Guitar players! The search for Amp Sims is over AXE-FX

[OzoneJunkie]

I own an Axe-Fx Ultra.

I stopped playing guitar regularly years ago, largely due to my disappointment in trying finding good tone - I just wasn't feeling the Marshall I bought, and everything else wasn't doing it for me either.

Lately, I decided to try again, so to speak. Was seriously considering a Carvin Legacy (love Vai's lead tones) ($800), as well as the Engl Invader ($2800), and/or a Diezel ($4500). These prices are for just the head.

Anyway, during my research, came across the Axe-Fx. Listened to a lot of clips, made the purchase. Long story short, I'm playing guitar again. The AFX gives me the tones I was looking for. At $2000 (for the Ultra version), I consider the price more than fair, considering the money I was looking to spend on a head/cabinet setup.

Comparing it to other options, like the POD line, as well as VSTs:

- I've never liked the sounds coming from the POD. I think, through tweaking and post-processing it can sound good.

- Guitar Rig - I have it. Can get some nice tones. The high gain models are very noisy - unusable for me.

- Have checked the demos for Revalver (like it probably the most of VSTs). TH-1 Overloud - sounds good from what I've heard, clips/video-wise. Still feel the AFX is considerably better, personally.

Personally, if the Axe-Fx unit was $3000, I'd still buy it. It's that valuable to me.

EDIT: one more thing: the AFX has a 15 days money-back guarantee (a necessity, since you can't buy one in stores). Had it not been everything I was hoping for, I would have sent it back (I've done that with other equipment costing way more). In fact, it was and is everything I was hoping for, and more.

[A3ntar]

I own an Axe-Fx Ultra.

I stopped playing guitar regularly years ago, largely due to my disappointment in trying finding good tone - I just wasn't feeling the Marshall I bought, and everything else wasn't doing it for me either.

Lately, I decided to try again, so to speak. Was seriously considering a Carvin Legacy (love Vai's lead tones) ($800), as well as the Engl Invader ($2800), and/or a Diezel ($4500). These prices are for just the head.

Anyway, during my research, came across the Axe-Fx. Listened to a lot of clips, made the purchase. Long story short, I'm playing guitar again. The AFX gives me the tones I was looking for. At $2000 (for the Ultra version), I consider the price more than fair, considering the money I was looking to spend on a head/cabinet setup.

Comparing it to other options, like the POD line, as well as VSTs:

- I've never liked the sounds coming from the POD. I think, through tweaking and post-processing it can sound good.

- Guitar Rig - I have it. Can get some nice tones. The high gain models are very noisy - unusable for me.

- Have checked the demos for Revalver (like it probably the most of VSTs). TH-1 Overloud - sounds good from what I've heard, clips/video-wise. Still feel the AFX is considerably better, personally.

Personally, if the Axe-Fx unit was $3000, I'd still buy it. It's that valuable to me.

So you use the Axe-FX as a head in replacements for the units you were looking at? what are you plugging it into?

[OzoneJunkie]

I use it for recording direct. Digital out of AFX to M-Audio Fast Track Pro, to computer.

For just noodling, I'm actually playing through some Klipsch home-theater type speakers. I do want a better setup for playing - as obviously this is not usable for a live situation.

The AFX has no power section - it's a pre/effects unit. So, for live use, you need some type of amp/cabinet or FRFR setup.

AFX owners are going with different live setups. With FRFRs, they leave all of the preamp/amp/cabinet algorithms (models) on. Others are using AFX->amp->guitar cabinet (4x12 or whatever). In this case, using just the preamp models. There's a lot of discussions about the setup options and pros/cons.

My main reason for going with the AFX is for recording purposes. It sounds like a mic'd up guitar cabinet. Better than any other direct recording/modeling/VST that I've heard.

Presently, I have a crappy Jackson, with stock pickups. Even with bad electronics, the AFX sounds great. But what you put into it greatly affects what you get out of it - just like the "real thing" tube amps. Looking at a few new guitars at the moment.

It's really made me love playing guitar again.

[OzoneJunkie]

So you use the Axe-FX as a head in replacements for the units you were looking at?

Yeah. The presets on the unit are good, but every owner will tell you, it's when you start dialing in your own sounds, you find your true tonal bliss. Not to say that non-tweakers won't find the unit amazing, but, to get the most out of it, personally I think you need to dive in.

I'm still new with the unit - but I've heard enough clips, recorded direct, and played with the preset enough, to know that all the tones I was looking for in the 3 heads I listed above, the Axe-Fx will do.

Call me a fanboy, if you will The Axe-Fx made me a fanboy. I really do love the thing.

[Integratron]

This all sounds great! ... my kinda' post to be sure - I assume that you looked into the Waves products as well?

I've heard nothing but positives re the AFX system ... seems to me that it may be ($,$$$) beyond reach for the average Joe like me, but from your description I can tell it IS A WINNER!

[OzoneJunkie]

Yeah, messed with Waves a little. Kinda felt meh about that as well.

Honestly, I doubt I would have looked outside of what I have already, if Guitar Rig 3 had less noisy high gain tones. And we're talking strictly algorithms here - I can unplug my guitar and still get a very loud, constant chssssssssshhhhh.

But, now that I have the AFX, I realize the other things GR is missing - the feel of playing through a tube pre/power amp. The AFX reacts to your playing realistically.

Certainly comparing it to the other offerings (POD/VSTs), it IS expensive. For what it does, and what it's given back to me (love of guitar), it's dirt cheap. And I haven't even mentioned the effects on the unit. Those are world class as well. As an effects unit alone, it's worth its pricetag.

FAS is going to have a VST version at some point. It will in all likelihood cost more than the other VSTs, but certainly less than the hardware version. Keep your eye out for that - might suit your needs.

If you're interested, I did a little review of the AFX on the FAS forums - although what I've said above is basically similar. Anyway, if interested:

http://www.fractalaudio.com/forum/viewt ... =16&t=3496

[PV_INC]

I think that for whatever the price, finding a highly agreeable tone (f**k perfectionism) is relatively priceless if music is highly important to a sense of happiness.

If you were a violinist, and on the same hunt... that one violin could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars.

so, even if it is relatively more expensive to other offerings, its still inexpensive in relation to other realms of musical instruments/gear

[buscemi]

Pricing talk aside, it does seem to sound good and they have a CA dealer where folks in that area can try it plus the merging with Atomic is a good indicator for business longevity which is important to me when buying a piece of equipment. Would love to try one, don't know if I'm going to plunk down 2K and 15 frantic days and I don't live near CA but I would if I did. I love real amps, have a few that really help me capture "my" sound but I'd be willing to give this a try. As far as the early part of this thread, I think I have misread the OPs "tone" (pun intended) in other posts so I can see how that got out of hand.

Edit - As with anything of this nature (even real amps) it seems like a good part of the solution and probably needs to have a backup. I don't see losing my real amps but it is TBD whether I can pull off using something like this (well, I'd love to use AT2 live on my Receptor but that's another story grrrrrrr c'mon get a move on with that, guys) but I'd either use it as a part of or backup to my real amp rig until it could prove itself worthy of live use. In which case I'd still bring my amps and make sure I could do everything with those too, as a backup. Same with Axe-FX but that doesn't make it a bad investment IMO if it sounds great. Even the hallowed real tube amps can make your life miserable on the road sometimes.

[Sascha Franck]

Honestly, I doubt I would have looked outside of what I have already, if Guitar Rig 3 had less noisy high gain tones. And we're talking strictly algorithms here - I can unplug my guitar and still get a very loud, constant chssssssssshhhhh.

This is most likely due to your input signal chain. Over here, GR3 is the least noisy of the amp sims I use. Ok, TH1 is almost the same.
As said, it's got all to do with your input chain, a proper Hi-Z input is a must, perhaps the Fasttrack's one isn't the best on the market.

- Sascha

[Integratron]

I think that for whatever the price, finding a highly agreeable tone (f**k perfectionism) is relatively priceless if music is highly important to a sense of happiness.

If you were a violinist, and on the same hunt... that one violin could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars.

so, even if it is relatively more expensive to other offerings, its still inexpensive in relation to other realms of musical instruments/gear

Thanks - Now I feel better and I can take that to the CFO and make it happen!

[zerocrossing]

For just noodling, I'm actually playing through some Klipsch home-theater type speakers. I do want a better setup for playing - as obviously this is not usable for a live situation.

Man, I can't tell you how little I enjoy Klipsch speakers. Horns on home audio speakers? Nice way to lose that stereo separation. ... and that mid range bump... uhg. Probably doesn't matter for guitar though.

The AFX has no power section - it's a pre/effects unit. So, for live use, you need some type of amp/cabinet or FRFR setup....

My main reason for going with the AFX is for recording purposes. It sounds like a mic'd up guitar cabinet. Better than any other direct recording/modeling/VST that I've heard.

It doesn't have amp/cab modeling (really, for $2000 no cab modeling?) but it sounds like a mic'd up cabinet? I don't understand. Are you saying that when you put it though a mic'd up cab it sounds like that?

It's really made me love playing guitar again.

So, what I get from these posts are you don't love playing guitar that much (I can't imagine not playing because my tone wasn't good enough) you actually like the way Guitar Rig 3 sounds (I think it's horrible) and you like Klipsch speakers, which are some of my least favorite home audio speakers. Since I'm not anything like you, my conclusion is that I'd probably not like this as well.

You're post sounds like something someone in sales/marketing wrote up... but went horribly wrong. Sorry if I'm coming down hard on you, but I don't believe that "OzoneJunkie" is not affiliated with the people who make AFX. I've read enough "reviews" in the Musician's Friend catalogs to know when I'm being sold to. I'm not against pro gear and I do believe that you get what you pay for, but it strikes me as super odd that when you were unhappy with your tone you didn't think to first replace your "crappy Jackson."

I'm super happy with Amplitube in all it's flavors. So much so that it wouldn't even occur to me to go out of my way to even demo this thing. Frankly, I'd be surprised if it sounded much better than my Vox Tonlab SE which for $399 did cab modeling as well! I don't mean to be a "troll" but that syrupy sweet post got my spidy sense tingling...

[zerocrossing]

The AFX has no power section - it's a pre/effects unit. So, for live use, you need some type of amp/cabinet or FRFR setup....

My main reason for going with the AFX is for recording purposes. It sounds like a mic'd up guitar cabinet. Better than any other direct recording/modeling/VST that I've heard.

It doesn't have amp/cab modeling (really, for $2000 no cab modeling?) but it sounds like a mic'd up cabinet? I don't understand. Are you saying that when you put it though a mic'd up cab it sounds like that?

"50+ Amp Models ∙ 39 Cabinets ∙ 10 Microphones "

I get it. It does do power amp and cab modeling. You were saying it didn't have an actually power amp and cabinet.

[OzoneJunkie]

zerocrossing:

I don't like how my guitar sounds through the Klipsch speakers. I need a better solution.

As per my post: I did think the GR3 sounded good. I still think it can be used to create some good tones. But compared to my AFX - well, it's not even close. And the noisy Guitar Rig algorithms: that's me dialing a high gain sound with the GR high gain models and distortion pedals. As I said, even with no guitar plugged in - so NO SIGNAL PATH, it's noisy. It's the software.

As far as not enjoying playing guitar - I used to love playing when I was younger. But, honestly, I felt disenchanted with guitar when I couldn't find stuff that worked for me, tone-wise. Part of that was just my lack of knowledge - using crappy guitars, crappy pickups, bad technique.

But part of that was that I was hearing stuff off of records, and at live shows, and I couldn't get those tones. Let's face it, 10 years ago, a lot of guitarist had these monster rigs for live stuff, and in the studios, producers knew how to bring out the best of guitarists and amps.

I had hoped there was a turnkey solution. Never found it. So I got discouraged. In a way, it worked out fine - I got into writing music via computer, synths, etc. All good.

Maybe my posts sound like marketing junk. I can see that. I assure you, I have no affiliation with Fractal Audio System. I just plain love their gear. And, as I've said, the Axe-Fx HAS brought some joy back to my guitar playing life. Good equipment - inspirational equipment CAN do that.

All I can say now is, I offered how I feel, in written form, for others to read. This is the internet, so take it for what it's worth. Some of us, out in the intertubes, open up ourselves at times, but I respect that there's people that will take a critical view of that, especially since there is so much noise, negativity, etc. out here in cyber...

If you get something positive from my posts, good, if not, that's ok, I take no offense.

[Integratron]

Oh right - how could we forget IK Multimedia - all their stuff is the bomb - their worst stuff is amazing!

I've been tooling around with AmplitudeSE that is just a teaser and it would appear that it has monstrous capability!

[OzoneJunkie]

That's one I haven't tried - the clips I've heard sound good.

Honestly, I think that all of the solutions out there have an audience - it's really about finding what's the right match for the individual. I've heard some amazing stuff come out of the POD. I've heard great stuff from the VSTs out there.

Actually, just about everything Dimitar (http://www.myspace.com/diminalbantov)
touches, seems to sound great. He's got skills, and know-how, to make just about all of the solutions sing.

My intention on posting in this thread was to offer my experience - that is, that I'm just happy that I've found something that works for me. That's all I was after, really.