Part II: Smilefan's Axe II Patch Thread

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Wow, Phil Collins has really fallen on hard times!
 
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Smilefan seeking beer after a hard day's patch writing!


A little something for the holiday. The most horrifying of all intervals....3rds!!!
With a Pitch Shifter and Recto Orange model providing the drama.
Happy Halloween everyone!

EDIT: 02/22/2012 Another undercover Pitch patch for those with sharp eyes.
Smiley's Harmony Lead. A very rich harmony lead tone, with a 3rd down, and an 8th up.
Featuring the new Legacy amp and the new "German V4" tonestack (bet you didn't know
that was in there!).
 

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  • Terrifying 3rds.syx
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  • Smiley Harmony Lead (B).syx
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Here is a tribute to one of the greatest guitar players of all time, Carlos Santana.
My best take on Carlos’ famous Mesa Boogie Mk. 1 rig, with a separate
‘rhythm’ and ‘lead’ amp channels.

Carlos Santana grew up in Tijuana, until his parents moved to San Francisco. Which
landed young Carlos in the middle of the late ‘60’s hippie movement. He got
his first break from Bill Graham (owner of the legendary Fillmore theatres).
One night famed blues guitarist, Paul Butterfield, showed up too wasted to play, and
Bill gave Carlos a shot. His soulful playing shocked everyone present, and he quickly shot
to stardom. The Santana Band brought down the house at 1969’s Woodstock Festival, and their
debut album reached No. 4 on the US charts. The following two albums, ‘Abraxas’
and ‘Santana III’ both hit No. 1.

I can say, from personal experience, that Santana could move an audience like few others.
I watched him perform a 20 minute version of “Oye Como Va” that had 40,000 people
up in their seats and dancing in the aisles. During the set he was in a sort of trance, eyes
rolled back in his head. Totally absorbed in the music.

Carlos’ most famous gear association is with Mesa amps. His early adoption
of Randall Smith’s creations put them on the map. He even put the “Boogie” in
Mesa Boogie. After his first test drive thru a Mk. 1 prototype, he commented,
“that little thing really boogies!”. Mark 1’s were first debuted on Carlos’ famed
“Abraxas” album.

For guitars, Carlos is most famous for his association with PRS. However, all of his
early hits were done on Gibsons. The debut, “Santana” album was a Gibson SG.
Abraxas, Santana III, and Caravanseri were all a tobacco sunburst Les Paul Custom.
Thereafter he played a custom inlayed Yamaha SG2000 named “Devadip” (Hindu trans.
“The Eyes of God”) until 1982 when he started playing PRS.

Carlos has won 10 Grammy Awards.

In the patch, the upper amp block is the ‘lead’ channel, the lower is the ‘rhythm’.
Sounds great with both on at once, as well. You’ll notice that I’ve got the cab blocks
set to the Redwirez Electro-Voice 12L 1x12 cabs. This is because the RW’s cabinet used
to record the IR was solid mahogany (info on their site). This is very similar to early
Mesa Mk. I’s which came with a beautiful solid koa wood cab. This gets us very close to
his actual tone in those earlier days.

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Carlos' Yamaha SG2000 named, "Devadip" in the Berlin Museum

EDIT: 02/14/2012 The original "Santana Latin Percussion" patch glitched badly on download
from Axe Edit. Now simplified, it should work just fine. The "Abraxas" patch is the same
patch without the drum circuitry (just the guitar signal chain). Upper amp block is 'Lead',
lower amp block is 'Rhythm'.
 

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  • Santana Abraxas.syx
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  • Santana Latin Rhythm v2.syx
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Latin Rhytm patch seems to be empty Smilefan. :s Maybe Santana was outta this world when he heard it? ;-)
 
Forum member Axeman was messing with some Keith Urban tones
based on the song "Till Summer Comes Around". Thought that was
a great idea, as his tones are really good. I came up with a
clean, warm-sounding Hiwatt rig (which Keith uses often - see the video)
with a TS808 in front set for smooth leads, to get his kind of sounds.
(helps if you've got a '60's vintage pre-CBS Strat like him)

That 'urgent' sounding sustain you are hearing comes from volume.
He's on the edge of feedback. His amp is set very loud, and he's playing
very softly, with alot of muting, to get the tone you hear on the below clip:

Till Summer Comes Around by Keith Urban
 

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  • 'Till Summer Comes.syx
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Just wow Smilefan. Can not thank you enough for the educational value in all this work. Every time I read this thread I learn so much. You are on point my friend.
 
Wow, it is amazing what you find when you explore outside of the AXE-FX2 discussion:eek:ops

THANK YOU SO MUCH SMILEFAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is such a great help. I am waiting for my AXE-FX II which should be here next Wednesday! Not being a privious AXE owner it gives me a great oppurtunity to explore the AXE-FX II while playing to some great tones.

Thank you once again for your inmense contribution!:D
 
An Attempt at Brad Paisley's monsterous 'Z' tone would be interesting. As much as I love the AxeII I cannot come close the the gritty percussiveness my Z Remedy had.
 
An Attempt at Brad Paisley's monsterous 'Z' tone would be interesting. As much as I love the AxeII I cannot come close the the gritty percussiveness my Z Remedy had.

Love to take a crack at that tone. Only problem is, the tone you are talking about isn't
a Dr. Z model we have in the Axe II. I could get very close to his gritty tones if we had
a Z-28 model. The model we do have, the MAZ Sr., is what he uses for his semi-clean tones. That we can do.

Brad's earlier stuff is mostly all AC-30's. He currently uses Dr. Z Maserati's, MAZ Jr.'s, Z-28's,
and lately an ES Rx, and Z Wreck. I also included an earlier Dr. Z patch from Pt. I of this thread, which comes close, as well.

EDIT: Effective 01/04/2012 both the 'Paisley Dr. Z' and 'Dr. Z + Klon' patches reworked to be more aggressive, cutting,
and chimey.

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  • Paisley Dr. Z Rig.syx
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  • Tone Doctor + Klon.syx
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Back to the Dr. Z tone. All of the rigs are based off the gritty AC type thing. The Z Wreck is what I thought he uses mostly now, therefore you would think the 'Wrecker' amp could come close as the Z wreck is based off a Ken fisher design. Anyway this is where the rubber meets the road, if you have played through a real Dr. Z amp you would know (and this is a bold statement) this is likely the hardest amp the emulate digitally. In order to comment on this you have to be coming from experience or you do not know. Which head is irrelenvant, I have played through 4 different ones, there all insanely powerful due to the simple and efficient design. And all the tones are very similar -some a little cleaner others a little more grit, all of them amazing tone that is pretty difficult to replicate especially in a bedroom or with headphones as they tend to be super loud and have to be to get their tone - a draw back in the tube world. Maybe with future versions!!!
 
You said a mouth full brother. I've never heard any technology other than tube
be able to get the tones that a great, short signal path tube amp has. And there
are tonal elements that volume and feedback bring, which can't (yet) be digitally emulated.

Here is what a great tube amp sounds like. For those Forum members who haven't
heard this video clip, here is where Fractal got the "Can You Hear It Ring?" stock preset
(Preset 82). Listen to the range of tones he gets just by varying his volume (no pedals
or effects) and how he uses the feedback:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2_12Ler9B8
 
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cool vid, check out this one for both the tone as well as the pickin. VH on corn bread!

Dr Z Z Wreck demo with Brad Paisley - YouTube

cragginshred,

+1.

Brad Paisley is on fire in this clip, and he ain't even tryin'! Crazy good playing! This YT-clip is becoming legendary amongst fans of great playing in general and certainly of those fond of "country-shred!" (...A la Jerry Reed, Albert Lee, Danny Gatton, Brent Mason, Johnny Hiland, etc.)

Great tone AND playing!

Bill
 
I really dig toward the end where he cleans it up a bit by rolling the volume off. i really want to get this tone on the II
 
Have a nice flight and enjoy your sessions!!!
Thanks for all the patches and explanations
 
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