How does the AXE FX3 sound compare to UA/Apollo amp/FX plugins?

bxlgotham

bxlgotham

Inspired
Is there a consensus on this? Truly not trolling here. Personally finding AX3 FX3 to sound fantastic out of my Adam A7x, and curious as I play with the branded plugins on the X2 Apollo (such as the Marshall JMP, JCM 800, etc), how it stacks up (no pun intended). I don't trust my ears yet, but seems AXE FX3 sounds a little more real to me. But could be because I was listening to the UA plugins the other day through IEMs, so not the same output speaker.

Do people mix them in their tracks, or tend to use one or the other?
 
Its a subjective utility thing. I like my axe and it has taken me over a year to find the sweet spot and this was my first digital emulation thing. But if you have used digital modelling at all for sometime, then its mostly the utility ease of use aspect and the choice aspect of what tone exactly you wanna record which can be either platform. But my general beginner opinion is to use hotter brighter pickups.....its easier to get the tones you desire on either platform.
 
I recommend a Tom Quayle video on YT called "How I Make Axe FX Tones". It was a game changer for me. There are 4-5 settings he tweaks in the amp and cab blocks that literally make all the difference for me. Now whenever I create a new preset, I adjust those very parameters. That video is a must. Leon's are super helpful too.

Good luck.

Dave
 
I have the Plexi plugin, that comes bundled with most UA interfaces. I really do not care much about it, having the Axe Fx III, but overall sounds great and I can run it at pretty low latency. Overall tough I think they are very pricey, bought all one by one they'd cost a true fortune in comparison with the Axe Fx roster.
 
CudBucket said:
I recommend a Tom Quayle video on YT called "How I Make Axe FX Tones". It was a game changer for me. There are 4-5 settings he tweaks in the amp and cab blocks that literally make all the difference for me. Now whenever I create a new preset, I adjust those very parameters. That video is a must. Leon's are super helpful too.

Good luck.

Dave
Click to expand...

Leon's videos are an absolute must for me. Thanks for the Tom Quayle pointer. That was a really good one too.
 
I've tried most of the UA amps, albeit briefly. They sound fine but the IR options are very limited and overall was left feeling "eh" on them. If you were a producer who occasionally needed guitar tones, you'd probably find them to be enough.
 
I don't think the difference can be described as more real, less real. If you were to compare the authencity to real amp, than you need to compare it to the real amp (and probably the modelled one) and play them either through the same IR or through the same cabinet to get an honest idea.

This on side, i A/Bed the UA plexi to one in Axe FX 3. The majority of the difference is i believe in the IR and i did not take the time to play both through the same IR. But the Axe FX sounds to me way more pleasing and the difference is i think more than just the IR. And you get so much more control over the sound in Axe Fx to get it to react like as if you are playing the real amp and the choosen spealer/cab/IR since the speaker page/impedance settings/choices we have in Axe FX, don't exist in UA simulations.

edit: Just played them side by side right now after a long long time....The plexi in Axe FX has so much more ear pleasing harmonics. Sounds richer, way more fun to play.

edit 2: i don't know if it is cause of the harmonics and just a feel thing but the model in Axe has more gain and Axe FX cleans up with the volume pot also...in a more pleasing way.

edit 3: Also the ghost note is clearly there when you crank/dime the model in Axe FX, i barely hear it in the UA sim, if at all.
 
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