Using the AXE-FX III Through a Power Amp - Some Tips

[@justinTime077]

I think you just saved my mortal soul with that graphic EQ.

[@robfernandez5234]

Hey Kids - I run the FM9 output 3 to a Mesa tube power amp for stage vibration and output 2 and 1 to in ears and FOH respectively. Point though is I keep amp and cab simulation on regardless of the output!!! Without that the sound is fizz-o-matic. The only way I can get an amp sound out of the Fractal is to roll off everything under 5kHz, keep amp and cab sim on. Can use the cab block, parametric, tweak with the graphic eq to roll off highs. If too dull roll the parametric high cut up, turn up travel in the amp block, or stuff like that.

[@ranger5281]

Did you mean to type "roll off everything OVER 5 kHz" ??

[@robfernandez5234]

@@ranger5281 ooops yes! Thanks! Update too: I’m now disabling cab emulation, but tweaking the bejesus out of the amp with the graphic eq in the amp model, with slight dip at 1khz and 500hz to take away some nasal frequencies, followed by a parametric where I carve 4khz, 6khz, and roll off the top end at 55khz.

[@MrRandali]

Hi, I'm playing my Axe 3 into a boogie 395 switch track poweramp and I'm getting a lot of beautiful non-blanket tone by turning the SAG all the way down on the amp block power amp settings until it says P.A. Off

[@justinTime077]

seems a terrible idea to me. Sag is one of the most wonderful things…

[@MrRandali]

@@justinTime077 Hi, no longer using that system. Now going fm9 into Marshall head. Also have line 6 Powercab 212 which sounds great as well

[@justinTime077]

@@MrRandali oh nice 👍🏼 I am definitely needing to get another tube amp in my life. The axe is nice, but it only barely scratches my itch for the amp vibe even when I put it through a cab. I only have a solid state head to go through currently.

[@justinTime077]

@@MrRandali how do you use the Marshall? Do you use modeled amps through the return?

[@MrRandali]

@@justinTime077 well, I was doing a lot with the four cable method with the send and return etc, but I've actually been getting some killer tones just plugging straight out of Out 1 into the amp. I got so excited on a great phaser tone out of one of my combos that I composed and looped a quick progression, then made up some lyrics and then put some lead on it and recorded it with my phone just before falling asleep sometime last week. The phone mic wasn't too bad actually. I just uploaded it and made a link so that you could hear it hopefully. On this I believe I'm just using a clean channel out of the jvm 215c and if I remember correctly, the model that I'm using for the dirt sound it is a Boogie IIC+ with the power amp and cabinet simulations off to rely on that Marshall rear end: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKbHiZKqYpmpiLs

[@CreepyCat.]

Man, I still can’t stop thinking about how with an amp I just would not need to do all this. To me it’s on the modelers to ensure that they sound like an actual pre, not on me to waste my best energy not playing. I’ve come to find after 4 years of screwing around with these it’s making my guitar playing life unfun.

[@RobNY5150]

@@CreepyCat. I completely hear where you’re coming from. I have two setups now. My AXEFX that I use for direct recording and my Marshall head that I use for jamming and some recording as well.

[@timeagan893]

Sir I hope you can shed some light on this: I am interested in using the PS-100's tube power amp with a AxeFX II and through a Marshall 4X12 greenback loaded cab. Now the AxeFX has several adjustments/options one can make if you are using a Solid state power amp or a tube power amp. Now the difficulty is (as you remarked in your video) is that the fryette's tube power amp is more "clean" or "neutral" so as to not add much "color/personality)....BUT it still is a "Tube amp and I would guess that you would not make the AxeFX "settings adjustment that you would pick for "when using a solid state power amp" For instance for solid state power amp you might want to leave the AxeFX "power amp emulation on (because the solid state power amp is too "sterile" but is the Fryette ENOUGH of a "Tube power amp that you/I should leave the power amp emulation "Off". There are also other settings that are easier to guess (since I'm using a "Real" cab I should turn the "cab sim block off. So I guess I'm asking you: When using the fryette "tube power amp" even though it is actually a "Tube amp"...but still it is so "flat/neutral" as a power amp one should still leave "power amp simulation "ON".....YOUR THOUGHTS????

[@mookytc]

Thank you for this video! Have a new Axe FX III and Matrix power amp (running the signal to my cab). Trying to get a handle on the unit and it's features. Notice in the power amp section one can choose between FRFR or SS and Cab (output). Curious what your tone sounded like as I modified the EQ and speaker compression as in the vid (cab modeling disabled in global settings). Using a US Strat with single coils and the tone is pretty clean. Anyhow hoping this hardware works out for me.

[@RobNY5150]

The Matrix is prob the most popular power amp for the Fractals. Since this video, I actually returned the power and and got a Marshall CODE100 head for the 2x12 cabinet because in the end, I decided to just use the AXEFX3 for direct recording for now. Hope you enjoy the unit as much as I do!

[@DannyLugo-Music]

Can I only plug the Crown xls into the mesa cabinet 2x12 and my pedals without EQ?

[@Benzodiazpine]

Thanks for the video, how about if i connect the axe fx directly to the audio interface, can i record without a power amp?

[@RobNY5150]

You definitely can. All you need is to connect via USB to your computer.

[@armandomendivil1117]

Hello, thanks for sharing this video, I am running something similar with my fm3 + qsc amp + Marshall 4x12 cab but the sound is very bright, I am trying with the same sim cab and sounds pretty different when I want to run the real cab, I think that I have everything ok, do I need to focus on eq? I expect to sound pretty similar with my real cab vs sim cab

[@RobNY5150]

I’ll be honest I sort of abandoned this method and now use my AXEFX exclusively through studio monitors mainly for recording. I never quite got the sound that I wanted through the power amp. One thought, if you’re running through a real cab, make sure the cab sim is off. I notice the AXEFX sounds very different in every situation.

[@fr201]

@@RobNY5150 Were you just not happy with the Axe through a real speaker cab compared to a real tube amp through the same speaker?

[@jincasa]

Can you please explain how one picks a power amp for their rig? I’d like to send a signal into a future-proof one to power six 4x12 speaker cabinets.

[@amac1477]

Hello Rob! Thanks for your vid! I'm curious about one thing. Did you use the Crown XLS 1002 with the .775 Vrms sensitivity enabled? If so, was the PA loud enough using that configuration? I've got the Crown XLS 1500 which only has the 1.4Vrms sensitivity option. This makes the PA provide almost no POWER to my 2x12 cab as my sourse (POD HD500X) seems to have a lower voltage output. I learned that these PA need a high signal imput in order to provide high output. For that I should use a preamp for instance, but I find this option inconvenient as adding on another gear makes it less portable. So, did you use the .775 Vrms sensitivity enabled and was it loud enough? Thanks in advance!

[@RobNY5150]

I'll be honest I didn't stick with this setup because I just couldn't get the sound I wanted. I purchased a Marshall DSL20 head for 2x12 instead. I only use the AXEFX3 for direct recording now.

[@ethanlancaster76]

Yes! Too bad he didn’t see your comment about the sensitivity adjustment for the Crown, and that goes for the majority of power amps that are mainly designed for sound reinforcement, as I am quite sure that was the issue he was having from my own personal experience. As soon as I heard him say that the cab sounded dark and muffled when he ran out of the Axe FX to the power amp and cab I knew that the sensitivity was in the wrong position for that application and unfortunately he didn’t even get a chance to hear how musical a class D amp can be with a modeling unit because it is glorious when it’s dialed in properly and as you mention the sensitivity also gives you the same feeling that you can expect from the sag of a tube amp being pushed into saturation. I don’t think a lot of people realize how much your playing is dependent on the response that you are used to from the inherent sag of a traditional tube amp. Without it being there though it’s hard to get your mind past the responsiveness, or lack there of, long enough to be able to get a tone dialed in that is satisfying and the first reaction is often to change what you mistakenly think is wrong. I honestly think it’s the way to go with modeling and I doubt he would have even thought about another amp had it been closer to what he was expecting out of the box as this can be a truly glorious setup for guitar players and about as versatile as you can get. I would have also used the four cable method considering the Boss floor unit in conjunction with the I/o’s of the Axe and the ability to move the blocks around in the signal chain to make it work for you. Anyway great advice and I’m sorry he didn’t get your message sooner.

[@DannyLugo-Music]

Is that your music.Sounds killer

[@JustinTOsburn]

I have this exact same issue with my FM3 and I can never get the damn graphic to sound right. It’s pretty frustrating.

[@XRated129]

Wow thought the Kemper and Axe Fx (being high dollar and state of the art) would be like a real amp head and just cable up to a any cab, but I see you have to buy a power amp just to do just that. is there a Solid state amp head you would recommend?

[@GlobalTossPot]

TIDE Kemper actually sells a 600W powered version of their modular

[@XRated129]

@@GlobalTossPot thanks bro. I went to the website. And it was right there in front of me. Strange it says that only the black Profiler heads have the power rack Set in them.

[@AngSingha]

I just bought the powered racked version of the kemper and I was so turned off by the solid state power amp that it came with. Glad there was an option to hook up a separate tube power amp which gave the warm tube feel. So all the hype is not true. Going directly to the FOH is worse!!! Very sterile even with the cab settings all tweaked. Still have to haul my half stacks to shows!

[@XRated129]

@@AngSingha You know I have seen and guy doing demonstration of what you did with the effects Loop copper tube amp. And also demonstrating front of house flash monitor speakers using the cap simulator. And I will have to say using the cap sims really didn't sound very. But I just thought that maybe it was the speakers that he was using to record with.

[@JeffersonFigueirinha]

CROWN amps

[@jahanwatson2423]

Can you direct me to the adapters I need for the outputs to cab, I bought a crown amp for my pod hd pro however I can’t find any info on the adapters

[@RobNY5150]

I no longer use this setup but I believe the adapter can be purchased through sweetwater. Give them a call.

[@jahanwatson2423]

Rob L I’m just wondering what the adapter is called

[@RobNY5150]

@@jahanwatson2423 I'm not sure but if you describe what you need they will be able to tell you which one you need.

[@jahanwatson2423]

Rob L I figured out what I needed I was looking for speedcon con adapters instead of speakon lol

[@jahanwatson2423]

Rob L but appreciate it

[@eddiem4868]

Why do you use the input in the back does it make a difference?

[@RobNY5150]

Only to keep things tidy no other reason

[@eddiem4868]

@@RobNY5150 Got it

[@ciberguitar]

Can you make sound samples of the Ax 3 going through the power amp? Thanks!

[@RobNY5150]

Hi I don't currently own a microphone because I do all my recording direct but if I get one I will definitely do some sound samples!

[@ciberguitar]

@@RobNY5150 Ok!!!

[@johnerickmarzo7278]

Why do you need a power for live setup axe fx?

[@RobNY5150]

At the time I was using it as my "real amp" until I got another Marshall head.