Is it possible to bypass the preamp?

This implies that the amp voicing options are "active"?

In any case, the op can use his outboard preamp in the axe fx loop with the Tube Pre option.
worked great with my Egnater M4!

Eventually sold the Egnater M4 as I eventually saw the light that the Axe can do and exceed anything my M4 offered!

AND WITOUT THE ADDED BURDENSOME WEIGHT!! ��

No, the Vintage tone stack is a passive EQ model but it has a flat response when the controls are at noon. If you want "active" EQ you need to set the type to Active.

IMO tube preamps are obsolete but I don't fault someone for wanting to use one.
 
So say I wanted to use an external preamp(i.e. a bass pedal) through the axe. Would I have it go through the main instrument input and make sure to set the amp block to tube pre or would I go through the FX loop?
 
My preference would be the FX loop. You could then have the option of adding fx blocks before your preamp.
 
Firmware 13 release notes: "Added Preamp Sag parameter to Advanced menu in Amp block. This parameter allows turning the preamp sag modeling on or off. Turning it off replicates the behavior of separate preamp and power amp. Turning it on replicates the behavior of an integrated tube head or combo amp."

Does this mean that the preamp section of a given amp block can be turned off ?
 
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No, but you can select tube types, and match the advanced parameters to get closer.

If we can't have a preamp bypass (which has been requested for years). Perhaps we could have a few neutral preamps with with the most common poweramp types added to the amp block?

We've been asking for this forever , I stopped holding my breath but I am still hopeful.
 
Firmware 13 release notes: "Added Preamp Sag parameter to Advanced menu in Amp block. This parameter allows turning the preamp sag modeling on or off. Turning it off replicates the behavior of separate preamp and power amp. Turning it on replicates the behavior of an integrated tube head or combo amp."

Does this mean that the preamp section of a given amp block can be turned off ?


No that means you can choose to use the preamp sag which is tied to the poweramp even if you shut the poweramps off.
 
No, but you can select tube types, and match the advanced parameters to get closer.

If we can't have a preamp bypass (which has been requested for years). Perhaps we could have a few neutral preamps with with the most common poweramp types added to the amp block?

Good idea.

I'm a definite +1 to the 'ability turn off preamp' brigade. ;)
 
So if we select the Tube Pre model and turn the sag to zero, defeating the power amp, the signal will be identical to not having an amp block on the grid at all then? If not, how low will the tube pre's gain need to be before the signals are identical?
 
So if we select the Tube Pre model and turn the sag to zero, defeating the power amp, the signal will be identical to not having an amp block on the grid at all then? If not, how low will the tube pre's gain need to be before the signals are identical?

Neutral doesn't mean identical.

Just don't use an Amp block at all in the case where you want absolutely zero coloration.
 
Neutral doesn't mean identical.

Just don't use an Amp block at all in the case where you want absolutely zero coloration.

I'm asking how viable a solution "just use the Tube Pre" is when asked about pairing the Axe-Fx with a preamp. If the Tube Pre itself is heavily colored before the poweramp even comes into the equation, then it's not exactly a viable solution. Not trying to be a smartass I'm just thinking out loud here. I guess it depends on how flexible you're willing to be, but it does seem like the tube preamp is the de facto advice given to people asking about using external preamps with the Axe, and I'm wondering if that advice is really sound if you can't use a poweramp sim without any coloration happening in front of it.

I wonder if there's a certain setting you could use that would maximize the utility of the Tube Pre, like what settings can you use with it to provide the best headroom-before-clipping for use with an external preamp? I mean if the Tube Pre's preamp gain effectively does the same thing as the poweramp gain, then this is all a moot point, but if it doesn't, well I guess you could probably call that effect undesirable.
 
I would say there are many viable options to get power amp distortion and low preamp distortion.

To use the Tube Pre hoping it gives you just power amp distortion but no preamp distortion might not be the way to go with an external preamp.

Some of the other amp models, like the vintage Marshalls, have really nice power amp distortion.

The various drive, input trim, etc. controls would allow for most of the amps to get clean-ish enough.

I would think of my external preamp as a really boutique pedal pushing a really nice amp... or in this scenario a really nice virtual amp :)
 
does the tonestack include the input gain stage, or is it just the shaping tools after the input gain stage? like if you swapped a JCM800 tonestack out for a triaxis tonestack, do you get the gain stage and EQ of the triaxis with the JCM800 power section, or do you still get JCM800 gain stage? I think I remember trying to play with it once and it seemed like it wasn't the whole preamp front end, it seemed like it was just the bass/mid/treble/pres controls being swapped. but I was almost as ignorant now as I was then, so I probably didn't know what tf I was doing.
 
No, the Vintage tone stack is a passive EQ model but it has a flat response when the controls are at noon. If you want "active" EQ you need to set the type to Active.

IMO tube preamps are obsolete but I don't fault someone for wanting to use one.

I like my rectifier preamp because it has 6 little glass tubes in it and a transformer network, and once they get heated up they start to do something magical with whatever they eat. If I flip it on later it doesn't sound the same, no magic, until it warms up and then it just keeps feeding energy out of it. I might quit using it if fractal ever made an external controller with two channels worth of amp knobs that I could always grab in an instant. I would buy that so fast. I'm constantly spinning the knobs playing with different tones, especially clean tones that let the T/M/B knobs actually shape the gain.
 
I might quit using it if fractal ever made an external controller with two channels worth of amp knobs that I could always grab in an instant. I would buy that so fast. I'm constantly spinning the knobs playing with different tones, especially clean tones that let the T/M/B knobs actually shape the gain.

If you haven't already checked it out, the RAC 12 seems to fit the bill http://shop.fxunits.com
 
Bump! It's Yek's fault, he led me here. ;)

I've used several different pre's with the Ultra and they all sounded great. However, I was running into a Carvin TS100 tube poweramp and 412 cab, so I'm probably no help.

Is javajunkie still here? haven't seen em around.

Anyway, just wait till the III comes out, Cliff will think of something. ;);)
 
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