Fractal Audio AXE FX II Review With Tom Quayle - iGuitar Magzine Issue 10

bit.ly/fractal_Audio_Review_iG... Review of the Fractal Audio AXE FX II with Tom Quayle from iGuitar Magazine. Watch the 2nd part of this review in Issue 10 of iGuitar magazine bit.ly/fractal_Audio_Review_iG...
Fractal Audio's orignal Axe FX modelling pre-amp and processor was so ground breaking that it created its own cultural following that included high -profile users from Steve Vai to John Petrucci. It became the desirable product that everyone aspired to own. With The Axe FX II, Fractal claims to have bettered their original deisgn. Can they have achieved the seemingly impossible? Tom Quayle finds out watch the full reviews in Issue 10 of iGuitar magazine bit.ly/fractal_Audio_Review_iG...
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[@ThursdayMonkey475]

Tom Quayle is one of the few dudes that can be in an 18 minute video and have my undivided attention throughout the whole thing. Very well spoken and astonishingly good at guitar.

[@EnmandsBand1]

YAY!! A video that starts with the actual playing..!!! No intro bullshit, no company promotion video jingle, just what we came after :-)

[@laurajohnson4086]

I love the AXE FX II but at 6:58 - just something funny he said, "It had over 11" - (reminded me of the movie Spinal Tap when the guitar player kept saying "But my amp goes to 11") ♥♥♥

[@merlinzest]

One of the best Axe FX Videos, i remember being quite afraid of the complexities of the unit, but this video made everything seem so simple. I come back to watch it every now and then when i forget things.

[@damianzelazny5785]

I`m a tweaker ! And this unit is just ... there is not words to describe how good it is !

[@scarface122]

This is the most in depth analysis of the Axe Fx I've seen. I was always shaky on the possible setups you can implement it with, but everything seems clear now. Thanks for posting.

[@gregtamakki3269]

I just bought the AXE FX 2 today!!! Yeeeeeah, boy!!!

[@mosesbullrush8051]

Please follow up with a comment describing your impressions of the AXE FX2 so far.

[@nicoholt7327]

@@mosesbullrush8051 its been six years i wonder if he likes it

[@ConstantineM]

Now it's AXE FX 3

[@sean1121970]

He probably got a guitar string caught when he plugged it into the wall and exploded- that's why no update.⚡

[@LukeJF89]

I bought one of these and didn't like the sound of it so I bought another one and didn't like that one either so then I bought another one and now I have 6 of them and none of them sound any good. I'm thinking of buying another one to see if that one sounds any good.

[@GamesByCore]

wot

[@Solaxer]

Loooooooooooool

[@jromasterofone]

But have you tried it with the prototype Black Beauty Les Paul that you recently bought in the auction from Tom Doyle? ($3335,500!!!) ;-)

[@LukeJF89]

J Ro In AK Yes, didn't like the sound of that either so I'll have to pop down the shops to buy another one.

[@jromasterofone]

Oops! I put too many 3's there...No matter...it's only money.

[@johnnythirdmusic]

Eric Johnson called and wants his style back :P mint playing dude!

[@U2WB]

Tom thank you for this excellent review. I as huge fan of your playing as well, you should be out there with some of the very best.

[@AhYesIndeedItsFunTime]

what an excellent review, great explanation of the difference between I and II. Cheers mate!

[@jims912]

the tone is so beautiful

[@tomquayleguitar]

I have to respectfully disagree. I'm using the Axe FX II and a Matrix solid state power amp with a Port City 2x12 cab and am achieving some of the best tones i've ever had. Bear in mind that I also have two hand wired boutique all tube heads with a $4k pedal board. Cleans, mid gains and high gain tones are fantastic - BTW I'm not endorsed by Fractal so don't have to say this. I agree though that a great tube amp and a 4x12 is fantastic too!

[@briandavidsinger]

the device has learning curve that requires you to take the time to adapt to. But tweaking the uint to get tones that sound inspiring and real are simply childs play it is so easy and is a pleasure to go to the studio everyday.

[@chriskarazak5377]

Ive had many mesa amps...mark 1, mark 3, rectifier, road king and currently own a lonestar which, as lovely as it is gets left at home now as this thing has replaced it with ease. I took an ir of my old setup and the accuracy blew my mind. I wasn't 100 percent sold at first because I'm not really a tweaker. But if you dedicate a couple of days to this thing you will have a friend for life. The accuracy is frightening, the response is flawless and if you disagree then you aint using it right. PEACE!

[@mattoffthewall]

Great video. Buying one this weekend.

[@Bunters196]

Lucky for some..

[@Raydungey]

Great demo Tom.

[@davidjoel111]

I've seen this video like 10 times...... someday I'll be able to own one.

[@Aristowi]

That explains it. Thanks a lot.

[@mandarin7728]

I have never understood what do these do and how do they work, so I hope this video helps me to understand.

[@hubbalol]

Incredible tasteful player. Great vid!

[@jemibanez]

Very impressive unit indeed...

[@jagmetal]

Awesome Review!

[@andy-o]

3.) The sound is produced digitally via the processor. The Axe FX itself works like a preamp, so you can connect it to your amp. The signal coming from the Axe then runs into your amp, where your amp's character or 'flavour' is added. So if your amp's rather neutral, the sound from the Axe will hardly be altered. You can also connect the Axe straight to a speaker (it will be rather silent though) or to a PA. Then the signal is pure.

[@jaiullu1]

Well, if you can buy multiple Mesas, Marshalls, Fenders, Hiwatts, etc. then by all means, go for it. But in terms of versatility, digital is the way to go. Either that or get a decent 2 channel tube amp and you're all set.

[@LeeGee]

I don't remember leaving that comment. The sound is superb. The playing is lovely, too :)

[@rockhard2654]

i wish they wouldnt put delay on these demos, makes everything sound chessy, just let me hear the sounds with out the effects, i know what delays sound like. if you slap a thick coat of make-up on the preetiest girl your doing nothing but raising doubts

[@GuillermoSmyser]

Point still stands. But that makes a lot of sense. His live tone does seem so different and now I get why. Thank for the info.

[@andy-o]

As far as i'm able to, I'll try to answer your questions: 1.) You just have to get a MIDI ground control, like e.g. Voodoo Lab Ground Control or Tech21 Midi Moose. Then you just put one effect (or sound) on one of the footswitches on the board - actually quite simple. 2.) You can use the actual pedals with the Axe, but you could also get an expression pedal and connect it to the Axe Fx to give you the wanted effect

[@MikeStock88]

Amazing sound and even better playing! There is a reason why these are so expensive.

[@ashrackem]

Thanks..

[@MrUltraworld]

I have one. The effects are amazing. So good that I sent the aux out to it & used the compressors and reverbs during mastering. But plugged it into a Mesa power amp & a pair of 2x12's with the cab/mic & effect models turned off, it lost something. Using it in mono actually sounded better. But my amp heads sounded better. They are much more sensitive, rounder in tone. It's worth the money for the effects alone, but as a studio device. I'm not spending $1k on a foot pedal. That's just insane.

[@Roflzmahwoflz]

Tone is absolutely gorgeous

[@MostlyElectrolytes]

I thought that it was too expensive until I sold off my pedalboard and a little one trick pony amp. I basically sold a very limited rig for something that will cover just about everything I could ever dream up. But the biggest thing to me has been the quality and feel of the device. It doesn't matter what it does if it doesn't do it well. When you factor in how many amps and cabs and effects it replaces it makes it a lot more cost effective.

[@TheBrownTrooper]

Sounds more like G Lydian. And yeah, the playing sounds beautiful :)

[@briandavidsinger]

The Axe FX hands down is singly the best piece of gear I have ever bought. I love It. Check it out and you will not be disappointed.

[@bulkzeroone5982]

I have one too. My review is just buy the amp you want. Or get a Kemper if you want multiple amp sounds. The FX are okay but wish I have just bough the Strymon pedals for the sounds I wanted. Plus this way you do t have to deal with their forum members and mods who are terrified of any criticism and heavily modify threads to craft the message they want visitors to the forum to see.

[@lavastrat]

John and vai actually both use axe fx now as well. But they use it in their rigs as an effect loops etc.

[@MostlyElectrolytes]

Yes, it's called AxeEdit. It's under a complete rewrite because the hardware part has developed so far beyond it's original incarnation that it's created some issues. They stripped back the old version in the interim and it works pretty well right now, but the new version is going to be rock solid. It's a lot nicer to edit from the computer than from the front panel for sure.

[@necasperaterrent2097]

the next one they are working on actually plays your guitar for you as well.

[@biggibby54]

The intro riffs were pretty sweet

[@tripadivsor4574]

Nice one!

[@AndreasGautier]

Best thing I ever bought musically

[@2263pete]

Great tones....can you run this unit in front of an amplifier without an effects loop?

[@69cohonas]

where does one buy this unit, cause it sounds really amazing!!

[@OculusSF]

If you wish to use the unit AS your amp you will need a power amp to drive your speakers. However, without a power amp you can still record with it, or play with headphones for practice. But if you want to use it live, you will either need a power amp & speakers, or go through the house PA system, and get your sound through the monitor wedge.

[@gibsonlew]

Dat intro was sick asf

[@Jeepjones85]

Love that guitar

[@alphasxsignal]

I will keep my StompIO by IK it has new model sounds coming out all the time.

[@furryz666]

And now it’s antiquated, gotta love the tech money sponge

[@PursuitSk8]

Furryz it's still being updated regularly years and years later and lots of bands are still using it our starting to use it. Even Metallica uses it

[@alphasxsignal]

I wonder how this compares to the StompIO modeler which gives you tons of mics and you can move them in real time around the cabinet and tons of amps, stomps, racks etc plus a stomp controller to call them up. I have seen a few guys using them on stage and their sound was amazing through a PA.

[@immortalsoloist]

Because they have a lifelong relationship with Carvin and Mesa that they won't let go. If you've been with any company for a very long time and you have a great relationship,you won't let go even if something better comes out. There are many other great players that use this as their complete rig,why look at only Petrucci and Vai. The Axe FxII is phenomenal.

[@express49]

I'll wait for the mode" TQ skills " to buy it .

[@hemmelight]

Yeah, and Vai has an Axe and uses it live, and John uses it on his B rig live for the effects. :)

[@MrMann-gt1eh]

I agree. I feel like I'm the only one that would still prefer a tube amp over this. Nothing can sound like Mesa other than mesa. Marshall as well.

[@DerekBallesty]

They use the Fractal mainly for delays and reverbs. Still have the same rig otherwise. Adrian Belew uses it a bit more for overdrives etc apparently.

[@watchtheskies]

My cousin recently got an Axe fx 2, before that he had an axe fx original first gen which I wasn't overly impressed with to be honest he was using it with his ENGL tube pwer amp, which has now been replaced with the matrix GT800FX which he swears sounds better, although I haven't heard it myself yet anyway it sounded amazing through the ENGL into an orange 2x12, so if it sounds even better now with the matrix then I'm a convert, I never thought I would ever say it but there you have it

[@PERPowns]

It really depends on what you want it for. If you have an amp that you love and want a ton of effects without carrying around a bunch of pedals then this unit is great. Or, if you want to get rid of your amp/effects and strictly use this for all of your guitar sounds, it will sound good enough that only the greatest tone buffs will be able to tell it's not a true tube amp/high end effects pedal. You can also just use it as a pre-amp and get a tube power amp for more convincing tones.

[@theUsesOFnot]

when you say you have a tubedriver tuck in the front of it, what does that mean? is that an effect setting on the Axe or some other hardware?

[@curtchambers3230]

dope tone. Do you have any tones for download?

[@gizmoeve]

Just picked one of these for 1300 bucks! I hope since it has been out a while and already has a couple older brothers, it was worth the buy. Is anyone running it through a MOTU via S/PDIF?

[@loopie007]

You are correct. An Axe-FX II is the real thing and nothing beats it.

[@romerkins]

yes

[@alausund]

funny thing is that both you mention are using axe fx 2 with the gear they have. some use it only for earpluggs aswell on the scene while real amps are for the public when they are playing live.

[@lavinchi6709]

Great!!!!Thank you!!!§

[@whatawordsalad]

now I know what I want for christmas

[@gwgwgwgw1854]

Often times in these product demos the player is not good enough to really display the virtues of the product but this guitar player is excellent.

[@Wicksie143]

Would love to have the preset you have used on this video.

[@MostlyElectrolytes]

I sold my Ultra and went with the 11R until the II was available. Nothing against the 11R but it was a major step backwards. The advantage with the II over the Ultra is that the models are so much closer to real amps that it takes very little to dial in; no more PEQ's, filters, etc and the parameters are closer to the real amp. And it's gotten a lot better sounding even since this video and we've got v10 coming out which is supposed to be pretty significant.

[@gtrmusic69]

You can control the Axe-Fx from the computer too. Much easier.

[@loopie007]

Exactly, that why I play records and never listen to mp3's or CD's. I also depend on a dial up phone and wrote this out on paper then had it scanned in. Nothing like the real thing. Coke!

[@austinginn1132]

6 years later and all the hate comments on fractal is laughable.... If only we knew how many gr9 albums would be recorded with this. For all wondering - still worth the buy even with the fx III out

[@immortalsoloist]

It's all good no worries man. I am sure the Kemper is cool as well :)

[@camoi18]

But... does it go up to 11?

[@rocketcityauction]

1) Axe FX II and he Kemper Profiler have made it very difficult for professionals to tell the difference in A/B tests. 2) Pros use their favorite gear they have developed because they have a "sound". A lot of us use a modeler to try to imitate their sound for gigs. 3) Some Pros are moving to the Axe because of the ability to travel with less equipment. Some of these amps are extremely valuable and they would rather record with them and not tour with them because of damage or loss.

[@DavideSchachterJazz]

It reminds me of the Digitech GSP 2101 from the 90s as a concept but at least that one had some real tubes in it...I haven't tried the Axe but all I can say is that to me nowadays the only rack it's worth to be on stage is a Reverb unit. No pedal plays as good as a Lexicon, if one wants to have that kind of quality. On stage I would never rely on a rack unit to be the source of my entire processed sound, should I own a second unit as a back up? I don't think so! :)

[@Sickz666]

What immortal said. But also, John Petrucci uses an Axe Fx II, but he uses it for the effects and such.

[@GNRlie]

2) What about things like volume and wah pedals? Do I have to get the actual pedals if I want to use them with the Axe? Or is there another way? 3) How is the sound produced? Do I need to connect the Axe to a guitar amplifier? I have a relatively small 30W washburn amp that I use at home for practice. I also have a whole bunch of speakers hanging around my house. If I connect to my amp, won't the final tone sound like my amp? Thank you!

[@GuitaristAidan]

This is pretty much the decision I made last night. Was gunna get an Orange head and a cab but there's no point any more.

[@mobizoid8261]

I own the XL model and I love it for what it does and you can make it sound like a vintage amp with lots of tweaking for your particular guitar. But the looper is a big let down. I do think that they are over priced though and especially the foot controller. I figure a reasonable price would be $1000 for the box and $400 or $500 for the foot controller.You can bet Fractal makes a very healthy profit.

[@ashrackem]

Would I be able to play the Axe Fx 2 directly through a cab?? Or not please answer

[@insanechubbyfan]

I think its cool, some bands are switching to this technology like deftones and meshuggah, but, u need the controller to play live, cuz i dont see me movin the dial vale to find my fav patch on a gig...

[@TheBrownTrooper]

Can someone tell me what modes/scales/chords he's playing from 00:00-00:42? Sounds beautiful.

[@ryano4018]

There's so much hype for these. I'm assuming they have been giving them out to artists to try as there's tons of people using them currently. I have seen a few live bands with them and from my experience, they don't get over that hurdle sounding good when mixed with the rest of a live band. Any amp/pedal can sound good playing alone by yourself. When the drums , bass and other things going on at the same time, it sounds like a wall of tin and doesn't have the warmth and 3 dimensional sound that tube amps do. Again just in my opinion. The most blatant comparison I saw recently was Memphis May Fire all had these and as mentioned, it was just thin and static tinny sounding. Then Killswitch Engage played with both tube amps, and every note cut through the mix with nice bright clarity and warmth, even when the drums are going off like bombs. Granted they're the kings of live tone but it still was quite the noticeable difference.

[@loopie007]

Yes, it's lots of money. It's a pro rig, not for Guitar Center customers. It's made with the best parts money can buy. It can hold up to 385 patches on board. There will always be people that have requirements that this unit cannot meet. But for sound quality, it's the top dog right now.

[@Deep.Purple]

Yeah but do you like it? lol -- glowing review mate...

[@alexdb77]

Hello, Huge review...thanks. What guitar are you using?

[@brunoaracal8962]

Surh

[@giannissoueref6643]

can you send your signal to a cabinet without a power amp?

[@GRAFHC]

You can run anything in front of an amp, but, your amp will color the tone not to mention delays, modulations, etc. won't sound as good as when run through an FX Loop.

[@ROBYRH4]

very nice suhr,the best axe

[@teenixon]

Tom, How in the hell is your guitar tuned ? its driving me nutz !

[@loopie007]

It is.

[@swisspunker94]

does anyone what kind of metal body that is in which the axe fx 2 is in? What is it called? like that exact model?

[@SteveIbanezVai]

He used Lydian and Mixolydian, maybe on E and F, am I correct?

[@jm8849]

Really beautiful playing. Actually making a guitar sing.

[@syzygy2464]

I believe it has a software interface, just like the pod hd pro does

[@jmac3957]

That's why you buy the Headrush fx. Great sound, 2000 bucks less and you will be up and playing in ten minutes. No engineering degree required.

[@TheBrownTrooper]

I know he's playing in G Lydian in the beginning, but does anyone know what style/genre of music he's playing there? Would really appreciate if someone told me; would love to learn how to play riffs in that style. Thanks!

[@rydubz7]

I have not tried one of these yet and it's a bit too much money for me. I would like to know if it has the flexibility of Guitar Rig software. I'm big on strange patches with up to 60 or 70 pedals on at once all being modulated by lfos and sequencers. Or split channels each running 10 dist pedals and like 70 pedals on each channel.This thing seems flexible but it seems like it does have a limit.I'm sure it sounds better and most dont use 60 fx at once like I do.I understand it has 4 by 12 cells?

[@andywildrick]

Man great licks at the intro there. Eric Johnson like.