It's been an interesting run

Speculum Speculorum said:
Keep in mind "the search" is a very complex process, especially when it comes to amps.
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The funny thing is when we find that “next thing” in the back of our minds we are all thinking “I’m done can’t get any better”. We really are a delusional bunch! (Ha ha) And what’s even funnier, we know better.


Putting that aside you have to play what inspires you today!

Personally I would have kept the AF for effects, and everything else would be there for those “let me try this” moments (since it’s bought and paid for already). On that note the FX8 is F****** cool, I helped my friend with his a few weeks ago.

“It’s been an interesting run” when I had seen that thread first though you were jumping ship completely. You will just be posting on a different section of the forum, we will see you around! ;)
 
6L6C said:
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Personally I would have kept the AF for effects, and everything else would be there for those “let me try this” moments (since it’s bought and paid for already)...
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I couldn't agree more... it's those few really great pieces of gear I have sold that still bring up the "if only I had kept it" moments.
 
Randalljax said:
I think there is something to the Amps heads and combos with everything integrated.

I remember Bogner was going to do power amps he had mock protos one Namm and it never happened the reason was simply he felt that a rack system be it tube pre /.modelling pre in a separate tube power amp , never sounded quite right and some of the magic that was in the all in one preamp/poweramp head was lost when using a component rack system.
I thought I was intresting .it was interview and that was his exact quote why Bogner doesn't do many racks anymore ,it doesn't sound the same and he didn't know why just one of those things
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That's why Fractal gave us the Preamp Sag parameter a few firmwares back. Preamp power only sags when it's built into the same device as the power amp. Stand-alone preamps don't experience sag.


@Speculum Speculorum — choose the path your feet want to follow. They are your only judge. And keep smilin'. :)
 
Not trying to hijack the thread, but OP brought up using the Fryette. I still sport all my old amps and rack units (been GAS'n for 35 years now). I'm quite interested in how others are incorporating the Axe with the Fryette PS. Are you using it just to amplify the Axe output into a cabinet, or using the Axe in it's fx loop with a head being attenuated? I still haven't jumped onto the load box/attenuator wagon yet but reckon it's just a matter of time now. Regards.
 
I used to think the same thing about my plexi, where the axe ii just didn't quite feel or sound right. Then I tone matched my plexi using a suhr reactive load.

Now I can't hear or feel the difference. And no it's not 45 year old ears or fingers...
 
Speculum Speculorum said:
Now I'm using it for it's reactive load.
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When using it as a reactive load box for your 5150 with IRs, do you find any significant improvement over using the Axe-Fx 5150 model with IRs? Is it noticeable in a mix? I see these guys on YouTube using the Two Notes Studio with just an amp head and I wonder to myself, "If you have the cab sitting right there, why aren't you using that and mic'ing it up?" If they're not concerned about silent recording, why use IRs and a reactive load box? Because reactive load boxes can't account for the special relationship between the amp and cabinet.
 
Savage1969 said:
Not trying to hijack the thread, but OP brought up using the Fryette. I still sport all my old amps and rack units (been GAS'n for 35 years now). I'm quite interested in how others are incorporating the Axe with the Fryette PS. Are you using it just to amplify the Axe output into a cabinet, or using the Axe in it's fx loop with a head being attenuated? I still haven't jumped onto the load box/attenuator wagon yet but reckon it's just a matter of time now. Regards.
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I think that reactive digital load boxes are an excellent way to pull out the best tones from tube amps running at high settings without loosing your hearing. I use Torpedo Studios, but the Fryette PS, Suhr load box, all have great sound. Watch the Pete Thorn demo on using load boxes on his YouTube channel for some great sounds. You need a good reactive load box and good IRs to get the desired results but it works in my opinion, it all sounds good even at low volume levels.
 
Lionheart said:
When using it as a reactive load box for your 5150 with IRs, do you find any significant improvement over using the Axe-Fx 5150 model with IRs? Is it noticeable in a mix? I see these guys on YouTube using the Two Notes Studio with just an amp head and I wonder to myself, "If you have the cab sitting right there, why aren't you using that and mic'ing it up?" If they're not concerned about silent recording, why use IRs and a reactive load box? Because reactive load boxes can't account for the special relationship between the amp and cabinet.
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I use Torpedo Studios so I can run my amps in the sweet spot which when just using a cab would result in the loss of my hearing. Really, at high settings my amps will cause serious ear problems, but with the Torpedos I get a good approximation of what the amp is putting out. The key is to have the right IRs and then process thru a good audio interface into quality monitors. The resulting sounds even at low volume levels are very satisfying and justify the high cost of the gear which is considerable. It is true that no load box is able to perfectly model a real speaker, but like the AxeFx, reactive digital load boxes keep getting better, IRs keep getting better, and if you want good sounds at reasonable levels they are one way to go about it.
 
Speculum Speculorum said:
I was using the Fryette to power my axe. Imo it's the best power amp for the axe. Now I'm using it for it's reactive load. And it's great.
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Appreciate the info, will look into it. I saw where you can also use it in silent recording (with V2) without the unit powered on, which seems to give it even more purpose and flexibility. Thanks again, Spec. \m/
 
Lionheart said:
When using it as a reactive load box for your 5150 with IRs, do you find any significant improvement over using the Axe-Fx 5150 model with IRs? Is it noticeable in a mix? I see these guys on YouTube using the Two Notes Studio with just an amp head and I wonder to myself, "If you have the cab sitting right there, why aren't you using that and mic'ing it up?" If they're not concerned about silent recording, why use IRs and a reactive load box? Because reactive load boxes can't account for the special relationship between the amp and cabinet.
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Amps are incredibly loud. LOL. Yes, I can mic my cab, but my music space operates mostly as a mixing area. I don't have a separate treated room to put a cab in, and my dog would hate me for it anyway. Also, with the great impulse responses available in this day and age (long gone are the redwirez days) I can get AWESOME tones direct anyhow.

In all seriousness, I tried out a Two Notes Torpedo with a 5150 iii 50 watt roughly 2 years ago. I don't know if I had a bum unit or something, because after 3 days of use it just didn't turn on. :dizzy: Before the total failure I noticed that if I turned the amp up much past 9 o clock there was a pretty significant loss of detail in both the highs and the lows of my signal - particularly on high gain patches. I could tell there was a richness in the signal compared to the Axe-fx II, but the limitations imposed by this particular problem gave me pause. When it didn't turn on the 3rd day, I just said screw it and went back to the Axe.

When I bought this amp this time, it was for the exclusive purpose of running the test again with the Fryette, and if it didn't work out a buddy of mine was going to buy the amp (provided it didn't have the "suck-a-tude"). The Fryette doesn't seem to have this problem at all, as at one point during my testing I had the amp turned up to around noon and I didn't notice the behavior. In fact, it seems to retain the qualities of the amp QUITE well. Surprisingly so.

As far as IRs go, I hadn't been using the cab block in the Axe for a while anyway. I have been loading IRs through MixIR2 (or any other IR loader for that matter - I just didn't use Cab-Lab because I had problems with it crashing Logic in conjunction with some plugs I used) and was much happier with both the sound and the flexibility of the practice. It's been my long-standing (albeit somewhat unpopular) observation that I got better definition my way, and it works out fine with workflow. CPU hit is so low on modern machines I don't even notice it.

Simply put, yes, I personally liked the sound of the real amp through IRs better than the modeled sounds through IRs I was getting out of the Axe. But these things are all subjective.
 
Speculum Speculorum said:
No I won't be going back, and frankly the last person I'll ever take tone advice from is you. Good try though.
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Kind of ironic when the album currently #2 on US iTunes Charts is using my IR's. :D Did not really sting as much as you had hoped for.

I'm very happy with people in this thread being open minded about the topic. I know in the past when the Axe-Fx still had something to prove everyone was getting very defensive over these threads. This is still a "I'm breaking up with you (the Axe-Fx) and I'm hooking up with this new chick (5150) who I like better" type of thread but the fact that no one feels threatened by it is a great sign. :)
Lionheart said:
Mikko (Clark Kent) has left a bad taste in some people's mouth on this forum and another forum, as well. It's mainly the people who have been here for the longest. I used to be one of them. However, I believe in second chances and Mikko has tamed down over the years. I don't know what Spec's beef with Mikko is because he didn't answer my question. So, who knows.
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I'll be the first to admit that I've said some things that I wish I could take back. On the other hand if I had to do everything all over again I'd probably do things exactly the same since it's what got me to where I am right now. Being passionate about guitar tone can oddly cause drama but if I didn't have that passion I wouldn't be good at what I do for a living.

That other forum you're talking about bashed me for years about hyping match EQ and now they all use Kempers which is essentially a match EQ box. I think that once again is quite ironic.

I've noticed I feel way better ignoring all the haters.
 
Speculum Speculorum said:
Amps are incredibly loud. LOL. Yes, I can mic my cab, but my music space operates mostly as a mixing area. I don't have a separate treated room to put a cab in, and my dog would hate me for it anyway. Also, with the great impulse responses available in this day and age (long gone are the redwirez days) I can get AWESOME tones direct anyhow.

In all seriousness, I tried out a Two Notes Torpedo with a 5150 iii 50 watt roughly 2 years ago. I don't know if I had a bum unit or something, because after 3 days of use it just didn't turn on. :dizzy: Before the total failure I noticed that if I turned the amp up much past 9 o clock there was a pretty significant loss of detail in both the highs and the lows of my signal - particularly on high gain patches. I could tell there was a richness in the signal compared to the Axe-fx II, but the limitations imposed by this particular problem gave me pause. When it didn't turn on the 3rd day, I just said screw it and went back to the Axe.

When I bought this amp this time, it was for the exclusive purpose of running the test again with the Fryette, and if it didn't work out a buddy of mine was going to buy the amp (provided it didn't have the "suck-a-tude"). The Fryette doesn't seem to have this problem at all, as at one point during my testing I had the amp turned up to around noon and I didn't notice the behavior. In fact, it seems to retain the qualities of the amp QUITE well. Surprisingly so.

As far as IRs go, I hadn't been using the cab block in the Axe for a while anyway. I have been loading IRs through MixIR2 (or any other IR loader for that matter - I just didn't use Cab-Lab because I had problems with it crashing Logic in conjunction with some plugs I used) and was much happier with both the sound and the flexibility of the practice. It's been my long-standing (albeit somewhat unpopular) observation that I got better definition my way, and it works out fine with workflow. CPU hit is so low on modern machines I don't even notice it.

Simply put, yes, I personally liked the sound of the real amp through IRs better than the modeled sounds through IRs I was getting out of the Axe. But these things are all subjective.
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You said you used a Torpedo and had problems, was this the Torpedo Cab, Torpedo Live, Torpedo Reload or the Torpedo Studio. There is a large price difference between these four products. The Torpedo cab is a pedal box, the other units have varying capabilities and specs, however, no matter what the price point the products should work as advertised, if they don't the company should respond to the needs of their customers.
 
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