FX8 with Simplifier X = almost perfect

+1

I have ths FX8 with a quilter Superblock running into a 1x12 Mesa California tweed cab.

My god it’s glorious. I will never understand the digital amp love. (To each their own)

Incredible fractal effects with real amp and cab is basically perfect. Extremely light and portable.
 
FullReverse said:
+1

I have ths FX8 with a quilter Superblock running into a 1x12 Mesa California tweed cab.

My god it’s glorious. I will never understand the digital amp love. (To each their own)

Incredible fractal effects with real amp and cab is basically perfect. Extremely light and portable.
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Awesome! I was seriously thinking about getting a Milkman Stereo and some Raezer's Edge cabs to use with my FX8.
 
FullReverse said:
Very cool! I had not seen that pedal before.
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Loads of available options right now. I still don't know which one I really want and what will work best. I'd try them all if I could afford to.

The Milkman are high headroom amp/preamps. The Stereo one is solid state. What would be cool is running direct out of the FX8 into the Milkman Stereo and out to whatever cab(s) you want, or use the line out with cab sim into FRFR-type cabs. Note, there is no FX loop, because it wouldn't really need one.

The Simplifiers are pretty incredible. All analog (except reverb). Starting with the MKII, they are on another level. The X is a dual amp version of the MKII, with the new A side being a hotrodded version of the B original side amps from the MKII. It's not perfect, but I'm finding a great way to use it, with the A side clean, and the B side on the edge of break up. I also don't bother with the onboard reverb of the X because a couple things aren't quite right with it.

I'm learning that I just don't get along great with digital amp modeling. It is unfathomably amazing what Cliff and crew have done, so not to take anything at all away from that. I really wish that a new version of the FX8 was possible, similar form factor and function. Not like the FM9, but with the 3rd gen effects. I certainly don't need everything offered in the Axe FX III or FM9. For instance, X/Y switching per effect block is plenty sufficient.

Also, it's definitely not a latency thing. When playing through the Axe FX III with headphones, I really don't notice any.
 
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pima1234 said:
I don't get the sense of mismatch with analog, and everything sounds much more direct.
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I suspect that the sense of immediacy / more like an amp in the room tone is mostly coming from the analog cabinet simulation and not the analog amp simulation. I have run the Axe-FX III into the Fryette Power Load line in to use the analog cabinet / mic section of the Power Load as the speaker simulation and it sounded very direct, punchy, and lively just like it does with a loaded down tube amp into that cabinet cabinet simulation. I still generally prefer the sound of an IR over the sound of the analog cabinet simulation, but for clean tones it is a great sound.
 
OrganicZed said:
I suspect that the sense of immediacy / more like an amp in the room tone is mostly coming from the analog cabinet simulation and not the analog amp simulation. I have run the Axe-FX III into the Fryette Power Load line in to use the analog cabinet / mic section of the Power Load as the speaker simulation and it sounded very direct, punchy, and lively just like it does with a loaded down tube amp into that cabinet cabinet simulation. I still generally prefer the sound of an IR over the sound of the analog cabinet simulation, but for clean tones it is a great sound.
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That all makes perfect sense. I'm still figuring it all out, after all these years with Fractal and all kinds of other gear. I should probably settle in at some point...
 
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