Dr. Dipwad
Experienced
I have my coupon code and I'll be ordering the Axe FX II soon.
I'm happy I'll be replacing my current uber-complicated rig with one box, since the whole purpose of the current rig is basically to do what the Axe FX II does by itself. (The current rig has 2 Pod XT's and a T.C. G-Force, all mixed dynamically using a SoundSculpture Switchblade. Good results, great flexibility, but WHOA a pain to program new stuff.)
I just realized, on reading the manual, that there MIGHT be something my current rig can do that the Axe FX II can't. Can you guys confirm for me?
THE PREMISE:
I'm big on the timed-echo, global tempo stuff, and I have 4 "workhorse" delays I use regularly:
(1.) "Natural Decay": A 1/4 note timed echo with slight 8th notes that works well for wet leads
(2.) "The Edge": The usual dotted-eighth stuff
(3.) "Subtle Eighths": A floaty delay that uses the dotted-eighth Edge technique, but wetter and more going on
(4.) "Fast 16ths": Every note creates a lot of notes very fast, producing a rapid beat
In each case it's basically the same delay algorithm with different settings: T.C. G-Force 4-tap delay but with differing amounts of cross-feedback between the delays, different note-values for synching with the tap tempo, and differing levels on each tap; i.e. on one patch the 3rd tap might be at 100% level, and on another it might be at 10% or even 0% (not used).
I use a separate footswitch that only governs the T.C. to determine which of my 4 "workhorses" I'm using on a given song. And because the signal path is identical on all 4 delays with the T.C., it's seamless if I change from one to another (say, "Fast 16ths" to "Natural Decay") mid-song.
I also have the ability, on each patch in my whole rig, to take these delays and fade them in and out (from 0% mix with the dry signal to 60% wet mix) using an expression pedal, controlling the mix through SoundSculpture Switchblade. So changing the wetness mid-song is seamless.
The result is everything is seamless: Change of delay patch, change of wetness, change of the two-amps-at-once underlying patch. All transition smoothly mid-song at will.
THE WORRY:
So...today I'm reading through the Axe FX II manual, and I find myself wondering...will I lose some of this capability with the Axe FX II?
I see that Axe FX II has seamless delays. BUT...it only has two of them. It doesn't have an "inventory" of four of them per patch, but only two.
You can add Multi-Delays or Mega-Delays in the patch as well...but they don't do the "seamless" thing.
So I can see how I could have two delays programmed in to each of my patches, one with "Natural Decay" and another with "The Edge"...and know that as I changed patches, the tails of the previous patch would seamlessly transfer to the next patch. So I'm golden as long as I only like having these two workhorse, go-to delays available.
But if I want my other two "workhorses" available in each patch, I'm stuck, aren't I? I could include them as Mega- or Multi-Delays, but then they wouldn't be seamless. And you can't have 4 normal delays per patch, right?
THE QUESTION:
So is there no workaround?
Or is there a workaround with this X/Y thing (which I admit I'm a bit vague on, not yet having ordered the Axe FX II)?
Basically, how would replicate, with just the Axe FX II, the same capabilities I currently have?
(Thanks to all who reply, sorry for the long detailed question.)
I'm happy I'll be replacing my current uber-complicated rig with one box, since the whole purpose of the current rig is basically to do what the Axe FX II does by itself. (The current rig has 2 Pod XT's and a T.C. G-Force, all mixed dynamically using a SoundSculpture Switchblade. Good results, great flexibility, but WHOA a pain to program new stuff.)
I just realized, on reading the manual, that there MIGHT be something my current rig can do that the Axe FX II can't. Can you guys confirm for me?
THE PREMISE:
I'm big on the timed-echo, global tempo stuff, and I have 4 "workhorse" delays I use regularly:
(1.) "Natural Decay": A 1/4 note timed echo with slight 8th notes that works well for wet leads
(2.) "The Edge": The usual dotted-eighth stuff
(3.) "Subtle Eighths": A floaty delay that uses the dotted-eighth Edge technique, but wetter and more going on
(4.) "Fast 16ths": Every note creates a lot of notes very fast, producing a rapid beat
In each case it's basically the same delay algorithm with different settings: T.C. G-Force 4-tap delay but with differing amounts of cross-feedback between the delays, different note-values for synching with the tap tempo, and differing levels on each tap; i.e. on one patch the 3rd tap might be at 100% level, and on another it might be at 10% or even 0% (not used).
I use a separate footswitch that only governs the T.C. to determine which of my 4 "workhorses" I'm using on a given song. And because the signal path is identical on all 4 delays with the T.C., it's seamless if I change from one to another (say, "Fast 16ths" to "Natural Decay") mid-song.
I also have the ability, on each patch in my whole rig, to take these delays and fade them in and out (from 0% mix with the dry signal to 60% wet mix) using an expression pedal, controlling the mix through SoundSculpture Switchblade. So changing the wetness mid-song is seamless.
The result is everything is seamless: Change of delay patch, change of wetness, change of the two-amps-at-once underlying patch. All transition smoothly mid-song at will.
THE WORRY:
So...today I'm reading through the Axe FX II manual, and I find myself wondering...will I lose some of this capability with the Axe FX II?
I see that Axe FX II has seamless delays. BUT...it only has two of them. It doesn't have an "inventory" of four of them per patch, but only two.
You can add Multi-Delays or Mega-Delays in the patch as well...but they don't do the "seamless" thing.
So I can see how I could have two delays programmed in to each of my patches, one with "Natural Decay" and another with "The Edge"...and know that as I changed patches, the tails of the previous patch would seamlessly transfer to the next patch. So I'm golden as long as I only like having these two workhorse, go-to delays available.
But if I want my other two "workhorses" available in each patch, I'm stuck, aren't I? I could include them as Mega- or Multi-Delays, but then they wouldn't be seamless. And you can't have 4 normal delays per patch, right?
THE QUESTION:
So is there no workaround?
Or is there a workaround with this X/Y thing (which I admit I'm a bit vague on, not yet having ordered the Axe FX II)?
Basically, how would replicate, with just the Axe FX II, the same capabilities I currently have?
(Thanks to all who reply, sorry for the long detailed question.)