Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

[UberMetalDood]

I have played the Eleven Rack and POD HD, but still haven't tried an AxeFX II. I know how the older AxeFX Ultra sounds but I wasn't as impressed as the die-hard AxeFX fans seem to be. To me it kind of reminded me of a refined mix of the GT-8 and GSP1101. It sounded better, but still like a processor so I never really got the adulation about them.

The Eleven Rack was pretty impressive for the price. I thought it had a more realistic feel and sound than the POD HD, but it's still kind of flat and doesn't have the dimension that a real tube amp has. I'll never be able to keep a processor until they can emulate the depth and dimension tube amps have. That will probably never happen, but I wouldn't mind having an Eleven Rack around to copy some signature sounds for cover songs.

What I don't like about the Eleven Rack is ProTools which wouldn't install on any of my laptops or computers. Tech support was worthless to help, and their best recommendation was to purchase an expensive sound card. To tweak the Eleven Rack in ways you can do with a POD HD interface, you have to use the software. That was the case when they first came out and I don't know if that ever changed. Judging by the pathetic support I received from Avid, I wouldn't expect it to have been improved.

It's too bad because the Eleven Rack seems like Avid came out with a potentially great product convinced that it was perfect at the outset. Unfortunately, it's not and they don't seem to care to make it that way because they seem to have the attitude that it can't be improved on.

So the POD HD was pretty cool and did seem to have some improved tones, but something about the way it sounds still rubs me the wrong way. People say the AxeFX II is better than the predecessors and beats the Eleven Rack senseless, but I have yet to hear a patch that blows me away.

What are your thoughts on these processors? Which is best for live use the Eleven Rack, POD HD Pro, or AxeFX II?

 

[Toe-Knee]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

Ive used all three of these and the AssFX is actually my least favourite the high end sounds really bizarre and the low end sounds very sterile.

I prefer the Eleven Rack by far and found it a heck of a lot of fun to play through.

The PodHD was a HUGE step up from the XT/X3 but it still had that strange modellery sound going on.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

Ive used all three of these and the AssFX is actually my least favourite the high end sounds really bizarre and the low end sounds very sterile.

I prefer the Eleven Rack by far and found it a heck of a lot of fun to play through.

The PodHD was a HUGE step up from the XT/X3 but it still had that strange modellery sound going on.

Thanks. You're not the only one who seems to have that opinion. Apparently the AxeFX wins a lot of folks over because of all the features and amp models that it includes. It seems like a lot of people who love it always mention that it includes so much. Have you used the Eleven Rack live?

 

[Toe-Knee]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

Thanks. You're not the only one who seems to have that opinion. Apparently the AxeFX wins a lot of folks over because of all the features and amp models that it includes. It seems like a lot of people who love it always mention that it includes so much. Have you used the Eleven Rack live?

No i have only used one at a friends house he runs it through a rocktron velocity power amp into a 1960a and it sounds excellent.

As for the variety thing i agree the fanboys do always mention that but i would personally just have one or two absolutely amazing sounds (2 channel amp) than hundreds of average sounding variations.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

No i have only used one at a friends house he runs it through a rocktron velocity power amp into a 1960a and it sounds excellent.

As for the variety thing i agree the fanboys do always mention that but i would personally just have one or two absolutely amazing sounds (2 channel amp) than hundreds of average sounding variations.

I'd like to craft some sounds using a processor and like an Engl or Mesa Boogie power amp. I wonder if that would improve the feel and response of a processor. I used to use a Crown solid state power amp with a PodXT and a 2x12 cab. The sound was pretty good with that setup but nothing like a real rack tone. One processor that I've been dying to get my hands on is an Engl E570.

A friend of mine has a VHT power amp and runs several preamps through it, including the E570 and it sounds awesome. Hopefully he'll finally break down one day and sell it to me.

 

[Toe-Knee]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

The modeller + valve amp route can sound incredibly good if its done right.

But i find most people do it and still run the cab sims on the modellers and it just sounds ridiculous

 

[everdrone]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

I would not wanna use em live. something about tube amp in the room for shows equals awesomeness. I saw animals as leaders show and it sounded great, they use axefx. also pretty cool for the directout with IRs so that has gotta be the best directout yet.

I would only want them for low volume recordings. I see you tried all of them to an extent. for rock/classic rock I have not heard anything that blows me away either, sounds kinda sterile, too many oscillations/organic stuff going on in a real amp to be mimiced.

I hope in a few years Kemper / profiling amps blow away the rest for direct recording, I have my hopes up for that

 

[Toe-Knee]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

The Kemper is a truly incredible piece of kit but its so damn ugly its unreal

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

The Kemper is a truly incredible piece of kit but its so damn ugly its unreal

If it sounds good, I don't really care. I mean, it's an amp, not a piece of furniture. Or a guitar :lol:

 

[Stratman]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

I tried all three and returned the POD HD500 and AxeFX.

I use 11Rack with QCS K12 and Ksub, GCP and other devices.

I programed the 11Rack using an Apple MiniMac.

And it is programmed so that I can use it with my band’s set list - live.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

I tried all three and returned the POD HD500 and AxeFX.

I use 11Rack with QCS K12 and Ksub, GCP and other devices.

I programed the 11Rack using an Apple MiniMac.

And it is programmed so that I can use it with my band’s set list - live.

Do you have any videos or audio of your band's performance? I haven't been able to find good audio of an Eleven Rack used live.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

I haven't played a POD HD, but I've tried both an AxeFX Ultra and an Eleven Rack. Given a choice between the two, I'd take the Axe every time. The AC30 and Plexi models in the Eleven are great, but the others were either bland or awful. The Axe on the other hand offered many more usable sounds and it actually felt like playing an amp.

Detractors like to point out that the Axe sounds 'fake' or like a modeler. It's certainly possible to make patches that sound that way and many do. A common mistake is to think of the Axe as an amp; it isn't one. It's designed to model an entire signal chain, and that's exactly what it does. A dry patch in the Axe sounds fake because we never hear an amp without ambience. The secret lies in adding the slightest amount of reverb or at least early reflections to restore a bit of the 'room sound'.

Call me a fanboy if you want, but I've decided that my next rig is going to be built around an Axe. For the number of sounds I want available the only options are a complicated amp / pedalboard setup, a rack system, or the Axe. Taking into account size, complexity, weight, sound quality, and cost the Axe is just the best option.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

The Kemper is a truly incredible piece of kit but its so damn ugly its unreal

Hide it behind your empty wall of 1960A's.

 

[everdrone]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

A common mistake is to think of the Axe as an amp; it isn't one. It's designed to model an entire signal chain, and that's exactly what it does. A dry patch in the Axe sounds fake because we never hear an amp without ambience. The secret lies in adding the slightest amount of reverb or at least early reflections to restore a bit of the 'room sound'.
.

cool, I forgot about that in some of my recordingz to put teh reverb on the br00talz

 

[uOpt]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

Try a Tonelab, too.

 

[Stratman]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

Do you have any videos or audio of your band's performance? I haven't been able to find good audio of an Eleven Rack used live.

Posted several before…

http://www.reverbnation.com/jambandman

Robert_S was suppose to make a CD on them...

 

[mannydingo]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

I use 11Rack with QCS K12 and Ksub, GCP and other devices.

I programed the 11Rack using an Apple MiniMac.

Ok, now what's that all about? Can you fill me in on this? Does it have all the knobs, amp, cab and effects sims on the screen? In other words, are all items and their parameters there to tweak using this program? I don't have an Apple computer so I guess that would be needed but fill me in on this in detail, please.

 

[dominus]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

Ok, now what's that all about? Can you fill me in on this? Does it have all the knobs, amp, cab and effects sims on the screen? In other words, are all items and their parameters there to tweak using this program? I don't have an Apple computer so I guess that would be needed but fill me in on this in detail, please.

You just need a computer to install the Pro Tools software on. Doesn't matter if it's Mac or Windows.

It stops me from getting the Eleven Rack cold. I absolutely hate Pro Tools and don't want to install $300-ish software (yes, I know it's included with the rack) just to have deeper access to programming an external piece of hardware when almost every other modeler has a regular toolbox type of software.

As for the other modelers, I've found that all the internal cab sims are *passable* but the systems really open up when you can use your own IRs. You can install your own IRs into the GSP1101 if you want, and the AxeFX allows you to do the same.

The Kemper is great at what it *does* do, but it still has a few quirks. No computer editor. Cabinets can't be completely turned off. The snapshots are very static and the editing you can do all reacts the same way, as there is only the built in "tone stack" for adjusting the EQ and the cabinet editing feature only seems to allow you to adjust it around 5% before it starts sounding fake.

What it's great for is sampling your own setup, allowing you to recall it later, or take it with you. What's not great is going through tons of other people's setups and not finding one that suits you, as they're other people's settings. If you can take your guitar and plug it into someone's amp and not touch the knobs, then you're good to go. If you have to adjust it, there's only so much you can do before it just starts sounding like the Kemper. There's plenty of free profiles available but there were only a dozen or so that I found decent, but nothing blew me away. Virtual Kevorkian swears by the ones he bought, but I just couldn't bring myself to drop another $100+ on extra profiles after buying the Kemper, so I sold it and picked up a bunch of AMT pedals, the HD500, RP500, and a few other toys that I'll have coming soon. Running those pedals through the computer for IRs got me much better tones than the Kemper had, and the amp sims and pedals' adjustments all react differently, which gives you more options.

Not mine, but here's a Digitech Death Metal along with an MXR OD run into a power amp and cabinet:



If you know what you're doing, you can get good sounds out of the cheapest gear.

 

[mannydingo]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

You just need a computer to install the Pro Tools software on. Doesn't matter if it's Mac or Windows.

Thanks for replying. I own the Eleven Rack and know that I need to load ProTools into my computer(Windows) to use it and it works. I too, however, dislike it. I still think we can't know for sure what Stratman meant by

I programed the 11Rack using an Apple MiniMac.

He didn't say I programmed my 11Rack using ProTools on my Apple MiniMac. Yeah, it probably is as you say and he was using ProTools on the Mac but my wishful thinking was hoping that, since he didn't mention ProTools, that he had found some program already included in the Mac(or that he downloaded) that worked as an editor for it.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Eleven Rack vs. POD HD vs. AxeFX

Can't comment on the 11 Rack or the AxeFx but I use an HD500 for my practice rig and I love it. There are some shortcomings but for the price it can't hardly do any wrong by me. I'd love to get a DT25 to hook it up to and see what I can make it do.

The most organic sounds I have gotten out of any modeler so far.