How can I work an Axe-Fx, TriAxis, and 2:90 into a recording and live rig?

Brock

Experienced
I am buying a TriAxis and 2:90 power amp (thanks, @GotMetalBoy!). I want to work it into my rig so that I can record directly into my soundcard for tracking and out to a cab (or, ideally, two cabs) for playing live. The issue, far as I can tell is the placement of the power amp:

For tracking: Guitar > Axe-Fx (mono, pre-FX) > Axe Send > TriAxis > 2:90 > load box > Axe Return (IR, stereo post-FX) > Soundcard

For live: Guitar (mono, pre-FX) > Axe-Fx > Axe Send > TriAxis > Axe Return (no IR, stereo post-FX) > 2:90 > Cabs

How can I reconcile these two so I don't have to switch the wiring to move from tracking to live?
 
I've never played with those kind of applications for AF2 but if you split the signal internally inthe axe it can be done . I bet you have to play with the input options of the Amp block to be able to route properly .
Very interested if someone with better knoledge can enlight this thread ... interested
 
You know of course the AxeFx has the Mesa gear already available internally. Why not drop the extra gear and just run direct out of the AxeFx? Now if you like the Mesa gear live then the AxeFx should take the effect route in the effect loop of the TriAxis. And this coming from a big tube fan like myself. All you really need is the AxeFx, if you have a decent PA to play thru.
 
seems kinda pointless to me to have a real triaxis when the axe has nearly all the modes already in it. i'm not totally sure it's worth the amount of hassle to integrate the triaxis. once you get it all rigged up, do some A/B'ing and see if you really need the extra hardware
 
I think I might have figured it out.

Wiring_Diagram.png

The only issue I can think with this is it's placing the IR after the post/stereo FX (e.g., Chorus). Is that an issue?
 
I have the same rig except I have a mesa fifty/fifty instead of the 290. I don't think there is a way to combine those two settings because you're already using both outputs. (output 1 for the fx send, output 2 going to the power amp)

I have never used a load box, but for what it's worth I use the triaxis, axe fx, and fifty/fifty setup for live use, but just record using only the axe fx. I've tried recording the triaxis through the axe fx with only cab sims but it doesn't sound totally right because you're missing the power amp and as far as I know there's no way to turn on only a power amp sim within the axe. I've also tried mic'ing up my 4x12 live setup to compare to axe fx recordings, but it was no comparison. The room i'm using to record in sounds terrible, and the axe fx sounds wonderful recorded alone by itself. So recording is going to be digital only for me..... until cliff releases that fancy new load box.

Comparing the axe fx + power amp to the triaxis + power amp I did notice a difference in sound. Although I'm not the best at getting into the advanced parameters to get it exactly the same.
 
I think I might have figured it out.

View attachment 38181

The only issue I can think with this is it's placing the IR after the post/stereo FX (e.g., Chorus). Is that an issue?

I usually put my cab block at the end of the signal chain because that's naturally how you hear FX in a real guitar rig.

When I first switched to FRFR cabs I thought the FX sounded weird and almost too Hi-Fi but then I realized it's because the Cab block was before the FX and I've always been used to hearing FX filtered by a real speaker cab.

I'm probably going to regret selling my Triaxis and 290. I already miss it and I haven't even shipped it yet :confused:
 
seems kinda pointless to me to have a real triaxis when the axe has nearly all the modes already in it. i'm not totally sure it's worth the amount of hassle to integrate the triaxis. once you get it all rigged up, do some A/B'ing and see if you really need the extra hardware

My soon to be Brock's Triaxis has the Eurotubes.com Mesa Boogie Triaxis High Gain Low Output Option installed: https://www.eurotubes.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=495&idcategory=159

I only use the 3 Lead 2 channels in the Triaxis and they sound different than the Axe-Fx II models but can't be tone matched because it's something in the pre-gain section that's different. When I tone match it, it only works for less than an octave, no matter if I play notes all over the neck. If the low notes match, the higher notes sound less distorted in the Triaxis. The Axe-Fx II pre-gain sounds too linear.

I've wanted to start a post asking how to shape pre-gain tones better but have always been afraid that people on here will freak out like they have in the past when a Triaxis was mentioned that sounded different than the Axe-Fx II models. I'm personally not looking to make my Axe-Fx II sound just like the Triaxis. I want to know how to sculpture my tone better. I've tried putting a Parametric EQ before the Amp Block which got me close and in some ways got me a better tone than I was expecting but I know there has to be advanced parameters that would get me closer to the Holy Grail of Tone :)

Maybe enough time has passed that I'm brave enough to start the post. Sorry, I'm not trying to hijack Brock's post, I just wanted to explain why I previously kept my Triaxis and why Brock wants to take a similar approach. If I have time tonight, I'll try to record some comparisons before packing up my old rig and saying my good byes.
 
The problem with the wiring diagram I came up with is it always has the 2:90 coloring the sound. So, for example, say I wan't to use an amp model in the Axe-Fx. It already has the power amp coloration built in - so that'd be doubled with the 2:90 at the end of the chain. And even if I globally disabled it, say for example I want to use a Vox model - so it goes guitar > Axe > 2:90 > Cab -- makes sense, except I could only use my Mesa cabs (which wouldn't be ideal for a Vox). Between that and the 2:90, ultimately the sound wouldn't necessarily sound like a Vox. In short, I'd be compromising the Axe's modeling capabilities.

I think the solution is to eliminate the cabs (which is great - will save me lots of money), run the Triaxis/2:90 as a pair in the FX loop, and then only run direct out from the Axe-Fx into my Focals.
 
you can turn off power amp modelling per preset. you don't have to do it globally. just turn sag to zero in the amp block.
 
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