Pedal lovers

[Stys]

Billed as the world's largest pedal board. Troubleshooting this would take all day.:eek:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7297852@N05/sets/72157621596146152/

[okstrat]

Enough fighting with patch cords and mystery noises on my Pedaltrain Pro filled board makes me really appreciate my Axe-FX. :)

[tom]

one has to scratch the head and ask, why?

[dannopelli]

I think that was done for some amp show or something.

[Stys]

I think that was done for some amp show or something.


I did not research the reasoning behind this however, back when I was playing out, I recall the band before my band had a guitar player who had a massive pedal board. Looked great and he sounded great. I was almost scared to go on after him because my rig was a tc g-force through the loop of my VHT 50 watt Pittbull (for a bit of delay), and an old tube screamer and a dunlop wah in front of the amp. Proving that everyone has different tastes.

Now, I would love to get the Axe FX but, and this is a question for those using the unit - how does it sound for direct recording? Mic'ing amps is a challenge because I have two little boys that sound that a herd of elephants - trust me, I love hearing this sound everyday but, my mics do not:)

[dannopelli]

Just my $.02:

You know, I have been really happy with some of "back in the mix" stuff that I've tracked with a POD XT. I got Amp Farm and that helps. Never tried the Axe FX because I have been happy with the POD.

For soloing or anything that is a focal part, or nylon string acoustic, nothing sounds like a real instrument/amp/mic.

[okstrat]

Now, I would love to get the Axe FX but, and this is a question for those using the unit - how does it sound for direct recording? Mic'ing amps is a challenge because I have two little boys that sound that a herd of elephants - trust me, I love hearing this sound everyday but, my mics do not:)

In my opinion, the Axe sounds awesome. I currently have a 2004 Bogner Ecstasy 1/2 stack, a '95 Soldano SLO, couple of trainwreck clones, '92 Dual Rectifier Rackmount, a Matchless Spitfire clone I built, one of every Randall MTS module amp (RM20, RM50, 2xRM100s, a Lynch Box and the RM4/RT2-50 setup - and have owned tweed, black and silverface fenders, etc.

The Axe is great for direct recording. Nothing beats the visceral experience of cranking a 100 watt tube amp through a 4x12 and FEELING it, but the axe is fantastic for recording or even playing live. I have used mine at Casino gigs where volume levels are strictly enforced, and it worked great there - have used it on band demos and recordings with better results than I could get recording a tube amp at low volumes. It also uses cab impulses for the speaker sims, so you can create your own - but it comes with tons of speaker impulses from small vintage open back cabs to modern 4x12s. You can also run different microphone emulations too, and cabs in stereo (different cabs too) and/or 2 different amps at once too.

For grins I used an A/B box with the Axe on one side going through a QSC Hpr1212- and The bogner above on the other side - I could get the Axe close enough that it was scary, same for the Soldano and the recto. Also, the effects on the axe are as good as anything else out there for the $ - I know guys who dumped Eventide units to use the axe for effects only.

Pete

[okstrat]

For soloing or anything that is a focal part, or nylon string acoustic, nothing sounds like a real instrument/amp/mic.

I think you'd be surprised how many focal parts on major albums are tracked with modelling amps.

[tom]

yes lots use amp farm for recordings, even some people you wouldn't expect to.
i'm still lazy about pre programming anything so pedals and amps are just plain fun and i've managed to find amps that work great at my low volume situation. the Fx would certainly be a great tool for situations where there was plenty time to fiddle or plan. how do you switch things like effects live?

[guitarzan]

In my opinion, the Axe sounds awesome. I currently have a 2004 Bogner Ecstasy 1/2 stack, a '95 Soldano SLO, couple of trainwreck clones, '92 Dual Rectifier Rackmount, a Matchless Spitfire clone I built, one of every Randall MTS module amp (RM20, RM50, 2xRM100s, a Lynch Box and the RM4/RT2-50 setup - and have owned tweed, black and silverface fenders, etc.

The Axe is great for direct recording. Nothing beats the visceral experience of cranking a 100 watt tube amp through a 4x12 and FEELING it, but the axe is fantastic for recording or even playing live. I have used mine at Casino gigs where volume levels are strictly enforced, and it worked great there - have used it on band demos and recordings with better results than I could get recording a tube amp at low volumes. It also uses cab impulses for the speaker sims, so you can create your own - but it comes with tons of speaker impulses from small vintage open back cabs to modern 4x12s. You can also run different microphone emulations too, and cabs in stereo (different cabs too) and/or 2 different amps at once too.

For grins I used an A/B box with the Axe on one side going through a QSC Hpr1212- and The bogner above on the other side - I could get the Axe close enough that it was scary, same for the Soldano and the recto. Also, the effects on the axe are as good as anything else out there for the $ - I know guys who dumped Eventide units to use the axe for effects only.

Pete

This fascinates me since my always-set-up, go-to practice rig is a Flextone III Plus. The idea of having something like the FlexIII with even more effects and control seems fun. BUT, I'm with Tom- Normally I find myself turning knobs and turning knobs and turning knobs until I find that I've turned knobs for a few hours and am actually further from the tone I hear in my head. I start to get Tone Vertigo after while. :)

I had a Line6 Vetta (and then Vetta II) for years and was crazy about that amp. But It had the same thing: lots of knob turning and then finally after weeks of turning I stumbled upon an inspiring sound. 1. Hit Save. 2. Start process again... I'm hopeful about the possibility of Line 6 doing a hybrid Vetta amp (like they did with the Bogner/Line6 Spider Valve, a.k.a überschpider). But I'm a little hesitant to get back into a knob turning science project when I should be practicing guitar playing.

I'm not being critical of the AxeFX or it's fanbase, but for me, it's daunting to think of all the deep editing caves one could get lost in.

[tom]

so then me being a cave man, should not be afraid of these deep editing caves?

[guitarzan]

so then me being a cave man, should not be afraid of these deep editing caves?

:D :D :D :D :D

[okstrat]

yes lots use amp farm for recordings, even some people you wouldn't expect to.
i'm still lazy about pre programming anything so pedals and amps are just plain fun and i've managed to find amps that work great at my low volume situation. the Fx would certainly be a great tool for situations where there was plenty time to fiddle or plan. how do you switch things like effects live?

I use a ground control pro midi pedal. Here's how mine is set up:

First four buttons are different amps - 1) is a blackface fender, 2) is a blue channel of a Bogner Ecstasy, 3) is a mesa recto, 4) is an SLO. Yes, I own amps 2-4 and my axe sounds like the real thing. Honest. :D

Above that are two more rows of four - I have buttons for: tap tempo, flange, boost (set for +4db to goose my parts up a bit), intelligent harmonizer, and boost pedal in front of the amps. I can gig with the 'blue Bogner' channel - roll my volume down on the guitar for cleans, and hit the boost pedal in front of the amp for more grind. It's pretty fun. Of course I switch the effects in and out as necessary. *any* of the effects can be assigned to the pedalboard - so you can turn chorus off/on, or the synth effects (which are really sweet) or whatever.

I also have two buttons set up with a really neat feature that is as far as I know, an axe-fx exclusive: You can set it up to change your patch levels either up or down one db. Here's the kicker, it automatically saves the patch afterwards. This is GREAT for setting relative volumes of your patches live or in a mix.

Oh, also have a controller pedal set up as a wah - the axe also allows you to set it to turn 'off' when the pedal is all the way up, so you don't get that *click-HISS* like when you use a real crybaby.

I've also used it in the loop of several tube amps for super clean effects, works great for that too, and you could set up a pedalboard like I did above but only with effects - and use the 'amp' presets I used as virtual pedalboards.

Nothing is going to make me get rid of my tube amps - I mod and build them. It's just another option to play with.

[okstrat]

This fascinates me since my always-set-up, go-to practice rig is a Flextone III Plus. The idea of having something like the FlexIII with even more effects and control seems fun. BUT, I'm with Tom- Normally I find myself turning knobs and turning knobs and turning knobs until I find that I've turned knobs for a few hours and am actually further from the tone I hear in my head. I start to get Tone Vertigo after while. :)

I had a Line6 Vetta (and then Vetta II) for years and was crazy about that amp. But It had the same thing: lots of knob turning and then finally after weeks of turning I stumbled upon an inspiring sound. 1. Hit Save. 2. Start process again... I'm hopeful about the possibility of Line 6 doing a hybrid Vetta amp (like they did with the Bogner/Line6 Spider Valve, a.k.a überschpider). But I'm a little hesitant to get back into a knob turning science project when I should be practicing guitar playing.

I'm not being critical of the AxeFX or it's fanbase, but for me, it's daunting to think of all the deep editing caves one could get lost in.

Heh, I had a Vetta (upgraded firmware to 2.5) and a Flex III, and a SpiderValve... here's a critical difference in my opinion:

To get the Line 6 stuff to sound decent, you almost HAD to go digging into the deep editing caves. You can just scratch the surface on the axe and it sounds better. If you want to go deeper you can, but just grabbing one of the amps, pick a cab and maybe throw some reverb on there and you can get a stellar tone easily and quickly. The axe sounds so good I spend more time playing than tweaking, because I have a lot of "wow, this sounds great!" moments, instead of "it's almost there, maybe I need to change this..."

The Axe just fills several niches that my tube amps don't cover as well. One of my favorite gigs ever was last year, played an outdoor show and was able to blast my Ecstasy at about 6 on the master - was amazing and just really fun. However, I can count the number of gigs I've played that I would be able to play that loud on one hand in the last 20+ years of performing.

Years ago, I sat in for a friend who had to leave town for a few weeks in his Praise/Worship team at his church. Used a Pod, it sounded fine, I wanted to bring a tube amp but the pod fit that situation much better - didn't have much space onstage and couldn't use much volume.

Pete

[guitarzan]

Heh, I had a Vetta (upgraded firmware to 2.5) and a Flex III, and a SpiderValve... here's a critical difference in my opinion:

To get the Line 6 stuff to sound decent, you almost HAD to go digging into the deep editing caves. You can just scratch the surface on the axe and it sounds better. If you want to go deeper you can, but just grabbing one of the amps, pick a cab and maybe throw some reverb on there and you can get a stellar tone easily and quickly. The axe sounds so good I spend more time playing than tweaking, because I have a lot of "wow, this sounds great!" moments, instead of "it's almost there, maybe I need to change this..."

The Axe just fills several niches that my tube amps don't cover as well. One of my favorite gigs ever was last year, played an outdoor show and was able to blast my Ecstasy at about 6 on the master - was amazing and just really fun. However, I can count the number of gigs I've played that I would be able to play that loud on one hand in the last 20+ years of performing.

Years ago, I sat in for a friend who had to leave town for a few weeks in his Praise/Worship team at his church. Used a Pod, it sounded fine, I wanted to bring a tube amp but the pod fit that situation much better - didn't have much space onstage and couldn't use much volume.

Pete

Hi Pete,
Not only am I really happy with my amps at the moment, but any extra money is going to my next Anderson. So having said that, I'm asking more out of curiosity than anything...

If a guy were gonna put together a good Axe-FX rig to gig with, what are the necessary elements and what's the buy-in?

[tom]

always planning how to spend the next batch of money:D

[StudioRat]

Now, I would love to get the Axe FX but, and this is a question for those using the unit - how does it sound for direct recording? )

Mark,

I use it all the time, both at home and at Chicago Recording. It works great, and really does react just like a real amp. You back off the guitars volume and there's no digital fakeyness, it's the same as an amp. Mind you, that is with some considerable tweaking. I've had mine for about a year and it took me a good 3 months before I played it on a gig. It's a deep box, and that's coming from a guy who twiddles knobs for a living. But it could be just the ticket for your situation.

I use it in church every week and I'll never play a P&W gig without it. Mostly because the delays are so good and that seems the be the way with Contemporary Christian music these days. But also it has a very cool ADSR section or you can route a volume pedal to an LFO and set up your threshold/attack/decay for all those super cool ethereal pads. It's perfect for church.

Of course I haven't thrown out my blackface or deluxe, or plexi, or Bogner, or Dr. Z either. And I'd never be caught dead on a festival stage with a modler box. It just seems wrong to me. When you've got the room, nothing sounds better than a speaker cone pushing air.

I know Fractal has a 30 day trail period, but honestly I don't think most people will know if it's going to work for them in just 30 days. You've got to be a tweaker to like this box. However, if you do get one, send me a PM, and I'll upload some of my patches for you. I've got some ones that are proven winners. Good luck,

M.

[guitarzan]

always planning how to spend the next batch of money:D

I already have the next THREE batches of money spent. Now I just keep it all on this very long, revolving, unhealthy wish list.

[Stys]

Thanks, Studio......tweaking has never been an issue with me. I mean, I had a Mesa MKIV a few years ago. I just need to decide if I want to spend the money for the axe fx. Still have a bit of job security concerns.

All comments are greatly appreciated. I am pleasantly surprised to hear many are happy with the POD products because I have been using a POD for many applications but, keep the mesa F 30 for the leads. Love that little amp.

[dannopelli]

so then me being a cave man, should not be afraid of these deep editing caves?

Not for me for live work. I won't use my POD unless it is connected to my MacBook. Line 6 Edit or nothing. Too much trouble to alter parameters without that visual tool. I just don't have the patience. I am too much of a tool myself when it comes to that.

Got my pedal boards with little pieces of tape to indicate where I keep my
dials and I am a happy boy.

[mdrs]

That pedal board has places where most people don't have places. It looks like a Guitar Center gone bad..............

[Pietro]

That pedal board is the result of a horrible case of addiction.

Let's start a new foundation called "The International Association of Hopelessly GASsed Guitarists"

Please... make the nightmare stop!

I wonder how much residual noise there is in that board when all the pedals are on.

[dannopelli]

...I wonder how much residual noise there is in that board when all the pedals are on...

YEAH! AND THE AMP'S ON 11!