Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

[Tor]

Sold off the AxeFX. I loved it for its recording possibilities, but the rig was a little too... adjustable for me. The possibilities are endless. I've always been a set and forget type of player. That went out of the window with the AxeFX. Too much to take into account!

With an 8 inch monitor, the sound reproduction was pretty accurate, I guess. But no real air push hitting me, so the "amp-in-room" feel wasn't quite there..

The MIDI-board was handy, but I had only five stompbox switches available. Too few.

But what pushed me over to selling it, is that it is a computer device. Cars are the next worst investments you can make, computers being the number one (not taking into account the personal joy you get outta them, though). I'll give the Fractal 3 years, and it'll hold just a fraction of today's value. I felt it was right to sell it at this moment.

Additionally, I hear talk about an AxeFX software being launched some time in the future for use with your PC. That'd fit the bill for silent jamming and recording for me. I'd guess it'll be a lot less expensive too..

Well, now I'm looking for a Hayseed amp, and some new pedals to try! Welcome back, GAS!

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

yeah a nice amp is almost as responsive and organic as an acoustic guitar. There is a lot to be said for the actual physical sensation of musical vibrations moving thru your body. The feeling of controlling those vibrations with the most subtke movements of your fingers is really really cool.

 

[Tor]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

yeah a nice amp is almost as responsive and organic as an acoustic guitar. There is a lot to be said for the actual physical sensation of musical vibrations moving thru your body. The feeling of controlling those vibrations with the most subtke movements of your fingers is really really cool.

True. The AxeFXs do make a lot of sense (in a live environment, they are sonically up there from the audience's point of view, and it's a dream come true for the sound man). But the core of it (endless tweakability) wasn't quite meant for me.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

interesting analysis tor! sounds like you thought it through pretty well.

yeah, when line 6 came out, they were super expensive - now (even though the old heads don't sound bad at all), they don't have much resale value. figure the fractal thingy will hold a bit better, but probably not much.

for recording (especially just home stuff), there's so many things you can use now that get the job done for not much lettuce.

 

[Tor]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

sounds like you thought it through pretty well.

I sure hope so, at least! I was never in doubt when I settled on the decision..

yeah, when line 6 came out, they were super expensive - now (even though the old heads don't sound bad at all), they don't have much resale value. figure the fractal thingy will hold a bit better, but probably not much.

for recording (especially just home stuff), there's so many things you can use now that get the job done for not much lettuce.

What's holding Fractal up, is that Cliff is religious about posting major updates to the software every now and then. It's like Christmas every time something big is available. Comparing v1.00 to the current v10.03.. They have improved immensely. But this improvement also demands more from the hardware (memory and CPU power), and I noticed the Standard is beginning to see its limits..

Yeah, I see a lot of solutions for us home recorders. I will look into it when I start getting more time for that..

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

Congrats!

I looked hard at the Fractal recently and ended-up going with the Eleven Rack. It's supposed to be here today. I like the user interface with the knobs on the front panel where I can dial-in the amp model's tone, gain and volume settings on-the-fly. Because like you, I tend to hate endless tweaking. I just bought it because I wanted something I could quietly practice and record with and my tube amps just have not been good for that.

Anyways... just like you, I prefer to set it and forget it at gigs, so I still prefer real tube amps for that duty. Should have a mint Bogner XTC Classic on the way later today for that in fact. So I'm choosing both.

 

[d1dsj]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

Hey Action Man welcome back. I seriously thought about the AxeFX but I'm just not a tweaker per se. I am a simple plug and play kind a guy whereby I just have to make minimal adjustments from venue to venue. Hayseed Amps? I'll have to check them out... what's the deal with those in terms of spec? Also, what pedals are you aiming to get?

 

[Tor]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

Cheers. Yeah, if you're like me, stay away from the AxeFX. I just wanted to try it out as I bought it in the US last year. Made a $650 profit selling it in Norway too, so I'm not complaining.

Hayseeds are clones of the Vox AC-30 amps (60s era). But handbuilt by Rob (the owner), although relatively inexpensive at that (http://valvetechamps.com/). Option of having an EF86 channel (you can have the normal 12AX7 channel, switch in the EF86 on that channel, and also have the top boost channel). Just volume, hi and low controls and a master. I think they are pretty good, or that's the word on it at least! Read a lot about it over at tgp.net. Joelap on this forum was on the verge of selling it, but just couldn't do it.

Pedals? Now that's fun! I've bought a Tone Press compressor, a Timmy drive and the Turbo Tuner. Will be looking for a booster (Boost'n'Buff prolly). I have the OCD, Nova Modulator, DD-20, the Verbzilla and the Boss volume pedal from my first rig. Will probably look at the DD-5 as well (having a tap tempo y-split to both delay pedals). And if you wonder, the sale of the whole AxeFX system + a couple of pedals I don't need anymore will finance the whole new rig, so the net expenditure is not too far away from 0..

So the chain will be something like this:
Tone Press - Timmy - OCD - BnB - Turbo Tuner - Boss FV500 - Modulator - AB-switch*

* DD-5 - DD-20 - Verbzilla - Hayseed (channel 1)
* ------------------------------ Hayseed (channel 2)


Yeah, it'll be heaven the first time I power up all this!

- Action Man

 

[d1dsj]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

That's gonna be one seriously cool and versatile rig!! Hope to see a new rig post soon mate, all the best.

 

[Tor]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

That's gonna be one seriously cool and versatile rig!! Hope to see a new rig post soon mate, all the best.

Hope so! Cheers!

Congrats!

I looked hard at the Fractal recently and ended-up going with the Eleven Rack. It's supposed to be here today. I like the user interface with the knobs on the front panel where I can dial-in the amp model's tone, gain and volume settings on-the-fly. Because like you, I tend to hate endless tweaking. I just bought it because I wanted something I could quietly practice and record with and my tube amps just have not been good for that.

Anyways... just like you, I prefer to set it and forget it at gigs, so I still prefer real tube amps for that duty. Should have a mint Bogner XTC Classic on the way later today for that in fact. So I'm choosing both.

Yeah, I know you looked at the AxeFX.. Your thread was a pretty big catalyst to my decision, actually! uOpt made a very valid point that got me thinking very hard..

The 11R seems interesting too. Grats with both purchases!

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

Hope so! Cheers!



Yeah, I know you looked at the AxeFX.. Your thread was a pretty big catalyst to my decision, actually! uOpt made a very valid point that got me thinking very hard..

The 11R seems interesting too. Grats with both purchases!

Thanks man. Yeah... I'm glad I didn't do that. It's more important to me that my big/main rig be a good tube amp, so the XTC will fit that bill well. And the 11R should be a great unit for what it's designed for, while spending a fraction of what an Axe would have run me (I spent $620 on the 11R).

 

[Tor]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

Thanks man. Yeah... I'm glad I didn't do that. It's more important to me that my big/main rig be a good tube amp, so the XTC will fit that bill well. And the 11R should be a great unit for what it's designed for, while spending a fraction of what an Axe would have run me (I spent $620 on the 11R).

Sounds like you've found a healthy balance for yourself there! I'd be curious to see your review of the 11R when you've put it through its phases.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

I don't know whether to congratulate you or bemoan that loss. Your recordings for the Riff-Offs were top notch. Have you played any of the Blackstar stuff, Tor? My HT-5 is a useful tool for recording, and it sounds good when you play it into a cab also. I'd be interested if you'd tried the Series One or the HT-100 head. If you're looking at a Vox clone, though, they may not be up your alley.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

My solution was the blue grill Vox AD60VTH head into a Bogner 212, just because it does virtually everything more expensive modelers do, plus I get the same cab sound I'm used to.

You were right to sell it before it's value falls through the floor. That's what I hate about timely digital gear. Plus, if it goes bad and the warranty is expired, it's expensive to have fixed by the manufacturer.

Speaking of which, my Vox head is down right now. Modelers don't have a long shelf life. Everything in it is so cheap. Mine is outta warranty, so now I'll probably have to pay half the value just to fix it. It's worth it though. I like the blue grill Vox's.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

Even if they do PC software, look at what Lexicon does. Their original reverb algorithms are available in newer units and even in PC form, but the price didn't and doesn't drop. I still have to fork out major money for a PCM70. I would not expect the Axe-FX price to collapse.

Except of course if somebody makes the same product cheaper. But that might be easier said than done. I think that the secret here is that they figured out how to model the dynamics of speaker, cab and microphone. I don't think they did much with the amp sims as suchs.

 

[joelap]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

I've seen one band play an Axe-FX live and the tone was good. Pretty dope considering he brought a lot less gear along than I bring.

Truthfully, every so often I flirt with the idea of getting the AXE-FX or a trem-o-verb dual rec just for my cover band. That way I don't have to drag out my main rig which is much more expensive and rare (Demeter TGP-3 --> Gmaj2 --> Fryette 2/50/2) not to mention leaving the 4x12 at home. But in the end, I really like the tone I get with my rig and I have the setup/tear-down down to a science with this rig. If something feels not quite right, I know the issue and can fix it quickly. I don't doubt the axe FX can do more in a cover band situation than my 3-channel preamp and tonetweaking 4 band parametric eq built into the Gmajor2 will accomplish... but I dig what I got, ya know?

And the Hayseed... now thats a mighty fine amp. Best vox tone out there, hands down.

 

[Fikealox]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

I sold my Axe FX for a good tube amp (a Suhr Badger 30) and a few pedals earlier in the year. I don't regret it one little bit I did really like the Axe FX, but I didn't use it to its full potential, and it didn't do what the Badger does quite as well or with as little hassle. Plus, I now spend less time fiddling with gear and more time playing.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

the real question is, Tor, will you be able to achieve that chainsaw distortion with pedals? you had the axefx doing a nice chainsaw as I recall.

 

[Stratman]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

I tried axeFX and Eleven Rack…

Purchased 11R and a Ground Control Pro for the cost of the axeFX.

Hey, it’s only GAS money!

 

[Tor]

Re: Going from the AxeFX to the simple pedals-amp rig..

I don't know whether to congratulate you or bemoan that loss. Your recordings for the Riff-Offs were top notch. Have you played any of the Blackstar stuff, Tor? My HT-5 is a useful tool for recording, and it sounds good when you play it into a cab also. I'd be interested if you'd tried the Series One or the HT-100 head. If you're looking at a Vox clone, though, they may not be up your alley.

Congratulate me, I'd feel better about my decision then. The HT-5 sure looks nice! Never tried one of those things. I love the Vox sound, but I also have a Mesa F-50 I really, really like. It's just to have both options.

My solution was the blue grill Vox AD60VTH head into a Bogner 212, just because it does virtually everything more expensive modelers do, plus I get the same cab sound I'm used to.

You were right to sell it before it's value falls through the floor. That's what I hate about timely digital gear. Plus, if it goes bad and the warranty is expired, it's expensive to have fixed by the manufacturer.

Speaking of which, my Vox head is down right now. Modelers don't have a long shelf life. Everything in it is so cheap. Mine is outta warranty, so now I'll probably have to pay half the value just to fix it. It's worth it though. I like the blue grill Vox's.

Sounds like a nice rig. Yeah, that'd be expensive, but I have very seldom heard about broken down AxeFXs (the few that have are quickly taken care of by Cliff). I think their quality control is up there.. But you can never know after the warranty has expired..

Even if they do PC software, look at what Lexicon does. Their original reverb algorithms are available in newer units and even in PC form, but the price didn't and doesn't drop. I still have to fork out major money for a PCM70. I would not expect the Axe-FX price to collapse.

Except of course if somebody makes the same product cheaper. But that might be easier said than done. I think that the secret here is that they figured out how to model the dynamics of speaker, cab and microphone. I don't think they did much with the amp sims as suchs.

Yeah, you're right (again).. It doesn't drop, otherwise the price discrimination would fail due to leakage.. Hm, I had the opposite impression actually.. The amp sims have been worked through a lot, and they have went through numerous updates through new firmwares. Speaker, cab and mics are very good, but Redwirez offers IR cabs (speaker, cab and mics in one) for the AxeFXs, and a lot of people are using those with great results. So I thought Cliff would be investing heavily into amp sim development.. But I might be way off on that.

I was planning to load a PCM70 patch into the AxeFX, but I never got the chance. Shame, because I was really curious about that one.

I've seen one band play an Axe-FX live and the tone was good. Pretty dope considering he brought a lot less gear along than I bring.

Truthfully, every so often I flirt with the idea of getting the AXE-FX or a trem-o-verb dual rec just for my cover band. That way I don't have to drag out my main rig which is much more expensive and rare (Demeter TGP-3 --> Gmaj2 --> Fryette 2/50/2) not to mention leaving the 4x12 at home. But in the end, I really like the tone I get with my rig and I have the setup/tear-down down to a science with this rig. If something feels not quite right, I know the issue and can fix it quickly. I don't doubt the axe FX can do more in a cover band situation than my 3-channel preamp and tonetweaking 4 band parametric eq built into the Gmajor2 will accomplish... but I dig what I got, ya know?

And the Hayseed... now thats a mighty fine amp. Best vox tone out there, hands down.

Yeah, the old phrase, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.. it is a relevant cliché. Dang, that rig sounds pretty unique! What guitar are you using with that?

I keep hearing the Hayseeds are the bomb all around, so I am really looking forward to checking that out.

the real question is, Tor, will you be able to achieve that chainsaw distortion with pedals? you had the axefx doing a nice chainsaw as I recall.

No.. I would like to develop that one further, but it is very far away from my main musical occupations.. I'd like to play around with that kinda stuff, and see if I could weave it into some recording projects or something, but I needed something else more.. I've got a Mesa with more than enough gain, although it's not a very optimal metal machine. But I hope it'll do for me..

I tried axeFX and Eleven Rack…

Purchased 11R and a Ground Control Pro for the cost of the axeFX.

Hey, it’s only GAS money!

They sure seem like good value for the money..