VIDEO: The power of a cab block

Keep more tutorials like this coming Danny! Teach us how to do EVERYTHING you know how to do with the Axe Fx. Your videos are good, because your tone and your playing is good, so we know you practice what you preach, and you break stuff down so it's easy to follow what you are doing without skipping over anything. I look more forward to more videos like yours than I do FW updates... people don't even know how to utilize half the power of the current FW, a person that knows what they are doing like yourself could make FW 18 sound better than FW Q3... there's more power in this black box than I'd say most users know how to take advantage of. Videos like yours really shows us how to use and control all the parameters in ways that we can use them in the real world.

I think it'd be cool if Cliff would also start making some videos like this himself, like in the threads where he explains in written word how to use some of the advanced features, it's one thing to read it, but for many of us we are visual and auditory learners we need to see and hear it being done to really get a grasp on it.

The Axe Fx is only as good as the users knowledge and ability to actually use and control it.
 
Question for the gallery...do most of you use High Res or normal? I've dropped from high to normal for cpu sake, but I do feel like there's a sacrifice in the sound. That said, after I've played on normal for a while, I forget about that. I know it's entirely subjective, and if I feel like it sounds better it just does. I might have pushed myself off the fence just with that and maybe I should take out effects I'll probably never end up using instead. Still, what's the general consensus on high vs. normal.

Not to hijack the thread, very informative video, much thanks!
How many blocks you using. Most of my patches don't get close to the limit. That's just me though. Running UR cabs should not push cpu limits. Again just my take.
 
I always run everything at the highest resolutions and never get very high cpu usage. most of my presets are just amp, cab, reverb, drive, delay, enhance, noisegate. But I always use high res reverb and high res cabs. I never get high cpu.
 
Thanks for the video Danny. Great to see someone who knows what they're doing explain this stuff. The noodling at the end was fun too. I would love to see something on how you use the compressor block if you felt so inclined as this is one block I never know what to do with. I also saw you had the input drive hooked up to a controller which is something I haven't tried but will now.

Thanks again.
 
Absolutly great info on that vid. I will surely do some finetuning now on my presets. Thats a great help and at the end of the vid your bumble bee alike playing is awesome :D
 
Yeah great video! This has helped me understand much better how to tweak my sounds by ear.
And the easy approach you explain things is great. Just right through the center.

Keep them coming Danny!
 
Danny,

That video was awesome! You're a great teacher, and your enthusiasm is infectious. I'm glad to hear the thumbs down people aren't getting to you. To quote U2 - "don't let the bastards grind you down."

There's one thing in particular that I like about your approach. You don't seem too concerned about sounding authentic to real gear. Rather, you use the tools available in the AxeFx to shape your tone to fit your needs, and you're not concerned about if it would work with real amps or cabs. I couldn't believe how awesome that 1x8 Tweed IR sounded after you were done with it. You don't seem concerned about rules and how things should be. I have a lot to learn from you!
 
Thanks for the video Danny. Great to see someone who knows what they're doing explain this stuff. The noodling at the end was fun too. I would love to see something on how you use the compressor block if you felt so inclined as this is one block I never know what to do with. I also saw you had the input drive hooked up to a controller which is something I haven't tried but will now.

Thanks again.

I've done two on compression so far. I'll try and find the links for them for you when I'm at my computer. It takes me forever to do things on my phone lol! One of the vids is on this particular forum somewhere. I did it last month I think or even early this month? Can't remember now lol....but it's here somewhere. :)
 
Keep more tutorials like this coming Danny! Teach us how to do EVERYTHING you know how to do with the Axe Fx. Your videos are good, because your tone and your playing is good, so we know you practice what you preach, and you break stuff down so it's easy to follow what you are doing without skipping over anything. I look more forward to more videos like yours than I do FW updates... people don't even know how to utilize half the power of the current FW, a person that knows what they are doing like yourself could make FW 18 sound better than FW Q3... there's more power in this black box than I'd say most users know how to take advantage of. Videos like yours really shows us how to use and control all the parameters in ways that we can use them in the real world.

I think it'd be cool if Cliff would also start making some videos like this himself, like in the threads where he explains in written word how to use some of the advanced features, it's one thing to read it, but for many of us we are visual and auditory learners we need to see and hear it being done to really get a grasp on it.

The Axe Fx is only as good as the users knowledge and ability to actually use and control it.

Haha I don't know much more with the axe, but I don't mind sharing what I know.

Your last little paragraph there is huge! I've always learned to use what I had whether it was an axe fx or a boss pedal board. Some things are harder to get good tones from no matter who you are. But if we are taught how to listen and what to listen for, it's a huge benefit. :)
 
Danny,

That video was awesome! You're a great teacher, and your enthusiasm is infectious. I'm glad to hear the thumbs down people aren't getting to you. To quote U2 - "don't let the bastards grind you down."

There's one thing in particular that I like about your approach. You don't seem too concerned about sounding authentic to real gear. Rather, you use the tools available in the AxeFx to shape your tone to fit your needs, and you're not concerned about if it would work with real amps or cabs. I couldn't believe how awesome that 1x8 Tweed IR sounded after you were done with it. You don't seem concerned about rules and how things should be. I have a lot to learn from you!

Thanks for that (and all the other posts from everyone!) I really aappreciate it.

You're right, I'm never concerned with stuff like that. If it sounds and behaves like a real amp and I like the results, it's a keeper. There are amps in here that sound better than real ones, others, not so much. Like for me personally, none of the fractal amps do anything for me. They are good, don't get me wrong....but I find myself tweaking them more than other amps to get a cold tone.

The other thing with me is science bores me. I can't tell you how many discussions I've been involved with on audio forums where people are fighting with stupid crap like meters. I mean seriously, you look at them for signal readings and you move on!

There scientific dudes sit there and talk for days about which meters work and how the K system works etc and half of them can't create or mix a song to save their lives! We can't sweat small stuff that confuses us.

I'd rather listen to a boob like me make strange noises with his mouth showing me what to listen for over reading 30 threads of technical information that leaves me scratching my head, ya know?

That's what my teaching methods are all about. Cutting out the theory and getting to the sculpting. Now sometimes we need theory on stuff. For example, cutting and boosting frequencies. Always cut when possible and boost only when necessary. That's simple sound analyzation really, but if it's never been delivered to you before, it can take you on a good little journey.

I'm just a hack really. What I mean is, I don't know a whole hell of a lot of theory on anything nor do I know the science or the roots that got us here. What I do know is how to achieve acceptable results. They aren't always good, but they work for me even if there are small issues or inconsistencies.

I think the more we spend time not knowing what we are doing, the more time we waste. But, if you waste enough time over the years like I have lol...you start to get a grasp on some of this stuff.

I'm just a knob turner with good ears. I've never considered myself proficient at anything to be honest. Always low self esteem and insecurities. But the more people seemed to like some of the stuff I've done, the more it made me willing to share/teach because I was where you guys were and still am for some things.

Like I said in the video, if I helped one person on this forum, mission accomplished. Knowing that so many of you have enjoyed the videos and the info in them, is a huge gift back to me.

I got no motives man....I don't care if anyone here ever contacts me to work with me in my business and no one has to buy my albums. Lol! If I helped you and we each made a friend in this messed up world today, we're all blessed. :)

Thanks again everyone!
 
Danny, that is an incredibly helpful video. I was amused that you used the "Brit 800" as a starting point, because the day I got my Axe-FX II I started working with that one, and pretty well that one only. It's definitely not the easiest, and until Q2.02 I found myself working around all sorts of weird distortion artifacts at lower gain settings. Strange as this was, when I got a flat response power amp and tried through one of my 4 x 12 cabs with the cab block bypassed, the weirdness got worse rather than better. You definitely chose an amp and a cab block where fine tuning makes a really big difference!

Liam
 
You know it is amazing to me that Fractal Audio hasn't been doing this kind of stuff all along. It is very helpful to see how other people (especially those with killer skills) are doing things. I have been attacking low and hi problems from the amp. Maybe this is a better approach; there is certainly more control there than I thought.

The axe fx is blazing new ground here and this is a different kind of tool. A lot of this stuff never existed before the axefx and you work differently than you do real world components. Show me a real cab you can tweak like this! Examples of how these tools work and are being utilized is essential to realize the full power of what we've got here. Really, really good stuff man and much appreciated.
 
This is the type of info I was asking for on another thread. After you've set up your amp/cab and effects blocks much like you would a traditional rig, where do you then go to really start taking advantage of the Axe...
 
You know it is amazing to me that Fractal Audio hasn't been doing this kind of stuff all along. It is very helpful to see how other people (especially those with killer skills) are doing things. I have been attacking low and hi problems from the amp. Maybe this is a better approach; there is certainly more control there than I thought.

The axe fx is blazing new ground here and this is a different kind of tool. A lot of this stuff never existed before the axefx and you work differently than you do real world components. Show me a real cab you can tweak like this! Examples of how these tools work and are being utilized is essential to realize the full power of what we've got here. Really, really good stuff man and much appreciated.

I can't speak for fractal, but I had a small business years ago that one day exploded. Add in that once you actually become a brand and work with people that are respected, (rock stars) life changes for that little company in a good way and you are so busy, you try to put the word "breathe" on your calendar.

I think this is what we see with fractal. I'd rather see Cliff and M@ doing what they do with bettering the product over things that can sort of take them away from what they do best. You guys got a few people like yek and a few others that have helped to make this forum what it is with killer vids and other info.

Add me into the mix and now you have a source of entertainment while learning something. I mean c'mon, my accent will at least make you laugh even if you don't learn a thing lol!

The other side of the coin is, tone will always be selective and subjective. Like many of you that have told me you liked the tones I'm getting, there are probably just as many who hate them. This is what makes we the users so powerful....we can all show how we make it work for us.

Kinda like, I'm an Xbox junkie on the side. I get to play with a lot of the developers that literally make the games. ( I know and work for/with a lot of people in the industry) You would think they would show us things for a better gaming experience, which sometimes they do! But more often, we show THEM how to really get the most out of the game that they created.

Like us here. Cliff made this monster with 3 million ways to create sounds. We come up with our own ways to tame the beast as we may be living with the axe a little different than Cliff, and each other. This opens more doors for success and a wider array of options.

Heck I've learned from you guys too. I don't use the axe as economically as I could. I have extra things in patches that shouldn't be there and a bunch of other no no's.

But see, that's the thing with sound creation. Sometimes the bad things you do, contribute to the sound positively, and without the bad stuff, something sounds wrong or is missing. When I make something sound good, I accept it and leave it alone lol!

The other thing to keep in mind is knowing a little about the sound field. Being an engineer and working with this stuff everyday has given me a benefit that I can't even begin to tell you about. So much so, I think it will be the theme of the next video.

It's amazing how much you can learn when someone tells you what and how to listen to something. I'll cook something up that may be able to help. I'm about out of axe fx helper videos unless someone mentions something specific. I think from here we just learn to use our ears. :)
 
The other thing to keep in mind is knowing a little about the sound field. Being an engineer and working with this stuff everyday has given me a benefit that I can't even begin to tell you about. So much so, I think it will be the theme of the next video.

please do ... that would be really neat to see; i really get a lot from your experience
 
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