New axefx II owner: High gain patches sound flubby and farty

Don't take this the wrong way. You are still new to the Axe-Fx. It's not plug n play if you're picky about your tone just like with real world amps. I honestly don't understand how people find it harder to get a good tone on the Axe-Fx than with real life amps. Recording real life amps requires sooo much information and experience: what amp with what cab that works in the room you are in + what mic and preamp to use + learning to mic up a cab (takes years) + post processing etc. Seriously a thousand things can go wrong.

I'd love to know what amps you've used prior to the Axe-Fx. Just to get a sense of your experience. No judgement.. simply just so I know how thorough my tips should be. :)

Also about the Periphery patches... everyone is hyping Bulb's rhythm tone although Nolly's rhythm tone was a lot better sounding. It seemed to work with many guitars so it's a balanced tone and not compensating for a lacking/weird sounding guitar.. or that's the way it sounded to me. :) Anyways I suggest you try Nolly's patch... he made the sound to their album.. not Misha. :)
 
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Clark Kent said:
Don't take this the wrong way. You are still new to the Axe-Fx. It's not plug n play if you're picky about your tone just like with real world amps. I honestly don't understand how people find it harder to get a good tone on the Axe-Fx than with real life amps. Recording real life amps requires sooo much information and experience: what amp with what cab that works in the room you are in + what mic and preamp to use + learning to mic up a cab (takes years) + post processing etc. Seriously a thousand things can go wrong.

I'd love to know what amps you've used prior to the Axe-Fx. Just to get a sense of your experience. No judgement.. simply just so I know how thorough my tips should be. :)

Also about the Periphery patches... everyone is hyping Bulb's rhythm tone although Nolly's rhythm tone was a lot better sounding. It seemed to work with many guitars so it's a balanced tone and not compensating for a lacking/weird sounding guitar.. or that's the way it sounded to me. :) Anyways I suggest you try Nolly's patch... he made the sound to their album.. not Misha. :)
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Hahah yeah no offence taken dude :) our band recorded our latest song with real amps and it was a pretty big bitch to capture a decent sound haha, then when we finally finished tone testing the next day the mic had been moved and we couldn't get the sound we were getting the previous day :( bummer but yeah, i can link you the song if you like (not trying to self promote, just showing what tone i sorta went with with real amps) it was with a 6505 double gated with a maxon 808 OD and through a harley benton g212 (v30 loaded)

My previous rig was a bugera 333 with the harley benton, i've heard a lot of the 5150 models like the evh 5150 II, played through a 5150 III 50 watt, heard an engl powerball and an invader 150, and a profiled savage through a kemper!

I really love nolly's tones he went for in red seas fire and his soundcloud mixes are nuts! but his patch was really bassy with my guitar and i wasn't getting the rich high end that he was getting with his guitar!

I am impressed with my current tone, but i'm just sorta disappointed in a way that people are saying all the amps sound good and playable basically straight away, whereas i do that and am kinda left in a shitty mood haha, just feels like i'm doing something wrong!

Also another thing i've noticed, every time i go to try dual amps, i always end up bypassing the second amp and cab, it just sounds like they're overlapping eachother in a bad way, even when i have a scoop saturated amp with a dry middy amp :S
 
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you should consider that the axe ii sounds like listening to a mic'd amp through monitors and not having the amp in the room.

what sounds like a good tone can end up shit in a mix and vice versa.
 
Well on the Axe-Fx... even on the Ultra I didn't have to tweak. The OwnHammer clip that's on their website is my Ultra Recto New with everything noon and Kevin's IR.

Lot's of people compliment that tone:
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/clark-kent-job/i-ownhammer[/soundcloud]

So if you're on 10.06 and it sounds bad then maybe start questioning your guitar. :)

Other than that it might be the issue of not being used to playing with "mic'ed" signal opposed to amp in room sound. I had this too during my first 3 months. Then I realized "amp in room sound" is for sad and lonely guitarists and not for important guitarists who understsnd their place in the mix. :D But that's just my philosophy.
 
Clark Kent said:
Well on the Axe-Fx... even on the Ultra I didn't have to tweak. The OwnHammer clip that's on their website is my Ultra Recto New with everything noon and Kevin's IR.

Lot's of people compliment that tone:
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/clark-kent-job/i-ownhammer[/soundcloud]

So if you're on 10.06 and it sounds bad then maybe start questioning your guitar. :)

Other than that it might be the issue of not being used to playing with "mic'ed" signal opposed to amp in room sound. I had this too during my first 3 months. Then I realized "amp in room sound" is for sad and lonely guitarists and not for important guitarists who understsnd their place in the mix. :D But that's just my philosophy.
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My thoughts exactly, although I would have less tact than you lol
 
having listened to the "Void" reference you posted earlier in this thread, i'd also say that the tone you're going for is not what i would call a "standard" marshall plexi or fender tone. it's a bit "specialised" and will therefore be trickier to dial in. it's always worth doing as much research as you can - find out what amps and cabs these guys are using and what else (if anything) is in the signal chain....even down to the pickups in their guitars and what tunings they use. knowledge is power.
 
Clark Kent said:
Well on the Axe-Fx... even on the Ultra I didn't have to tweak. The OwnHammer clip that's on their website is my Ultra Recto New with everything noon and Kevin's IR.

Lot's of people compliment that tone:
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/clark-kent-job/i-ownhammer[/soundcloud]

So if you're on 10.06 and it sounds bad then maybe start questioning your guitar. :)

Other than that it might be the issue of not being used to playing with "mic'ed" signal opposed to amp in room sound. I had this too during my first 3 months. Then I realized "amp in room sound" is for sad and lonely guitarists and not for important guitarists who understsnd their place in the mix. :D But that's just my philosophy.
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You're probably right with both of those suggestions haha, if i could get rid of this axefx - pc delay then i'd just make tones with my home speakers but it's hard with the delay so i just tone make through the mackie :S
 
simeon said:
having listened to the "Void" reference you posted earlier in this thread, i'd also say that the tone you're going for is not what i would call a "standard" marshall plexi or fender tone. it's a bit "specialised" and will therefore be trickier to dial in. it's always worth doing as much research as you can - find out what amps and cabs these guys are using and what else (if anything) is in the signal chain....even down to the pickups in their guitars and what tunings they use. knowledge is power.
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They use axefx II on v9.02 with stock cab sims, they also use mackie hd1531's and the pickups they have are bareknuckle aftermath and black hawks in drop G# on baritone sevens, im in drop A# on a 25.5" six string.
I asked them how they got their high end sizzle and they said there's no secret to it and might just be something to do with the presence

as much as this is different to standard tones, i still really appreciate a nice blues or rock tone in standard which i'm going to attempt tonight with my les paul
 
Turn off the EQ on your Mackies. Leave them as flat as possible. The cab block will limit your frequencies like a cab would. There's no need to cut the high and low end on your monitor, especially so drastically. Good luck on your tone quest!
 
ollioj said:
You're probably right with both of those suggestions haha, if i could get rid of this axefx - pc delay then i'd just make tones with my home speakers but it's hard with the delay so i just tone make through the mackie :S
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I believe you are referring to Latency. Latency is the time it takes for your signal to go from your pickup, through the cable, through the Axe Fx, into your computer, into the DAW (Logic, Pro Tools etc), VSTS's and out of your monitors. Usually its a few milliseconds, depending on what you are using as your audio interface. There is a method of reducing said latency with buffer and delay samples etc, using a feedback loop to detect how large the latency is and compensating for it, so it is barely noticeable. Also, being right next to your speakers will make latency more noticeable.
 
Fabio KTG said:
I believe you are referring to Latency. Latency is the time it takes for your signal to go from your pickup, through the cable, through the Axe Fx, into your computer, into the DAW (Logic, Pro Tools etc), VSTS's and out of your monitors. Usually its a few milliseconds, depending on what you are using as your audio interface. There is a method of reducing said latency with buffer and delay samples etc, using a feedback loop to detect how large the latency is and compensating for it, so it is barely noticeable. Also, being right next to your speakers will make latency more noticeable.
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I've already checked the buffer and sample rate, i'm using the ASIO axefx II driver in the device settings, with the 1000 setting as buffer rate (usually i'd go down to 256 but at 48k axefx sample rate it doesn't allow any lower than 1000) and even when i do i still get delay, i don't mean a few miliseconds, i mean when i record i have to manually drag every track back to it's correct spot meaning i'm never producing tight mixes :(

How do you actually setup normal speakers via exilary cable into the axe as output? i've just been using the mackie as a speaker for the DAW (reaper)
 
ollioj said:
I've already checked the buffer and sample rate, i'm using the ASIO axefx II driver in the device settings, with the 1000 setting as buffer rate (usually i'd go down to 256 but at 48k axefx sample rate it doesn't allow any lower than 1000)
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Did you try to change the USB streaming mode first to low latency?
and after that try to change the buffer size..

I don't remember having any problems lowering the buffer size to below 1000.
if everything else fails, you could also try with ASIO4all drivers..
 
Clark Kent said:
Well on the Axe-Fx... even on the Ultra I didn't have to tweak. The OwnHammer clip that's on their website is my Ultra Recto New with everything noon and Kevin's IR.

Lot's of people compliment that tone:
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/clark-kent-job/i-ownhammer[/soundcloud]

So if you're on 10.06 and it sounds bad then maybe start questioning your guitar. :)

Other than that it might be the issue of not being used to playing with "mic'ed" signal opposed to amp in room sound. I had this too during my first 3 months. Then I realized "amp in room sound" is for sad and lonely guitarists and not for important guitarists who understsnd their place in the mix. :D But that's just my philosophy.
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Wow very nice sound! Would you mind sharing this preset?
 
ollioj said:
I've already checked the buffer and sample rate, i'm using the ASIO axefx II driver in the device settings, with the 1000 setting as buffer rate (usually i'd go down to 256 but at 48k axefx sample rate it doesn't allow any lower than 1000) and even when i do i still get delay, i don't mean a few miliseconds, i mean when i record i have to manually drag every track back to it's correct spot meaning i'm never producing tight mixes :(

How do you actually setup normal speakers via exilary cable into the axe as output? i've just been using the mackie as a speaker for the DAW (reaper)
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I have that same issue. I am super sensitive to latency to the point where I can't even record through an xlr monitoring the signal from pc speakers. Not just at home, but in a professional studio. I get around that by recording via USB and sending output 1 to an Atomic wedge. I just cannot stand to have the disconnect between plucking the string and hearing the processed signal.
 
Norppa78 said:
Did you try to change the USB streaming mode first to low latency?
and after that try to change the buffer size..

I don't remember having any problems lowering the buffer size to below 1000.
if everything else fails, you could also try with ASIO4all drivers..
Click to expand...

how do i change the usb streaming mode? i can't find it anywhere :S
 
ollioj said:
how do i change the usb streaming mode? i can't find it anywhere :S
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im not on my own computer right now, but i remember you can find in the Control panel ( assuming you use Windows ).
its named "USB audio driver control panel".
Also my sonar 8 has "Asio panel" button that takes you to the same settings.

i'll update the exact location when i get home. ( if you havent found it by then )

Update :
Direct path = c:\Program files\fractal audio\axe fx II driver \FASUSBAudioCpl.exe
 
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Did OP ever try some 3rd party IRs like own hammer free? Or the fredman/sneap ones?
I think that gods cab one is free also. Just set up fractal bot to send to the scratch pad and audition a few.

For whatever reason my best results for high gain always came from 3rd party ones
 
When i record now i just don't monitor the input and it seems to not give any latency that way! :)
here's a little thing i recorded tonight (please download it if you want the full quality as the mass reverb kinda messes with soundclouds quality!)
https://soundcloud.com/olli576/metamorphosis-full-mix-cover-1 it's from my 2nd favourite song from Northlane so credit to them for such a great breakdown

I'm fairly stoked on the tones i'm getting now sorta haha, i had my mate comes over the other night and we dialed in some really spongey nice warm 5150 tones, sounded sick!

Thanks for all the advice and great feedback you've all given me, thanks :D
 
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