So, why don't you have an AXEFX yet?

[PhilKing]

I have briefly played through the 2 versions of the AXE FX and didn't get either because I have some great low powered amps for recording.  They are both John McIntyre amps, though one is the Lexicon production version.  The other is the amp that sold Lexicon on the idea.  They are both 3 watt stereo rack mount full valve amps.  The prototype has one 6V6 and one EL84 for power amps, and includes reverb.  However for the production version both power amps are EL84's and the reverb was dropped.  The production amp is the Lexicon Signature 284, and if you can find one grab it.  They have 2 types of speaker emulation and when I've used them to record there is almost no difference between the recorded sound and the sound from a miked speaker.  I also have a set of speakers with attenuators which John made me to go with the prototype, and this lets me dial down the volume when I need to.  My other main amp for recording is a MJW 30w Goldstar with London Power Scaling, and this gets a great sound but has to go through a cab and be miked.  This amp has a lot more headroom with the 4xEL84 power stage, and so is great for getting an open sound.

I don't use a lot of effects, and so I don't need most of the features a modelling amp gives.  If I need a different guitar sound I'm lucky enough to be able to get that type of guitar out.

[Mr. Air]

I would be lost in all the knob pushing and tweaking possibilities as I'm just a plug and play kinda guy most of the time.

[juansolo]

because i like old stuff, old stuff is better, Vinyl, Reel to Reel Projectors, Maps, women covering their ankles, record players like the HMV dog is listening to, crank handles on the front of cars, police whistles.

Damn kids and your glowing screen rubbish..

I don't know if you're taking the piss or not.... but I agree wholeheartedly. 


Look, I don't know much about this stuff but it seems to me that cutting-edge digital technology goes against the whole concept of what guitarists want from their equipment.  Our benchmarks for "great tone" are guitars and amps which were built 40, 50, even 60 years ago, using technology even older than that, and - wonderfully - they are not obsolete.  So the idea of buying some digital box of tricks which will be antiquated in six months' time (along with our phones, TVs, computers etc) just seems totally counter-intuitive.

And that brings us nicely into a deeper thinking: let's hypothesize that in ten years modeling is so good that it truly feels and sounds like an actual amp to the point that it makes actual amps obsolete and we are using SSpower amps and an Axefx (unlikely but for the sake of argument). Then what is going to be our point of reference in one hundred years? I can't imagine the tag line The AxeFx 3000 can capture the vintage tones of the Axefx 50. By it's nature it needs the analogue stuff to be able to exist - a benchmark. Not that it matters 'cause we'll all be a part of the matrix by then  8)

To continue the record/cd/mp3 analogy. Convenience/cost tends to win rightly or wrongly. I stand by that records sound better than anything that followed them. Like valve amps they're flawed, you have to have a good turntable/arm/styus, keep your records clean and get up half way though to turn them over being careful not to walk to heavily near it. But it all adds to the 'experience' of listening to the music.

It's more than about fidelity alone. You put a record on and you sit and you listen to it, end to end, with no distractions. A CD you can do this, but you can press a button to skip a track easily. MP3 is worse as I sit here typing this with some playing in the background. In that respect I suspect the moddlers will eventually rule the world. Shame.

[Dazza1004]

had one, too much knob twiddling and dicking around, was never totally happy with the sounds I was getting out of it.

I'll take my 20th xtc anyday

[Slartibartfarst42]

I do think that digital modelers will eventually get there in terms of tone and dynamics but I don't think any of them are there yet and I'm not paying that much money for the honour of playing an Axe FX. Some sort of modeler has always appealed to me but these days it's only really so that I can get a decent tone at home. It's annoying that at home I am generally dissatisfied with my tone, which can seem a bit dull and then as soon as I'm blasting out with my band it sounds fantastic. In my experience, modelers give you consistency of tone but never great tone. I suffer my amp at home because of the way it makes me feel when I can eventually let her rip. The other issue is, as others have said, the endless tweaking you get drawn into. I just don't use that many sounds. 90% of what I play has the amp gain on 40% and an overdrive at about the same level. The remaining 10% is either clean, just the gain from the amp or a second overdrive unit engaged.

I'm just as simplistic with effects. The compressor is never turned off at all, the overdrive is usually never turned off and I also use delay about 90% of the time. Sometimes I'll use a little chorus and occasionally a bit of reverb but these last two are rare. I also sometimes use a wah effect. What's more, the settings on effects also rarely change. The overdrive is either on or off, with no tweaking at all. The compressor is not only always on, it always uses the same settings. The only thing I alter on the delay is the tap tempo. I used to own a Hardwire delay pedal that offered loads of different types of delay and it was pointless as I just never used them. I don't want to tweak pedals at a gig, I just want to either turn them on or turn them off - simples  :D

My gear isn't massively expensive but it works ok for what I need. I'd like to have better tone at home but so far I haven't been able to find a solution for that.

[GuitarIv]

In my opinion the AxeFX is a great and handy tool for gigging musicians, however it isn't the real deal. I don't care how many Fractal fanboys, including the whole Periphery crew (not mocking them or anything) wanna convince the world it sounds as real as the real deal. Omg, have you heard the new firmware? It sounds even realer than a real amp! Seriously no. I can ALWAYS hear the digital sound when someone plays one, especially on the cleans and being the old school kind of guy regarding sound I'd never get one, even if I had the money. Maybe if I was touring, but for home use my Micro Terror is more than enough and I have a Valveking for band practice. Imho you can't beat a real amp with cooking valves, why would you even want to?

So my opinion: good solution for recording and gigging, otherwise meh.

[GuitarIv]

On the pro side you can do stuff like this with it:

Axe Fx II - Acoustic preset tweaked for Coldplay's "fix you"

[AndyR]

Well, the reason I never got one is, er, because I've got a Vox Tonelab LE that does the jobs I need for a whole bunch cheaper...

I only use it in my "studio". Sometimes for practicing, or having a noodle, mainly for recording.

In the living room I use a valve amp (Laney Cub 12) or, if I have to be quiet, I have a POD 2.0 with headphones down behind the sofa. I loathe the POD 2.0 for recording.

I also have a POD XTlive in the studio. It's ok for what I think of as "metal" sounds. But I don't use those sounds. So my POD XTlive is basically set up as a Bass POD XT, and I use it exclusively for bass nowadays.

Sometimes, I try recording with the Laney, but although it "feels" nicer to play, the recorded tracks aren't "better" than the Tonelab's efforts, and they cost a lot more in fiddling around and potential neighbour-worrying...

I have had the Tonelab long enough now that I just treat it like an amplifier. Just like an amp, I know its restrictions and limitations. It even "feels like an amp" when I'm trying to capture a part. I have a bunch of patches that either work, work with a slight tweak, or "don't work, on to the next patch".

So... an AxeFX doesn't really fit into all of that! :lol:

Originally it was money. If they'd been about £3-400 I'd have taken a punt. But they weren't. Now, if they were £3-400 I still wouldn't look at one... my kit does what I ask of it.

[Dr.Pain]

There's always going to be two schools on this, people who like them and other's who say "you can't beat amps and cabs".  I think it's a matter of can you make it work for you?  I use a Vypyr 60 amp and Peavey's Revalver software and they are good and fun to play with.  There's some really good sounds in both but if I can't be arsed messing with knobs and settings,  I got my Blackstar HT-5 and 212 cab.

I think the AxeFX price is something a bit of a put off especially when a new model comes out.  I can't see it being held in high regard in years to come like a Fender twin or JCM 800.  It's just another bit of kit.  I'd like one but if I had the money I'd go an EVH 5150 III 50 watt.  The technology is great but it's not quite there yet.

[Stevepage]

The price. I couldn't afford nor justify £2000+ for a single piece of gear.

I'm quite happy with my Digitech GSP1101 set up too.

[GuitarIv]

Just because the JCM 800 was mentioned: I'd love to own one some day, best thing would be having it modded by Dan Gower. Sylosis used a set of Holydivers with a Dan Gower treated JCM 800 and the sound they have is amazing. Just listen to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVYUd26mRrQ

Sorry fo the short off topic post  :lol:

[_tom_]

I've always wanted a JCM800 and that's not helping!

[bucketshred]

I love my JCM800.

[Kiichi]

Well I don´t have a AxeFx cause I really don´t see why I need it. I just love me Orange Tiny Terror Hardwired Edition and my HTH 5w Tweed Champ style amp too much. They give me all usually need.

I did however just buy Amplitube for my work PC. Seemed like a cool option for the ocasional late night playing and recording work at least the playing around part of that, sometimes you still wanne mic up your amp, but this is much less work (I do enjoy the work, but still, sometimes you wanne do more creative and less technical work).
So far I am really pleased with the program. The amps I like sound pretty nice (things like the Dual Rectifier sounds cr@p to me, but I hate the real one too), I even feel I can get a pretty decent clean sound out of it.
Well most of the presets are not to my taste, but I can quickly generate patches I like.
I must say I am pretty impressed with it all together. Also got a model of my dear Tiny Terror and I really dig it.
I must use it more and try around more things, but so far I am very happy and that at about 10% the price of a AxeFx? I´ll take it!

[CaptMurica]

The only use I would get out of an Axe Fx is for live shows and touring. I still would want to have an actual 5150 III at home or in the studio.