RECORDING TECHNIQUES w/AXE FX II

actionjackson12

actionjackson12

Inspired
SoO for all you producers out there I am curious if you record guitars using the axe-II effects (compressor, reverb, delay, pitch, chorus etc. and the like) or do you record dry (amp and cab only) and add effects in POST via pro-tools, logic etc. ?

Feel free to explain your reasoning

ok go!
 
I would make an observation. You're asking for rules in an area where there are no rules. There would be reasons to use all the methods above in addition to tracking a DI signal and reamping later.

In certain situations the ambience of your preset effects might be what causes the inspiration in the first place therefore the wet sound becomes an integral part of the sound. You might track amp/cab only if you prefer a 3rd party reverb. Logic Space Designer does indeed have some nice verbs, FAS has a nice (plug-in) verb now that you could add after the fact. UAD has some nice verbs and compressors.

Personally I track FAS just how I hear it. So many times the effects are mojo.
 
Generally, recording dry and adding effects later gives more flexibility, but with the Axe, you can always easily reamp with different effects as needed so it doesn't really matter as much. You're not locked in with the effects chosen like you can be when micing up a physical rig.
 
I agree with the comments above. Personally, I prefer to record dry and add effects later. It is much easier to mix properly when effects are added later. I like to have the effects in the headphone mix when recording as a dry guitar signal is not very inspiring (unless that is the sound you are going for). If a bunch of tracks are recorded using various effects it is almost impossible to get a clean and good sounding mix. You end up with too many conflicting delays, reverb trails, etc. That's just my $0.02.
 
mwd said:
In certain situations the ambience of your preset effects might be what causes the inspiration in the first place therefore the wet sound becomes an integral part of the sound.
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I completely agree with this statement. But I am always over come with flexibility in post in case the need to add remove etc. for what sounds best in the mix. I would love to just use the presets i have put time into creating and have been inspired by. Agreed that there are no rules, was just curious what others do. Thanks!
 
mr_fender said:
Generally, recording dry and adding effects later gives more flexibility, but with the Axe, you can always easily reamp with different effects as needed so it doesn't really matter as much. You're not locked in with the effects chosen like you can be when micing up a physical rig.
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Yes, you could re-amp etc. etc. but that still would require a new performance thus re-tracking. No?
 
I track with all effects disabled. I want the amp / cab tone, plus the mic model. But I prefer to add effects in post.
 
actionjackson12 said:
Yes, you could re-amp etc. etc. but that still would require a new performance thus re-tracking. No?
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Not sure which exact model FAS you have. I've got the Ultra and XL. On the XL you output your DI guitar on 3/4 while you are monitoring and/or tracking wet on 1/2. Then you can go back and manipulate your effects via reamping or leave dry and add effects in the box.
 
I've found if you record with reverb you may run into problems later so maybe record a left with reverb and a right without? There's so many options.
 
actionjackson12 said:
Yes, you could re-amp etc. etc. but that still would require a new performance thus re-tracking. No?
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No. If you record both the dry and wet signals from the Axe, you can send the dry back through the unit for additional processing. No new performance is required. That's the difference between re-amping and re-tracking. If recording the Axe via USB, inputs 1 and 2 are the processed left and right outputs, and inputs 3 and 4 are the dry left and right inputs. If using an external interface to record, you'll need to send the dry signal out through output 2 to capture both wet and dry.
 
mr_fender said:
No. If you record both the dry and wet signals from the Axe, you can send the dry back through the unit for additional processing. No new performance is required. That's the difference between re-amping and re-tracking. If recording the Axe via USB, inputs 1 and 2 are the processed left and right outputs, and inputs 3 and 4 are the dry left and right inputs. If using an external interface to record, you'll need to send the dry signal out through output 2 to capture both wet and dry.
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I thought output 3 was dry signal and output 4 was "low frequencies" or something like that. Surely there would be no need to record a stereo dry signal for reamping?
 
I come at this from the writing/recording perspective as I am sure lots of other folks here do. My personal belief is that you should only print effects that are crucial to that particular sound. For instance, if the axe fx reverb, compression, whatever makes that sound what it is, use it and stick with it. I typically print tones dry and then add delays, etc with plugins. When I am just jamming or playing our I use all of the axe fx effects and they sound great, but for ease of switching things up while writing I use plugins.
 
HarrySound said:
I thought output 3 was dry signal and output 4 was "low frequencies" or something like that. Surely there would be no need to record a stereo dry signal for reamping?
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Nope it's the left and right signals from the input. Rear panel has stereo inputs. Folks that use the Axe for effects in larger rigs might use full stereo I/O. Some use both inputs for two separate guitars, or guitar and bass. Most folks don't need it, but it there for those that do.
 
I try to nail the tone as much as possible in the unit - partly because it improves your ability to "get it right at the source", partly because I like using my studio tones live, and partly because I like being able to use the patch as a product, either to sell or use as an incentive to sell other products.

The only thing I won't print with the AxeFX II is reverbs and delays, if I can avoid it. I like tweaking those in the mix. You can always find out what you need by using plugins, then recreate it in the AxeFX II, then print it again.
 
mr_fender said:
Nope it's the left and right signals from the input. Rear panel has stereo inputs. Folks that use the Axe for effects in larger rigs might use full stereo I/O. Some use both inputs for two separate guitars, or guitar and bass. Most folks don't need it, but it there for those that do.
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Also the left and right signal from the input are there for guitars that have piezo/stereo output it makes recording both signals possible (for when you do not want a mic'd acoustic sound or cannot record via real acoustic at the moment).
 
If you print with effects then you're stuck with whatever you record, and it may or may not suit a mix later on, depending on how it progresses. In my opinion, re-amping is the most flexible solution. I might add plugins after the fact, it just depends on what the track needs.
 
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