Pinkycramps
Experienced
When I was brand new to AXE FX, I used to pine for each amp to be "fully modeled" into one block - so that when I pulled up an amp I had all of the channels, controls, etc just like the real amp. To me (at the time), THAT was a big part of "super realistic amp modeling."
I have grown past that though. Now I am more of the belief that the AXE FX is THE greatest amp of them all, in its own right. I no longer look for it to exactly copy what was already out there. Heck, if I really wanted the best model of a Mark V ever, I should just get a Mark V. (and... yep... I own one of those too.)
Rather, I treat the Fractal unit for what it is... which is the same as any other amp.... it's a tool to get the the SOUND I want. It has a lot of power, so that means it will take a lot of exploring - but in the end I can get things out of one rig that I could never get from another single rig, so I am more than ok with that trade off.
** The CHANNELS feature, along with scenes, is much more powerful than any 3 channel amp, and using that I can have all three channels of an amp and still only use ONE amp block. This actually gives the OP exactly what he asking for in terms of function... just maybe not by following the same workflow he desires. In the end though, by using two amps, and four channels, you could have 2 different 4 channel amps in one preset. Do any of the other devices mentioned do that? What's even BETTER in my mind, is I CAN use 3 channels of a particular amp - but I don't HAVE to. I can mix and match them to build a dream amp.
In my experience, with very few exceptions amps that have stellar high gain don't normally do clean all that well, and vice versa. The AXE FX cures that issue like nothing before ever has that I have tried or used.
I have grown past that though. Now I am more of the belief that the AXE FX is THE greatest amp of them all, in its own right. I no longer look for it to exactly copy what was already out there. Heck, if I really wanted the best model of a Mark V ever, I should just get a Mark V. (and... yep... I own one of those too.)
Rather, I treat the Fractal unit for what it is... which is the same as any other amp.... it's a tool to get the the SOUND I want. It has a lot of power, so that means it will take a lot of exploring - but in the end I can get things out of one rig that I could never get from another single rig, so I am more than ok with that trade off.
** The CHANNELS feature, along with scenes, is much more powerful than any 3 channel amp, and using that I can have all three channels of an amp and still only use ONE amp block. This actually gives the OP exactly what he asking for in terms of function... just maybe not by following the same workflow he desires. In the end though, by using two amps, and four channels, you could have 2 different 4 channel amps in one preset. Do any of the other devices mentioned do that? What's even BETTER in my mind, is I CAN use 3 channels of a particular amp - but I don't HAVE to. I can mix and match them to build a dream amp.
In my experience, with very few exceptions amps that have stellar high gain don't normally do clean all that well, and vice versa. The AXE FX cures that issue like nothing before ever has that I have tried or used.