My new way of using Axe Fx II

Tremonti

Tremonti

Fractal Fanatic
Been using a version of Axe FX for last 7 years exclusively. Used a poweramp and 2x12 cabinet for all of it and had good results. Ran output 1 to PA via same cab sims on all patches. Never could quite get FOH to sound like my cabinet. Shot IR of my cabinet, and maybe I didn't do good enough....but still wasn't there.

Tried FRFR twice with most recent go not resulting in my conversion. Bought and tried many cab packs and just prefer poweramp and cabinet, but frustrated with mainly having to endlessly tweak with amp block parameters. I know some say set it and forget it...but I can't. Effects are always easy to dial in quick, so that is a non issue.

Before I get a Suhr PT100 amp and a Fractal FX8, I am going to try this.

All patches will have identical block layout in grid. Basically I have in series: wah, compressor, drive, amp, volume, multi delay, rotary, phaser, and filter(for clean boost). Then delay is parallel above multi delay and reverb is parallel below multi delay. Some patches may have a lone effect added different from above like pitch or chorus, but that is the basic template. Running it dual mono and utilizing both sides of power amp. I will mic one side of cabinet with a Sennheiser E906 and not use cab modeling. If I want stage turned up and not house, then I'll turn up one side only of poweramp(yes this may increase the mic'd side a tad, but we will see). I will utilize 5-10 global amps that will be tweaked to taste and then left alone and NOT tweaked per patch. If a patch requires more gain or different EQ, then drive block will be utilized and/or a eq block....but the core amp tone section will stay same.

Why do it this way? It allows me to use it more like a real amp with using effects sprinkled on top. Using a real mic keeps things again...simple.

Anyone approach like this?
 
Hi,
I do share your global amp approach. I usually use two or three amp sims per band. To get a "signature sound" and to use it like a multi channel amp.
This approach is easy to mantain and develop.

But I do use cab sims to FOH, I started with a poweramp and a cab on stage and cab sims to FOH and now it's about 4 or 5 years that I went to the FRFR route.

I think that the axe cab sims are far better than most of the micing solutions you get on a stage, indoor or outdoor.
 
It sounds like you might still be in search of the right IR. I am sort of there as well, although I have been happier in the last year.
The new cab feature in the new beta firmware sounds really interesting. I will wait for the official version to try it, but I have a feeling it will sort some of the issues people like you have.

EDIT : talking about the phase feature. To me 90% of IR's sound quite out of phase and unusable.. combining them doesn't always make it better..
 
Phil emptiness.be said:
It sounds like you might still be in search of the right IR. I am sort of there as well, although I have been happier in the last year. The new cab feature in the new beta firmware sounds really interesting. I will wait for the official version to try it, but I have a feeling it will sort some of the issues people like you have. EDIT : talking about the phase feature. To me 90% of IR's sound quite out of phase and unusable.. combining them doesn't always make it better..
Click to expand...
My issue with IR has been I can't seem to find one to use across the board on all patches that sounds equally as good as my cabinet. Even the one I shot if my cabinet. Just want one cabinet that I place on all patches that simply does the job. Maybe I need to re-shoot my cabinet again?
 
Tremonti: does your miced cab work well with the band? Do you have any recording of it?

If so, take some pictures of the mic position you use live and then shot an IR in a good sounding room.

Remember that the IR will always sound different from your cab.
 
Tremonti said:
My issue with IR has been I can't seem to find one to use across the board on all patches that sounds equally as good as my cabinet. Even the one I shot if my cabinet. Just want one cabinet that I place on all patches that simply does the job. Maybe I need to re-shoot my cabinet again?
Click to expand...
Did you try the new phase feature on your own cab IR?
 
I use a similar setup, and it works wonders in creating a simple to use environment. I've got a standardized preset layout and I run one global amp block with X/Y settings; I use the Double Verb for my cleans and the Suhr Badger 30 for my dirt. Then I go out to a Matrix power amp and into a Matrix NL 2x12 which I mic on stage. I was using an Orange Closedback 2x12, but I got tired of carrying 70lbs. of cabinet around. Like you said, it's much like a real amp and pedal setup, but you get the option of customizing effects in between presets. When I switched to a standardized preset layout and one global amp, it relieved all my frustrations with the Axe. Hopefully it does the same for you.
 
guitarmike said:
I think you should buy the suhr badger, tweak the axe fx to sound just like it, save that setting, and then use either one you want.
Click to expand...

This is what I did way back when the lightbulb switched on, Using a real amp and cab to dial in your FR tone really helped me convert to using all of the modeling capabilities in the Axe. Granted I was only using a few different real amps and cabs but it was a good enough example to show me that it can be done with the tones I was using.
 
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