OT - Axon AX-50 Anyone use it or know anything about it?

henryrobinett

henryrobinett

Fractal Fanatic
Any of yooz guitar dudes ever use a midi controller? I hate them but they come in handy every once in a while producing keyboard tracks or writing music in the studio. I have an Terratec Axon Ax-50. It was discontinued a while ago, but I always got it to work. It looks like with OS 10.7.5 on a Mac, when they did away with Universal, it's dead. On the off chance does anyone here know anything about this? Is it just me or is it in fact dead?
 
henryrobinett said:
Any of yooz guitar dudes ever use a midi controller? I hate them but they come in handy every once in a while producing keyboard tracks or writing music in the studio. I have an Terratec Axon Ax-50. It was discontinued a while ago, but I always got it to work. It looks like with OS 10.7.5 on a Mac, when they did away with Universal, it's dead. On the off chance does anyone here know anything about this? Is it just me or is it in fact dead?
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Hey

I have the Axon 100 - basically the 50 with an internal synth module. There isnt much out about these devices. I am, like you, pretty sure they are discontinued. The Roland stuff has pretty much driven them out, which is unfortunate. As a straight controller they are much better than the Roland devices. (GR-33, GR-55, etc). Doesn't seem like the world of midi guitar is ever going to really take off. I have a GR-55 and several midi ready guitars, including those from Godin, Whecter, and Fender/Roland, as well as having installed the GraphTech system on a Strat. None of it really lets you be a guitar player. You need to change your playing o accommodate the tracking, and even then you only get a portion of patches working even adequately. Some things work OK - I was able to play some B3 sounds in my last cover band, and the trumpet part on "Short Skirt, Long Jacket". But it was kind of gimmicky.

As to your computer question, I can still use my 100 with my Windows box. It works fine under Win7. Sorry. You can find a used GR-33 or 77 and use it as a midi controller for pretty short money I believe.

HTH

Joe
 
I have a Roland GR-1. Terrible for tracking. But frankly I don't need any of them for me to track like a guitar player. I think I'd be fine to get one of those doodads that has the midi pads right on the fretboard. I basically want to track keyboards for keyboard parts for production in the studio. I don't want to do a bunch of bends hammer ons, or guitaristic things.

Hoping Melodyne will be my answer. Supposedly I can record some guitar and convert the track to midi, then send it to a virtual instrument or midi device. Fingers crossed.
 
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henryrobinett said:
Any of yooz guitar dudes ever use a midi controller? I hate them but they come in handy every once in a while producing keyboard tracks or writing music in the studio. I have an Terratec Axon Ax-50. It was discontinued a while ago, but I always got it to work. It looks like with OS 10.7.5 on a Mac, when they did away with Universal, it's dead. On the off chance does anyone here know anything about this? Is it just me or is it in fact dead?
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Yes I bought the AXON AX 50 USB a few years ago because of the editor and the smaller box size.....it still works with windows.
I use it in the same way you do, mostly for keyboards layering
Just checked the terratec producer web site and its down for the Axon part......so nothing to hope there!
 
I have the AX100. As stated, it is far and away the best controller/interface out there. I am just planning on how to integrate it with the Axe, but I really need the MFC to come available to do a good job of it. I'm disappointed that someone didn't buy the technology and run with it. I guess the guitar MIDI market is just too small.
 
I use the ax50 live. Debating whether to keep using it live or not. It seems to make performing a bit less fun. I only use it for organ, trance synths, strings and thats about it. On nights I've ditched it, i tend to play better because Im not thinking about whether i should have the midi switch on/off etc.

Still no pc issues for me. Sorry I can't help there. Maybe you want to check out this - MIDI Guitar for Windows and Mac OS X - The Software Solution

I tried it a few months ago off an ipad and it wasn't to bad. Might help for the time being...
 
Are you familiar with Melodyne? It appears that this does the same exact thing. Since Melodyne does so many other things, primarily, a lot of people have pointed jam origin but are unaware of Melodyne. Can you compare the two? I will put Melodyne through it's paces today.
 
henryrobinett said:
Are you familiar with Melodyne? It appears that this does the same exact thing. Since Melodyne does so many other things, primarily, a lot of people have pointed jam origin but are unaware of Melodyne. Can you compare the two? I will put Melodyne through it's paces today.
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Henry, I'll be interested in your analysis of Melodyne.
 
Not a deep report yet, but it does work! It is strange not being able to hear and play with the synth tones as you play. Where it comes in most handy is in doubling the guitar parts with midi synth/sample sounds. More later!
 
So you do not find it works well for a track with chords?

I was hoping it could be used to convert to midi and do e.g. cello, horn, piano parts.
 
It definitely does chords too! I'm sorry, did I indicate that it doesn't?

I've done a little more with it since - playing three note chord voicings and turning them into a pad and some arpeggiated figures and doubling them. It's really cool and more accurate than my Ax-50, I think. The only drag, excuse the pun, is that Melodyne creates a separate file and saves it outside of the DAW. Then you have to drag it into the track and align it. It seems to align really well. I'm not sure how it does this. I think there's a time stamp, but you can also drag it to the wrong place.

Overall I really dig it.
 
henryrobinett said:
Any of yooz guitar dudes ever use a midi controller? I hate them but they come in handy every once in a while producing keyboard tracks or writing music in the studio. I have an Terratec Axon Ax-50. It was discontinued a while ago, but I always got it to work. It looks like with OS 10.7.5 on a Mac, when they did away with Universal, it's dead. On the off chance does anyone here know anything about this? Is it just me or is it in fact dead?
Click to expand...

Keep an eye on the new kid on the MIDI controller block Fishman Tripleplay
Waiting for some reviews: wireless to computer, hopefully this year they will produce a hardware MIDI box for it as well.
May be worth a look see.
 
claham said:
So you do not find it works well for a track with chords?

I was hoping it could be used to convert to midi and do e.g. cello, horn, piano parts.
Click to expand...

You all ought to be looking at Fishmans Triple Play. 350 to 400 bucks, tracks faster than anything out there, (I've seen demos, and it does track beautifully)easy to install with no drilling or anything like that, controls midi to your computer, and from there to whatever device or DAW you want. It writes midi to all the big DAWs.

It was actually developed by the guy who invented the AXON system, so I imagine it now tracks decidedly better than the Axon, and it is wireless:

"Wikipedia credits Szalay with designing several electronic instruments including the Wersi Electronic Grand Piano; the AKAI DuoBuddy (right) and DecaBuddy Vocal Harmonizers; the AKAI EWI 4000s and EWIUSB Electronic Wind Instruments.

He is also responsible for three generations of guitar synthesizers: Shadow GTM-6 and SH-075 in 1986, the legendary Axon series in 1997 and most recently the upcoming wireless Fishman Triple Play. Below is a video clip of Szalay playing an early prototype and Bence Bécsy demonstrating the amazing tracking capabilities of the Triple Play"



I will have one in a few days, and I will let you know how it works.
 
Henry, you didn't indicate it, I sort of thought you were more satisfied with how it worked with single lines and forhaps some type of sounds. But it seems working really well.

Jgor, that sounds very interesting as well. I will follow your findings to.
 
The triple play does live up to the hype. Best tracking I have experienced, an d I own a Casio pg-380, godin multiac, Roland gr-30 and gr-55, and a youRock. Software is a little buggy, but the overall experience is amazing, layered with Fractal goodness, is, dare I say it.......HOLY SHITBALLS!
 
I'm very interested in the Triple Play, but I'm sick of wireless shit with batteries. Will this thing work with the USB charging cable plugged in if the battery is dead, or must it be charged to a certain amount before it's functional?
 
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