Struggling user - I can't get anywhere close to my prophecy's gain and sustain, please help.

I got this from the Wiki. This may be worth a shot.

"If you think the Instrument input on an Axe-Fx III is faulty, perform this test, courtesy of Fractal Audio ([70]):

  1. Go to a blank preset.
  2. Create a chain that connects Input 1 to the RTA block. On a separate row create a chain where the Synth block feeds Output 3.
  3. Set the Synth Type = Sine, Tracking = Off, Frequency = 1000 Hz.
  4. Connect an instrument cable from Output 3 (left or right) to the Instrument Input.
  5. Set the Input 1 / Instrument A/D Input Level (Home->Setup->I/O) to 50%.
  6. Turn the Out 3 Level knob all the way up.
  7. The Input 1 yellow LED should be lit. Red should not be lit. Go to the RTA block Config tab. Set Bands to 128, Window to Blackman. Go to the RTA tab. There should be a narrow spike at 1 kHz (three bands). There should be no other bands showing power except maybe a little noise at the highest bands. The spike at 1 kHz should be about 2 1/4 divisions below full-scale."
 
Trevorchandler said:
Thank you for the reponse.

I am starting to think my unit is defective, because I put the input knob to 10 and the drive to 10 and the result was about 35% additional brightness with a jump in volume about 20%.

It feels like I have blues like overdrive and distortion is just missing or not well represented.

I will record the output from it and try to post it and open a ticket with support.
Click to expand...

I'm going to do a checklist of the obvious. I have seen some arena level bands' rigs "not work" because of something silly or overlooked like a faulty cable or plugging into bad power. And we're talking about a bands that are household names. Things do happen :)

If a --factory reset-- doesn't work, please check the following
1) Your cables...all of them
2) Your power. Check your power strip, voltage, ground loops/Ground pins.
3) Try different guitars
4) Set up the rig in a different room
5) Plug in headphones and check the factory presets and make sure they "sound correct"

Yek has some recordings of the factory presets how they "should sound". If your factory preset doesn't sound close to this then there's something else going on

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/soundclips-for-reference-purpose.174944/
 
AndrewJay said:
I got this from the Wiki. This may be worth a shot.

"If you think the Instrument input on an Axe-Fx III is faulty, perform this test, courtesy of Fractal Audio ([70]):

  1. Go to a blank preset.
  2. Create a chain that connects Input 1 to the RTA block. On a separate row create a chain where the Synth block feeds Output 3.
  3. Set the Synth Type = Sine, Tracking = Off, Frequency = 1000 Hz.
  4. Connect an instrument cable from Output 3 (left or right) to the Instrument Input.
  5. Set the Input 1 / Instrument A/D Input Level (Home->Setup->I/O) to 50%.
  6. Turn the Out 3 Level knob all the way up.
  7. The Input 1 yellow LED should be lit. Red should not be lit. Go to the RTA block Config tab. Set Bands to 128, Window to Blackman. Go to the RTA tab. There should be a narrow spike at 1 kHz (three bands). There should be no other bands showing power except maybe a little noise at the highest bands. The spike at 1 kHz should be about 2 1/4 divisions below full-scale."
Click to expand...
Thanks for this!
 
RoshRoslin said:
I'm going to do a checklist of the obvious. I have seen some arena level bands' rigs "not work" because of something silly or overlooked like a faulty cable or plugging into bad power. And we're talking about a bands that are household names. Things do happen :)

If a --factory reset-- doesn't work, please check the following
1) Your cables...all of them
2) Your power. Check your power strip, voltage, ground loops/Ground pins.
3) Try different guitars
4) Set up the rig in a different room
5) Plug in headphones and check the factory presets and make sure they "sound correct"

Yek has some recordings of the factory presets how they "should sound". If your factory preset doesn't sound close to this then there's something else going on

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/soundclips-for-reference-purpose.174944/
Click to expand...
Thanks for this!
 
Trevorchandler said:
I promise you, I'm not trying to bait anyone, I really, truly, with complete honesty, without hostility, just want to get a sound I can be happy with.
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No worries. That's what I figured after reading through your post.


Trevorchandler said:
I'm testing the prophecy and the fx3 each at the same volume level. I can hear the high quality and diversity of sounds from the fx3, some of the presets, some of the ones that have scenes that are "red" mostly seem to have a fantastic high gain sound...
Click to expand...
That's a strong indication that amp gain isn't the problem.


Trevorchandler said:
(while I'm playing with heavy attack on the strings), it's just the sustain and feeling under the sound.
Click to expand...
This is the puzzling part. That sustain and feedback is all about volume — your guitar swimming in its own sound. It's just as true for real amps as it is for modelers.

Something isn't the same between your Prophesy and your Axe-Fx. Either the volume is different, ir the distance between the speaker and your guitar is different, or there's some added EQ in the Prophesy's Dimebag preset, or something.


Trevorchandler said:
Is there any other way without having to crank the volume that will let me get more sustain that I can try?
Click to expand...
Try cranking up the volume first. That will narrow down the possibilities.
 
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Trevorchandler said:
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# Moving to Axe FXIII Forum
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Original Post
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I have the axe fxiii and in the same rack, I have a rocktron prophecy. I hookup the fx3 and spend days trying every single sound and not a single one comes even close to the rocktrons gain. I am hearing people say how easy it is, with many of those people preferring less gain, and even people telling other people they should use less gain (which I feel is wrong to suggest to people how they should express their creativity, but leaving that aside) but still, there are people struggling all over the internet.
In some cases it's the pickups just not being hot enough, and in others its not, and there is not a good reason.

I'm one of the ones that has high gain pickups in 3 guitars, and none of them produce anywhere near close to the gain the rocktron does on the same guitars.

The clean sounds are awesome on the axe fx3 and for rhythm, there are some great sounds, but as soon as you go for leads, the feedback potential, sustain and maximization of harmonics is just gone. It feels like the sound just goes away if you aren't constantly generating sound by playing.

I would gladly pay anyone willing to help prove me wrong here.
There is no way a 15 year old rocktron preamp should blow away an axe fx iii on high gain sounds. And I am comparing the same everything here, same guitar, cables, speakers, everything. I'm just playing with the fxiii and then unhooking it and hooking up the rocktron and playing that.

As I said, I'm happy to pay anyone willing to get on the phone, or zoom or skype and help me get the sounds that have to be in the fxiii somewhere. I guess I'm just not capable of using it properly (even though I've never had this problem with any rig in my entire career)

Please help,

Trevor Chandler

==========================================
My Response After Request to Post Audio Samples
==========================================

Thanks everyone, I will record some examples and post a link here.
I can move to axe fx3 too, I just wanted to post here in case it helped anyone from this post.
I'll try to figure out how to create a new post and link it to this one so everyone can benefit.

The prophecy patch is called "Dimebag". (I'm not into panterra, but this sound has great sustain, distortion, etc... pinch harmonics are easy to hit and last long, and i can let the sustain go and it will transform right into feedback. It just feels right to me knowing my sound is there, supporting me psychologically, as opposed to my axe fx3 which in my mind I can't shake the knowing that there will be no sustain should I take my fingers off the strings and use the force, and it makes me play much harder than my typical playing, I feel like I'm abusing notes in my chords to try to get that extra out of them, etc...).

Anyhow, I will record comparisons as soon as I can and post them so people can hear what I'm sounding like here.

I really want the axe fx3 to blow away the prophecy (just like my prophecy did to my GSP2101, and the peavey rock master before, and my yamaha fx 500 before that and my crate gxc120 before that (before that I was 14 and had a 15 watt fender app and a hondo h76 electric my grandmother bought me, oops, forgot, I have a heavy metal pedal, the HM2 I believe before I got the crate (I could only play the crate on .00001 volume or my parents complained they could hear it... (and now im 50, and 4,500 gigs later))

Thanks everyone for the willingness to help me out here.

Trevor
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what is your physical Output Knob on the front panel set to?

is the prophecy vs axe sound the same volume to your ears or different?
 
cole lewis said:
He said he was playing them at the same volume level.
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still need to know the Out Knob position. asked it in case putting the two questions together spark inspiration.

this could be a case where the Axe output is turned down and the power amp is turned up, meaning input to the power amp is weak. might have to turn the power amp down a bit, and turn the axe up.
 
chris said:
still need to know the Out Knob position. asked it in case putting the two questions together spark inspiration.

this could be a case where the Axe output is turned down and the power amp is turned up, meaning input to the power amp is weak. might have to turn the power amp down a bit, and turn the axe up.
Click to expand...
Yep exactly what I'm thinking.
 
@OP...While metal is not my cup of tea, so to speak, I have been hearing that exact sound here in many videos for, about 13 years.
Wish I could help. But know, that sound is there. I am confident these guys will get you there.......Welcome also :)
 
@Trevorchandler This is a kitchen sink preset with two amps (Recto2 Red Modern and PVH 6160+ Lead) - see if this gets you anywhere near what you want. Use scene 1 (straight with delay).

If you don't get high gain with that preset, then you probably do have an issue with your unit.
 

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  • 0868_RectoRed6106.syx
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RoshRoslin said:
Thanks for the tag

I was able to dial in something close in a couple minutes. You can try the legato 100 or the CA3+ Lead. Use a tube screamer to boost the input to add sustain. Use something with V30 speakers with a ribbon mic (121 or 160) I used the fractal V30 cab. Add some dual delay. Scoop the mids out a little to soften the attack and get that kind of tone. Use a humbucker strat with high output pickups to have a dark tone.

Obviously with a little tweaking I could get closer.

Pretty standard 80's shred lead tone.
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Love the CA3+...for both clean and high gain!
 
Trevorchandler said:
Thanks for this!
Click to expand...
No problem. I know it seems daunting right now, but like I said, the Fractal community is full of knowledgeable people willing to help. For now, definitely try to provide as much information as possible. That is the best way that the community can help you. And if we can't, then Fractal support can.
 
Post a preset you are using. Some of us can mess with it and check out what you've been trying. Just in case, I'm linking a video that tells you how to export a preset.

 
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