Going Back to Valves ( for now )

chris5150

chris5150

Inspired
This is not a 'diss' the axe fx thread, far from it, I think it is a fantastic bit of kit. But, and for me its a big but at the moment, I just dont have a huge amount of time to give it, struggling to cope with constant updates & tweaks...too much choice and too much updating for the amount of time I have to play my guitar ( which is alot , maybe 5 hrs a week or something in that region )
I played last night through my Mesa mini rectifier, 2 channels setup ( very easy to get a good sound) MXR delay pedal...and I found I could use the guitar volume/pickups etc to get most of the sounds I wanted..sorted.
Its great this fractal updating the axe all the time, but its just too much for me..I know you could leave it at a certain level, but I cant, as soon as i hear 'new software' and read about how good it is , I need to update, maybe thats just my sort of OCD or something. Then I end up tweaking, then I dont like it so I go back to it before I tweaked, then I see all these patches made by others, then there is no easy way to audition them due to lack of axe edit....whooooo steady on fella, back that horse up a bit...too much for me, really need to optimise my 'playtime' and it isnt best optimised constantly fiddling about with the axe.
Totally understand you more dedicated guys putting in the hours etc, but at this time I need to make the most of my limited time, switch on , play, couple of hours later, switch off..simple. My laptop annoys me, midi annoys me, there always seems to be some sort of issue somewhere and to be honest playing guitar is supposed to be my release from that hassle, its not supposed to add to it.
So anyways the axe 2 is staying, but I am going to 'park' it up for 6 months or so and then come back to see whats happened..back to valves for now, give my hurting brain, fiddling fingers and tired ears a rest for a bit me thinks.
Anyone else swtiched off from the axe for a bit?
 
Agreed, thats why I am keeping the axe, my issue with it is the amount of time I have to apply, especially to 'meddling' in my case isnt enough. Just need something simpler for a while and get back to actually playing the guitar more
 
Imagine if someone gave you all the physical equivalents of what the axe offers... All the amps, pedals, effects, etc. right in front of you. That'd be a huge pile of stuff to figure out how to use! It's no different from a setup point of view, just takes up less room and no cables with the axe fx.

When you do go back to the axe, just start simple. Amp and cab. That's it. Get something going there with all the basic controls. Then slowly add things like reverb or delay.

I think people see all the potential and want the big rig now! But they don't know how to use all the individual components so they just tweak forever and don't play. Just limit yourself to things you know and you'll have gig ready tones in no time.
 
I don't know... I was constantly going through the endless search for "the tone" back when I had tube amps. Everytime I thought that I had found "the tone", I was ending up retweaking the very next day since it seemed that my amps never sounded the same each and every day. So I was spending more time tweaking and less time actually playing the instrument!
Now with axe fx (standard and II), once I make a preset I really like, I rarely have to seriously retweak it (even with the updates) and most importantly, every time I turn the noise box on, I get exactly the same sound I had the last time I played - and as an added bonus I get my sounds at any volume.
So, for me at least, this available sound "consistency", makes me play more guitar and tweak less (that is unless I want to try sth new etc).
Also, I've found a nice trick to help me play more (especially the boring practice part): I just play for about an hour unplugged (just warm up exercises and scales etc) and THEN I turn on the axe and plug the guitar in.
On the other hand, I totally get the "must tweak" mentality you are describing... I had this mentality for years, but now with the axe II, it seems that I've found my go-to sounds and they always sound great, every time.
 
I kinda know how you feel. These damn automobiles, they seem great at first. But then you have learn how to use them, constantly maintain them, then an updated model comes out you have to have and boom! Now I have figure out where all the knobs are all over again. I'm giving it up and going back to riding a horse instead. You just hop on and go. No need to have the A/C recharged or thermostat changed to get the heat to work.
 
In the last few updates all I have needed to do is re-level the volumes of my patches using Scott's level meter method and I'm done, takes about 30 mins. I have found each update improves my patch sounds without any tweaks at all. I couldn't be happier and tweak very little.
Only major change I have made recently is the use of the new FAS Crunch model, since its awesome, but that slotted easily into an old patch I had with a JCM 800 model, tweak, eq, drive and MV, RE-level, and its done. Rest of the patch including cab block stayed the same. Less than 10 mins.
 
All good points and all probably very true, I dare say I will be back. I think a lot of my frustration is just becuase of the way my mind works..ie its in touch with its feminine side and cannot make a decision, or rather struggles to come to a conclusion when there is too much choice ( sorry ladies couldnt resist, I know that statement isnt true really )
For example I downloaded 9, and went through all the 300 presets, spent a few nights audtioning them, then made a list of ones I liked, then tweaked the ones I liked, then programmed the first 5 slots on my mfc...I dont need anymore than 4 sounds, especially on a good amp when I can clean up with the volume on the guitar etc.
I am not a guitar god, I do not spend ages playing, so its all just time, then we have the 9.1 update, then I have mfc and scences to get my head round, then I have v10 around the corner, then I am waiting for axe edit, then I have a stockpile of patches to audition, then prob v11 will be out...on it goes.
Like I say for me and the level/amount of playing I do ,a mark v boogie will do just fine for now, dial it and leave it..sorted, 4 sounds.
Apparantly a human can only cope with so many choices, 7 or something like that, then they struggle, hence 7 days in the week, 7 seas, 7 deadly sins etc, read it in a book somewhere years ago, apparantly your life works better dealing with limited choices....thats how I feel right now.
But yes I dare say I will be back, as I said just need to 'park' it for a while....to be honest been playing more acoustic recently just cos its easier to pick up & put down , playing for the sake of it rather than the obsession with finding the perfect patch!!
 
all I can say is good luck, do what you enjoy with what you need.


love peace and guitarification.... see you soon .
 
I've not used the AxeFx much since AE was decommissioned.

But I've used my amps all along too, when AE was alive and kicking. Just depends on what I am doing whether I go Axe or not.

Richard
 
Using time more efficiently is always good. I don't have a problem with tweaking the Axe. my weakness is every few months I'll start looking at the for sale ads on the Gear Page and then convince myself I need a new guitar. This has proven to be a huge waste of time and energy.
 
chris5150 said:
This is not a 'diss' the axe fx thread, far from it, I think it is a fantastic bit of kit. But, and for me its a big but at the moment, I just dont have a huge amount of time to give it, struggling to cope with constant updates & tweaks...too much choice and too much updating for the amount of time I have to play my guitar ( which is alot , maybe 5 hrs a week or something in that region )
I played last night through my Mesa mini rectifier, 2 channels setup ( very easy to get a good sound) MXR delay pedal...and I found I could use the guitar volume/pickups etc to get most of the sounds I wanted..sorted ...
Click to expand...

I totally understand what you're saying. There is a certain level of commitment that comes with learning a new piece of gear, particularly one this sophisticated.

If the Axe is a distraction for you - you've made the right decision. After all, we're all doing this because we love playing right?
 
I never left tube amps. Why would you have to? I use an Axe-II for what I think it does well or when I'm in the mood & the same with the Kemper. I use my tube amps for the same reasons.

Life is short, why do people think they have to make such definitive decisions along the way. Nothing in life does everything better than everything else. Never gonna happen. Sometimes I'm in the mood to use something that is designed to just do 1 or 2 things really well!
 
If you like the way a tube amp sounds for example with a compressor and a delay just make patches with a simple compressor and delay. Just because the Axe Fx has all these options doesn't mean we have to use them.
I still have and love tube amps but don't use them often anymore because they mainly have a certain sweet spot. I have found amp models in the Axe Fx (clean, overdrive and high gain) that have their own sweet spot also, I usually stick with them for basic sounds and change ir's to fit what I like.
I have slowed down using the Axe until Axe edit is ready because I want to better learn to use my MFC, effects, internal controllers etc... And it is much harder to do these things without AE.
I predict that we won't see a new AE until after NAMM for some strange reason!?!?
 
Use whatever inspires you. But hang on to that Axe II. Your inspiration is going to take you somewhere your current rig might not, and you will have a bridge waiting...
 
Chris@KatsuKuriMedia said:
Imagine if someone gave you all the physical equivalents of what the axe offers... All the amps, pedals, effects, etc. right in front of you. That'd be a huge pile of stuff to figure out how to use! It's no different from a setup point of view, just takes up less room and no cables with the axe fx.

When you do go back to the axe, just start simple. Amp and cab. That's it. Get something going there with all the basic controls. Then slowly add things like reverb or delay.

I think people see all the potential and want the big rig now! But they don't know how to use all the individual components so they just tweak forever and don't play. Just limit yourself to things you know and you'll have gig ready tones in no time.
Click to expand...

^This.....exactly. Well said Chris

We have all been through this in the beginning stages. We are ALL still learning more and more as we move forward.
 
I also never left my tube amps (and pedals). I tried (invested in trying a few poweramps, trying the studio monitors and some FR-Active Monitors, power section of my amps ...) to use the axe live, but didn't like the feeling and sound. Perhaps it is possible to find a good sound (that I like), but if I can not reach the tone that I like in few days (tried at least 5-6 times in last almost 2 years with Ultra and II), then I do not want to use it. With my amps I reached the sound(s) that I really like in few seconds. And for those who can think that the axe is perhaps to complex for me, no, that is not the case. I like the user interface, it is pretty simple (and I earn my money as mathematician and computer scientist, so also has a affinity to new technology :)

I use the Axe II now (I mean last time was 4 months ago) for recording ...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom