New to the Axe-Fx world

will romero

will romero

Member
So I'm currently traveling in Europe and saw the sale price for the AXE FX XL+ and pulled the trigger. I won't be back for 2 months to use the unit so i have time to research and prepare. I currently have a mac with logic pro x, Scarlett 2i4 interface and some M-audio monitors. As far as starting the recording process with the axe fx into the Scarlett is there anything else i may need to utilize the unit? As far as using it live i have tons of amps and cabs to run it into so I'm not too concerned with that. Anyway any advice would be great and very appreciated. Can't wait to jump in and play.
 
If you're recording live, you might want a midi foot controller for preset changes. Other than that, time is what you'll want most. It's deep.
 
AndyOrr said:
If you're recording live, you might want a midi foot controller for preset changes. Other than that, time is what you'll want most. It's deep.
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I've been reading the manual and watching youtube vids on how to do cretain things. I plan on investing in the fractal midi controler eventually but don't think its imperative at the moment. I'll use the axe edit until i purchase that.
 
Axe edit is for dialing tones, importing presets and blocks etc. A foot controller is for switching sounds as you play. I think you need to put some thought into which footcontroller is best for you. The fractal one has some advantages over others but there are all kinds on the market offering different sizes, button layouts etc. Some are easy to set up with the axe. Im confident on the fractal wiki page there is a comparison chart
 
JJunkie said:
Axe edit is for dialing tones, importing presets and blocks etc. A foot controller is for switching sounds as you play. I think you need to put some thought into which footcontroller is best for you. The fractal one has some advantages over others but there are all kinds on the market offering different sizes, button layouts etc. Some are easy to set up with the axe. Im confident on the fractal wiki page there is a comparison chart
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Oh I'm very aware what each do but im most likely not going to use it live for a while at least anyway. I use a very simple and effective rig for my live sets. Esp eclipse> tc electronic sentry gate> krank krankenstein> seismic audio contemporary 212 loaded with eminence private jack speakers. I have loads of cabs and heads but this is my prefered live rig. It's surprisingly versatile. I'll eventually get the fractal midi controller but I'm not worried about it at the moment. I'll be in london until august anyway so no biggie really.
 
will romero said:
I plan on trying both for sure. Is it difficult to use as a stand-alone interface?
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It's plug and play, when you install the drivers.
Works flawlessly. You can record the dry and wet signals of the guitar simultaniously. Good stuff.
However, as an audio interface, it does not have a mic preamp, so I recommend keeping the scarlett for that.

EDIT: Ah, you meant as stand alone, not as an audio interface.
Well, the UI is kinda awkward to use... Not very user friendly.
Normally, I set my presets at home, so when I have to go to a rehearsal or a gig, I don't have to do any tweaking.
The awkwardness of the UI seems to be fixed on the Axe FX 3. it seems far far more comfortable to use, from what I've seen.
 
So definitely look into a midi controller if you plan on playing live. If you're looking to go cheap, just get a Behringer FCB1010 and order an EPROM chip. EurekaPROM is plug and play and doesn't require midi programming. If you want top of the line and top dollar midi control, get the MFC-101 with an expression pedal.

Also, look for some good IRs to load. This will cover you if you decide to play directly into a PA or powered speakers. I'd also try a bunch of presets from Axe Exchange. They will offer a good starting point and it's a lot easier to modify than build from scratch.
 
If you need mic pre's for recording, you'll want to keep the Scarlett. Unless you have a stand-alone mic pre.
Since you're on a Mac you can make an aggregate device with the two units and have more inputs and if you use mics, just leave the mic cables plugged into the Scarlett and when the AXE FX is plugged in use its USB interface for recording the guitars.

I use my Axe live so I don't like unplugging a bunch of stuff ( speakers etc) when I go to a gig. I do use the Axe interface but not as my main interface.
 
I recommend playing through all the presets briefly (if only for like 30 seconds per preset) just to get a good idea of the different sounds you can get (i managed to create several songs based around unique presets) but I also reccomend starting with a blank preset and creating your core tones from scratch. Also look into aftermarket IR's such as OwnHammer or ML Sound Lab. Cab sounds are just as important as amp tones so you have everything to gain from going down that rabbit hole as well.
 
deathbyguitar said:
I recommend playing through all the presets briefly (if only for like 30 seconds per preset) just to get a good idea of the different sounds you can get (i managed to create several songs based around unique presets) but I also reccomend starting with a blank preset and creating your core tones from scratch. Also look into aftermarket IR's such as OwnHammer or ML Sound Lab. Cab sounds are just as important as amp tones so you have everything to gain from going down that rabbit hole as well.
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Well it's been almost 2 months since i was able to plug into my Axe FX and it seriously sounds great. Ive been able to create some great presets of my own from scratch.i love the unit and am glad that it sounds as great as i had hoped.
 
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