My Axe Fx 2 sounds dull

C

Citizen Erased

Member
Hi all,

I bought a brand new Axe Fx 2 XL+ from European distributor G66 which arrived on Monday. I have read through a couple of posts on here regarding "dull" sounding patches and I think I am experiencing something similar.

The go-to test seems to be to create a very simple patch, which involves loading stock cab 59 and the HBE amp as seen in this video, demonstrated with default settings - - This sounds fantastic to me.

I have recorded a sound example of what I am getting when I make the same patch, using three different guitars. One is an Esp with active EMGs, there's also a 7 string Ibanez and an Ibanez Destroyer. Whilst there are certainly differences between each of the three guitars, the difference between my patch and the one in the video seems to be drastic. Dull, muffled etc would best describe this. It also seems like there is less gain in my patch. There was another user who posted an example of the issue he was having, I can't say if the patch was the same but we appear to be getting similar 'dull' tones.

Here is the recording, which contains samples from all three guitars -

I understand that the video is demonstrating the first release of the Quantum firmware and now we are on v8.01, which my Axe Fx came loaded with. So the first thing I would like to establish is if there is actually a problem here, or if those recordings are perfectly fine. I have managed to make brighter sounding patches but I would like to understand why the demo in the video and my patch sound so drastically different. If this is how this simple patch should sound on the latest firmware, then brilliant, I guess there is no issue!

I am using the front instrument input and the left output on the rear panel into a Scarlet 18i20 2nd Gen interface.
I have checked the global EQ settings and all seems fine there.

Any thoughts/help/suggestions would be massively appreciated!

Thanks!
 
I get similar results to yours. It has everything to do with our guitars.

So, do this... In the amp block, turn on the Bright Switch and activate Cut. Then, go into the cab block and in the Mic dropdown box, select 58 Dyn. You should notice a big difference.
 
You're using guitars/pickups that are naturally on the darker side of things.
Don't be afraid to make drastic cuts and boosts if you have to.
I find more my Ibanez (high output pickups and mahogany body, so I'm living in 'mud city'), I can get good results by doing a series of strategic cuts and boosts across the spectrum.
It always takes work though, it never sounds good just plugging in and flipping to a stock preset.
HAVING SAID THAT when I briefly owned a PRS custom 22 with low output pickups, every stock preset was utter perfection- bright and clear, almost no tweaks needed to be made.
Just some food for thought!
 
A quick tweak for darker sounding amps and cabs is to use the 5 band Boogie style EQ in the amp block. Pull down the 240 Hz fader a bit to remove some mud and push up the 2200 Hz fader a bit to add more bite if needed. It can really bring a tone forward in the mix.
 
Lots of things can cause a tonal difference, even using someone's exact preset.

Fingers (highly underestimated), cable capacitance, recording method (digital/analog/converters), pick, strings (fresh/dead), ect. ect........
 
Use the settings to make it sound better.

That sounds silly, but that's why they're there. I always use Cut for modern metal, for instance.
 
The latest firmware was muffled compared to what I was used to. I noticed that a lot of settings defaulted to "noon" so I had to tweak my EQ quite a bit.
 
Thanks for all the responses so far! I do understand that I can tweak presets and EQ a patch but I am really just interested in why the default settings in the video sound amazing and why I get the same dull sound from three different guitars.

Like I said in the original post, I am using an ESP with active EMG's and two Ibanez guitars (A seven string and a Destroyer) with passive pickups. Do you have any suggestions for guitars which would sound drastically better/brighter/more high gain and suited for metal than those? The strings are pretty new on all guitars, and I've bypassed my interface and recorded via USB to also eliminate that.

I have done another test as the person who did this stream also tried out the Angle Severe 2 (again just using default settings). One thing I did notice was that his default overdrive was 7.5, so that's the only setting I changed on my preset as it defaults at 5, and again loaded stock cab 59. Here is how the demo sounds, which I think sounds absolutely amazing -



Here is my recording -

To me it sounds like not just a ton of high end is missing and gain, but the realism of the amp and cab. In the video it actually sounds like a real amp and cab. Also if this is supposed to be the brightest firmware then I am definitely suspecting that something is wrong.

I would love to try another guitar but those three are all I have access to at the moment.
 
He is playing full chords and you are playing power chords (less high end), that`s the difference that I hear.
 
What I hear is his has less boom, more gain, more highs probably due to more presence, brightness and treble. Don't be afraid to cut the lows and boost the highs, presence, brightness. Most of my presets' bass are at 1.5 to 2 with low cut activated in amp block. I use a filter in front to shape what frequency I want (usually 110 to 5000 or 6000). This cuts the harshness from a lot of high end. I also switch all my cabs, I use, from ultra res to normal. With that said, I play through a 4 x 12 Mesa Cab and direct to FOH. I'm using the typical FOH setup with the FX loop and EQ block at end of channel 1 to shape my tone going to FOH.
 
Tommy Tempest said:
What I hear is his has less boom, more gain, more highs probably due to more presence, brightness and treble. Don't be afraid to cut the lows and boost the highs, presence, brightness. Most of my presets' bass are at 1.5 to 2 with low cut activated in amp block. I use a filter in front to shape what frequency I want (usually 110 to 5000 or 6000). This cuts the harshness from a lot of high end. I also switch all my cabs, I use, from ultra res to normal. With that said, I play through a 4 x 12 Mesa Cab and direct to FOH. I'm using the typical FOH setup with the FX loop and EQ block at end of channel 1 to shape my tone going to FOH.
Click to expand...

I agree that his has less boom, more gain and more highs but it's not due to more presence, brightness and treble on the amp settings. We're both using default settings for the amps (amp loaded in, no settings adjusted), and I'm trying to get to the bottom of the big difference in sound. The guitar itself has been suggested as a cause but I'm still waiting to hear what guitar in particular would sound more like his in the video than the muffled sound I'm getting. I thought that my guitars would have been suited to metal and high gain, an ESP with EMG's, an Ibanez 7 string and a Destroyer but that doesn't appear to be the case. Cheers!
 
Also, if anyone would be kind enough to make a new patch, load in stock cab 59 and the Angle Severe 2 amp and make a single adjustment to the amp which is to bump the overdrive up from 5 to 7.5 and post the result that would be hugely appreciated!
 
I believe that Chris is using a EBMM Majesty. Those are really hot pickups. I have a Sterling JP100d which has similar pups, but it still isn't quite there. But i understand what you are saying. I think there's even a difference between running USB out and running output 1 into an interface. I have a fostex 16 track recorder that i sometimes mess with. I think just straight up tones, it sounds way better than straight USB. I can't explain it. When i record something with it, stereo panned l and r, it has balls to it that the USB doesn't.
 
Citizen Erased said:
We're both using default settings for the amps (amp loaded in, no settings adjusted), and I'm trying to get to the bottom of the big difference in sound.
Click to expand...
I guess my post fell on deaf ears.

I repeat. You will never sound like that video just because you're both using exact settings in the Axe-Fx. Lots of other variables at play.

You can keep spinning your wheels searching and "trying to get to the bottom"....or you could start tweaking, get your own sound going that you fall in love with and start playing your guitar more.
 
Default settings sound quite dull to me especially when i play with backing tracks. Almost always need to tweak Dyn Presence and Depth. I have a video posted last night that uses a preset i made that sits nicely with a backing track. I would be glad to share the preset since it contains all factory amps and cabs.

 
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