Axefx Standard and Ultra Owners Unite! (A Fractal Gen-1 Users Gathering)

[chrishurley]

2021-09-22 Update: Lets make this a Gen-1 Fractal Owners thread, in the grand tradition of similar threads here on TGP, where users of these poor old units can stay in touch and keep their memory alive.

These poor old units are still in use, being quietly loved every day. I'm using mine and looking for examples of where people have done cool tricks. I have yek's set which has been very helpful. I'm still hunting!

It's getting pretty heard to search the internet for Gen 1 information, as the interwebz forget these devices ever existed or return links that have long been lost to forum software changes a d subforum consolidations.

Do any of you that still use a fractal axefx standard or ultra have presets, tips, tricks or techniques that you would share?

If you find something cool in a post here that you'd like to highlight, PM me and I'll add it in the second post below

Mods: If this is wrong, let me know.

 

[chrishurley]

Resource Links: (PM me with suggestions to maintain this list: External links, posts here on TGP, etc...)

• The Mother-of-all-pedal-and-effects-emulations thread: on the fractal forum
• Scott Peterson's famous "This Thing is a Monster" Thread: here on TGP
• Relive the excitement of when the Axe-FX Standard and Ultra were brand new: Via Archive.org
• The Standard/Ultra Manual is a wealth of information: via FractalAudio.com
• Gen1-era Amp Model information: via the Wiki
• How to list!: via the Wiki
• Amp Block Advanced Parameters?: via TGP (Jay Mitchell) and the rest of the thread

 

[rkbrock]

Ya man, still loving and using mine after 10 years. I did snag a bunch of presets back in the day and same with most of the effect settings from yeks thread you linked. Are those links still working?

I should probably zip together some of the preset bundles I have to make sharing easier. That being said, I know some of the people sharing didn't want their presets shared after a certain point so I'd have to verify those. That being said I have no issues sharing some of the ones I have created or gathered from open sources.

Did you have any luck finding any yourself? Its been literally years since I loaded someone else preset and would love to have to relearn lol. Happy hunting!

 

[chrishurley]

I'm finding a few. I have had trouble getting great sounding effects so I'm hoping to find examples of to learn from. For example, my reverbs tend to sound hard and metallic.

 

[stratzrus]

I don't have any presets for my Ultra and it hasn't been out of its box in quite some time. I plan to sell it in anticipation of getting a FM9.

 

[Pat6969]

I’m still rocking my DOS PC if that counts.

 

[JWDubois]

I've still got my Ultra. It's hooked into my mixer for use as a general purpose FX unit.

I need to hook up my guitar to it sometime and see how it's holding up.

 

[chrishurley]

I've still got my Ultra. It's hooked into my mixer for use as a general purpose FX unit.

I need to hook up my guitar to it sometime and see how it's holding up.

I'd like to use mine primarily for effects but my reverbs end up being metallic and hard sounding. I'm not sure what causes that or how to remedy it. I think some combination of reverb and other effects makes a more lush sound but I've yet to unlock that secret.

 

[Jay Mitchell]

My Standard is still in its Gator rack case. I don't use rack gear these days, or I'd still be using it. I played through it about a year ago, just to remind myself how it sounded, but I no longer have a W/D/W system set up, and lots of my presets were created for that use. Over the 5 years I gigged with it, I managed to get some nice reverb sounds out of it, but most of them incorporated a delay block to get there. My gear is not presently in my office/practice room, but it will eventually make it back here. I'll make a point of playing through it then. The one real annoyance for me is the limited number (10 IIRC) of user IR spots and the inability to name them (although you can name them in the PC editor).

 

[JWDubois]

I'd like to use mine primarily for effects but my reverbs end up being metallic and hard sounding. I'm not sure what causes that or how to remedy it. I think some combination of reverb and other effects makes a more lush sound but I've yet to unlock that secret.

I don't quite remember whether the Ultra gives you an eq in the reverb block, but in the III I sometimes cut the low end and high end of the reverb, which gives it more clarity when used for guitar.

For me, I've found out that with reverb, less is more. I use it more to smooth out and color the guitar than for the big room sound. For the big room sound, I mix in some longish delay.

I use the reverb, chorus, delay, and any other series effects blocks in parallel, always with a clean dry path, which helps with clarity.

Anyway, the Ultra sounds pretty great with my synths.

 

[chrishurley]

I spent a couple of hours reloading and auditioning factory presets and found several examples where I thought the reverb sounded great. Sometimes it was delay and reverb combined on a cohesive fashion.

I'm going to start collecting the stuff I like a d documenting it so I can learn what makes it tick.

I heard some fantastic stuff in the old Ultra.

 

[rkbrock]

Chris, did you find the files from that effects settings thread?

 

[JasonE]

I still have my Ultra racked in my recording desk right next to my 11 Rack. I use the Eleven Rack as my interface and I have a cable there to plug the Axe in the second input of the Eleven Rack if I want to use the Ultra for recording. I haven't really messed with the Ultra for a while. I had given some thought to selling it but it is not in my way right now so I leave it mounted in the desk. I also have a Kemper and am in the waitlist for the FM9. I may decide to let the Ultra go once I get the FM9. I have seen there is a bit of a return in the market for the first generation units lately. Some people like the sound of the older unit.

 

[chrishurley]

I still have my Ultra racked in my recording desk right next to my 11 Rack. I use the Eleven Rack as my interface and I have a cable there to plug the Axe in the second input of the Eleven Rack if I want to use the Ultra for recording. I haven't really messed with the Ultra for a while. I had given some thought to selling it but it is not in my way right now so I leave it mounted in the desk. I also have a Kemper and am in the waitlist for the FM9. I may decide to let the Ultra go once I get the FM9. I have seen there is a bit of a return in the market for the first generation units lately. Some people like the sound of the older unit.

They have enjoyed a surprising amount of price support as other fractal devices are being pushed down. It looks like an Ultra *sells* at around $400-$600USD or so. People list them for more and they just sit there. There are a lot of used Fractal devices now to chose from.

An Ax8 is probably the next thing and they seem to sell for 700 or so. You get the nifty amp controls, x/y functions, newer amp modeling and effects.

1st gen Axe-FX II are dipping under $1000 now. I saw one go for under 800 on ebay the other week. Those units are still incredibly capable compared to the Axe-FX III.

Axe-FX IIxl+ sit at $1200-$1300 for a long time now, presumably because FM3 was under $1000 brand new. Now that the price has increased on FM3 and they're out of stock, maybe some of the older products can sell. I think a IIxl+ should be around 1100 at this point. They sit and rot at $1200-$1300.

The introduction of the FM9 and Axe-FX III mark2 (and resulting FM3 fire sales) should put downward pressure on all of those other one, so it will be interesting to see what happens from here with the Ultra and standard. I'd love to pick them up for a couple hundred bucks.

 

[stratzrus]

The introduction of the FM9 and Axe-FX III mark2 (and resulting FM3 fire sales) should put downward pressure on all of those other one, so it will be interesting to see what happens from here with the Ultra and standard. I'd love to pick them up for a couple hundred bucks.

I wouldn't call the used market for the FM3 a "fire sale". Most are listed on Reverb for $1,300 to $1,450 with only one listed at $1,100.

That's hardly a fire sale.

Ultras are listed at $500-$600. Standards have averaged $500 over the last year. I don't see it happening for "couple hundred bucks".

 

[chrishurley]

I wouldn't call the used market for the FM3 a "fire sale". Most are listed on Reverb for $1,300 to $1,450 with only one listed at $1,100.

That's hardly a fire sale.

Ultras are listed at $500-$600. Standards have averaged $500 over the last year. I don't see it happening for "couple hundred bucks".

Fm3 were being listed for 900 and under but now that they are out of stock at Fractal, prices have gone up considerably. We'll see how long that lasts.

I agree that I don't think we'll see ultras or standards for a couple hundred bucks for a while, if ever.

 

[chrishurley]

In order for them to go under $500, I would think you'd have to have something else under $500 that does what it does and pulls downward on the price. There are workable multieffects processors to be sure, but nothing that I can think of that was a flagship product that is still relevant, can do complex effects chains and replace all kinds of other stuff.

There also doesn't seem to be a million 1st gen Axe-FX products for sale. I don't know how many they made- I suspect they made a lot more gen-2 units.

 

[JasonE]

I know someone that uses an Ultra for just the effects in his live rig. He doesn't use the modeling at all. These units will always be good for things like that. If you get your driven sounds from your amp, this thing using 4 cables will do all the rest. All you need to do is connect a MIDI controller to it and you are off and running.

 

[chrishurley]

I know someone that uses an Ultra for just the effects in his live rig. He doesn't use the modeling at all. These units will always be good for things like that. If you get your driven sounds from your amp, this thing using 4 cables will do all the rest. All you need to do is connect a MIDI controller to it and you are off and running.

Its also a great "force multiplier" if you have you base tones in your amp. EQ/Compressor before and/or after... I've never cared that much for drive pedals in general but I can use that tape distortion simulation in a lot of different ways.

wait, which side am I arguing?

These things are junk, people. Barely worth anything. You should send them to me and I will responsibly dispose of them for you and buy you a nice fast food dinner for your trouble...

 

[thumperjack]

I managed to get some nice reverb sounds out of it, but most of them incorporated a delay block to get there

could you elaborate on this