Fractal Axe FX 2

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Cryptic Night
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Fractal Axe FX 2

Post by Cryptic Night »

Anyone used one before?

They are basically top of the line amp modelers, and in my opinion, they sound amazing. I used one when I was in the studio recording earlier this year.

Just curious if anyone else has used one/owns one and what their opinions are on it.
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randy will never die
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Re: Fractal Axe FX 2

Post by randy will never die »

Cryptic Night wrote:Anyone used one before?

They are basically top of the line amp modelers, and in my opinion, they sound amazing. I used one when I was in the studio recording earlier this year.

Just curious if anyone else has used one/owns one and what their opinions are on it.

I never got into the amp modelers.

What do you do choose a seething g you like and plug it into the amp or what ?
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Re: Fractal Axe FX 2

Post by sytharnia »

randy will never die wrote:
What do you do choose a seething g you like and plug it into the amp or what ?
you generally wouldn't plug them into a guitar amp but you would go into a power amp of some kind then into cabs....

they seem to be something people either love or hate without much middle ground. I have not use an axefx before but have used a lot of line 6 stuff and while it is really good at what it does I have found when direct recording I miss hearing/feeling a speaker cab and as a result my playing suffers. To me there is a relationship between speaker and microphone that is pretty important when it comes to playing nuances that modeling doesn't capture.

I am quite keen to try an axe/poweramp/speaker set up mic'ed up......that would rule I think. I have played a line 6 DT25 into a v30 cab and the was awesome
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Re: Fractal Axe FX 2

Post by Paul Wolfe »

sytharnia wrote: they seem to be something people either love or hate without much middle ground. I have not use an axefx before but have used a lot of line 6 stuff and while it is really good at what it does I have found when direct recording I miss hearing/feeling a speaker cab and as a result my playing suffers. To me there is a relationship between speaker and microphone that is pretty important when it comes to playing nuances that modeling doesn't capture.
I've often wondered how non-bedroom guitarists felt about amp modeling.

I know a lot of people love the Line 6 POD and Guitar World would include settings to get 'the tone' of a particular song. I used to have a Digitech GNX2 and played around with the limited amp modeling on it. Since I am a bedroom guitar player and haven't played through an amp set above 2 since the early '80's, modeling doesn't really do much for me.

When recording stuff through a DAW I can hear the difference, but coming out of the amp a lot of the differences are so subtle that my damaged ears can't tell.
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dannyahansen
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Re: Fractal Axe FX 2

Post by dannyahansen »

Interesting. Most amp modeling I have found sounds great at low volumes. Once we start turning them up though, that is a different story. For some reason there is no way to emulate loud speakers. I have also found that many amp modeling units sound muddy or are not clear at louder volumes. I find traditional amps to be clearer/warmer at louder volumes. That is why I still use tube amps. I did all the modeling stuff for years. I thought it was the stuff until I went back to the old school stuff. It does all boil down to opinion though and modeling is def. better now than it was in the 90's.
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Re: Fractal Axe FX 2

Post by Paul Wolfe »

dannyahansen wrote:Interesting. Most amp modeling I have found sounds great at low volumes.
Maybe it's my ears then... I play through Fender Frontman 10G solid state amp and only have it loud enough to hear over the acoustic sound of my strings... the wife doesn't want to hear me noodle :D With headphones it might make a difference, but my ears ring so much as it is, headphones make life unbearable.

When I first started playing I had a Fender Princeton Reverb amp that was LOUD. It was an original Princeton and sounded great. Of course I was 16-years-old and stupid when I sold it :lol: I've been keeping an eye on the tube amps coming through the pawn shop, and within the year I'm hoping to pick something up. I remember the smell of the tubes warming up and miss the warmth of the sound.
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Re: Fractal Axe FX 2

Post by sytharnia »

Paul Wolfe wrote:
dannyahansen wrote:Interesting. Most amp modeling I have found sounds great at low volumes.
Maybe it's my ears then... I play through Fender Frontman 10G solid state amp and only have it loud enough to hear over the acoustic sound of my strings... the wife doesn't want to hear me noodle :D With headphones it might make a difference, but my ears ring so much as it is, headphones make life unbearable.

When I first started playing I had a Fender Princeton Reverb amp that was LOUD. It was an original Princeton and sounded great. Of course I was 16-years-old and stupid when I sold it :lol: I've been keeping an eye on the tube amps coming through the pawn shop, and within the year I'm hoping to pick something up. I remember the smell of the tubes warming up and miss the warmth of the sound.
grab a jet city jca 22 man ..... I only ever run mine at about 0.1 and 0.75 on the master volume and it sounds killer...has that classic tube sound at whisper levels :mrgreen:
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Re: Fractal Axe FX 2

Post by dannyahansen »

Paul Wolfe wrote:
dannyahansen wrote:Interesting. Most amp modeling I have found sounds great at low volumes.
Maybe it's my ears then... I play through Fender Frontman 10G solid state amp and only have it loud enough to hear over the acoustic sound of my strings... the wife doesn't want to hear me noodle :D With headphones it might make a difference, but my ears ring so much as it is, headphones make life unbearable.

When I first started playing I had a Fender Princeton Reverb amp that was LOUD. It was an original Princeton and sounded great. Of course I was 16-years-old and stupid when I sold it :lol: I've been keeping an eye on the tube amps coming through the pawn shop, and within the year I'm hoping to pick something up. I remember the smell of the tubes warming up and miss the warmth of the sound.
I did say "most" not all. And they have definatly gotten better. I am mainly thinking of line 6. For my preference I just hate how they sound turned up. I know alot of people use them and like them. I will admit it is my go to amp when I go to GC to jam.
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