Californiaman Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 So... someone told me that U2's Edge and Metallica have dumped their road gear for Fractal Audio Axe FX II. What!?! They're running right into the unit and then into the board. I don't know. I'm old school, ya' know. What is this Fractal Audio Axe FX unit and whence did it come from? Fractal Audio AXE FX 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 The Kemper Profiler is even better, some bands are touring with it because of the convenience. With this unit, you actually feed the sound of your amplifier. some studios are using them too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 So, when will they be on stage with "Holographic" guitars, drums, and keyboards?!?! Right before they turn into Holograms, themselves, no doubt! BWWWAAAHHHAAAAHAAAA! I mean, how do we even know (for sure) they're actually playing?? It may be just a pre-recorded playback?! Sometimes, I really HATE "Technology," you know?! I think, it may be time for OLD CB, to retire to his ANALOG living room, and just "fade out!" All this Digital, virtual, processed, and computer driven world, is just too much, for this tiny OLD mind, and spirit, to deal with. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlSQAZEp3PA OLD, LUDDITE, ANALOG, CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtim Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 then what??................... air guitar soloing??? What a rip off!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Looks like Metallica used the AXE FX for the Antarctica gig they played, probably they needed something like that gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Bill Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 There was a band in my hometown that quit using amps back in the early 70s. I don't know why. They went directly "into the board" (so I was told). This is not a new idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Don't knock it til you try it. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I think if your sound is maxed out gain with active pickups and your clean sound is processed with chorus, why not? You also need some high end monitor system because there are no amps on stage. Personally, I would never be down with something like this, but to each his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awel Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I understand you guys and I WAS thinking the same ... until I try the one of my friend, this thing is amazing, so natural (if you don't add 10.000 effects on your base sounds of course), you can just select an amp and it really react to your attack, your touch, and, if turn the guitar volume down it cleans your sound as so with a tube amp. Thing is it is easyest to travel with a 4 units flight case than with 2 amps or a head and a 4X12. I was not into this until I try it but the price is as high as the performances :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibis Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I saw Think Floyd (awesome UK Floyd clones) touring with AXE FXII. Sounded perfect. I'm a dyed in the wool backline man but they impressed me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenKen Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 The future is now. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvar Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I'm pretty old school myself, but technology should be embraced somewhat- make it work for you- and make your life easier-before I got my Roland GR55, I had to carry 4 guitars, now, just 1, and it will do any guitar/amp combination you'd ever need. just think about it- not having to carry stacks of amps, getting the SAME sound night after night- hear what you want thru the monitors, no stage bleed on amps- My guys are half and half, but we make the tech stuff work for us- besides, the average patrons of where we play, don't know the difference anyway, and adding electric drums, you have complete control of the sound. The bar owner thinks you're too loud? no problem, just bring the master fader down! Arena acts don't even do a sound check anymore- it's a virtual soundcheck, recorded from the night b4- the same sound night after night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 " U2's Edge and Metallica have dumped their road gear for Fractal Audio Axe FX II." And no one was the wiser or even cared... until they were told. [lol] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Those Fractal units are about the best there is.. I recorded a few tracks with an Eleven Rack, not sure how those compare. I went in skeptical I would even want to keep the track and redo with an amp. I left wishing I had tracked more stuff with it. Like Rich says,, don't knock it till you try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 It's funny, The guitarist/purist in me cringes at this technology......I mean nothing is better than plugging straight into a rocking amp right? But the former guitar tech/roadie in me can really see the benefits of it........Smaller/lighter than amps, simpler set up, less trouble with room+stage variances, mic issues, etc...... Kind of like when a chain restaurant comes up with an entre....it is really good.....maybe not the absolute best, but really good and it can be replicated every night at every location in the chain..........That consistency is a huge thing for a touring musician. I'd still prefer straight into a nice tube amp, but then again, I'm in no danger of touring the world any time soon...lol. NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Well, in all seriousness (as opposed to my previous post), we've thought about doing pretty much the same thing. But, don't have access (yet) to that technology, to try out first, out here in the "Sticks!" And, truth be told, we don't play "out" that much, really, to justify more expense. So...??? It is interesting, though! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 There are very negative reviews of the Fractal FX out there. This is one such: http://www.tonymckenzie.com/axe-fx-II.htm The Kemper Profiling amp has generally very good reviews. I thought for a long time about getting one and came quite close to taking the plunge. They are very impressive. It depends on what your circumstances are. If you are a busy gigging guitar player then a Fractal FX or a Kemper would strike me as a serious viable option. If you are a small gig / personal player (studio only) then I can't see how on earth one would give up on a genuine valve amp and preferably (since I have gone the whole hog) on an amp that is all valve, rectifier included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Well... I'm old fashioned in ways and a tech freak in others. I've been plugged into somebody's board when playing "out" more the past three or four years than carrying an amp. Granted, that's with an AE mostly, but for what I do, basically it's about the same with a mag pup archtop. Earlier we had a bit of discussion of venues hollering because we're "too loud." This thread makes me wonder if instead it may almost be "too out of balance in different places in the venue." Consider that a DJ/karaoke jock is running stuff so it all comes out of the same speakers and functionally it's as leveled as a studio recording. How horrid to how many of us sound in a band when there ain't no leveling? I'd say a lot of us, and I'm pointing at me as much or more than at anyone else. A small saloon/stage doesn't require great power, but it does require great effort in balancing guitars, bass, drums and voice all coming from different speakers pointed somewhere or another with just a "how we did it" perspective. Dump all that and run it through a batch of speakers well mixed and it's gonna sound a lot better. Again, I ain't using 34 stomp boxes and I mostly set up my guitar for a given "guitar-y" sound nowadays, and then what I'm using as an amp doesn't make much diff. But even with 34 stomp boxes, running through the board to get a better mix makes all kinds of sense - and better than that, you also have the option of moving speakers around for the audience instead of having your jeans worn out by sound waves coming from your behind - Oops, I mean from behind you. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karloff Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 "The future ain't what it use to be" - Yogi Berra If thats what you like, then have at it. I don't. I'll never deviate from plugging into a tube amp. there are those that do great with those things, and digital effects processors, but i'm not one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxson50 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 The future can be a scary place. Just imagine what Charlie Christian would think of a Fender Twin Reverb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Allen Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Always been an amp guy, then i started playing at my church that was hesitant on using a backline ../ because the singers were too afraid of the stGe volume ( as if that could never be controlled). Through a series if events i ended up with a Fender Mustang 150 watt head i plug into board with a direct box. I was pleasantly surprised! I have all the effects I need and some very decent tones. Especially the 1960 AC30 model. I actually had a guitar player in another band who is a tube amp snob tell me he was impressed w the tone i have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Yeah it's a bit scary, especially the way the Kemper apparently listens to then models your amp tones. The only thing with something like this is...software upgrades. In 18 months a new version will make the old one obsolete but my old Fender 'one-trick pony' valve amps are still worth money. This sort of thing just validates that IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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