Going Back to Valves ( for now )

Tremonti said:
You will be back....I did the same thing 3 years ago. I realized that options were nice. The AXE FX II can be as simple or complicated as you want. It's in your head and hands. Good luck and I feel a preemptive "I told you so" is in order!
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Didn't sound like he was abandoning his Axe, just taking a break. I do this all the time.
 
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chris5150 said:
Anyone else swtiched off from the axe for a bit?
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Thought about it a couple of times, I also don't have a lot of time to dig into it but since v9 I've found three or four great stock tones that only needed a tiny EQ for my gear. I probably don't get as good a tone as some of the serious tweakers but I just use it for practice so I just plug and play and generally I feel much better about it now. Probably the most expensive underused practice tool ever, for me of course.
 
SparkyG said:
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.
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That is exactly how I am. Nice to know others feel that way. I do try to stay real basic. maybe that's why but I certainly would never start rewiring and changing capacitors on my trusty old MusicMan122RD50. So I don't so it on the axe-well one in a while I do
 
@OP
Even though I don't feel that way it is very easy to understand how and why you feel the way you do-vey easy indeed.-Good Luck with all of it-
 
I like amps. When i had my RoadKing, i tweaked a lot. 4 channels is good for a amp head, but there was so many setting i liked. I would need 3 or 4 heads to complete my setup. 1 RK head is about twice the price of the Axe.
The good this with the Axe is that i store my presets, tweak a little and either store or trash what i have tweaked. Usually stored and tested again with fresh ears (as fresh as these can get after 25 years of 120dB)

I would like a Carol-Ann, Mark V and a OD100 in addition to the Axe. For comparison and to have something to rest my eyes on :)

I like amps.... I don`t need them. But i still like them...
 
I think he's just saying he wants to optimize his playing time - which is something like 5 hours a week. I think that's understandable.

He's not saying he's getting rid of the unit, he's just going to something simpler for the time being. Not everyone is prepared to invest the time to get past any initial learning curves there may be with the unit, and it's not right for everyone.

That being said, I do agree that it is worth the effort to explore the unit - and as was pointed out, it's pretty easy to start with a simple amp/cab combination (and maybe some delay, if that's what you like). You don't need to learn every aspect of the device for it to be useful and fun!

But I certainly don't fault someone who wants to play more and tweak less!
 
As someone that's used the Axe just a couple of months I can tell there's huge depth to the unit I'll never have the time, expertise or desire to explore - but that's okay. Just having a bunch of really accurate amp sims and really good quality FX mean's it's worth it several times over for me.

There's nothing on my pedal board that I can't find something as good or better (usually better) in the Axe-fx but without all the cabling clutter. I don't need to juggle three tube amps. Everything in the Axe sounds uncannily good to me and I don't find tweaking a sound to be too much different than on a tube amp (okay maybe a touch more fiddly due to the interface - sure Axe-edit will make this easier).

I'm not saying it's as good for everybody as owning a dozen boutique or vintage tube amps but as a part-time musician, having a rig I can now put in a light 3u flight case and love the sound of - it's mind blowing.
 
Before the Axe I had a Mesa rig, which I was dreaming about for many many years. It was a Mesa Formula preamp and a 2:90 power amp. I tweaked the preamp by HW until I found the exact sound I was looking for. It took me several weeks of soldering, calculating and just trial/error testing (of course high voltage electrocution was included).
Than I got myself an AxeFX Ultra. Guess what was my goal? To achieve the sound I had with my Mesa rig. I did it (in one month). I played that way for several rehearsals than I started to tweak it, I felt I can make it better. After a while I settled with a sound.
After a while I got nostalgic and wanted to play my Mesa rig again. Well... I didn't like what I heard, so I was quickly back to AxeFX Ultra. From time to time I power up my Mesa rig, it has tubes, it must sound the right way, isn't it? ...but I always shut it down in a few minutes.
I realized I can make my Axe to sound like my Mesa, but I cannot make my Mesa to sound like my Axe.
For almost a year I got the AxeFX II, never played live, only used for recording. I am waiting for the AE and will give it a try. Maybe that will finally let me go off the Mesa rig (I am still attached to it, just cannot make up my mind to sell it).
That's my "going back to tubes" story.
 
http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-f...monster-leveling-presets-video-axe-fx-ii.html

rodzimguitar68 said:
Where can I find this resource? I am curious.

Thanks
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and:

http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-ii-discussion/60374-axe-fest-west-coast-2012-videos-only.html

has helped me to stay simple. For me, the longest time it takes is to find the right cabinet for the right amp! BUT MisterE has graciously solved majority of my (our) trouble with his gracious post:

http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-ii-preset-exchange/62938-v9-02-all-amps-cabs.html

@OP As much as I understand where you are coming from I'd highly recommend trying these few methods before you call it 'quits'? :)

Happy playing!
 
@OP

I totally understand where you're coming from. From my experience here, there seems to be more than a few AXE heads that stay with older firmware. I'm guessing it's because their livelihood depends on it, and they don't want to mess with a setup that works. I think it's human nature to want to stay on the bleeding edge, but not always advisable. ;)

I'm on 9.02 now. I don't plan to update unless/until AE comes out.
 
chris5150 said:
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.
tch!!
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Hey I never knew that.
I'm going to have to cut off 3 of my fingers now
 
dkijc said:
has helped me to stay simple. For me, the longest time it takes is to find the right cabinet for the right amp!

@OP As much as I understand where you are coming from I'd highly recommend trying these few methods before you call it 'quits'? :)

Happy playing!
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Yeah - I think that's the main thing. Finding the right sound for what you want to do with just an amp and cab (and perhaps a drive). Then it's pretty easy to build everything off of that!

I've spent the most time just getting my basic sound. I've spent a lot of time just finding the right amp/cab combination, and lot of time auditioning different cabs/mics and blending IRs (Redwirez).

Once that's done, everything else is easy!
 
Right guys time for a complete u turn... U lot are absolutley right , the axe has it all, I need to apply myself a little more and work it out, it is my laziness that needs sorting , time to step up, take a couple of days off work and put some hours in, clearly it will reward me
Thanks for all the comments and the links above , it all has really made me realise the right path.... Valves what on earth was I thinking?... Silly me
 
chris5150 said:
Right guys time for a complete u turn... U lot are absolutley right , the axe has it all, I need to apply myself a little more and work it out, it is my laziness that needs sorting , time to step up, take a couple of days off work and put some hours in, clearly it will reward me
Thanks for all the comments and the links above , it all has really made me realise the right path.... Valves what on earth was I thinking?... Silly me
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Let us know how it works out!
 
If you don't have time to Tweak after updating then Don't Update.
It would be no different than buying a Product that never gets improved.
If you have a good sound at FW5 (Which I did) then don't update.
I don't mind having to re-tweak because the improvements have been nice.
I have mostly upgraded because I wanted the Diezels and The Fender Super Reverb and the Silver Jubilee.
But you don't HAVE to update...
People Complain because AxeEdit doesn't work, well guess what it works. Just Not with FW8+
So if you really want AxeEdit then Load FW7 and AxeEdit away.
If you don't want to constantly re-tweak then don't grab the new firmware, or only do it if you have a compelling reason to do so.
Stay away from the Forum however... Because every time an Update is Described It makes you want it...
I would have been Completely satisfied with my Axe2 at the Firmware It came shipped with which was FW5.04 I think.
Everything sounded great and I had all my Patches sounding great.
If I was giggin regularly instead of breaking in a new Drummer, I probably would have skipped a couple Releases along the Way until I had the Time to Tweak things in.
It is not so much Getting a good sound. I think that has been pretty easy. It is getting the perfect balance between all my Patches which I use 15-20 live.

Anyways, I value the Amp and Effect Variety available to me over a good sounding Mesa.
I think the Fender Super Reverb, the JTM45, The Silver Jubilee, The Mesa Vintage, The Mesa Modern, The Diezels, The 5150...
I cannot get all that from a Mesa alone. Plus the Ability to make my Electric be a spot on Match for an Acoustic...
All that I cannot live without now. I could never go back.
 
You know what I have taken a bit more time with it and already I am more than happy. Thanks for the video links, thanks Scott for posting , it really is quite inspirational. I have a far better understanding now i have 'bothered' to take a little more time, my bad. My sound has got a lot better, I have cranked up my pair of RCF10's, gone noon on the axe's output level, tickled my reds and mucked about with a few presets, straight away I have 4 or so top sounds, pretty stuck on Mark Days HBE ( 370 ) cracker for the home volume I play at ( seperate sound proofed room, so no neighbours issue, just my old ears that need protecting a little! ).
Got a bit Argggggh, with a 4 hr stint to get my mfc upto 2.15 ( long story wont bore you with it )..but overall yep stupid stupid me, this thing sounds 10 x the boogie...what was I thinking?....appreciate all the excellent comments & advice ..strangely I seem to quite enjoy playing with the axe again....maybe I can cope with more than 7 choices!!
 
I was looking at a video long time ago to learn After Effects (Adobe) and I heard the guy say, "Don't try to know everything at once, you'll be overwhelmed and never really learn anything. Learn what you need to know at the moment."

Learn as you go and have fun! :)
 
Bits and pieces . . . bits and pieces.

Do a little at a time. Build a couple presets and then use them and tweak here and there. If you suffer from attention deficit and lack of time like myself this is the way to go. The important thing is you have to have fun and enjoy what you are doing.

Don't set the standards so high. Take a small chunk and run with it. Jump on the forum from time to time and read what tricks people are doing and implement them as you see fit. This could possible be the perfect solution to complete versatility.

For guys like myself, I absolutely enjoy having all these choices at my finger tips. It is a learning curve, but now days what piece of tech doesn't have one.
Sounds like you have a good plan. Jump back to it when you are ready.
Good luck.
 
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