Metallica uses Axe Fx

Spotted another real life ā€œMetallica using AXE-FX IIIā€ moment this morning.

They posted a clip on instagram of them all remote playing together.

In Hetfieldā€™s image in the bottom right you can see he has an AXE-FX III set up in his personal working space, lit up passing signal so clearly in use.

Pretty cool.

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Out if interest - since they changed to Axe FX IIIs many years ago etc is Kirk still using the Dunlop Rack wah (as he did with the Axe IIs) or did he finally use the Axe III wah to simplify rig further!
 
Out if interest - since they changed to Axe FX IIIs many years ago etc is Kirk still using the Dunlop Rack wah (as he did with the Axe IIs) or did he finally use the Axe III wah to simplify rig further!
Still uses the dunlop rack.
 
Ah ok - thanks for the info! Couldnt find a decent Metallica rack pic or rig run down of more recent rigs since changing to the AFIII
 
On some level it's just about what's worth putting effort into. The dunlop rack wah plus multiple remote pedal setup just works. They have the racks to carry it, the roadies to load it, and it's been tried and true and tuned until Kirk is happy with it. On Axe you'd have to start again, find the wah models, tweak the settings, maybe tweak the modifier curves, and apply it to any patch that needs wah. And you'd need to set up multiple external pedals mapped in and configured to behave right with the on-off behaviour.

Could it be done? Almost certainly. But is it worth spending the time on when you have a an existing solution already bolted into the rack beside it?

Put another way, what's the cost benefit?
Cost: having to recreate wah sounds and curves, figure out the connections and mappings, find and fix any technical hurdles, maybe get used to the new way to turn it on and off, etc.
Benefit: you can remove a 1U rack unit from their full height racks they carry everywhere anyway. And you still carry all the external controller pedals and wiring.
 
rush would put washing machines and dryers on stage. doesn't mean the sound came from them :)

also notice there arenā€™t any mics and looks like no cables plugged in. so pretty sure those are just to add to the visual.

also if they did use those, itā€™d be very loud for that room.
I remember reading somewhere Geddy would put a big rotisserie up there, and have a guy cooking chickens to hand out to the crowd.

IIRC it was when he switched to a direct setup and thought it was silly to lug his bass rig around.
 
I remember reading somewhere Geddy would put a big rotisserie up there, and have a guy cooking chickens to hand out to the crowd.

IIRC it was when he switched to a direct setup and thought it was silly to lug his bass rig around.
That was back when Alex LIfeson was an endorser for Hughes & Kettner. Back then he used two ZENTERA and two TRIAMPS along with six 4x12s. It really looked great on stage. Visually, Geddy didn't have anything comparable. So he came up with the idea of washing machines. And later a rotisserie was added. At that time - as an employee of H&K - I had the opportunity to play Alex's setup. That was impressive. The speakers were also in use although Alex was already playing in-ear at that time. I guess the roadies were less enthusiastic about the idea of the washing machines.



 
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