Switching from the II to the III - Motivations/Satisfaction

For me the workflow improvements are worth it. Having four channels per block is awesome. That really opens up the functionality to be able to do practically all you need in one preset.
 
As a user since 2013 of the Axe-Fx II I'm feeling like I need to reduce my bank account and switch to the III (Because what else would I do with my money right?)

If you've switched to the III did you feel like your creative palette broadened and justified your change/purchase?

Is there anything on the III you wish was there but isn't or are you happy with what you have?

If you're not happy, are you waiting/hoping for those changes in version IV ?

I'm 87.49% (Approximately depending on the time of the day) convinced I'll switch to the III but I'm wavering on sticking with the II and ignoring YouTube video's that show how cool the III is.

Cheers.
I have made the switch from the II to the III late last year. Previously I was only using the Axe FX II through my EVH 5150 IIIs effects loop only. When I made the switch I also wanted a simpler setup so I took a chance and bought a Crown XLS 2502 Power amp as wanted to try a Solid State setup. Many Thanks to Leon Todd's Videos as they held some of the keys to achieving success with my new Axe FX IIIs Tone Quest. I use my Axe FX III through the Crown 2502 & then Left & Right to 2 Marshall 4X12 1960 cabs. It has taken me close to 4 months of testing & tweaking to get where I am really overjoyed with my current sound. The Axe FX III did indeed have a learning curve but from my point of view it is well worth it, & I am also addicted to the Axe Edit since it spoils me with its ease of effort. Now I am free to use all the great Amp Models inside & it well justified my purchase. Probably I am one of the few that only uses the Axe FX III only Live through real cabs and does not venture into the recording side. There are so many features packed into the Axe FX III that I do not find myself yearning for more. The additional Bonus of being able to visit the forum & gain insight & tips from all the other Axe Users + all the updates provided by Fractal Audio help make my new Axe FX III purchase an easy decision for me. For me the pros outweigh the cons, & I think that it is truly the best time to be a Guitar Player with all the great technology we have available to us. I have a second Guitar Rig setup for all Guest Guitarists who visit & they really appreciate my upgrade decision since their Rig setup is powered by the Axe FX II which also goes through another Crown Amp to 2 Marshall 4X12 Cabs. They really like only having to bring their Guitar & nothing else. The Axe FX III Rocks my world!

I gladly tip my hat to the wonderful world of Fractal Audio..... STP
 
Loved the sound quality of my II XL+, but my one-month-old III satisfies my Studio Engineer "quest for the final dB" in so many more ways. The ease-of-use is dramatically improved with data encoders directly below the bigger/better screen, being able to name Scenes totally rocks – and the need to continually be mindful of banging up against the CPU limitation is a thing of the past for me!

Take the plunge, you won't regret it.
 
Loved the sound quality of my II XL+, but my one-month-old III satisfies my Studio Engineer "quest for the final dB" in so many more ways. The ease-of-use is dramatically improved with data encoders directly below the bigger/better screen, being able to name Scenes totally rocks – and the need to continually be mindful of banging up against the CPU limitation is a thing of the past for me!

Take the plunge, you won't regret it.
It's a great piece of kit, innit? Love mine!
 
One could spend more time in the Cab block auditioning IRs than most any Earthly activity.
Yup. @2112's trick speeds it up a bit, though.
  1. Put the looper right after the input.
  2. Record a couple representative phrases.
  3. Click the cab number field's label to set focus, and use the arrow keys to go up/down through the cabs without looking at the screen.
  4. Pause when you hear something that sounds good, and mark that cab in the picker using one of the color markers.
Looking back at the picker window, it emerged very quickly that I like 160/121 roughly centered with a 57 a bit off-center, no matter which type of speaker sound (British, American, whatever) I was going for....
 
and the need to continually be mindful of banging up against the CPU limitation is a thing of the past for me!

I was by chance back to the Axe II today trying to replicate some of the sounds I have on the III, and was surprised at "how easy" it is to hit the CPU limit with complex setups. I never realized that before, I guess I've progressively grown used to the sheer amount of CPU in the III.

Truth is I've been able to stretch most of the things in, but I guess the lesson here is that, again, it is much easier to do complex things in the III, and there are some layout gymnastics that are plain impossible in any other device.
 
do you play out a lot? the FC12 is the number 1 reason to upgrade IMO. I was in the same exact boat as you. However, if you're a studio only person, and you don't want to push your presets past their current capability (in terms of CPU) I'm not convinced there's much of a reason to upgrade.
 
More USB channels allows for easy reamping while listening to the whole mix at the same time.
Yeah this was a big one for me. You had to use an external interface to be able to do this with the Axe II which added its own issues. It makes dialing in reamped tones so much easier. You don't have to keep going back and forth to the I/O menu with every single reamp take just to hear it in the mix.
 
More USB channels allows for easy reamping while listening to the whole mix at the same time.

Yeah this was a big one for me. You had to use an external interface to be able to do this with the Axe II which added its own issues. It makes dialing in reamped tones so much easier. You don't have to keep going back and forth to the I/O menu with every single reamp take just to hear it in the mix.

This would seal the deal for me to make an upgrade. I hadn't found anything conclusive on whether or not the III made this possible or not... no videos showing it being done, or anything. Can one of you make a video, perhaps with real-time adjustments during the re-amping process?
 
Yes, you absolutely can do this with the III. The Axe FX II had only 2 USB Output channels, so there was no way to monitor a stereo mix and send a DI track using USB. The III has 8 USB Output channels. You can easily send the stereo mix for monitoring and send the DI track at the same time. Use Outputs 1&2 to send the stereo mix to Output 1 for monitoring and use Outputs 5&6 to send the DI track back to the Input 1 block on the grid for reamping.

Alternatively, you can also put the USB In block on the grid to feed your preset chain and use USB Outputs 7&8 to send the DI track from the DAW. Doing it that way lets you avoid having to switch the Input 1 Source back and forth between USB and analog to record new takes and reamp multiple times.
 
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