AFIII Friedman BE-100 (HBE channel) vs the Axe-Fx 3 HBE Model

Here's a small clip, comparing my own Friedman BE100 (HBE channel) to the AXE-FX 3 HBE model

I inserted the AMP into the AXE-FX 3 using a Two Notes Captor loadbox, everything else (all FX and CAB IR's) are the same, for a fair comparison.

In my opinion, the AXE-FX 3 is amazing at recreating the amp, I could have tweaked and dialed even further to get it almost identical, it's that good.

First one is the real amp, then the model:



EDIT: The guitar is a USA EVH Wolfgang, pretty much stock. Also, nothing was added in post.
 
Settings on the BE100 where very similar to the model, apart from the treble, which was significantly higher on the BE (around 2'o clock)

There's no High Treble knob and no Bright switch on the real amp, so I guess that was the trade-off.
Sounded closer this way, that's why I set it up like this.

Gain was also set a bit higher on the real amp, but the SAT and FAT buttons were off.
 
Sounds very close to my ears. I'm always surprised that people push the bass control so high, because the Friedman models are dark sounding to begin with. Your clip sounds great, but I think if I ran these settings it would sound boomy and muddy.
 
This sounds great. I had some pretty solid Kemper Friedman profiles, but beyond that; the Axe is the superior tone generator for that brand out of all the platforms I've used. By a landslide pretty much. Whether or not it is accurate or not is another story. But it sounds absolutely killer to me.
 
I'm always surprised that people push the bass control so high, because the Friedman models are dark sounding to begin with.

Same here but when you watch a video Dave himself turns the bass way up. Steve Stevens and Jerry Cantrell turn the bass way up too. If I did that with my guitar it would be a muddy mess.

Puzzling to me because the BE has a fixed depth circuit and a significant amount of negative feedback so there is quite a bit of bass boost in the power amp as well.
 
Same here but when you watch a video Dave himself turns the bass way up. Steve Stevens and Jerry Cantrell turn the bass way up too. If I did that with my guitar it would be a muddy mess.

It's recommended (in the manual, actually, if I recall correctly), to push hard on the bass on the BE100, it's the way this amp was designed I guess.


It's hard to get a bad tone out of this amp.

This!! Totally agree.
 
Same here but when you watch a video Dave himself turns the bass way up. Steve Stevens and Jerry Cantrell turn the bass way up too. If I did that with my guitar it would be a muddy mess.

Puzzling to me because the BE has a fixed depth circuit and a significant amount of negative feedback so there is quite a bit of bass boost in the power amp as well.

I've never found it to translate through the mic or an IR though-on the amp or the model. You feel it, but it doesn't come across as muddy.
 
way to go for an amp comparison that actually uses the same IR set up. "they sound exactly the same." NO KIDDING.

Not sure if you’re being sarcastic, LOL :)

I intentionally did it this way because I honestly don’t see the point of comparing amps using different cab setups, it would be impossible to conclude anything other than “I like A or B better than the other one”, it would be totally subjective.

I could have gone a different route, mike the cab and also run the Axe-Fx into it using my Matrix amp with the cab sim off, but results would probably be the same and this way was way simpler to do (and it could be done late at night).

I also own a Mesa Mark V and a Plexi 1959hw, going to test them soon using the same setup, mostly out of curiosity but also as an exercise to come up with solid presets for the Axe-Fx, same as I like to use my amps.
 
@Paulo Remigio i'm being serious, kudos for doing it this way, it's the only way to actually compare. so many comparisons will use different IRs or cab sims for comparisons, the only way to actually compare the AMP is to do it like you did.

if the 2nd clip is the AFX3, it sounds better. i can hear the transformer. sounds like something is rattling around inside, like on a Mark IV. this tone is bonkers
 
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No, seriously, I know that Friedman advises that Bass setting. That's why I included that recommendation in the Guide to the Fractal Audio Amp Models.
 
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