Generic Axe-FX vs Real Amp clips + the Joy of IRs.

M

mranonimouse

Member
Long post alert!! (A clone of my post at HRI)

I was experimenting with creating and uploading my own impulse responses to the Axe-FX cabinet modelling block the other day. (Turns out it’s not that hard, I was inspired by Armin's guide.)

A friend of mine was round with his Marshall JTM45 RI head, and as there is a JTM45 model in the Axe-FX, and I now knew how to get the impulse response of a mic’d cabinet we thought we’d have a little bit of fun comparing how they might sound in a live situation through front of house.

We made some clips, and I thought I may as well share them in case others are interested.

We had a gig situation in mind and what we compared was:

Strat --> Real JTM45 (But running 6V6s and inputs bridged) --> Orange 4x12 w/V30s close mic’d with an SM57, and an MD421, both on-axis bodged in front of the cab like at our average gigs.

Against:

Strat --> Axe-FX recorded direct.

The Axe-FX was running the JTM45 model which was dialled in as close as we could be arsed to, without fagging around with many of the advanced parameters. The JTM45 model was run in to a cab block containing an impulse response of the cab and mics used above. (Although the relative levels between the mics isn’t exactly the same due to adjusting the gains between making the IR and recording.)

All these clips use the same sound, they are just different riffs, chord sequences etc. No post processing at all except a hint of reverb.

I know some of you like to play the “guess the real amp” game so I got my friend to mix up all the clips for you, but that’s not really why I wanted to share, I’m not trying to fool, trick or prove anyone wrong because frankly, I don’t give a damn.

Clip 1A
Clip 1B

Clip 2A
Clip 2B

Clip 3A
Clip 3B

Clip 4A
Clip 4B

Clip 5A
Clip 5B

Thanks to JavaJunkie for hosting these.

I think my main point is, with some basic recording equipment, it’s easy to get your own cabinet IR in to the Axe-FX, and to me it sounds the same as the mic’d up cabinet. (Although these clips don’t demonstrate that due to the different amps used.)

This opens up a few possibilities such as recording direct with your loaded down tube amp late at night (Why do those great ideas always happen late at night?!) or out of the studio, or gigging without a cab or without micing up your cab and running direct to FoH but still getting your usual FoH sound. Also you could add all the usual post-processing stuff in the Axe-FX to go to FoH whilst having your usual raw cab sound on stage. And I’m sure there are loads of other potential ideas I haven’t even thought of yet.

Knock yourself out, I’m going to spend some time working on a new close-mic’d sound for myself.
 
Those sound great! Very very close to each other in both clips. I would give the edge to the 'A' tracks in terms of sound quality, but they were so close that it's only the slightest of edges. ;)
 
My guess:

A=Amp
B=Axe-Fx

B sounds more compressed and A sounds little more "open" as my tube amp does compared to my Axe-Fx. Although on clip 3A and 3B they both sound 100% identical that I had to check the file names to see that there were indeed 2 clips. Let me know what the answer is. :) Either way, both clips sound so close that in a mix you wouldn't hear it unless you were told that they were different beforehand.
 
mranonimouse said:
I think my main point is, with some basic recording equipment, it’s easy to get your own cabinet IR in to the Axe-FX, and to me it sounds the same as the mic’d up cabinet.
Click to expand...
Yep. What I've been saying for the past 1 1/2 years. If you refine your acquisition technique, acquire a calibrated, flat-response test mic, and test in the farfield - which requires a medium-size, but not large, test space - you can recreate the "in the room" sound of an unmic'ed cab. That's why I own an AxeFx, and it's why I don't use IRs other than those that I've created.
 
Those clips sound great m8!
Great playing too, very much in the pocket.. :ugeek:

I can't tell which is which, i'd tend to guess that version b is the Axe-Fx, but can not say why..
I will definitely have a look into creating my own IRs after hearing this!

Thank you! :)
 
I don't care which is "real." I prefer the sounds of the "B" clips, with the exception of Clip 3. I like 3A better. The differences are consistent: the clips I prefer have slightly clearer articulation of attacks and upper harmonics, and the differences become more pronounced when you play double-stops and chords. The preferred clips will be easier to hear clearly in a mix. Nice grooves, BTW.

You could produce the sounds of either "A" or "B" clips with an Axe-Fx.
 
which one is the real one? The A ones, seem to sound quite a bit "livlier". But overall ver similar tone.

~mike~
 
mranonimouse said:
I know some of you like to play the “guess the real amp” game so I got my friend to mix up all the clips for you
Click to expand...

I don't think the amp in clip1A is necessarily the same as the other "A" clips . At least, that's how I read the statement above.
 
Jay Mitchell said:
I don't care which is "real." I prefer the sounds of the "B" clips, with the exception of Clip 3. I like 3A better. The differences are consistent: the clips I prefer have slightly clearer articulation of attacks and upper harmonics, and the differences become more pronounced when you play double-stops and chords. The preferred clips will be easier to hear clearly in a mix. Nice grooves, BTW.

You could produce the sounds of either "A" or "B" clips with an Axe-Fx.
Click to expand...

I preferred the same except I prefer 5A over 5B, But 3B better than 3A. So 1-4 B and 5 A.
 
hippietim said:
when it's this close, it doesn't matter - you're there. cool stuff!
Click to expand...
That's it. Subtle differences like that would be lost in a band context. The tube snobs who says otherwise are… never mind :D
 
the joke is on us.... all the clips were taken out of the same peavey bass amp............ :cry:

:lol:
 
I prefer the following based on quick comparison through crappy speakers at work:
1A
tie for both 2's (sound identical to me)
3B
tie for both 4's (sound identical to me)
5A

Now which ones are they?
 
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