Looking for Cab & power amp for Axe-FX

[Doughboy]

I had a Kemper for a week or so a few years ago, but didn't like the tone & lack of real amp feel, but I want to take the plunge & set up an Axe-Fx rig.

What do you Axe Fx guys suggest for a cab & power amp to simulate the feel of a real amp?

 

[romanianreaper]

I had a Matrix-1000 and that thing was perfect with the Axe-Fx in my opinion. I used Marshall cabs with mine but others might have better suggestions.

Just keep in mind that there are a lot of varying opinions when it comes to the tones if you are using cab sims or just using the actual cab.

 

[Ventura]

I had a Kemper for a week or so a few years ago, but didn't like the tone & lack of real amp feel, but I want to take the plunge & set up an Axe-Fx rig.

What do you Axe Fx guys suggest for a cab & power amp to simulate the feel of a real amp?

My experience stops after attempts with the original, ultra, then the Axe-FXII... I tried several poweramp/cab setups. The best "overall" was the Fryette 2/90/2 (I opted for the KT88 loaded poweramp as it's the most transparent tube at non-pushed volumes) and a Fryette D412 cab loaded with stock P50E speakers. It was decent. Okay. But then I felt gipped I wasn't getting all the cab IRs to use. Never felt like an amp/cab rig, never gave me that "amp in the room" feel.

Eventually I went for the Atomic CLR Active wedges. They were sums better - like, incredibly better. The best combo I'd used. But inevitably? I dumped the AFX2, kept the CLRs, kept the D412, and sold the 2/90/2. The lack of "in the room" feel was just completely uninspiring and sterile. As soon as I plugged into a real amp/cab, it was just a road I couldn't back out of...again.

YMMV, but if you need to do the modeller thing, active FRFR monitors is the best you'll get IMHO.

 

[stratjacket]

I have the Mission Engineering Gemini II. It's pricey, but it's a real 2x12 cab and good in the room. It's also stereo or mono, which pairs really well with the Axe-Fx or any modeler. It works really well, although I actually just use Studio Monitors 99% of the time, the monitors are larger midfield type Adam A77X and an Adam sub.

There are many great options though, Atomic stuff is great, Friedman is supposed to pretty good too.

 

[RandyVanMartini]

As Ventura already pointed out, I think you'd be hard pressed to find anything better sounding to play an AxeIII through, than a pair of CLR active wedges. Now, depending on if this is for home use or gigging, I think there is an even better set up if it's just for home, and you don't have to move it.... and that would be BOTH! I have a W\D\W rig set up in the AxeFx, that sends one amp model with cab modeling and stereo effects to the CLRs, and then a dry amp model, without cab modeling to a Matrix amp and 4x12 in the center. This set up is just frickn huge sounding, and the way to go if you don't have to move it, IMHO.

 

[Doughboy]

Thanks for the info guys.

The thing that scares me is that I will spend all this money on an AxeIII, cab & power amp & then it will sound too fake & especially not feel like an amp. I'm BIG on feel & that's why I returned my Kemper. it felt too sterile & fake.

Having said all this, there are some amazing sounding videos of the AxeIII, especially mark Day's clips that are nudging me towards taking the jump.

 

[stratjacket]

Thanks for the info guys.

The thing that scares me is that I will spend all this money on an AxeIII, cab & power amp & then it will sound too fake & especially not feel like an amp. I'm BIG on feel & that's why I returned my Kemper. it felt too sterile & fake.

Having said all this, there are some amazing sounding videos of the AxeIII, especially mark Day's clips that are nudging me towards taking the jump.

At least if you buy used, if you don't like it you can probably flip it for the price you paid. Maybe you're out a little or shipping cost. I don't think you'd need to be worries about the price dropping any time soon on a III. Probably worth the price of testing anyway.

 

[RandyVanMartini]

Thanks for the info guys.

The thing that scares me is that I will spend all this money on an AxeIII, cab & power amp & then it will sound too fake & especially not feel like an amp. I'm BIG on feel & that's why I returned my Kemper. it felt too sterile & fake.

Having said all this, there are some amazing sounding videos of the AxeIII, especially mark Day's clips that are nudging me towards taking the jump.

Bottom line is this...if you’re looking for 100% amp in the room sound from it, you’re going to be disappointed. If you go into it knowing it’s going to sound alot like a miced speaker.... then prepare to be amazed! Simple as that.

 

[mnemonic]

I’ve tried FRFR (but not expensive FRFR), tube power amp and cab, and solidstate power amp and cab. I think the best solution is solidstate power amp and guitar cab.

With FRFR I just kinda felt disconnected, and it wasn’t as chunky or dynamic. Also I spent more time flipping thorough impulses than anything else. I can see the benefits if you’re gigging and want to send a signal to FOH, but it just wasn’t for me.

Tube power amp can sound cool but it depends on the power amp. I’ve used amp FX returns and my 2/50/2 rack power amp. The 2/50/2 is the best tube power amp I’ve tried with it as it is the most neutral, but it takes some fiddling to get it to sound its best. Into an amp, especially something like a Mesa that has a very coloured sounding power amp, I didn’t like it as much. For instance into my recto’s power amp it sounded great, but every patch sounded like a Recto. And if I want that I’ll just play the Recto.

Solidstate power amp and guitar cab was then the best fit for me. I can use the full amp models (no need to disable power amp sims for some/all amps), no weird eq to make up for the shortcomings or whatever power amp I’m using, and no need to mess around with impulses.

I don’t have an axe FX iii, but I have a II, and the most recent (and last) firmware update included some of the new ‘breakthroughs’ from the iii that have greatly improved the feel. Comparing it to my tube amps I don’t really feel it’s lacking anything now, as I did in the past. Though maybe my feelings will change in the coming months if I start noticing more about the sounds.

Personally I’ve never really been a big fan of the overdrive pedal models in the axe FX ii, so I still have a few real boost pedals on a pedalboard I plug into whatever amp I’m using (including the axe FX). The III has had all the boosts reworked though so maybe they sound good now.

One thing I’ll say is if you’re used to amps and new to modelers, it’s gonna feel like driving a spaceship at first. There’s a learning curve to setting up patches, tweaking things, etc. There’s also the requirement of self control to avoid trying to use every amp model, or trying to use too many effects, or mess with too many advanced parameters that you can’t do in real life. I was 100% axe FX for a long time before I got some amps and now I can use whichever I prefer at any given time. It was a totally different workflow since I was used to messing with advanced settings or dropping EQ’s wherever, which I can’t do in real life with a tube amp. Kind of a reverse if going from amps to axe FX, just gotta try not to be overwhelmed.

 

[ClintN667]

I dont know man. When you go through a cab it colors the profile a lot more than I think people give credit to it. I had a Kemper and I went through a Carvin EL34 Tube power amp to an Orange 2x12 with V30's. Then I tried a Headrush FRFR. With the FRFR I could tell the difference between the amps but really they still sound relatively the same, with the Orange cab and power amp almost everything sounded the same with different eq and gain settings. Besides the fact that I was always changing up profiles instead of playing most everything sounded very close to each other. I had some profiles of some high end amps that if I were to believe the profile then I wouldn't like the amp or couldn't justify paying 3500 for the amp if I were to buy it. I would hope that a Friedman Butterslax can sound way different than a boosted JCM. I traded my Kemper for a Splawn Quick Rod and Nitro while the Kemper is 95%-98% of the amps sound those 2-5% are a huge difference. It's like eating Vanilla ice cream when you are expecting French Vanilla. It taste like it but not exactly. Or maybe like hearing a recording of a concert instead of actually being there.

But I haven't played Fractal or Line 6's products but since I've came back to amps I've been much happier but YMMV. Digital even if it nails the sound of an amp it's still going to miss the amps personality and personality goes a long way(at least thats what I tell myself). With a tube power amp and cab I was able to get close but not close enough.

 

[fek]

Metallica uses the Matrix power amps. One of their rig tours shows their techs talking about how they really come alive once you get the volume up over 1:00 or 2:00. Then James has a cab onstage for himself.

 

[Doughboy]

Metallica uses the Matrix power amps. One of their rig tours shows their techs talking about how they really come alive once you get the volume up over 1:00 or 2:00. Then James has a cab onstage for himself.

From looking online, the Matrix FR212 looks to be the best bet for the Axe FX.

Looks cool too.

 

[rm5153]

I agree the Matrix power amps are the way to go. Like many I have owned Fractal gear for years. I never gelled with the IRs and FRFR cabinets even though I owned Matrix, Friedman and Xitone. To me the Xitones were the most real cab sounding of them all. I experimented with FRFR cabs running IRs and a middle traditional 412 with no IRs for a true WDW setup. In the end I just ended up using a Matrix poweramp and my favorite tried and true traditional 412 and stopped fighting with the library of 20,000 IR responses. KISS....keep it simple stupid!

Again with this set up it still sounds "refined" but in the same regards so does my real Friedman BE100.

Good luck as the rabbits hole is deep. You have to dive in and find out for yourself.

 

[4406cuda]

Fryette Power Station and Speaker cab of your choice.

FRFR did not sound great to me.

 

[stratjacket]

One thing to keep in mind is with FRFR, you're hearing the final output of a complete rig including a Power amp, Cab IR and the mic'd up up output. So that's not really going to match the "sound of the room" 4x12 guitar cabinet. It more matches how it would sound as a final recording. Some things like the Matrix cab above and the Mission Engineering 2x12 FRFR cabs can get close to the in-the-room vibe though.

Here is a video I made a few years ago demo'ing the flexibility of a pedalboard, but the sound is just the camera in the room with the Mission Engineering Gemini II.

Skip to the 30 second mark: