Oldschool59
New Member
Hi all,
A quick shout-out to the Fractal team for what is arguably the most impressive piece of music technology that I've had to opportunity to come across.
I have played guitar for the better part of 30 years. Guitar-wise, I grew up during the virtuoso/metal/hair metal period. I play classical guitar, rock, metal, fusion, blues, funk and a combination thereof. I've always had a thing for modded-M type amps, clean and dirty. Over the years, I've surrounded myself with stellar tube amps and rather nice boutique effects, in my quests to nail all these tones. I must say that I succeeded to do so, and that I'm extremely satisfied with the level of tonal fidelity I've been able to coax with classic equipment. So no qualms there.
With two teen-aged kids, a busy job, many other commitments in my extracurricular life, I've come to dread band practice. Loading/unloading, hauling HEAVY all-tube heads and 412 cabs (one of my ''classic'' combos, the Boogie Mark IV, weighs 1 pound for everyone of the 85 glorious watts it produces!), what a pain. With this in mind, I started looking out for a simpler, lighter, more portable solution, one that would absolutely not compromise on the stellar amp tones and effects that I've been accustomed to. Enter the usual suspects: Helix, Kemper, and of course, the mighty Axe FX III. I tested the first two in my local music store, and I must say that I was instantly floored by the level of precision and authenticity conferred by modern technology and clever programming. Of the two in-store try-outs, I preferred the Kemper tonally, but was disappointed with the interface, effects and above all, the unit's philosophy. I knew that I would have to buy the Axe sight-unseen and trust that all the hype was real.
And boy, is it ever!!! I must say, ever since this thing landed a week ago, I have not stopped playing with and exploring its MANY, MANY brilliant features. Fans of other systems will say that it is complex, and goes very deep. I can say, as a total novice (one week ago), that one can simply plug the Axe and play it without concerning oneself with the finer tweaking. The factory settings are amazing, and usable out-of-the-box. The foot controller (I bought the FC-12) is simply brilliant. Plug and play, and the master layout allows practical, no-nonsense use that confers so much flexibility without any additional configuration headaches.
I have said it on day one, and I will repeat it: The Axe III lives up to its reputation. It is an intelligently ENGINEERED solution to a plethora of musical applications, ranging from home playing, to jamming, to recording, and particularly to live use, at any professional level. The designer's attention to detail brings a bag of smiles at every use. Nothing is further than a simple tap, a press or a turn away. Most importantly, the Axe delivers TONE. Authoritative, authentic tones with no glitches. One can spend hours lost in a simple AC-20 preset, playing an LP and a Tele, and reveling in their glorious characteristics. I know I have, to say nothing about the simply breath-taking higher-gain, fire-breathing amps. All the tones I craved for, I needed (and a LOT I did not know I needed) are packed into the Axe, to be delivered anywhere, at any volume...
A quick word on software integration: in general, I simply hate it. No time to waste with it whatsoever. So, before purchase, I dreaded that instead of being providential life-changers, the many free upgrades that Cliff & team are constantly pushing out to improve an already great product would prove a royal PITA. Well, I must say this: I have never experienced a more transparent environment that the one Fractal puts forth. The AXE III Editor / Fractal Bot were a breeze to install, and from there on, everything proceeded to run on its own. Moving from F/W 9,01 to 10 beta? One click away, no hassles. Access the editor and start exploring the design of presets/scenes? A question of minutes, and it's all intuitive. Great software design, robust operation and the same level of attention to detail as in the hardware. Great job.
I love the warmth and glow of fat sizzling tubes. I'll always enjoy my tube amps. The Axe simply allows me to bring them with me and make them sing everywhere I go. Thanks to Cliff and Fractal for the most fun I've had in a while. But I do miss sleep...
A quick shout-out to the Fractal team for what is arguably the most impressive piece of music technology that I've had to opportunity to come across.
I have played guitar for the better part of 30 years. Guitar-wise, I grew up during the virtuoso/metal/hair metal period. I play classical guitar, rock, metal, fusion, blues, funk and a combination thereof. I've always had a thing for modded-M type amps, clean and dirty. Over the years, I've surrounded myself with stellar tube amps and rather nice boutique effects, in my quests to nail all these tones. I must say that I succeeded to do so, and that I'm extremely satisfied with the level of tonal fidelity I've been able to coax with classic equipment. So no qualms there.
With two teen-aged kids, a busy job, many other commitments in my extracurricular life, I've come to dread band practice. Loading/unloading, hauling HEAVY all-tube heads and 412 cabs (one of my ''classic'' combos, the Boogie Mark IV, weighs 1 pound for everyone of the 85 glorious watts it produces!), what a pain. With this in mind, I started looking out for a simpler, lighter, more portable solution, one that would absolutely not compromise on the stellar amp tones and effects that I've been accustomed to. Enter the usual suspects: Helix, Kemper, and of course, the mighty Axe FX III. I tested the first two in my local music store, and I must say that I was instantly floored by the level of precision and authenticity conferred by modern technology and clever programming. Of the two in-store try-outs, I preferred the Kemper tonally, but was disappointed with the interface, effects and above all, the unit's philosophy. I knew that I would have to buy the Axe sight-unseen and trust that all the hype was real.
And boy, is it ever!!! I must say, ever since this thing landed a week ago, I have not stopped playing with and exploring its MANY, MANY brilliant features. Fans of other systems will say that it is complex, and goes very deep. I can say, as a total novice (one week ago), that one can simply plug the Axe and play it without concerning oneself with the finer tweaking. The factory settings are amazing, and usable out-of-the-box. The foot controller (I bought the FC-12) is simply brilliant. Plug and play, and the master layout allows practical, no-nonsense use that confers so much flexibility without any additional configuration headaches.
I have said it on day one, and I will repeat it: The Axe III lives up to its reputation. It is an intelligently ENGINEERED solution to a plethora of musical applications, ranging from home playing, to jamming, to recording, and particularly to live use, at any professional level. The designer's attention to detail brings a bag of smiles at every use. Nothing is further than a simple tap, a press or a turn away. Most importantly, the Axe delivers TONE. Authoritative, authentic tones with no glitches. One can spend hours lost in a simple AC-20 preset, playing an LP and a Tele, and reveling in their glorious characteristics. I know I have, to say nothing about the simply breath-taking higher-gain, fire-breathing amps. All the tones I craved for, I needed (and a LOT I did not know I needed) are packed into the Axe, to be delivered anywhere, at any volume...
A quick word on software integration: in general, I simply hate it. No time to waste with it whatsoever. So, before purchase, I dreaded that instead of being providential life-changers, the many free upgrades that Cliff & team are constantly pushing out to improve an already great product would prove a royal PITA. Well, I must say this: I have never experienced a more transparent environment that the one Fractal puts forth. The AXE III Editor / Fractal Bot were a breeze to install, and from there on, everything proceeded to run on its own. Moving from F/W 9,01 to 10 beta? One click away, no hassles. Access the editor and start exploring the design of presets/scenes? A question of minutes, and it's all intuitive. Great software design, robust operation and the same level of attention to detail as in the hardware. Great job.
I love the warmth and glow of fat sizzling tubes. I'll always enjoy my tube amps. The Axe simply allows me to bring them with me and make them sing everywhere I go. Thanks to Cliff and Fractal for the most fun I've had in a while. But I do miss sleep...
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