Never Ending Tone Quest

boz52

boz52

Experienced
Do modelers enhance the quest for “the” tone?? Seems like there’s always a new firmware on the horizon or an overload of presets that go on and on....hours passed and only played about 15mins of actual guitar. Just thinking out loud.....
 
I can only speak of my own patterns. I will make a patch, love it for 3 months, won't play anything else, new firmware, create new patch, love it.

Repeat lol
 
If you are properly focused you should get a tone you'll be happy with within a short time no matter what firmware version you have.

Generally this means learning how to use the device enough to build a preset from new or edit an existing preset to suit. Nothing is going to magically happen without restraint, focus and a bit of effort.
 
boz52 said:
Do modelers enhance the quest for “the” tone??
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What does "enhance the quest" mean? If it means "give you more options," the answer is yes. If it means "steadily improve your results," the answer is also yes, at least for Fractal products. If it means "finally give you the ultimate tone so you can quit chasing tone and just play your guitar," the answer is no. Nothing can do that for you.


boz52 said:
Seems like there’s always a new firmware on the horizon or an overload of presets that go on and on....
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Yup.


boz52 said:
...hours passed and only played about 15mins of actual guitar.
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That's on you, my brother. If you have to download every preset and read every thread there is, you'll never play another note in your life. If you need a perfect version of "the tone" before you start playing, you're equally screwed. If you just want to play more guitar, the best way to do that is to just play more guitar. :)
 
maxdown said:
If you are properly focused you should get a tone you'll be happy with within a short time no matter what firmware version you have.

Generally this means learning how to use the device enough to build a preset from new or edit an existing preset to suit. Nothing is going to magically happen without restraint, focus and a bit of effort.
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What's this "restraint" thing you're going on about, huh?
 
I have played so much more since I bought an FM3. Even though there are options to tweak and set up stuff endlessly, it sounds so good and it's so easy to flip on and play at a reasonable volume in the house, or have great headphone tone, I just play more guitar than ever.
 
citytoburn said:
I have played so much more since I bought an FM3. Even though there are options to tweak and set up stuff endlessly, it sounds so good and it's so easy to flip on and play at a reasonable volume in the house, or have great headphone tone, I just play more guitar than ever.
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Me too. It has revitalized my playing
 
boz52 said:
Do modelers enhance the quest for “the” tone?? Seems like there’s always a new firmware on the horizon or an overload of presets that go on and on....hours passed and only played about 15mins of actual guitar. Just thinking out loud.....
Click to expand...
They feed on the same thing that makes you want to buy new gear, IRs, presets etc. I went for years without buying anything because I was getting new stuff to play with in the Axe-Fx 2.

Most people don't seem to use the huge pile of features provided when you look at this forum's wishlists where people are asking for yet another amp model that is really just another Marshall or Fender variant that does not sound unique enough that you could not replicate it with the existing ones and advanced controls, input/output EQ etc.

On the flipside the sheer number of options can be offputting because you need to figure out how to use all that to get your ideal tone. Most people want a prechewed option which is why just finding an amp you like and plugging into it works for so many guitarists. I have certainly fallen deep into the rabbit hole of tweaking and that's partly why I sold my Axe-Fx 2 a few years ago when the Axe-Fx 3 was released. I went back to tube amps but now I've gone full circle again and have a Helix and FM3, with the Quad Cortex on the way. I think I will always have at least one modeler as it keeps me from piling a room full of tube amps.
 
If you're a tone chaser then you're already probably in the "constant search mode". The Axe Fx gives you a LOT of ground to search in... And the ground occasionally adjusts and expands.

In the analog equivalent, you would literally need a warehouse full of gear (that you would first need to acquire) and (depending on use case) a lot of electronics experience to even come close.

So let's say you had the above-mentioned warehouse and experience, you'd need to physically move and connect (and reconnect and re-route) the physical devices... Oh, and let's not forget the isolation room for your cab and mics. So also repositioning the mic(s) ;)

Now... Assuming all of that and you're going to be chasing the tone one way or another, then it's obvious which one allows that more efficiently!

The flip side is that most of us do not have the financial means to do the same thing in the analog domain, so most likely you WILL spend more time tweaking in the Axe Fx.

But if that's your nature (it's mine! ;)) then what are you going to do? Will power and self control is up to you...
 
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