Well... now I've gone and done it...

BINGO! :mrgreen

Well... I remembered that I have a very nice 2.1 FRFR PC speaker system (Logitech something - with a big 8" adjustable sub) that's been gathering dust down in my now-unused-office. I decided to set that up and feed it the Axe2 via the Phones jack and VOILA! There's what I've been looking for. Most patches sound fantastic now. Whew... :p There it is!!!

I'm VERY happy with this now. So much dimension, feel, HARMONICS, and... wow. Finally. All the problems I was having with the other more traditional rigs are GONE. I literally didn't want to stop playing. Alas, my family needs to sleep. The subwoofer was probably thumpin' the whole house. HAH!

I'm going to have to pick up some crankable near field monitors now. Absolutely no question. Forget about the Atomic. Forget about tube amp/cabs. If this little stereo rig sounds this good, bigger monitors with smooth horns should be amazing. FoH systems must LOVE this thing.

I didn't even tweak anything except to dial up the mix on the stereo delay (wow).

Hmmm... I might just get a couple of large active floor monitors and sell off this other stuff.

Tearing up the RMA. I'm one happy camper again.

Thanks to those of you who encouraged me to pursue FRFR. I had totally forgotten about my little FRFR setup downstairs. Yay for me!!! :D
 
Alot of people have had the same feelings you've had in the beginning. Like you, I've used modelers for many years. This is the first modeler that delivers on the promise that modelers always said they deliver.

Just remember, what you're listening through IS going to color the final tone. Thats why so many people have gone FRFR. Personally, I setup my patches to sound good through FRFR and tube amp and cab and that is with cabs on full-time. I don't want to be turning cabs on an off on a gig (except when I play acoustic - cabs definitely off for that).

I don't know want kind of music you play so I don't know how to advise, but I live in the clean to low-mid gain amps and getting GREAT sounds. Better that my old pride and joy Mesa Mk IV that I played for seventeen years.

Don't give up. Your tone is in there. You just need to keep learning to get the skills to get them out. You've never had a modeler that is deeper than what you have now.
 
Nope. Not gonna give up now!

In fact, now that I've heard the Axe2 as intended (more or less), I'm considering selling off almost all my traditional amp gear since it won't get much attention from here on out. Probably pickup a couple of active floor monitors and be good to go. I was all MFX a few years ago (2006-2010), so it's no big deal to migrate back to it.

I'll keep my little HT5R combo though. Love that little amp.
 
kewlpack said:
Nope. Not gonna give up now!

In fact, now that I've heard the Axe2 as intended (more or less), I'm considering selling off almost all my traditional amp gear since it won't get much attention from here on out. Probably pickup a couple of active floor monitors and be good to go. I was all MFX a few years ago (2005-2009), so it's no big deal to migrate back to it.

I'll keep my little HT5R combo though. Love that little amp.
Click to expand...

I think you have a good plan. I did the same by keeping my tube amp around. It's been a few months that I haven't played it. Probably be a few more :))) Glad to see you hear KP and happy that your on the axe2 bandwagon!!!
When and IF you get floor monitors I would steer away from the berringer F1220a. That's what I bought ......ME NO LIKEY
 
Thanks. On that note... Anyone have opinions on good floor monitors or large FRFR grab-n-go amps that match well with the Axe2?
 
Atomic CLR ... ! Just released ( probably a waiting list ). They're designed by Jay Mitchell and probably the best thing our there right now.

Do a search here, and also @ TGP you'll find all the stuff you need to know !
 
Hahaha! Cool thing just happened.

So, I was playin' the Axe2 on the Prince Tone preset, kicked on the TS808, and was demo'ing the myriad cab models. I settled on one for about 45 mins and was playing some bluesy stuff, 38 Special, southern rock, etc. Volume was moderate, using my 2.1 setup - nothing mind blowing.

My wife comes in from her kick boxing class. I holler to her, "I think I'm gonna just sell all my amps and cabs." I'm still playing. She comes down to chat and doesn't notice there's NO amp in the room - anywhere.

She says, "Why would you do that?!" I said, "I don't need 'em anymore. This thing sounds THAT good, and can do pretty much everything I need." I keep playing a little bit and say, "Can you hear that? How rich and smooth the sound is?" She says, "Yeah. It sounds great!" I tell her, I'm just using that old stereo speaker system from the office.

Then she looks around the room... "Where's the amp??" she asks. "Are you just using those tiny little speakers?!"

I glibly replied, "Yup." :D

I then explained to her "All I need now for playing out is a guitar, the Axe2, and a simple speaker setup. That's it!" "That's it???" she says.


She said, "Wow. Cool. It sounds really good."
----------------------------

You can't ask for a better review than that. No marketing. No hype. Just an honest listener who knows me and my gear all too well.

FWIW, YMMV, and here's 2¢.
KP
 
kewlpack - my (now) wife heard the Axe-Fx for the first time in 2007 before I headed out for a gig. I'd been dialing live patches all week while she was at work. I demoed my cover patches in the spare bedroom through FRFR alongside the original songs.

She had heard my various rigs/tones on those songs for seven years, and she said, "Whatever that cost, it's worth every penny. That's the best you've ever sounded on those."
 
I had a chance to try some Yamaha HS80M monitors today. Didn't really care for them much. Not enough oompf or punch. They sounded kind of thin. I messed with the switches on the back and tried to find a setting that I liked. Naw. Not smooth enough.

Funny that my Logitech system sounds great - very focused and really thick sounding to the ear - but $400 (ea) studio monitors from Yamaha sounded "meh" so thin. Here's where an outboard mixer + master EQ would probably go a long way (?).

I looked at the Adam A5's and A7's but they were out of budget range for now. Also looked at the Neumann KH120's which were way outta range. Maybe I'll stick with my low end system for now since it sounds good. Then save up for a higher end set of monitors. I want something with smooth high end (not thin, brittle, or papery), clear mids that aren't too prominent, and some thumpy bass. What to do? Hmmm.
 
Keep in mind that the Logitech speakers probably sound better because they're artificially enhancing the bass over what's in the actual signal. Studio monitors are supposed to sound flat, to accurately reflect the frequencies of the audio sent to them. If you were to play the patch you set up on the Logitech through proper flat-response speakers (monitor or FOH), the signal would probably sound thin and lifeless. OTOH, if you played a patch set up on properly adjusted monitor speakers through the Logitech, it would probably sound muddy and/or distorted.

I have an old Cambridge Soundworks 2.1 system that I test my final mixes through, but all my recording (and tweaking of the Axe) is done through Dynaudio monitors. The 2.1 system has more bass (which is why I test final mixes on them, to simulate the average person's stereo), but it's amazing how much more detail (good and bad) that the Dynaudios reveal.

I'd suggest settling on what your final output is going to be (FRFR/studio monitors, guitar cab, or the Logitech speakers) and tune your patches to match that (at the appropriate playing volume).
 
Yeah, you really have to watch out about testing your new rig in different FRFR choices. If the rig you built the patches on has many hyped (or missing) frequencies, your opinion of the testing FRFR can be badly skewd. I have little M-audio BX5a monitors that I use as computer monitors. They're not much, but I play through them when I want to practice quietly in the house with the rest of the family. I have learned NEVER to build a patch with them because when I go back to the K12's or the Fryette 2/50/2 & cabs it sounds like poo.

Your preconceptions can really color your opinions if your not careful.
 
Thanks again, gang. I am looking to get that amp-in-the-room feel. Seems simple enough. Argh... I hate being a noobie again.
 
Got good results through the Atomic by cutting 31hz and 63hz by -6dB. Also set tweeter at 50%. Sounds good.
 
w00t! Talk about timing - Craigslist came through today!

Just picked up an Atomic 112-50 for $300. It's in excellent condition. It's the version with the slightly slanted top. It's not the FR version like the one I've been using thanks to my friend. I got his Atomic FR sounding pretty good with the Axe2. Good enough to get me hankering for my own Atomic.
Got home. Plugged it in. Tweaked the global EQ (required 3dB LESS cut than the Atomic FR). Immediately went to the raw factory patches and AHA!
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This is what I expected from the Atomic FR, but that amp didn't quite get there. This 112-50 ROCKS! Feels like I'm playing through the amp/cab that's dialed in. Big. Open. Articulate. Beautiful. ZERO complaints. Sounds great. Dialed in a 4x12 and it sounded like a huge 4x12 was in the room. This is cool. No need to tweak much at all.Just need to save up for a controller.It's a good day! A very good day!
P.S. the Atomic 112-50 came with a POD 2.0 in it... LOL. Immediately pulled that toy right outta there.
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