Why do you use a power amp with your axe fx?

Why do you use a power amp with your axe fx?

  • You dislike the tone you have with an ir /studio monitoring

    Votes: 14 16.9%

  • You have a cab and want to use it

    Votes: 46 55.4%

  • For the “amp in the room” feel

    Votes: 41 49.4%

  • Because your friends/fav band do it

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Others

    Votes: 23 27.7%
  • Total voters
    83
Your backline is actually supposed to be your monitor for YOUR instrument. The monitor/wedge is for amplifying vocals and the other instruments in the band for your convenience, if at all needed. Using In Ears is a different story obviously. But when using acoustic drums, having an amplified backline makes a lot of sense, even on somewhat bigger stages, even with In Ears. Also your guitar pups will respond to a loud cab, altering your tone even when going thru the Axe, but I guess that all depends on your preferences.
 
I stopped using back line amplification in 2011 or 2012. I started with the Kemper through front of house and got my custom mix on a wedge.
I don't like the Kemper or AX3 through an Amp and cab, plus now too many places require silent stages. Yes the drums are behind sound proof plexiglass and any amps are off stage and mic'd.

I took my own profiles from my rack rig presets and my signature cabs. It was way easier than hauling my refrigerator sized racks and cabs. I used 2 actual 4x12 signature Crate Cabs, in stereo with a wall of fake cabs during my Bradshaw rack days. The cost to haul that was astronomical.

Now when I play live (not as often right, now), I haul a 4 space rack with the AX3 and a pair of wireless transmitter racks. A pair of wedges with my mix, works perfectly for me. Most of the big venus I play ask for a silent stage. I played with slayer in 2019 and they had to put their cabs 3 floors below the stage to mic them for live. Gary holt had his Kemper and had no worries, we chatted about the Kemper and both had some of the same thoughts about the odd midrange in the Kemper. I thank Steve Vai for informing me on the AX3 in 2019, and letting me play with his. That is why I got mine in April 2021.
 
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I tried the frfr solution.. didnt like it somuch anymore (headrush 108 stereo setup) so now its another setup with a SSPA and a Marshal 2x12 1922 CAB. I like it, its there in the room.. come to close it will sing I love it!

Even with CAB modeling enabled, it sounds good to me. I can tweak the low and high on the poweramp it works okay.

Cheers 🍻
 
I go out 1 to FOH and out 3 to a seymour duncan powerstage 170. Its super small and gets really loud. With the EQ at noon it doesn't have near the bass of most amps i've played. So i just turn up the bass to match amp feel. I love it. I had a Matrix GT1000 with my older Axe 2 rig. I think the powerstage sounds about the same. Plus its so tiny. I have a few 2x12's so i figure why not use them.
 
I use a Matrix GT1000FX as sometimes I run my Axe FX as a traditional amp with a cab or two and sometimes that might be whether I go to FOH direct or not.
 
I chose “Others” because I don’t own a cab, and don’t have the space/budget to get the cab I’d want. And if I had a cab I would use it occasionally for fun and maybe if I wanted stage noise/the look. All situations I play in I can go direct and use in ears or a floor monitor. Personally I don’t feel the need for a cab, especially as my wife and I are trying to save up to buy a house
 
Oh, and I voted “other,” because “The headphone jack won’t drive my 4x12 loud enough” wasn’t listed as a choice.
 
I’ve used a power amp just to see what the difference was, and also to see how a mix of power amp/cab and FRFRs sounded. Though I liked the sound in every case, I haven’t seen enough advantage to justify hauling that much extra gear.
 
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