Getting into the Axe-Fx - selecting between the II versions

L

lateh

New Member
Hello,

I have lately decided to upgrade my current home studio environment in which I have used only guitar plugins to do all of my home recordings.
I decided to upgrade to Axe Fx but based on what I have read from the newest product, Axe III, I believe it would be an overkill for my current needs. The unit would only be for the purpose of home recordings and maybe in actual recording situations as well if needed.

There is alot of Axe Fx ultras and standards in the market near me, but I am willing to invest more that that so therefore I have excluded those from my options.
I have been looking for used models of the Axe II family and I have seen couple of Mark I's in the market near my location. I have understood that the differences between Mark I and II are not that big and between the Marks the XL, the difference is mostly the memory capacity in the XL. Also I have understood that there will be no updates in the Axe FX II family from now on, but the product is "mature" already? Based on all this, I posted a buying notification for the XL model, but without luck so far. However couple of Mark I's I have seen... This all have made wonder that are the differences in the Axe Fx II family that great based on my needs. My guitar rig for home recordings is really straight forward and I am not expecting to use all the different effects available etc. The features that I would value in the unit are the ease of use and good sounds with reasonable amount of options to choose from, thats it. In other words, should I wait until I find an XL or are all the II units suitable for my purposes?

Please excuse the inconvenience, I know that this topic has been talked alot but I still find myself stuck in deciding between the models and really understanding the meaning of them in the context of my needs. I would really appreciate some insights on the topic, thanks!
 
I still play the AX8 live for most gigs. It’s based on the Axe2 tech. It sounds so good and I could use it forever if another update never showed. I think you can’t go wrong with an Axe2. “Mature” means the tones or other things won’t change due to updates and you’ll have great tone for years and years.
 
Thanks for the reply! Does this also mean that the tones are equal in the Axe II versions? If so, what does the extra memory capacity in the XL unit means in practice in my situation? Less presets to choose from?
 
lateh said:
Thanks for the reply! Does this also mean that the tones are equal in the Axe II versions? If so, what does the extra memory capacity in the XL unit means in practice in my situation? Less presets to choose from?
Click to expand...

All II versions have the exact same tone. The differences are basically number of preset and cab slots.
 
grandinq said:
All II versions have the exact same tone. The differences are basically number of preset and cab slots.
Click to expand...

Ok, how big of a difference are we exactly talking about here? Do all the II models also differ in terms of cabinets and amps to choose from?
 
lateh said:
Ok, how big of a difference are we exactly talking about here? Do all the II models also differ in terms of cabinets and amps to choose from?
Click to expand...

They all have the same amps.

Original II and Mark 2:384 presets, 130 factory cabs, 100 user cab slots
II XL and XL+ 768 presets, 189 factory cabs, 1024 user cab slots
 
grandinq said:
They all have the same amps.

Original II and Mark 2:384 presets, 130 factory cabs, 100 user cab slots
II XL and XL+ 768 presets, 189 factory cabs, 1024 user cab slots
Click to expand...
Thanks! Just to be clear, Mark I has the same amount of presets etc. as the original II and Mark II?
 
Also about the Axe Edit program, does the actual unit that you have limit the amps/cabs and effects you can tweak in the program? What I mean is that for example, with the Axe Fx II you are limited to a certain amount of factory presets also within the Axe-Edit program?
 
lateh said:
Also about the Axe Edit program, does the actual unit that you have limit the amps/cabs and effects you can tweak in the program? What I mean is that for example, with the Axe Fx II you are limited to a certain amount of factory presets also within the Axe-Edit program?
Click to expand...

Axe Edit will allow you to access what’s in the unit. You can also use to import cabs or import/export presets. When I buy a cab pack, I use Axe Edit to help me audition cabs and I’ll save the ones I want to my user cabs.
 
They said that there would be no more updates for the II after Ares 1, and then suddenly out of the blue we got Ares 2. I think the rumors of the Axe II's update demise are pretty much just that. As long as there is room for more firmware updates and as long as Our Glorious Leader gets divine inspiration I wouldn't rule out yet another update for the II.
 
Several months back I got a III and contemplated (briefly) selling my XL so I made a 'notify me' flag in Reverb to monitor prices. I never removed the flag and almost daily I got notifications of fantastic deals on the XL and XL+. Both of these units are stellar units that honestly I don't ever see being obsoleted. I use my III for live, my Ultra for live backup and certain sounds and my XL in the studio. All of these boxes stay relevant IMHO.
 
Choose the Axe II Mk2 Version for homerecording - it´s got USB, you need no midi and can use it as a interface - straight into your DAW. The AX8 hasn´t got the Ares Update, so the Axe-Versions sound better than the Ax8.
 
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