Might ditch rig for an AXE FX2. Scared lo NEED EXPERT ADVICE

Billbill

Billbill

Power User
Please consider all my AxeFx concerns here:
Hi y'all! ok guys here's my case. I've been your typical amp and pedal board guy for years and I'm thinking about ditching all that mess and grabbing an axe fx rig. I'm tired of having to mark pedal settings and worrying about bumping knobs and throwing my tone out of whack or twisting knobs when I want to play a different style of music, not to mention all them damn power adapters and patch cables shorting out constantly!

So, my current rig is a fender HRD3 tube amp and a couple OD's a couple Fuzz boxes and an awesome Radial Tonebone tube OD (ugh,which hums super loud after 20 min of playing!)

First concern: if I get an Axe2 with a good sounding cab, do I need to also buy a power amp to power the cab too? If I can't get a cab right away can and how do I run the axe with my fender combo amp?

Second: How do these axe fx firmware updates work? Is it a pain to do so and how will I know when I can do the updates?

Third: what exactly is Axe-edit and what is the benefit of it exactly?? Is it a necessity?

Fourth: PLEASE, someone teach me this Fractal terminology that I read about as I do my research. See below
FRFR
IR's
Presets/patches (same thing I assume?)
Scenes
X/Y switching
Blocks

If anyone took the time to read all that I'm very thankful for your knowledge and help. I'm just trying to get with times I guess that's all :) take care!
Bill
 
Billbill said:
Please consider all my AxeFx concerns here:
Hi y'all! ok guys here's my case. I've been your typical amp and pedal board guy for years and I'm thinking about ditching all that mess and grabbing an axe fx rig. I'm tired of having to mark pedal settings and worrying about bumping knobs and throwing my tone out of whack or twisting knobs when I want to play a different style of music, not to mention all them damn power adapters and patch cables shorting out constantly!

So, my current rig is a fender HRD3 tube amp and a couple OD's a couple Fuzz boxes and an awesome Radial Tonebone tube OD (ugh,which hums super loud after 20 min of playing!)

First concern: if I get an Axe2 with a good sounding cab, do I need to also buy a power amp to power the cab too? If I can't get a cab right away can and how do I run the axe with my fender combo amp?

Second: How do these axe fx firmware updates work? Is it a pain to do so and how will I know when I can do the updates?

Third: what exactly is Axe-edit and what is the benefit of it exactly?? Is it a necessity?

Fourth: PLEASE, someone teach me this Fractal terminology that I read about as I do my research. See below
FRFR
IR's
Presets/patches (same thing I assume?)
Scenes
X/Y switching
Blocks

If anyone took the time to read all that I'm very thankful for your knowledge and help. I'm just trying to get with times I guess that's all :) take care!
Bill
Click to expand...
1) if you mean a guitar cab - Yes. If you want to go the FRFR route (see point 4) probably you don't need it.
You can use the axe in the fx return of an amp by disabling cab and power amp simulations, or go straight in the input if your amp doesn't have an fx loop and use the axe for effects only

2) it's pretty easy to update the firmware, just load the file on Fractal BOT, send it to your axe and wait a few minutes till it has finished.
The only pain could be the need to do small corrections on your presets since every update slightly changes the sound, but usually it's worth the effort.

3) Axe edit is the software to edit patches on your pc instead of using the front panel controls. Not a necessity but it makes a lot easier and quicker to create a preset. Search for some videos on youtube and you'll get an idea.

4)FRFR= Full Range Flat Response
It's a type of speaker that can reproduce evenly all frequencies from 20 to 20000 Hz due to a woofer/tweeter design, it's basically a pa speaker or monitor (but these, the cheaper ones at least, usually are not really flat response). This term is used to differentiate them from guitar speakers that have a limited range.
If you want to use the cab sim in the axe you should use one of these.

IR= impulse response
It's a file obtained with a method called deconvolution that captures the frequency response and the resonance of a mic'd cab. You'll find lots of these files in the axe fx and you can also load your own. It's basically your cab sim inside the axe

Yes, presets and patches are the same thing

Scenes are sort of presets inside a preset but they only recall x/y and bypass states of the effects and some controllers settings (eg: you can't change routing or move blocks between different scenes of the same presets)

Blocks are fx or amps you can insert in the grid.

Really, watch some videos on youtube of axe-edit in action and all this will be way clearer, or read the manual and the wiki page ;)
 
Last edited:
I would suggest NOT ditching your whole rig, but -- I would suggest a Axe Fx.

The guys above already answered your questions but I throw in a little food for though.

(Baby steps)
There is a learning curve to the device, and just as great as it can sound the opposite is also true. This was my Trek.
I got the Axe Fx standard with the sole intention of of just using it in the loop of my amp for time based effects, being able to also do some demos quickly with the amp and cab simulation/ getting a decent tone at low volumes. This all happened as plan then - - -

I ditched the pedals and switcher I had in front of the amp, now the Axe Fx was handling ALL my effects in front of the amp and in the loop. Cut down on wiring, weight, and was just plain more versatile than ANYTHING I ever had in the past. OK so now I am running the unit 4 cable method. Then. - -

Since I like some of the amp models so much I would start putting them in at times (minus the power amp modeling and cab modeling) since I was already running the real deal. So I was using some of the amp model preamp sections and my amps own preamp section. Next - - -

Started running Axe Fx > power amp > real cab. Using everything the Axe had to offer except the cab simulation at this point.

In the end started using a FRFR speaker and the EVERYTHING in the AXE Fx. So those were my baby steps over about a year and a half.

I think the biggest transition for most people is going from a real cab to a FRFR setup, there is that "in the room feel" you get that is lost with some people, in my case I find it different but not better or worse.

Bottom line take it slow, if your not sure.

John
 
6L6C said:
I would suggest NOT ditching your whole rig, but -- I would suggest a Axe Fx.

The guys above already answered your questions but I throw in a little food for though.

(Baby steps)
There is a learning curve to the device, and just as great as it can sound the opposite is also true. This was my Trek.
I got the Axe Fx standard with the sole intention of of just using it in the loop of my amp for time based effects, being able to also do some demos quickly with the amp and cab simulation/ getting a decent tone at low volumes. This all happened as plan then - - -

I ditched the pedals and switcher I had in front of the amp, now the Axe Fx was handling ALL my effects in front of the amp and in the loop. Cut down on wiring, weight, and was just plain more versatile than ANYTHING I ever had in the past. OK so now I am running the unit 4 cable method. Then. - -

Since I like some of the amp models so much I would start putting them in at times (minus the power amp modeling and cab modeling) since I was already running the real deal. So I was using some of the amp model preamp sections and my amps own preamp section. Next - - -

Started running Axe Fx > power amp > real cab. Using everything the Axe had to offer except the cab simulation at this point.

In the end started using a FRFR speaker and the EVERYTHING in the AXE Fx. So those were my baby steps over about a year and a half.

I think the biggest transition for most people is going from a real cab to a FRFR setup, there is that "in the room feel" you get that is lost with some people, in my case I find it different but not better or worse.

Bottom line take it slow, if your not sure.

John
Click to expand...
I did exactly the same route :)
 
kgk said:
#1: Yes, you'll need an amp (presumably a class-D amp that is cheap and light).

#2: The firmware updates are trivial, they take a few minutes.

#3: Axe-Edit lets you make your own presets, where you can combine pedals and amps as you wish. I believe that this is possible on the face of the Axe-FX, but it's better to use your computer. (It's free.)
Click to expand...
Thank you very much
 
DLC86 said:
1) if you mean a guitar cab - Yes. If you want to go the FRFR route (see point 4) probably you don't need it.
You can use the axe in the fx return of an amp by disabling cab and power amp simulations, or go straight in the input if your amp doesn't have an fx loop and use the axe for effects only

2) it's pretty easy to update the firmware, just load the file on Fractal BOT, send it to your axe and wait a few minutes till it has finished.
The only pain could be the need to do small corrections on your presets since every update slightly changes the sound, but usually it's worth the effort.

3) Axe edit is the software to edit patches on your pc instead of using the front panel controls. Not a necessity but it makes a lot easier and quicker to create a preset. Search for some videos on youtube and you'll get an idea.

4)FRFR= Full Range Flat Response
It's a type of speaker that can reproduce evenly all frequencies from 20 to 20000 Hz due to a woofer/tweeter design, it's basically a pa speaker or monitor (but these, the cheaper ones at least, usually are not really flat response). This term is used to differentiate them from guitar speakers that have a limited range.
If you want to use the cab sim in the axe you should use one of these.

IR= impulse response
It's a file obtained with a method called deconvolution that captures the frequency response and the resonance of a mic'd cab. You'll find lots of these files in the axe fx and you can also load your own. It's basically your cab sim inside the axe

Yes, presets and patches are the same thing

Scenes are sort of presets inside a preset but they only recall x/y and bypass states of the effects and some controllers settings (eg: you can't change routing or move blocks between different scenes of the same presets)

Blocks are fx or amps you can insert in the grid.

Really, watch some videos on youtube of axe-edit in action and all this will be way clearer, or read the manual and the wiki page ;)
Click to expand...
Wow thank you bro! I will take your advice now that I'm going in it with a clear head. Thanks again
 
6L6C said:
I would suggest NOT ditching your whole rig, but -- I would suggest a Axe Fx.

The guys above already answered your questions but I throw in a little food for though.

(Baby steps)
There is a learning curve to the device, and just as great as it can sound the opposite is also true. This was my Trek.
I got the Axe Fx standard with the sole intention of of just using it in the loop of my amp for time based effects, being able to also do some demos quickly with the amp and cab simulation/ getting a decent tone at low volumes. This all happened as plan then - - -

I ditched the pedals and switcher I had in front of the amp, now the Axe Fx was handling ALL my effects in front of the amp and in the loop. Cut down on wiring, weight, and was just plain more versatile than ANYTHING I ever had in the past. OK so now I am running the unit 4 cable method. Then. - -

Since I like some of the amp models so much I would start putting them in at times (minus the power amp modeling and cab modeling) since I was already running the real deal. So I was using some of the amp model preamp sections and my amps own preamp section. Next - - -

Started running Axe Fx > power amp > real cab. Using everything the Axe had to offer except the cab simulation at this point.

In the end started using a FRFR speaker and the EVERYTHING in the AXE Fx. So those were my baby steps over about a year and a half.

I think the biggest transition for most people is going from a real cab to a FRFR setup, there is that "in the room feel" you get that is lost with some people, in my case I find it different but not better or worse.

Bottom line take it slow, if your not sure.

John
Click to expand...
Thank you John I appreciate your help
 
For comparison purposes I too used to lug around a huge board full of boutique pedals (with the associated multitude of patch cables between them) and run some into the front end of a valve amp and some of them in the FX loop, but I got tired of the neverending tap dancing on some songs. Getting it wrong when playing live is not much fun at all.

I went down the Fractal route earlier last year and have zero regrets - easier when playing live, less cables and clutter, more choice of tones.. what more could I ever ask for?

Best. Decision. Ever.
 
I would also recommend not selling your analog rig just yet. You will need it to compare tones to and if you have trouble at first you can ease into it. Many people sell their rig to fund the axe and then are pressured into things from the start which is stressful. Expect to spend a good amount of quality time finding your tone. To me this is part of the fun. If you can afford it by an frfr cab right away. Then you can run a full axe rig right next to your analog rig. This should help speed your transition along
 
Billbill said:
Please consider all my AxeFx concerns here:
Hi y'all! ok guys here's my case. I've been your typical amp and pedal board guy for years and I'm thinking about ditching all that mess and grabbing an axe fx rig. I'm tired of having to mark pedal settings and worrying about bumping knobs and throwing my tone out of whack or twisting knobs when I want to play a different style of music, not to mention all them damn power adapters and patch cables shorting out constantly!

So, my current rig is a fender HRD3 tube amp and a couple OD's a couple Fuzz boxes and an awesome Radial Tonebone tube OD (ugh,which hums super loud after 20 min of playing!)

First concern: if I get an Axe2 with a good sounding cab, do I need to also buy a power amp to power the cab too? If I can't get a cab right away can and how do I run the axe with my fender combo amp?

Second: How do these axe fx firmware updates work? Is it a pain to do so and how will I know when I can do the updates?

Third: what exactly is Axe-edit and what is the benefit of it exactly?? Is it a necessity?

Fourth: PLEASE, someone teach me this Fractal terminology that I read about as I do my research. See below
FRFR
IR's
Presets/patches (same thing I assume?)
Scenes
X/Y switching
Blocks

If anyone took the time to read all that I'm very thankful for your knowledge and help. I'm just trying to get with times I guess that's all :) take care!
Bill
Click to expand...
If you go through a PA for every show and have good stage monitors. They you don't really need anything else. All I bring to the show is my AX8 and a few guitars.
 
You may also be happy with something like an AX-8 going into a PA speaker or a FRFR powered cab. Depends on whether or not you need the extra capabilities that an Axe-FX II has. But either way, Fractal has solved all of my problems and provides every kind of amp and effect I'll ever want in 1 unit. I got my II used for super cheap, but if I were to buy something today I might go with an AX-8 since it's everything in a cheaper compact format and sounds identical to it's big brother the Axe-FX II.
 
bradlake said:
Dont know where you live, but if you wise up and get one of these, many users here are willing to help u personally and that can be a HUGE jumpstart.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I do see now that this forum is freakin awesome with all the great info and members of the Fractal family supporting each other. Now it's pretty obvious to me now that Fractal makes a great product! I'm about to order this bad boy!
 
Sounds like the OP plays out live. If so, and you go Axe FX II route, perhaps factor in a foot control as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom