LVC
Fractal Fanatic
I have been going through a journey to find the right gear to give me a more amp/cab like experience with the least amount of fuss. I am a simple guy that likes vintage gear, tube amps, cabs and play mostly clean. I play in a fairly successful R&B Band in NJ (modeled after the "Commitments") - we do between 35-50 gigs per year mostly in smaller bars/restaurants with the occasional wedding and corporate event. I play mostly clean Fender type stuff. We throw in a few classic rock tunes (from the 60's and the 70's) -- but for the most part we stick to Motown/soul/r&B and yes -- disco formats. So this review is from someone that does not play or even listen to modern rock etc and is not into high gain or anything like that. So my review is based on the music I play and listen to -- not what additional "tones" etc the items I am going to discuss can do.
So lets begin.
My journey with the Axe-Fx Mark 2 started about 6 weeks ago. I have already done 4 gigs with the Axe and will do my 5th gig with the Axe this coming saturday. During the last 6 weeks I have been auditioning different products to amplify my Axe-Fx in a way that I feel comfortable with for the type of music I play. Also I forgot to mention -- I do not go through FOH (maybe I will in the future) but for now -- I am completely old school/meat and potatoes -- stand in the corner of the bar with the amp behind me (sound familiar?). The following describes in brutal honesty my experience and opinions on three different products and why I settled one one solution (again for my needs).
1. Verve 12ma. when I knew I was getting the Axe - I purchased a Verve 12ma that was available locally. I had no intentions of keeping it long term. I wanted to start gigging right away with the Axe and learn as I go. Hell I still don't have an MFC but that is another story. A corrective IR given to me by a FAS forum user really helped but in the end it was not very satisfying. The Verve lasted two gigs and was gone. I sold it when I got the email that an Atomic CLR had my name on it and was ready to ship.
2. Atomic CLR Active Cab - Well I got one. Played it at two gigs plus I spent a significant amount of time with it between gigs.
When I got it I was very excited because this amp was getting all the press as being the best of the best. A few hours after I received it (on the same day) I was in front of an audience playing it. I was under the kool-Aid spell of a new toy and it could do no wrong. My bandmates said it sounded "boomy" to them. I dismissed their comments. Sure enough during the week I played it, I tweaked patches, used different IRS, changed Eqs and it was still boomy. When I dialed out the boom the amp sim sounded flat. The EQ controls on the back that allows you to go from back line, to FF to tilt, to my ears all they did was add bass (a lot) or subtracted bass ( a lot) -- I could never strike the right balance. For overdriven tones it did sound great. For clean tones -- lets just say I was not very happy. However, I did not give up!
I took the Atomic CLR Active gig to another gig. Same issues. Cleans never sounded right and the amp was boomy. Another thing happened at that gig, I tried to increase the amp volume and accidentally hit the gain stage dial. I did this 3 time during the night -- complete nonsense. It really pissed me off.
So in summary
a) CLR to me is Boomy
b) EQ switch (FF/TLT/BL) adds or takes out way too much bass
c) Gain staging dial just a nuisance at a gig - can get in your way when you change volume.
d) Awkward to handle
e) heavy (45 pounds) - big deal for me since I have a hard time lifting anything heavy - I have a herniated disc
I had it --- when I got home that night I ordered ( at 3am in the morning) the GT1000 FX from Matrix along with their Q12 passive Speaker/cab and requested an RMA from Atomic so I can return the Atomic.
3 Matrix Amplification - I placed an order on Sunday at 3 AM for both the Matrix GT1000FX and the Q12. Three days later UPS showed up at my door with a delivery from England!
All I can say is what a difference 3 days make. The combination of the Matrix amp and their Q12 has exceeded my expectations on multiple levels. But lets start at the beginning.
when I first got it I was giddy (new gear high) a day later the the ears started to refocus.
Q12 -- When I first played through it it sounded fairly stiff (here we go again I said to myself) Atomic CLR was a Boom box now this one is going to turn out to be stiff as a board. Well a funny thing happened. The more I played it -- the better it sounded. Then I did something I typically do when I get new speakers in a cab -- I run music through it. Before I went to work I just turned iTunes on my computer and let it play through the Q12 all day. When I got home and plugged in again -- it was one of those holy shit moments. It started sounding really good -- I mean really good. Right now I probably have about 25-35 hours of play time on the Q12 speaker and it is sounding incredible.
Summary of findings
1) Not Boomy
2) No crazy EQ controls*
3) no gain staging*
4) Light weight*
5) Not awkward -- easy to handle
6) Great form factor
* It is a passive cab so obviously none of those things would be present.
Matrix GT1000FX -- this little device should be a mandatory requirement for anybody that buys a Fractal Audio Axe-FX. If you plug a cab into it and you are a tube/cab guy -- you just found your way back home. It is the missing link with respect to the axe if you are a gigging musician (especially if you are playing the club/bar circuit).
The GT1000FX breathes life into the Axe-FX. Also it gives your rack a more old school amp head user experience.
Summary of findings
a) change volume right from the panel of your rack
b) Power on/off from your rack
c) Balance channels right from your rack
I do not recommend plugging the GT1000FX into a real cabinet. You will go through 24 hours of mania questioning the sanity of anybody that purchases passive or active FRFR cabs. It sounds that good. After you come down from you "Cab" high you begin to realize the versatility of what you got. You can use your cabs, FRFR cabs, FOH, monitors etc etc etc--- everything and anything -- all options and combinations are now on the table!
After I came down from my Cab high -- I went back and played my broken in Q12 with the Matrix GT1000FX.
It sounded incredible and although you do not get the same type of pushing air experience as you do with a real cab -- it is really pretty damn close. For me there is no contest between the sound and experience of a Matrix amp coupled with a Q12 vs the Atomic CLR Active Cab.
The combination of the Matrix and the Q12 I think brings out the best in the Axe with very little (if any tweaking). The fact that a fender amp sounds like a real fender amp through the Matrix/Q12 instead of a boomy misrepresentation of the amp through the CLR is more than enough for me.
So for this Fractal Axe-FX user ----- MATRIX/Q12 is the solution that works best for what I do.
So lets begin.
My journey with the Axe-Fx Mark 2 started about 6 weeks ago. I have already done 4 gigs with the Axe and will do my 5th gig with the Axe this coming saturday. During the last 6 weeks I have been auditioning different products to amplify my Axe-Fx in a way that I feel comfortable with for the type of music I play. Also I forgot to mention -- I do not go through FOH (maybe I will in the future) but for now -- I am completely old school/meat and potatoes -- stand in the corner of the bar with the amp behind me (sound familiar?). The following describes in brutal honesty my experience and opinions on three different products and why I settled one one solution (again for my needs).
1. Verve 12ma. when I knew I was getting the Axe - I purchased a Verve 12ma that was available locally. I had no intentions of keeping it long term. I wanted to start gigging right away with the Axe and learn as I go. Hell I still don't have an MFC but that is another story. A corrective IR given to me by a FAS forum user really helped but in the end it was not very satisfying. The Verve lasted two gigs and was gone. I sold it when I got the email that an Atomic CLR had my name on it and was ready to ship.
2. Atomic CLR Active Cab - Well I got one. Played it at two gigs plus I spent a significant amount of time with it between gigs.
When I got it I was very excited because this amp was getting all the press as being the best of the best. A few hours after I received it (on the same day) I was in front of an audience playing it. I was under the kool-Aid spell of a new toy and it could do no wrong. My bandmates said it sounded "boomy" to them. I dismissed their comments. Sure enough during the week I played it, I tweaked patches, used different IRS, changed Eqs and it was still boomy. When I dialed out the boom the amp sim sounded flat. The EQ controls on the back that allows you to go from back line, to FF to tilt, to my ears all they did was add bass (a lot) or subtracted bass ( a lot) -- I could never strike the right balance. For overdriven tones it did sound great. For clean tones -- lets just say I was not very happy. However, I did not give up!
I took the Atomic CLR Active gig to another gig. Same issues. Cleans never sounded right and the amp was boomy. Another thing happened at that gig, I tried to increase the amp volume and accidentally hit the gain stage dial. I did this 3 time during the night -- complete nonsense. It really pissed me off.
So in summary
a) CLR to me is Boomy
b) EQ switch (FF/TLT/BL) adds or takes out way too much bass
c) Gain staging dial just a nuisance at a gig - can get in your way when you change volume.
d) Awkward to handle
e) heavy (45 pounds) - big deal for me since I have a hard time lifting anything heavy - I have a herniated disc
I had it --- when I got home that night I ordered ( at 3am in the morning) the GT1000 FX from Matrix along with their Q12 passive Speaker/cab and requested an RMA from Atomic so I can return the Atomic.
3 Matrix Amplification - I placed an order on Sunday at 3 AM for both the Matrix GT1000FX and the Q12. Three days later UPS showed up at my door with a delivery from England!
All I can say is what a difference 3 days make. The combination of the Matrix amp and their Q12 has exceeded my expectations on multiple levels. But lets start at the beginning.
when I first got it I was giddy (new gear high) a day later the the ears started to refocus.
Q12 -- When I first played through it it sounded fairly stiff (here we go again I said to myself) Atomic CLR was a Boom box now this one is going to turn out to be stiff as a board. Well a funny thing happened. The more I played it -- the better it sounded. Then I did something I typically do when I get new speakers in a cab -- I run music through it. Before I went to work I just turned iTunes on my computer and let it play through the Q12 all day. When I got home and plugged in again -- it was one of those holy shit moments. It started sounding really good -- I mean really good. Right now I probably have about 25-35 hours of play time on the Q12 speaker and it is sounding incredible.
Summary of findings
1) Not Boomy
2) No crazy EQ controls*
3) no gain staging*
4) Light weight*
5) Not awkward -- easy to handle
6) Great form factor
* It is a passive cab so obviously none of those things would be present.
Matrix GT1000FX -- this little device should be a mandatory requirement for anybody that buys a Fractal Audio Axe-FX. If you plug a cab into it and you are a tube/cab guy -- you just found your way back home. It is the missing link with respect to the axe if you are a gigging musician (especially if you are playing the club/bar circuit).
The GT1000FX breathes life into the Axe-FX. Also it gives your rack a more old school amp head user experience.
Summary of findings
a) change volume right from the panel of your rack
b) Power on/off from your rack
c) Balance channels right from your rack
I do not recommend plugging the GT1000FX into a real cabinet. You will go through 24 hours of mania questioning the sanity of anybody that purchases passive or active FRFR cabs. It sounds that good. After you come down from you "Cab" high you begin to realize the versatility of what you got. You can use your cabs, FRFR cabs, FOH, monitors etc etc etc--- everything and anything -- all options and combinations are now on the table!
After I came down from my Cab high -- I went back and played my broken in Q12 with the Matrix GT1000FX.
It sounded incredible and although you do not get the same type of pushing air experience as you do with a real cab -- it is really pretty damn close. For me there is no contest between the sound and experience of a Matrix amp coupled with a Q12 vs the Atomic CLR Active Cab.
The combination of the Matrix and the Q12 I think brings out the best in the Axe with very little (if any tweaking). The fact that a fender amp sounds like a real fender amp through the Matrix/Q12 instead of a boomy misrepresentation of the amp through the CLR is more than enough for me.
So for this Fractal Axe-FX user ----- MATRIX/Q12 is the solution that works best for what I do.
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So my advice: test them yourself before buying. It really is the only way and ignore the new product hype.
