JayCM800XL
Experienced
With dedicated audio units in a guitar chain everything is ON all the time ready to go when switched, so of course there's no lag.My problem with accepting this is, this was never a problem with any of the gear I've used over the years, whether it be rack gear from the 80's, tube amps, or consumer or pro-sumer modeling gear, and ALL of that gear was vastly inferior to the AX8.
I understand WHY it happens, but I'm used to having gear that DOESN'T do that, it's hard to swallow paying more for up-to-date gear that does. You're buying state of the art, top of the mountain gear, paying the price for it, and suffering a 'problem' that you've never had before.
The AX8 has a LONG list of amps, I don't want to hear that I have to stay on one amp model and use drive pedals, or any other bo-bo solution, I want to step on one switch and change my entire sound, without a sound dropout, like I have been doing for decades now, with lesser gear than the AX8.
That, to me, is like buying a 2016 Lexus that doesn't come with an airbag, and someone telling you that you have to adjust your driving, and if you don't get into an accident, it won't be a problem, when a Ford Fiesta comes standard with an airbag. Yeah, the Lexus is a MUCH better vehicle, and has a lot of bells and whistles, but . . .
As you said, that worked for you before so why move on to the AX8?
I think it's price (at $1399) is specifically aimed at players who find it "hard to swallow paying more for up-to-date gear..state of the art, top of the mountain gear".... because that would be the XL+ (at $2249)
Now, maybe define "dropout" or "lag".... how many milliseconds can you tolerate? Zero??? Because that brings us back to my first question "What kind of music you need to play to need 0ms lag?" (Would love to see, hear an example)
Because in my experience (loud, fast, heavy rock), with drums and cymbals, vocals, bass, other guitars? keyboards? Horns?.... if you switch on the beat, there's no way a few milliseconds its going to be a noticeable dropout, much less to the audience.
YMMV