OK so I have to ask...before I just say...bleh...and stay with the II

grumpops said:
Looking at the fs12..I"m not seeing that it will work anything like the MFC.
I liked having individual control over blocks in a preset, loved the ability to use IAs, and NO desire to add external switches..Have expression and volume pedals now...(and can assign either to anything)..I'm not seeing a lot of this functionality with the 12..it sorta reminds me of a newer and upgraded version of the FCB1010 Behringer pedal
Click to expand...
The way the FC pedals are integrated with the AxeFX3 makes them very powerful and flexible.

My rig uses four expression pedals - volume, delay/reverb level, wah, and expression - which are my main focus. I have many presets that use that #4 pedal to smoothly pan across 3 or even 4 sounds. I have four external switches mounted in the pedalboard that are used for functions that don't need a status indicator light and LCD label strip (preset up/down and two frequently-used control switches), saving all 12 lighted/labeled buttons for scenes and effects and control switches (oh my). I opted to switch from the FC12 to the pair of FC6es so I could put my pedals in the middle....
20200920_162326.jpg


The AxeFX3 itself sounds amazing, and I sometimes lose hours just playing and enjoying the sound/feel of the amps and cabs. You might have a little bit of a learning curve at the beginning, but I promise you it is worth the effort....
 
My axe 3 arrived just last year - literally when the US started closing up for corona. I came from ax8 and axe fx 2 and quickly realized the greater power of the 3. A year later and i feel im just starting to unlock the true potential of this thing within my workflow. It does more than I could ever need and sounds as good as, if not better, than a real amp - whether running through studio monitors, on stage, or even into a power amp and cab type rig. If fractal releases another one within the next year, good for them. I’ll live happily with this unit until it dies and has to be replaced, or if i die first....

....but it is an imported machine after all, so I’m putting the odds in my favor.
 
grumpops said:
Looking at the fs12..I"m not seeing that it will work anything like the MFC.
I liked having individual control over blocks in a preset, loved the ability to use IAs, and NO desire to add external switches..Have expression and volume pedals now...(and can assign either to anything)..I'm not seeing a lot of this functionality with the 12..it sorta reminds me of a newer and upgraded version of the FCB1010 Behringer pedal
Click to expand...
I get much more done with my FC-6 than I ever did with my MFC-101, and it's easier to set up, too. Less tap dancing, more possibilities.
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
The way the FC pedals are integrated with the AxeFX3 makes them very powerful and flexible.

My rig uses four expression pedals - volume, delay/reverb level, wah, and expression - which are my main focus. I have many presets that use that #4 pedal to smoothly pan across 3 or even 4 sounds. I have four external switches mounted in the pedalboard that are used for functions that don't need a status indicator light and LCD label strip (preset up/down and two frequently-used control switches), saving all 12 lighted/labeled buttons for scenes and effects and control switches (oh my). I opted to switch from the FC12 to the pair of FC6es so I could put my pedals in the middle....
20200920_162326.jpg


The AxeFX3 itself sounds amazing, and I sometimes lose hours just playing and enjoying the sound/feel of the amps and cabs. You might have a little bit of a learning curve at the beginning, but I promise you it is worth the effort....
Click to expand...
Oh my. That just looks.. killer 🤤
 
Like many others, I used an Axe FXII with an MFC-101 for a while, still have them in fact. Like you, I loved the way I could pick scenes, and then have pedals above to flick effects on and off. I've had my Axe FXIII for over 2 years, but only bought an FC12 last year, and I have to say it is so easy to run in a very similar way to how I used my MFC-101. It is also very easy and intuitive to make it do a whole lot more, I couldn't recommend it highly enough. I just use the FC12 with one expression pedal, might add a second one of those, but I couldn't need an external foot switch. I already have up to 24 possible switching options across 8 different pedal layouts, so I don't feel short of options. Factor in the choice of LED colours, editable scribble strips, and "per preset" pedal layouts, and you can do a lot with one little board.

The bigger deal is the way the models have come on. The Axe FXIII arrived with some nicer IRs preloaded, and some improvement in a lot of the higher gain tones. What really did it for me was when the mid gain and "edge of breakup" tones became remarkably better modelled. This was followed by massively improved drive pedal models, and more recently some changes in the output transformer matching. So when I first got the Axe FXIII I was pretty pleased - it looked better, was easier to programme, and sounded better. Since then EVERYTHING about the way it sounds has been improved, and improved, and improved.

If you can afford to trade up, and I am not saying there is anything wrong with Axe FXII and MFC-101 - I would gig with mine tomorrow and would doubtless be happy that I would have a great guitar sound - but if you can afford to trade up, I think it is an absolute no-brainer just now. There's a bit of tweaking of old models needed to get the base tones back into the gain and power amp clipping ballpark (largely because the models seem even closer to mimicking the amps they are based on), but it is so worth it. I find it really rewarding just to work back through them.

Liam
 
I was happy with the II back in the day. At this point, I consider the modeling in the III to be so much better that I can’t honestly recommend anyone buy a used II.
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
The way the FC pedals are integrated with the AxeFX3 makes them very powerful and flexible.

My rig uses four expression pedals - volume, delay/reverb level, wah, and expression - which are my main focus. I have many presets that use that #4 pedal to smoothly pan across 3 or even 4 sounds. I have four external switches mounted in the pedalboard that are used for functions that don't need a status indicator light and LCD label strip (preset up/down and two frequently-used control switches), saving all 12 lighted/labeled buttons for scenes and effects and control switches (oh my). I opted to switch from the FC12 to the pair of FC6es so I could put my pedals in the middle....
20200920_162326.jpg


The AxeFX3 itself sounds amazing, and I sometimes lose hours just playing and enjoying the sound/feel of the amps and cabs. You might have a little bit of a learning curve at the beginning, but I promise you it is worth the effort....
Click to expand...
Holy crap. I need to step up my floorboard game. Adding extra switches seems quite interesting for preset changes or flipping to an effects layout.
 
metallaholic said:
Holy crap. I need to step up my floorboard game. Adding extra switches seems quite interesting for preset changes or flipping to an effects layout.
Click to expand...
Thanks!

Yes, those would be good candidates for external switches, since they don't really need an LED indicator, and/or have no status to show....
 
mwd said:
Both the Ultra and XL still produce stunning results but the III is more user friendly IMHO with both the editor and foot-switch as well as sound advancements. I'm a believer in not looking at the what comes next but rather what you're replacing. Otherwise you'll pull your hair out. Rock stars need hair.
Click to expand...
Don't say that to Devin Townsend LOL
 
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For me the difference between the 2 and the 3 is this: on the 2 I was always switching presets chasing after the right feel and tone, on the 3 I stay on one preset for hours just playing and playing... for me the 3 was when modelling finally arrived. I can't imagine having to buy an Axe 4 at any point.
 
I had an Axe II a few years back and while I loved it, I sold it and went Back to Real Tube Amps, recently got my FM3 and my New Friedman Dirty Shirley has been collecting Dust along with the New Torpedo Captor X I bought for it, Even the FM3 with a little less options and power seems to hit every Niche i'm looking for, Tone, Feel it's right there, Crazy good....
 
grumpops said:
But I'll need an after market pedal..the FC 6 and 12 offer NOTHING similar to the MFC...
Click to expand...

Make a list of features you need, look up various companies and see which aligns best.

Voes
RJM
Morningstar
Fractal

Off the top of my head.
 
grumpops said:
But I'll need an after market pedal..the FC 6 and 12 offer NOTHING similar to the MFC...
Click to expand...

I think that's a good thing. The FC paired with a III is a huge step above and beyond what the MFC/Axe combo provided. Sure, their are some wishlist items that would be great to have. One of the challenges I have seen is that many people expect the new product to work like the old. Instead of learning a new way of doing things and taking advantage of the functions and capabilities.
 
TG3K said:
Don't let the number of buttons fool you. The FC-6 and FC-12 are far more capable than the MFC-101.
Click to expand...
I'm not in a studio...I use this for live playing and I want to look down and SEE EVERYTHING like I do on the MFC..I don't have the luxury of TIME on stage...we get 3 seconds between songs
 
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