Struggling with dynamic and punchy cleans

A

AZG

Experienced
Struggling with dynamic and punchy cleans (no dirt)

A couple of months ago, after going tubeless for a long while, I picked up a small 1x12 tube amp with a really beautiful clean channel. It's super dynamic, punchy, warm and fun to play and has giving me a new appreciation for clean tones. I've been struggling ever since I got the tube amp to get something similar out of my Axe II and CLR. I've checked out a bunch of the presets and tried dialing in a number of amps myself, but nothing i've tried came very close. I started figuring that it was the difference between amp in the room and miked amp tone, but a few days ago a friend let me borrow his Kemper and I quickly found a clean profile on the Kemper that has the same mojo as my tube amp. While my amp and the profile sound pretty different, they both have the dynamic, punchy mojo I am looking for in a clean tone. I'm not really looking to match the tone of my tube amp, just the mojo.

For anyone who has access to a Kemper, check out the profile "TAF - 69 Amps Clean" (it comes free with the KPA) for an example of the punchy, dynamic mojo I am talking about. Can anyone point out a preset or suggest how to get that kind of mojo out of the Axe? I'm guessing I am doing something wrong, but I'm not sure what at this point.

Thanks for your help!
David.
 
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What amp models have you tried? Which IRs? What is the tube amp you are playing?

For me, a big help comes from setting the low freq resonance in the amp block and/or the proximity in the cab block.

Both of these things kick the low frequency up, and add some thump... Also, playing louder makes a difference to me.


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You should post a sound sample so folks can present you with some options. Also, what are you playing (guitar/pickups) with the tube/kemper/Axe.
 
dwmichaels said:
You should post a sound sample so folks can present you with some options. Also, what are you playing (guitar/pickups) with the tube/kemper/Axe.
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+1 -- if you have access to the Kemper unit, post a clip of a tone you like from it.

Also: what are you monitoring through?
 
deadlift said:
His vids are great (love the playing) but I think you're associating strat tone with "punchyness" - I still don't hear the punch that I believe the OP is referring to. Or at least I too have experienced user-failure in being able to reproduce it. The question however, if that punchy dynamic thing actually is available somewhere in the parameters, why is it so hard to find and coax out of the Axe?
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I don't know... subjective terms are tough to define obviously, but I certainly find the Axe seems to respond in a very dynamic, and "punchy" manner, sounding (with his fingers at least) just like a cranked tube amp should
 
deadlift said:
I have tried a bunch of different experiments (short of using a tube power amp), didn't help. And also, the OP claims to have gotten that punchiness from the Kemper without mentioning having to turn it louder.
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It's impossible to talk around vagaries like "punchy-ness" but to say it just doesn't do punchy clean is, well, so very wrong it boarders on absurd. Once the OP posts some clips we'll help him or her get there. Likewise, if you have a target sound in mind post it up. Whatever you seek, it's in there.
 
Curious how loud in the room the Axe/CLR was compared to the real amp and Kemper.

I personally feel no lack of punch. Was the Kemper through the CLR as well!?

Define "punch."
 
Hi all and thanks for the replies,

I didn't post a recording because the dynamic, punchy mojo thing I am talking about is more a feel thing that is much more apparent when playing than listening to a recording. You can check out the "Number Amps" recording on this page for a sound sampling, but you won't be able to feel what I am talking about. If you have a tube amp with a nice clean channel set to low gain (most Fenders and many others should do) or a KPA loaded with the "TAF - 69 Amps Clean" profile played through a CLR or similar speaker, you should be able to clearly feel what i am talking about. Most tones from mid gain and up seem pretty easy to find on the Axe II, but this low gain tone has completely escaped me so far. If the Axe can do it, it is not super easy to find in my experience.
 
are you talking about the gain/breakup characteristics at all? or just solely how it is "punchy"?

or are those the same thing to you?

it's like describing a specific level of "kinda red."
 
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
Curious how loud in the room the Axe/CLR was compared to the real amp and Kemper.

I personally feel no lack of punch. Was the Kemper through the CLR as well!?

Define "punch."
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The Axe II and KPA are both being played through the same CLR. Both modelers and the real amp are all being played at similar volumes. At bedroom or slightly loud for bedroom volumes, but far from gig volumes.

When I say punch I am talking about huge dynamic range. The harder you dig in on the strings the more kick you get. Accents at different levels just jump out at you. It's a different feel than my normal playing on more compressed amps and I have been really enjoying learning something new.
 
AZG said:
Thanks for the reply. Most of the Fenders already have MV at 10, but I will try the supply sag suggestion.
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Try something like the Nuclear Tone, AC30 Bass, Ruby Rocket, Buttery, DC30, TX Star Clean, Roamer, etc...


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deadlift said:
As far as I have been able to tell, the Axe-FX does not do the punchy mojo thing very well.
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I have no problem getting loads of "punchy mojo" out of the Axe, in fact it's easier than on most old school rigs I've used over the years.

Sometimes the problem isn't the gear...
 
Although this only affects things with extreme settings, are your input levels set correctly on the Axe?
 
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
Although this only affects things with extreme settings, are your input levels set correctly on the Axe?
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Yes, tickling the reds. I've had the Axe II for over 2.5 years, so while I am not the expert that many here are i'm still pretty knowledgeable about how to use the unit.

The sound I am looking for is not hard to find on just about any tube amp with a decent clean channel. Set the tone controls at noon then adjust to taste, lower the gain to completely or almost completely clean, adjust master to a comfortable volume (unless you are using an amp with no MV, then comfortable volume might be impossible). I would think the same process should work well on the Axe, but so far it has not. But I still need to try some of the suggestions already made in this thread.
 
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