Walkthrough: Axe Machina

[@angelopearce2420]

Axe machina sounds so good.I was so impressed by the naturalness for a guitar Kontakt library.Also,it sounds nice and gritty like a guitar should sound.This could be a game changer for people like myself who live within the DAW..Great work guys.I'm very impressed.

[@SoundironAudio]

Thank you so much, Angelo! We appreciate the kind words!

[@DavidKudellMusic]

Wow, you really captured the bite and aggressiveness that is missing in most of the current virtual instrument guitars. It really sounds amazing! 🔥

[@SoundironAudio]

Thank you so much, David!

[@tauvholiik7936]

This has features that Shreddage 3 lacks such as randomized and programmable strumming and a more intuitive mod and sustain pedal assignments for realtime articulations. I am sold. One can never own too many guitar libraries and plugins as they all contribute towards creating unique songs.

[@SymphoniaMagnifica]

I think, this guitar will become a true hit among the computer composers!!?

[@SoundironAudio]

Thank you! We appreciate that!

[@paulnordquist6893]

Great stuff! I have played a lot of "guitar solos" on keyboard, and I always bump into the technical limitations of the virtual instrument. The level of detail and control you've built into Axe Machina is amazing. I love having the option to choose a specific string, for example, and the control to switch "hammer on" on and off.

[@kamihuntermusic]

Awesome library! I love the sound and the flexibility. Thanks for making such cool instruments.

[@SoundironAudio]

Thank you, Kami!

[@DesoloZantas]

Wish you guys did a Electric Bass version of this to match

[@Lol_Pig]

Amazing program! Just got it yesterday and pretty much have it figured out - super simple (props to the devs 💪) Any tips on how to make believable hammer-ons/pull-offs?

[@SoundironAudio]

Thank you! There are play modes for pseudo legato and hammer which simulates that, but if we add real hammer on/pull off articulations it would be released in a future update.

[@Raddland]

Looks like a solid outing!

[@dontknow3949]

Therre isn't enough content online about this VST

[@michellemay76]

Awesome Craig, congrats!

[@SoundironAudio]

Thanks, Michel!

[@Michael_Lak]

Love the sound but I'm buying it for the sequencer.

[@StoriesOfSolitude]

As a fellow Craig, I thank you for your hard work on this. 😂 I can't wait to give it a try!

[@SoundironAudio]

us craigs gotta stick together 🙌

[@StoriesOfSolitude]

@@SoundironAudio Just downloaded it, time to start tinkering lol

[@mistral-unizion-music]

Well done, love it!

[@DenisAshton]

Sounds great!

[@SoundironAudio]

Thank you!

[@steph1918]

Nice sound Craig, thanks! And the volume knob goes to 11! 🤣

[@SoundironAudio]

Thank you and yes it does! 😂

[@tekrahmuzik2119]

Nice...will get it today!

[@TheCoolProfessor]

I really like the sound of virtual instruments and I want to learn how to make music on a computer but the software is so complicated and there aren't too many books on the subject that help me.

[@SoundironAudio]

It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but for our libraries, make sure to watch the walkthroughs to understand how to utilize them. We also have lots of composing tutorials on our channel as well.

[@HausbarMusic]

There is just one question… how to combine this library with the pan flutes? 😂 Just kidding, truly great sound! 🎸

[@Windir-gp8wk]

no hammer on\po? maybe in a future update?

[@SoundironAudio]

There are no real hammer on/pull offs, but if we update we would love to add that!

[@Windir-gp8wk]

@@SoundironAudio thanks for the reply..hoping to see an update soon, these vst guitar are getting better day by day, but they still lack something to sound more natural in my opinion, especially for lead parts. I find most of them sound a bit thin\strange in some frets\strings when compared to a real guitar, maybe it's just my wrong impression!

[@dafingaz]

Incredible!!!

[@giantenemybird2687]

Ok so I've used this thing so much at this point I feel like I should chime in because I'm sure I'm not the only one in my situation. Let me start off by saying, I own and frequently use Solemn Tones Odin II, Shreddage III Hydra, and Axe Machina. I pitch shift all the guitars to double drop D (yes an octave below drop D). Here's my verdict: for low tuned metal, whether it's thall or metalcore, Axe Machina is by far the best sounding of the 3 for my needs. I consistently get better tones from Axe Machina vs the other ones. HOWEVER, as someone who doesn't play the keyboard at all when he composes and programs EVERYTHING for midi guitar on the piano roll in my DAW, I do find Axe Machina to be incredibly clunky compared to the other two. I still use it as my primary guitar sound because it sounds so good, but man... if I could have the ease of use/programming of Odin and the pure features and customization of Shreddage 3 Hydra to go along with the sound of Axe Machina, I'd be in heaven. Axe Machina feels like it was designed with a keyboard player in mind who actually plays the parts on the fly rather than a piano roll clicker like myself, who only programs the parts. Something that is incredibly frustrating to me is that despite being able to map sustain vs palm mute / up, down alt pick, etc to my liking in Axe Machina... I can't find a way to make it switch from "normal" playmode to "hammer" playmode with a keypress or within each separate articulation module itself. I emailed support and they pointed out where the keyswitches were... which didn't help at all because 1) I already know how to use those and 2) it doesn't let you map the playmode itself (normal vs hammer vs strum, etc) ... this is something I'm able to easily do in Shreddage and while Odin doesn't let me change the keyswitch for those, it at least has the playmodes mapped to keys so I can easily switch between them. I feel like it's probably possible through Kontakt itself, but I'm not an advanced user of Kontakt so I'm sure it would be a pain for me. I know I'm griping about that issue a lot, but for someone like me, it's a BIG DEAL. After the initial reply from support, which felt like they just assumed my issue rather than reading my email carefully, I restated my issue making sure to be very specific and didn't get a reply back. Despite all of that, I still recommend Axe Machina based on the price point and again, it SOUNDS fantastic. Thanks for reading my wall of text :D

[@SoundironAudio]

Hello and thank you for the kind words regarding Axe Machina! Regarding the programming and customization features, what would you like to see added feature-wise? One thing I like to do when programming is to not have all of the velocities maxed out at 127. I recorded this library with the top velocities being very aggressive, but usually like to have most of the velocities lower maybe around 100 or so depending on what I'm working on and using the hardest velocities to accent parts or just have super aggressive chords or palm mutes. Also, for the playmodes, those can be learned via midi CC by right clicking and learning to a CC and then you can program this in your DAW. Thanks! - Craig

[@giantenemybird2687]

@SoundironAudio Thanks for the reply, Craig. I'll go the CC route. You did a great job sampling this library. The top velocities being very aggressive is exactly what I need for the sound I prefer. I tend to save the 127s for the beefy open low meaty bois on the 1 beat :) The Axe Machina sounds so mean on those I love it. Side note: I think the world needs an 8 string Kiesel sample library as well! As far as features the only other thing I find myself missing is the limitation of not being able to slide between two specific frets/notes. If I'm wrong on this, please let me know, but when I played around with the keys for slides, it seemed like it was limited in that regard. One last thing, a question if you don't mind. If I were to distribute velocities as 1-50 for palm mutes and 51-127 as sustain, would the velocities then scale? (for example, 50 vel for a palm mute would use a sample for 127 vel palm mute?) Or would every velocity over 50 just be completely ignored for palm mutes in that case? If not scaled, do you know of an easy way to do that with Axe Machina? Thanks again. Very satisfied with the library and your correspondence. EDIT: Sorry I just thought of one more question. What exactly is the different between the two pinch harmonic options? regular vs chromatic. I'm primarily a bass player so the pinch harmonics are kind of out of my wheelhouse. Thanks again.

[@SoundironAudio]

Thanks! I'm a big fan of being able to have that really aggressive attack on the top velocities. An 8 string would be a cool idea! We'll see for the future. You can have it switch articulations via velocity ranges. If you want to do that, just set the ranges you want per artciulation slot and then switch the main big center knob in the middle of the sound shaping controls to DYN. Then you can control the velocities via modwheel while switching articulations by velocity. I'm planning to make a video on this soon.

[@giantenemybird2687]

@@SoundironAudio That's the exact way i figured out how to do it. It's not ideal for me, but, when purely trying to compose a rough idea quickly, splitting sustain and palm mutes between velocities makes it easier to program and edit everything at a quick glance. thanks again!

[@KS-ld7zs]

Loving Axe Machina so far, definitely some of the best chunky chugs in the VST game at the moment! Any chance we could get option for playback modes as keyswitches? There's currently not an easy way to switch to say, a hammered note, while mid-riff. I was able to map playback mode to a CC value, but that's significantly more difficult than using a key switch. There looks to be enough room between the articulation slots and the first playable note, or even above the note range.

[@SoundironAudio]

That's awesome to hear! Also, very good idea regarding making the playback modes key switchable. Maybe for a future update!

[@XRaym]

Soundiron goes Metal 🤘🎸

[@SoundironAudio]

I mean...our company name is Soundiron! That's pretty metal right there!

[@emanuel_soundtrack]

@@SoundironAudio lol for me was clear from begin

[@themidnightaristocrat]

Is there any way to remap the articulations so i can play on a 49 key keyboard?

[@SoundironAudio]

With the slot system you can rearrange the keyswitches anyway you like.

[@TannerSingsSongs]

This sounds awesome, but I cannot for the life of me seem to figure out how to set different articulations in the midi map to switch between palm mutes and sustained chords at all. What’s the trick?

[@SoundironAudio]

Utilize the designated keyswitches for each articulation slot, and feel free to customize the keyswitch assigned to any slot as needed. To make changes, make sure the specific slot is selected, and you can adjust it in the middle-bottom section of the GUI. The user manual also explains this and more in greater depth. Hope that helps!

[@TannerSingsSongs]

@@SoundironAudio thank you very much!

[@benjaminbovay10]

It simply sounds amazing ! Awesome job 💯 ! Currently using the Odin II. I really want to buy it but I seems like it requires the full Kontakt version. I've read the details about it on the website but I don't really understand the explanations. What happens exactly if you load it in the free kontakt player ? What is available in the "demo version" ? I basically need only the RAW DI without any amp/effects, I'll reamp it with external VST's. (My writtings are basic, they're made of sustain chords and thick chuggs 99% of the time.) Is it usable on the free kontakt player for my needs ? If not, do you plan on realising a version for the free Kontakt player ? Thanks in advance for your reply 🙏

[@adamdavis307]

@soundiron i think i may have understood. So you do all the work in the sequencer but have to replicate that work in the daw, because you can't drag out the midi? love the sound though, will be buying it.

[@SoundironAudio]

Hi Adam! That is correct. The sequencer cannot drag midi into your DAW. I like to use it as a riff generator for ideas. Thanks! - Craig

[@AdamSpade]

YES! MDK!

[@dontknow3949]

Man this VST sounds amazing and I'm loving it so far except for one massive glaring flaw, the key switches like... Don't work a large amount of the time? I don't know how to explain it but for example a keyswitch starts on a new note, with a new note being added on the same note as the keyswitch (quantized at the start of a note), and the previous keyswitch stays active? (so for example if I am on power chord palm mute for one note, and then the next quantized note is switched to sustain, it will just for some reason be a power chord palm mute. Sometimes this happens, sometimes it doesn't. Seems totally random. This can only be fixed (I found after a lot of experimentation and messing around with ways to fix it) by zooming in, turning quantization off, then moving the musical note (not the keyswitch) over slightly so it does not start quantized. Which will then not provide for a smooth transition from the prior note a lot of the time because there's a small gap between the notes. Sometimes this sounds really really bad depending on the keyswitch type/transition but it’s the only way to make the keyswitch work unless I want to create an entire new instance of Kontakt 7 and Axe Machina which is really just not viable with my setup right now. It's a very difficult issue to put into words and it is driving me insane. Can't seem to find anything about this issue on the internet. Is there a setting I have turned on I'm not aware of that makes keyswitches not work when turned on in a quantized manner or something? I just don't know what to do but it's totally demotivating... I keep finding myself closing the VST or closing my DAW and just doing something else instead because it's so frustrating.

[@SoundironAudio]

Sorry for the trouble. you should be able to keep your musical notes quantized and just shift the keyswitch notes back slightly before the first musical note. That's what I do to make sure I get the articulations that I want in time. Hope that helps

[@dontknow3949]

@@SoundironAudiookay I will try that. Perhaps that probably will work better than moving the actual musical note over so that there is no jarring gaps in sound between musical notes. I’ll say this VST is the best guitar VST I’ve ever found for the sound I’m looking for. I’m making a nu metal project using it and it’s working out great so far. Thanks for the response, you guys rock.

[@davidxian6235]

I have it set up like you, why won’t it play sustained strum notes?

[@Ambitiouz_mindset]

How many palm mute layers are there? Just wondering if this is better than shreddage 3 hydra

[@SoundironAudio]

Hi Paul, this library has 3 dynamic layers and you can use the volume/dynamics wheel to get even more of a dynamic sound.

[@Ambitiouz_mindset]

@@SoundironAudio another question can you record the step sequence as midi to change the sequence up in a song?

[@TruthSurge]

great sounds and tons of tweaks. But did I understand this doesn't have samples for hammers or pulloffs? Just picked notes?

[@SoundironAudio]

Thank you! There's no recorded hammer on and pull off samples for this library.

[@TruthSurge]

@@SoundironAudio ok, thx. This must have taken a lot of time to create

[@TruthSurge]

@@SoundironAudio perhaps you can fake them using an attack tweak I suppose but still, hammers prob sound different beyond the attack too so.... anyway, sounds like a really useful library and looks like you put a load of work and thought into that. so, great job!!!!

[@jacobsmith1877]

@@SoundironAudio I hope you guys can add realistic hammer-on/pull-off legato in a future update.

[@mikado2984]

Could you simulate Black Metal style tremolo picking with that and how?

[@SoundironAudio]

For realistic tremolo picking it's best to use lower velocities.

[@theshogunbeatlab]

So, I LOVE the possibilities this creates, but something is wrong, either with my software, or , more likely, me. I have a sustain pedal, but I cannot get any of the play modes to work - repeat at least still has sound, but no repeating like youre doing, and strum just produces zero audio for me at all. what am I doing wrong here?!

[@SoundironAudio]

Hi Brandon! If you have Repeat loaded in the playmode you just have to hold the sustain pedal and it will retrigger a note once you release. Just make sure you keep the sustain pedal held down. For the strum mode you have to hold the notes you want and use the keys higher up to either strum up, down, or play the individual notes you're holding. Hope that helps!

[@Michael_Lak]

Can a sustain pedal be added to most midi keyboards?

[@alyctro8158]

Is there a demo version i could try? I'm still not convinced. A lot of people say it sounds robotic. But i won't know for sure until i try it my self. Then, i would buy it if it's great.

[@SoundironAudio]

Sorry, but there's no demo version available. Definitely check out James Zhan's review hear a comparison between other guitar virtual instruments kzbin.info/www/bejne/maalZZ2Qg5eWea8

[@brunotortorello8530]

So mu biggest issue with sampled guitar is phase issues cuz I like to have one guitar on the left and one on the right so I can program them independently. I see that you guys have the double mode but can I open two instances of the plugin, pan on guitar left and one right and not have phase issues with your plugin?

[@SoundironAudio]

Yes you can do that without phasing. You just have to set one instance of the library to guitar 1 and the other to guitar 2 and they won’t run the risk of the same samples playing together.

[@brunotortorello8530]

@@SoundironAudio ok, now I'm buying it, thanks!!!!

[@Synstrument]

Sounds great, until when your Black Friday Sale ends?

[@SoundironAudio]

Sale ends November 30th

[@WeatherM_Soundworks]

TAKE, MY, MONEY! 😍

[@penroseleroi6763]

Let's go ahead...

[@Ambitiouz_mindset]

@Soundiron another question can you record the step sequence as midi to change the sequence up in a song?

[@SoundironAudio]

The sequencer has to be programmed within and can’t be changed with midi.

[@Ambitiouz_mindset]

Can you export the step sequence as midi so you can have different patterns in a song?

[@SoundironAudio]

Hi Paul, Unfortunately you can’t drag out the patterns as midi.

[@Ambitiouz_mindset]

@@SoundironAudio so your stock with one sequence for a song basically?

[@colinmitchell1287]

Can this go down to at least a low F (like drop F) without pitch shifting? I'm excited for more Guitar libraries that are desperately needed. Especially for us who make argent metal (DOOM Mick Gordon metal) and djent. If this can go lower without pitch shifting, that would be insta buy for me. If not, hopefully a future 8 string or longer scale guitar for a library will become a thing ;)

[@SoundironAudio]

Hi Colin! Yes, this library goes down to a Low F

[@colinmitchell1287]

@@SoundironAudio sorry to be a little redundant. What is the lowest recorded range (that hopefully isn't pitch shifted)? I might grab this like very soon if it has a very good lower range (that isn't pitch shifted, sorry to keep making that clear haha). Thank you, I appreciate the answers 🤘

[@SoundironAudio]

@@colinmitchell1287 No worries! For this library the lowest recorded range is Low A and we extended that outside of Kontakt to have the best sounding extended range. Hope that helps!

[@colinmitchell1287]

@@SoundironAudio by chance was there pitch shifting/correction for notes lower than A? Being able to go down to F is a huge plus for me. I'm definitely curious if F-Ab is pitched shifted/corrected? I'm totally grabbing this regardless, and it's super awesome to see a guitar library with the guitar specs I would love to have. Thank you again for the answers. 🙌

[@SoundironAudio]

We were very careful with the tuning while sampling this instrument, so the lower pitched notes were only pitched down to the notes we wanted to have the range extended. Thanks and if you pickup the library we hope you enjoy it!

[@MahmoudNader]

Buying this even though I'm a guitarist lol Just waiting for a good deal

[@SoundironAudio]

Thank you! Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all our upcoming promotions. soundiron.com/pages/newsletter

[@MahmoudNader]

@@SoundironAudio thank you , I've decided to buy it at the current price since it's well worth it

[@SoundironAudio]

Thank you very much! We hope you enjoy using it!

[@ampspedalspickups]

I was excited and about to buy this except its for FULL kontakt only. Seems crazy not to pay the licensing fee and have it available for everyone to use, I wonder how many others have passed up on this because of that limitation. If it ever becomes available for the regular kontakt player I'll be a buyer, until then its a pass.