Your chance to make me buy an AXE FX II!

clarky said:
I'm with you on this...
wasn't ashamed but certainly surprised...
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I was surprised and a bit disappointed as well. Regardless of how it was asked, we need to remember that the OP was ultimately asking for advice on whether or not he should buy an Axe II - and selling products is Fractal Audio's business. With that in mind, it would be a shame to see an opportunity lost simply because of the way he asked his question. New members (everybody, really) deserves better.
 
Yes, I'm back! Whew, long day at work.

Okay... what the hell happened guys? The whole thread's exploded :lol

1. I'd like to thank jimfist for his courteous answers, and actually going as far as demonstrating stuff on video! Amazing Wal tone. Also, the pitch shifter seemed to track pretty well, although I'd still love to see Disposition's main harmony played! To really compare the tonal differences of the modelled whammy to the real one. But hey, great job dude, thank you, thank you very much indeed. And yes, Tool is my favourite band of all time. I'm so jealous of your Wal! :p

2. I expected the last sentence in my original post to give some incentive for fellow users to actually do something in this thread instead of just moving onto the next thread. That it certainly did, but most users' "doing something" was spam the thread with unnecessary posts. I've spent time on a couple forums in which unnecessary spam is not tolerated, which is why I was quite surprised that so many users made the effort to post shit. M@'s youtube link = my thoughts exactly.

3.Thanks for M@ for chiming in. I will post my questions that I can't find an answer for in your link in the future. However, I'd like to present a couple of upcoming questions for all users here. But hey, thank you!

4. My main guitar is a Washburn WM526. I do have many others too, including:
-Another WM526 (had to buy another, since they don't make them anymore, and this is without a doubt the best shred guitar in the world)
-ESP LTD MH-1000
-ESP LTD EC-300
-ESP LTD MMV-06
-ESP LTD D4 (bass)
-Cheap Nylon Acoustic
-Cheap 12-string
-PRS SE Custom 24
-Washburn WV40 Vindicator
-Shecter Omen-8
-Fender Deluxe Strat

I'm writing my own stuff now, and hopefully will have an album ready by the end of the year. Naturally, I will also start gigging then. And that's why I'm building my proper rig now. For my main project, I will be the lead guitarist. For another band though, starting this fall, I will be a bassist.

This is what I'd need from my rig:

a) It should be able to do... well, basically everything. With it I'd have to be able to loop, rock the whammy, do spacey ambient sounds, crank out the ENGL-quality distortion, do boutique cleans etc.

b) It needs to be compact. For the sake of sparing my back and, mainly, for touring economy. I'm definitely not carrying a head, a cab, a pedalboard etc.

c) It should preferably do both guitar and bass. Not at the same time, but so that I could use the same device with both bands.

Answer? Ta-fuckedi-da, the AXE FX II! But the thing is that when I'm buying something so expensive (Axe + MFC 101 is over 3000 €, and that is A LOT) I'd really need it to DO everything, and do it well. It's not gonna be a cheap rig, since I'd also probably need a small FRFR cab for smaller gigs and band practice... and with it, I'd need a power amp, right? That's another 1000-2000€ right there.

That's why I decided to start this thread. To find out if it can really do the whammy stuff I'd need it to do. However, the fact that it has a Digitech Whammy built-in/modelled doesn't make it perfect yet. There is one specific thing I'd need from it. The 5th up / 1 octave up harmony setting, rockable with the expression pedal. This feature is still missing from the current/in-production Whammies, even the 5th gen (released this year) one. It was featured in the discontinued (and consequently 500$+ on Ebay nowadays) Bass Whammy pedal, and the Digitech XP-100. The XP-100 is an old Whammy/Wah pedal, which has amazing settings, but it performs rather poorly, especially with bass since it's meant to be a guitar effects pedal. It does have that certain warble that makes it sound very Digitech, which is a desired part of the pedal. The lack of true bypass and the fact that it sucks all the tone in the effects chain combined with poor tracking of lowest bass notes... not so much. So, my question basically is, how much can the Whammy in the Axe FX be customised? Is it limited to for ex. the 4th gen Whammy, from which some of my favourite settings are missing? Or has Cliff "unchained" the pedal and made it 2x badass on the Axe Fx, i.e. you can customise the harmonies any way you want? This whole mess is very simply answerable. Just demonstrate Tool's Disposition's harmony parts! (since succesfully doing it, it would prove that the Axe IS capable of the 5th/1up-setting, tracking bass notes and I would also get to hear the sound of the emulation)

Did this clear anything? And would someone like to make the Disposition patch and demonstrate it? I'd really appreciate it. Also, any other harmony/whammy-demonstration is very welcome, but the Disposition harmony part is the one thing I'd be most eager to hear.

Anyway, thanks for bearing with me, sorry that this thread turned into such a shitstorm :lol
 
Velokki said:
So, my question basically is, how much can the Whammy in the Axe FX be customised? Is it limited to for ex. the 4th gen Whammy, from which some of my favourite settings are missing? Or has Cliff "unchained" the pedal and made it 2x badass on the Axe Fx, i.e. you can customise the harmonies any way you want? This whole mess is very simply answerable. Just demonstrate Tool's Disposition's harmony parts! (since succesfully doing it, it would prove that the Axe IS capable of the 5th/1up-setting, tracking bass notes and I would also get to hear the sound of the emulation)

Did this clear anything? And would someone like to make the Disposition patch and demonstrate it? I'd really appreciate it. Also, any other harmony/whammy-demonstration is very welcome, but the Disposition harmony part is the one thing I'd be most eager to hear.
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The AxeFx Pitch shift whammy is entirely customizable and programmable in ways that the Digitech pedals are not and will never be. Though my demo didn't display the exact intervals you were asking for, I'll guarantee you that it can do what you're asking. You want to hear the exact demo, though, correct? Unless someone beats me to it (not holding my breath) if I have time tonight I'll see what I can come up with. It's a good excuse for me to go over Disposition anyway LOL.

The beauty of the AxeFx pitch shifting is that it is far more pristine sounding than the Digitech pedals, and can sound pretty good doing chords in addition to single notes. You have the ability to make it more "lo fi" sounding if that is what you want - an option you don't have with the Digitech stuff, which just sounds the way it sounds, and IMO the Digitech shifted sounds are not as good quality-wise. Keep that in mind. I find myself sometimes adding a dirt pedal block in the signal chain to grunge it up a little bit to get more of the Digitech effect. Also, you have 2 of these pitch blocks at your disposal, not just one. Additionally, you have the synth block, which allows you to do more of the same (mono sounds) but using shifted synth sounds instead of shifting the original signal content. Simeon on this forum is a mad scientist with this stuff and has programmed some mind-blowing stuff using the shifters and synths. In all honesty, your request is relatively simple for the AxeFx.
 
Velokki said:
This is what I'd need from my rig:

a) It should be able to do... well, basically everything.
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in all seriousness... this is actually what the Axe does the best...
you can config it like a traditional amp with stomps
or with multi-functional / multi-tonal presets
combinations of both and more...

tonally the Axe is superb
configurationally, you can make it as simple or as complex as you like [which in my opinion is where the real power of the unit lay]

if you like real heavy tones like Tool, the Axe deliver it..
if you like spacey ambient tones the Axe can deliver that too..
better still.. with some config smarts you can seamlessly morph between the two within the same preset..
this will open up a whole new performance angle for you...
once you get into this sort of thing there really is no looking back...
promise ya...
 
Yep. Sounds like the Axe FX is perfect for you. I use the Axe II for 2 VERY different guitar projects and my wife uses an Ultra for literally everything from party rock to grunge to country. Hell, a single unit could do both at the SAME TIME provided your chains aren't overly complicated.

You will need a midi expression pedal to control the pitch shifting to do it as you described. Everything else is relatively simple; set the pitch shifting to be a 5th and link the controller to the expression. Done.
 
In the end, you need to try it yourself... only then will you know if it's for you. It looks promising for your purposes though.
 
Admin M@ said:
Rook, you need to detect the pitch for conversion so you can set the splice length correctly, otherwise, you get what I might describe as granular garble.
If you turn PITCH DETECTION to OFF, you'll hear it.

Look for the post by ACREIL here:

Pitch Shifter - how it works - Gearslutz.com
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Thanks Matt, that link is awesome. Thanks also to Clarky and Bakerman. I LOVE learning stuff. And agreed, the Axe is seriously spectacular for pitch shifting.

Still want an H8000 too, though :)
 
jimfist said:
The AxeFx Pitch shift whammy is entirely customizable and programmable in ways that the Digitech pedals are not and will never be. Though my demo didn't display the exact intervals you were asking for, I'll guarantee you that it can do what you're asking. You want to hear the exact demo, though, correct? Unless someone beats me to it (not holding my breath) if I have time tonight I'll see what I can come up with. It's a good excuse for me to go over Disposition anyway LOL.

The beauty of the AxeFx pitch shifting is that it is far more pristine sounding than the Digitech pedals, and can sound pretty good doing chords in addition to single notes. You have the ability to make it more "lo fi" sounding if that is what you want - an option you don't have with the Digitech stuff, which just sounds the way it sounds, and IMO the Digitech shifted sounds are not as good quality-wise. Keep that in mind. I find myself sometimes adding a dirt pedal block in the signal chain to grunge it up a little bit to get more of the Digitech effect. Also, you have 2 of these pitch blocks at your disposal, not just one. Additionally, you have the synth block, which allows you to do more of the same (mono sounds) but using shifted synth sounds instead of shifting the original signal content. Simeon on this forum is a mad scientist with this stuff and has programmed some mind-blowing stuff using the shifters and synths. In all honesty, your request is relatively simple for the AxeFx.
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Thanks so much mate! Really informative. And would be SO AWESOME if you could demonstrate Disposition!

And many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread!
 
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Velokki said:
Thanks so much mate! Really informative. And would be SO AWESOME if you could demonstrate Disposition!

And many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread!
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Yeah. I made a preset for it last night but didn't have a whole lot of time to get into recording a clip...stay tuned...
 
Rook said:
Still want an H8000 too, though :)
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Did you guys know I designed the splash screen artwork for the H8000? I was quite the enthusiast in the early 00s.
I posted presets that some high powered Fractal artists later told me they thought were "incredibly usable and fun."
The Eventide guys today are still friends of mine. That said, I must objectively confess that I sold my 8000 not too long after buying an Axe-Fx.
The time it took to program and integrate was quite high. And -- though in this regard I could be held as biased -- I found the Axe-Fx more stimulating to musical creativity. (Those who get off writing script might disagree, and there was another matter that I won't go into here.) Sure, TOTAL flexibility would sometimes hit the spot, but then, imagine that same benefit in a hammer or a ladder and you'll get my point. I was able to recreate the sound of all the presets I'd used using the Axe-Fx, many with upgrades (not to mention the benefits of coupling the Amp modeling in the same box.)
 
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Rook said:
Thanks Matt, that link is awesome. Thanks also to Clarky and Bakerman. I LOVE learning stuff. And agreed, the Axe is seriously spectacular for pitch shifting.
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personally I don't do any pitch shifting in a conventional sense [although I think I'll have some of that heading my way soon in another project I'm working on]

I generally use the shifter instead of a chorus..
I think it's more subtle
 
jimfist said:
The beauty of the AxeFx pitch shifting is that it is far more pristine sounding than the Digitech pedals, and can sound pretty good doing chords in addition to single notes. You have the ability to make it more "lo fi" sounding if that is what you want - an option you don't have with the Digitech stuff, which just sounds the way it sounds, and IMO the Digitech shifted sounds are not as good quality-wise. Keep that in mind. I find myself sometimes adding a dirt pedal block in the signal chain to grunge it up a little bit to get more of the Digitech effect. Also, you have 2 of these pitch blocks at your disposal, not just one. Additionally, you have the synth block, which allows you to do more of the same (mono sounds) but using shifted synth sounds instead of shifting the original signal content. Simeon on this forum is a mad scientist with this stuff and has programmed some mind-blowing stuff using the shifters and synths. In all honesty, your request is relatively simple for the AxeFx.
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Slightly off-topic, but have you tried the Whammy V?
I own one and it's awesome.
You can choose between classic and chord mode, chord mode allows you to play chords and it's sounds a lot more hi-fi.
The classic mode sounds warbled just like the old whammy.
The Fractal whammy sounds really good so I'm not going to use my whammy for live use.
The chords mode on the whammy has slightly better tracking though in my experience, still the options and sounds form the axe are really awesome so no need for using the Whammy live.
 
Guitarjon said:
Slightly off-topic, but have you tried the Whammy V?
I own one and it's awesome.
You can choose between classic and chord mode, chord mode allows you to play chords and it's sounds a lot more hi-fi.
The classic mode sounds warbled just like the old whammy.
The Fractal whammy sounds really good so I'm not going to use my whammy for live use.
The chords mode on the whammy has slightly better tracking though in my experience, still the options and sounds form the axe are really awesome so no need for using the Whammy live.
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The Whammy V (and the DT version) look pretty slick. No doubt Digitech hit it out of the ballpark with the Whammy. I sold my gen 3 whammy a couple years ago. The AxeFx does everything I need it to do for pitch shift/whammy fx, and since most of my work is live, I don't want to lug around extra pedals anymore - other than my MIDI pedalboard. I do wish that there was a 4/5/6 octave dive bomb "type" in the classic or advanced whammy, though.
 
"IMART" (Intelligent Maximum-Likelihood Adaptive Real-Time) Pitch Tracking technology, introduced in Firmware 8, was created in response to some improvements in other Whammy type pedals. After I demo'd those pedals to him, Cliff cut through this project like a knife through butter, as further evidenced by the response from some of our pro players who are real whammy enthusiasts.
 
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