User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs

[RDeraz]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

if switching from cabinet A to cabinet B (be it FR or otherwise) TWEEKING will be in order,no matter what.i find that just changing my pickup hieght sends me into tweek mania.i can't imagine changing amp systems!i would have to start from the ground up all over again.
wish i could afford the fratomic,but $799 for a 1-12 cab. is a bit much.i'd imagine you could build 2 for that price.
for those of you who shelled out the cash,consider yourselves at the restart point.your back at square one.start rebuilding your patches.you will find your sounds,they are in the there.start pushing buttons and turning dials!

 

[dk_ace]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

You'll probably find, like the rest of us, that you ultimately prefer to just make your own and use the presets for ideas and reference.

D

Interesting. So in making my own, should I go out and buy all of the different amp/cabs and match up the Axe-Fx/FRFR combo on my own then? In essence, it seems that is what you are suggesting.

I thought the whole point of modeling is so that I can reasonably recreate the sound of various amp/cabs. Or is the Axe-FX/FRFR only designed for the pro who wants replace their old amp/cab combos (only after building their own presets of course....since everybody's ears, guitars, rooms, etc. differ)?

:?: :?: :?:

I'm not really sure what your post means. In a nutshell, I said you'll probably find that you like patches you make yourself better than the factory presets because they'll be tailored to your playing, your guitars, and your amplification choice. How you got that you should go buy a bunch of vintage amps and cabs out of that is beyond me.

From this post, I'm not sure you even understand how the Axe-FX and FRFR gear works. If that's the case, this thread isn't the place to air it out. Go read the wiki and if you still are lost start a thread and we'll help you understand it.

D

 

[sheguitarplayer]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

For what its worth, I got mine this morning. I ignored the presets, dialled up the brown amp with a v30 cab and it just smokes. Punchy and everything I want it to be. I don't even think of it as 'amp like', cos to me it is an amp, a very special one too!

 

[AdamCook]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

Interesting. So in making my own, should I go out and buy all of the different amp/cabs and match up the Axe-Fx/FRFR combo on my own then? In essence, it seems that is what you are suggesting.

I thought the whole point of modeling is so that I can reasonably recreate the sound of various amp/cabs. Or is the Axe-FX/FRFR only designed for the pro who wants replace their old amp/cab combos (only after building their own presets of course....since everybody's ears, guitars, rooms, etc. differ)?

Why do you need somebody to create presets for you? If your entire goal is just to recreate the sound of various amp/cabs then start with a blank preset, drag in an amp block and drag in a cab block and voila.

The presets are often overkill because that is the point of presets...to show off what the unit can do.

 

[quonsar]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

You'll probably find, like the rest of us, that you ultimately prefer to just make your own and use the presets for ideas and reference.

D

Interesting. So in making my own, should I go out and buy all of the different amp/cabs and match up the Axe-Fx/FRFR combo on my own then? In essence, it seems that is what you are suggesting.

I thought the whole point of modeling is so that I can reasonably recreate the sound of various amp/cabs. Or is the Axe-FX/FRFR only designed for the pro who wants replace their old amp/cab combos (only after building their own presets of course....since everybody's ears, guitars, rooms, etc. differ)?

I think a Pocket Pod may be just the ticket!

 

[RDeraz]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

I think a Pocket Pod may be just the ticket

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[hdtv4me]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

You'll probably find, like the rest of us, that you ultimately prefer to just make your own and use the presets for ideas and reference.

D

Interesting. So in making my own, should I go out and buy all of the different amp/cabs and match up the Axe-Fx/FRFR combo on my own then? In essence, it seems that is what you are suggesting.

I thought the whole point of modeling is so that I can reasonably recreate the sound of various amp/cabs. Or is the Axe-FX/FRFR only designed for the pro who wants replace their old amp/cab combos (only after building their own presets of course....since everybody's ears, guitars, rooms, etc. differ)?

I think a Pocket Pod may be just the ticket!

Ahh...should have known the condescending fan boy club would come out full force with their nonsensical replies. There really is no such thing as honest feedback on this forum - the fan boys blow that up with their insults long before any discussion can happen.

Oh, and BTW - sort of my point. The Axe-FX is a POD on steroids (okay....a lot of steroids) isn't it?

 

[xrist04]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

 

[fatoni]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

well i just brought mine home today. i havent had time to tweak much but my initial impressions kinda make me wanna buy another so i can pull some of those br00talz without loosing bottom end definition and still filling up a room. it may be far from the truth but its kinda what it seems at the moment

 

[RDeraz]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

Ahh...should have known the condescending fan boy club would come out full force with their nonsensical replies. There really is no such thing as honest feedback on this forum - the fan boys blow that up with their insults long before any discussion can happen.

if i insulted you,sorry.just thought it was funny.your right in a sense though.the AFX is not the easiest thing in the world to program.i don't know about the others on the forum,but i don't know what even half of these amp sims are supposed to sound like.dumble,ca3,diezel,dr.z???never owned any of them.just tweak till you hear something you like.there are no rules with this unit.if it sounds good too you,then it is good.although you prob. should start this on another thread.thought this was supposed to be for the fratomic reviews.

 

[FusionFanatic]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

After reading the last few pages regarding the sound of the AxeFX w/ factory presets plugged into the Atomic FR and not getting instant sonic nirvana, a few thoughts:

1. Everyone has their own opinion on what constitutes great sound

2. Even with a simple amp setup, you still need to tweek the amps controls to dial in your tone.

This can take some time, so imagine the possiblities with the power and depth of the AxeFX :shock: The Atomic FR is designed to reproduce the full spectrum of what the AxeFX delivers as a monitor for live use, without coloration of the tone.

3. Why would one buy such a tremendously deep processor and not want to tweek the controls and learn the unit so they can work on their own sounds? :?:

I've owned several preamp/processors thru the years and never had one I didn't need to program for my needs. Actually, the AxeFX with the Atomic FR needs the least amount of programming to start with a great tone quickly, then any other unit I've owned. The biggest part of the challenge is the number of choices you have and the amount of depth the AxeFX has to shaping your sound.
Simply put: Some time spent pushing buttons and turning a dial is in order if you want to get the most out of what your looking for. IMHO

A question regarding the Atomic sounding dark:

Is the amp elevated off the floor?

 

[hunter]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

Got my Atomic this morning, and at present initial impressions are disappointing. I was really expecting to be blown away after the reviews I had read from other users. I accord with Ringleader's findings, which are an overall darkness and lack of sparkle (my tweeter is at 3 o'clock). I have tried a couple of Red Wires IRs so far (V30 and Greenback, SM57, cone 0in.) since these sound the brightest to me. I feel it sounds very similar to how my Axe sounded with the ART SLA-2... a pervading boxiness to overdriven sounds that seems a million miles away from my valve amp. Previously, I have been running my Ultra through the FX return of my 3/100 and getting very good results. I was expecting the Axe + Atomic to sound at least this good but so far it ain't happening. Again, it's clearly the cab simulation which is taking the edge and sparkle off the sound.

I know I've not spent long enough with the Atomic yet but I'm already beginning to think it's not the magic bullet I hoped it would be.

Dude I've been following your journey of trying to get the perfect amplification rig for the Axe. I've been through similar and loved the path Axe=> Bogner Shiva the most. What I think in your case, rather than getting a VHT2502 or anything else to try, you should go back to what worked. Plug the Axe into your 3/100. You will still get all the benefits from Preamp/Effect versatility plus the punch from the amp you so love. No need to search forever, as I think nothing else will give you that punch. A rack tube power amp will almost weigh the same as the 3/100 too.

 

[Stringtheorist]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

Dude I've been following your journey of trying to get the perfect amplification rig for the Axe. I've been through similar and loved the path Axe=> Bogner Shiva the most. What I think in your case, rather than getting a VHT2502 or anything else to try, you should go back to what worked. Plug the Axe into your 3/100. You will still get all the benefits from Preamp/Effect versatility plus the punch from the amp you so love. No need to search forever, as I think nothing else will give you that punch. A rack tube power amp will almost weigh the same as the 3/100 too.

Out of neccessity I am having to gig with that format next weekend for the first time (Axe's first outing). With an amp and speaker stack behind me I will have nowhere to put my rack (Axe + Synth) but on the floor which will make it difficult if not impossible to tweak my presets during performance. Frankly, I am nervous as hell about it. (What I want is to be able to mount the rack on a stand and have the speaker on the floor angled upwards against the legs. Where would I put the amp?)

Anyway, tried the Atomic FR last night at rehearsal with my other band. We all agreed the sound wasn't as good as last week when I ran into my amp+cab configuration. Currently I'm mostly using a Red Wire Greenback sim (SM57, cap, 0in.). The distorted sound is very gritty. Going to try some other IRs today.

My principal finding last night was how the Atomic seems to struggle to keep up with a loud 4-piece band... I had to have the Volume (on the Atomic) nearly cranked to hear myself above the rhythm section even though all the master levels within my presets were quite high. At this level I could hear the speaker/cabinet distorting unpleasantly. So I raised the Axe Output level as high as I could without distorting the clean sounds. I then tried to compensate by lowering the Atomic volume and going through all my presets cranking the levels. (It was now becoming necessary to raise the master volume on some presets which began to introduce some undesirable distortion/compression.) I left the Mix tab output level set around unity (I alter this only to balance my presets during performance) and the cab block level controls. Not sure whether raising these might have helped...

All in all, very unsatisfactory. It seems like there isn't sufficient headroom in this thing to use it as backline (although it would be fine for monitoring).

After two hours of playing the Atomic (on and off) at nearly full volume I got really worried that I was hammering the thing and was glad when we agreed to pack up and go home. :|

 

[angello120]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

WOW how the hell do you get to enjoy the music when you are sooo' paranoid' about the sound and whether it is loud enough :?: Simple answer is get everyone to play at a sensible level that won't destroy your ears, and trust me it will if you are having to play that loud. Remember once your ears go that is finito' to music as a career,or an enjoyment. The P.A. is where the volume comes from and the band are behind it build a great sound and tone at a level that is below the pain-threshold then push the rest out front. You know it makes sense :lol: Once had to sack a drummer because his custom-built kit was so loud on stage it gave
us nose-bleeds :lol: :lol:

 

[hunter]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

Out of neccessity I am having to gig with that format next weekend for the first time (Axe's first outing). With an amp and speaker stack behind me I will have nowhere to put my rack (Axe + Synth) but on the floor which will make it difficult if not impossible to tweak my presets during performance. Frankly, I am nervous as hell about it. (What I want is to be able to mount the rack on a stand and have the speaker on the floor angled upwards against the legs. Where would I put the amp?)

If you put the Axe on a stand (like one of those combo or laptop stands) then you could put the head on the floor and the cab to its back side, tilted and resting on the back corner of the amp. I've done that before, and if you don't need to touch the amp's controls during the gig (control vol through the Axe) then it's working pretty fine like that.

I have no issues resting the axe on my amp or between cab & amp when the cab is standing upright straight though.

 

[Stringtheorist]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

WOW how the hell do you get to enjoy the music when you are sooo' paranoid' about the sound and whether it is loud enough :?: Simple answer is get everyone to play at a sensible level that won't destroy your ears, and trust me it will if you are having to play that loud. Remember once your ears go that is finito' to music as a career,or an enjoyment. The P.A. is where the volume comes from and the band are behind it build a great sound and tone at a level that is below the pain-threshold then push the rest out front. You know it makes sense :lol: Once had to sack a drummer because his custom-built kit was so loud on stage it gave
us nose-bleeds :lol: :lol:

The drummer in any band sets the level. It's ridiculous to ask the drummer to "reign in" his playing style just to curb the level. He should have the freedom to let rip, especially at performance. It's up to the other band members to have amplification that can match it. What sort of backline can't keep up with an unmiked drummer? :roll:

And I now always wear ear defenders. I have custom-fit ones with a -15db filter. They just keep out the (damaging) high frequencies.

 

[angello120]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

I NOW WEAR EAR DEFENDERS. :shock: Says it all, musical condoms :lol:

Ask phil collins, bill bruford, et al. The humorous tag was just a light-hearted nod at what is a real problem. The drummer in question had a 5 ply maple kit that made your ears ring' it was so sharp. why are you are so hung up on achieving volume levels above all else :?: A tech showed
a drummer pal how to tune and adjust his kit so that he cut through without swamping and it was brilliant I am merely passing on a bit of wisdom gleaned from many years ranging from
3 guy's going through one A.C.30 :? to a 7 piece with a 30k rig and still with 100% hearing,
(was that the door bell ) Tinnitus is not a good band member

 

[Stringtheorist]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

I am merely passing on a bit of wisdom gleaned from many years ranging from
3 guy's going through one A.C.30 :? to a 7 piece with a 30k rig and still with 100% hearing,
(was that the door bell ) Tinnitus is not a good band member

The only "wisdom" you have imparted is your unwillingness to play with a hard hitting drummer and wear ear protection. My guess is you don't play hard rock.

 

[rdomain]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

I am merely passing on a bit of wisdom gleaned from many years ranging from
3 guy's going through one A.C.30 :? to a 7 piece with a 30k rig and still with 100% hearing,
(was that the door bell ) Tinnitus is not a good band member

The only "wisdom" you have imparted is your unwillingness to play with a hard hitting drummer and wear ear protection. My guess is you don't play hard rock.

Amen. My main concern with this amp would be it's volume. Not all musical projects can be quiet and if you play in a heavy rock/metal/whatever band, it's necessary to play louder to achieve the effect of heaviness. Ever seen a heavy band live and they weren't that loud? Sounds lame.
After reading 16 pages of this topic, I'm guessing the volume may not be there for louder applications?

 

[hunter]

Re: User Reviews of ATOMIC FRs?

After reading 16 pages of this topic, I'm guessing the volume may not be there for louder applications?

That's why God invented the stack of 2 or 4 AFRs