the Pedal's. So I have no doubt some great sounds are in there with regards to the effects/ and pedal's but I feel the difficulty does not match the ease at which the Cab's and Amp's have improved too.
 
nater said:
My experience was exactly like gtrnstuff's. They didn't work for me. I quite possibly could have come up with something usable, but my analog pedals are so much easier to use and sound fantastic with no "tweaking". This was in front if a Bogner Shiva EL34 via 4CM. I'm currently using the axe in the shiva loop for delays and mods etc. or in a w/d/w config.

My conclusion was when using a real amp the axe works best like a multi effect unit in my loop.
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I agree though it's subjective etc.

I can get great sounds from the FAS modeled drives but I just prefer analog is all.

The DSP drives are quieter and more flexible while analog drives are warmer/phatter and noisier IMO.

This is into various tube preamps and a Two Notes Torpedo.

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