Three amps in the same preset

VanHalen

Inspired
Hi,

I would like to know if the Axe FX II has enough horsepower to run three (or four) amp blocks (all different or not) in the same preset at the same time with their own cab.
If it has enough :
-it maybe means that users can't run a lot of other blocks.
-there's a technical difficulty because this feature is not available today. What kind of difficulty is it ?
 
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Amp 1 & 2 and Cab 1 & 2 both using X/Y and scenes should be able to accomplish what you are trying to do.

Sent from Moto X
 
You can run 2 AMP blocks and 2 CAB blocks at the same time and that's it (which is hardly a limitation). You can exploit the X/Y states available in both the AMP and CAB block to make more than 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 16 combinations of sounds in one patch. Since each block can be in one of three modes (X, Y or OFF), that means you actually have 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 = 81 combinations to select from (I actually think there's more than that because my combinations don't take in to account AMP 1 -> CAB 1 + AMP 2 -> CAB 2 type parallel combinations. Just AMP 1 + AMP 2 -> CAB 1 type combinations).
 
Hi,

I would like to know if the Axe FX II has enough horsepower to run three (or four) amp blocks (all different or not) in the same preset at the same time with their own cab.
The Axe II has two DSP chips. One is dedicated to amp modeling and nothing else. It has enough horsepower to run two amp sims at the same time. The other DSP handles everything else. It has enough horsepower to run two cab blocks and a bunch of other stuff at the same time.
 
I run 2 amp blocks and 2 cab blocks in my main patch. Using x/y I have a clean, crunch, and high gain I can call up whenever I want. Also, I have a whammy, wah, volume, filter, 2 delays, and several other blocks in that patch. I do 90% of my full bar set (50+ songs) with that single patch.
 
The Axe II has two DSP chips. One is dedicated to amp modeling and nothing else. It has enough horsepower to run two amp sims at the same time. The other DSP handles everything else. It has enough horsepower to run two cab blocks and a bunch of other stuff at the same time.

Can things change, just for one more amp ?
 
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Can things change, just for one more amp ?
That would require an extra DSP chip (those cost over $250 each if you buy a thousand at a time), additional supporting hardware, and a redesign of the motherboard. Not to mention new software to run it all. In other words, a whole new device that would cost hundreds of dollars more than the Axe II costs. I won't speak for Fractal, but I hope they don't put out an upgraded model until they have more to add than one more amp block. :)
 
That would require an extra DSP chip (those cost over $250 each if you buy a thousand at a time), additional supporting hardware, and a redesign of the motherboard. Not to mention new software to run it all. In other words, a whole new device that would cost hundreds of dollars more than the Axe II costs. I won't speak for Fractal, but I hope they don't put out an upgraded model until they have more to add than one more amp block. :)

There is of course one other option and that is to follow the cab block architecture and offer a low resolution amp blocks. So you could then have the option of running 2 amp blocks with high resolution or 4 with low resolution.
 
There is of course one other option and that is to follow the cab block architecture and offer a low resolution amp blocks. So you could then have the option of running 2 amp blocks with high resolution or 4 with low resolution.
That might be possible. But how much are you willing to degrade the amp modeling to squeeze in an extra amp?
 
That might be possible. But how much are you willing to degrade the amp modeling to squeeze in an extra amp?

I wouldn't. I also haven't seen the need for 3 or amp simultaneous amp blocks. But looking at what options are available: we can be satisfied with the options available, we can hope that Cliff can magically squeeze more out of the hardware without compromising quality (which does seem to happen quite often), we can increase the hardware (and cost) or we can reduce the resolution in the amp block to make room for more of them. And I'm sure that there would be people that would be willing to sacrifice a little bit of quality to achieve this, same as having the ability to use normal resolution cabs instead of High/UltraRes cabs.
 
That would require an extra DSP chip (those cost over $250 each if you buy a thousand at a time), additional supporting hardware, and a redesign of the motherboard. Not to mention new software to run it all. In other words, a whole new device that would cost hundreds of dollars more than the Axe II costs.

I'm afraid you're right. I don't know how deep in hardware/software the FAS will have to dig to bring us such a feature. I'm just asking.


I won't speak for Fractal, but I hope they don't put out an upgraded model until they have more to add than one more amp block. :)

Having a third amp block could be cool if it's possible, just before the Axe III release.
 
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There is of course one other option and that is to follow the cab block architecture and offer a low resolution amp blocks. So you could then have the option of running 2 amp blocks with high resolution or 4 with low resolution.

Interesting idea !
 
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I run 2 amp blocks and 2 cab blocks in my main patch. Using x/y I have a clean, crunch, and high gain I can call up whenever I want. Also, I have a whammy, wah, volume, filter, 2 delays, and several other blocks in that patch. I do 90% of my full bar set (50+ songs) with that single patch.

I do exactly the same!!!!
 
I have tons of presets with two amp blocks, and sometimes two cabs. For my PlexiLead patch I use the Friedman BE and HBE, the jumpered 50w Plexi and the Modern Triptik. On each scene one of them takes over. So 4 amps on one patch (not at the same time). Or some other dual amp presets such as one with the Uber and the 5150 red. Both at the same time, each with a different cab. I think there is still tons of chances.
I have one preset with a piezo line, an electric guitar line and a guitar synth at the output. So three rows of sound with xy states for the electric amp, and a bypasseable cab block for warming up the piezo.
 
Hi,

I would like to know if the Axe FX II has enough horsepower to run three (or four) amp blocks (all different or not) in the same preset at the same time with their own cab.
If it has enough :
-it maybe means that users can't run a lot of other blocks.
-there's a technical difficulty because this feature is not available today. What kind of difficulty is it ?

Out of curiosity, what would one more amp block allow you to accomplish that cannot be accomplished using the current configuration?
 
Out of curiosity, what would one more amp block allow you to accomplish that cannot be accomplished using the current configuration?

In studio, there's no probleme because I can use one amp at a time and then mix all my tracks together in my daw. On stage I can't do this anymore : I'd like to run three amp blocks simultaneously in the axe to do this :
-take the guitar signal
-split it in three (for example)
-use filters to keep the frequencies I want. These filters have different settings on each channel. Then I have three different guitar signals
-process them in parallel by three different amp blocks + cab blocks + eventually other blocks
-mix these three signals


There's also other situations like using two high gain amp blocks + one clean amp block at the same time in parallel.
 
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