Why should I consider the Axe FX II? Help please!

I've used modeling since the very first Line6 amp nearly 20 yeas ago and the Axe just blows away everything I ever used prior (L6, Roland, Boss, UAD, and various VST plugins). The first time I used it (last year) it was truly shocking to hear the difference in realism.... I have nice amp collection (Bogner, Swart, Vox handwired, Fender...) and all that stuff is collecting dust in the basement.

You learn to edit stuff quickly but there is a learning curve. If I was playing live still I would probably still bust out one of my amps but that's just me be old-fashioned and already having those tools.
 
Try it for two weeks and if not satisfied, IIRC you can return it to the factory for refund.

Best music gear I've ever bought. Period.
 
When I recorded Touch The Sky Volume II with Supernal Endgame (10T Records) I just used my FAS gear. First time I ever recorded an entire album with a modeler. The Axe is an awesome recording tool. For stage, you will need to have some kind of foot controller. The Fractal MFC makes the best use of the features in the Axe, so you should factor in the cost of the MFC if you are planning to use it live. I now use the AX8 for live performance. It works very well for my needs as a performing musician.
 
∞Fractals said:
Try it for two weeks and if not satisfied, IIRC you can return it to the factory for refund.

Best music gear I've ever bought. Period.
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I agree with your statement. Here is what happened to me.

About 5 or so years ago I did this.
I didn't know anything about IR's.
Upon receiving the Axe-Fx, I opened it up and connected it to a Mackie 2 way speaker, and it didn't sound exactly like my amp.
I didn't know that it was not supposed to sound exactly like my amp.
While I thought it had a half way good tone I was afraid I would not be able to make it work for me.
With $2400 on the line I sent it back.
Fast Forward about 2.5 years. I started reading the forum, reading the Axe-Fx II manual.
I got to try one out at a local Music Go Round. I played it through studio monitors and a power amp & cab for about 4 hours.
I knew I was hooked then.
I ordered the Axe-Fx II XL+, MFC-101 and an EV-1. LOVE it!
Now added the AX8 and another EV-1!
Fractal has changed the way I play and create music!!!

Best music gear purchase without a doubt.
 
chugsandtone said:
I've seen countless videos of bands using the Axe Fx, but that's more like a post-eq sound. Just wanted to clarify on the raw tones. Just watched a few. So far it sounds great!
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Below are a few samples of what the Axe sounds like with no tweaking, just the default settings for the associated amps and cabs:

 
chugsandtone said:
So far it sounds great!
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"So far?" Are you waiting to hear a tone failure? :) How many more tones do you need to hear before you're willing to give it a shot?

Your thread is titled "Why should I consider the Axe FX II?" You already know why you should consider it. The only unanswered question is whether you'll like it, and only your hands and ears can decide that.

If it's within your budget, order one. Like it? Keep it. Don't like it? Return it.
 
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If you want the best in sounds and versatility, you have no choice but to go Fractal. I've been playing guitar for over 50 years (with 40 of those years either professionally or at a professional level), and it's the best music gear purchase I've ever made. Hands down.

And as for how hard it is to dial in a good tone, I can get good, usable tones out of my Axe-Fx faster and with less tweaking than I can with a traditional amp and cab. If I can't get the sound I'm looking for in about 5 minutes, I'll try a different amp, cab, or both. I spend virtually no time tweaking the deeper parameters, but it's nice to know they're there if I decide I want to. And you'd need a small truck to haul all the stomp boxes this thing can emulate. (Plus about a mile of short cables to hook up all the FX routing possibilities available with a few quick mouse clicks.)
 
TG3K said:
And you'd need a small truck to haul all the stomp boxes this thing can emulate. (Plus about a mile of short cables to hook up all the FX routing possibilities available with a few quick mouse clicks.)
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Excellent point, and to add on to that; the inevitable nightmare of chasing down a bad cable or connection, bad/dusty/dirty/pots. Plus stomp settings (with the exception of a very few) can't be changed on the fly, unless you have a very crafty big toe o_O and they certainly can't be rerouted, which is an option. And with the Fractal, you have a massive virtual pedal board at your feet. I wouldn't want to lug it's real life counterpart gig to gig.
 
Perdikament said:
Excellent point, and to add on to that; the inevitable nightmare of chasing down a bad cable or connection, bad/dusty/dirty/pots. Plus stomp settings (with the exception of a very few) can't be changed on the fly, unless you have a very crafty big toe o_O and they certainly can't be rerouted, which is an option. And with the Fractal, you have a massive virtual pedal board at your feet. I wouldn't want to lug it's real life counterpart gig to gig.
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Cables aren't an issue.
That dude is using Positive grid BIAS.
 
One of the biggest reasons I'd consider the Axe FX over other modelers is because it has the most mature modeling algorithms of any modeler on the market. I mean, the Helix and Amplifire aren't slouches by any means, but the Axe FX's modeling has been honed and perfected over a much longer period by far, and at the end of the day that translates to more accurate / realistic sounding models.
 
I've used BIAS Desktop / FX, Guitar Rig 5, Amplitube, Studio Devil and others. As far as high gain tones are concerned, they're not in the same league as the Axe FX, unfortunately.
 
chugsandtone said:
That's awesome! Can you please share any Soundcloud or Youtube links of the guitar tones you created and recorded with. Would be a great way for me to come to a concrete decision.
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it's good for bass too if you think of the guitar amps as bass amps. Certain effects for bass take a bit more tweaking to get in the zone as all the effects are biased for guitar use. You can tweak as little or as much to get your sound amp-wise. Lots of Axe FX2 demos for both guitar and bass at www.drbonkerssoundlab.com
 
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