Is anyone using their AxeIII just for effects?? And is it overkill?!

tysonlt said:
Just goes to show that the effects are first class!
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I don't think that's ever been much of a concern. They've been great for years.

The only issue is that with so many parameters it's a lot harder to get what you want out of them without becoming an expert. The new effect type presets help a lot for that sort of stuff but I'd still love to see "simplified" views for most effects that only give you parameters that are relevant to most users or convenience controls that adjust multiple parameters (e.g. instead of full LFOs you just have a "modulation" knob that adds that for you). Just the lunch menu rather than everything the restaurant offers if you will.
 
Adman103 said:
And frankly, given how expensive top tier pedals are getting these days, even just as a pedalboard, an axe rig is a pretty good deal.
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It's not as easy to tweak settings though, for me anyway, as some things seem to have tricks to them I haven't found. For example, I've never figured out how to replicate some reverb effects that I can do in 30 seconds with some pedals. The bonus is being able to save your settings if you do come up with one.

I agree though. When I bought my III, I easily sold off enough pedals to cover the cost, and that wasn't all of them.
 
laxu said:
I don't think that's ever been much of a concern. They've been great for years.

The only issue is that with so many parameters it's a lot harder to get what you want out of them without becoming an expert. The new effect type presets help a lot for that sort of stuff but I'd still love to see "simplified" views for most effects that only give you parameters that are relevant to most users or convenience controls that adjust multiple parameters (e.g. instead of full LFOs you just have a "modulation" knob that adds that for you). Just the lunch menu rather than everything the restaurant offers if you will.
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Yeah, without getting into some trademark issues, it would be nice if you could bring up a graphic of a Boss pedal being represented, with the same knobs, and they would respond as such. You could always deep dive into the regular screens if you wanted to tweak, but at least the main controls would get you to a good starting point. Same with the compressors, delays, etc.

There are times when I just don't both trying to mess trying to get an effect I want because I just want to play, and not spend the next hour fiddling with settings. If it was the equivalent of adding a delay and twisting a couple of knobs, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
 
I don't see any problem to use the Axe-Fx just for the FX side: I have some customer who prefer this way but often, after some time, they start to use also AMP/CAB modelling. FX are stellar on FAS unit so ;)...
 
spagthorpe said:
It's not as easy to tweak settings though, for me anyway, as some things seem to have tricks to them I haven't found. For example, I've never figured out how to replicate some reverb effects that I can do in 30 seconds with some pedals. The bonus is being able to save your settings if you do come up with one.

I agree though. When I bought my III, I easily sold off enough pedals to cover the cost, and that wasn't all of them.
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Yea, very true, there is definitely a learning curve. Although the frustrating thing with pedals is that with the big digital effects- Strymon stuff, chase bliss stuff, or the microcosm, etc- there are so many deep dive type of features that you have to really study the manual and keeping up with each pedal's quirks, menus, features, adjustments, etc can be really hard. Now fractals have loads of those nitpicky deep dive parameters, but they're at least on menus that I can see in front of me- I can either choose to fool with them or ignore them, but I know they are there. When I first got my microcosm, I screwed up the modulation depth totally on accident, not even realizing it was an option, and it took an embarrassing amount of time to figure out that A) I had screwed something up, and B) how to get rid of that seasick wobble on all of the sounds.

You are undoubtedly correct for most pedals out there- nothing's as simple and intuitive as plugging into a tube screamer, or what have you.
 
When I’m lazy I’ll just use the axe. When I’m not lazy, I plug the fractal into a 3 amp splitter. All you have to do is have the effects go to a seperate chain that doesn’t have an amp block.

Since when did society become so upset about purchases being “overkill”? I always want more value for my dollar. It seems like the helix comparisons have pushed guitarists to think this way which is just stupid.
 
Ot works great for this. I use 4 cable method with my Bogner Ecstasy 101b for jams at the studio and I'd use it live without qualms this way - except for the grunt factor of lugging the Bogner and 2x12 around.
 
Chris Hurley said:
I used the Axe-FX III primarily for effects with tube amps for a good while. I have a thread here (https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/ignoring-the-amp-models-this-thing-is-a-monster.164841/) that is along the lines of "This thing is a monster even just for effects" (with a nod to @Scott Peterson and his famous thread)

Horsepower. Flexibility. Results. The Axe-FX III is fantastic in this duty.
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Yeah nice, just gave it a read.

One thing I had to do was tweak the boost/pad value for output 3. For my VH4, setting it to 12dB results in better noise performance than 0dB. Sounds great!

I've currently got the Helix, AxeIII, Kemper, and Boss GT-1000, each in it's own loop on a Boss ES-5. Then I can switch between each of them for comparing tonal changes, and for comparing reverbs and delays and such.

The GT-1000... man.... I should've put that money towards an FM9! Only just got it... will probably sell it before the month is out! All of the control functionality is great. But the sounds.... pretty naff compared to the AxeIII.
 
It seems every helix vs axe comparison seems to end with the same “the axe is better but it is too overkill” which is a stupid comparison. Why would you complain about a product having more features and options. Some people say they can get lost in the tweaking but the solution is easy- just don’t tweak what you don’t understand. I’d rather be able to tweak the finest level if I can than not have that ability. The helix argument is that “it is better because you don’t have as much to tweak” which just makes no sense to me.
 
echoman224 said:
It seems every helix vs axe comparison seems to end with the same “the axe is better but it is too overkill” which is a stupid comparison. Why would you complain about a product having more features and options. Some people say they can get lost in the tweaking but the solution is easy- just don’t tweak what you don’t understand. I’d rather be able to tweak the finest level if I can than not have that ability. The helix argument is that “it is better because you don’t have as much to tweak” which just makes no sense to me.
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They just have different design philosophies. I like them both. The ones I own that I don't like as much are the Kemper and the GT1000.
 
AndyTNBD said:
Ive got a gig on the 28th.... and one rehearsal on the 23rd..... and I'm moving house on the 26th....

.... dare I make the switch....... !!
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Back up all your settings first...

If it was me, I'd be way too busy to worry about changing my setup. In theory and if nothing goes wrong, it's fine, but there is such a thing as setting oneself up for failure, tempting fate, etc.

Have fun with the gig/move!
 
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