Talk me off the ledge guys...

shotgunn

shotgunn

Fractal Fanatic
I just listed my Ultra on CL. As always before I sell something I plug it in and make sure everything still works right. I just compared the MKIV to the MKIV in the Axe II and the Ultra blows it away. I hate the fact that I even just typed that. I am seriously distraught now. I thought I was getting everything to sound good until this. I mean the Axe II MKIV soundsgod awful compare to the Ultra. No offense to FAS, I'm just saying. I have to be doing something wrong. The presets are identical as far as blocks go.

If anybody likes the MK series amps as much as I do and has a II can you please help me out. I know about the input trim... But the tonality is light years apart.
 
Keep the Ultra. Since you are satisfied with the MK sound, that's better than having to buy an actual Mark series amp. For now. Maybe with the axe profile coming, you won't need it anymore, by then.
 
I agree unfortunately. Ill be watching this thread and hopefully someone has some advice. I have been trying to use the II with my band for two weeks now and I am sick of them complaining about the tone.
The Mark Amps and the even the Recto just don't really seem to have the punch that they had. I have tried tweaking as much as I could, and these amps seem to really be missing something. Its just not good at the moment.
So back to the Ultra next week for me. Really wondering if the II is for me at this point. I have had it since July and have not been able to dial in as good of tones as the Ultra. I am also using Atomic 50/50 and a 2 x 12 EVL cab,
just as an FYI.
 
Yeah, there's profiling coming soon! ;) I'd also keep the ultra if you are able to financially. I kept mine because both are entirely different machines, and make very different sounds. Cliff mentioned that there was an additional speaker impedance control that would adjust modeling to effect the higher freqs to what the ultra had, so you might want to hold off till then. Doubt I'd be able to find that thread now tho. If you can get the ultra sounds with the II after that, then by all means sell it, but unless you're strapped for cash, I'd keep the ultra. Just because you bought a BMW doesn't mean that the benz you've been driving for the past couple years is less than is was before....two very different rides, two very different machines....
 
:( sad but needed I suppose. can't you sell other gear that the axe replaced instead?
 
It was always going to happen that some models from the Ultra will never be equaled for some people. Just the nature of the beast.

People still use a couple models on the old Pod 2.0 for this very reason
 
OKay, so after 10 minutes of tweaking I literally take back EVERYTHING in my OP.

Things I tweaked...

Input Trim up from 1.000 to 1.700
Pres/Depth set to Active now
Pwr Tube Bias down to .205
Spkr Hi Freq up to 4k from 2k (spkr tab in amp block)
Dynamics up to 75% from 25%
Grid Modeling Off (very small difference)

After 20 minutes of adjusting 6 parameters The Axe II sounds like a guitar with new strings (I actually have brand new strings) and the Ultra sounds like month old strings. The Ultra still sounds awesome, but I have officially stepped down from the ledge. I panicked and I apologize. Hopefully my tips will help all others.
 
Great tips, will try them while trying to recreate some ultra tones tomorrow ;)
 
shotgunn said:
OKay, so after 10 minutes of tweaking I literally take back EVERYTHING in my OP.

Things I tweaked...

Input Trim up from 1.000 to 1.700
Pres/Depth set to Active now
Pwr Tube Bias down to .205
Spkr Hi Freq up to 4k from 2k (spkr tab in amp block)
Dynamics up to 75% from 25%
Grid Modeling Off (very small difference)

After 20 minutes of adjusting 6 parameters The Axe II sounds like a guitar with new strings (I actually have brand new strings) and the Ultra sounds like month old strings. The Ultra still sounds awesome, but I have officially stepped down from the ledge. I panicked and I apologize. Hopefully my tips will help all others.
Click to expand...

Interesting tweaks. Do you feel that the Dynamics made a significant difference? When I turned them up I really wasnt liking the added compression characteristics. I will try your other tweaks! Thanks for posting!
 
I like what it did. I wouldn't say it was huge, but it adds a nice polished touch that I happen to really enjoy.

zaphoid said:
Interesting tweaks. Do you feel that the Dynamics made a significant difference? When I turned them up I really wasnt liking the added compression characteristics. I will try your other tweaks! Thanks for posting!
Click to expand...
 
That's what the ultra has - that 'polished' sound. The II is much more realistic and raw, but I like the sounds of the ultra, being more of a studio guy I guess :/
 
What I would point out is they are not apples to apples, you have to be willing to try the many more option in the II which it sounds like you dialed in. Moreover, the advancements for the Ultra ended almost a year ago, however it has just begun for the II
 
jon said:
:( sad but needed I suppose. can't you sell other gear that the axe replaced instead?
Click to expand...

I already did that last year. I sold my MKIIC+ and my last MKIII in December. The rest I sold in feb thru may of 2011. I got over $8K for it. I paid off some debt and bought some sweet tools for my shop. I also bought my atomics and LFP.
 
jon said:
That's what the ultra has - that 'polished' sound. The II is much more realistic and raw, but I like the sounds of the ultra, being more of a studio guy I guess :/
Click to expand...

I too prefer a more polished sound. I'm just glad I was able to tweak and get some very satisfactory results. I'll post the presets tomorrow. Ultra and the II.
 
shotgunn said:
OKay, so after 10 minutes of tweaking I literally take back EVERYTHING in my OP.

Things I tweaked...

Input Trim up from 1.000 to 1.700
Pres/Depth set to Active now
Pwr Tube Bias down to .205
Spkr Hi Freq up to 4k from 2k (spkr tab in amp block)
Dynamics up to 75% from 25%
Grid Modeling Off (very small difference)

After 20 minutes of adjusting 6 parameters The Axe II sounds like a guitar with new strings (I actually have brand new strings) and the Ultra sounds like month old strings. The Ultra still sounds awesome, but I have officially stepped down from the ledge. I panicked and I apologize. Hopefully my tips will help all others.
Click to expand...

Good stuff. Will try and tweak that as well here. I also been abit "grumpy" on my AXE II MK IV, for not achieving that "smooth" MK IV that I had on my ULTRA. But other tones I dialed in sounds flipping awesome so I know its matter of time. Damn, it took me 6 months to get my MKIV tone on the ULTRA the way I wanted.
;)
 
This thread had me panicking at first (I should be coming up on the wait list very soon). I'm glad it worked out.
 
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