Axe FX II vs Axe FX III Preset Demo

[@sol_music]

Can we get a 2024 version to see how far we have come with the axe 3? :)

[@vittogol]

Input level on Fx III was higher so we hear more gain on it. Maybe all the test is fault by different set of input level.

[@adslalex]

As people said on the forum there is a slight feeling of more gain+hair on the III but for the moment nothing to throw the 2 by the window :)

[@Naglfar]

No one would ever hear this tiny difference in a mix or in a live situation.

[@danielyarritu3719]

I agree. It’s also not clear that the Axe 2 can’t be tweaked to sound the same as the 3. I don’t see why not. All the controls are there. It could be just that the presets are set up differently by default. Both sound like real amps. Real amps of the same make also can sound different based on tube bias, speaker selection etc.

[@kareemb0]

Keep in mind that KZbin compresses the good stuff away. I have only just gotten my hands on an Axe FX II. I thought it sounded good in demos but when I first played it, I realised it sounded so much better than any demo I've checked out.

[@martymeatball1877]

Noticeably better dynamic response.

[@AndiKravljaca]

The AF3 sounds like it has more gain on just about every sample. More treble, and more distortion. Sometimes that's harsh, in the high end, but you also hear more dynamics underneath it.

[@zappabain7097]

it could have been played with more output, hitting the strings harder, letting them sound more open, ... nobody assures this was the same audio played through both AXEs.

[@furryz666]

Not enough to justify the price

[@dregubangy]

totally agree. there definitely is a little more "in your face" quality though.

[@claykeibler6463]

Sounds like the axe iii has delay on some of these- like a short faint room delay. Not really a reverb cuz I hear less reflections but more reflections than a delay. Hmmm. Is there like a cab reflections modeler on the iii orbsomething extra on the mic spacing that adds more reflections from the room modeling?

[@יהוה-ג2ט]

Thank you for saving me a lot of money, for now there is no incessant voice in my head telling me I must have the new, shiny one! I could notice some very subtle differences, but only on a few of those examples. There was a slight bit more gain and/or presence here and there. But honestly, I was surprised at how identical most sounded between the II and the III

[@ariskoskinas]

Thank you very much for the comparison , it is the video we all seek 1 month ago... It is a very slight difference in the color of the sound , i do heat little more body from the 3... Buy the 2 used ... I think that in that period if you buy a used 2 for 1500 euros you will have more or less the same result with someone who buys a 3 with 2600 new... For now... Then when the updates come maybe the difference will be bigger...

[@CamiloVelandia]

the 2 is a fantastic unit! I've been a fractal user since 2012, so I was overdue for a change haha

[@jessetate9701]

Aris Koskinas I just bought an axe fx ii for 1,144 bucks! Quiet fan built in plus with 150 dollars of stl artist patches! Friday I’ll be playing with it lol

[@sketchandjam]

Sound pretty near the same though the axe fx III is tempting for having the audio interface and extra inputs/ouputs etc. Distortion seems to break up a tiny bit better on the axe fx III.

[@SRNF]

Its a 10 or 20 % increase is quality so far depending on effects. However its quite a mild upgrade compared when axe 1 got crushed by axe 2.

[@saintchuck1515]

Thanks for the effort(s) on informing us all! Well done Brother! I hear more saturation, more clarity, in the fashion that a better mic in front of the speaker would sound. The III will be a chassis to build a whole lot more potential upon, kind of like a new MacBook Pro Retina compared with an older MacBook Pro. Hands down, Fractal products are very well produced and improved upon with continuous firmware improvements! :)

[@michaellistov8493]

for me its like it have more mic's around the amp with III sounds same but with a lil more 3d feeling to it

[@thiagoavila5329]

First sight the Axe 3 seems to be Louder and more open with some low end with more sustain. But its true the level is higher in 3 just tweak. And the more ressonance sound is due more delay in the preset on Axe 3. This last is Easly noted in the last clean riffs. So wasnt an honest comparasion

[@zappabain7097]

In both videos I seem to hear something more "processed" (non-natural) in the new III than the II when single note melodies are played...

[@KickArs]

if you listen from 2:32 to 2:38 and you do it back and forth, it sounds like the Axe-FX III has more reverb. It sounds more pronounced

[@satch4u3]

Thanks for this comparison. I can definitely hear a slight difference between them. While it's not night and day difference , I can definitely hear it. Really looking forward to seeing where Fractal takes this new unit. Should be very interesting.

[@bthellam]

I use the Axe FX II XL+ as my audio interface with Cubase 10, and I have to set the Axe FX buffering in Cubase to a sample rate of 1024 to stop pops. That gives me a latency of 25 ms, which is quite noticable when playing VSTs in real time. Is the Axe FX III faster in terms of soundcard and less latency? Thank you!

[@Leo_prado]

I don't see any video of the lights on the inputs of each unit. unfortunately I don't believe the audio wasn't post processed or something

[@chris00412]

Sub! You're doing proper demos mate. Keep up the good work! 10/10 Stay well, Chris

[@octavarium2457]

Sound the same. I keep my axe fx 2

[@gergelyboros8138]

I think i keep my Ax8 ;)

[@DrProgNerd]

I was thinking the same thing. No disrespect to the II OR the III - but I'm not hearing any huge difference in those that I couldn't get with a little creative EQ'ing on my AX8.

[@satarello]

I hear the difference but Im not sure that AXe fx III is better just is a little little different ..Im staying with my AXe fx II :)

[@叶顺-d3s]

it s good enough

[@satarello]

yes exactly !! the quality of Axe FX II is veryy goood :)

[@FenderSchonJPX]

satarello Honestly I'm torn between which one sounds better. Make no mistake I hear the difference but I almost like the 2 better than the three. So yeah I wouldn't trade up.

[@08Sebastos]

thanks for this bench, very interesting. is it possible to do an a /b comparison on the reverb block ? specially on the stereo spread algorithm?

[@CamiloVelandia]

yup!!! I'm gonna get on it!

[@08Sebastos]

Camilo Velandia awesome 😋

[@SolarianXIII]

How can I set up having both axe fx 2 and 3 like this and switch between the 2 with ease? Any suggestions would be awesome thanks!

[@MofosRealReviews]

Just me or do the cleans sound better on the ii? The iii just has too much gain

[@mattz1686]

I don't have either of these but I just an FX8 yesterday and it is BEYOND awesome! I'm selling all of my pedals!

[@danielvernon6841]

Very subtle differences at this point, ones that would likely be eradicated with the use of different IRs and some tweaking. That said, the AC15 seems to have been improved notably. Looking forward to seeing how the III grows. I have a II and can't imagine ever needing the III, I barely scratch the surface of what it can do.

[@freereacher]

Improved? To me it sounded like it had a touch more gain. It was a noticeable difference though.

[@knjpollard]

There was a difference in volume or gain on some presets. I would say they sound very much alike other than obviously volume and gain differences. All that said the Axe Fx III is probably a better until even if sounds similar to axe fxII. I have the II now and I like it but i can’t get consistently great sound out of it. Sometimes sounds great other times average. USB and MIDI create ground loops and it can sound a little fizzy too at times.

[@cliffordcline7547]

The AF3 seems to be a bit fuller sounding

[@kevinstewart8120]

I can barely notice a difference... The III seems to have a bit more bite and clarity to it's tone than the II.

[@zwip778]

Huge difference to my ears. I think a lot of people don’t want their gear to depreciate

[@叶顺-d3s]

what about the hi gain？！

[@dasound4714]

Спасибо за сравнение! Судя по демо, у них совершенно разное звучание. Мой выбор в пользу "FX III". Он звучит более детально и более чётко по сравнению с "FX II".

[@mixodorians12]

There gets to a point when you don't need to upgrade your tech, because frankly there is only so much you can do throwing more processing power at a problem once the problem is solved.. Your spreadsheet calculations are still the same, whether you use a Pentium 1 or a Core i7 8700.

[@dixonrooster5954]

Can still tweak the ii to sound the same as the iii and Visa versa

[@ShaunNelson]

Both sound very good the newer version just sounds a tad brighter, which is nothing that can't be achieved with a little eq on the previous model.

[@beatniko]

The 111 clearly sounds more alive with more harmonic content and bottom end on sme patches...but I am listening on studio equipment and there are many variables at play......maybe computer speakers arent much help at this level of detail...probably also handy to remember - this is DAY ONE...the future looks bright

[@tempestsflorida]

Although this was a great demo, IMHO it is not very accurate at all. Using studio monitors and a sound decibel meter, the main difference between the II and III preset samples is volume. The presets are very very close, not enough to make anyone run out and buy the III for better sounding presets. However, the II is becoming rapidly obsolete, regarding upgrade and enhancement ability. So for musicians wanting to stay on the cutting edge and have the benefit of upgrades and enhancements, then the III is a must.

[@SubhajitPandit1]

My question is, can you tell them apart in a full mix?

[@haydendupree8032]

Clean tones sound more organic on the III

[@MattiaPanciroli]

Axe-Fx II and III have similar firmwares right now, the difference is just that for the II there's no space and power for powerful and more realistic algorithms despite the III has a lot of stock power to take advantage of. 5 years from now we expect the III will sound more realistic than the II.

[@lselvon]

what if you tone matched the axefx3 presets with the axefx2...oh snap!

[@DavidSpry]

I thought they'd sound identical at the start, but the Axe-FX III sounds noticeably better.

[@tunctuncer]

Sounds like you had a hotter input when recording for III. Clearly the III recordings have more gain than II recordings. If you did record with the same amount of input gain, then they increased the gain for the models.

[@bailey12444]

Can not wait to get my iii cool video thanks

[@dapunkof1975]

Sounds slightly better, but is it worth ditching my axe fx xl? nah. I mean yea sure the 3 is capable for doing more things but more doesn't mean better in my opinion. I also like my set up and the fact that the axe ii is a 2unit device. I'm not trying to travel to outer space.

[@idlevandal69]

Hey Mate.. Awesome demo.. Thanks..

[@sombordale1984]

I can hear the difference. But I'm not sure which one is better.

[@furryz666]

I own 14 amps 6 are vintage higher end names for the studio I am picking up a leftover 2 xl+ but frankly these all sound digital to me

[@KX5Kat]

Ok, there's a big difference, some of the first tones actually sounded better on the 2, the 3's sounded muddier. For everything else, the 3 sounded better. However, it sounded like some of the differences, particularly with the cleans, were more reverb and drive, these are setting you could simply dial up on a FX2. The 3 does have significantly more warmth, punch and dynamics, which makes it sound even closer to a real tube amp than the 2. I was planning on buying the 2 as my first AXE FX, but now that I hear the difference, I'm cashing in for the 3.

[@yonkeythedonkey]

Clearly a difference (III sounds better). But I'd like to know - was each riff played once and recorded, and then that single recorded sample played back into each device?

[@AlexisGitarre]

it sounds like it's not a copy paste riff

[@KRayxKodessA]

The 3 seems to have more high end presence to my ears. I just don’t know if it’s enough to justify purchasing it vs my AX2.

[@CamiloVelandia]

I hear ya!!! Check out my video on Exploring Presets. That really shows what I think are some of the best new features.

[@nicolasrivera5310]

Thank you for this!

[@jdcaporali]

Great comparison and playing! There's a lot more harmonic content in the Axe FX III. Sounds will get even better with time!

[@Guttalaser]

Yes the 2 sounds are different in many ways (punchyness, overtones, beefyness, 3dimensional, focusing, notes separation). But, that said, i must add: 1) when a sound quality is like Axe II - even comparing with the 2.5 time more power Axe III - you really can't say that a sound is bad and the other is good. They are just different. Period. And i mean "different" like 2 Marshall head (same model) sound different or 2 Stratocaster (same puppyes) sound different. 2) This is a "same four presets" comparison... BUT we have no infos about the presets: are all the tons of parametres (even the deeper and advanced ones) along all the sound chain really really the same? 3) What if the comparison was "push the Axe II to sound exactly like the same preset on the Axe III". Really deep-tweaking the Axe II you can't reach the Axe III sound? I don't think so! So, for now, upgrading to Axe III worth only if one really needs the extra features of the nu beast... not just the plain sound! Otherwise... upgrading is only G.A.S. If - in the future - all the amp and fxs and cab IR modeling will use all the extra power of the Axe III and the Axe II can't reach that new level of "reality" in the tones... well... maybe...

[@piotrhauzer6084]

Hey Camilo could you make once again this comapre with the ARES 1.03 in AXe fx II xL+?

[@CamiloVelandia]

Thats the plan! I lent my II to a friend

[@piotrhauzer6084]

@@CamiloVelandia thanks!!! IM waiting !!!

[@BurntSquirrel]

I guess no one has thought about Fractal making the factory presets for the 3 slightly different sounding? Of course they arent going to make them sound exactly the same.

[@giovannipolimeni1914]

It does not change exactly a comma ... the sound is the same.

[@TheRocknrolla12]

There is a minute albeit barely noticeable difference to the non-musician ears.a little more open and defined if I may say so. Axe FX II is undoubtedly the best guitar processor/ amp modeler in market. AxeFx III has growth potential for the next decade whereas AxeFX II has reached its peak. I wish they will produce a floor version...something like AX8.

[@KevinSPeace]

I hear a difference, some are less subtle than others ... plus, these are untouched factory presets on BOTH units, on top of the Axe Fx II not being the current iteration.... i upgraded from this model (MKII) to a XL+, and the factory presets are just about as different (not even taking the III into consideration) .... I agree with what was said below, ill be sticking with my XL+ until a holy grail firmware comes out that screams "YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS", and that overpowers the inner me reminding myself how long i spent creating patches, scenes, set lists and shows, and that a good part of that will be tossed out only to start again. I am sure, with the same amount of tweaking that i have done to my XL+, that III will at least sound as good .... and probably better, its just not worth the time investment on top of the financials for me, at this time.

[@domino2205]

Hardly worth running out to unload your II for the must have III but if you need your whole band to go thru one unit I guess thats the limits with the III but I am also burnt out of people who hadn't seen heard the III telling me how dumb it is to not get rid of my freshly bought from Fractals sale Axe-Fx IIXL+ . I have not heard anything to justify spending another 800.00 dollars and they don't have foot controls ready so what to do about that? Great unit for someone needing all the other bells and whistles but to figure ohh it will hopefully be better when updates come out well alot of people are going to enjoy getting cheaper II's for the people who think they need the III

[@CamiloVelandia]

the II XL is a fantastic unit! There's no need to get rid of it. I personally couldn't resist temptation, and I don't regret it

[@XiyuYang]

I don't think the parameters on these presets match, pre/power gain, eq, compression level, none of these sound the same to me. They sound different sure, but how much of that difference can be credited to more advanced technology in the III, I'm don't know. And I doubt after post processing in a mix anyone can tell the difference.

[@nahuelern]

Sound different a bit but the quality of sound is extremely near both.

[@Farooqjamal1]

there more low end to everything and the sounds are ringing out more thats what i could hear

[@batmandeltaforce]

Just different EQ

[@ParanormalResponse]

I can live with a Green screen. That is a big money difference. Consier the foot pedal is 800.00 too. You can now get a Axe2 and a pedal for 12- 1400.00 anywhere.

[@CamiloVelandia]

To be brutally honest with you, this video was done 4 years ago. Fractal has updated the unit immensely since. There are way too many things I cant live without at this point. Dozens of reverbs and big esteric effects, all added post this video

[@NO-TALK-GuitarPlugin]

III sounds a lot better.... Now axe fx is on par with Kemper (only for amps as Kemper sucks for effects due to slow DSP)

[@zappabain7097]

As with the AX8 vs AXE II vs AXE III comparative, I'd say the riffs are played slightly different so... I cannot trust it as I'd like to. the decision should take into account what can one and the other tweak, the software, etc.

[@Marcin79W]

Thanks for video mate! Hard to say a difference, on many AXE3 there is more reverb. There are some differences, but to me not a game changer. In the mix, for now, nobody will tell a difference. Maybe in the future, but I believe, we're getting to the line, where we can see numbers are changing on the paper, but ears will have more trouble to notice those changes. AXE is perfect to me in 99% comparing to real amp. AXE3 feels like slightly better resolution still. Maybe this has something to do with sampling rate, anybody knows what sample rate is with AXE3? AXE2 was lockt in 48kHz only.

[@AyBi_Studio]

This video should have been a blind test so it could show what people really hear. I'm pretty sure that once you know that the III is playing, than your mind searches for a difference. In a blind test no one would've know which is which.

[@Svejse1]

There is clearly a difference. How some people cannot hear that is beyond me... Both sound amazing though, so I guess I will have to keep my Axe-Fx II also when I get the 3. Thank you for theese amazing videos.

[@hoschie2261]

You are right there is a difference. The 3 sounds more full.

[@ukaszjezior7088]

Really? What I heard was: Plexi was bit more compressed on Axe FX3. Deluxe Verb and A-Class 15 had more gain on Axe FX3. ODS-100 clean sounded exactly the same. ODS-100 overdriven had more gain and volume on Axe FX3. So it's all about tweaking Axe FX2 in my humble opinion....

[@Svejse1]

Oh well, i disagree. I think there was a clear difference in ALL the examples, and nothing sounded the same at all. I have tried it on 4 different speakers now, and still have the same oppinion.

[@ukaszjezior7088]

Jimba Jumba yes there is a difference, but In my opinion it's related to the settings, not the amp. But how many people, that many opinions 😉

[@tempestsflorida]

just make sure you play this on a quality sound system. Then you may see why some say no or little difference.

[@DaveLeoneMusic]

Inout is set hotter on the 3 samples. That's not a difference between them that's just because the poster accidentally had the inout gain slightly higher. The difference in a mix is not worth the money at this point.

[@TheZOLAIVE]

The Axe FX III seems to have more "balls" and a bit more grit for some presets. The difference is obvious for some presets. I'll keep my Axe FX II....

[@dangood2287]

Sounds identical was thinking about upgrade but nah

[@anthonydemmons5951]

Wish you would simplify your product

[@DrRussPhd]

Cliff's wallet says "Thank you".

[@LCRLive687]

The axe 3 is a bit more instant.

[@musicman102357]

You must have ears like a dog :-), with the exception of some they basically sound the same although on certain amps the three does sound a lot fuller. In a mix, you would not be able to tell the difference. If you don’t have a Fractal, then the three is the obvious choice. If you have the AXE FX 2 , there is not much reason to upgrade. FYI as good as the Fractal Cabs are, the third party Ir’s are even better and will give a further pallet to modify tone. Camilo - great job with the videos . I will be keeping my AXE FX II , I can't see spending all that extra money for the three.

[@OveRanheim]

Axe Fx III sounds fuller..

[@cardiovescular]

I think comparing 'clean' sounds doesn't mean anything, unfortunately. True advancement will be noticeable within 'high gain' sounds.

[@CamiloVelandia]

You make a good point, but if you were playing it, you'd feel it. The Axe III definitely has more of a "kick" to it. Even with the clean sounds.

[@cardiovescular]

Of course, I can feel the difference between the two, and you did a wonderful job. However, I wished it was the comparison of high-gain sounds. Hope you don't feel bad due to my comment.

[@CamiloVelandia]

not at all! I will keep posting videos of the presets. I'm learning to use the unit as I go! It's tricky since I only used Axe Edit with my Axe FX 2

[@duguy182]

For the moment, the axe fx II sounds better just like the ultra sounded better when the axe fx II was just released.

[@Svejse1]

Not really... The factory presets on the first Axe-Fx II firmware were much much better than anything from the ultra. As was the effects and I assume this will be the same now.

[@duguy182]

Not really, the real improve of the axe II was between the V9 and V10.

[@Svejse1]

Well I do not agree. I think the 2 blew the Ultra out of the park from day one.

[@duguy182]

Jimba Jumba it is your right

[@elvis_chen]

Plexi is more obviously better on III, other amps have more...air feeling, if it's the correct word to describe.

[@russelblacker2562]

axe fx 2 sounds more polished while the 3 is more raw

[@sanadhait20xx27]

The same, not worth the upgrade, happy with my fx 2 🙂👍

[@latinman023]

Axe fx3 suena un poco mas definido

[@kilswitchengaged]

The differences are so small that a listener would not be able to tell the difference.

[@katseazzz]

axe 3 have that real bright that axe 2 lacks..axe 2 is more mid focuced in all sounds thats why it doesnt sound real...thats why i sold it! axe 3 sounds great tho..btw great player

[@vaionacid]

FXIII has more headroom and open....

[@vaionacid]

Both have a great sounds. For some riff I like how the way FXII sounds. Some other, I like FXIII...

[@jakedibiase7404]

They sound pretty much identical. Any slight difference could be down to eq.

[@benawoah1603]

To consider the price.. hmm, both of them just sound the same. Man.... Musician thing

[@kasramoghaddam1389]

Time to sell my helix :)

[@2Rock]

axefx3 represents a larger space.

[@afterthefox7]

TOO MUCH DISTORTION ON THE aXE fX 111. You can always add volume. but just too much distortion, not everyone plays in a rock band.

[@Bradgilliswhammyman]

Stuff is crazy expensive...2500 dollars for a preamp

[@AyBi_Studio]

A Friedman BE-50 costs 3500, and it's only the head. Paying 2500 for Axe FX is not that much considering what you get. This is way more than a pre amp.

[@kgfenderbender]

3 just sounds.... RICHER

[@singhamar85]

Axe-fxiii sound more smoother and responsive and improved lows and low mids and more open sound

[@csjaugiedog]

Axe III kicks butt (over EVERYTHING!)

[@JEM555BLACK]

No real reason to sell my FX2 ... I don´t think that Fractal has re-written hundred-thousands lines of coding , ...just a faster CPU , nothing else. Conclusion: I would wait for a KEMPER 2 , if that may ever happen. :-)

[@afterthefox7]

This is crazy, the audience doesn't care one way or the other to them you're playing a distorted sound or a pretty sound who, beside musicians can tell the difference between an Axe FX and a Line 6 or any other amp. If you have money to burn give it to me I'll buy a Mercedes or a BMW. crazies.