Larry Mitchell Live - 2016 AX8 NAMM Jam \m/

I was at that show in the Mariott! I just basically spent most of my time hanging out there and checking out a bunch of new music.
 
X-Mann said:
He played his own signature licks & a few places sounded like Eric Johnson to me.
Click to expand...

Larry will readily name Eric Johnson as an influence on his playing. But I also remember a show where Larry opened for Eric. After the show, Eric was sitting with Larry and was asking Larry to show him some of the things he played that night :).
 
GlennO said:
Larry will readily name Eric Johnson as an influence on his playing. But I also remember a show where Larry opened for Eric. After the show, Eric was sitting with Larry and was asking Larry to show him some of the things he played that night :).
Click to expand...
Hi Glenn. Where you at that show? Oh I bet you where. It was way cool. Way intimidating too. :0)
 
X-Mann said:
X's 2016 NAMM Story Time:

Larry Mitchell owned the stage on Thursday (1/21/16) at the 2016 Winter NAMM show!

Being new to Larry's work (& Fractal audio), I wasn't sure what to expect. I wanted to hear Larry play the AX8 live & I was literally knocked-out by everything he did that night. The tones Larry created & used were just big, bold, beautiful & everything I never knew I always wanted in a modeling unit! :D



So.....Larry's an unbelievable talent & we'll get to that in a little bit......

He lights up the stage w/ his smile, black cowboy hat & lots of movement, but that's not all.....he engages the audience & brings them into the show. The crowd was way into it & Larry made eye contact with around 500+ people!

Larry is using a fans finger to play slide on his guitar & the crowd just ate it up!


So, how did the AX8 sound live? I was actually shocked at how amp like it sounded & how big it sounded! Larry only used the AX8 & had a very small floor monitor. The PA was a nice one & he played in stereo to great affect. The sound engineer had a cool wireless tablet & walked around the entire room to mix & make this just perfect.

Oh....& Larry's was mixed LOUD in a very good way too! His main tone was very Marshall like & felt great. He used wah, wah & just the right amount of delay. He played his own signature licks & a few places sounded like Eric Johnson to me. There was also a clean intro on a song w/ some delay that showed me a totally different side of the AX8 as well.

Larry's AX8 set-up was small & compact.


I was SO impressed with what I heard out of the AX8 & not just tone wise, but the FX too. The real shocker to me came in the form that Larry didn't bring his own FRFR system or cabs & was playing very loud & just crystal clear.

I've never seen a better ambassador to a product or company before & Larry Mitchell is Fractal Audio (insert best Golf Clap here)!


Larry let a lot of different friends & stars join him on stage that evening. One of my favorite guitar players growing up was standing 2-people down from me the entire show too. Mr Vernon Reid from Living Color got to do a little jamming that evening & it was awesome to hear some "Little Wing" from him.


Larry, "Thank you" for a wonderful evening of music & a NAMM memory that I will never forget!

Peace! X-Mann

Note:
I bought 2-Friedman ASM-12's thinking that I would need them & after watching this......I realized that I probably didn't need to spend this extra $1,500 on these at all. lol

As I've been waiting for my AX8 invite I keep asking myself "Is it really worth the wait for this unit?".........& the answer is "YES, YES, YES & again, YES!!!!!".
Click to expand...



Hey X thank you so much for these! My go lad you made it to the show. It was a fun and pretty intense night. Lots of cool guest playing too.
Us I don't normally need any onstage amps. I use the stage monitors. But I'm also in charge. When I play as a side man I can take over two monitor mixes usually. So I use a powered wedge or my in ears.

They only time it gets odd is when I have guest sit in and they use amps. As in the Marriott show. I had 4 guitar players on each of the last two songs. Onstage my guitar is blasting but pointed back towards us. Each of the guitar players I brought on couldn't hear themselves loud enough so they kept turning up. If you where right in front of the stage eventually they became louder than me. But out a little further and they got taken out of the pa and my guitar was rock'n loud. I prefer it that way so it doesn't destroy the front of house mix. When it's too loud on stage the sound guys will turn you down in the house. I don't want that. And my guitar was rock'n on stage. :0) what an awesome night that was. We shut down the Marriott too. They told me after the 4th song they stopped people from coming in with out a hotel key. Too many people. I believe we broke the record for people in the lobby! It was a very nice vibe in there too.

Thank you again for posting these.
Larry
 
Larry Mitchell said:
They only time it gets odd is when I have guest sit in and they use amps. As in the Marriott show. I had 4 guitar players on each of the last two songs. Onstage my guitar is blasting but pointed back towards us. Each of the guitar players I brought on couldn't hear themselves loud enough so they kept turning up. If you where right in front of the stage eventually they became louder than me. But out a little further and they got taken out of the pa and my guitar was rock'n loud. I prefer it that way so it doesn't destroy the front of house mix. When it's too loud on stage the sound guys will turn you down in the house. I don't want that. And my guitar was rock'n on stage. :0) what an awesome night that was. We shut down the Marriott too. They told me after the 4th song they stopped people from coming in with out a hotel key. Too many people. I believe we broke the record for people in the lobby! It was a very nice vibe in there too.

Thank you again for posting these.
Larry
Click to expand...

Larry & guys, it's really hard to put into words what I witnessed at the Marriott last week. NAMM is filled with stellar players doing all kinds of things on the guitar, but what I was made a part of was much more than that. I've seen my fair share of instrumental guitar gigs & this one w/ Larry was NOT the norm.:confused:

There were over 500 people in a space made for maybe 250? Larry let EVERYONE come up on stage & jam & I mean everyone! The stage didn't have enough room for his 3-piece & then he added 4-more guitar players & a percussion playing babe! ;)

There were tons of girls/women in the audience too! :eek:

Larry owned the room from note one & song one......& I feel that he just knew it too! Part of me thinks that a major part of this is due to the AX8 & his overall sound. Again, it was LOUD in a very good way & at times I really thought, "That has to be a live tube amp?".......Or, I just got lost in the music & didn't give a $hit what was being used gear wise at all. This is what you want to happen & any non-guitar players in the crowd had no clue that there wasn't a huge tube amp hidden in the back somewhere.

Larry moved from side to side of the stage & at times he even went to the edge of the stage & got right up in a lady's face who was filming on her iphone. He put on a show & entertained the entire room all set long. He even went out into the crowd of "The 500" & did a victory lap that took about 5-minutes & never missed a note.

I could go on all day & even have more details about this evening, but I really don't want to bore you guys here.

To all my fellow AX8 Wait list brothers, I can honestly say that it's more than worth the wait here.

Here's a quick side shot of the crowd (& Vernon Reid), but it doesn't even begin to show the overall size.


Thanks for the music & memory Larry! \m/

Peace! X
 
Last edited:
X. Thank you so much. It was a way fun night. They actually shut down the hotel after I believe 4 songs. People couldn't get in with out a room key. :0) lots great guest.
Absolutely the AX8 is a big part of me. As the AXE FX is. It allows me to do what I do best -play guitar and be an entertainer. I was able to set up my rig with my sounds on a tiny stage with lots of people walking all around me in under 15 minutes. :0) actually way less but I could not find a good spot for my wireless. :0)

I had a great time that night (my 5th time playing the Marriott on opening night and this was my favorite) the people who came up afterwards seemed to really enjoy it and quite a few people asked what amp I was using I spoke about the AX8 quite a bit even with Vernon Ried who came up on stage and jammed (and has an axe fx) but many more that came up said they enjoyed the show and loved the tones and sounds I was getting. As you mentioned, they didn't seem to care what I was using they just enjoyed it.

Some one once told me Technology is used best when people are unaware of it. On a good night I'm trying to become one with the guitar and my sounds (AX8) not so easy at a show where most people play an instrument and are at a gear conference. But a few floated with me dancing and swirling and oh .. The women... There were some fine women out that night......

Thank you again for this post. I'm very happy you made it out that night and that it was a good night. My hands worked and people smiled.
Thank you to Cliff, Matt and Joe for making what was already amazing even more amazing in a smaller package! I've take it everywhere with me!
 
Yes. Larry is one the few players today, that is both Soulful and melodic, with taste.. Things very much missing in todays guitar playing..



X-Mann said:
Here's Larrys opening song & how the evening started out.....

His solo tone & playing was just fantastic & showed me everything that the AX8 can do & more.

I'll try to post a few more videos later, but just trust me, it sounded EPIC!!! \m/

Here's a few short examples from my XMANNROCKS Instagram page where you can hear Larrys solo tone.


& here's Larry channeling his inner Eric Johnson w/ an amazing clean AX8 preset.


The 2016 Winter NAMM show was an amazing adventure this year & I was very lucky to be able to go again. I don't want to derail my own thread or take the focus off of Larry & the AX8, but here's a link to my NAMM trip as seen through the eyes of a Kiesel/Carvin guitar user/endorser.

http://www.carvinbbs.com/viewtopic.php?t=46865

My only regret about this years NAMM trip is not getting to meet & talk w/ Larry. I've met & talked w/ him the past 2-trips, but had much more to say this time around.

Again Larry, your concert & playing really made my trip a special one!

Have a great week everyone & Peace! X-Mann

PS - Now I go back into hiding & waiting for my AX8 invite to arrive. Lol
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom