Time spent playing guitar vs time spent learning/tweaking AXEFX

I’d like to explore too the Tone Match feature but somehow cannot find most of the reference tones I want isolated, all have something sounding along the guitar.
 
Compared to how much time I’ve spent chasing amps, tweaking my amps with components, swapping speakers and pedals, and reorganizing/recabling my pedal boards? This is much easier now.
 
In the 3 years I've had the unit, I've used alot of time tweaking. Can't say I know how many hours, but I'm sure that I've used a lot more time tweaking and learning than playing this far.

That beeing said, now I've come to a point where I don't need to tweak as much, and I get the results I want. And yes, I am happy with having used the time to know the gear. And i am sure the scales will tip the other way around in the long run. I will end up playing more and be satisfied with my tone.
 
There is so much wisdom in this forum and the manual, thanks for that! As a new FA user my daily routine is now like:
read -> tweak -> play -> repeat
:)
 
There's two different types of tweaking:
  1. Tweaking because you are chasing the tone you want.
  2. Tweaking because you have all these different options at your disposal.
#1 is something I feel doesn't require a ton of work on Fractal. It's easy to get great tones with largely default settings on a lot of the fx blocks. Cab block is probably the only one that requires a more significant amount of configuration to pick the right IR(s) for your amp, adjust high/low cut etc.

#2 is the rabbit hole that is going to suck up time. What if even better tone is right around the corner?! What if I combine these fx in a way I have never before? What if I try out an amp model I have never heard of? What if I take the time to figure out which of the dozen Tube Screamer models sounds best? What if I take the time to painstakingly tweak these advanced amp settings?
 
randyvanmartini said:
I don't know man, so many people talking like tweaking is such a bad thing........I mean, why buy a product with
300 amps, and then everything else this box has just to use a small percent of it? I say tweak away and enjoy it !!! :):oops::cool:
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Same reason people buy 3 channel amps and set and forget lol. Find what works and then use it.

I bought it because I knew whatever sound I was after, I’d be able to make. So far Im 99.9% correct.
 
Budda said:
Same reason people buy 3 channel amps and set and forget lol. Find what works and then use it.

I bought it because I knew whatever sound I was after, I’d be able to make. So far Im 99.9% correct.
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That's what I'm saying though, if I was going to use just one amp, I would probably just get that amp.......different strokes though.
Nothing wrong with that, just don't get the disdain for tweaking, like it's horrible or something...lol
 
randyvanmartini said:
That's what I'm saying though, if I was going to use just one amp, I would probably just get that amp.......different strokes though.
Nothing wrong with that, just don't get the disdain for tweaking, like it's horrible or something...lol
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If you spend more time tweaking than playing then you have a problem.

I've gone the route of "I will just simplify to only what I use" which a lot of the time is basically Fender cleans, Marshall overdrive only to then end up back at Fractal because of all the fx, switching concerns, other gear I needed.

It's just simpler to have this box that does everything and beyond even if I am not always making full use of it.
 
I seldom do any knob twiddling anymore. Axe 3/FC 12 is dialed in and consistent which was my goal with the unit. I play ALOT more now.
 
I think there is a nice symbiotic relationship between tweaking the Axe Fx and playing guitar, i find a new sound and it sends me off in different directions both technique wise and stylistically.
 
randyvanmartini said:
That's what I'm saying though, if I was going to use just one amp, I would probably just get that amp.......different strokes though.
Nothing wrong with that, just don't get the disdain for tweaking, like it's horrible or something...lol
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You misread me. Having a real amp or pedal and only using a handful of settings is using the same 5%.

Now, find me the amp owners who change their settings all the time to make full use of what their amp can do.
 
Mohi said:
I’d like to explore too the Tone Match feature but somehow cannot find most of the reference tones I want isolated, all have something sounding along the guitar.
Click to expand...

Mohi said:
I’d like to explore too the Tone Match feature but somehow cannot find most of the reference tones I want isolated, all have something sounding along the guitar.
Click to expand...
Look into Moises App. For around $40 a year you can download songs from your Music and it'll separate them out anyway you want it too. Amazing how strange it is hearing Bass, Guitar, etc. naked from the actual mix.
It sure beats trying to drop the needle over and over on your albums back in the day to try to "hear" the guitar part. If I'd had that and an AxeFx in the mid-seventies and eighties I would've never left the house!
 
Budda said:
You misread me. Having a real amp or pedal and only using a handful of settings is using the same 5%.

Now, find me the amp owners who change their settings all the time to make full use of what their amp can do.
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Ahhh, I gothcha.............yes, misread you. :)
 
stephenclark1 said:
Look into Moises App. For around $40 a year you can download songs from your Music and it'll separate them out anyway you want it too. Amazing how strange it is hearing Bass, Guitar, etc. naked from the actual mix.
It sure beats trying to drop the needle over and over on your albums back in the day to try to "hear" the guitar part. If I'd had that and an AxeFx in the mid-seventies and eighties I would've never left the house!
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hey many thanks, I'll defnitely check it out!
 
laxu said:
There's two different types of tweaking:
  1. Tweaking because you are chasing the tone you want.
  2. Tweaking because you have all these different options at your disposal.
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To that I’d add: 3. Tweaking to learn how things work.

When I started this journey fourteen years ago I didn’t know that I prefer Fender style amps. Each time I’ve upgraded the hardware (Ultra>II>III) it has taken several weeks to settle on the Amp type and settings. Once done I’ve got the three sounds (Clean, Edge, and Overdriven) which I use in all my patches. No more Amp or Cab tweaking.

The joy of the Axe-FX has been in experimenting with the FX. Trying different Drives and Choruses. Learning what you can do with Delays. As an example, I use the same medium room reverb in all patches and scenes, but have been experimenting with dropping the Reverb level to bring the guitar forward in the band mix when I take a solo.
 
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