WISH : AX8+ w/separate reverb DSP/CPU [IMPLEMENTED (FM3/9)]

fractalz

Power User
I'm setting up my first gig on the AX8 and, like others, am having trouble getting my patches to work with any sort of reverb.

I know I'll end up turning it off for the gig, but I like playing with reverb in my monitor.

Here's a wish for an AX8+ with a separate processor for reverb duties.
 
I think it's somewhat common to see the Eventide H9 alongside AX8s for exactly this purpose.
 
I think it's somewhat common to see the Eventide H9 alongside AX8s for exactly this purpose.

Yes, I was going to try this, but I'm having difficulties since I use a mag/piezo guitar and need IN2 for the guitar. I could send OUT1 -> H9 ->> PA/Monitor, but I wanted to use the FX loop to integrate the H9 and plug the PA into the AX8.

Workable, but I'd pay a few more $$$ for the AX8+ as described above.
 
Just curious @fractalz, why don't you use input #1 R for the piezo? leaving the FX loop for other duties.
COuld you have a parallell chain of blocks and FX for the piezo then?
You can't right? The patches I've seen with piezo (such as Chris's)
uses the FX in to get a parallell chain for the piezo to be able to
blend with electric, but both having independent effect blocks.
 
I'm setting up my first gig on the AX8 and, like others, am having trouble getting my patches to work with any sort of reverb.

I know I'll end up turning it off for the gig, but I like playing with reverb in my monitor.

Here's a wish for an AX8+ with a separate processor for reverb duties.
what does a typical preset look like for you?

i don't think the AX8 needs a dedicated Reverb processor. what people WANT from it though is more CPU, which just won't work in a fanless design with the current state of technology in general. the solution is to make room for the reverb by excluding other blocks, or by reducing the Reverb from High to Normal quality - normal sounds really good btw, better than other units - and/or reducing Echo Density.

FAS could always lower the resolution of everything so it sounds worse and we can add more blocks. but the general consensus is that we don't want that.

check out what this preset looks like on the AX8. tons of stuff.
Screen Shot 2016-04-23 at 9.53.04 AM.png
 
Chris have you uploaded that anywhere? I have the one bank of patches you uploaded with a video a while ago but I don't remember exactly whats in it. (I'd look but I'm traveling right now)
 
Chris have you uploaded that anywhere? I have the one bank of patches you uploaded with a video a while ago but I don't remember exactly whats in it. (I'd look but I'm traveling right now)
yup that's in the only preset collection i've ever released :)

i'm waiting to update it for the new FW, since FW 3.xx is on the horizon apparently, judging from the Axe-Fx.

if you've downloaded it from my Selz store for free, you'll get an email with the updated files when i update it: https://axefxtutorials.selz.com/item/56c776666edca00b24f6d1f3
 
yup that's in the only preset collection i've ever released :)

i'm waiting to update it for the new FW, since FW 3.xx is on the horizon apparently, judging from the Axe-Fx.

if you've downloaded it from my Selz store for free, you'll get an email with the updated files when i update it: https://axefxtutorials.selz.com/item/56c776666edca00b24f6d1f3
Sweet, I have, thanks for your efforts. I need to spend more time checking out the factory presets as well as yours...I tend to jump straight in to trying to build my own.
 
Sweet, I have, thanks for your efforts. I need to spend more time checking out the factory presets as well as yours...I tend to jump straight in to trying to build my own.
not a bad thing at all really. but there are "tricks" or optimizations that can be done of course.
 
what does a typical preset look like for you?

i don't think the AX8 needs a dedicated Reverb processor. what people WANT from it though is more CPU, which just won't work in a fanless design with the current state of technology in general. the solution is to make room for the reverb by excluding other blocks, or by reducing the Reverb from High to Normal quality - normal sounds really good btw, better than other units - and/or reducing Echo Density.

FAS could always lower the resolution of everything so it sounds worse and we can add more blocks. but the general consensus is that we don't want that.

check out what this preset looks like on the AX8. tons of stuff.
View attachment 32047

Well, I guess we need to leave the implementation details up to Cliff & Co. I suggested a "reverb CPU/DSP" since the CPU consumption of the Reverb block seems pretty constant (I think you put that spreadsheet together?). So, I jumped to the idea of a dedicated hardware solution to satisfy that ~30% hit for the high quality reverbs.

Here's a snapshot of my problematic patch. FXLoop provides piezo in (I was going to use both IN2 L/R but then the tuner doesn't work). No Reverb even at Normal quality with density at 2.

noverb.jpg

I can get it to work by playing with which Delay algorithm and/or downgrading the pitch block to Economy. But, I started by turning Reverb to Normal. Great that works. Add another block. Reverb disabled. Try density=4. Good for a while then not. density=2. same story. So, I'm constantly tweaking to keep the Reverb. I'd ditch it and use my H9 but that isn't so easy with the mag/piezo setup I'm running (see other posts).

In any case, I created a few patches that will work for my next show, and the Ax8 is sounding AWESOME! Despite my apparent bitching, I'm loving every second of it and constantly marvel at the power I have in my hands using Ax8-Edit.

I'm used to creating a single patch with 6-7 scenes in my XL/MFC. My approach with the Ax8 is to create 4 patches (accessed with FS5-8) each with 4 scenes (FS1-4). I can lower the demand by tuning each patch for a different purpose (acoustic+clean, acoustic+crunch, clean+crunch, crunch+insanity).
 
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i think what you're looking for is called the AxeFxII

Hah, I have two of those, but I'd like to get the Ax8 to work for my theatre gigs. With the Ax8, Matrix FR12 and a dual Mono guitar case, I might be able to make it in just one trip from the car!
 
Despite my apparent bitching,
i don't think you're bitching :) it's a common topic, and CPU is always a struggle with anything digital. we always want to push the limits.

note that adding DSP adds additional latency, and isn't always just as simple as add hardware = faster/better :)

comp and pitch are high CPU blocks as well. here is a pic of my dual input setup:

Screen Shot 2016-04-23 at 2.23.25 PM.png

this puts me around 82% and not much room to add more. so even though we can get the 2 inputs in there, compared to the Axe-Fx, the AX8 definitely can have fewer blocks in the preset. it is what it is. i'd say more CPU in general would be better, because maybe people don't use Reverb at all, but instead want 2 Drive blocks. they'd have a fully wasted DSP for Reverb they don't use, and still can't fit the blocks they'd want on this "AX8 ultra mega" new device :)

as tech improves, it helps us all, and i think we are just at the limit for now. we can't expect the gear to help us with carrying things :) if we need to take the Axe, we just need to do that.
 
i'd say more CPU in general would be better, because maybe people don't use Reverb at all, but instead want 2 Drive blocks. they'd have a fully wasted DSP for Reverb.

Yeah, good point. So, sure, MORE CPU PLEASE :)

I tend to use Scene Controllers to drive input levels instead of drive blocks. I think that saves me some CPU since drive blocks are costly.
 
If you want more CPU just buy the axe fx II or a FX 8 there is no point saying you want more
CPU from the AX 8 because it is never going to happen until fractal is releasing a new model,
and thats not gonna happen in a few years time....
 
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