How to use the "Magic 8-Ball" in the tuner.

Peter Hundley said:
Seriously? Does anyone actually need this explained? Can you imagine what the support emails are like for Fractal if this is a problem that people are having?
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LOL That's why I wrote this up, so hopefully they'll get LESS support emails about it!
 
When you are perfectly tuned, the eye should center and sound "poopoopoopoopoop" like that of The 6 Million Dollar Man :p
 
themaidenmaniac said:
I still dont believe there are people who dont grasp its concept, it must be something else. Unless maybe some guys are loaded, and have just bought a guitar and an axe fx II. I always thought the axe fx 2 was one of those units you eventually work up to after many years playing guitar lol.
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Actually I picked the guitar up again after 20+ years and just recently purchased an AXE-FX II. It's a midlife thing I'm thinking, but darn cheaper than a Corvette. ;)
 
It’s amazing that treads like this, amongst others, have to exist, to explain such fundamentals like tuners. One would tend to think that people who purchase such advanced equipment would at least be competent in guitar basics. Apparently some have more money than sense and think that by purchasing an Axe will make up for all their shortcomings as guitarists; it will instantly turn them into guitar gods. If tuners have to be explained, then the assumption is near that the lack of knowledge in regards to the fact that a guitar has to be setup correctly in order to get an optimal tuning, action and performance, is probably also lacking. I’m ultra-anal about my guitar setups; it’s the utmost important step to the ultimate tuning and playability of an instrument. So before one starts blaming the tuner for the shortcomings of their instruments, get the basics right first, because if these aren’t taken care of then the best tuner in the world isn’t going to be able help you.

Pre tuner requirements (the Ten Commandments):

1.) String quality and regular string changes (not meaning once a year!)
2.) Quality and setup of the machine-heads and eventual string retainers
3.) Saddle/nut quality and proper string height at the first fret and seat in the saddle/nut string grooves, not to forget adequate string pressure on saddle/nut. If the strings sit too loosely or to snug in the grooves your tuning nightmare is preprogrammed.
4.) In the case of guitars with a locking saddle/nut, a proper tensioning of the lock down screws and the quality of the saddle/nut is also an issue.
5.) Neck curvature and string height at the 12th fret and beyond. Setup greatly depends on playing style.
6.) Bolt-on necks; proper seating and screws properly tightened
7.) Fret leveling and dressing
8.) Bridge quality, height and intonation. Adequate string pressure on the bridge.
9.) Proper tremolo spring tension and setup
10.) Pickup height and eventually individual pol heights

All that being said, the Axe Fx II tuner in V8.01a works flawless and accurate (tested with all my guitars which are anally setup), including the 8-ball which delivers the cherry on top for highest accuracy.

Cheers!
 
Solarfire said:
......
Pre tuner requirements (the Ten Commandments):

1.) String quality and regular string changes (not meaning once a year!)
2.) Quality and setup of the machine-heads and eventual string retainers
3.) Saddle/nut quality and proper string height at the first fret and seat in the saddle/nut string grooves, not to forget adequate string pressure on saddle/nut. If the strings sit too loosely or to snug in the grooves your tuning nightmare is preprogrammed.
4.) In the case of guitars with a locking saddle/nut, a proper tensioning of the lock down screws and the quality of the saddle/nut is also an issue.
5.) Neck curvature and string height at the 12th fret and beyond. Setup greatly depends on playing style.
6.) Bolt-on necks; proper seating and screws properly tightened
7.) Fret leveling and dressing
8.) Bridge quality, height and intonation. Adequate string pressure on the bridge.
9.) Proper tremolo spring tension and setup
10.) Pickup height and eventually individual pol heights

All that being said, the Axe Fx II tuner in V8.01a works flawless and accurate (tested with all my guitars which are anally setup), including the 8-ball which delivers the cherry on top for highest accuracy.

Cheers!
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I'm quite happy not to have known the "commandments" 28 years ago when I started playing; I probable would have abandonned the first day I read that. Why not indicate also the string tension in Nm, the height in µm, the brand of the steelwool for poloishing your frets, the couple for neck tighting screws etc etc. And BTW I still change strings only when one breaks; an attitude that I will have to change on my Fame Forum IV : strings never break on this axe. I guess I'll have to opt for a "once a 4-6 months" change :))))))). Also am I using the cheapo 011 Darco strings, some sub-brand of a big name in the string area, and do not regret this at all. When on a gig, what you transmit is the energy, nothing less nothing more. Who never has been bored by a concert of so-called great "(local) star" musicians showing off with top gear but just doing what they're paid for, but been excited about 4 kids playing on 10$ gear at a street corner.
Purists are purists, technicians are technicians, artists are artists and music is music; and not necessarily nor implicitly correlated. Why bother if people are buying or not a piece of gear while not having all the skills for using it properly; look at a 90 year old drivers in a Porsche, what the heck ? At least Axe buyers won't kill anybody while playing around with their toy and also they're not occupied with stupid computer games. This is one of the particular things I like about the axe, it is so accessible for anybody between 7-77 years old. And the price is not that high at all, not to say "extremely low" comparing the performance you get under your hands. The fact that even "beginners" buy the axe is the best confirmation that the engine is considered as a clever investment. Absolutely right IMHO, so I guess, as the business continues to flourish, the best Fractal Audio could do is publish a "top ten" of user questions, ha!
To get back on the original subject : the axe tuner "rocks", the ball works at perfection but is not an indispensable tool for me.
 
1dangerousdave said:
I wish FAS would produce this tuner as a dedicated pedal or desktop unit... It would be great to have on my repair bench.
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Well, call me a heretic and chase me with pitch-forks etc, but as I happen to have both an Axe2 and a Kemper ... I really find the Kemper uber easy to tune up with, basically, there are 3 leds above the "Tune" position of the knob which are active all the time green one on the left is flat, white is spot on, green on right is sharp ... theres a tune position that shows what note you are playing and a spirit level .. but its a bit like the magic 8 ball, I never use it.

The really useful thing is that it those leds are always active. I know it doenst sound like a big deal, but its one of those things that your really miss when you don't have it, which is alwaysa sign of someting being good.

OK, so I can here you all saying "yeah, so what, it sounds like the arrows on the fractal, but 3 leds .. big deal" ... but in practice its so useful .. any time you are unsure you just glance over and check a string ... I've even had our other guitarist wandering over at the begining of practice going "err, can I just tune up on your rig?"

So, with imitation being the sincerest form of flattery ... if the next Axe model out of the door magically got 3 leds, ideally 3 different color leds as it can be hard to see which way it is at a distance .. I'd be very happy. If they were replicated on the footpedal, I'd be even happier :)
 
lauke-lux said:
I'm quite happy not to have known the "commandments" 28 years ago when I started playing; I probable would have abandonned the first day I read that. Why not indicate also the string tension in Nm, the height in µm, the brand of the steelwool for poloishing your frets, the couple for neck tighting screws etc etc. And BTW I still change strings only when one breaks; an attitude that I will have to change on my Fame Forum IV : strings never break on this axe. I guess I'll have to opt for a "once a 4-6 months" change :))))))). Also am I using the cheapo 011 Darco strings, some sub-brand of a big name in the string area, and do not regret this at all. When on a gig, what you transmit is the energy, nothing less nothing more. Who never has been bored by a concert of so-called great "(local) star" musicians showing off with top gear but just doing what they're paid for, but been excited about 4 kids playing on 10$ gear at a street corner.
Purists are purists, technicians are technicians, artists are artists and music is music; and not necessarily nor implicitly correlated. Why bother if people are buying or not a piece of gear while not having all the skills for using it properly; look at a 90 year old drivers in a Porsche, what the heck ? At least Axe buyers won't kill anybody while playing around with their toy and also they're not occupied with stupid computer games. This is one of the particular things I like about the axe, it is so accessible for anybody between 7-77 years old. And the price is not that high at all, not to say "extremely low" comparing the performance you get under your hands. The fact that even "beginners" buy the axe is the best confirmation that the engine is considered as a clever investment. Absolutely right IMHO, so I guess, as the business continues to flourish, the best Fractal Audio could do is publish a "top ten" of user questions, ha!
To get back on the original subject : the axe tuner "rocks", the ball works at perfection but is not an indispensable tool for me.
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Sounds to me like you’re augmenting for mediocrity and you totally missed the point of the post. In case you didn’t notice there is no referral to the price of guitars, strings or anything else for that matter, these simple rules apply to 100$ guitars just as well as 20000$ guitars. Quality doesn’t necessarily translate to higher price, but ignoring or talking down these very simple rules is a sign of plain ignorance, this is what separates the pros from the armatures. I’ve been actively playing for 44 years now and had early contact to studio musicians; this is where I learned what the difference is between a good sounding/playable instrument and a great sounding/playable instrument. If you’re happy with ok and have no ambition for great, then good for you! By the way when you break a string do you only change that one, or do you go all out and change the set?
 
Solarfire said:
Sounds to me like you’re augmenting for mediocrity and you totally missed the point of the post. In case you didn’t notice there is no referral to the price of guitars, strings or anything else for that matter, these simple rules apply to 100$ guitars just as well as 20000$ guitars. Quality doesn’t necessarily translate to higher price, but ignoring or talking down these very simple rules is a sign of plain ignorance, this is what separates the pros from the armatures. I’ve been actively playing for 44 years now and had early contact to studio musicians; this is where I learned what the difference is between a good sounding/playable instrument and a great sounding/playable instrument. If you’re happy with ok and have no ambition for great, then good for you! By the way when you break a string do you only change that one, or do you go all out and change the set?
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Ha ! First I change the string only so to be able to continue playing and once back home I immediately change all set as I keep easily 10-20 sets in stock at home ;-)) no sweat Solarfire, I get your point and first thing I do with a new axe is effectively all the controls you indicate and above all get intonation to perfection, of course ! But I did not do this when starting playing the guitar at 18yrs old and only a couple of years later once I understood the need for it and the technical part of the matter under control and was able to play correctly and understand what this is all about. It takes a little time as a beginner, and IMHO the most important is getting your fingerboard under control (even with a 99% sharp tuning only). But there is no discussion possible: in principle you are absolutely right.
Cheers !
 
wezx said:
The "Magic 8-Ball" is an innovative tool designed for precision tuning. NOTE: You are NOT required to use the "Magic 8-Ball". You can continue to use the grid and arrows alone and achieve excellent results.*The "Magic 8-Ball" is designed to give you strobe tuner type accuracy and can be very helpful when adjusting intonation.

1. Tune your string with the grid and arrows as normal
2. When both arrows are lit you will see the "Magic 8-Ball" rotating one way or the other. If it is rotating counter-clockwise you are flat. Clockwise - you are sharp. The faster the ball rotates the more sharp or flat you are.
3. Slowly continue to adjust your pitch until the ball slows and stops. Do not be alarmed if you are unable to stop the ball's movement completely. NOTE: The black circle DOES NOT have to be at the top of the ball, it just has to stop (or slow) it's rotation as much as possible.
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Do I have to be on a certain level of MFC or AXE to see the ball?
 
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