Why tonematching your real Amp if you can tweak it?!

[Morphosis]

In the past i matched my Koch Studiotone Tube-Amp. First with izotope EQ Match & Axe-Fx Standard. Second with Axe-Fx II FW6 with inbuilt TMA-Block. Now we are on FW10, and i wanted to bring the real Amp with all channels and bright-switch with the actual settings from the Koch into the Axe-Fx WITHOUT (!) Tonematching.

Targets:
- Channels Koch Clean / OD / OD+ = Amp1 X / Amp2 X / PEQ Boost (simulating "+"Boost) + Amp2 Y
- Bright Switch should react like the Bright Switch from the real Amp.
- Drive / Volume / BMT settings from the actual Amp should match the identical settings on the Axe-Fx Sim.
- Output-Volumes of the switchable three channels should be comparable on the Axe-Preset with the "matched" (better: tweaked) Amp1/2 X/Y settings.
- NO tonematching, NO GEQs, NO PEQs to match anything tonewise, ONLY Amp-Block advanced parameters will be touched (OK, to boost the OD to OD+ i needed a 13db Levelboost and i used a PEQ for that).

In fact: I want to bring my Koch Studiotone into the Axe-Fx to look like the same (Knob-settings), sound the same, switched the same with same Volume differences between the different channels. Only by tweaking the advanced Parameters and NOT using the Tonematch-Block.

I came up with the Cameron CH1 sim. I learned impressive much about the advanced parameters and what they do when i tweak and A/B side by side a DI recording through the Koch Studiotone Amp vs. the Axe-Fx II.

Here is the actual amp:

And here is the comparison (Koch & Axe runs in the summury of my DAW through the same Cab IR):

Axe-Fx II Cameron CH1 (tweaked to match) vs. Koch Studiotone - CLEAN (Amp1X)


Axe-Fx II Cameron CH1 (tweaked to match) vs. Koch Studiotone - CLEAN bright (Amp1Y = bright on)


Axe-Fx II Cameron CH1 (tweaked to match) vs. Koch Studiotone - OD (Amp2X)


Axe-Fx II Cameron CH1 (tweaked to match) vs. Koch Studiotone - OD bright (Amp2Y = bright on)


Axe-Fx II Cameron CH1 (tweaked to match) vs. Koch Studiotone - OD+ (13db Level Boost with PEQ in front of Amp2X)


Axe-Fx II Cameron CH1 (tweaked to match) vs. Koch Studiotone - OD+ bright ((13db Level Boost with PEQ in front of Amp2Y)


You`ll can count 8 "blocks" per soundfile:
Block 1-3: KOCH
Block 4-6: Axe Cameron CH1
Block 7: Koch
Block 8: Axe Cameron CH1

For example what i tweaked:
- Changing Tonestack Frequency bring me in the ballpark tonewise
- Higher / lower the Input Trim match the Gaining while Drive knob match the setting of the actual amp
- lower bright cap till it match the difference on/off with the actual amp
- and much, much more .... (tweaked and A/Bed on different pickups, guitar volumes, cab IR off, to hear things i could not when cab ir was on, etc...)

Man, i learned things!!!!!!!! I have to lower the dynamics to -60% to match the actual amp! This means: The Axe (Cameron) has MORE dynamics, than the real Amp! And and and ... crazy, you can do everything with the tweakability, tonematch is NOT NEEDED!!!! It`s ALL in the Amp-Block! And it`s MORE REAL! Including correct tappers, if you tweak right! I was amazed!

By the way: What i learned at the end? Put in the Plexi 100W Treble and realize that this sucker is more squishy, more dynamic, more cool sounding, more impressive than my litle Tube Amp! I love it! No need for the Koch anymore But still nice to have... as a backup

Axe-Fx RULES!

 

[yek]

Nice job. Very close!

 

[musicianof1]

Very cool!

 

[Morphosis]

Thanks. In the meantime i have "extract" also the selectable in-build speaker-simulations from the Koch Studiotone. This by sending sine-sweep through the amp and feed the NO Filter (but behind the power amp) Output of the Koch (=Line Out) signal as LOCAL into the TMA, and the Speaker SIM Out from the Koch as REFERENCE into the TMA Block. The essence from match = speaker simulation pure. I double checked it by A/B acoustic testing - it`s valid.

So, here is the whole Amp, all three channels & the four Speaker Sims as cab-IR [PRESET + 4 CAB IRs]:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47593922/KOCH STUDIOTONE axe-fx II fw10.zip

Scene1:
Amp1X -> Clean

Scene2:
Amp2X -> OD

Scene3:
Amp1Y -> Clean bright (wie X, nur bright button aktiviert)

Scene4:
Amp2Y ->OD bright (wie X, nur bright button aktiviert)

Activating the PEQ in front of Amp2 simulates the OD+ channel. More photos, backround infos (excuse me) in german language and A/B with and without speaker sim:

Axe-Fx II: KOCH STUDIOTONE KOMPLETE: Alle Kanäle & Speaker Simulation des Originals

Bright switch reacts like tha actual amps. Mid switch nearly also. All Taper settings of Drive; BMT; Master are identical in the Amp Sim like on the actual Amp on BOTH channels (and the "third" OD+ = gainstage boost). Volume differences of the three channels are identical also to the real amp.

feel, Sounds and reacts almost identical to the real deal - without tonematch!

 

[TexasHeartRush]

Great work!~

I agree 100%. This is a game of inches, never yards with tone. The detail is all in the detail and the subtle details of the subtleties within the details. :lol The whole subtleness of the process is what makes it so rewarding and deep.
Tone matching by ear is wonderful way to learn to use the AXE and its...available details. 'Tone Matching' our own amps based on basic IRS will get you a foundation to start with, but so will listening and learning what to expect from the various amps and cabs present in the AXE. We are a blessed bunch and these are exciting times! Great job again and great sounding amp! Cheers!

 

[Morphosis]

Tone matching by ear is wonderful way to learn to use the AXE and its...available details. 'Tone Matching' our own amps based on basic IRS will get you a foundation to start with, but so will listening and learning what to expect from the various amps and cabs present in the AXE. We are a blessed bunch and these are exciting times! Great job again and great sounding amp! Cheers!

After my experiences i`ve made i have to say: Yes, absolutely. Tweaking the advanced parameters without any reference did not give me the experience WHAT different parameters REALLY do!. If you give yourself (and if it`s just for fun or to learn, what different parameters will do) a reference (like another real Amp, software sim, is not that important ... important is, that you`ve a reference which gets the same audio input as the axe!) you hear by A/Bing things in tonal or dynamix changes when changing advanced parameters, where i have made the experience before tweaking sae parameters and not really hear any differences ... because the ear was not trained WHAT it should or could hear! Orientation to a reference will clearly help to hear the differences of many advanced parameters. I was "flashed" realizing that there are so many paramters, doing so subtle things, others who change things in a drastic way, but all together it teaches me one thing: You can get EVERY Sound any wanted characteristic - tonal and dynamically - out of this biest! And for me it was nice to learn much about many parameters what they will change.

You want new Amps? More Amps? OK, cool to have and get them by default - no question, but: If it`s not there, you can tweak it yourself to satisfaction. I mean: I tweaked a Cameron Clean channel to both channels of my Koch Studiotone. totally different kind of Amps imho .. but at the end ... i think, it is really near to "spot on" when i A/B the actual Amp and the sim right now. And it feels also the same when playin`through ...

I play Axe since 2009 (That times the Standard), but this experience was a totally eye-opener and i really think now, there is NO Ampsound you can get NOT out of this box! Really!

Awesome machine!

 

[shasha]

This is pretty damn ridiculous.