Axe-FX by Fractal Audio review (new high end guitar modeler/effects unit)

[camitchell]

.




I just wanted to give you guys a heads up on a new guitar processor called the Axe-Fx by a new company called Fractal Audio.


http://www.fractalaudio.com


I had been in the market for a new effects processor for my guitar rack and started hearing good things about it from a few people I trust. I bought one of the early units last week and have been playing around with it the past few days.


This thing is the real deal. One of the appealing things to me was the overall quality of the components used in the design. The DSP in the unit does over 2 billion operations a second. It is extremely powerful. It is also easy to program and sounds great.


There is no preset lag while switching between presets which was very important as it will be used in my live rig.


Although it mainly seems to be marketed as a modeler, I bought it to use as a stereo effects rack. If the models sounded useable then that would be a bonus.


First off, The effects sound fantastic! Lots of depth, space and creaminess. The editing is very sensible and easy to do on the fly. It is the easiest to program rack effect I have ever owned..... but it does not seem to sacrifice in-depth editing ability for this ease of use. For this alone, it was a great buy as far as I'm concerned. All the effects have stereo outputs and you can pan things real time across the soundstage if you are playing in stereo. You can also pan effects hard left and right to have separate L/R signal chains. It is also possible to chain together many effects, with different routings and you can have at least two instances of each effect with the exception of the pitch shifter.


Almost all the parameters are midi controllable and you can hook up two expression pedals in the back. These are very easy to configure.


At first, I was skeptical of the amp models. I played it direct on the studio monitors and it sounded pretty good. There were a few presets that jumped out at me as sounding great .... but overall, it did not make think I would ever worry about giving up my tube amp.


After I got it hooked up in my rack, I tried the amp models again going direct into a Randall RT2/50 stereo power amp and two 1x12 cabs. I turned off the cab sims and all the effects so I could hear what these amp models would sound like dry, without anything covering them up.


Whoa!


After tweaking for about 5 minutes, I was getting pretty close to the 'brown' module of my MTS system. Extremely realistic. (My other modules are out being modded by David Friedman of Racksystems)


With my switching system, I could A/B directly back and forth between the Axe-FX and the Randall Modules and tweak them. This was with only a few minutes of tweaking. I was really shocked as I hate modelers.... and I mean I hate them.....but this thing can really deliver. This is so far beyond a Pod it's not even a comparison.


I've only had the unit a few days but I'm very happy with it. It's a new company and one of the things that attracted me was the designer posted this in response to a question posted on another NG. I don't think he'll mind if I re-post it here below .... but I thought it was very cool and I like the idea of supporting this kind of product and company.


Anyway, I know I am terrible at writing reviews and have probably not done this unit justice, but if anyone is interested.... the first few pages of the manual on the website is a worthwhile read. http://www.fractalaudio.com

ciao,

Craig


--------------------------------------------

Yes, the company is young. And we're a bit overwhelmed right now and trying to learn the whole marketing thing. I (as in my fault) didn't predict that the product would be so well received and now we're caught trying to meet demand. We don't outsource the manufacturing but many of the parts are built by CM's as is the case with most small-to-medium companies. Even most large companies now outsource their board production as it simply isn't cost-effective to maintain a surface-mount fab if you don't have the volume.

I started the company a few years ago after getting fed up with corporate America. I created all these cool products for this small sonar company in NH and the company took off, sales went up tenfold in five years. The company then got bought out by a large corporation and in thanks for everything I'd done they took away my bonus, eliminated my pension, froze my pay, reduced my benefits, made me punch a time-clock and cut my office in half.

So I quit, took my life savings and bought a bunch of test equipment, computers, software and various vintage amplifiers and set out to create the best modeler / effects unit I could because I thought the time was right and the tech was ready to do it right. I averaged over 100 hours a week for 3 1/2 years developing the Axe-Fx. I developed tendonitis from writing so much code. The unit has nearly 50,000 lines of software and countless hours of analysis that have gone into it. The modeling was done with painstaking detail.

If a unit needs service we would do that in-house. Once we get a dealer network that might change. Many distributors do repairs themselves.

The MSRP is $1495. Considering what you get, that's a deal. And that's really what we need to be charging based on our costs. We don't make thousands at a time so we don't get the volume discounts. And all the manufacturing is done domestically. If we had them made in China we could surely charge less. It's not a mass-market product. If it were it wouldn't sound as good because the accountants would be pressuring to reduce costs. We use top-of-the-line converters. Why? Because they sound better. The op-amps cost 10x what other companies would use. But they sound good.

I do it because I love it. I'm not in it to make a killing and then disappear. My fiance' and I live a very modest lifestyle and aren't into the whole material possesions thing. Fractal Audio is a way for me to do what I love and make a modest living. For me happiness is creating something and witnessing the satisfaction others derive from it. I simply don't want to compete with the big guys because that means selling an inferior product. The Axe-Fx is what I as a guitarist have always wanted. I use it in my crappy little cover band and I have a blast with it and get tons of compliments on my tone.

I hope this has answered your questions.

CC

http://www.fractalaudio.com

[PapillonIrl]

Bump....


Very interested in this unit, for both it's effects and it's possibilities for reamping etc.

Nathan

[tubedude]

I listened to the samples, and thought it sounded really good.
I posted for some remarks about it at HR, and a few people seem to think its not all that great. I think it practically sounds finished on some of those samples, I can picture drums and vocals in it just sitting there perfectly.

What I'm wondering is if those are cab simulations or actual speakers with a mic on them. They sound like cabs moving a little air. If its a sim, its good. I might fire them an email and ask.

[PapillonIrl]

Originally Posted by tubedude

I listened to the samples, and thought it sounded really good.
I posted for some remarks about it at HR, and a few people seem to think its not all that great. I think it practically sounds finished on some of those samples, I can picture drums and vocals in it just sitting there perfectly.

What I'm wondering is if those are cab simulations or actual speakers with a mic on them. They sound like cabs moving a little air. If its a sim, its good. I might fire them an email and ask.

I think they are all direct, would like to know for sure though.

Apparantly the last clip (demo song) is recorded direct, and that does sound quite impressive, if a bit OTT.

A search didn't turn up anything at HR...do you have a link ?

Cheers,

Nathan

[tubedude]

http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=220457

[camitchell]

Originally Posted by PapillonIrl

Bump....


Very interested in this unit, for both it's effects and it's possibilities for reamping etc.

Nathan

It really is a impressive sounding effects unit. I would say it's along the lines of Eventide, Lexicon, Ensoniq and Kurweil as far as the level of sound quality. It blows away about 90% of the plug-ins out there as well.

The audio clips on the website really do not do the unit justice.

As far as effects, I was told today that new firmware was forthcoming and would include the following....

------------------------------------------------

The new firmware combines the two Quadtap delays into one big "Multi-Delay" block. The multi-delay will have four types of effects: quadtap, four-plex, eight-plex and banddelay. The effects are all designed primarily for rhythmic purposes. You can do really wild things too. Great for special effects and soundtrack applications. I'm still trying to fit a couple other effects in the block like quad-shifter delays etc.

Also, the new firmware upgrades the panner to a surround panner. The current panner is really just a balance control with an LFO attached to it. The new panner is a true surround panner capable of independent L/R panning. You can pan beyond the stereo field by up to 400%. Works nice in a parallel routing for panning delays around. So you can play and the delays will swirl around in the stereo field.

Some other minor improvements. The filter blocks now have a right-channel offset control so you can have different frequencies left and right.


-------------------------------------------------


Anyway, it's a great unit. I'm really enjoying it.

ciao,

Craig

[tubedude]

When I make it bacl down to Epcot you should let me come check it out.

They did say all samples were direct out into the recorder. NO actual cabs.

Make some samples of dirty and semi dirty doubled guitars and post them up. Very interested.

The site says that its even made with film parts instead of cheapo stuff. Seems very nice. Sounds like a good piece.

[camitchell]

.

Here is thread with some more info.....

http://www.hugeracksinc.com/board/vi...=286268#286268

[u b k]

Originally Posted by tubedude

I think it practically sounds finished on some of those samples, I can picture drums and vocals in it just sitting there perfectly.

therein lays the rub... until you get other sounds in there, it's anybody's guess how the sounds will behave, whether they blend, whether they 'sit.' sometimes the pod can produce a sound which is very cool when solo'd, but try to get it to play a role in a mix and it won't play ball. sits on top, hides below deck, pokes out in all the wrong ways.

i'm no purist, if something works i'm all for it. i'd like to hear some full mixes (including vocals, the ultimate test) with this unit's tones.


gregoire
del
ubk
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[tubedude]

There is somewhat of a demo song on there. The guitars sound pretty damned nice. I gotta say this thing could be a lifesaver when people bring in crappy amps (often)
Sounds pretty good, doesnt it?

[camitchell]

Originally Posted by u b i k

therein lays the rub... until you get other sounds in there, it's anybody's guess how the sounds will behave, whether they blend, whether they 'sit.' sometimes the pod can produce a sound which is very cool when solo'd, but try to get it to play a role in a mix and it won't play ball. sits on top, hides below deck, pokes out in all the wrong ways.

i'm no purist, if something works i'm all for it. i'd like to hear some full mixes (including vocals, the ultimate test) with this unit's tones.


gregoire
del
ubk
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Don't forget the amp models are only half the story on this unit. It is a great stereo effects unit. I think anyone looking at a Eclipse or GForce unit for a live guitar rig would be wise to consider this as well.


The Eventide Eclipse has a lag between presets (and who uses an Eclipse to it's full programming potential anyway? At least in a guitar rig)


The Gforce, while very popular, has always sounded a bit sterile to me soundwise.


YMMV


As for me, I'm becoming more impressed with the amp models as I go...... but I'll play with it for a month or so before I make any more comments on that that.


I've got a Kurzweil Rumour that has the same alogos as the KSP8 and the Axe -FX is right there soundwise. It really is a great unit and I think alot of guitarists have ben waiting for something like this to come along.


.

[camitchell]

There's a new firmware upgrade coming out very soon:

- MIDI Clock Sync
- Panner upgraded to surround panner
- Four new sub-effects for Multitap (now renamed MultiDelay) block: PlexDelay, PlexDetune, PlexShift and BandDelay
- LFO in MultiDelay block now allows for ensemble effects on the delays
- Scale and Offset parameters for modifiers for easier parameter control
- Right frequency offset control for Filter blocks allowing separate L/R freqs
- MIDI input buffering allows CC messages during preset change interval
- Master Pitch control for Pitch and MultiDelay blocks (so you can do crazy pitch sweeping effects)
- Drive tone control now modifiable
- Uh, some other stuff I can't remember


Here's sample clip of the PlexShift and Surround Panner (plus a bunch of other effects)

www.fractalaudio.com/temp/spaceswell.mp3



.

[Mario-C.]

bump ... anyone knows what's the sample rate on this fx unit ?

[camitchell]

Originally Posted by Mario-C.

bump ... anyone knows what's the sample rate on this fx unit ?

Digital I/O is 24 bit/48khz


Internally The Axe Fx uses 32 bit floating point numbers.


I just installed the new firmware the other day and the new effects are stellar. Really fantastic sounding! This was a very impressive upgrade considering the unit has been out maybe a month or two. I keep wondering what this unit might be capable of 6 months from now at this rate....


Cliff, the designer, is taking user feedback and rolling it right into the unit. Very impressive customer support. I continue to be impressed with it. I think one of the best things is that editing is so user friendly, it is very easy to start doing in-depth editing right away. It encourages experimentation.


Hope this helps!

.

[Mario-C.]

yes it does, thanks !

so is it safe to assume the analog I/O's are also 24 bit 48khz ?

I'm reading the manual right now, some things remind me a lot of the TC G-force but it also seems to bring new ideas to the table, the dynamic modeling instead of static sounds intriguing !

(nice samples by the way)

[camitchell]

Originally Posted by Mario-C.

yes it does, thanks !

so is it safe to assume the analog I/O's are also 24 bit 48khz ?

I'm reading the manual right now, some things remind me a lot of the TC G-force but it also seems to bring new ideas to the table, the dynamic modeling instead of static sounds intriguing !

(nice samples by the way)

That would be correct. Analog I/O's are also 24 bit 48khz.

It is just a great unit.

[Frederick Russ]

Okay so I'm three and a half years late replying to this thread. Its still as significant now as it was then. But absolutely agree - AXE-FX and Ultra are probably the hottest thing happening for guitar tone in a very long time. My bud mentioned that his guitar friend owns 30 guitar amps, 100 pedals and 40 guitars and is now using the AXE-FX exclusively for the last three months and is totally happy. There is a harmonic richness in the tone that is reminiscent of the early 70s Marshall and Orange Lead heads. The tone is superb and is perfect for studio work.

[Energie]

I would be interested in picking up a second hand unit. Looks pretty neat. Better the amplitube 2?????

[camitchell]

Yeah, I've upgraded to the Axe-FX ULTRA and it is just amazing. I think a lot of people are going to be blown away with what this thing can do when they get chance to play with one in person.

[laser]

I have the ULTRA, Eventide Orville and Eclipse.

The Amp Sims on the AXE-FX are better than anything out there, which is not to say they are great. I was surprised at how good the cleans were--very usable.

The distortion patches kill the Pod, but don't come close to my Fuch TDS. The distortion patches are flexible and with a lot of tweaking can be usable, but if you like great distortion (and who doesn't? ), it isn't going to replace your favorite tube amp.

For FX, the ULTRA has a tremendous amount of versatility. It sounds better than the G-Force, G-Major and D-Two, equal to a 1210 Chorus and not quite as good as the 2290 delay. It sounds as good as the Eclipse when the Eclipse's sample rate is at 48kHz (I can dial in exactly what I want with the AXE-FX, but the Eclipse complex patches have more of a "wow" factor), but not as good as the Eclipse at 96kHz. It should be noted that the Eclipse can not be used live at 96kHz and is a pain to use live at 48kHz. Neither the Eclipse nor the AXE-FX can match the Orville for sonics and FX: The Orville is a tremendous FX box I use in my studio.

In summary, the clean amp sims are good. Distortion sims are usable if you're not too picky (I am, though) and the FX give you near-Eventide quality with the easy functionality/programability of a TC G-Force. The patches on the ULTRA are infinitely tweakable (a blessing and a curse), the patch changes are seemless and the programming intuitive.

Because it is such a good "live" box vs. the Eventide, I've transferred the Eclipse to the studio and made the AXE-FX an integral part of my setup.

Laser

[qsblues]

I'm thinking I'm a few years late on the uptake of this thing. I've heard hushed whispers about it, never seen one, then forgot what the hell it was I was looking for. I stumbled upon a review on HC, and I am very interested in finding out the real deal on this thing.

Checked out the website...not that much info available, and I still came away with question marks. Then today, the new issue of GP shows up in my mailbox. According to these guys, the AXE-FX ULTRA is the mutt's nuts.

I want one.

I have a modest studio, but I am primarily a guitarist. Always in search of a good tone, and not enough space for the Fuchs TDS, VHT Sig:X, Diezel VH4S and a nice Plexi with all the cabs & whatnot. Forget about the effects ... my 2290 got stolen, along with my Boogie Triaxis, Simul 2:90 & all kinds of other stuff ... and I'm still crying about that.

So, WTF? Is it worth it? One last piece of humor ... currently I'm using a Pod XTLive.

Stop laughing.

Peace.

[tidepool]

Originally Posted by qsblues

I'm thinking I'm a few years late on the uptake of this thing.

So, WTF? Is it worth it? One last piece of humor ... currently I'm using a Pod XTLive.

Stop laughing.

Peace.

There's a pretty big thread on the Fractal at thegearpage.net.

Here's a good thread to start with:

Fractal Audio Axe-FX - this thing is a Monster - The Gear Page

Cheers

[nonamesleft]

sorry...have to resurrect this thread...

i just got an axe-fx ultra and holy freeking cow it is blowing my mind!!

I have recorded a lot of guitars...from metal to clean soft stuff...on good amps and bad...with good mics, pres, and comps/eq's. But i might no longer be doing that anymore. this thing sounds so absuredly good that i really don't need to plug it in, and i don't hardly even know how to use it yet!

it is a bit difficult to figure out, and i have a feeling i will still be trying to get it together months from now, but man it is absolutely incredible!!

i made a couple of clips while i was surfing the presets and decided to upload them for anyone wanting to listen to some of the crazy effects this thing has. *NOTE* - these are just presets and everything imaginable is able to be edited...even speakers, amps, mics, etc. Also, i suck at electric guitar (i play piano, bass, acoustic, and engineer for my studio) so don't laugh too much...haha

- Signal chain = Fender guitar (mexican strat that is bleh) into Axe-fx - into channels 1 and 2 of a Firepod - into cubase 4. No nice preamps used, no comps, no eq's cause i wanted to show how it sounds raw. of course it is mp3 but you get the idea...

[u b k]

still waitin' to hear this modeler carry a mix. *that's* when the true depth and harmonic density of sound show their faces.


gregoire
del
ubk
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[Beau777]

Originally Posted by u b k

still waitin' to hear this modeler carry a mix. *that's* when the true depth and harmonic density of sound show their faces.


gregoire
del
ubk
.

Same here.
I haven't tried the AX-FX but there is a thread a mile long on the Gearpage about it. I have no doubt it sounds good but.....I have tried many many ways to record direct and tried every ampsim plug out there but it never sits as well in any of my mixes, recorded with real instruments, the way a miked guitar cab does. These things can sound really good on their own but some how fall apart or just sound out of place on a finished recording. At least in my own experience with experimenting with direct recording guitar.
I do want to try an AxeFx some day though. I've been playing and recording guitar for 30 years and if a product comes along that kicks my ass, I'll gladly part with my amps.

[nonamesleft]

there are actually a ton of mixes out there that i have heard...which is what convinced me to give this a try. one band had a clip of their mix that had some of the most incredible metal guitar tones i have ever heard...real or modeled!

i can't remember the band's name (it was like "severed savior" or something), but they are not alone. the mixes with the axe-fx i have heard (8-10ish) have generally sounded better and more clear than those micing real amps playing similar material. I am very critical of modelers, or digital anything (i am a firm believer in dropping the plugs and getting hardware for the harmonic distortion from the tubes/transformers/opamps), but am quickly changing my mind about this unit. I seriously was about to buy a deizel einstein i had been demoing but thought i'd at least give this a shot...well it isn't going back.

do a search and see what you can find...the clips i heard (recent ones) were pretty outstanding.

[nonamesleft]

Originally Posted by Beau777

Same here.
I haven't tried the AX-FX but there is a thread a mile long on the Gearpage about it. I have no doubt it sounds good but.....I have tried many many ways to record direct and tried every ampsim plug out there but it never sits as well in any of my mixes, recorded with real instruments, the way a miked guitar cab does. These things can sound really good on their own but some how fall apart or just sound out of place on a finished recording. At least in my own experience with experimenting with direct recording guitar.
I do want to try an AxeFx some day though. I've been playing and recording guitar for 30 years and if a product comes along that kicks my ass, I'll gladly part with my amps.

that has been my experience as well...line6, ampfarm, etc...never happy with them in the end...hence why i wanted the diezel cause they sound better to my ears than any amp on this planet. it was literally an out of body experience...haha

[porieux]

I want to get one of these....even more so now that Dweezil Zappa is posting patches

The only thing I don't understand is why they can't include a $12 silent fan on a $2000 piece of equipment. Don't really feel like opening the thing up while it's still under warranty..but I hate noisy fans.

[RuffJazzRecords]

I own the Ultra it truly is amazing. I use it live with an FRFR system. I use it direct in the studio. amazing piece of gear. All my amps are sold. The one amp i kept my Fuchs ODS100. still covered. All my effects are being sold one by one. keeping a few vintage pieces for the hell of (old TS808). It is killer live as well. Soundmen cant beilieve it. Did a concert last night. he was stoked i was stoked.

[alexamk]

I own around 14 different amps, all very high end. Marshall handwired 59 plexi reissue, Bogner Shiva, Bogner Ecstacy, Rivera Knucklehead, Mesaboogie Tiaxis, Markl IV. Stilletto, Lonestar, etc. Recently I just went on a shopping spree, and ordered the Ultra version. While I was waiting for it to arrive, I started to have buyers remorse as I already have an amazing arsenal of guitar gear. I didn't cancel the order, the box arrived, I plugged it in completely wrong but still was very impressed. Ten minutes later I went thru the manual, and set it up properly....holy shit! I have to tell you I rarely ever get impressed anymore...and I was impressed. I seriously doubt that I will track with another amp ever again. I'm redoing my HD6 rig right now, but I did a small test stacking 16 guitar tracks thru the Ultra, and they were amazing. It was though as I could hear every track, didn't sound all mashed together like with a Pod or an amp modeler thru software. I know that for most people to shell out 2k now is really tough. However if your considering buying a really nice amp, stop and get one of these units. If I was starting all over again, this unit would be it for me.