New modeler day

[RevDrucifer]

Oh yeah, and if you find a high gain tone a bit too flubby, check the Master Volume. I personally think the MV’s head into poweramp distortion a bit earlier than I’ve experienced with the real counterparts, but I was also very rarely able to crank a Mark IV or Dual Rec up that loud and ultimately, I’m going to trust the dude who actually knows his shit more than myself, but for the majority of high gain amps I keep the MV’s under 3. I don’t think I have a Mesa with the MV higher than 2.5

 

[ClintN667]

I haven't even started checking out presets from the axe exchange. Going to try it with my Atla as an effects processor and in the return of the loop.

 

[acceptance]

Oh yeah, and if you find a high gain tone a bit too flubby, check the Master Volume. I personally think the MV’s head into poweramp distortion a bit earlier than I’ve experienced with the real counterparts, but I was also very rarely able to crank a Mark IV or Dual Rec up that loud and ultimately, I’m going to trust the dude who actually knows his shit more than myself, but for the majority of high gain amps I keep the MV’s under 3. I don’t think I have a Mesa with the MV higher than 2.5

What's your opinion on a 2203 circuit?

 

[Shask]

I must be the odd one because I have not loved Dynacabs. I think the Ultra-Res cabs sound way better, and the Dynacabs don't run in Ultra-Res mode on the FM3.

I am curious to see if the new Cab Lab 4 can mix Ultra- Res Dynacabs and load into the FM3 that way.

 

[RevDrucifer]

What's your opinion on a 2203 circuit?

Love ‘em. But what makes the magic happen in a 2203 with both pre/power distortion just sounds like a pile of ass on something like a Dual Rec or 5150. I mean, I'm sure it'd sound fucking great in a stoner/sludge metal band, but for tight chugga chugga shit that ain't my bag.

 

[RevDrucifer]

I haven't even started checking out presets from the axe exchange. Going to try it with my Atla as an effects processor and in the return of the loop.

Honestly, I wouldn't bother much in the AxeExchange unless there's something specific you're looking for. I tend to raise my eyebrows in a "WTF?" kinda way when I download stuff there.

I did, however, buy Austin Buddy's LiveGold pack and it's been really useful, mainy for things like this-

Every amp is organized with a good sounding cab. It was basically like hiring someone to walk into a studio decked out with every amp and every cab and having them organize it for me. I don't need help dialing shit in, but when I'm in the middle of tracking and I just want "A Fender tone" and can go grab a Fender from the list, tweak for 2 seconds, record and move on, it's a blessing. Otherwise I'd be sitting there looking for the perfect IR or getting lost in Fender tones.

 

[Shask]

Oh yeah, and if you find a high gain tone a bit too flubby, check the Master Volume. I personally think the MV’s head into poweramp distortion a bit earlier than I’ve experienced with the real counterparts, but I was also very rarely able to crank a Mark IV or Dual Rec up that loud and ultimately, I’m going to trust the dude who actually knows his shit more than myself, but for the majority of high gain amps I keep the MV’s under 3. I don’t think I have a Mesa with the MV higher than 2.5

Definitely. Something that took me years to learn on my Axe II. Master Volume never over like 2.5 for high gain tight metal.

 

[jchrisf]

What's your opinion on a 2203 circuit?

I can't tell the difference between the Fractal 800 and my 2204. They sound identical with the Fractal 800 really sounding better because of all the effects I can program into it.

 

[RevDrucifer]

Oh yeah, ignore everything I said about Master Volumes when it comes to the Splawn Nitro. I continuously forget how much I love that model, I was tracking with it last night, Drive is on 3.75 with the MV around 5, Input boost slamming the front end a little harder. Jesus that thing is ridiculous.

 

[Crunchity]

Oh yeah, ignore everything I said about Master Volumes when it comes to the Splawn Nitro. I continuously forget how much I love that model, I was tracking with it last night, Drive is on 3.75 with the MV around 5, Input boost slamming the front end a little harder. Jesus that thing is ridiculous.

Agreed about the Nitro! Has something special about it and don't laugh, but I honestly think some models improve on their real life counterpart and this is one of them, at least in my experience and in a full mix setting (I owned a Splawn QR for years but never fully loved it for recording lead work, just wasn't touch sensitive enough, too stiff, etc, yet the Fractal version remedies some things and I love it now lol, go figure).

This is the Axe FXIII Nitro (I've shared this one here but don't recall mentioning what I actually used)...

 

[RevDrucifer]

Agreed about the Nitro! Has something special about it and don't laugh, but I honestly think some models improve on their real life counterpart and this is one of them, at least in my experience and in a full mix setting (I owned a Splawn QR for years but never fully loved it for recording lead work, just wasn't touch sensitive enough, too stiff, etc, yet the Fractal version remedies some things and I love it now lol, go figure).

This is the Axe FXIII Nitro (I've shared this one here but don't recall mentioning what I actually used)...

Damn, dude! Great playing and tones!!!

And yeah, the “improve on the real life counterpart” thing is touchy ground for some But if you look at it from the perspective of “I’ve got this killer amp, it’s 95% perfect” and being able to address that specific 5%, I wouldn’t think it’s as offensive as some may find the concept.

Perfect case in point, for years I went between Dual Recs and 5150s, I’d fight the low end flub of the Dual Rec until I got sick of it and went to a 5150 and then I’d miss the Dual Rec, rinse and repeat. Now I got all the Dual Rec action in the world without that little low end flub I was always trying to escape previously, especially with the 3-channel DR’s.

 

[Crunchity]

Damn, dude! Great playing and tones!!!

And yeah, the “improve on the real life counterpart” thing is touchy ground for some But if you look at it from the perspective of “I’ve got this killer amp, it’s 95% perfect” and being able to address that specific 5%, I wouldn’t think it’s as offensive as some may find the concept.

Perfect case in point, for years I went between Dual Recs and 5150s, I’d fight the low end flub of the Dual Rec until I got sick of it and went to a 5150 and then I’d miss the Dual Rec, rinse and repeat. Now I got all the Dual Rec action in the world without that little low end flub I was always trying to escape previously, especially with the 3-channel DR’s.

Thanks! Your clips always sound great too and it's especially helpful when you share tips like above for us noobs.

I agree about being mighty close to the real thing and honestly, in a mix setting you'd probably never hear that little bit anyway (IMO). At the end of the day I just want to make music and have a tone/sound that is farily legit and something to be proud of when looking back on my stuff, I'm not trying to convince folks one way or another about gear, ya know?! This is not my quote (found on the Fractal board) but it may as well be because it's where I'm at with that whole debate too (tube vs digital)...

"Just go make music. I'd wager of the thousands of different things that might truly be holding you back in your creative endeavors, the quality of the AD/DA converters in the Axe FX is about as close to dead last in that list as you can possibly get."

 

[chumbucket]

I can't tell the difference between the Fractal 800 and my 2204. They sound identical with the Fractal 800 really sounding better because of all the effects I can program into it.

I found this as well with a modded Super Lead that I have. I would use it loaded down into the AxeFx for post effects and then when I substituted an amp block, I couldn't tell the difference between the two except for that the Fractal model had less noise and it didn't heat up my little practice room.

 

[ClintN667]

Honestly, I wouldn't bother much in the AxeExchange unless there's something specific you're looking for. I tend to raise my eyebrows in a "WTF?" kinda way when I download stuff there.

I did, however, buy Austin Buddy's LiveGold pack and it's been really useful, mainy for things like this-

View attachment 261918

Every amp is organized with a good sounding cab. It was basically like hiring someone to walk into a studio decked out with every amp and every cab and having them organize it for me. I don't need help dialing shit in, but when I'm in the middle of tracking and I just want "A Fender tone" and can go grab a Fender from the list, tweak for 2 seconds, record and move on, it's a blessing. Otherwise I'd be sitting there looking for the perfect IR or getting lost in Fender tones.

Yeah fuck the axe exchange based on the ones I downloaded. I tries about a dozen and hated half all but 1 or 2.

 

[RevDrucifer]

Yeah fuck the axe exchange based on the ones I downloaded. I tries about a dozen and hated half all but 1 or 2.

It’s the same reason the profiler thing never interested me, you’re just wading through a sea of presets made by people with entirely different monitoring setups and/or have no fucking clue what they’re doing.