New AX8 User

rayneman

rayneman

Member
My AX8 will be arriving tomorrow. I am new to Fractal but not entirely new to modelers. I am hoping for the AX8 to replace my Amplifire rig, which has been very nice to use. I plan on running the AX8 through my Line 6 L2M in reference mode.

Coming from the Atomic unit, I admit that I am quite nervous about the complexity of the Fractal. I've used all manners of "similar" devices mostly from Line 6 (PODs, POD HDs, Firehawk) and I only go "so" deep into editing to get my tones. The AX8 seems to be on an entirely different level which I sincerely hope doesn't prevent me from enjoying and using the unit as the main tone generator for live use.

Therefore, while I have been looking at the manual, various videos and perusing forums, is there anything that you veteran AX8 guys wish you had known, or had read/watched prior to first receiving your unit? Might there be a tutorial or into-type document that is better that others?

I'd certainly appreciate any wisdom, I already see things like "scenes" and "X/Y" and other intimidating terms which frighten me, lol.

Thanks in advance!!
 
I've had mine for 4 months. It can be as simple or complicated as you want. - Meaning , it sounds pretty great , out of the gate , so you can tweak only the standard amp controls at first , and get great results.
After you get the hang of it a while , you can do some pretty deep editing. - But it isn't entirely necessary. Pretty great unit.

There are a ton of cabs to choose from. After you go thru the presets and play around a while , I would recommend picking one amp or preset you like , and try each cab with it, and listen for something that appeals to you. There are a small handful of cabs that I tend to want to use for everything. ( my 2 cents )
Good luck. Great unit. The editing on line6 is an endless nightmare. This is a different ball game.
Search the forum. Great crew around here , with lots of knowledge.
 
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
Many people have benefited from my AX8 Beginners guide video, especially those new to fractal.
Click to expand...

I'm a Fractal noob too and I'll vouch for the video. I've watched it once but will refer back to it many times. Many of the terms that get tossed around on the forum made more sense after seeing the video. I've been lurking for a long time but got my invitation today. My reservation was on 11/24. Purchased and psyched!
 
,rayneman,

Be prepared !!!!!!!

Fractal is a whole new world of Music making ..

just be aware of the things they didn't tell you ..... up front ..

A.) you`ll never be the same again.
B.) it is addictive . and so far there is no therapy available ,except = play on ,and on.
C.) it will be difficult to get other priorities done ,
D.) Your better half .,may not be as excited over your new purchase,, after a few weeks
E.) they have made it very hard ,for you , to want to lay, your guitar down ,and to move on to other things .
F.) Its also very difficult , to turn this Fractal product off .
G.) and " TIME ",, it disappears,, soon after you open the box,,(where did it go (time) ???????? ( 3 hours seems like 1 hour )
H.) hope you have more discipline than I do !

just to name a few.
Have fun ,,I know you will .


.
 
I just received mine today, although I've been a FAS user for years I was still thrilled to hear how good it sounded! Just prepare for an 8 hour day to vanish before you know it.
 
The cool thing with Ax8 (and other Fractal gear), is that you can get fantastic sounds just with an amp and cab block and the basic amp page. It can be a little tricky to find the right IRs, but the factory cabs have lots of variety, and you do not need to purchase extra cab packs. Once you zone in on, what amp(s) and cab(s) you really like, you can start experimenting with advanced settings and cab packs.

All the FX sound good and they are easy to use. The only one I have trouble connecting with is the Drive block, I find it a bit confusing, and honestly I use it very little in my real presets, I usually prefer amp drive and pushing the amp with a filter block - that is much more intuitive to me. With all other FX I can more or less just use standard presets to get good sounds. As you learn more, you may hear somebody talk about a certain parameter in and FX block, and you may want to experiment. I have found lots of interesting things that way, but I could build perfectly gig / recording ready presets without ever knowing about it.

I bet most people can get great tones out of the Ax8 after a few hours (or maybe even minutes). Mastering the unit may take a lifetime :)
 
Mine arrives tomorrow, have owned an ace fx 2 in the past (and standard in the distant past) can't wait to dig in and see/hear what all this quantum stuff is about!
 
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