Axe-Fx II Clips, Presets, and Musings

At the request from some friends here I've decided to start a thread with clips, presets and various musings about what I was thinking as I was creating the various sounds...

I'll start with a bit of background. As some of you probably know I worked pretty closely with the Line 6 folks on the release of the JTV>HD500>DT Series amps via a trio of videos. A few years before that I did a bunch of session work on Guitar Hero, so I've come at the whole sound design for guitar from a few directions. The Axe-FX II I'm using is kindly on loan from TGP's RayRay who lead me to Scott's thread on the 5.x firmware as well Yek's Wiki, all of which has been tremendously helpful in my getting up to speed...

With that out of the way I'll say that I am "rostered to play on Sundays a lot" and have spent a huge amount of time working in POD HD500 Edit prepping sound design for that per the arrangements and BPMs I get from PlanningCenterOnline. There are enough similarities between HD500 Edit and Axe-Edit that I was able to make my way around pretty easily. Thanks to Scott's tips (especially on Speaker Drive), I was able to combine the hands on experience I've had (using a number of the actual amps, cabinets, speakers, and effects modeled) with a lot of the virtual sound design elements that Axe-Edit allows one to map with great efficiency!

So, let's get on with it!!!

 

One of my favorite, uhum, Tones, is Eric Johnson's clean sound. For a long time as I recall it was Strat > MXR Dyna Comp > TC Electronic Chorus > Echoplexes > Fender Deluxe Reverbs. I believe he's now using a pair of Twins...

In any case, here is the first tone I came up with on Axe. Of note is the 2x12 Blackface Cabinet mic'd with a 57. I changed out the reverb for a medium spring and tweaked the rest until it felt really dynamic under my fingers...

WCR S-type > Axe-FX II > ProTools via S/PDIF...

AxeFXIIDeluxeVerb_WCRSType.mp3

Get Killer Tone page with clip, guitar photo, and .syx in Zip format (right click or control click to download).

 

My buddy Scott kindly loaned me his MIJ Tele with Bigsby. What's there not to love about Comp, Mod Delay, and an AC30 (models that is)...

http://www.GetKillerTone.com/audio/AxeFXIITopBoost_FenderTeleBigsby.mp3

Get Killer Tone page with clip, guitar photo, and .syx in Zip format (right click or control click to download).

 

Copied over from the 5.x firmware thread...

When I recored my first disc I was using a Stereo MIDI Tube Pre-Amp with 12AX7 Modules by a company called Exef Electronic. I was introduced to them by Cliff Cultreri the guy who for all intensive purposes discovered Satch thanks to an introduction from Mr. Vai. This is SO close to the tone I was going for in those days it's kind scary. Some, delay, some verb, lots of soaring gain, with the effects there, but not in the way, and more of a blend creating a nice wash that was not muddy. I have been for the first three demos running direct out of Axe into ProTools via S/PDIF, which in and of itself is pretty amazing. Key point for the tech heads is that I'm staying digital (thus far) until I render. I'm recording at 48k for video purposes per post - not filming. This is the HBE on both tracks, two cabs, vintage Marshall with 25 watters and an Orange with V30s (models that is). I brought the Motor Drive down toe 1.82 to keep things tight, I find that on AC30 stuff I want to brutalize the speakers, but for this type of stuff there is enough front end gain that for this type of playing blowing out the speakers/cabs starts to lose definition as you go to solo and muddles up the delay as well. One of my common tricks when cutting multiple tracks with two different cabs is to flip the cabs on the second track, which in this case I did in Pro Tools, but only after bringing them in to 75% panned on Axe for the melody/solo to bring them a touch more center field and out of the way of the rhythm...

AxeFXIIFriedmanHBE_IbanezS470.mp3

Get Killer Tone page with clip, guitar photo, and .syx in Zip format (right click or control click to download).

 

Also from Scott's thread...

OK, now when I'm thinking about Eddie, I'm thinking about a guy that got a lot of his sound playing loud. So on this one I turned the Motor Drive on the 4x12 1960Z G12M (RW) up to 9.75 to give them the good thrashing I would not dream of doing to a vintage Marshall cabinet now (at least without some Scumbacks on the inside

AxeFXIIPVH6160_IbanezART400E.mp3

Get Killer Tone page with clip, guitar photo, and .syx in Zip format (right click or control click to download).

 

Nigel was using a Vox AC15 and a Spitfire in stereo on my last trip to Australia. Since then Gary Brawer has had is AC15 on indefinite loan here. GREAT amps...

WCR S-Type > AC15 Model with comp, flanger, dual delay, reverb. I've used the U87 on practically everything thus far and that is where I go to turn on the warmth on the bottom end Also of note is the .8th and 1/4 note setting on the delay. I've got the .8th set much louder so it's the predominant delay, but at the end you can hear the 1/4 kick in...

AxeFXIIAC15_WCRSType.mp3

Preset

 

Thanks and OKAY BUT, I don't recall seeing the super on the list, which is one of the great modeling mysteries of all time. Most companies just don't do it - beats me as to why the leave off what is one of Fender's top 5 builds...


Cheers,

Doug

 

If there was the sound of LOUD, just destroying Vintage 30s, this is it. Also, used a 57 on the left and to get some stereo separation used a 58 on the right, just because. Also added a tiny delay with mod panned to the right to give the feel of double tracking. I cranked the daylights out of the proximity setting to make the 57/58 sound massive as they do when you throttle them with a moshing V30. Also of note is the TS808 model before the amp. WHY one might ask? It's a pedal that a ton of the metal guys like to use before the IYF Orange and 5150s heads. This clip is kind of inspired by Bullet for My Valentine who's tone I just love. This is a floppier than I would use in a band setting, but on it's own if you're looking to rock your neighbors out on your nearfields, this ones for you. The second half is one of the most satisfying little metal fests I've had a in a long time...

AxeFXIIRectoRed_IbanezS7320.mp3

Get Killer Tone page with clip, guitar photo, and .syx in Zip format (right click or control click to download).

OK, so now I'm outa clips but I'll be back at it tomorrow in full force

 

With pleasure and thank you. I'm using 5.01 and I tried reloading them before I started to post just to make sure they worked for me, which they did without issue...

That said, I saved them to my preset folder in my workspace. Loaded them to test, pushed them to Axe to make sure they loaded there as well, and then grabbed them from my presets folder to upload...

What kind of issue are you having - if it's one on this end please let me know so I can address...


Cheers,

Doug

 

Thanks Ian! Per Shasha's post, please let me know if they load OK and if not what v. firmware your using and what issues you had if any

Cheers ~ Doug...

 

Thanks Eric. If you've got a two button mouse, right click to get access or hit Control and single click on the mouse to "download linked file as"...


Cheers, Doug...

 

Well that sucks. Let me try and find an alternate solution. Can someone post one of theirs with a link I so can see what methodologies other people are using that work?

Thanks,

Doug