Video Tutorial: AX8 Beyond Basics - Part 1 -AX8-Edit

Gday Chris,
I don't have an axe 8 but I just wanted to let you know that it's good to see you posting again.
Thanks
Pauly


Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
I just published my latest premium video, AX8 Beyond Basics - Part 1 - AX8-Edit. If you pre-ordered, check your email for the link to download or stream the video. If you missed the pre-order, you can purchase the video here:

https://axefxtutorials.selz.com/item/ax8-bb-p1

In this video, I take an in-depth look at AX8-Edit, the free software editor for the AX8. Topics we'll cover are

Left vs Right click
Tooltips
Presets
Scenes
Preset Names and Creating Presets
Importing and Exporting Presets
Snapshots
Menu Items defined (most of them)
Axe-Manage Presets and Cabs
Color-Coding Amps and Cabs
Block Library
Transferring Blocks from Axe-Fx II or FX8 to your AX8


Here is the previous info I posted for those who pre-ordered:
Click to expand...
Gday Chris,
 
hey guys, just a quick update...... i FINALLY had some time to work on this and i wrote out the script for the Footswitch Strategies video. i skipped ahead over "part 2" which may end up being 2 separate sections again... we'll see when i get back to it.

i'll see if i can record some of it tonight, but i'll probably do most of the recording on Tuesday, then editing over the next few days. it SHOULD be available next week or so. once i get the script hammered out, the rest tends to go quickly.

i'm going to put the script here just so you know i actually did something haha! hopefully you'll still want the video if you read it ;)

--
Hey guys, Chris from AxeFxTutorials here, and welcome to the Footswitch Strategies video, Part 3 of our AX8 Beyond Basics Series. In this video, we are assuming you’ve either watched our AX8 Beginner’s Guide video, or are familiar with the basics of using the hardware and AX8-Edit. If not, you may want to watch our previous videos which cover those topics.

In this video, we’ll discuss different strategies and setups for the Switches on the AX8 itself. Most of this will depend on how you are using the AX8 and how you are performing your music. Because the 8 main switches can be assigned to almost any function in your Preset, there are many ways to arrange things; and don’t forget about the various settings of the 3 F-Switches too.

First let’s discuss the default setting and use some Factory presets as a starting point.

Default Setup
The Default Setup actually has the most features available - you can Access 8 Effects On/Off, change the XY state of those 8 effects, access All 8 Presets in the bank, all 8 Scenes in the Preset, Tap Tempo and Tuner with various presses of the switches. So why would you ever change it from that? Well let’s see what this Default Setup gets us.

Starting with the 8 main switches, we can see in this Factory preset, that 5 of the 8 switches are set, leaving 3 still available. Now a quick review, the FS page is completely separate from the Layout. The Layout is what determines what effects are in the Preset, their order, and how they are set. The FS page only assigns functions to the 8 main switches. In order for a Block to appear on the FS page, it must first be placed in the Layout, and the order or position of that block on the FS page does not affect the sound at all.

So again, this preset puts Comp on Switch 1, Chorus on Switch 2, and so on. This means that we can turn Comp on and off with Switch 1, turn Chorus on and off with Switch 2, etc. Also by default, this means HOLDING these switches will change the XY state of the block. So Holding Switch 1 will change from X to Y on the Comp block, then holding again changes Y to X. Same for the other blocks that have an XY state available.
Just those 2 things - Effects On/Off and XY - allow a lot of control of the sound, adding delay, changing the type with XY, turning it off again, and so on. So now let’s look at the F-Switches.

By default, F1 is set so that a TAP takes you to Single Preset/Bank Select, and a HOLD takes you to Sticky Preset/Bank Select. Let’s go to my bank of Low to High Gain Presets - I designed this bank for a range of gain from clean to lead, so we can just choose different Presets for different sections of a song. So let’s start Clean. Now we need a Chorus effect - instead of turning it on using an effect in the preset and one of the 8 main switches, I just want to change to a Preset that sounds how I want. Remember that BANKS are sets of 8 Presets. I happen to be in Bank ___ - that doesn’t really matter, it’s just where these Presets are. What does matter is that Preset 2 of this Bank is the sound I want. So first we need to change to the Preset Select mode.

Right now, the 8 main switches are set to whatever this screen is displaying. You can see that Switch 2 is set to ____ - but I want to go to PRESET 2. Remember, F1 is set to Single Preset select by default, so just Tap it, and we can see a list of the Presets in this bank, and the lights start flashing. I just hit Switch 2 now, and there we go, we’re in the Chorus Preset I want. So we play a bit more, and now I need a Lead sound. Well I know I have that in Preset 8, so we again need to go to Preset Select Mode by Tapping F1, then Switch 8. Now I have my lead.

You can see that each time I want to change, I need to Tap F1 again. There is a way to stay in Preset Select mode, and that is by using STICKY Preset/Bank Select which we get to by HOLDING F1. You can see the light flash and also see the Presets like before. But now if we click a Preset, the display doesn’t go away - we are still in Preset Select mode. This is great when I just want to go from Preset to Preset. Clean…. to Chorus… to Lead… then back to Clean.

Ok but now what if I DO want to turn an effect on or off while in a Preset? We need to turn Sticky Mode off by tapping F1 again. Now we are back to our Main Screen and the 8 main switches get their Block On/Off and XY functions back again.

So even at this point in the tutorial, you can see that the functions you use in the AX8 are really dependent on the way you play or how you setup your Presets. If you like to use many Presets that all sound exactly how you want, then the Sticky Preset mode might be your best choice - just quickly changing from Preset to Preset because they all have the sounds you want. But if you load your Presets up with many blocks that initially start OFF, and you instead want to turn those Blocks on and off while you play, maybe you only want to use the Single Preset mode to select your Preset, then immediately go back to your Main FS display for access to those Block On/Off and XY switches. Maybe it’s a combination of both - some songs are Preset-based, and others are block-based. Having both Single and Sticky on F1 allow you to do both.

Now we only talked about the Presets in this Bank. To get to other Banks, the Single or Sticky Preset select modes force F2 and F3 to become Bank UP and Bank DOWN respectively. Keep in mind that Single or Sticky Preset select can ONLY be assigned to F1 due to the auto-assignment of F2 and F3. [Graphic comparing dropdowns of F1 vs F2 and F3] So let’s go to the next bank where I have a few more Presets I want to use - I’ll use Single mode for now - Tap F1, then Tap F2 to go UP a bank, then I’ll select this Preset.

So that’s Single and Sticky Preset/Bank Select - we’ll talk more about selecting Presets later. Let’s move on to the next F-Switch that controls Scenes.

Now remember that Scenes are only different combinations of Blocks being On or Off and set to X or Y. But just that is very powerful. In this Preset, I have the blocks setup so that 5 different Scenes are 5 different sounds - Chorus Clean, Clean, Clean Lead, Rhythm Distortion and Lead. And just like the Single and Sticky Preset select modes, we have Single and Sticky Scene select modes too. So a Tap on F2 gets me to Single Scene Select and I can change sounds like this. Again, this is possible because of how I setup the Preset and Scenes - Scenes alone don’t change the sound, it’s how you arrange things. And we can just stay in Scene Select mode with Sticky Scene Select by Holding F2. Now I can just change among the different sounds, similar to how we did it with the 8 different Presets before - I’m just choosing to use Scenes in this example.

Let’s cover the default setup of F3 real quick - a Tap function is the Tap Tempo function, and the light blinks to show the current Tempo - so we can have a Delay repeat to a certain tempo. The HOLD function of F3 is the Tuner, which we all need throughout the gig. Nothing too groundbreaking there, but important functions for many people.

So now we know we can turn Blocks on and off or change XY individually, or change many at the same time with Scenes, and change Presets to access completely different sounds and Layouts. That is a lot of accessibility right there all by default. So with all these features available, why would we want to set up our switches any other way?

For many people, these features are great, but tapping more than 1 switch to access a Preset or a Scene is just too slow. Let’s say we want to change to a Preset, then change a few Scenes in that preset, then turn a block On. We’d have to first press F1, then tap the Preset we want, then Hold F2, select the various Scenes we want, then tap F2 again to exit Scene select, then we can tap the Effect we want… oh time for a Scene change again, Tap F2, then the Scene...

Now for some people, what I’ve described is no problem. But a lot of people want direct access to certain things. And this is where it gets very opinion-heavy. I’m going to describe some situations and setups, but you’ll have to decide what works best for you and the way you setup your AX8.
 
Footswitch Options - F-Switches

First let’s look at the additional functions available to the F-Switches. Now remember, F1 has a few more options than F2 or F3, and also know that all of the functions can be set to the TAP function or the HOLD function of the switch - with the exception of Tap Tempo - that has to be tapped!

Looking at F1’s list, we’ve already looked at Single and Sticky Preset/Bank select. But the next option is Sticky Preset +/-. When you Tap F1, F2 and F3 become PRESET up and down respectively. So instead of pressing one of the 8 main switches to choose your preset, you just go up or down 1 preset at a time. When you get to the end of the Bank - Preset 8 - it just advances to the next bank and its Preset 1. This is great if your presets are in the order you need for the show or some other arrangement where going 1 at at time in any direction makes sense. When you are done, you can press F1 again to exit that mode, and you have your F2 and F3 functions back.

Skipping ahead on the list a bit, if the Preset Up or Down function is important to your setup, you might want that function immediately available without having to press F1 first. You can see that Preset Up and Preset Down are both available individually. So maybe you really just need the Preset Up function during your show so you can go preset to preset in order. When I play theatre shows, this is really my most important button, so I tend to put it on F3, the lowest and easiest F-Switch to reach. But wait… what if I accidentally go too far, how do I go back? Well I could keep the Single Preset function available, but why not just put Preset DOWN on the HOLD function of the same switch?! Perfect. Now I just tap F3 to go through presets, and if I went too far, just hold F3 to go back, and I’m set.

This setup is just one example of a logical grouping of functions - Up and Down on the same switch, one with a Tap and another with a Hold. There might be some functions you use in a logical way and you might have already thought of a way to arrange them. So keep an eye out for ways to group functions in a way that makes sense to you.

Going back up the list, we see Single and Sticky Scene, which we’ve already talked about, then we see S12 Toggle. This is a cool function that toggles between Scene 1 and 2. This is useful if you have a Drive pedal in your preset and want to go from Clean to Distortion very quickly using Scenes, without having to move your foot from the S1 switch, then to the S2 switch, then back to S1 and so on. It only works for S1 and S2 though, so you’ll probably want to make your preset very specifically for that function. You could also use it to go from a Rhythm to Lead sound using the 2 scenes. Even with all the AX8 can do, you might really only need those 2 sounds for a particular gig, and then just 1 switch to press all night. cool! This function can also be set on any of the 8 main switches, and I’ll show that later, as it’s a different method of setting - right now we’re just looking at the F-Switches.

Next in the list is Bank up and Bank down - this does what it sounds like, and moves Up or Down 1 bank at a time. This is great if you need to jump around to different banks during the gig. But do note that you also select and activate the preset in the same Preset slot. So if you are on bank 50, Preset 2, then Bank Up, you will immediately load Bank 51, Preset 2. So just keep that in mind. If you’ve arrange your presets wisely before the show, you shouldn’t need to Bank around so much during your performance. Remember, the Single and Sticky Preset/Bank select modes of the F1 switch also include a Bank Up/Down function, and THAT one doesn’t automatically select the next preset in that bank - you need to choose the next preset using one of the 8 main switches. So this direct Bank Up/Down function is a bit different, so keep that in mind. Again, you could put Bank UP on the tap function, then Bank Down on the Hold function if you want.

We’ve already briefly discussed Tap Tempo and the Tuner, which are on F3 by default. These are specific functions, rather than modes, so they are self-explanitory. But if you don’t use either of them, be sure to replace them with something more useful. Maybe you set all your tempos ahead of time and don’t need to ever tap them in. Or maybe you are using an external tuner and don’t need the AX8’s tuner. If you don’t have these switches, there still is a way to get to the Tempo and Tuner menus - from the FS page, just page over to the ____ and then select Tempo or Tuner. Remember, this is your rig, so if you don’t need them, replace them.

Next is Single or Sticky XY. Remember that by default, if you set any of the 8 main switches to control a Block turning on and off with a tap, if you HOLD the switch instead, you’ll toggle the XY state if the block has one. This has an effect on how the switches react, and to some people this is huge. Since the switch has to figure out if you are Tapping or Holding, the only way to do that is for the TAP function to happen when you RELEASE the switch, rather than when you push it down. Let’s say your HOLD function is set for 2 seconds - so you have to hold that switch down for 2 seconds and then the HOLD function happens. This means you could TAP the switch for 1/2 a second… 1 whole second…. even 1 1/2 seconds, and when you let go, the TAP function would still happen. Because it has to wait to see if you are actually HOLDING it for the full 2 seconds, or if you will release it sooner. Again, when there is a HOLD function on a switch, the action happens on the RELEASE or the UP of the switch.

For many people, just hitting the switch quickly is no problem. They tap it and get off the switch so that the UP stroke of the switch is very fast, almost no different than the downstroke, like this.

However, some people are so used to the action happening on the DOWN stroke of the switch, or their tap method is slow and they actually do hold the switch down for a little bit, or they just want to hold it the whole time - there are many different reasons, but again, some just really need the action to happen on the down stroke. The AX8 has an option to disable the XY hold function on these switches just for that reason. Once you disable it, the 8 main switches will have their action happen on the down stroke. But now how would you change the XY state of the blocks? Well that’s what Single and Sticky XY functions are for. And actually, even without changing that option, setting any of the F-Switches to Single or Sticky XY automatically disables the HOLD for XY function, and the switches will react on the downstroke the same way. So it’s up to you how you want to set things.
 
You already know how to use this - Single means you tap the switch and the next press which changes the XY state will return back to the main FS functions for turning blocks on and off. Sticky means that you are constantly in XY switching mode until you tap the Switch again to turn it off. Many people do their XY Switching within Scenes, and they rarely need to turn an individual block’s XY switch. So you’ll have to decide if these functions fit your setup.

The last F-Switch option is the Looper mode, and this too is self-explanitory. First you need a Looper block in the preset, and then when you press the Looper switch, the 8 main switches will change to Looper functions. Press the Looper switch again to exit Looper mode. Note that Switch 8 is also an Exit switch.

So that’s all the F-Switch functions. Remember to think of logical ways to group the functions you want, using the Tap and Hold commands. You can also choose to not put any Tap or Hold command on a switch if you’d like. Similar to the XY function, if you don’t put a HOLD function on an F-switch, that switch’s action will happen on the DOWNstroke, since it doesn’t have to wait to see if you’re tapping or holding. Some people prefer this for Tap Tempo, as again, the action is on the Down, and not the Up. Experiment to see what you prefer.

Footswitch Options - Main Switches
Now let’s talk about the 8 main switches. We of course know that we can assign any of the Blocks in our Layout to control On/Off and XY. But as you may have seen in some of my presets, there are other functions available. FractalAudio refers to these a FOOTSWITCH BLOCKS, but you can also think of them as System blocks or things that are available in every preset.

The first option we see is AMP XY Toggle. This switch will toggle between the X and Y state of the Amp block, and is useful if you don’t want to change Scenes just to change Amp sounds. You can either change between completely different tones, like a Clean and Distortion. Or you can change something more subtle like a simple Treble Boost on the Y side, everything else being the same, or maybe a level boost while cutting some Bass, or even changing only the Graphic EQ. Remember that there will be a small audio gap when changing the Amp block from X to Y, but just this single function can change your tone just the way you want without having to setup Scenes.

Next is the Looper Control which we’ve seen before. In addition to setting this up on an F-Switch, you can also put it on any of the 8 main switches. Most people like to put it on Switch 8, if anything, because the EXIT switch - which can’t be moved - is also on Switch 8, so it’d be the same switch to enter and exit Looper mode.

Next we have Preset switches 1-8 and Bank Up and Down. I like to call them DIRECT PRESET switches. You’ll remember that we could use the F-switch function of Single or Sticky Preset Select to change the 8 main switches to select a preset. But with these assignments, the Switch will be set to choose a Preset without pressing any other switches or entering any other modes first. You would just immediately choose the Preset using one of these switches.

You can set any of the switches to any preset 1-8, but keep in mind that Preset 1, for example, is Preset 1 of the current bank; preset 5 is preset 5 of the current bank, and so on. You aren’t setting a specific Preset here - for example, if i had the preset named AX8 Space which happens to be Preset 1 in this bank, i’m not setting a switch to ALWAYS call up AX8 Space no matter where i am. I’m setting a switch to always call up PRESET 1 of the current bank. And Preset 1 doesn’t have to be on Switch 1 - it can be on switch 2, or 4 or 7 - it doesn’t matter, you can put it where you want.

Now this is where it can get confusing - let’s say i put Preset 1 2 3 4 on switches 5 6 7 8. As I mentioned, pressing any of these would take me directly to those presets 1- 4 of the current bank. If I ALSO have the Single Preset Select mode F-switch, I could press that… but now what button do I press to get to Preset 2? Remember, this Preset Select is a different mode, or different LAYER of functions for the 8 main switches. It ignores whatever was set there and instead has Preset 1 on switch 1, 2 on 2, and so on. So regardless that I’ve set my FS page with Preset 2 on switch 6, when i use the Preset Select Mode using an F-Switch, Preset 2 will be on Switch 2 - again, this MODE changes whatever is set on the FS page. Now that I’m back on the FS page, Preset 2 can ALSO be selected using switch 6, but only because I’ve programmed it that way on the FS page.
 
Another thing to keep in mind, is that if you add these 4 Direct Preset switches to this Preset and save, when you go to another Preset… they won’t automatically be there - you also have add the switches to the other Presets as well. There IS a way to create Global Footswitches, which would force ALL presets on the AX8 to have P1-4 on switches 5-8, for example, but I actually don’t recommend doing that. The power of the AX8 is the flexibility, and if you force the same switches in all presets, you wont’ be able to tailor your FS setups to each Preset.

An example of that is right here - If I’m in Preset 1 of this bank, i actually DON”T need a Preset 1 switch - i’m already here, i can’t “Go” here again. So I’d probably make this Preset 2 instead, then 3 and 4. and look at that - i have an extra FS slot available now. Going to Preset 2, i wouldn’t need a Preset 2 switch, so I could instead put P3 there, then p4, then again the extra slot, same for P3 and P4. Now for some people, this is just additional confusion and they like to see P1 even if they are in P1. But with only 8 switches, many people want to maximize their options, so this is just one way to do that. If you had created Global Footswitches and forced P1-p4 in all presets, you couldn’t do something like this. So just keep that in mind.

Ok well set Preset 1-4 in this bank, but how do we get to another bank? Well we have the Bank Up and Down functions that we can put on the 8 main switches, OR we could use the Bank Up and Down on the F-switches that we discussed before. Both act the same, so you can use whatever setting you prefer. It again depends on what you need and how you use the AX8. Again, keep in mind that using either of these Bank switches will automatically select and enable the preset in the next bank on the same Preset slot. the Preset/Bank Select mode on F1 is the only way to change banks without automatically choosing a different preset.

So great, we have Direct Preset switches for Presets 1-4, but what happened to Presets 5-8? They are still there of course - we could rotate the B knob (remember, B for BREsets, C for Scenes) and get to them, or we could use the F1 switch for Preset Select, change the function of the 8 switches and choose from preset 1-8. Without programming Direct switches for 5-8, those would be the only way to get to them. So why would we do this?

Well if we look at the next Footswitch Block option for the 8 main switches, you’ll see Scenes. Just like Presets, we can set up the switches to directly go to specific Scenes 1-8 without having to enter Scene Select mode with one of the F-Switches. Direct Scene switches are probably the most popular Footswitch block to use, because we know how powerful and useful Scenes can be.

A very popular setup is having 4 Preset Switches and 4 Scene switches. With the Preset switches, you can change the entire layout for big tone changes, of course changing out all blocks, how they are connected, their order, and so on. Once there, you can use the 4 Scenes to change the tone as well, turning blocks on and off and changing XY states too. For most setups, 4 Scenes per preset offers a lot of options, and using 4 presets per bank offers a good amount of tone change as well. With 64 banks available, even only using 4 presets in each, that’s 256 Presets available, each potentially with 4 Scenes each for 1024 different sounds. With a setup like this, you may see presets 5-8 all blank in every bank, since you don’t access them directly with our new FS page setup. Yet, with the F1 Preset Select mode, you COULD still access them if you want.

Going back to the Direct Scene switches, remember any Scene number can be placed on any switch. Scene 1 could be on Switch 5, Scene 3 on Switch 6, Scene 2 down on Switch 1 - whatever makes sense for your setup. And just like Presets, if you were to enter SCENE SELECT mode using an F-Switch, that mode replaces what is on the FS page and S1 is Switch 1, S2 is switch 2 and so on.

We also have the S12 switch available here, just like we saw on the F-switches. You can choose to put in on a main switch instead.

The last Footswitch Block option is something called Control Switches. We have 2 CS available, CS1 and CS2. Instead of being assigned to a specific function like Scene 1, or Compressor On/Off, these switches can be set as the SOURCE for any parameter that can have a modifier attached - that’s a ton of options! Remember that any parameter that has the Bracket symbol can have a modifier attached to it. So the CS could become the HOLD function in the Reverb block, or it could be set to the Control Parameter in the Wah block so you could Wah without using an expression pedal, or it could change the DRIVE parameter in the Amp block from 5 to 10 on command, or it could be assigned to multiple things at once like the Master Volume in the Amp block, and then the LEVEL control in the Cab block to compensate for the MV changes. In addition to having the actual Switch control these things, you can set PER SCENE if the CS is on or off - this means you actually don’t even need the CS to be programmed if you don’t want. It’s sort of like an additional Scene controller that just turns On or Off, rather than being set to a Percentage. Using the CS’s can really expand the amount of control you have in your presets, so definitely check them out.

With all of these different Footswitch blocks, we have a lot of options. But there’s something you should keep in mind: Once you set a Footswitch block like the Direct Presets or Scenes, you sort of lose out on some functionality as well. If I have my 8 switches set to control Blocks in the Preset, I can still choose Presets by using Preset Select mode, and I can still choose Scenes by using Scene Select mode. But if I change these 8 switches to Presets and Scenes, for example, there is NO way for me to get back to turning the individual blocks on and off any more. There is no “block on/off” mode in the same way there are Preset and Scene select modes. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all. Many people use Scenes almost exclusively and don’t need the individual block On/Off and XY controls. But it’s just something to keep in mind.
 
Putting it all together - Example Layouts
We covered a lot of ways to control the AX8 so far, and some of it can be confusing with so many options. I suggest getting used to the Default setup at first - get used to entering Preset mode to change presets, then entering Scene mode to select Scenes - either single or sticky modes. Once you do that for a while, you’ll discover when and why you would want to change from the default setup.

In my experience, customizing your Footswitch setup depends on a few things: How do you play your music, what functions do you need the fastest or the most often, and how standardized do you want your layout to be.

First let’s discuss how you play your music. Does your band always play the same songs at each gig, but not committed to a set order of songs? Do you play in a theatre where every night is the same show with your sounds in the same order? Or are you a weekend warrior who sits in with different bands and never knows what sound you’ll need until you get to each song? Or maybe you do all of that! Those different situations will influence how you setup your board.

Aside from that, maybe after using the AX8 for a while, you realize that you like to have your Tuner just one tap away, or maybe that you only use 1 preset and therefore Scenes are the most important to you and you need to get to them quickly. Those needs can change the way you setup your board.

Additionally, let’s say that you’ve been on the cutting edge of technology your whole life and you use digital mixers, and laptops and tablets all day, and you’re used to the same physical switch doing a multitude of functions depending on what mode or screen you are in. With that, maybe you can change up your Footswitch layout drastically in every preset you use. Or maybe the AX8 is your first digital device and you want to standardize your setup so it’s a bit easier or more predictable, even if you are sacrificing some options.

With these thoughts in mind, I’ve come up with a few example Layouts you can use as starting points depending on your playing situation. Of course there are so many options and ways to design your AX8 footswitches, and even change them in every preset. So these are just suggestions; please change what you need to tailor things to your exact situation. As I said before, I think it is very important to stick with the Default setup for a while first, then you really develop an understanding of WHY you want Scene Switches, or why you’ve turned off Tap Tempo. When you develop your own needs, things are much easier to grasp and understand, so please do try the default setup a bit.

The Theatre Guy
When you play a Theatre show, you play the same show every night, so all songs are in the same order. Most contemporary shows want a range of sounds from a single guitarist, including acoustic, electric clean, all the way to heavy metal and screaming leads. For the Theatre Guy, you most likely want to make a Preset for every sound you use, put them in order and just hit Preset Up all night. With 512 Preset slots, you certainly have enough room for them all, even if you go from Clean to Lead to Clean to Lead many times. Using AX8-Edit, you probably want to use the Save Preset to New Number function, or go to Axe-Manage Presets and hold the Shift Key down when dragging a preset to Copy presets to new locations.

Once you have your different Presets created and arranged, you probably want to assign PRESET UP to F3’s Tap function, and just in case you press it too many times, you either want to assign Preset Down to the HOLD function of F3. Or if you want a more immediate back step, keep F3’s Hold function set to NONE - this makes the Preset Up function on the downstroke - then assign Preset Down to F2’s tap function, also keeping its HOLD function set to NONE. Even though the UP switch is on a lower row than the Down switch, you most likely will just be going Up, so it makes sense to have that switch be the closest one possible, which is F3.

Being in tune is key, so you might want to set F1’s Tap function to Tuner. Make sure in your Tuner mode, you have the MUTE set to Output - this lets you use the Tuner as a MUTE switch for changing guitars from Electric to Acoustic, or whatever else the show requires. Hit F1 again when you’ve switched and you’re ready to go.

As for the 8 main switches, you probably don’t need to access much there. Maybe keep a Filter block designed as a Boost handy on all your presets, or perhaps you do want to use Scenes for particular groups of effects turning on and off. It really depends on the requirements of the show. Maybe even set up a Control Switch as a Wah pedal so you only need one Expression Pedal as a dedicated Volume. Just remember to set the Damping parameter in the Modifier screen to give the wah travel the speed you want. Auto-Engage works here too, so one switch will do it all.

The Weekend Rocker
A lot of people work hard at their dayjob during the week, and they have a gig or two during the weekends. These guys usually play the same songs in the same band at each gig, but not necessarily in the same order like the theater guy. Many times, these musicians prefer to have specific presets for most of the songs they do, and maybe a general preset or two. You might want to arrange your Presets in some sort of order, maybe alphabetically by song, or group them by band in different banks, or even something like ballads, dance songs, and instrumentals. Whatever makes sense to you.

Once you’ve setup and arranged your presets, you probably want to keep F1 set to the Preset/Bank Select modes. Since your tones are per preset, you’ll benefit from the list of 8 presets you get when going into Preset Select mode - you only get this list from the F1 switch. When each preset is for a song, Scenes are typically used for changes in sounds during that song. If you use all 8 Scenes in a preset, Scene mode is handy to keep around as well, so you can just step through all 8 Scenes, but still have the option to control individual blocks if you need to. Keeping the Tap Tempo and Tuner on F3 can come in handy when the crowd one night wants a faster version of a song - you can adjust your tempos on the fly.

So we’re pretty much sticking with the Default setup for this situation. Remember that is has the most options available - Access all Presets, all Scenes, and have direct control of 8 blocks if you want. Of course you can sprinkle in Direct Scene switches or a Control Switch wherever you want. But when your set list changes every night, and you need access to specific presets, the F1 switch with Preset/Bank Select mode is probably the best choice.

The Band Hopper
When you’re a full time musician, you usually tend to play with multiple bands throughout the week. Fortunately, the AX8 is capable of creating a wide range of tones that fit into every guitar situation. When you sit in with different bands, typically you do NOT rely on specific presets for songs, like the Weekend rocker. You mostly need “general” tones for different genres and styles of music and even venues. One night you could be playing a jazz club and need a boxy clean sound with some reverb, and since the club is small you’d boost the low end to fill up the sound. The next day you could be playing a country gig where too much low end from the guitar kills the mix, so you grab your tele and thin out your tones a bit. Then it’s off to the metal gig later that day!

With all this in mind, you probably want to arrange your presets in Banks by Genre, or even by Band if you play with certain groups regularly. Create a Bank for your country gig with 8 presets. Maybe there are 4 main tones, but the other 4 in the bank are variations using different amps, or maybe the first 4 are on the brighter side and the last 4 on the darker side so you can adjust to the room when you get there.

Once you’ve setup and arranged your presets, you could use the F1 Preset Select mode, but you probably don’t need to see the list of presets. Instead you might just need to get to the bank you need at the beginning of the night, and then stay there. If that’s the case, perhaps you can use the Direct Preset and Scene setup we discussed earlier. Remember, these guys usually need just general tones, and it usually comes down to a clean, an effect or color tone, and then a lead. So maybe just 3 presets with different Scenes, and maybe a Filter block on switch 8 in all of them when you need a little boost or you get thrown a solo.

If the band you’re sitting in with covers multiple genres and you have to jump around from sound to sound, maybe make a bank with Mixed Genre sounds that use Scenes more heavily. Again, arrange the switches you need for that situation - maybe you actually want to use the Scene Select function switch for all 8 scenes, and more importantly, access to 8 individual blocks. This setup works great for the guy who improvises a lot and never knows what song is next - a very common situation for most on-call players.
 
The Soloist
Let’s face it - many venues today want the sound of a full band, but only want to pay for - and only have the space for - one guy. Enter the soloist. Because the soloist is trying to fill up the sound with his single guitar and voice, many times it’s best to stick with fewer presets, fewer sound changes, and fewer button presses. The mind can only do so much at once, and simpler is better.

It might be best to try to build a “kitchen sink” preset, meaning all the sounds you need are in a single preset, and you use Scenes to change tones. Staying in one preset lets you focus more on playing, and not if you are in Preset select mode, pressing multiple switches, and things like that. Usually soloists need one or two tones all night, and sometimes only needs one tone with a boost for a solo over a loop.

Here is an example of my “kitchen sink” preset for my solo and duo gigs. I have 5 sounds using 5 Scenes. 1 is a clean/chorus sound, 2 is a regular clean, 3 is a clean lead, 4 is a rhythm distortion tone, and 5 is a lead tone. S 1-4 all use the same amp, only s5 changes from X to Y in the Amp block. Tap Tempo and Tuner are important for me, and since I basically stay in 1 preset, I don’t really use F1 or F2 - I keep them on the Preset and Scene select functions just in case I navigate away or just need to change things up.

The main switches are very mixed. I use the S12 switch to save a switch allowing me to access 5 Scenes with only 4 switches. I put my least used Scene on Scene 2 - it happens to be my dry clean. I need it, but rarely. So I can directly tap S1 3 4 and 5, and if I need 2, i tap S1 twice - simple. That leaves me 4 other switches for controlling individual blocks - I like to add a Phaser block here and there, I bring in a 2nd delay for dotted 8th note and Lead delays, using XY to change between them, and I always like access to Filter block for a lead boost. The last switch is reserved for the Looper mode when I need to fill time and solo over myself. That’s a really full set of switches!

Of course your solo setup will change depending on what exactly you do. Sometimes I use an external looper pedal, so i won’t need the Looper block or switch and can put something else there. Maybe you want to use the Scene select mode instead, and have access to more individual blocks, or add a CS switch. With all the options, you can definitely find a combination of switches that work for you. And remember, you can have different switch setups per preset, if that doesn’t get too confusing. So my Duo and Solo setups are very similar, but one has the looper, the other doesnt, and i can put that dedicated Scene 2 switch there if i want.

The Simple Setup
After discussing all of these options and different combinations for setting up the footswitches, sometimes simple is best. Maybe you don’t want to use Scenes, don’t want to use Control switches, don’t need to turn blocks on and off. If you want a lead sound, you want to switch to a preset that is a lead sound. You want to focus on playing, and not on your switches.

This would be a great opportunity to setup Global blocks and to just make all the switches Presets 1-8. Go to the Footswitch menu, hit the Global tab, click Global under each switch and assign them to the right Preset number.

Remember, we are going for simplicity here. So you’re Presets will have to be designed exactly for what you want. We aren’t going to use Scenes to turn on multiple blocks, and we aren’t going to control the blocks themselves. We will just save the Preset with the sound we want, and maybe duplicate that preset with a few different block options, and save it as a separate sound. Now at the gig, 8 presets is probably more than enough, you just step on the Preset you want, and you’re going. No complex switching, no need to remember what switch does what, or what Scene 8 of preset 2 does… just step on it and play. If you reeeeally need it, you can still access the Scenes that you’ve setup. But you probably won’t need it.

Of course with this Global setup, you lose some of the advanced options that we talked about, but sometimes all those options and sound changes get in the way. If you’ve never had the luxury of playing a fulfilling gig while only staying on the same tone all night, you really should try to experience that. Your mind is freed from pressing switches, looking at screens and all that thinking. You can just…. play. And sometimes just that freedom to play makes you rock out like you’ve never done before.

Wrap-Up
So there it is. We’ve covered all the different Footswitch options for both the F-Switches and the Main switches, and we’ve discussed some suggestions for different types of performances. There are many options, and maybe you’ll never need some of them, or maybe you’ll rely heavily on them. It all depends on what you are playing, what’s important to your sound, and how complex you want the setup to be. Keep in mind that I’ve focused on doing everything on the AX8 itself without any other gear. For even more control, you could add additional MIDI Controllers or External Switches and pedals, or even use a tablet like an iPad with a Setlist program that changes your presets for you when you select a song. There are so many possibilities - just always think of what you really need in your situation, and make the changes you need.

Alright, have fun designing your AX8 Footswitch setups!
 
Chris, what AX8 video topics are you planning for the future?? I am always looking for more detailed info about tweaking amps and cabs together within a preset.
 
Brogen72 said:
Chris, what AX8 video topics are you planning for the future?? I am always looking for more detailed info about tweaking amps and cabs together within a preset.
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i'm so slammed with my day job (running a small business) and working in the FAS Beta team and some other things, that my time for tutorials has really disappeared. so i don't have too much planned yet, but want to at least do a livestream and/or video for new FW updates or features.

i'm not the best with making tones to be honest, but in another part of this Beyond Basics series, i'll describe how i approach making basic tones and learning the amps and cabs. i'll also briefly describe all of the other blocks in the AX8. that's the part that i got stuck on and finally decided to skip it for now. even brief discussion of the blocks takes a lot of explaining!

i finished all my filming for the Footswitch Strategies video yesterday, as planned. i hope to finish editing it this weekend and push it out early next week. those who bought the package in the first 2 weeks (ugh, way back in may! sorry!!) will get that free! it will appear in my Selz shop as its own product at a sale price for a limited time.

once i re-write and record the Blocks and Gig Tips section, that will be pushed to everyone who bought the Beyond Basics video in the first 2 weeks, and up until i released the first part.

after that, we'll see :)
 
just finished my first edit of the Footswitch Strategies video. this one is going to need a bunch of on-screen titles/words, so the next part of editing will take longer than usual. i anticipate being able to finish most of it on Tuesday, then take a break and do my final pass through maybe the following nights. hopefully i can release it before the weekend! this video is around 1 hr 15 minutes right now and covers all functions of the F-Switches and 8 Main switches, and i suggest a few sample setups at the end of the video.
 
dank said:
Is this video part of the package that most of us already paid for?
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the video i have just created is the Footswitch Strategies video that was for free only for the first week or so of the pre-order. EDIT - Checking the records now, most people actually DID order in the first week! so lots of you will be getting this for free! cool! the details are all in the first post of this thread in the "quoted" section.

the remaining topics in the series that most people have purchased are:
  • Amp and Cab Block basics - Getting tone
  • Intro to all other block types - what they are, typical uses, examples
  • Recent Firmware improvements and changes (FW 3.02)
  • Mono vs Stereo Output techniques
  • Dual Input Ideas (Electric and Piezo)
  • Leaving AX8-Edit at home - Gig necessities
  • Various Gig Strategies for FRFR setups (Global EQ, Mono vs Stereo, Separate FOH and Stage signals)
i have to create the video for the topics mentioned above, and they might be in 1 or 2 parts, depending how long the sections end up. i know the Blocks topics can take some time - i actually started recording those back in May, but it just wasn't flowing right and i decided to start that whole section over. so if the Blocks sections are about an hour in total, i probably will make the Gig related items their own video.


the Footswitch Strategies was originally intended to be only 30 minutes or less with some setup ideas. but when i started making it, i decided to also go in-depth on all functions available to the F-Switches and the Main Switches, so it ended up being just over an hour.

my typical retail price for an hour long video is $20, and i will usually keep it on sale for $15 for a while. as a special offer, i will put the Footswitch Strategies video on sale for $10 for a limited time.

i'll link to the new video soon.
virgil said:
and Chris do we get some notification that the video is ready through e mail..?
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those who pre-ordered within the first weeks to get the free FS video will get an email. for everyone else, this is a separate video and you'll get the link here in the forum or see it on my Selz page.

thanks for your patience guys. it's been a difficult time for me lately and i just had no time to work on these. i will try to get to the Blocks and Gig strategies video(s) as soon as i can!
 
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