If you were going to purchase a Kemper, AXEFX, or Synergy gear…

[VESmedic]

Speaking of Axe, is the III turbo that much better sounding than the II? I’ve owned the II and thought it sounded great but I ultimately sold it to fund for other stuff.

It’s a tremendous upgrade at this point in my opinion. Especially in the last 2 years or so of firmware upgrades. I don’t know how Cliff does it, but all those little idiosyncrasies we say are missing from modelers or digital etc, he finds a way to add them and make them all feel and sound like the real amp. The dude is a genius and a really, really knows what he’s doing I think and how to identify where certain things in an amps circuitry are the culprit of what we are hearing/feeling etc, and implementing that into the models. And then on top of that, you of course you can do all those tweaks yourself in there as well.


For instance, I bias a lot of my amps on the colder side for a number of reasons. I can do that in this, and I shit you not when I drop the bias on the Herbert model like I would on my real Herbert, the response, feel, and sound is exactly the same as I would expect with the real amp. Like, 100 percent the same. It’s crazy and I love the thing if you hadn’t noticed haha.

 

[Shask]

I have a Synergy system, Axe FX II, and FM3.

They are both great to be honest. The Synergy has that very punchy, quick response feel, and you can basically do anything on the Fractal.

However, I will say they are both best when plugging them through a big ass tube power amp and guitar cab. Put them on a level playing field. The Fractal always loses when I am trying to make it sound good through studio monitors.

I was never really interested in Kemper or ToneX. I want to tweak in my town, rather than play download-merry-go-round on the internet.

 

[japetus]

I have a Synergy system, Axe FX II, and FM3.

They are both great to be honest. The Synergy has that very punchy, quick response feel, and you can basically do anything on the Fractal.

However, I will say they are both best when plugging them through a big ass tube power amp and guitar cab. Put them on a level playing field. The Fractal always loses when I am trying to make it sound good through studio monitors.

I was never really interested in Kemper or ToneX. I want to tweak in my town, rather than play download-merry-go-round on the internet.

OG SS Posse real life

 

[tallcoolone]

However, I will say they are both best when plugging them through a big ass tube power amp and guitar cab. Put them on a level playing field. The Fractal always loses when I am trying to make it sound good through studio monitors.

I think the Fractal sounds fantastic but I tried the AXE—>power amp—>guitar cab route for a bit and didn’t like it at all. Again, I have zero experience with the Synergy stuff but isn’t that just an amp essentially? These two things seem like completely different tools. I guess they are alike in the fact that they both can emulate different amps but they do it in completely different ways. Can the Synergy boxes go direct to FOH?

 

[Chunkomunk]

I am using an FM3 now after years of avoiding it. I had a Kemper, 2 line 6 stomps, Quad Cortex. Now I'm down to just an FM3. Even sold all my amps cause at the moment I'm using a KSR PA50 when I want to use a cab. I played it against my other amps and could pretty much replicate any of the tones I got from them between tweaking the PA50 or the FM3.

I thought it was pretty much perfect then I installed the firmware 8 and it got even better. I'm also using some IR's from JZIR for certain album tones and it gets pretty freaking close with stock amp block settings. I have IR's that recreate my favorite bands like carcass, bolt thrower, death, anthrax, megalithic, slayer, mastodon, etc. It's been so much fun using the pitch shifter to change tunings, wah, amp block, cab block, maybe reverb or delay for leads but when I'm feeling adventurous I can dial up other effects. It's killed most of my g.a.s. for amps.

I just got the little tonex pedal today so I'm looking forward to trying it out for stuff where I don't have a model.

Having said all that, there is no one size fits all and I honestly think whatever you choose, allow yourself a few weeks with it before you make your decision. Reach out to knowledgeable people cause honestly I don't think you can go wrong if you know how to use it. Just a matter of what you are comfortable with.

 

[tallcoolone]

Having said all that, there is no one size fits all and I honestly think whatever you choose, allow yourself a few weeks with it before you make your decision.

Troof

 

[Shask]

I think the Fractal sounds fantastic but I tried the AXE—>power amp—>guitar cab route for a bit and didn’t like it at all. Again, I have zero experience with the Synergy stuff but isn’t that just an amp essentially? These two things seem like completely different tools. I guess they are alike in the fact that they both can emulate different amps but they do it in completely different ways. Can the Synergy boxes go direct to FOH?

I just think once you run anything through an IR and try to play it into a full range system you kill the enjoyment factor of playing.

 

[TheGreatGreen]

If I was going to go with a modeler, I'd go with a Fractal Axe-Fx III and it's not even close. What the people at Fractal are doing is just above and beyond what anybody else is doing by a pretty wide margin.

edit: to clarify, I bought an Axe-Fx Ultra when it came out, an Axe-Fx II when it came out, and and Axe-Fx III when it came out, which I still have today. I've tried other modelers and while some are cool, I don't think there's anything that touches the Fractal stuff.

 

[tallcoolone]

I just think once you run anything through an IR and try to play it into a full range system you kill the enjoyment factor of playing.

Ah, two diff conversations same person! Sorry—yup 1000% it’s something you need to get used to. It’s kind of like using a stage monitor—not close to a guitar cab

 

[roodboy]

If getting a fractal get the current tech
fm 3 used is @ same price as axe fx 2 its a no brainer

 

[Shask]

Ah, two diff conversations same person! Sorry—yup 1000% it’s something you need to get used to. It’s kind of like using a stage monitor—not close to a guitar cab

I have a set of 6.5" studio monitors with a 10" sub. I try and try, lol. I can get some good sounds, but it always sounds like a recording of an amp, instead of like an actual amp. That always bugs the crap out of me.

 

[tallcoolone]

I have a set of 6.5" studio monitors with a 10" sub. I try and try, lol. I can get some good sounds, but it always sounds like a recording of an amp, instead of like an actual amp. That always bugs the crap out of me.

Yeah I get it. That's why when I moved back into a situation where I had no space or volume constraints I sold the modelers and went back to amps/cabs. But I did really enjoy both the AXE and the Helix--they got me through a 2yr city apartment stretch. If I was doing big tours or recording I'd have another AXE in a second.

 

[Shask]

Yeah I get it. That's why when I moved back into a situation where I had no space or volume constraints I sold the modelers and went back to amps/cabs. But I did really enjoy both the AXE and the Helix--they got me through a 2yr city apartment stretch. If I was doing big tours or recording I'd have another AXE in a second.

I go back and forth. In my office I have a big stereo tube rack / head / pedal setup I switch stuff around in, and on the other side of the room I have my computer and studio monitor setup. In the basement I have tube heads and a few cabs. I dont really have volume constraints, but dont want to give myself headaches from volume, lol.

I just switch it up all the time. I think half of the fun is just messing with stuff. I have built around 100 pedals. I have modified nearly every tube amp I own in some way. I have 6 different rack effects units I switch between.

 

[tallcoolone]

I go back and forth. In my office I have a big stereo tube rack / head / pedal setup I switch stuff around in, and on the other side of the room I have my computer and studio monitor setup. In the basement I have tube heads and a few cabs. I dont really have volume constraints, but dont want to give myself headaches from volume, lol.

I just switch it up all the time. I think half of the fun is just messing with stuff. I have built around 100 pedals. I have modified nearly every tube amp I own in some way. I have 6 different rack effects units I switch between.

Nice. A man needs a passion

 

[JerEvil]

Synergy if you’re not fusing infant get a shitty power amp.

 

[Shask]

Nice. A man needs a passion

Why pick one restaurant when you could have a buffet. lol.

 

[Fusionbear]

I love my tube amps but the FM9T has been an amazing tool for my cover band. And it is simple.

This is my rig:

I feed one of the outputs to FOH.... and the other to my QSC CP12 and it has plenty of power and oomph....

There is a cool guitarist that also plays in a cover band at this same bar and is a tube amp only guy. He was blown away by the tone and was convinced I hid my tube amp under the stage. He couldn't believe it....

 

[glpg80]

Synergy is the way I’d go.

 

[gibsonash]

The best of both worlds : Synergy + FM9 4cm

 

[errrrrl]

Synergy and if you want some digital shit grab a couple of Neural plugins, shit aint bad.