Axiom

Axiom is one of those rare tools that presents a great tip of the iceberg, and then continues to present greatness as you dive under the surface. To get started, there are six slots for pre amp effects, an amp slot with 22 amps to choose from, and six slots for post effects, with preset load/save for both pre and post choices, as well as a preset selector for Axiom itself.

The effects slots host both your own favorite VST plugins, as well as those provided internally by BlueCat. If you happen choose a preset that makes use of their excellent recent releases, Destructor, and Late Replies, those guis will appear in full form, so you actually have three great products in one.

At this point, there are several routes to explore, all of which are rewarding:

1. start with the many Axiom presets, and get a grasp of the potentials awaiting.
2. Use the presets of the three bundled products, in their several section, and enjoy.
3. cherry pick a relatively bare starting setup, and add your go-to killer-app plugins.
4. open Destructor after going through the manual, and craft or replicate a special tone.
5. open Late Replies after going through the manual, and create an wonderful environment or climactic aftermath for your audio input.

A widget of three horizontal blue bars, opens a preset dialog.

I've noticed a lot of the presets load effects that leave an empty slot, where typically some user choice might go, for example, in post effects, compressor in slot 1, slot 2 is empty, and slot three has a reverb. A sign that actual players are involved in making Axiom great.

I give it four stars out of five, only because the preset selection system can be improved, but would give it 9.5 stars out of 10, were the review page set up for more precision. I feel like my purchase is a classic Jaguar at Renault pricing. Try the demo, it drops sound periodically, but you can verify if this three-in-one product meets your needs, and there is even a bundle offering more, for a reasonable price, should you so desire.

Cheers.