Please school me on getting an Axe FX

A

autumn09

Member
Ok, here I am. Been a long ‘on’ and ‘off’ again decision to replace my 16ru rig (full off goodies) to something more versatile, lighter, transportable and reliable being the Axe.

Primarily I rely on a fair bit of versatility as far as sound and options go. I am session guitarist and the demands that studio recording and live work goes on able to adapt to who I am working with is important.

Over the years I have built up some great equipment (which is all good) but carting around racks (currently 16ru) and all the annoyance that can bring if a cable goes bad or alike can be at times more than frustrating.

Live work I strip down and have a basic pedal board etc and leave the rack gear for studio etc. Anyhow, the Axe FX could be my answer.

I have been reading through the manual, you tube, and everything else on the Axe FX.
I am excited on the idea of it and just in deliberation mode on what configuration would best suit.

So I thought id put it out there and ask some of you experts on what works best.

First option was: the 4 cable method configured by the RJM- RG-16 looper using Suhr Badger 30 as amp and say 4 of my fave OD pedals (Klon, Timmy, Zen and Landgraff) feedling into two – 2x12 Suhr Cabs.
- Curious to know how the Axe FX would handle such setup

Second option was: going for just the AxeFX and a nice power amp of some type feeding into two – 2x12 Suhr Cabs.

I understand that there are many options with this unit – I love to have the luxury on ‘Live’ work to be able to send a single to FOH too.

It would be great to get some thoughts on this and personal experiences to how you run/configure you’re AxeFX.

Thanks 8)
 
Read the forum as much as you can. Using 4 cable method and/or guitar cabs will not give u full use of axe. Especially for session work a nice set of studio monitors would really be your best bet and the most consistent sound direct to console, direct to FOH. if you need monitoring onstage a powered wedge would be good.

You'll be shocked with how quick you'll get rid of those pedals and just use the axe. I Def was. Loved my 3 overdrive, now I don't even use them, and sold 2 of them. I've only had the axe for a month.
 
if you want to make a change to a lighter, more reliable and probably better sounding recording rig, you might as well go all the way: Axe only.

depending on how much emotional baggadge you're carrying ("I will ALWAYS play this amp/pedal/fx/blah") it might take some time to adjust, but you have two things working for you:

- as a session player you're already very well educated in how to get certain tones, all that knowledge can be applied to 100% with the Axe.
- as a session player you're working for a very specific goal: making the client happy - and clients care surprisingly little about guitarist's 'mojo' gear (at least the ones I work for), they want results. useable, quick results and a variation just to be sure ;)

you wouldn't be the first one to replace a ton of gear with these 2ru of bliss.

get a Ultra.
 
A quick list of gear in your 16 space rack, please, as well as your choice of guitars, amps used, musical styles, etc.?

This will help others with some of the same equipment and performance needs to respond with pertinent, pointed advice. You can use the Axe-Fx in either of the 2 ways you've mentioned, in addition to (as others have mentioned) as a stand-alone processor plugged into a powered FRFR speaker system or studio monitoring system.

If you are happy with your amp, and the primary motive is to lighten the rack load (and perhaps replace a couple of stomps), the I honestly think that you cannot go wrong with the Axe-Fx, especially if you are able to employ the 4CM successfully. As time goes by and you experiment with the Axe-Fx for 100% of your needs, you may find (as many have) that you only need the Axe-Fx and a MIDI pedal to control it.

If this forum is any indication, the percentage of Axe-Fx users who are satisfied or VERY satisfied with this product is extremely high. The product is well-conceived and executed. Axe-Fx is not lacking for DEPTH of programming, that's for sure.

This is by far the most versatile, best sounding processor I've ever owned.
 
Thanks all: understand what you are saying and getting at + been living in the forum and reading more about it all..

I am tending towards the idea of going down the FRFR setup with the Ultra and 2x Atomix powerd wedges - i like having my signal to FOH and having good stage monitors is a bonus.
 
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