Axe_FX II Rigs, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Digital Modelling.

Drew_TNBD

Yeah as an all in one solution it's great, really really good. I'm just bitching and moaning coz I tried it tonight with my Siggy and it was just a reminder of how painful it was.

Roland

paulmapp8306 said:

Then get 3 - after all you keep telling us more is better

Three is passé.  The Edge had three in his rack on the Graham Norton show. Four is the new three

Handsome_Chris

I say use a Roland GR-55 or VG-99 with the AF2, just to really tick all the boxes.

Roland

guitarfishbay said:

I just updated to 16.02, have been playing through my cab tonight.  Unless I just forgot what it sounded like before it finished updating my patches sound thicker in the high end......... This seems to have been quite a big change! 

Normally I wait until the fuss has died down before updating, particularly since I've only just moved to 16.01. As a cynical bastard I'm also guilty of casting a jaundiced eye at all the "best thing since sliced bread" quotes on the Fractal forum every time there's a new software release. 

So, after reading what @guitarfishbay had to say, and having a hour to spare this afternoon, I've installed 16.02. I have to say that I wasn't expecting much from a point release, but this one really works for me. For a while I've been chasing a particular sound in the upper mids, what I can only describe as the "wiryness" the you get from a heavy G string, something like an 18 gauge. So much so that I'd considered getting a Telecaster.  This release has let me find the sound I want. I checked each patch individually, and reverted a couple to check that the difference is really there.

For once I'll eat humble pie 

Clarky

guys… this is dangerous talk….

I'm more than half way through the album and I feel I'm being teased into an upgrade followed by many many hours of reamping my parts all over again…

ahhhh!!!!!!

Handsome_Chris

Don't do it. Remember Alex Lifeson used FW 6 during one tour, and I believe FW 8, possibly 9 was out by the time he got home.

If you've got great sounds, and you have, then stick with 'em. The person listening to the end product is going to be thinking "I lice the guitar sound.", not "Well, it's good guitar, but it'd be better on FW 16.02."

I had the iPod on shuffle the other day and 21st Century Schizoid Man - Alive In The Underworld came on. I didn't care if it was recorded with a garage band virtual amp, although I believe that it's an astounding advert for the Digitech 2120 , it sounded fantastic to me.

Clarky

yeah.. I'll be staying on 15.06 until the album is done…

I'm happy with the tones I'm getting and I really don't want to be making extra work for myself right now..

guitarfishbay

Here are some clips I shot today using the Zoom iQ5 I just got for my iPhone.  I didn't pay any attention to the positioning, I just set it up on my desk pointing at my cab.  It is about an arm's length from the cab and about a foot higher.  I already have a H1 which I'll keep - but the idea of the iQ5 is I can leave it in my coat pocket and always have something decent to record with when needed.

Here we go Axe FX -> Matrix GT1000FX -> Mesa 2x12 (V30s) -> Zoom iQ5.  Guitar is mostly a Les Paul Traditional Pro with stock pickups (Burst Bucker 3, which I split for the start of the Vox clip, and 57 Classic neck).  AFD + Engl clips are my PRS CU22 with HFS.

Medium Gain -

0:00 1987x

0:26 AC30 Hot (new model for 16.02

1:10 AFD channel 2

High Gain -

0:00 Recto 1 Red Modern (based on 2 channel Dual)

1:20 Recto 2 Red Modern with TS808 (based on 3 channel Dual)

1:47 Engl Savage 2

I spent roughly a minute dialing each sound in.  All I did was set the LF the way I wanted it (same on all, I've posted the values before in this thread), then I dialed the amp in as if it was a real one - Gain, Bass/Mid/Treble/Presence/Depth and Master (balanced against output).  There are zero advanced tweaks, no cut switches used etc.  The TS808 in the KSE clip is pretty standard settings - low drive, high level, tone to taste.

I honestly CBA with the vast majority of the advanced options, having tried most of them I think the amps sound pretty awesome as they are with stock settings so if I'm not feeling an amp model I think it is quicker just to switch to a different one.  The only advanced parameter which I've liked tweaking so far is the newly added Variac - that gives a nice feel, but I didn't tweak it here.

Here's a screen cap from the video I shot which gives an idea of the position (the tones came out less crunchy than they were in the room. probably too off axis.  Also apologies for the amount of string noise, I didn't realise I was too close until afterwards.

I decided there was no point using the videos as all you see is the blinking lights.  So instead I edited the audio in Logic.

So any opinions?  I didn't think these clips were good enough for their own thread but long term I would like to do a thread for Axe clips through a cab.  I'd want to set up a couple of close mics too and spend some time on positioning.

All I can say is - in the room it feels great to play.  Unboosted Recto is loose, boosted Recto is tight and has enough punch to knock through walls etc...  Really happy with my Axe.  

guitarfishbay

I've been playing around with the Marshally/Plexi type stuff today. I reckon the 1987x might be the pick of the bunch! Really enjoying how crunchy it is. Controversially I don't like the BE/HBE that much through my cab, I prefer the AFD. Likewise I know most people love the 5153 Red, but through my cab the 6505 block sounds thicker and more aggressive - I actually think it is my favourite high gain model. Had a go on the MKIV, that is a tricky bugger! Had to run the bass on 0 and compensate with the graphic EQ to get a tight sound. I even ended up looking up the manual. Lol... I think I'll stick to the Recto models instead, at least I can make sense of them

guitarfishbay

New Reverb algos coming in 16.03

http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-ii-recordings/92048-new-reverb-demo.html

" 

A quick, sloppy, demo of the new "world-class" Reverb algorithms in the upcoming 16.03 firmware:

www.fractalaudio.com/tmp/new_reverb_demo.mp3

No post-processing at all. Preset has a Rotary, Delay, Enhancer and Reverb in addition to amp and cab. Amp model is a Super Verb. Cab is Super Verb cabs in stereo. "

guitarfishbay

Just reading new posts in that reverb thread.

This looks useful for @Clarky from post #61

"I should mention the beta firmware allows UltraRes cabs in stereo now."

Clarky

that is mega..... looking forward to that a lot...

I still have to stay on 15 though until I've nailed this album.. so it'll be aboput 2.6 metric yonks until I hit 16.x

Roland

If my experience is anything to go by then it will take you a while to settle your clean patches after the upgrade. Like most changes 16.02 brings more clarity, but then you have to remove previous "compensations". I've spent several evenings playing with upper mid frequencies, and eventually changed a number of settings in both amp and cab blocks, especially mic proximity. It won't take you as long as it took me, but it's still work to do. 

guitarfishbay

I added .50 of 'dynamics' tonight at rehearsal and it seemed to give me the same tone but a little more punch (feeling, rather than tone) on palm mutes. Pushing dynamics further seemed to change the tone a bit and I didn't immediately like that change. I didn't do much testing, just turned the knob while chugging an open power chord at high volume in drop tuning. Might look into this further.

guitarfishbay

16.03 is out!  New reverb stuff.  http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-ii-discussion/92395-axe-fx-ii-firmware-16-03-released.html

"16.03
Improved Reverb block. There are now two “Quality” options in the Reverb block: Normal and High. Normal quality CPU usage is similar to previous firmwares whilst still providing improved sound quality. High quality uses significantly more CPU but provides world-class reverberation algorithms. There are several new parameters associated with the new algorithms:
Early Diffusion: This sets the amount of diffusion in the early reflections. Higher values result in fuzzier and less distinct echoes. Lower values result in sharp, distinct reflections.
Early Diff Time: This scales the delay time of the early reflections diffusers. Adjust this control to suit the size and character of the simulated environment.
Early Decay: This parameter controls the decay rate of the early reflections. Higher values yield faster decay.
The Tail Delay parameter has been removed as it is not compatible with the new algorithms. The reverb tail is now automatically set to the appropriate delay.
In High Quality reverb mode an additional parameter is available: Late Input Mix. This parameter controls the mix between the (possibly diffused) input and the early reflections data input to the late reverb algorithm. Thus this parameter mixes the output of the diffuser and the early reflections prior to inputting that data to the late reverb generator. With the Late Input Mix at 0% the High Quality mode is identical to the Normal Quality mode. Values greater than 0% mix early reflections data into the late reverb using a proprietary decorrelation technique which eliminates any metallic qualities associated with the typical diffuser techniques used in other products.
Improved Reverb types based on the new algorithms. Several new types have been added.
Increased maximum Reverb Time to 100 seconds and added a Hold function. When Hold is activated the wet input to the block is muted and the Time is set to infinity. This can be used to achieve pad sounds and drone notes/chords.
Added stereo UltraResTM capability to Cabinet block. To utilize this feature set the Mode parameter to “Stereo UltraRes”. When in this mode non-UltraRes IRs are processes in normal resolution whereas UltraRes IRs are processed using the UltraRes engine.
Four of the factory cabinet IRs have been replaced with newly acquired UltraResTM IRs. These are factory cabs 69-72 (Kalthallen V30 cabs). These IRs are available on the internet from Kalthallen’s website. For reference the four cab filenames are:
028c-SM7-V30-4x12.dat"
029c-SM7-V30-4x12.dat"
030c-SM7-V30-4x12.dat"
031c-SM7-V30-4x12.dat"
Improved “Pedal Comp 2” compressor algorithm.
Fixed several errors in the Mr Z MZ-38 model."

guitarfishbay

I'm not going to get a chance to install this until next week but it is probably a good thing, as if there are any bugs other people will find them over the weekend.  But yeah I think this might be my last update as I'm part way through editing the lead single on what will be my band's album and once I start mixing it I'll have to commit to something.

guitarfishbay

Just found this clip - http://www.fractalaudio.com/tmp/reverb_madness.mp3

"Playing around with the new Reverb. One block is set to infinite hold the other set to a Large Cathedral.

I've attached a pedal to the hold function so I play a chord and then hold it with the pedal and jam (if you can call it that) over the held chord." 

http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-ii-recordings/92351-fun-reverb.html

100 second reverb time does sound nuts, I don't think I've ever used more than 3 seconds myself for anything.

Handsome_Chris

 Right, that's it!  I've finished changing the thread title.  I've made it more generic as I can't be arsed with changing it every few months.

Has anyone on here seen the sale of AF2 presets on Dweezil's kick-starter for his new album?  There is a bit of a brouhaha on the FAS forum about it.

guitarfishbay

Yeah I saw that. To be honest I don't put any stock in presets, I've still not used any other than flicking through the stock presets when I first got the unit to check out some effects. At the end of the day it is all part of an album presale. Looks expensive on the face of it but people can choose not to buy it.

Handsome_Chris

It works out at about 33p per preset, but you do end up buying 384 presets, IIRC.  I downloaded a Ships Ahoy preset off Axe-Exchange, because I wanted the effect block in it.  I used that block in one of the forum challenges.