Tried my Axe-Fx through a cab for the first time.

P

PedSectioned

Inspired
HOLY.

SHIT.

I tried my axe-fx through my Mesa triple recto + Mesa OS cab (preamp defeated via fx return)

WOW.

I have to say though i'm a bit fussy about the Mesa tone. Their amps aren't particularly to my liking. I've got them set up with 6l6's but i'm just about to go try some EL-34's for some more midrange.

Can't get over it though. It IS a tube amp, there are a lot of people in the 'metal' world speculating about the fact that the axe-fx can't do any metal tones that don't sound like bulb or meshuggah. But it really can. Then people will say, but it's a glorified POD? You're an idiot. Micing this setup would be absolutely insane but then people would say...just mic a tube amp? Wrong. You have a completely different arsenal of effects which you can run through with the tone. I'm just amazed. I tried it with the 808 mod drive and the Euro Uber, everything on flat..except the pedal had no drive and a level adjustment. Totally insane. Thinking of getting a vht 2:50:2 to replace the mesa head as a seperate power amp.
 
So Ped...i subscribe to your youtube channel man and love all your metal tones..Can you do a Youtube clip usuing the described method through mesa?-That would be cool man as i got my Axe Standard yesterday and have to make a choice on what Amp/Power amp to use?
 
Sure guys! I've JUST put my camera on charge so i'll let it be done then take my Axe-Fx through tomorrow and show ya :) (It's a bit late and I don't wanna wake up my folks) thanks for subscribing guys! I think I recognise Joshua as JoshuaLoG if i'm not mistaken. Are you 'gr8racerx' on youTube too? :)

btw I've been trying to sell my mesa for ages. I'm quite interested in the vht poweramps but i'll make the video to show how you set it up etc :)
 
maybe i missed it in the video, but if you plug into the input of the mesa then send the signal from it's effects loop to the axe-fx and back you aren't bypassing the mesa pre? I would think to bypass the mesa pre completely you need to plug you guitar into the axe-fx input then send the axe-fx output into the mesa fx-loop return then you'd only be using the power section of the mesa. Also, if i'm right you'll probably end up with a cleaner signal since you are eliminating all that mesa circuitry between your guitar and axefx. I could have this wrong, but your tone sounded good so it doesn't really matter lol.
 
Well I need the mesa because it's providing the power amp! Otherwise I can't get it to work. Yeah somebody on MG.org explained this, I updated my more info on the video file but you don't need the send and I don't think it makes any difference bro :) Thanks for the pointers though I'm sure that will help others watching this. What you've said is exactly what i've done but i've plugged up the send without needing to but it hasn't made a difference.
 
i meant bypassing the circuitry as in bypassing the mesa preamp circuitry. I had a dual rectifier and i believe the effects loop return is a direct input into the power section of the mesa, but if what you got works there's no need to change it
 
Well i'm looking at getting a standalone poweramp but i wanted to try my mesa first before I made the decision but I've decided it has to go. Thinking about the VHT2:50:2 or 2:90:2 :) How can I bypass the circuitry completely?
 
As a newbie, this looks like the right thread for me.

I just unwrapped the Axe-FX that arrived, and walked through the presets. I have an immediate problem: no presence.

I plug straight into our practice PA system: no-frills QSC power amp, and JBL speakers (basic 15" plus tweeter standing monitors). This is more than loud enough for me and the vocalists.

What I have been using is an old GP-100 plus a Sansamp. I use the GP's cabinet emulation.

When I plug in the Axe-FX and do a same-volume A/B comparison with my old setup, I notice right away the Axe-FX has a lot less presence. It sounds muffled, not at all like a tube amp is in the room. The presets I ran through all have cabinet emulation turned on, and it's not being defeated globally.

As it stands, the Axe-FX has no more presence than the GP, and a LOT less tube presence than the Sansamp. Is the Axe-FX the wrong product for me? The sounds are great, but the punching-through, dynamic, in-the-same-room-as-a-tube-amp feel is vastly inferior to the Sansamp.

Is this just how the Axe-FX sounds going directly into a mixing board?
 
maybe this will make more sense. Here is the current sequence in your current signal chain and the signal chain I'm suggesting. Basically my setup bypasses the mesa preamp completely so the axefx becomes the only tone shapper in the chain

What I think you have currently:
guitar -> mesa input -> mesa preamp -> effects send -> axefx input -> axefx processing -> axefx output -> mesa effects loop return -> mesa power section

I'm suggesting:
guitar -> axefx input -> axefx processing -> axefx output -> mesa effects loop return -> mesa power section
 
dgg9 said:
As a newbie, this looks like the right thread for me.

I just unwrapped the Axe-FX that arrived, and walked through the presets. I have an immediate problem: no presence.

I plug straight into our practice PA system: no-frills QSC power amp, and JBL speakers (basic 15" plus tweeter standing monitors). This is more than loud enough for me and the vocalists.

What I have been using is an old GP-100 plus a Sansamp. I use the GP's cabinet emulation.

When I plug in the Axe-FX and do a same-volume A/B comparison with my old setup, I notice right away the Axe-FX has a lot less presence. It sounds muffled, not at all like a tube amp is in the room. The presets I ran through all have cabinet emulation turned on, and it's not being defeated globally.

As it stands, the Axe-FX has no more presence than the GP, and a LOT less tube presence than the Sansamp. Is the Axe-FX the wrong product for me? The sounds are great, but the punching-through, dynamic, in-the-same-room-as-a-tube-amp feel is vastly inferior to the Sansamp.

Is this just how the Axe-FX sounds going directly into a mixing board?
Click to expand...

Firstly, make sure your axe-fx firmware is 10.0. I had so many issues with little presence on it until 10.0. 10.0 changes EVERYTHING and is like having a new unit. What's the GP-100 doing?
 
sorry, just watched you video again and i saw the cable plugged into the mesa, but i didn't notice it was a short patch cable not plugged into anything. Sorry about that
 
PedSectioned said:
Firstly, make sure your axe-fx firmware is 10.0. I had so many issues with little presence on it until 10.0. 10.0 changes EVERYTHING and is like having a new unit. What's the GP-100 doing?
Click to expand...

It is version 10.01. They just sent it to me a few days ago, so presumably it has latest and greatest firmware.

The Axe-FX is completely separate from my existing rig (GP-100 + Sansamp, where the Sansamp uses the GP for FX loop, all switched by GCX and a Ground Control unit). The existing rig has L/R out to the mixing board. The Axe-FX has its own L/R to the mixing board. I made sure mixing board settings are identical. I just switch the cable from the guitar into the input of one rig and then the other, to do A/B comparisons, with volume as equalized as I can.

The effects and the pure sounds of the Axe-FX are great, but it's just lacking punch, presence.
 
Since you're using the power amp section of the Mesa, most have recommended to disable the power amp modeling in the global section of Axe-fx... but if you prefer the sound of two power amp sections working in conjunction... then knock yourself out!
 
Great Vid Ped...Of the hundreds of Axe vids noone seems to bother to make this sort of simple how to vid which is EXTREMELY useful for new users and anyone like me having to make a decision on how and what to spend $$ on..After your demo i think i'll go the other way and still hunt down a used Bogner XTC for a good price and know that the Axe can just go into the loop for all the tonal Amp library that the Axe provides but then i still have that magic real tube greatness in the days i'm feeling old school :mrgreen:
 
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