What guitar amplification would you use live? (Metal music)

What monitoring would you use live?

  • Axe FX > Guitar Amp (Ins in) > Guitar Cab (Axe FX used only for pre FX)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    97
^ditto

back when I had an AxeFX, I ran it this way and it sounded pretty damn good. someday, I will have another FAS flagship. oh yesss....
 
Unfortunately the axe is doesn't seem to be made with this kind of set up in mind. It is hard to find the right thing for everyone:
-It works great with in-ears but some hate in-ears plus if you wanna hear your whole band in them it's a considerable setup.
-i have a matrix "transparent" power amp and cab but the sound sucks, might as well play with a Marshall Valvestate, plus you're limited.
-I never tried FRFR and that might be the solution sound wise but in practice you have to drag them everywhere cuz no one has them so you're fooked for flights and so on.

There is a part of the fractal population for whom nothing works properly.
I do hope you find your compromise though. Best of luck.
 
I have never tried a Axe > Matrix > Cab setup, but that's what I am saving up money for at the moment.
I've never heard anyone say anything negative about this setup. What I did hear is that it sounds more or less identical to using a real amp head. And why wouldn't it?
You do know you have to keep the Power amp sim on and Cab sims off, right?
 
My favorite rig before the axe was a Mesa Mark IV into a mesa oversized cab. I got the axe fx to add some versatility. To be able to pull up some different amps every once in a while. I never thought it would replace my rig but I almost never turn on any of my tub amps now. I run my Axe into a crown power amp and Mesa cab. I can pull up the Mark IV model and it is virtually indistinguishable from the real amp. I bet if someone did a blind test with my own rig I wouldn't be able to pick which is which.
 
Parallel Route from a single Axe-FX:
Axe-FX > Active FRFR (for me)
Axe-FX > Transparent Power Amp > Guitar Cab (for audience)

Disclaimer: I have no experience with "Axe-FX > Transparent Power Amp > Guitar Cab", but since "money is no issue" I would love to give that a try! Especially if I didn't have to load-in/out!!
 
I didn't really get your remark, Zenaxe.
I play Rock/Metal, sure... I use in ears too... For a metronome...
What matters the most is what the audience hears...
It was a (dumb) joke. :D The idea being if you are playing 'metal' maybe it would be best for the audience if they could not hear anything at all. ;)

That said, I voted transparent amp and cab. I think given the scenario you describe and the fact that you focus on a specific style trading off the flexibility of cab modeling/FRFR for the authority and feel of a cab in the room is totally worth it based on your use case. If you were like a classic rock or pop cover band or something I'd say transparent FRFR. But finding a killer metal cab that sounds good and thumps with authority across the metal spectrum with the Bogner/Diezel/5150/Recto models should be a piece of cake and be more inspiring to play on stage.

I think a lot of people just answer these questions with: do whatever I do.

Sort of like on other forums when people ask what gear they should buy/use.
 
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That's exactly why I said specifically "Metal". For other genres, the choices might be completely different and I didn't want to "pollute" this poll with votes from different backgrounds and musical goals.
 
That's exactly why I said specifically "Metal". For other genres, the choices might be completely different and I didn't want to "pollute" this poll with votes from different backgrounds and musical goals.
Yes that was smart. But, I am saying lots of people on public forums will still generally reply with advice that applies to their situation but not yours and your responses WILL be "polluted" in spite of best efforts to frame the question because humans are humans and are not 100% rational... so there is psychology involved.

So, maybe think about the reasoning people provide when they respond and see how it applies to you in addition to the raw data from the poll... Or don't... I'm just another one of those randoms from your perspective. ;)

In the end your own experience is all that matters
 
I have never tried a Axe > Matrix > Cab setup, but that's what I am saving up money for at the moment.
I've never heard anyone say anything negative about this setup. What I did hear is that it sounds more or less identical to using a real amp head. And why wouldn't it?
You do know you have to keep the Power amp sim on and Cab sims off, right?

Trust me if you want a tube feeling get a tube power amp. LOTS of users do it for that reason. I am definitely not the only one.
Matrix power amps totally lacks in dynamics, and don't sparkle, and project quite a flat, trebly representation of the sound. Actually quite similar to solid state. Their marketing says it sounds like tube but it doesn't.
Some seem happy with it though, i'm not totally dissing it. Please try it before buying.
 
I am running a mesa 290 with 2 2x12 cabs. The amp had a custom bias on it so it runs a pair of el34 and 6l6, both hard biased to run properly. I could not be more satisfied with the tube and feel of the axe.

There are many who don't like the feel of solid state power amps. Everybody is different though. The bummer is that unless you're in a very populated are you probably won't be able to try before you buy. Ever.
 
There is no way I could try before I buy a Matrix. It would be really hard to find anyone that has it in lithuania.
Also, there are only a few people that have an Axe FX here... I am kind of proud to be one of the few...
Do you guys agree with Phil about Axe+Matrix setup lacking dynamics and sparkle?
 
Trust me if you want a tube feeling get a tube power amp. LOTS of users do it for that reason.
What do you mean by "Lots"?
At least by poll results, there aren't many people who want to involve a real guitar amp into the setup...
 
After doing the FRFR thing for over a year because I could never get the real cab to sound good, I have now moved to real cab. I think it got a lot better after quantum. Before that the real cab sounded too thin and took a lot of dialling in to sound good. Now it just requires a few tweaks which are usually to give the bottom end some girth. I quite often use 2 amp block set differently as the FRFR would sound too dark the way I have the amp block set for a real cab. Loving it now. Also love the matrix amp even more now that I can get great sounds out of a real cab. It really does sound and feel like playing a valve head.

If there was any area I think the Axe Fx could improve on would be to thicken up the bottom end with more default settings so that I could use one amp block. Some amps are more noticeable tha others. I find plexi/marshall deriviatives need a bit more adjusting than the Engl Saavage which is my other go to amp.
 
What do you mean by "Lots"?
At least by poll results, there aren't many people who want to involve a real guitar amp into the setup...

The tube power amp+ cab is not clearly in the options...
I personally know and also have read a lot of people who are not into the matrix and/or are using tube power amps, especially mesa 2:90 (lots of good comments). I wonder why else they would use tube if it's more expensive, heavier, bigger, and less reliable,.. ?? Other than it just sounds better??

Edit: I am only comparing matrix power amp against good tube power amp, nothing else.
 
transparent amp -> 1 or 2 4x12 Marshall cabs

power amp sim on / cabinet sim off

For metal, nothing beats 4x12 cabs on the backline.

I personally would not use a tube power amp for this. My reason would be I can control the tightness / looseness of the power amp sim in the box.

A real tube power amp has fewer options. (Although it can sound killer and would be cool if you really just want one flavor of tone.)
 
The tube power amp+ cab is not clearly in the options...
There are two clear Tube guitar amp options in the poll:
1) The guitar amp is used only as a power amp, and the preamp is Axe FX. (Axe FX > Guitar Amp (FX return) > Guitar Cab (Axe FX used as preamp))
2) A typical Tube guitar amp and cab setup. Axe FX is used for effects only, in place of stomp effects. (Axe FX > Guitar Amp (Ins in) > Guitar Cab (Axe FX used only for pre FX))

Maybe I could've worded those options better... But I don't think it's that hard to understand, is it?
 
By the way, did you try editing the "Speaker" page in the amp block?
The Axe has no way of knowing what Cab is connected to the Amp, so the amp can't react to the load naturally. You have to set this up manually.
 
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