FX-8 questions, drive models vs real, your thoughts

King Tone

Inspired
Hi folks, I have had my FX-8 board for awhile and have not been using it and just dug it out to rethink presets for where I am now in the journey. When I originally got the FX-8 my idea was to mostly use it for the bigger high gain amps to switch channels, use effects, all that good stuff. Lately I have mainly been using a fender style amp clean getting drive from pedals. I have been using a couple of different (size/layout) regular pedalboards live for a year or so. I did what I said I wouldn't and tried a zillion drive pedals, swapping them on the real boards to try to get a good sound! So at this point I feel like I have settled into some things that have been working fairly well(I am a very picky sort) with the combo thing and wanted to recreate some of what is happening in the real world. Seems like I am barely using the big amps so it would be nice to get more use out of the FX8 with the combo.

Side note question...I have always wondered if the model for drive pedals(and especially the amps in the axe fx)
were all the same and the settings were the difference...or is there some/a lot of stuff under the hood that we can't get to that makes the model unique? With all the more advanced settings in all the amp tabs for example, bias, neg feedback,...is that what makes the model? Just curious, also curious on the drive pedals as well.

Anyways...to give an example, I have been tweaked (a ton, I might add) to simulate some of the following pedals...

Xotic Sl drive- I am close but still...

Wampler Tumnus/Archer Ikon - I have something dialed that is decent...
but...please don't start hating on this part but the settings around the forum sound nothing like the way I set my tumnus or archer, I use some gain, might sound perfect as a transparent boost but not if you turn the gain up...I have it all sitting in front of me for A/B, I am open to hear your tips

Suhr Eclipse-I use it mow/medium gain...pretty close on this one

Bogner Red Xtc- I set it similar to the eclipse...closer than the rest

Do you guys do this sort of thing or do you just roll with what is in there stock and refine your settings a bit?
I feel like once everything is loud I have to tweak a lot just like the real stuff.

I feel like running, say a tube screamer model into a real amp that has gain works like you think, but starting from a clean amp like a fender or vox and do what most people do with real pedals is harder to recreate in the FX8.
There is definitely a shortage of marshall in a box/crunch type drives in the FX8. I have some heavy tweaks that work pretty well but it sure would be nice to have some that worked as easy as a tube screamer model but for the foundation/crunch sounds. In the real world there are a ton of amazing drives to choose from that do this sort of thing.



In the real world pedals I usually have some sort of foundation tone and then a gain boost for higher gain solo tones. The foundation tone is some sort of plexi (like the xotic sl drive) and the boost usually the klon or tube screamer stuff. Recreating the pedals listed above has taken a lot of experimenting, and it does sound good but I always hope for more...there is always a little missing in the eq that I struggle with.

your thoughts?
 
I must admit I am surprised that my thread had this many views and nobody had an opinion...well carry on. I got closer on some of the tones today...took a few hours though.
 
Your title piques a lot if interest, click bait ;), but reading your question causes some trepidation, at least from me. There's been a few of these discussions and it usually ends up going nowhere. I personally have found a few drives that have replaced all of my analog pedals without any compromise. I consider myself to be very picky as well but it could be that I'm still not as picky as you are so I refrained from answering.

In an attempt to help, I'll say that if you are trying to hear a difference you will, whether it's there or not. That was the first hurdle I had to get over. Second one was trying to make X model sound exactly like X pedal. For example, the BB Pre model vs the BB Preamp pedal. I couldn't get the BB Pre to sound exactly like my analog version and was quite frustrated. I then went through the drives and found a couple with the gain structure I was used to from my analog BB, tweaked the eq and got exactly what I was used to hearing. I'm not saying the BB Pre is not accurate, there are lots of users that find it a dead on replacement for theirs, it just did not sound like my pedal. Wouldn't be the first time two of the same pedal did not sound alike.

Finally, try settings that sound the best, not settings that match the analog pedal. There are too many variables that can affect how the models and other effects interact with each other and your gear. I have found that using less gain and volume has been the key to the success I've had with the drives.

BTW, Axe Fx II Wiki has a lot of information on everything in the FX8 and is an indispensable resource. Here's what it says on the drives:

https://wiki.fractalaudio.com/axefx2/index.php?title=Drive_block
 
Generally you can get the tone, at a specific setting, but on things like a real germanium fuzz the clean up with volume pot on the guitar won’t be the same. Have to change more settings in the drive block to match it, but you can get a very similar tone once you do so.

Other pedals are just unique enough that it’s hard to match them 100% like some more unique fuzz. I have a EQD Terminal fuzz I can’t easily match, and really haven’t tried, as it works great just sticking the real pedal in front.

Basically you can get any job done with the drive block I feel, but if you want exactly a specific pedal, or simply enjoy having some real stomps in your collection, it’s an equally valid way to go.

Neither is going to be vastly superior, just different ways to achieve good tones.

I might play with my real pedals at home but use some close enough models live, where it matters less, and where I might not want to take the extra gear.

It’s just like amps, some guys still record a real amp even though they otherwise are happy with models and IRs for everything else.

If your in a studio that has a real (fill in the blank) model why not use it ? It’s fun stuff, even though one may not feel the need to rush out and buy the real thing.
 
I'm diging just about all of the drives I have messed around with thus far... Still not even scratching the surface it feels like tho...
 
Xotic Sl drive- I am close but still...

Wampler Tumnus/Archer Ikon - I have something dialed that is decent...
but...please don't start hating on this part but the settings around the forum sound nothing like the way I set my tumnus or archer, I use some gain, might sound perfect as a transparent boost but not if you turn the gain up...I have it all sitting in front of me for A/B, I am open to hear your tips

Suhr Eclipse-I use it mow/medium gain...pretty close on this one

Bogner Red Xtc- I set it similar to the eclipse...closer than the rest

Do you guys do this sort of thing or do you just roll with what is in there stock and refine your settings a bit?

I've always used real amps, but have had a series of digital all-in-one pedals over the years and not many individual stomps. So I don't ever try to re-create a particular one necessarily.

Having said that, I've been very pleased with the drives on the FX8. But again I am not comparing them with real specific drive pedals. To me, at the end of the day, all that matters is it sounds good to me and my audience. I could see wanting to go after those classic tones though.

Would you be willing to share the drive blocks you made that mimic real ones? I'd love to try them out and see how they sound! :)
 
Hi guys and gals,

Can't say I'm happy with my drives either. Oddly enough when playing at home they can sound organic, but I experimented the "disappearing in the mix" situation with a band. Also the sound was thin and not powerful enough as I have achieved from other (and worse/cheaper) digital unit.
That said, I am not sure if this is a "digital thing" and probably more that the FAS models are so accurate that they can suffer from the "amp-matching" factor just like any other analog pedal.

Does that make any sense? In addition, the FX8 does not have "loops" for external drives but is there any work around it?

Best,

zakkrhoads
 
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