Another Axe Fx convert

[jester536]

OK I've dropped some pretty serious cash...AxeFx Ultra...Ground Control Pro...QSC K12 and the least expensive (zero cost) and most important element...invaluable help from Vic. The rig sounds sweet...really sweet. But the more I think about it...I'm not sure that it's really all that expensive in comparison. A good cab with some e120's...one of any of a number of McIntosh amps...an SMS PreAmp and then all of the necessary pedals gets pretty damn pricey too. And whereas I know those rigs can do a lot more than just sound like Jerry the AxeFx is flexible beyond belief. For example...I've got a little Mackie 10"...small and easy to carry around...but it didn't sound very good. Doesn't come close to the QSC but but that 10" is so light and small! Just went into the AxeFx...did an exact copy of the Garcia patch onto a different preset..swapped out the eq and tweaked it to better fit the 10" and...voila. I'm just beginning to get used to this thing but I get the strong felling I'll be able to shape new sounds forever.
One small 2-position rack unit...I'm setting that up with a pocket that will hold the GCP and a little 10" powered speaker and I'm traveling with essentially my complete set-up...no sacrifices when jamming with friends...practice...you name it.
Sorry for the ramble...just another happy customer...I've said it before..but this time I might actually mean it...I think I might have actually found the rig I can be happy with...forever.

[playingdead]

Good to hear ...

Aside from the Jerry tone, I have been having a terrific time lately just setting up a few bone simple amp presets ... Fender Bassman, Vox Top Boost, Trainwreck, Dave Friedmann Marshall (he works on EVH's amps) ... with a good close miked Redwirez 4X12 closed cabinet IR (with Celestion V30s).

I just bought a goldtop Gibson 60s Tribute Les Paul with P90s (great new US built axe for under $1k) and it's so cool to be able to dial it in so it comes on nice and dirty on the bridge pickup and just breaks up a little bit on the neck for rhythm.



Add a Tube Screamer block to switch in and out and it's just tone heaven right there. Warm sparkly Fender, chimey Vox, clean to growling Trainwreck and high-gain sustaining "brown sound" Marshall. And that's only with four of the 70 available amp models.

[DenverEd]

Damn. I need one. Do y'all recommend the standard or the ultra. I'm a simpleton, so less is more.

[jkstraw]

Grab an Ultra - [edited due to inaccuracy]. If you visit the Axe Fx forums you will see lots of standards in the FS section looking to trade up to an ultra.

[playingdead]

I'll post a few samples of some of the amp types here as I'm doing some recording ... it's pretty interesting to hear the variation in tone changing speaker cabinets and even the mic profiles on the speaker cabinets. The kind of thing you never can do with real equipment unless you have a huge room full of gear.

Latest Jerry tone iteration is here ... but I was working last weekend on massaging the limiter and Hogan came up with a nice variation by adding a pretty saturated drive block to the patch but dialing the mix on it way down to add a touch of that tube hair to the equation, it works really well. Next gig if we multitrack it.

http://playingdead.net/halfsteplimit.mp3

And I think that Garcia patch of mine will work on the Standard but the Ultra is worth the bucks for the looper and additional effects.

[PRAYER]

have you guys thought of http://www.museresearch.com/ or the other vst rack-mount processors?

you could get http://www.museresearch.com/musebox.php and load in Amplitude and any other effects processors you'd like.

just a thought.

[jester536]

We probably should just have an ongoing thread for this...updates etc. I'm such a total newbie at this but I'm loving the possibilities. I had a short gig recently and broke the new rig out. Y-cord trouble...ain't that always the case...had a back-up but I got a bit freaked out. Just made a patch that is essentially the same Garcia patch with just overdrive and delay...but no effects loop. That way if all hell breaks loose and I'm without a stereo cord...I just plug straight into that patch...it's not the same but it's close and I'm covered for cord catastrophe.
Also have a ES-335 that I haven't played in a long time. You always get your rig dialed in for one guitar..to break out another means adjusting everything. I want to get a good 335 patch dialed in and start playing that thing again.
Hogan...would love to hear what your patch sounds like.

[playingdead]

If the Y cord ever goes out, using my Jerry preset, you can just plug the main guitar output straight into input 1 on the rear panel (where the effects cable normally goes). You will have to switch the effects in and out manually on the Ground Control Pro but everything will work properly. If you leave your guitar's volume at 10 the effects will react normally, and that's why I have that 6db boost filter on pedal 6 of the GCP to boost for soloing in those situations.

Since there's nothing plugged into input 2, the effects loop block doesn't operate and the guitar signal goes through the entire chain of effects then into the preamp, speaker cabinet and reverb.

[hogan]

Also have a ES-335 that I haven't played in a long time. You always get your rig dialed in for one guitar..to break out another means adjusting everything. I want to get a good 335 patch dialed in and start playing that thing again.
Hogan...would love to hear what your patch sounds like.

I've mentioned before that I actually spend less time messing with my Wolf/Garcia patch and more time exploring with a 335 and basic amp blocks. Take you 335 and set up a ac-30topboost patch. Add a low rate, 10 stage phaser and you've got a pretty passable 70's Weir tone. 335 into a trainwreck, turn your guitar vols down and bump up the drive in the amp block. Then control the crunch w/ the guitar vol. Roll the tones down and get that nasal overdrive thing happening. Think Albert Collins. I've spent hours fooling around w/ the Orange amp block. The Hiwatt also. I'm tempted to put an overdriven amp block into my Garcia chain as a drive. Actually i think i'm going to do this today.
I don't have any recordings. You'll just have to take my word that the tone is good and the playing is godawful.

[jester536]

Good to know about the y-cord...thanks. Hogan...you said the tone is good and the playing is godawful...I am a total hack. This thing really drives home the idea that much of the playing is in the practitioner's hands...Vic's patch without Vic just isn't the same...but it sure is fun to mess with...would love to get more specifics on your patches too. This thing is going to be fun forever...thanks guys.
Another post mentions some other whiz-bang effects processor....I am definitely NOT IN THE MARKET FOR ANYTHING NEW...my wife will be happy to hear that.

[jester536]

Ok...I did break the new rig out a gig before...Sunday afternoon...fundraiser...no time for setup less time for tear down...just frantic and crazy. Broke it out for tonights gig...comfortable...set up in the afternoon real comfortable....Wow...love the sound of this thing. Can really hear clearly on stage. It will take a little tweaking and some more getting used to but again...wow...that QSC sound terrific. I'm digging this rig.

[RiverRat]

have you guys thought of http://www.museresearch.com/ or the other vst rack-mount processors?

you could get http://www.museresearch.com/musebox.php and load in Amplitude and any other effects processors you'd like.

just a thought.

The Musebox is just a Small Form Factor PC running a customized version of Linux with a custom VST host program.