Ultra or II?

C

Christianv

New Member
I’m am looking to buy an axe fx and I’m torn between the ultra and the II. I really just want to write/record in my room, jam with buddies. Not sure if I truly need the II or if I’d be fine with the ultra. Not trying to break the bank. I love messing with ton and pedals. And I’ve seen amazing tone/FX examples with the ultra. Any suggestions? And I’m only running through my computer with monitors right now. Will get a cab in the future.
 
Is the FM3 in your price range? It would be a better investment in terms of quality and upgrade path.
 
The Ultra can be a hassle in many ways and has zero or near-zero feel if you don't use a real cab. For $400, ok.

Also see my reply here...
https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...n-2022-for-bedroom-player.188919/post-2342419

If an FM3 is close to the price of a II, it's the no-brainer.

To have some of the tones that can be had with the Ultra, you may need to dive deep and become a tweakhead, or be lucky some old presets sound great for you.

If I did have to use just an Ultra, I'd find out if York Audio IRs can be converted for the Ultra. He seems to have many that are great for specific and general use and most people pick his first mix for a certain cab. This could make best use of the Ultra's only 10 or 20(?) user IR spots, I'd say.
 
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Christianv said:
I’m am looking to buy an axe fx and I’m torn between the ultra and the II. I really just want to write/record in my room, jam with buddies. Not sure if I truly need the II or if I’d be fine with the ultra. Not trying to break the bank. I love messing with ton and pedals. And I’ve seen amazing tone/FX examples with the ultra. Any suggestions? And I’m only running through my computer with monitors right now. Will get a cab in the future.
Click to expand...

For recording? I'd go for the Axe-FX II. The Ultra has no usb audio i/o.
 
I started on the Ultra, back when it was the flagship of the FAS line. It’s a great sounding box that I wouldn’t hesitate to use if it was the only Axe Fx I could get. But with each major step (to the II, and now the III) the Axe Fx has grown by huge amounts of sound, capability, and connectivity over the years. The Axe Fx II is head-and-shoulders (and a little bit of torso, for good measure) above the Ultra in pretty much every way. The connectivity of the II is a much better fit for the uses you describe; in itself reason enough to go with the newer unit.
 
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