Posted by Norm on 6/23/2008, 2:23 pm, in reply to "Re: Axe-Fx Tone"

Maybe! --Previous Message-- : You ask all the tough questions! And I have a : hard time giving a simple yes/no answer. : : I think good tube amps (and there are some : inferior ones) will usually give a feel and : width of sound that modelers haven't : captured yet, and that likely goes for the : Axe-Fx based upon some opinions I trust. : However, that doesn't mean that the Axe-Fx : doesn't kick tail and have some amazing : applications in its repertoire. I am still : quite intrigued by it. : : Sounded really good Norm. Tube or not : tube...that is the question, and the answer : isn't always clear- not because there can't : be a dramatic difference between the two : (there often is). Rather, the player has a : lot to do with it and camera variables : always come into play. Plus, I think the : FEEL, which is usually discerned more by the : player, is of paramount consideration. : : As someone who has done the camera thing for : a long time, I know that it isn't really : possible to capture the true and total : essence of anything as it sounds and feels : in real life. We're trying to shove all : that air and energy into a miniscule : microphone, which in turn is sent over wires : and ultimately comes out of an assortment of : speakers. : : That's not to say these things aren't useful : (or else I wouldn't even bother with it). : Bottom line for me is I like your vid and : the tones. Unless you are putting one over : on us, I have no reason to doubt you are not : using tubes. And...in either case...it : sounds good. Refer back to that Eric : Johnson/ Fender G-Dec link for a relevant : example. I've seen Pete Anderson play in : person onstage with an original Line 6 POD : and it sounded very musical. Or...go look : at the David Grissom vids I shot from a few : NAMMs ago where he was killing through a : POD. Sure, both of those guys probably : sound "better" through their tube : amps, but they were making MUSIC and I never : found myself in either of those instances : feeling like the absence of tubes was : interfering with the emotional expression. : : So last night, I did a session with a Roland : battery-powered Cube for convenience. I : need to lay some tracks for something and : didn't feel like lugging a heavier rig or : pedals. Did I notice a sonic and feel : difference as opposed to my tube amps? You : bet! However, if I were to play the tracks : for somebody, they might not be able to : notice the difference. If they had enough : points of reference of work I've done with : tubes, then maybe they'd hear the : difference. : : Until I can actually experience an Axe-Fx in : person, I can't pass judgment on it; but I : think it's an interesting idea to have so : many tone options and versatility into a : compact package. I think that's probably : where these things stand right now. Do they : give you 100% tube sound and feel? Well- : I've already spoken with people who prefer : their tube amps. I'm a tube amp guy myself, : but I've always said that modelers, Line 6 : included, have great utility for many : situations. Given a choice, I'll go for the : good tube amp over a modeler. Convenience? : Sometimes the modeler wins. : : (deep breath) Ok- sounds tube-like to me. : I do not like fizz, and I do hear and FEEL : fizz in most modeling/ solid-state formats. : So, I did not hear that in your video. If : it's the solid-state Axe-Fx, then you've : dialed it in nicely and avoided the fizz. : Maybe I could've just answered it all with : this paragraph? : : Nah! : : --Previous Message-- : So what did you think of the tone, tube or : no : tube? I know it is hard to tell with just : the little camera mics but at least you can : get a reference. I think a lot of the other : posters used Line6 gear and I hear a : fizziness that I don't hear with the AXE-FX. : : Here is how I set the patch: Knight PA head : into Handsome Devil into Ultimate Attenuator : into Plank Cranker (lower gain setting) then : into custom pedal board with Klon then : though AXE-FX in bypass mode. : : --Previous Message-- : Nice Norm! Thanks for the link and the vid. : I will pick up some stuff from it. Keep 'em : coming. : : JB : : --Previous Message-- : Hey Tone Brothers, : I just uploaded a video lesson that I did on : a free guitar lesson site and I used the : Axe-Fx for it. It was only the second preset : that I made after I finally got the Editor : working. The song is an Eric Johnson song : called 12 to 12 Vibe. Here is the link to : the first part of it: : : : : : http://www.vanderbilly.com/Guitar-Lesson-Eric+Johnson+-+12+to+12+Vibe+16,7041,1.html : : : : : : :