New to the Fractal Family

philrister4

Member
Hello Everyone,
I’m late to the party, but just purchased an XL+. Looking forward to scouring the forums for veteran insights on my new gear. I’m ditching physical amps to cut down on their footprint in my house with having a daughter and another kid on the way.
My new setup will be the XL+ and my Mission Gemini 1. I mostly play with my (MIJ) ESP Vulture.
Any tips are appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
 
Hello Everyone,
I’m late to the party, but just purchased an XL+. Looking forward to scouring the forums for veteran insights on my new gear. I’m ditching physical amps to cut down on their footprint in my house with having a daughter and another kid on the way.
My new setup will be the XL+ and my Mission Gemini 1. I mostly play with my (MIJ) ESP Vulture.
Any tips are appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Do you self a massive favour and buy these packs, they will save you "a whole lot of time" adjusting everything. They are top level and sound incredible. Small investment, big time rigs at your fingertips. Enjoy!! These packs saved a hell of a lot time trying to perfect tones and output levels.

https://austinbuddy.com/shop/austinbuddys-raw-amp-700-preset-tonepack-for-axe-fx-ii-xl-users-2/

https://www.custompresets.com/store/c3/'Artist/Song_Specific'_-_'Axe-Fx_II'_Presets.html

https://fremenpresets.com/downloads/fremens-picks-axe-fx-2/
 
Welcome. I'll toss some general advice out there - it's all over the forums as well, so you can find more detail by poking around.

1. Find sounds you like in the Axe and modify to your taste. Don't start off trying to compare/copy a live amp sound right away. Too many 'disappointment' stories start there. This isn't for everyone (and that's okay) but for 98% of the folks here, it does everything and more of what they want.
2. It can be complex. Just ask here if you have questions. Don't expect to walk in the front door and know all about it.
3. You don't need any cab packs. They offer a bunch of new, quality sounds and there are thousands of them. There are plenty of great cabs in the Axe and for free. While they can change your sound, it's not improving quality, only variety. I'd hold off on purchases until you get on your feet - then if you hear something you feel can add value, jump in. They're easy to use. The Recording forum has a bunch of folks showing off what the Axe and cab packs offer. Spend some time there.
4. Firmware updates can change your sound. Accept that or don't upgrade. Some people make a ton of custom sounds and it can be quite painful, some folks make few custom changes and upgrading is very simple. Nobody wants to firmware improvements to stop, so this is just part of the Fractal life.
5. If you find you like cab packs, cab lab is a worthwhile investment.
6. The guitar and pickups do make a difference. Some presets sound great with one and not so great with another.
7. There are a couple of Masterclass videos by cooper carter that are great and he's amazing with the Axe (http://www.coopercarter.com/).
8. If you are going to play live, ask people who do that what they do to 'stay safe'. Learn how to avoid disaster before you experience it. Stuff like "don't upgrade your firmware right before a gig." "How do I backup all my presets".
9. If you don't act like an ass, you'll find unbelievable advice, help & support from the people here.
10. Have fun. Rock on...
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Do you self a massive favour and buy these packs, they will save you "a whole lot of time" adjusting everything. They are top level and sound incredible. Small investment, big time rigs at your fingertips. Enjoy!! These packs saved a hell of a lot time trying to perfect tones and output levels.
Thanks for the insights.
 
Welcome. I'll toss some general advice out there - it's all over the forums as well, so you can find more detail by poking around.

1. Find sounds you like in the Axe and modify to your taste. Don't start off trying to compare/copy a live amp sound right away. Too many 'disappointment' stories start there. This isn't for everyone (and that's okay) but for 98% of the folks here, it does everything and more of what they want.
2. It can be complex. Just ask here if you have questions. Don't expect to walk in the front door and know all about it.
3. You don't need any cab packs. They offer a bunch of new, quality sounds and there are thousands of them. There are plenty of great cabs in the Axe and for free. While they can change your sound, it's not improving quality, only variety. I'd hold off on purchases until you get on your feet - then if you hear something you feel can add value, jump in. They're easy to use. The Recording forum has a bunch of folks showing off what the Axe and cab packs offer. Spend some time there.
4. Firmware updates can change your sound. Accept that or don't upgrade. Some people make a ton of custom sounds and it can be quite painful, some folks make few custom changes and upgrading is very simple. Nobody wants to firmware improvements to stop, so this is just part of the Fractal life.
5. If you find you like cab packs, cab lab is a worthwhile investment.
6. The guitar and pickups do make a difference. Some presets sound great with one and not so great with another.
7. There are a couple of Masterclass videos by cooper carter that are great and he's amazing with the Axe.
8. If you are going to play live, ask people who do that what they do to 'stay safe'. Learn how to avoid disaster before you experience it. Stuff like "don't upgrade your firmware right before a gig." "How do I backup all my presets".
9. If you don't act like an ***, you'll find unbelievable advice, help & support from the people here.
10. Have fun. Rock on...
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I mainly just play for my own enjoyment and write/record riffs for some bands/guys I played with prior to moving states away. Like I said, I’m playing with mainly my trusty Vulture (I was lucky enough to get one of the original first run.#6 minus Het’s and the prototypes). I’m so stoked to see how this thing can operate. Thanks for the advice, I think I will be learning a lot here.
 
You have bought a great unit. It will give you a lot of fun. If you want some tips on the way I have made a videos series called Axe Fx Tips and Tricks. This is the first episode. There are 18 more on youtube...

 
Welcome Phil. The Manual is a great place to start, as well as the wiki page. Also, Yek's guides are indispensable. Pretty much everything you need to know about amps and drives. A helpful hint is to scroll through the presets, and using the Axe Edit, look at each stage of the preset (right click each link in the effects chain) and look at how it is set up. Very helpful for learning your way around the machine. Again, welcome.
 
I second the recommendations for Yek's Amp and Drive guides. They're some of the best guides you can find for the Axe FX. Not coincidentally, Yek is also the dude who maintains the Axe FX wiki.
 
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