What is your tweaking-performing-ratio?

Hhuent

Hhuent

Experienced
Just out of curiosity - how much time do you spend for tweaking and adapting the presets of your AX8 (or Axe FX) and how much time for performing, rehearsing or noodling with your AX8?
What is your realistic ratio? 50-50?
 
I would guess for me it's 25% tweaking and 75% practice. I only use a few presets and those have been tweaked to perfection. I rarely "noodle". I think practice and rehearsal are two different things. Practice is what I do at home on my own time, rehearsing is what I collectively do with my bandmates. Rehearsal time is shared time where I respect the time of my bandmates. So when I am at rehearsal, I focus on rehearsing song transitions, tricky parts of songs, etc. I do make some mental notes of gear issues during rehearsal, but I address those at home, on my own time.
 
5% : 95%, mainly rehearsing and performing. Rarely working on presets since I have my go to presets. Except if interesting stuff is posted here.
 
I experiment a lot, but I don't think I tweak a lot. I can get the sounds I need fairly quick. Sometimes I just 'need' to push the boundaries and see where it takes me.
 
For the first month I had the AX8, it probably worked out to tweak/play ratio of 50/50. After 6 months I still explore (not as much, but more efficiently - more for the fun of it). Mostly, I'm jazzed about just playing, because the versatility, sound quality and responsiveness at usable volume levels is so much better than anything in my experience. The current tweak/play ratio might be 10/90. And that tweaking is primarily trying out amp tones and effects to fit a new song or arrangement.

I've worked up about a dozen amps/channels I use most of the time with a few presets each (& multiple scenes). I craft presets so that on the fly adjustments require just the 8 amp control knobs on the AX8. I use a minor variation on the default factory foot switching setup: with the consistent layout of 1=Drive, 2=Modulation, 3= Chorus/Mod 2 4=Delay (and its right next to tap tempo!) 5= S1/S2, 6=Amp X/Y, 7= wild card - whatever else needs switching, 8=Looper. This maintains a familiar pedalboard approach, and MFX style preset and multiple scenes changes are easily accomplished with the F switches in the rare event I need to go beyond what can be done with the 1-8 switches in a single piece.

For trying out a new amp, effects, etc: I do it all via AX8 edit - but to the end of having to do nothing with AX8 edit or even in the menu system of the AX8 once it's saved. It's a tribute to the great design of the AX8 that once it's configured: it's possible to access everything for performing from just the foot switches, connected pedals and an occasional tweak of the knobs on the hardware.
 
Thanks for your feedback y'all. I was curious if I get carried away with all the AX8 options and was actually
expecting more tweaking time.
I think I started with at least a 50:50 ratio and Q1. As I got to know the AX8 more and had my choice of presets ready tweaking time went down. It also went down with Q3 and Q4 as I barely touch amp and cab settings anymore. And with fremens presets as starting point even more so. It will go up with Q5 because I need to test the updated drives.
I guess I am somewhere in the 10:90 or 20:80 camp new firmware considered.
Maybe I should have asked this question more like what's your playing-experimenting-tweaking ratio to cover Smittefar's et al user behavior.. :)
Thanks for the extra hints, artzeal.
Damn, you don't even need a band and still be happy with your AX8 alone in your bedroom, lol...
 
I pretty much seem to be constant at 50-50 since getting the AX8 in June. Much of it is trying to find the sounds I had on my GT100 and earlier as well as 13 pin GK using Boss GP10 which I still use.

The problem is while I am comfortable with the tones I have, I look at the multitude of settings in each of the block and still wonder, "...what does that do?" so I save a copy in the "Guinea Pig Banks" at 28-30 and go to town tweaking without losing the original or I build from scratch starting with an amp and cab. Just amp and cab alone devotes the majority of my tweak time.

Having only 4 months experience with AX8, I see the tweak ratio of 50-50 for at least another 8-10 months. I thank this amazing forum in helping keep the tweak ratio at 50% instead of 90% as the "kid in the candy store" in me tends to take over. Shared experience is an amazing tool!

Having said that, I go to zero tweak 1 or 2 rehearsals before a gig to avoid any mistakes and did that for years with my GP10 and older Boss gear. Keeps the "Oops" factor low on stage.
 
Since I'm new I'm tweaking a little more than normal to determine what the knobs are doing. Once I have those I find I'm tweaking very little and playing more. I'd say within another week to two it will be tweaking 5%. I spent about 2 minutes last night making two HBE presets on amp X/Y and played them the rest of the night.
 
I rarely tweak and in many years using FAS gear have never fall into the endless tweaking cycle. I tweak as needed which is rare or if I am in the mood for something different. When that desire comes along it doesn't take me long to get good tone. I pretty much use my AX exclusively for rehearsal and live performance
 
Thanks again for chiming in. The figures vary a lot.
This little black box is tweakers fun park. Even to the point where you neglect practicing playing guitar.
I promised myself I won't touch a knob until my new cab arrives - which will take some time. But when it arrives: 90:10 for two weeks :)) There's a cure: a band and gigs...
 
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