V10... What can I say? Wow!

Z

ziggypilot

New Member
I've been a quiet forum user for a year and a half since I plunged into the axefx-2. Been really enjoying user feedback and of course Cliff's feedback on this magic box. My first contributing remarks to forum as well.

Two things:
1). Cliff and the FAS team, I have no idea how you do it but I must say you have redefined the guitar players (and bass too) ability to inspire creativity and choose from a plethora of "amplification" tonal goodness.

2). For the first time since working with V10 this whole week (I've used axefx with previous FW versions), I used it live last night for a rock, classic rock, blues, and especially country (chicken pickin and lots of grinnin) gig with my pair of QSC K12's and stock American Tele. The result was pretty amazing. I get worried when turning the QSC's up as they tend to get a little bright or woofee depending how I set my tones (on QSC's, switches on normal, no vocal boost... Axefx global EQ set to subtle "frown"). However, after dialing 16 patches through my studio monitors only with V10, I was able to achieve some great amp tones when transitioned live to QSC's. One area I noticed; it was easy setting my amp patches with V10 as there wasn't a lot of tweaking I needed to do. You can really hear the details, chime, harmonics, dynamics (clean tones like bassman, Vox and MAZ38 as a small example sound amazing now) in all the amps, or at least the amps I am familiar with. I have yet to explore the other 60+ amps in detail but looking forward to it with V10.

I could go on but gee... I need to go back to work and talk to planes (air traffic control).

Appreciate the work and customer service the FAS team provides and of course the beta testers out there!

Andrew Z
 
I rarely post accolades on here and try to keep my impressions, both positive and on occasion negative, to myself. I understand the Axe is an evolving project and I'm very good with that. I've been playing guitar since I was 16 (I'm 62 now) and have played on and through most any piece of equipment one can play through. I'm still very much a good les paul (not all les pauls are created equally) through a cranked Marshall Plexi type amp into a 4x12 with G12M's in them. I still gig most every weekend (yes I'm most always older than everyone in the audience, thankfully led zepp is ageless. I still have A LOT of energy and fire and my hearing too) and for years brought an attenuated Marshall into a 2x12 with G12ms to play at gigs. It was ok, but the sound and feel varied much from venue to venue for whatever reason(probably the attenuation and tubes do die) and getting a good tone without killing anyone became an issue in most of the clubs in my area. I had to attenuate (I dislike "marshall" pedals into a clean amp, they ALL suck compared to an actual cranked marshall) and then deal with stage volume and mic'ing cabs and I still had to have a monitor in front of me for my guitar. I lug a Pa system, so carrying a guitar amp and cab really has never been an issue. The pa subs will kill ya, guitar stuff is easy.

I've been using an Axe-Fx, mostly for live gigging since version 5 on the Ultra. It's convenient, although not really less to carry (the axe fx unit=amp, mfc=pedal board, powered monitor (sometimes two)=guitar cab.. etc), but it has great flexibility and the sound of the unit stayed consistent as I worked from gig to gig (and through the various releases of software). Each software release got better and better. I bought an Axe II early after it's release and it was a definite improvement to the Ultra and again each release of the software got closer and closer to a real amp in terms of sound and feel. The AXE II is markedly better than the Ultra.. Axe-fx firmware 9 was really much better than firmware 8..etc..

Firmware 10 made my jaw drop. I've been doing a bit of acoustic work the last few weeks and really just recently had a chance to plug a guitar in the Axe after V10 hit. I've not made it past the 100 Watt Plexi into the G12m mix on the new release. It simply is a cranked marshall through a 4x12 with Green backs. Period. It is the first release that has made me just completely grin as I played. I just tuned it like a real amp and I was done. Period. I've loved the Axe II, don't get me wrong, but V10 and the new algorithms have changed everything for me. The feel and the sense of playing a real marshall are there. I'm using an RFT 12 for a monitor, I'll eventually go to a CLR, but the feel and sound of V10 is simply it. I was using a redwire mix I had concocted that I liked with the V9 Plexi model and it was good, but V10 with the fractal G12M mix is INCREDIBLE. Dime the amp, set the tone controls to taste and work the volume/tone on the guitar. It's not processed, its no longer a computer, its a real 100 watt superlead like the ones I've had the pleasure to own and play. The 50 watt is also good, but the 100 watt is OUTSTANDING. It snarls and needs taming just like the real amp.. YAY!! I like that A LOT

I've not played with other amps very much yet. I've just began exploring the Voxes as I use those as a cleanish amp (I never actually use a true clean tone when the guitar is cranked, there is always a bit of break up in it, thats why theres a volume/tone knobs on guitars). Just starting to explore the ODS dirty amp now for some blues stuff we do. I have two weeks before the next electric gig, so I have time to get things fully set up as I want them to be, but I'm way thrilled at this point. I need to play with the Super Reverb yet (yes that amp isnt new to V10, just havent had time to explore, now with V10 I WANT to explore), as that amp is also one of my favorites in real life (clean or cranked).
I am truly impressed and happy with V10. I love the direction that Fractal has continued to take in terms of realism with the amps and IR's. I'm an amp guy, I know how to work an amp(and bias them and tune them etc), V10 now works like a real amp in terms of feel and set up(I can even run the bias hot and change tube types). I'm also really looking forward to the new IR's both from Fractal and Ownhammer.
It has been an incredible release in my opinion.
:)
 
- Nice post and response. Totally agree with ya.
- Good point, "It is not processed, its no longer a computer"... I forget the axefx is digital!
- Speaking of the Super Reverb, thanks for reminding me... I am going to hop on the AxeFX right now and explore that one!
 
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