Axe-Fx opinions?

[brain21]

Anyone had a chance to play with the Fractal Audio Axe-Fx? There are apparently a bunch of converts over on TheGearPage forums that are dumping tons of their tube amps and rack gear in favor of this. In one of the recent firmware updates a Trainwreck and Dumble simulation were added.

Has anyone had a chance to play with one and can offer an opinion? Is this thing over-hyped, or no? How close do you think it gets to the real thing as far as the 'Wreck & other simulations are concerned?

The website is fractalaudio.com. I checked out a few demo videos on youtube, but it was mostly kids showing off their models of U2 sounds with the thing (yawn).

I'm looking for a new amp setup and debating a 'Wreck clone because I've always loved the Wreck sound, or perhaps something like this Axe-Fx. If the Axe-Fx can get reasonably close and truly reproduces all of the dynamics of the tube amps that all of the modellers out there so far have failed to do, the Axe-Fx might be a better choice simply for it's versatility, esp. in a band type situation.

Thanks,

Brain21

[CaseyJones]

Yuck.

Look, I've been chasing "that tone" for decades. Sure an emulator can come close under certain ideal conditions but does it clean up when I back off on my volume like a real tube amp? Does it respond to nuances in my picking dynamics like a real tube amp? Probably not.

A buddy of mine uses a Line 6 Spider. It's an o.k. amp, let's sidestep the tone debate for now. One night it utterly failed during a gig, no sound at all. Yes I'm a tech and yes given time I can pick my way through something like that but I prefer an old tube amp. Unless you absolutely mistreat it a tube amp will be there for you night after night gig after gig year after year. 50 years from now it will still be a classic long after your digital crap is grievously obsolete and has long since been consigned to the dump.

Every Trainwreck I've ever heard has put a smile on my face. Hell, some of the half-assed copies of Trainwrecks still put a smile on my face. "There ain't nothing like the real thing, baby!"

[brain21]

Actually, yes. It does clean up when you back off the guitar volume, and does the job surprisingly well. That being said, it doesn't mean that it still sounds great. I know there were a bunch of self-confessed "tube snobs" over there that sold their tube amps (Bogner Shivas, etc. - not like they were selling Epiphone Valve Jrs. ) and bought one of these. I have heard quite a few sound clips and my opinions are mixed. A couple of them sound fantastic, and a couple of them really left me feeling the same way when I tried out the Line6 Vetta when it came out... even though it had tone, it still sounded too sterile and cold. There was "something" missing. I actually felt like the Vetta was perhaps a step forward in technology, but a step backwards in tone compared to the old AX2 that I have.

The thing really gets all of these rave reviews, but it's hard to weed out the "Fan Boy" aspect of it all, if you know what I mean. That's why I was hoping someone here might have tried one out and can give a more objective or at least critical opinion of it.

Brain21

[CaseyJones]

There was "something" missing. I actually felt like the Vetta was perhaps a step forward in technology, but a step backwards in tone compared to the old AX2 that I have.

Here's the way I see it: The last rock outfit I worked with was all solid state onstage, not a tube in the bunch. They had the technique, they had the look, they had the best analog solidstate gear money would buy. One guitar player was perfectly happy with his sterile lifeless solid state tone, the other guitar player went through a ton of gear, he was on a quest. I'd like to say I hooked him up with a killer handbuilt amp but that's not what happened, we were so busy gigging I had no time to build something. One day the guy showed up with a Crate tube amp, he used it that night and never looked back! Primarily he found chunky mids, controllable feedback and dynamics that his other rig wouldn't touch. His enthusiasm carried over into the music, overall it was a big improvement.

Once you got tubes you never go back!

[s2]

I've really been wanting to try one of these. Especially in a gig environment to see if it has the "feel" of a real amp and in a studio environment with some layers to see if it sounds like the real thing.

Now if I can just find someone to loan me one...

[Johnhenry]

You need to see Johnny A live, play's a new pod and 2 BK Butler tube driver's and powered monitor's, no tube's !
He sounded pretty good to my ear's, but still might not be your cup a tea !
I just got an M-Audio Blackbox, I'm a tube man, but i can see where this would be very kool for touring, all i need are powered monitor's to use this thing live, and it does clean up when the vol. is rolled back, and has a great plexi sound, and a good Leslie sound and a neat looper that can be used on the fly,
i'm still checking this out, but i think it's worth keeping,
Johnhenry