Axe FX2 Vs. 6505+ for recording.

[ShadowAMD]

I suppose I'm getting lazy, but the sound of an Axe FX 2 is becoming more and more tempting.

What sounds the best recorded? An Axe FX or a 6505?

Convenience is definitely in favour of axe FX and bands like Periphery are avid users.

[dasnub]

Depends how much you like the 6505. One trick pony.

The axe fx is a 70 trick pony. Purists love to bash it. I personally love my ultra. For a person recording in a space that a) is imperfect acoustically and b) can't have a lot of noise, it's an ideal solution.

[ShadowAMD]

Originally Posted by dasnub

Depends how much you like the 6505. One trick pony.

The axe fx is a 70 trick pony. Purists love to bash it. I personally love my ultra. For a person recording in a space that a) is imperfect acoustically and b) can't have a lot of noise, it's an ideal solution.

Well if you can have a bit of noise and you do have a well treated room, what would you go for?

[maggotspawn]

Record them both. Best of both worlds.

[NEWTON IN ORBIT]

Get the 6505. At least there will be no surprises. You know a good tone can be had from it.

Also, not sure if it's a one trick pony, maybe like 3 or 4. For most projects, this can be enough.

The axe efx? Sure it will do a lot. Not crazy about amp sims myself. They are difficult for me to mix with other instruments that move air. Why? I have no idea.

They seem to work ok with drum machine stuff, but the minute you throw a real kit in the mix, they sound separate to me.

Everybody's got an opinion though.

john

[ShadowAMD]

Originally Posted by NEWTON IN ORBIT

Get the 6505. At least there will be no surprises. You know a good tone can be had from it.

Also, not sure if it's a one trick pony, maybe like 3 or 4. For most projects, this can be enough.

The axe efx? Sure it will do a lot. Not crazy about amp sims myself. They are difficult for me to mix with other instruments that move air. Why? I have no idea.

They seem to work ok with drum machine stuff, but the minute you throw a real kit in the mix, they sound separate to me.

Everybody's got an opinion though.

john

Also I have to think that the AXE FX cost's $3000, for that you could buy a Mesa rig..

Even a second hand Ultra, you are looking at $1300.

But I'll be honest with you, I'm getting tired of Mic'ing up amp's lol.. I know it's my job.. But I would easily say getting a professional sounding guitar recording, is one of the hardest most time consuming things..

[ShadowAMD]

Originally Posted by maggotspawn

Record them both. Best of both worlds.

They are a lot of money for what they are, the Axe FX would have to be better than my mesa for the price.

[maggotspawn]

Another suggestion is tracking with Overloud's TH-2. I believe there's a demo. Awesome sounding amp sim.

[ShadowAMD]

Originally Posted by maggotspawn

Another suggestion is tracking with Overloud's TH-2. I believe there's a demo. Awesome sounding amp sim.

Cool, I'll check it out thanks .

[flybeereligion]

In my experience sim amps tend to sound pretty good solo, though once you start trying to mix them in with other instruments they sound like mud. I've never recorded one though, this is just from being in bands and having a guitarist use one from time to time. Can't say I'm a fan.

[NEWTON IN ORBIT]

Originally Posted by ShadowAMD

Also I have to think that the AXE FX cost's $3000, for that you could buy a Mesa rig..

Even a second hand Ultra, you are looking at $1300.

But I'll be honest with you, I'm getting tired of Mic'ing up amp's lol.. I know it's my job.. But I would easily say getting a professional sounding guitar recording, is one of the hardest most time consuming things..

I feel like elec gtr is the easiest, and requires the least gear and room myself.

Drums? That separates the men from the whippersnappers IMO.

Bass too I guess sometimes. Getting it to sit in the mix can be a mofo with a bad player.

I guess it depends what tone you are trying to nail maybe on gtr.

Anyways...

Peace,
john

[ShadowAMD]

Originally Posted by NEWTON IN ORBIT

I feel like elec gtr is the easiest, and requires the least gear and room myself.

Drums? That separates the men from the whippersnappers IMO.

Bass too I guess sometimes. Getting it to sit in the mix can be a mofo with a bad player.

I guess it depends what tone you are trying to nail maybe on gtr.

Anyways...

Peace,
john

You see what do you mean by electric guitar? Rock / pop style electric guitar is a doddle.

Well I have a group in trying to sound like Periphery:

Periphery - Icarus Lives! - YouTube

They are great at what they do, but just trying to get that raw heaviness whilst it being super clean is difficult. Getting there though, I told the guitarist to try a new guitar with some passives.

But still I had to audition a few amps to get the tone (or near), we settled on renting an ENGL out. But I can't rent an amp out every time someone want's "that" tone.

Also I'm recording at home for my band stuff (When I have time), keep getting a bit of a weak signal for reasons unknown?

I have an SM57 and MD421 on two separate speakers, looked out for any phase issues.. got it dead centre about two inches away, moved it of axis till I found the tone I like.

Signal is at -18 on the way in and sounds fine like the thousand other time's I have mic'ed an amp up.

Then it get's in the DAW... AND GRR!! It don't sound right.

So I'm playing around with it again and again.. Then I just think why not buy an AXE FX LOL!?

It's trying to get a clean hi-fi sound out of amp's in metal, some time's it works other times it can go seriously wrong.

[dasnub]

One thing: I would advise against listening to the variety of axe fx haters who have never used the product for any substantial length of time. Like recording an amp, it takes knowledge and experience to dial in the recorded tone you want. Less time than micing up an amp, but it still takes some effort.

It is not an "amp sim" in the traditional sense. Fractal Audio has added a variety of features to the modeled amps that are not there in real life. Certain amps have EQs that have additional knobs where the original amp didn't, some allow control of parameters like presence that weren't originally there. In my opinion, the tonal flexible is vastly better than the actual amps.

[RiF]

I just digged out an old recording that I did using the ENGL model of my AxeFx Standard (sold it for a Dual Rectifier...). I recorded it without any cab models (cabinet IRs suck most of the time) and I simply applied the Metal T1 cabinet from Amplitube 3. Bang! That's one nice sound.

But mind that you need A LOT OF DISCIPLINE when you have an AxeFx. The myriad of parameters and amp/stomp/cab/fx/...-models and whatnot can make you tweak so much that you don't know that you already reached your favorite sound. It's so much easier to dial in a JCM800...

What really made me sell it were all those firmware updates. People liked them but I hated them. They changed the sound of nearly everything everytime, so all the tweaking started over and over again... arggghhh... I get confused with more than drive/low/mid/high/master.

[ShadowAMD]

Originally Posted by RiF

I just digged out an old recording that I did using the ENGL model of my AxeFx Standard (sold it for a Dual Rectifier...). I recorded it without any cab models (cabinet IRs suck most of the time) and I simply applied the Metal T1 cabinet from Amplitube 3. Bang! That's one nice sound.

But mind that you need A LOT OF DISCIPLINE when you have an AxeFx. The myriad of parameters and amp/stomp/cab/fx/...-models and whatnot can make you tweak so much that you don't know that you already reached your favorite sound. It's so much easier to dial in a JCM800...

What really made me sell it were all those firmware updates. People liked them but I hated them. They changed the sound of nearly everything everytime, so all the tweaking started over and over again... arggghhh... I get confused with more than drive/low/mid/high/master.

Well if it's going to take me longer to dial in the tone I want, than just micing up a guitar cab. It kinda makes this whole product (For Me) Pointless.. It's to try and speed up delivery..

Thank's for the advice