XL first impressions

JayCM800XL

Experienced
On March 3rd I joined the waiting list for the Axe-Fx II XL. Two months later I had in my possession the most coveted piece of gear for the modern guitarist.

It took hours to sample the amazing collection of 383 factory presets! But by the end of the first night I was creating my own patches, testament to the unit's intuitive design and ease of use.

I'll be logging on often here to learn everything I can about this awesome machine!

It seems the support and advice available to FAS customers and community members is added quality and value to take advantage of.

Happy to be a part of this!

"Intro" post: http://forum.fractalaudio.com/lounge/15995-introduction-thread-8.html#post1038094
 
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Isn't it an incredible piece of gear? I just got mine late Wednesday night and I had run through a lot of the stock sounds (which are fantastic btw), but I had a couple of gigs so I couldn't dedicate any real time to it until tonight...and I now have five amps for sale! LOL (I'll keep ONE as a backup!). This really seems like a great community as well, I've been reading up on the Axe FX here in the forum since last fall and the few times I've had questions I've received great feedback and support from the other members. Over the last several years I've been through a ton of gear but just couldn't find the right combination of a great amp AND effects that played well together...tried to make a G-System work but its shortcomings were inescapable.

I've finally found the holy grail of tone in a black box that give me an entire library of great tone......from the moment I struck a few chords I had a big smile on my face, and a few short days later I am in amazement and just couldn't be happier with my decision. :eagerness:
 
Hi,

I'm hoping i'm days away from ordering my first FAS product & yes its the XL i'm going for. :D

Like PRS513 I've been reading on the forum for quite sometime & cannot wait to receive my black box & crank it into life.

What has hit me is the fact that it is a very versatile unit, where.. as many people have said 'its only your imagination that is the limit'. This appeals to me alot. I'm sure i'm gonna be one hell of a kid in a sweet shop in a couple of weeks.
 
Hi,

I'm hoping i'm days away from ordering my first FAS product & yes its the XL i'm going for. :D

Like PRS513 I've been reading on the forum for quite sometime & cannot wait to receive my black box & crank it into life.

What has hit me is the fact that it is a very versatile unit, where.. as many people have said 'its only your imagination that is the limit'. This appeals to me alot. I'm sure i'm gonna be one hell of a kid in a sweet shop in a couple of weeks.

Hi Muso4142 - Some friendly tips: I highly recommend reading the manual before hand. Even though I've used rack stuff since the 80's, I'm glad I read some of it to familiarize myself with the basics of how to edit and create a sound from scratch. Also, make sure you have something decent to amplify the sound with from day one. After researching a bit I decided to order the Atomic CLR Neo wedge the week before, so I was able to plug right in and enjoy the stock sounds right out of the gate.
You're going to love this thing!!!
 
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Thanks for the Welcome!

One of the "selling points" to my wife was "But Honey, now I can practice thru headphones so you won't even hear or notice me!"

So, so far I've only used my XL with headphones. I would like to know if there's a preferred or recommended brand/type best for use with the Axe-Fx?
 
Green with envy over here. :mrgreen I put my name on the list for the FX2 recently and wondering if the wait for those is also a couple of months - I'm guessing it probably is. To quote Tom Petty, the waiting is the hardest part.
 
Hi PRS513,

Yes i have had a brief look through the manual & after seeing video's on how to set up basicpatchesusing amp & Cabs i'm confident i'll be ok at the start.

I have also done some research on the Atomic wedge & I have been using 1 for about 4 months & love it, even though its the standard & not the Neo. keep me fit :pride:

Still not had my email yet! any day now...... COME ON! :devilish:
 
You are going to friggin LOVE this thing!!! I've used my Neo at 1 gig so far, and at home a bit with the Axe...in just incredible what they've done with it :)


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It's been 2 1/2 weeks since I acquired my AxeFX II XL, and I'm very pleased with the experience. After starting with some presets as templates, I began to write patches from scratch. At the point I've gotten all my patches programmed for my upcoming shows, and have nearly finished assembling / wiring the rack and pedalboard. I decided to add a third expression pedal, and also decided to install my power conditioner in the same rack as the AxeFX, so I'll be doing a little bit of final config work during final full-band rehearsals. I'm keeping a blog of my experiences with the system, and will be sharing with the group.
 
I just got my invite from Fractal. Though not 100% sold on the investment I will be ordering a Kemper Rack and the new Boss GT-100 V2.
 
Thanks for the Welcome!

One of the "selling points" to my wife was "But Honey, now I can practice thru headphones so you won't even hear or notice me!"

So, so far I've only used my XL with headphones. I would like to know if there's a preferred or recommended brand/type best for use with the Axe-Fx?

Welcome to the forum and FAS family

I like my Audio Technica M50 when tracking (silently) through the Axe and prefer my AKG 701 for more critical listening. The Beyer Dynamics DT 880 are also very nice in general and with the Axe.
But if you have the funds for it I'd steer you to the Audeze lcd-2, expensive but well worth the money.
 
Mine arrived on Friday.

I'd been considering giving the Axe-FX a try for some time and after being impressed by what I'd seen online and reports from a few friends who use them, I took the plunge.

I had two concerns: a] would it live up to the hype & b] how much of a learning curve would there be to get the best out of this thing. After all, this is a new trick and I am an old [49] dog

I needn't have worried on either count. The sound quality is astounding! I kept finding great examples of 'that tone' we're all searching for as I checked out the presets. Axe-edit connected very easily and within an hour I was editing and creating patches of my own. Logic connected without a hitch and I've made a few recordings of new riffs and ideas.

This morning I downloaded a Def Leppard Hysteria patch and laughed at how accurate it was.
 
I got my Axe FX II XL and MFC101 Mark III last week. I currently have an Ultra that I've had for almost 6 years.

The presets all sound better to me on the XL. I don't know exactly what is different but it sounds and feels better to me. Especially with the clean presets. I have never really been completely satisfied with the clean sounds on the Ultra even though they sound pretty good. The clean sounds on the XL just sound more like what they sound like on my real tube amps.

I am very satisfied with this unit. I was really just buying it for the new I/O features, and new control options and so I could get the latest updates into the future. I didn't expect the sound to be much different from the Ultra, but I was surprised when I started walking through the presets. It really sounds good to me. It could be because I just spent a ton of money on it and my brain is telling me that it MUST sound better, but I don't think so.

I know this isn't a very technical review, but I really like this unit. Totally worth the money for me.

Also, on a side note. The only amp I have left is a Mesa Boogie Roadster and I haven't used it for about 5 years. I've kept it as a backup, but I think I'll sell it now and use my Ultra as the backup.
 
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