Intro to the Fractal Audio AX8

Cooper Carter walks you through creating a stage-ready AX8 preset with multiple amps and effects!

[@Stashmanfpv]

My AX8 has been in a box since late 2018 just after I had purchased it. I just didnt get along with it at the time, but hearing this I broke it out again and updated it and purchased a few "tones & cabs" packs and its become a monster! It was THIS video that changed it all. Otherwise, it would still be packed away in the box... Great job!!! ✌🏼

[@AshishLimbu]

Great demo.. very informative and attention to detail was unmatched and geat playing of course. I am convinced now that this is what I need to get my hands on \m/

[@jackmeginniss6327]

This was an excellent demo of a great product. The playing was great too. Looking forward to the FM3, but can’t believe that the AX8 is being replaced. It’s still an amazing device.

[@williamrottman]

Excellent job on this man, Cheers

[@renestjacques1]

Very good review and playing .. thanks Cooper Carter ..!!

[@darthvader8114]

You just taught me how to use effects better in a song. great video man.

[@belladosemusic3178]

Great video mate. Still learning the AX8, just picked up on the sticky scene set up ..awesome!!!

[@hapkidosnake]

Same …going sticky mode now

[@Th3R3GuLaToR]

Dude! I love that ambient background track!!!

[@MARK-r6c3k]

Man that thing sounds so good!

[@Truthasvictim]

Wow, having second and third ideas about all my great boutique pedals which cost a lot. I seriously doubt that any of them can not be dialled in, and then some probably, with this monster and the serious advantage of reducing between pedal noise amplification and having a set up that is so clean compared to pedal boards. And thanks Cooper for a super well organized breakdown of its capabilities and how to construct a useable preset and the whys of everything.

[@lookmanostrings]

Damn those tones are so good I want to run out and get an AX8 right now...

[@alainlegris6436]

Pm

[@landon.cunningham]

Are you back yet?

[@austguita]

@@landon.cunningham lol

[@troygroff4512]

Sounds amazing! Plus you are an awesome guitarist! Thanks!

[@tommyh2985]

Great intro video and fantastic playing :)

[@blndrckr]

Thank you for an easy to understand basic run thru! !

[@DAVEBLISS2007]

Great video on AX8 thanks.

[@jimmygrant3151]

Finally I found this guy. Thank you so much for keeping this extremely simple and easy to understand and follow. Thanks for not saying that you are running it through (Fm1000 super mod with a highstack filmore tone driver and a multimark 300 DSL with a core drive 6050 turbofreq quadplex)....blah,blah,blah. Just easy and simple. By the way, none of those names are real, I just made them up, but still you get the point. Many people come out here with multi million dollar studio setups and then proceed to bore us with thier English accent and how well they sound...when no one actually can afford a billion dollar studio. most have the same like you bro. thanks.

[@gustavorenovalez4228]

The AX8 is still amazing

[@cyberguitarist9084]

Ok. I'm sold. Gotta have one of these.

[@rveurope]

Killer job! " you should add a little looper sample of your excellent sounds demo'd" thanks!

[@Za7a7aZ]

Yep...would be absolutely nice if you told us some more about how you got the sound we al hearing through our speakers at home.

[@steven.tdp7]

Thanks you so much for sharing, super helpful for me, it explained all my needs.

[@UtimusProphetia]

Good demo

[@erikhartley2494]

You got the Petrucci tone nailed perfectly. I’ve been contemplating an AX8 for some time now (vs a Helix) and I’m pretty quickly drifting towards it. I still think Line 6 software is easier but the sound quality is unmatched with Fractal.

[@robl6189]

I’ve been seriously looking into this and axe fx 2. I am a Mesa player and gig with dual and triple Recs but have been really looking at these.

[@benoitguenette988]

Hi! Love this video, helps me a lot! I'm wandering if is there a way to cancel the lag between presets/scenes change.

[@adamalmuqtadir5810]

You’re so good as a player I bet it would sound amazing if you were playing thru a zoom

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

It needs a color LCD screen like the competition!

[@opethman81]

the tones sound so good

[@fretboardchronicles]

Still don’t understand why this product was discontinued. What can be better than this!! So disappointed not to be able to buy this anymore :(

[@MrJaydeep777]

Do you give lessons on the ax8? this thing has me thoroughly confused!

[@edwardabraham4262]

Awesome video. Thnks

[@u2adrian1000]

Also Are you playing out of your monitors on the desk (if so what make and model are they?) or the two FRFR big box speakers you have on the ground? I am assuming they are FRFR but please confirm with me if they are and what make model or if they are monitors as well what make model they are. I would like to know if my 4 " mackie monitors are responsible for the crappy sound and screeching feedback I get from my u2 custom presets. It's a pain reprogramming things one BOUGHT and PAID for out of the box like my Ax8 Joshua Tree, Zoo tv, and Popmart tours presets from Edo.

[@StayHomeEatGreat]

Tried to recreate this on my unit. I called the preset "ProgRocket".

[@zone47]

Very cool, thanks for the in depth demo. Can you use this thing for vocal tracks too (studio work)?

[@AntarcticGuitarEnthusiast]

Well this video just made me grab a great deal with lots of extras on Reverb. I already have the Axe FXII Rack but I have been suffering with the Behringer FCB 1010 and for about the old price of a great pedal board for the FXII I have one of these paid for and hopefully in my mitts next week. Mean

[@pthib7945]

What configuration are you running @ 2:07?

[@StayHomeEatGreat]

Just wow. I'm new to AX8. The sounds you got are amazingly huge! I just bought a POD Go and although sounds should be same as Helix, they don't sound this good! Are you still using the AX8? I know more dsp gets tempting.

[@susancorgi]

do you see steve vai uses pod go? i don’t think so

[@Bridging_the_Political_Divide]

The modeling is actually very good on the HD series, but the cab sims are the big problem. You could run an IR pedal in the loop out like the Boss IR200 and it's a different ballgame. Most units sound fine on the modeling, but the cab sims are the big problem.

[@mettlus]

Can u post the patch? TIA

[@hidemyho]

Would you mind share how to connect the cable to a interface and with guitar ?

[@latinman023]

Hola tienen disponible aun el fractal ax8? estoy interesado en comprar uno

[@davidlawson7786]

Okay we get it, it’s a great piece of gear

[@alexjenkins5632]

I’m all new to this, does this plug into your amp or monitors?

[@benjaminebenezer7284]

Awesome video man:)) wondering what interface do u use?

[@brianmenke]

Can you please tell me how you connect the AX8 to those speakers? I would want to use stereo into those speakers. I'm a newbie to this as you can tell. Thanks for the help!

[@willmasterpiece]

thanks for this video. it helps a lot

[@jeli780]

Very nice ambient music in the background. What is it?

[@V8LC100]

Great review and playing. JP would be proud. How do you find using the AX8 and studio monitors?

[@maximest-gelais6184]

Any idea of setup for small appartment practice? FRFR monitors, amp?

[@codymarkley8372]

Split y adapter for headphones and plug into your laptop or computer

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

pair of good monitors and headphones would be fine to a PC.

[@MikaTarkela]

I use my Axe FX II with a couple of studio monitors (KRK Rokit 6). Sounds great!

[@nathanguitar4246]

Dude this was amazing and you are an incredible player. Is there a way to have more than 2 amps across several scenes? You had a clean on x and a lead amp tone on y but what amp having a completely different amp on say scene 7? Or would you just use the same usa amp and then use a different set of pedals? Also how do you switch between presets? There is a new section of 8 scenes for every preset correct? Thanks!

[@hre490]

Only Roland GR55

[@jackthrift7850]

Cooper - your brown penny loafers disguise your monster guitar playing chops and highly curiated ears!

[@allthecommonsense]

Wonderful. Thanks.

[@terrylafauci791]

Do you need a computer to access or make these tones or can you do it directly from the unit itself with out the need for a computer?

[@Conkee1711]

Bless you for this Laddie! I dialed in the patches exactly the way you did, and they sounded pretty close. But, your tone seems brighter and snappier than mine. Im going elite hss strat into ax8 into old apogee duet into Yamaha HS8s. Any suggestions on how I can get it brighter? Raise the pups? How do you like your Focusrite?

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

perhaps use more treble?

[@davidlawson7786]

You’re getting different tones than his because every guitar sounds slightly different, even with the same set up.

[@BigBabyTree]

Can you connect this to like any amp or only P.A etc

[@zZAPp-fi]

4:16 how have you managed to get that stereo-doubling effect ? (i'm an AX8 owner)

[@danbrodsky57]

wonder if it will work for keyboards ???

[@G66eu]

Yes. Check this video out for the Axe-Fx III - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWmbfmuel9F_fNE

[@FaizanShakeelKhan]

Is it safe to leave out 1 at full while switching the unit on and off?

[@misticformula1485]

Sounds awesome! What kind of studio monitors are you using?

[@ssmitty00]

Are you going straight to the monitors only or are the subwoofers also in play?

[@tribikramadhikari2470]

does ax8 have a triple rectifier amp?

[@n.e.e.n.official6639]

Yes!

[@fedboy21]

Is it ax8 still good in 2020?? Anyone still use it?? I wanna find used one, but why the distorted tone sound harsh and fizzy? and its like a direct guitar tone without a cabsim??

[@jorgemlcosta]

It sure is. Today I replaced a bias head by the AX8, better valve amp-like tone and feel, more versatile, performance ready (the knob lights are great! Bias head aluminum knobs are impossible to check at distance in a stage or studio), more IO options, and I can take it has hand luggage in a flight! Very happy with this purchase and I did not even start configuring it for my needs. Cheers JC

[@rockyyoytuno]

Man, if Sharkey is going throug the ax8, this definitely is convincing

[@janporenta6547]

Hey, what power amp would you suggest I use with this unit if I really like high gain tones heard from Petrucci? Would mesa 2:90 or something like that work better for my specific need? I know you will probably say Matrix, but versatility or lightweight is not really what I am going for, hence the question. Did you use Fractal amp sims through a tube power amp? Thanks for the answer :)

[@codymarkley8372]

I don't believe you need one, you can run into a p.a. or an amp if you want, unless you are just talking about a cab

[@swabbe4199]

Depends if you want tube or something compact. I'd use an Engl poweramp for the tube tone and stereo features, but if you need something great that fits on your pedalboard, the new Seymour Duncan powerstage 170 is fantastic

[@shayanchakraborty6577]

Man, whenever i turn on the AX 8 Edit software i get a mono output. Is there any way to get a stereo output? The signal chain is fine. Internally as well. When I Input monitor it through the DAW it is fine. But if i run it through the Edit software, I get a mono output. Please give me a solution.

[@fernandolaserra514]

did you find this solution?

[@ritwikshivam]

Can 2 guitars be played using only one AX8? And with different FX chain each?

[@zeroman614]

No

[@Guillo-moji]

​ Steve Wohlford Seems like the Line 6 X3 series is the only pedal capable of doing this.

[@moderndisbalance4153]

You can use Helix or Helix LT if need two guitars playing through the same unit. Especially comfortable, when you manage the midi signal connecting your helix and cubase, reaper etc.

[@adamhurt8243]

Hey so what do you need to gig this thing? Can you just put it directly into a speaker cabinet or do you need something else?

[@oehuniverse]

Hi! you need a power amp! Greetings

[@adamhurt8243]

do you have any suggestions?

[@coopercarter]

I just plug straight into the PA board. Easy as can be.

[@u2adrian1000]

I have an ax8 plugged into a focusrite 2i2 into a pc into 4" mackie monitors with u2 custom presets made by famous EDO and it sounds like shit. There is screeching string noises when I play which I don't get on my ac10 and pedals. I was blaming my playing so Iowered the gain on the AX8 presets for u2 but it didn't help. This is a piece of crap.. I am ready to sell it if I can't figure out how to use the custom u2 presets. I don't just want to use the presets on board. Can you help me revive my belief in it before I sell it off?

[@CaptainFantastik1]

Damn I'm torn. A new Mark V or an Ax8 with some new full range monitors. Can't decide.

[@nationaltelevision666]

ax8, so many more amps

[@fullmetalsal]

JP2C- get a real amp. Not thus Saran Wrap covered high gain tones.

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

depends if you can cover the music just with the Mark V get that. If you need lot of options, hands down the Axe wins easily.

[@EnricoZurma]

What's the signal chain for this recording session?

[@thesphericalguy9018]

I suspect he's going direct from AX8 to interface

[@coopercarter]

AX8--Focusrite Scarlett

[@EnricoZurma]

Sick tones! Thanks :)

[@coopercarter]

thanks!

[@fpjesus2000]

So you weren't using the speakers on screen? If you were, which ones are they? I'm seriously considering getting an Ax8 so I want to be as informed as possible! Thanks you!

[@adhiyartaadhi899]

I want preset this

[@InnerAnimate]

Subbed and enjoyed.

[@63strings63]

I just recieved my AX8 in the mail. Hooked it up to my 50 watt Atomic Reactor Cabnet and it sounds muffled. Can"t get any clean crisp tones. Can anyone help Please ?

[@legendfpv]

you need FRFR

[@uk7769]

YES! Buy two quality (JBL, EV, QSC etc...) 12" or larger powered PA speakers and run it direct to those in a stereo left and right configuration. Add a PA subwoofer and you can play bass too. Just try it. You're welcome. The problem with any multi effects units, is people try to run them through guitar amps and cabs. THey already have the modeling and impulse responses in them, you don't need a guitar amp or cab. You just need a PA.

[@klausochs7006]

Cool !

[@albertsecondino1408]

Hi Could you kindly text me the clean tone with chores set up on time 2:07 to. 2:16

[@lushkordz6643]

Ze best demo so far ive seen on YT on the AX8 // you are an amazing player but i dont know why but with all the demos ive seen including this one i have the same impression ...this stuff is mind blowing N so advanced on every aspect a multiFX could be used in any type of situation BUT the overall feeling is that these @lgos sound to me too perfect to be true even kinda unreal (maybe it could be tweaked to sound in a different way) I really lack some kind of organic tone im able to get with my Boss GT100 ...its so weird !!! (BTW i can stack 2 different amps on the GT100 in DualPros) Ive been listening to the Glenn DeLaune Boss GT1000/Line6 Helix/FA AX8 N same conclusion // Maybe one day im gonna get one of these units to figure out whats going on o_O

[@easylisteningdave]

Can't get anyone to say what amplification though. Doesn't sound good on regular amps. maybe someone can say what to use for amplification. Thanks

[@bizrgtr]

What amp are you using? I just got the AX8 and used it on a session with and without my amp. We used both D/I and ribbon mic in the studio. The AX8 sounded as good into the amp as it did into the mixer. I use exclusively Quilter Labs Amps. The new Tone Block through a 12" speaker and the Micro Pro 200 through an 8" speaker. It kills! Most players use a monitor wedge for stage fill and go direct to FOH. You need a very clean amp. My band mate uses a 65 Deluxe Reverb. He works with it till he's got the right sounds. It sounds amazing.

[@Thejonthomas]

I got way too high before watching this video.

[@michaelwilson2497]

LMAO. I will wait til after bro.

[@TheMicAmused]

Now I want to know what songs he is playing at 3:44 and 4:16, anyone please?

[@joshchristian8598]

FM3 replacing this "Fractal...3 buttons no matter how you configured it is not enough"

[@PursuitSk8]

If it's this powerful I'm definetly getting one as soon as I can, I dont need all the foot switches

[@coopercarter]

The FM3 connects to the FC-6 and 12

[@joshchristian8598]

@@coopercarter now we are in 1800-2k US?... I just feel 3 switches is super limiting (personally). Its AWESOME but there's tons of competition in that $$$ range... including Kemper 👉🙄

[@PursuitSk8]

@@joshchristian8598 kemper with foot switches is a good deal more than 1800 dollars, I wouldnt say it's a competitor for an 1800 floorboard unit

[@joshchristian8598]

@@PursuitSk8 fair enough

[@mashox591]

Matrix q12a？

[@coopercarter]

yep

[@darrylfranks6976]

All of the pros still use a pedal board! I'm keeping my pedal board and tube amp!

[@coopercarter]

All the pros I know go direct Fractal now. Check out Fractal's artist page... 😉

[@alecwoodruffmusic]

*laughs in Steve Vai*

[@alecwoodruffmusic]

www.fractalaudio.com/artists/

[@carlosandchrlys7889]

9:10

[@edwardabraham4262]

The AX8 is a much easier unit to program and sounds amazing live. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a tube amp.

[@paultuang1992]

hello can you send me you tone

[@brennengrimes]

bruh you dont need to play this much to show us how to use the board. just get to the point lol

[@YouSeeSorrows]

The clean tones sound amazing but the dirt tones aren’t convincing. They sound thin and synthetic.

[@DanielDavis730]

$3000 no thanks. All these multy effect units have still years befor they even get close to a real valve amp

[@mario23sb]

This dude does not respond to anyone 😂

[@kolbyatkins2588]

This is not relevant to the ax8: that’s a sick room

[@lookmanostrings]

As big a fan I am of Rush, I can't stand chorus effect.