Some Axe-FX II V.3.0 Suggestions for the Amp/Cab Blocks

[Scott Peterson]

One of the more stressful aspects of beta testing (which 99% of is not as 'fun' as it seems from the outside) is that you put a new firmware that needs to be hashed out, has some things that need testing, etc into a working world where you have gigs, rehearsals and such and need to adjust and correct on the fly. Part of my MO is that you need to stress test these things under real world conditions and that means live performances.

So as versions come out to you for testing, you need to adjust your working presets often very quickly and depending on what is going on in development, very frequently.

As a result, I'd thought I'd do a quickie suggestion post from my stand point to help out the move to firmware v3.0 from 2.03c and for guys that run the box similar to me, it might be useful.

Observations and Suggestions:

When setting up your raw amp tones, bypass EVERY other block. No gates, no reverb, no PEQ, no corrective EQ, nothing. Turn off all the tools, crutches, 'fixes', everything. The ONLY active blocks are your amp and cab blocks.

• Go to your amp model and look for the 'amp type' and reset it to another amp and then back. This will allow the parameters to all rest to default for the new firmware.
• The relationship between the "Drive" and the "Master Volume" parameters has changed - dramatically. Revisit the balance between the two before you do anything else. Set your EQ settings to noon, presence to zero. Set your Master Volume according to the specific amp type - Fenders and Vox for example like to be 100% wide open etc (use the Wiki and/or Google to research if you have no clue how to proceed here) - and then bring up the Drive to taste.
• Adjust your EQ settings in the 'basic' window first. Just do this to taste. Note that now, extreme settings are more musical than before 3.0. Note the bright switch is now IMHO more useful and musical than ever before.
• Now adjust your Presence to taste.
• Speaker Drive is more musical IMHO than ever before. I like some of it, but find IMHO that a little goes a long way. I start at 1.25 for a value and often don't adjust from there - even on very different types of amps. Just adds a very nice edge and smoothness to FRFR setups IMHO.
• Go to the cab block and turn off the Room settings to minimum. All of them. If you are using the cab block in stereo, pan them center for a mono image to tweak. Choose the appropriate speaker you want to use and adjust the Proximity. I've found that I move it up to 2.75 to start; some stay there, others I'll take up to 4.00 or more. Just use your ears. Now pan them if you want to, (I do not, preferring to instead use the stereo block to use different speaker combinations, but I work the cab block in mono).

Amp Block Advanced Tab

• Triode down to 2.5 and then adjust once everything else is dialed.
• Power Tube Hardness to 4.00 and then adjust once everything else is dialed.
• Check the Transformer Match setting and move it a little up and a little down to see if you like it better either way.

Now go back out and play, listen and adjust everything here to taste. You can mess with Dampening if you feel it is too thin; I was doing a lot of that but with the release version of 3.00 I am leaving that at default almost 100% of the time.

Now start dropping your effects back in to taste. You'll find that this little roadmap - if you like the same sorts of tones I do and work the way I do - is a "Quick Start" dialing guide.

Have fun guys.

[theatomicjeff]

Thanks Mang!

[jhvox]

Excellent, thank you!

[mtmartin71]

Did you ditch the room settings altogether then and are just using the proximity dial?

[Electric I]

Duly noted for future reference. Thank you.

[MisterE]

Very useful info Scott, thanks.
I'm looking forward to trying it out as soon as I get the II.
I'm especially interested to see what the drive/master and bright cap settings do now.

[Scott Peterson]

Originally Posted by mtmartin71

Did you ditch the room settings altogether then and are just using the proximity dial?

I am not using them now; they are great for playing alone. I do not feel they are necessary - for me - playing live. I do have a very light small room reverb mixed in at appx. 5% wet as a reverb block at the end of my chain. I am not using the room parameters in the cab block for live use.

[Scott Peterson]

Also note that the high gainers in the Axe-FX II can be Master Volume low, like 2.25 without it 'hashing up' as it did in the past. Before - and with Gen1 - you lower the MV that low and it can be brittle. Now? Not at all.

[journo]

Hi Scott,

That Axe-Fx II sure sounds like a fun box. Wish I could get my hands on one.
Even though I don't own one I really do appreciate your thoughtful and insightful commentary. Makes me feel a bit more prepared if/when I do get my hands on one.


Cheers,

Mats N