Question - way of testing/tweaking

W

Wildwind

Experienced
As I'm trying to unravel things like IRs and performing tweak after tweak, I'm wondering if there's a way to do something.

Can I record (like via PC recording SW) my guitar, then feed it into the Axe-Fx II and manipulate features and hear the result? Mainly this would be for IRs, which I barely understand.

How about using the looping function in the Axe-Fx? Would that be better? Would it even work for this?

I confess to knowing almost nothing about USB recording and/or using the Axe-Fx as a "sound card". I'm sure I can figure that part out, just need to know if I can use a recording to replace me actually playing in real time. The "hands off" tweaking would really speed things up.
 
The Looper block will do what you want, insert one as the first block then record a loop and play it back while you tweak.

What is it you don't understand about IRs?
 
I'm just starting to figure these out (pretty new Axe user). For example, I grabbed the free OH download. I get two folders with like 20 files in each. I assume these are cabinets mic'd up various ways (or distances and axes), but is that all there is to it? For something reputedly so KEY to great Axe tone...

I realize mic'ing cabs is an incredible art form. I just don't know how to select what will work for me with various amps. It seems very confusing right now. But I am catching up. Slowly.

Thanks for the answer - I'll try the looper thing.

Greg
 
Use the looper block with a sound you basically like and then grab the knob and run through the IRs to see what calls to you. You can also record USB into a DAW using the 3/4 input which is the clean signal, then change the input to the Axe to usb, loop your recording and do the same thing.

If you look at the presets, you get a pretty good idea about what kinds of cabs typically go with what amps. Or research your favorite players sounds and see what cabs they use with what amps as a starting place.
 
Wildwind said:
I realize mic'ing cabs is an incredible art form. I just don't know how to select what will work for me with various amps. It seems very confusing right now. But I am catching up. Slowly.
Click to expand...

Short answer: An IR is a 'capture' of a speaker/cab. Go with the one that sounds good to you, it will probably be similar to a speaker and cabinet that you have used with real amps. Your favorite IRs will probably be similar to your favorite real cabs.

Long answer: An IR captures the frequency and time domain response of a speaker/cabinet/room to an impulse (some use a starter's pistol, the Axe uses a sweep repeated 10 times) and then the impulse is removed leaving only the response to the impulse from the speaker/cabinet/room (speaker IRs are very short but there is some time info/delay/reflections captured, reverb IRs are much longer/larger). The impulse must be amplified so the amplifier connected to the cab will color the IR. The speaker/cab must be mic'd so the microphone and mic position will color the IR. The mic must be run into a mic preamp so the preamp will color the IR.

When you have the time check out other collections, Red Wirez has a free set which use different mics at different positions. Playing through these you will learn which microphones and mic positions you prefer. Axe Manage has an Audition feature so you can try out a large number of IR's without having to load IR's to the Axe to check them out (be careful as Axe Edit/Manage are a bit flakey right now, the Audition feature might overwrite a user IR location so to be safe set the Axe to an empty user IR before auditioning).

The Axe also has it's own mic modelling and Proximity settings in the Cab block, play a bit with these too as well as the Motor Drive parameter to simulate cranking the amp and driving the speaker harder.

One folder with the OH IR's was shot with an Earthworks TC30 mic, this is a neutral reference mic and these IRs would be compatible with the Axe's mic modelling. The other folder was shot using a Sure SM57 and the Axe's mic model should be set to 'none'.

If you still have real cabs grab a mic and shoot your own IRs, it's easy on the Axe.
 
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