TubeAmp + Axe Fx in Live Rack

Johannes Egger

Johannes Egger

New Member
Hey :)

I´ve been thinking of getting an Axe Fx for quite a while now to integrate it in a Rack next to a "Friedman SmallBox" and some analog effects. Due to the fact, that I really, really love tube amps and that I am a bit old-fashioned in that perspective, I don´t want to completely give up the amp head. BUT I absolutely want to take full advantage of all the functions the Axe is capable of... My rig needs to offer a huge variedness since I play pretty much every single stage-size from very, very small to very, very big in Coverband, as well as in a touring-band environments.

Is it possible to route this setup in a kind of way, so I can use the Axe as an effects-processor, both in front, as well as after preamp (in the fx-loop of the amp)!?
+ Use it as an amp sim in certain presets only (if I want to do so; maybe switch with an amp gizmo!?)
+ Use the Axe as a kind of "Load-Box" or "Cab-Sim" on the smaller stages, when there´s no space for bringing out my speaker, so I can leave all presets on the mastermind (by "rjm") and axe fx the same and adjust only one global setting, or maybe reroute one or two cables on the patch-bay of the rack. In that way, the Axe would function as an effects-processor on one hand, but also as a cab sim/loadbox/di for my tube-amp on the other.

I want to apologize in advance if these questions are totally stupid and this routing is absolutely impossible, but I am really interested if this whole setup would be possible/practical in a live-rig ;)

Thank you for your help and your suggestions.
- Joe


PS: I also want to apologize for the broken English - hope it´s not too bad :sweatsmile:
 
From what I can tell, it looks like you can use the standard 4CM to do almost all of what you want.
- Can use effects both pre and post
- Can use Friedman Small Box preamp when you want
- Can use Axe FX preamps when you want (through the Small Box power section/cabinet)
- Can use Axe FX full amp/cab models through DI when you want
- Can combine using the Small Box with running straight to FOH

The one thing I do not think you can do is use the Axe FX as a load box. If you want to use the Friedman, it'll need to have the cab connected. In those cases where you don't have room for the speaker, you can just build a few full Axe FX presets with amp/cab that don't make use of the Friedman at all.
 
What he said ^

You absolutely CANNOT use the axe FX as a load box though. You can add a load box to your rack, use that to safely operate the Friedman without a cab, then route the audio signal through the axe like normal. I'd agree though that if it were me I'd rather just leave it at home and use the axe only for those gigs.
 
Yeah. As ChainOfThought says you can also add a load box like the Two Notes Torpedo Live or similar (Fractal LP-B1 is in the works but no idea of release date). That way you can do all of what you wanted from your original post.
 
You could do all that......., or......, realize that 99.9% of your live audience will just not notice it, as they'll be far far far more interested in listening to the vocals. The only people in the audience who pay in depth attention to the guitarist are other guitarists. And they make for lousy audience anyway. So basically all you're doing is making life more difficult for yourself.
 
Yes, the 4-cable method (4CM) will do everything you want to do—except act as a load box.

But for very small stages where space is an issue, the Axe-Fx has a spot-on Smallbox model. Just spin it up, and leave the Amp and cab at home. As an added benefit, you can run the model cranked to whatever power-amp gain you like, without using levels that will pulverize your bandmates on a tiny stage. Try doing that with a real 50-watt head. :)
 
Thank you guys, for the help! Took me way forward in my planning-progress ;)


Muad'zin said:
99.9% of your live audience will just not notice
Click to expand...

You may be right... but in the end, I´m a guitarist (and a tiny fanatic) myself. Which is also one of the reasons I want to experiment with a setup like this - hope you understand that ;) Doesn´t necessarily need to be super light. How I said... I´m a bit old-fashioned :)
 
Johannes Egger said:
Thank you guys, for the help! Took me way forward in my planning-progress ;)




You may be right... but in the end, I´m a guitarist (and a tiny fanatic) myself. Which is also one of the reasons I want to experiment with a setup like this - hope you understand that ;) Doesn´t necessarily need to be super light. How I said... I´m a bit old-fashioned :)
Click to expand...

Whatever works for you is never wrong. Always keep that in mind. That being said, you should never make things hard for yourself. Always take back a step and say to yourself 'Why am I doing this?' Because its nice to have (because I personally love that tubesound that I know nobody else will notice), or because its need to have (this sound just cannot be done in the Axe, we play it live, its crucial so I need to have it, like the infamous funkwah of the Korg A2/3 series).
 
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