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My AX8 vs Helix LT Journey

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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
    Cheers - still working some things out!

    What IRs is everyone using, out of interest...?
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  • Ownhammer.

    Mostly the Mesa 2x12 pack, Marshall 1960 with Greenback, Heavy Hitters 1 and 2 packs... but I have a lot of them tbh! I highly rate them in terms of quality, price, and ease of use
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  • peteripeteri Frets: 1283
    Same for me plus paid for Celestion Greenback
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  • ClarkyClarky Frets: 3261
    standard Fractal ones.. 4x12 TV mix and 4x12 AX Mix together in a stereo cab
    they are of the same tonal family so they blend well
    play every note as if it were your first
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  • DavusPGDavusPG Frets: 446
    Tried Celestion IRs but current fave are ones from the ML Zilla pack
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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
    Cheers guys - I've got a load of the OwnHammer ones, and 3Sigma. Noticed the OwnHammer ones are much more 'present' than the 3S ones....
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  • If you’re finding the OH ones too present just try a higher number. They’re laid out from 00 (brightest) to 10 darkest
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  • ClarkyClarky Frets: 3261
    If you’re finding the OH ones too present just try a higher number. They’re laid out from 00 (brightest) to 10 darkest
    pretty much by default, I'll dial the high cut in the cab block back to about 7.5k to 8k cos that's what cabs actually do..
    then I'll choose the IR..

    another thing I found is context is important..
    in isolation you can come up with great tones.. then pop them in the mix and they just vanish..


    play every note as if it were your first
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  • guitarfishbayguitarfishbay Frets: 7953
    edited October 2017
    Honestly I don't touch any EQ to begin with.

    So far I only use IRs for recording, and what I do is pull up an amp that should work (for me 6505/Rectifer etc) and a cab that should work (probably a Mesa or a Marshall, V30s or Greenbacks)

    Usually start with SM57 or SM57+MD421 mix

    Get the gain and feel right (so if it needs a boost to tighten or whatever)

    And then scroll IRs from 00 to 10 (usually lower numbers for me)

    I'm looking for the closest possible starting point before I start more detailed amp EQing.  If something sounds close I'll nudge EQ around quickly but if I find it's still not playing ball I try a different IR again.

    I do all my post amp EQ in my DAW, so I've always got the raw starting point later if I need to change it.  I also apply the IR in the DAW, so that I can easily switch that later without doing a full reamp, but most of the time I don't end up doing so as some EQ can.

    Drums would already exist and be of a rough mix before I'd start looking to dial in the tone, agree it is all about context.

    For my own playing at home tones I've just dialled them in to where I think they sound cool for just noodling about.
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Clarky said:


    another thing I found is context is important..
    in isolation you can come up with great tones.. then pop them in the mix and they just vanish..


    Absolutely this  - If you listen to isolated guitar tracks they often sound a bit thin, but in the context of the mix they sound great.  Once you are 'dialed in' play along with a track and as often as not your sound is too big.  A bit of high end fizz sounds awful in isolation, but can help things cut through.

    One of the 'problems' with modellers is you have so many options, with an amp you just lug in and live with it, or let the sound guy deal with making it sound good with the band.
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  • peteripeteri Frets: 1283
    edited October 2017
    I agree on this - I see the same with my Telecaster, playing on it's own it sounds a little thin and trebly.

    Play it with a band or even another guitarist - good grief! It's perfect.

    Update on my monster of rock patch.

    Kept Clarky's idea, basically using one amp and scene automation for the gain and also adding in filters etc but switched back to the JCM800 model.

    Clean sound took a bit of tweaking but all sounds amazing and very happy.

    Then got creative - set the 'Y' cab to be an acoustic guitar IR, and added a scene with no amp, just the cab and compressor plus delay and chorus and it's a very passable 12 string acoustic sound in a band/mix situation from a front single coil.

    But still have one amp not used!

    So stuck in a Rec 1 Red Mode, which sounds thick as you like.

    So in one patch - I have:

    Acoustic Guitar
    Clean Electric Guitar
    Crunch
    Rock chords
    Solo
    Boogie scooped.

    Plus the two drives, two phasers, two chorus(s), two delays and a wah

    Only thing I had to do to squeeze this in was turn the IR quality to normal - down from ultra, then I can use a non-spring reverb.

    I have to say this is impressive.


    I've messed about with stereo cabs, but like the Overhammer ones so much on their own - I don't think I'm getting anything from the complication
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  • BeexterBeexter Frets: 597
    peteri said:6
    I agree on this - I see the same with my Telecaster, playing on it's own it sounds a little thin and trebly.

    Play it with a band or even another guitarist - good grief! It's perfect.

    Update on my monster of rock patch.

    Kept Clarky's idea, basically using one amp and scene automation for the gain and also adding in filters etc but switched back to the JCM800 model.

    Clean sound took a bit of tweaking but all sounds amazing and very happy.

    Then got creative - set the 'Y' cab to be an acoustic guitar IR, and added a scene with no amp, just the cab and compressor plus delay and chorus and it's a very passable 12 string acoustic sound in a band/mix situation from a front single coil.

    But still have one amp not used!

    So stuck in a Rec 1 Red Mode, which sounds thick as you like.

    So in one patch - I have:

    Acoustic Guitar
    Clean Electric Guitar
    Crunch
    Rock chords
    Solo
    Boogie scooped.

    Plus the two drives, two phasers, two chorus(s), two delays and a wah

    Only thing I had to do to squeeze this in was turn the IR quality to normal - down from ultra, then I can use a non-spring reverb.

    I have to say this is impressive.


    I've messed about with stereo cabs, but like the Overhammer ones so much on their own - I don't think I'm getting anything from the complication
    Which acoustic IR are you using @peteri ;? I'd like to try one to compare with the piezo pickup on my Axis SuperSport .
    If anyone else has recommendations for acoustic sounding patches, I'd be interested. 
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  • I think @Roland uses acoustic IRs but may have made his own?
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  • peteripeteri Frets: 1283
    Yep - to be honest I'm using Roland's ;)
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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8590
    OK. I’m going to create a new thread about acoustic simulation, and post my IRs.
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • ClarkyClarky Frets: 3261
    John_A said:
    Clarky said:


    another thing I found is context is important..
    in isolation you can come up with great tones.. then pop them in the mix and they just vanish..


    Absolutely this  - If you listen to isolated guitar tracks they often sound a bit thin, but in the context of the mix they sound great.  Once you are 'dialed in' play along with a track and as often as not your sound is too big.  A bit of high end fizz sounds awful in isolation, but can help things cut through.

    One of the 'problems' with modellers is you have so many options, with an amp you just lug in and live with it, or let the sound guy deal with making it sound good with the band.
    another thing is clean tones that are too clean..
    wonderful in isolation.. thin and brittle in the mix..
    add a gnats of drive to them.. and rather than sounding unclean, they'll have a bit more body and the highs will sparkle..

    I actually add an very gently driven channel in parallel for my acoustic tracks
    play every note as if it were your first
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Agree on that one too, JC120 cleans have their place I suppose, but they're not for me
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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
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  • peteripeteri Frets: 1283
    Boom! thanks
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  • peteripeteri Frets: 1283
    Downloaded - very impressed, delay concerns now addressed! Switched almost everything to the DMM model - which is wonderful!

    Nice touch in the speaker compression, definitely adds something
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