So today's post is a bit more "philosophical exploration" than typical, but after months of reading reviews and listening to clips of the Fractal Audio Axe-FX, I've finally reached the tipping point where I'm seriously considering buying one.
Why? Well, for starters, I've got a lot of amplifier + effects + recording gear... 8 amp heads, 4 speaker cabs, 6 FX pedals, MIDI switchers + foot controllers, over a dozen mics... there are many days I look around the studio and ask "What the heck do I need all of this gear for?"
For recording purposes, I like the variety of having all the gear on hand, but collectively it takes up way too much studio space. It takes time to wire up and mic up correctly for impromptu recording projects... half the time the "inspiration train" has left the station by the time all the recording gear is ready to go. And it's too inconsistent... if I get a killer tone one day, the next day it's practically impossible to find again.
For gigging purposes... well, let's face it... I'm not gigging much these days. Half the recent gigs I've played have been coffeehouse-like venues, where high volumes are frowned upon. The other half have been club gigs... they give me the opportunity to turn things up to "11" (so to speak), but then I'm too lazy to haul multiple amps + cabs out for gigs anyway. So 95% of the gear stays home while a select 5% ever sees the stage.
Obviously, the Axe-FX has a lot of appeal, then... In the studio, having 100% consistency in tone day to day, being ready-to-record on a moment's notice, having access to an even wider variety of amps + effects, and being able to get killer tones at low volumes are all selling points. On the stage, the idea of having less gear to haul to gigs and having better control over what guitar tones actually come out through the PA are major benefits as well.
The biggest potential downside I see at this point is that the Axe-FX won't live up to expectations / hype in terms of tone + feel. I've had a lot of modeling gear over the years... I started with the Johnson JM-150 (a great unit for its day) and have since owned other Johnson (JM-120, J-Station), H&K (Zentera), Digitech (GSP1101), Boss (GT-6, GT-8), Line 6 (M13, Gearbox), Behringer (V-AMP), Roland (VG-8, MicroCube), Vox (Tonelab, ST, SE, AD15), etc. modelers, in addition to a great deal of Randall & Egnater modular gear. While the Egnater modular gear was truly the "holy grail", most of the digital modelers left something to be desired, so I guess I'm "cautiously optimistic" that the Axe-FX will be better than the other digital modelers and almost as good as the Egnater gear. The upside to the downside... with a 15-day return policy and relatively good resale value for used Axe-FX's, that's not much of a long-term risk (provided I don't sell all my amps + cabs in the interim).
So my plan is to try to find a used Axe-FX Standard, first to audition in the studio for direct recording purposes, then to incorporate into a standard guitar rig (perhaps with a Randall RT2/50 power amp and pair of Randall R212C cabs). If that goes well, I may look into either a pair of powered monitors or the Atomic Reactor FR for further downsizing/simplification.
Over the next few weeks I'll be posting updates of my Axe-FX journey. Stay tuned...
--B
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
Brent,
Hey, trouble311 from jemsite here. I highly encourage your "venture." Like you, I used to count on Mesa gear, and my "holy grail" for the longest time was my 2:90/Triaxis/G Major setup, but believe me when I say...this is the best piece of gear I have ever bought. I went with a Standard, to save some money, but really wish I had gotten the Ultra. The Standard is incredible, but the only thing I am GAS-ing for these days is the Ultra. That being said, though, I don't think you will be disappointed. Dweezil Zappa, Steve Stevens, Devin Townsend, and a bunch of other guys are using these very liberally these days, and they have all fallen in love with them. I think you'll find the best sounds you've ever had, with the flexibility, portability, and "useability" that you are looking for in this bad boy! Take care, bud!
Abe--
Cool... I just found a used Ultra today, so it's on the way along with a Carvin TS100 power amp... am hoping to get all the gear together this week so I can spend next weekend wiring it up and doing a bit of exploration!
--B
Post a Comment