Wait for AX8 -or- Axe FX II Mark II ....... same price :) ... :( ..... cant decide ..... ?

ben ifin

Experienced
Wow

This has caught me off guard.

Background.

- I'm a Kemper user eagerly [ and somewhat impatiently :) ] waiting on the AX8 wait list

- I have had the please of using a good friend XL+ at a few live shows - very happy - hence why I am on the AX8 wait list.

- he is aware of the AX8 " wait " and has offered to sell me his old Axe FX II Mark II for the AX8 equivalent of US $1400 as he intends to keep his XL+

Now .... I know this is a GREAT offer ..... and I have no intention of grabbibng it and "flipping" it.

This is a genuine offer from a good friend.

In the plus side - I already have a BJ Devices TB12 Midi FSW which is fully Kemper and Axe Compatible.

The down-side / where I am not sure

- the AX8 seems suited to live gigging with dedicated "real" amp controls

- the Axe II Mark II -being a rack unit- strikes me as being much more fiddly / annoying / harder to tweak in real time duing gigs / songs when playing live.

- also I know the XL has a better encoder and better / quieter input and other major changes ... whch the AX8 may also have ?

HELP :) ........ any thoughts / ideas / comments would be genuinely appreciated.

Ben
 
That's a screamin' deal on a Mark II. I'd jump at it. The Axe-FX is really not that bad for making adjustments on the fly. Push Layout, navigate to the block you want to edit, push Edit, and the control you want to edit is probably right there and editable via the quick control knobs. I do it between songs all the time. If it doesn't work for you, you can sell it, have enough to buy an AX8, and have enough left over to buy your buddy a beer if he's annoyed that you flipped his Mark II.
 
My thoughts as well. Grab the AxeFx, you have access to more CPU power and instances of blocks. You already have a midi controller so you are good to go. Worst case you decide not for you, you won't be out and can flip for an AX8.

Good luck
 
In the last week or so I've also had the opportunity of buying a Mark II for just less than the price of an AX8. I decided to pass. I reasoned:

- Number one for me, the footswitch functions of the AX8 look really great, some of which you can't do with the AFXII (at least not with the MFC). See some of the other threads.
- I can sell my Ground Control Pro if I decide to keep the AX8, as it will be redundant. This knocks some of the cost off the AX8.
- When I had a Standard I never used anywhere near the firepower available even in that unit. I can't imagine really needing everything the AFXII offers. I'm pretty simple when it comes to FX. I also think I'm very rarely likely to use a dual amp setup or tone matching, which the AX8 might not have.
- I'm liking the idea of having an all-in-one unit, looks like you can just drag blocks from the grid in AX8 Edit and drop them into the footswitches. Nice workflow. Assigning FX isn't exactly rocket science in the Ground Control Pro, but it's just another device to have to deal with. Scene functionality in the GCP seems like it might be a bit limited too.
- If I got an AFXII I'd need a separate tuner on the floor, along with either battery hassles or hooking it up to a power unit. I wouldn't shell out the cash for an MFC and the tuner function on that, seeing as I already have the GCP.
- I want the shiny new toy that is the AX8. I know that if I got an AFXII I'd be hounded by curiosity about the new unit. I'm also sadistically enjoying the wait, seeing as I've come this far and not caved in to my monkey-brain urges. Ramps up the excitement about the shiny new object. Sad isn't it? :)

Best of luck with your decision!
 
A Mark II for 1400$? JUST DO IT!

The AX8 is great, don't get me wrong, but this is just too good of a deal to refuse. And there are certain advantages to having a rack processor and a cheap midi board compared to having everything on the floor.

Tweaking tones live is ... kind of a weird thing, imho. Do you really have the time to meddle with your settings during a rehearsal or gig? Most band members find that annoying and I wouldn't do that, tbh.
Tweaking live on stage can ruin shows more than not having the perfect tone.

If you are a notorious tweaker, you can always hook a small notebook up and use Axe Edit.
 
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I'm going with the AX8 and will most likely sell my AxeFX II, Mark I. For me it comes down to whether I want to use a separate midi controller and rack unit, or just use an all-in-one unit. The all-in-one format works better for me.

As far as making adjustments to the AxeII on the fly, I find it quite easy and rarely have to make changes when playing. Usually I make adjustments in rehearsal and I'm good to go. As bad_guitarist said, its a matter of a couple clicks to get where you want to go and them the A, B, C, D, and Value wheel are all used to make adjustments. Plus, you can set the X and Y buttons to "quick jump" to a specific page. I have the X button set to go to the Amp 1 page, and the Y button set to go to the Delay 1 page.

Why not wait another week or two for all the details on the AX8? I bet will have the manual for the AX8 next week. At least I sure hope so...
 
I would get the II.

I'm still getting an AX8 as "backup" (that's my justification and the excuse I gave to my wife, LOL)

Despite dedicated "amp" controls, kneeling in front of or hunching over a floorboard to adjust on the fly... that's something I'd prefer to avoid, and if necessary, I rather do it standing up, less conspicuous, reach the front panel, press Quick Control 'x' and use Value & ABCD knobs... Much easier IMHO
 
There's no RIGHT answer here. What you need to figure out is what you need? Small and portable or rack mountable? If I was doing a number of venues and changing all the time, I'd get the AX8. If I was more stably in one location or had no issues with transport for whatever reason, then the AXE FX plus controller is better. They SOUND the same but the AXE has almost twice the CPU headroom.
That being said, they both rock. So no matter which one you choose, you win! ;)
 
I am going for a light and quick-to-connect setup, so I have no problem saying, I would buy the Axe8 over AxeFX II XL+, even if they were at the same price.
 
I'd also get the rack unit. way stronger effect capabilities, Axe Edit is fabulous and tweeking a unit in front of you instead of tweaking a unit "on the floor" could save you some medical expenses for your back. You can always sell the Mark II and get you an AX8 once the waitlist has gone down.
 
I realise you said you wouldn't flip it, but just buy it, try it, and if it doesn't work for you in the live context, flip it. You'll make an easy couple-hundred bucks to try out an AF2 while you wait for your AX8. Think of yourself as a glorified, overpaid, late-to-the-party AF2 tester out in the field.

Get on it!
 
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