Not as good as I expected

tunes3540

tunes3540

New Member
I just got my Axe Fx Standard and plugged in and got sounds that didn't impress me. I saw all these great youtube videos with awesome sound and expected to hear the same on mine. Not so.
I really want this to work. I've been trying.

My setup I use is a Digitech GNX-3 with supermodels direct to the mixer and mains.
I use a Rolls headphone mixer/amp to monitor on in ears as well as running a FR monitor through a VLP-300 American Audio amp.
At home I usually use my Grado SR-60 headphones.

I connected the Output 1 of the Axe Fx to the Rolls headphone amp and monitored on my headphones.

I made sure the Global- pwr amp is on. Global-cab is active.

All the presets sound muddy. Like there is a blanket over an amp. They are dull and lifeless.
I've heard the same sounds on my GNX-3 before the supermodels, or my PodXT live.

Am I missing something? I love the effects, just not the amp and cab sounds. I like the interface.
I've connected Axe-edit and got it to work.
I've upgraded the firmware to 9.02 succesfully.
Sometimes presets from the Axe-change don't have any sound to them. I figured out the presets with a mixer in them don't work. I have to make the mixer a shunt and then I get sound.

Is there a trick to make this sound awesome like the videos I've seen by Mark Day. I've tried some of his patches and they sound brittle and overload the output. After adjusting some levels the overloading stops but they still sound brittle and hollow.

Help please.
 
Search this forum; you'll come across a great multitude of helpful tips that will make a huge difference in your sound. Once you've given Scott's presets and Radley's PEQ tricks some serious time and concerted effort, I doubt you'll find yourself in the same spot.
 
Some patches will have no sound as they were created for the Ultra and the Standard is missing whatever was in the missing block.

When you find a patch with no sound go in a "repair" it by adding shunts.

Also, some were created with custom cab sims in the user slots. If you have no user cab sims loaded you won't hear anything. Go change to a factory cab.
 
tunes3540 said:
I just got my Axe Fx Standard and plugged in and got sounds that didn't impress me. I saw all these great youtube videos with awesome sound and expected to hear the same on mine. Not so.
I really want this to work. I've been trying.

My setup I use is a Digitech GNX-3 with supermodels direct to the mixer and mains.
I use a Rolls headphone mixer/amp to monitor on in ears as well as running a FR monitor through a VLP-300 American Audio amp.
At home I usually use my Grado SR-60 headphones.

I connected the Output 1 of the Axe Fx to the Rolls headphone amp and monitored on my headphones.

I made sure the Global- pwr amp is on. Global-cab is active.

All the presets sound muddy. Like there is a blanket over an amp. They are dull and lifeless.
I've heard the same sounds on my GNX-3 before the supermodels, or my PodXT live.

Am I missing something? I love the effects, just not the amp and cab sounds. I like the interface.
I've connected Axe-edit and got it to work.
I've upgraded the firmware to 9.02 succesfully.
Sometimes presets from the Axe-change don't have any sound to them. I figured out the presets with a mixer in them don't work. I have to make the mixer a shunt and then I get sound.

Is there a trick to make this sound awesome like the videos I've seen by Mark Day. I've tried some of his patches and they sound brittle and overload the output. After adjusting some levels the overloading stops but they still sound brittle and hollow.

Help please.
Click to expand...

you are going to have to get in there and do some tweaking. Start with one patch, build it from scratch, with an amp and cabinet that make sense together. From there it's a matter of listening and making adjustments.
if you have flub in the bass, try turning down the bass on the amp model- you can also go into the advance tab on the amp model and raise the low frequency cutoff. I have found it useful to tighten up the bottom end.

Dont get discouraged- start with ONE patch and move forward after that...it's too easy to go all over the place trying different presets only to end up not having finished anything..
.
 
tunes3540 said:
but they still sound brittle and hollow.
Click to expand...

zentman said:
Also, some were created with custom cab sims in the user slots. If you have no user cab sims loaded you won't hear anything. Go change to a factory cab.
Click to expand...

Actually, if the patch points to a user cab slot that is empty, you will still hear the sound, but it will sound brittle and quite nasty depending on the patch. Definitely want to check that out on patches you've downloaded. Don't get bogged down with some of the crazy routings you'll find, start simple with amp and cab and tweak from there (like Mike said).
 
Ok, I'm listening to you all. I really like the comments you all gave.
I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something I was missing. I had hoped that some of the presets out of the box would sound amazing. I'm used to tweaking to my own taste with the equip I have, and not afraid to do that.
Yes, I am plugged into the front of the unit.
I have started building my own preset and am getting there. It is going to take some time.
 
tunes3540 said:
Ok, I'm listening to you all. I really like the comments you all gave.
I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something I was missing. I had hoped that some of the presets out of the box would sound amazing. I'm used to tweaking to my own taste with the equip I have, and not afraid to do that.
Yes, I am plugged into the front of the unit.
I have started building my own preset and am getting there. It is going to take some time.
Click to expand...


Just like your GNX3 needed the tweaking of the super models to sound the way it did; the axe-fx needs to be tweaked as well. The presets may or may not work for you. It depends on a combination your taste, what guitars you are using, your input levels, and what you are using for amplification. Do not expect the preset to be custom tailored for your tastes and gear. Be aware, the presets sounds very different depending on you guitar and your style. I have heard peoples excellent creations here only to find because of style differences and/or guitar differences the sound really bad on my setup. But, their recordings are great, so it works well for them.


A quick tip: On the input you want to be tickling the red. Turn the input 1 knob until it is tickling the red when you are playing hard.

Also Mark Day has global EQ he uses on his axe-fx. You need to match that to match his tone. I believe he has the settings somewhere in the recording section.
 
tunes3540 said:
Ok, I'm listening to you all. I really like the comments you all gave.
I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something I was missing. I had hoped that some of the presets out of the box would sound amazing. I'm used to tweaking to my own taste with the equip I have, and not afraid to do that.
Yes, I am plugged into the front of the unit.
I have started building my own preset and am getting there. It is going to take some time.
Click to expand...

FWIW, i didnt care for any of the preset sounds when i first got my axefx. Over time i have gone back, revisited them to get examples of effects, different combinations of things- etc. and have used some of the ideas i found there.
If you are interested in the amps, isolate them first and work with them adding effects and whatnot once you have a handle on the amp/cab setups.
 
You know truth be told I felt somewhat the same when I got my Axe-FX Ultra - it just didn't wow me right out of the box. I thought maybe there was an issue as most patches sounded muddy and familiar to other multi-units that I've used.

The thing is once you actually got down to the nitty gritty of the machine you start realizing that there's simply no way to have an all in one unit sound great for absolutely ever person that buys it right out of the box. Different guitars, different output speakers, different tastes, different rooms, etc; they all make for situation in which the individual user MUST put in the time and effort to get the most out of his/her unit.

In the end after a lot of tweaking and, even greater, using downloaded IRs I've gotten great sounds out of my Axe and, of course, have absolutely no regrets. It has every effect I could want, tons and tons of amp tones, is easy to use, is compatible with a lot of great controllers, makes for very easy recording, and best of all opens the doors to sharing of patches.

So, give it some time and tweak tweak tweak. Your initial experience is not that uncommon.
 
Most of the time I use headphones with the Axe-Fx and I have pretty sharp ears. (not being cocky... I just do) At first I thought the sounds were pretty close to a Boss GT type of sound but in the end it was all about finding the right cab and for me there were only a few that I really liked. Here are my tips:

1) START WITH AN EMPTY PATCH
2) ADD AN AMP AND A CAB (no drive pedal... IMHO it takes away from the tube dynamics)
3) DON'T ADD EFFECTS (just an amp and a cab)

I think the CALI cab has the best balance so you can start with that with no mic simulation. I'm not sure which tones you are after nor do I know what amps Mark Day is using but I guess he uses the CAE since his previous/still current amp was Custom Audio. I like the Recto Orange for leads, Recto New for rhythm USA LEAD 1 for just about everything but it needs a midscoop so don't start with that. I'm a Mesa guy and I think Mark's tone sounds pretty Mesa-like no matter what amp he's using. Other amps to consider are the EURO 1, EURO 2, UBER METAL(?), DAS METALL... endless options really... they should all sound pretty amazing.

4) USE A GOOD GUITAR!!!!! (sadly enough if your guitar sucks you don't want to compare your tone to Mark Day's Suhr/PRS tone (BTW I think his PRS sounds fatter))
5) CHECK YOU INPUT VOLUME (mute an E chord and play some tight metal and crank the volume as high as you can without red leds lighting up)
6) CHECK YOUR CABLE (don't know if this is a stupid tip but some of my cables make more noise and have less clarity than others... cheap vs. quality... choose quality)

This should help you get started...
 
Having over last 30 years played thru all manner of tube combos, head/cab, rack based, and then also played extensively thru PODs, GNXs (including Mike's Supermodels) etc.. I'll say this...

Moreso than any other modeller, the Axe sounds superb with the Stock Presets, right out of the box, IF... you use a Full Range system. ANything else and you'll need to tweak to match what you use. Plug it straight to a full ranged PA and see how stock patches do. IMO headphones are not a good reference.
 
I recently posted a sh*tload of basically dry, raw patches ranging from clean, grit and crunch to high gain. Being new to this, I'd highly recommend you get set up with the editor if you aren't already and scroll through a bunch of them until you find what you're after. They're edited for direct recording/direct out etc and to my ears, most of them sounded pretty good and are great starting points for creating your own presets.
My last 2 cents: If you're used to ANYTHING Digitech and you're not digging the amps/cabs in the Axefx, you can rest assured that it's you and not the gear. You just haven't figured out what you're after yet. You will.
 
I got the exact same feeling when I first the Axe. For me, the explanation was simply the fact that I was using the Axe through studio monitors and headphones. It sounds thin and far from what I "feel" with a real tube amp.

But as soon as I have connected the Axe through a real power amp and cab: WOW! I understood what the hype is all about.
IMO, heaphones and studio monitors with small drivers 6' or less will never give justice to the Axe, specially if you don't have experience dialin patches. Too small speakers won't diplace enough air to really feel it.

So if you could manage to find a way to try the Axe with a real poweramp/cab or with a FRFR system with at least 10' or 12' speaker, your perspective will change, guarantee!

My 2 cents
 
I would have to agree that to get the full effect of the AxeFx is to use it through a proper amplification and speaker system, however, a lot of us are also comparing it to our previous setups which may include headphones and smaller monitor speaker systems. It may not be ideal but it is still an A/B comparison and quite valid in my opinion.

In my situation, the AxeFx replaced a POD XT, so I can understand the OP concerns and observations. Over time, even a POD can be dialed in to sound decent in a headphone environment. The expectation is clearly that the AxeFx would improve that sound as much as a power amplified sound. My immediate reaction was similar, sounds good but not great. However, over time, I managed to dial in very good tones using the same listening/monitoring system I previously used for the POD. Clearly I do not play live, anymore, and use the Axe for recording and playing mainly through headphones.

The Axe would benefit greatly if it also contained a number of default patches that are more geared towards this type of player. Only 3 or 4 would be required (clean, crunch, hi gain, lead). I realize that individual tonal preferences are extremely personal and any default patch created will never satisfy everybody, however, stock patches are the starting point of the AxeFx experience, they provide the initial and all too important first impression.

The Axe offers a 2 week money back guarantee, however, it likely takes more than a couple of weeks of truly get under its skin (for me its 3 months and counting and I am just now becoming comfortable with dialing in tone). Makes me wonder how many are returned because of this reason.

Not complaining at all as I am a very happy Fractal customer myself. I just personally see additional value that can be offered through stock patches that have more detail attached to them as pertains to a broader range of output devices and methods.

To the OP, and from a none too experienced user, hang in there as the gold is in the unit! Hopefully, you will be able to achieve your tonal nirvana prior to the expiration of the guarantee. Good luck!
 
tunes3540 said:
I just got my Axe Fx Standard and plugged in and got sounds that didn't impress me. I saw all these great youtube videos with awesome sound and expected to hear the same on mine. Not so.
I really want this to work. I've been trying.

My setup I use is a Digitech GNX-3 with supermodels direct to the mixer and mains.
I use a Rolls headphone mixer/amp to monitor on in ears as well as running a FR monitor through a VLP-300 American Audio amp.
At home I usually use my Grado SR-60 headphones.

I connected the Output 1 of the Axe Fx to the Rolls headphone amp and monitored on my headphones.

I made sure the Global- pwr amp is on. Global-cab is active.

All the presets sound muddy. Like there is a blanket over an amp. They are dull and lifeless.
I've heard the same sounds on my GNX-3 before the supermodels, or my PodXT live.

Am I missing something? I love the effects, just not the amp and cab sounds. I like the interface.
I've connected Axe-edit and got it to work.
I've upgraded the firmware to 9.02 succesfully.
Sometimes presets from the Axe-change don't have any sound to them. I figured out the presets with a mixer in them don't work. I have to make the mixer a shunt and then I get sound.

Is there a trick to make this sound awesome like the videos I've seen by Mark Day. I've tried some of his patches and they sound brittle and overload the output. After adjusting some levels the overloading stops but they still sound brittle and hollow.

Help please.
Click to expand...

1. Go back to the firmware version that came with your unit.
The presets have not been updated yet for version 9.02.

2. Ditch the headphones.
Monitor the axe through hi-quality studio monitors driven with a hi quality amp, or through hi quality powered monitors, or with a hi-quality power amp driving a good guitar cabinet.

3. Most of the presets are designed for stereo monitoring, as I recall.
Make sure you've got both L & R outputs hooked up and panned hard left and right.
If you have to monitor in mono, don't use the Axe's I/O page option of summing L+R. Use one of the other options instead.

4. The presets don't do the unit justice.
Start programming your own patches from scratch.

5. Don't bother with the beta Editor. It's still too buggy and dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.
 
joegold said:
If you have to monitor in mono, don't use the Axe's I/O page option of summing L+R. Use one of the other options instead.
Click to expand...

This may be a dumb question, but why ?? Isn't that their purpose ??
 
s0c9 said:
joegold said:
If you have to monitor in mono, don't use the Axe's I/O page option of summing L+R. Use one of the other options instead.
Click to expand...

This may be a dumb question, but why ?? Isn't that their purpose ??
Click to expand...

Because some of the stereo effects used in the presets don't work properly when summed to mono and will create audio artifacts like comb filtering and phase problems making things sound 'hollow'.
 
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