FRFR 'so not' what i expected.

A

autumn09

Member
Using the Atomic power wedge with my Axe (Ultra) in the FRFR setup: I hope i am doing it right:??? At the moment it sounds terrible! after a lot of tweeking too..... Im always getting this dull muffed sound...

- Guitar in front (Axe Fx)
- Connect to output 1 (XLR) to Atomic Wedge
- Switch on Cab sim. (Global)
- went to the i/o section and changed output on Axe to copy Lto R
- Switch on Pwer amps. (Global)
- Presets contain a CAB block and the SAG parameter in AMP is set higher than zero.
- Selected correct audio output to mono.
 
If that doesn't work try adjusting the treble and presence in your patches. Or turn it up louder and see if the highs come out, the Atomic does get brighter at higher volumes.

When I first got my Atomic wedge I was a bit disappointed that it sounded a bit dull and lifeless. It certainly takes a while to fine tune your patches to suit it. I now have completely different patches for live use with the Atomic and recording use through my monitors. And it'smostly about adjusting the top end frequencies to suit.
 
When I first got my Ultra, I liked a lot of the effects but found the amps were pretty average, which was disappointing to say the least. Then I stopped and thought about it for a minute. Went into the global EQ and set it up like an inverted bell shape, boosting the highs and lows. Boom! Much better. 8)
I usually play at low to moderate volume levels, so I have to lift the treble and bass to hear everything properly. At high volumes I'll need to flatten the global EQ as they become more prominent.
 
- First reset the system (Utility menu)
- select Analog front (I/O)
- set output1 to Copy L > R (not stereo because you're using a single Atomic)
- leave the Global EQ flat
- connect Output to Atomic (use XLR with Out1; if using 1/4": use instrument cable not speaker cable)
- make sure that the Atomic's level is turned up, and that the tweeter is at 12 o'clock
- turn up the input level until it occasionally blinks red when playing
- create a shunt wiht just an Amp block and Cab block.
- Amp block: select the DoubleVerb amp. Enable Bright.
- Cab block: select 1x12 Black.

You should now have a perfectly clear tone to start with.

And: a lot of original amps have a Presence control. On the Axe-Fx Presence defaults to 12 o'clock which is the same as zero. To make the amp come alive turn up Presence to 5 (about 2 o'clock). This does vary per amp and on the state of the Bright switch. The original DoubleVerb doesn't have a Presence control so this doesn't apply.
To see which amps have a Bright switch/peaker and or Presence control, see here:
List of amp simulations - Fractal Audio Systems Wiki
 
s_m_g said:
When I first got my Atomic wedge I was a bit disappointed that it sounded a bit dull and lifeless. It certainly takes a while to fine tune your patches to suit it. I now have completely different patches for live use with the Atomic and recording use through my monitors. And it'smostly about adjusting the top end frequencies to suit.
Click to expand...
Isn't it against the Axe-Atomic concept to use DIFFERENT patches for studio and live?
Did you try adjusting the global EQ?
 
s-m-g: I now have completely different patches for live use with the Atomic and recording use through my monitors.
Click to expand...
With a live monitor that is at least reasonably transparent you should not have to do this.
 
The simpliest answer, if the I/O is setup correctly, is to start all your patches over from scratch.

This was a real eye opener for me.

I switched my monitor system and struggled for a while. But when I just started over from scratch, boom, sounded great, even better than before.

- Richard
 
Thanks all for input. I will be taking suggestions all on board and getting stuck into it again. - I do think that the Axe is amazing and no doubt will get there with it :)
 
I was in a battle with my Atomic FRFR wedges for awhile also. I think the thing for me (that was part of my discovery process with FRFR's) is that I need to hear my sound as it comes out of the Marshall cab live and not so much the sound of the cab mic'd - which is where you go with a cab sim. It's a different approach totally (mentally and audibly) and even a cab sim with no mic assigned is still a IR captured with a neutral mic and is very different than the ambient sound of a cab in the room with you. So, now I'm starting to do what a lot of others are doing and using the cab sim through output 1 to FOH and the raw signal from output 2 to my Marshall cab for what I hear on stage. That way it's a lot easier to control my feedback and the soundman can tweak as necessary. I figure I don't have much control over the tone FOH so I might as well hear what I want to hear coming out of my cab on stage. I just dial in the cab sim on the studio monitors at home and feed that to FOH live - the rest is at the mercy of the soundman which it is no matter what you do anyway. Everybody has a different situation - that is just what works best for me.

My Atomics are now my vocal monitors :)
 
Lots of good info. I have 2ea. Atomic powered wedges I use for a stereo set up, and the easiest, best adjustment is to make sure the tweeter level is @ 12:00 or better. After that there are "Plenty" of available adjustments in your Axe Fx you can dial in. I have 2 K10's also and I like them, but the Atomics tube set up seem to me to make my Ultra more dynamic and full. FYI
 
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Kracked said:
I was in a battle with my Atomic FRFR wedges for awhile also. I think the thing for me (that was part of my discovery process with FRFR's) is that I need to hear my sound as it comes out of the Marshall cab live and not so much the sound of the cab mic'd - which is where you go with a cab sim. It's a different approach totally (mentally and audibly) and even a cab sim with no mic assigned is still a IR captured with a neutral mic and is very different than the ambient sound of a cab in the room with you. So, now I'm starting to do what a lot of others are doing and using the cab sim through output 1 to FOH and the raw signal from output 2 to my Marshall cab for what I hear on stage. That way it's a lot easier to control my feedback and the soundman can tweak as necessary. I figure I don't have much control over the tone FOH so I might as well hear what I want to hear coming out of my cab on stage. I just dial in the cab sim on the studio monitors at home and feed that to FOH live - the rest is at the mercy of the soundman which it is no matter what you do anyway. Everybody has a different situation - that is just what works best for me.

My Atomics are now my vocal monitors :)
Click to expand...

I think this is REALLY the essence of the problem everyone seems to have with the axe. It sounds like a finished product - NOT like an amp in the room - when listening through cab sims! For that amp in the room feel, do what Kracked says! It's what I plan to do when I take the unit live! SS poweramp through an ENGL V30 cab! But since I'm spending most of my time listening to recorded signals, or if I'm the soundman (which is alot :)) then again, I'm mostly listening to the signal coming through the 57s, through the board, and out the PA! And most of the tweaking I'll do with the guitarist is to get THAT sound right, the one which the audience hears! In a really big stage scenario, there will probably be the same signal going back into the monitoring wedge of the guitarist, as well as in the side fills. However, I do believe, although I've yet to try it, that the Afx through a SS poweramp into a real guitar cab would sound like the real thing :) Hell it sounds enough like the real thing that you can't really tell the difference! In most cases it sounds better, and it's a whole lot easier to get there!
 
until I used the Royer and fiddled with the tweeter (usually 10-12 o'clock) I was an unhappy camper, it's a change for sure... now when I step in front of the mains I can't believe how amazing it sounds, best of luck!!
 
I'm just a weekend warrior, but the thing I've found is, stage sound in general needs to be agreed upon by everyone in the band.

You can use CAB sims and FRFR onstage but not if the bass player and drummer are cranked to hell and back etc.

Or if you are using IEM's and no one else is, its hard to make that work well.

And if you want to play hard rock, it takes more work to play with low stage volume. It takes a monster drummer to deliver a kick ass part with a lower volume. It can be done but it ain't easy.

Just my experience from the weekend warrior point of view,

Richard
 
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