You nailed it on the head about great tones sounding quite uninspiring on their own. My favourite metal tone is Mark Mortons Lamb of God tones, especially his Wrath album tones. Having listened to the isolated stems it actually sounds very harsh. I tone matched it and when I play alone, again sounds harsh, but once I throw the backing track on it all gels together amazingly just like the original recordings.
Got my AX8 2nd hand and I kid you not 3 months of horrible tones, about to give up on the ax8 and sell after I downloaded the Neural DSP Nolly and it sounded better, and I found this video somehow (after watching all 8 of your playlist AX8 videos) and realized my cab modeling was off (face palm). You are a life saver, and have put out better info then Fractal ever has on their own product. Your gift of time is a blessing to lots of us Leon
Hands down one of the most informative, thorough and entertaining tutorials on tweaking presets within the Axe units I've seen! Thank you so much for this... have owned the Axe Fx 2 for years and though familiar with it's infinite tweakability, learned so much from this video. Keep 'um coming... and thanks again!
Thank you so much for making these videos man!! As someone who was/still is totally lost on utilizing the ax8 to its full potential I am so grateful that someone like you is out there providing such excellent info. Great work.
Great points on describing what it is in your tone that you’re unhappy with, rather than quoting forum buzz words. Also, very pertinent to the point here that it helps if you don’t suck as a player. It’s hard to make a bad source sound good. As always, some immediately useful info, Leon!
ive had my ax8 for about 2 years now and ive always been happy with it. i just started exploring the nitty-gritty settings (at least for me) recently, specifically IR/cab settings. its really amazing how flexible this thing is.
I really want to thank you man. It’s been a long time dream to own a fractal unit. I owned a helix loved it, bad shit happened and I had to sell it so I sold a bit of gear to get an AX8. Man I have hated the hell out of my AX8 since I got it lol. The tones are really amazing. Two steps up from the helix easily but I haven’t really been able to do what I wanted to on the unit and the learning curve is really steep at first until you wrap your head around the logic of the block layouts and such. Anyways man I started watching your videos, downloaded all of your presets from axechange to see how you set stuff up and now I love the AX8. I wish I would have researched a little more before buying it because an AXE FX II or III is much better suited to my needs but at least now I’m having a blast with the AX8. Thanks again for such in depth tutorials!
That means a lot, thankyou! This stuff really pushes you out of a traditional guitar player mentality and more towards the audio engineer/sound designer way of thinking about guitar sounds which is a big plus IMO
Leon Todd I’ve been using modelers since they first came out so you’d think it would be second nature to me but the fractal unit just can’t put obvious looking icons or controls in there lol. It reminds me of how a data entry program is laid out with it’s little nonsensical, at first, icons everywhere. Once you figure it out then you’re like oh well ok I get it this is easy now. The expression pedal function I almost never figured out but then I felt really stupid. I’ve read the manual but it never says this symbol will be located inconspicuously on random knobs lol. Watch I’ll finally learn it perfectly and then I’ll finally get my FM3 email lol. Seriously though man thanks a ton! Right now I’m trying to get a peavey invective type tone and it’s kind of kicking my ass but ever since going through your presets and videos I feel like I finally got a handle on it
Your video hits the nail on the head. Garbage in equals garbage out. One must know how to use their equipment, experiment-test-adjust-repeat using your ears and take the time to be able to spend a couple different sessions (or more) adjusting your tones. Developing great tones are possible with the vast majority of the modelers available today…especially the Fractal units!
I picked up a used mint FX8 off Reverb and am running it stereo into two 20 watt Blackstars using the 4CM method (actually 7CM plus relay cables to channel switch the amps with the FX8) and it sounds phenomenal! Your fractal audio tutorial videos and a quick run through of the user manual made a rather daunting task rather painless. Your videos really helped me navigate through all the sub menus as many of the parameters are similar across all fractal models. Thanks for the many great video resources to learn from! 🤘🏼
that's why i bought a Freidman asm 12, bc i always sounded muddy in the mix !! always at the mercy of the soundman !! another great video, Thank you Leon for all the wealth of knowledge you have with this stuff, great lesson
Thank you! What you said in the intro about not sucking on the guitar is probably most important for the sound or maybe for the overall experience of the listener(s). Having fancy guitars and amps is worth nothing if you can't play them properly. I learned the hard way that equipment can never outweigh my skills on the instrument... For me it's a constant process of reminding myself that I can't play better, only if I get the next super cool amp or guitar ;) BTW you rock bro :)
great job! this is very eye opening specially with the people that calls fake the sims without even learning how to use them, first was the axe fx 1, then the ax8 or any other, and now the most real ones are the dsp neural i bet their tone is gonna keep sucking if they dont understand as you said in the video
Another person who has a great affinity with good tone, good amount of gain. People like you speak a lot of sense and since about 2-3 months ago, I've really started dialing the gain back to about 10 o'clock (Orange th30). Sounds more punchier coupled with a good helping of midrange.
Gain is to what salt is to food. You need enough to bring out all the flavours you need but if you're used to way too much it can spoil everything and be hard to cut out. A good rule of thumb for me is to find that sweet spot where I have to push my technique just that little bit to get what i want; it really make me play better.
Dude I just bought myself my first ax8. Absolutely loving it so far. I seriously learned so much just from watching this video. Loving your content dude.
Cring0r I've tried stuff by Singtall and Fremen and they're impressive. I have a bunch of free Preset packs you can try as a starting point if your search through my videos.
Great Leon video and the AX8 setup series as well. I knew this unit should sound better ;) thanks to you I can control now my Ax8 a lot better. I was one of those with no time to check the setup of the modeling I had it off!! hahaha! I guess that during this quarantine I would be able to read through the manual and realize that I wasn't being as conscious about that as I should, but your videos made it so much easier to understand. Thanks Leon!
At last! Someone who knows what they are talking about concerning modelling amps and how to dial them in. For me the most important factor is dialling the tone at volume required for gig which usually resulted in reduced bass, treble and gain in order to produce the desired effect
Another important thing is to check your sound during rehearsals and getting feedback from your bandmates. Once joined a band and then realized, they didn't give a damn if they could hear each other. That was a strange experience for me. Getting a great sound for recording is a different thing. At least you don't have to dial in your gear to sound good at high volumes. Anyways in the end the settings that work good in a mix are probably close to what you would use in a live situation cause you still need a lot of mids to cut through.
My Axe FX 3 should be here sometime this week. I've been watching loads of videos hoping to have a better understanding of what's under the hood. I know this was done with an AX8, but it looks like the principles all still apply. Lots of good pointers in here, looking forward to digging in and dialing up some great tones!
Great video, funny story: I own a Kemper and suggested a fletcher-munson compensation switch (yep loudness on stereos since forever duh) but as usual it fell on deaf ears. Wondering if Cliff from Fractal would be more open to something like that.
You summed it up in the first minute......people who can't afford great gear are jelous haters ....why even make a video of this .anyone who does their homework knows. .Leo I love your videos.Very informative
Hey Todd! Love the videos. Been really helpful since I just bought an Axe FX. I would have been absolutely lost trying to dial things in without them. What FRFR cab do you use/recommend?
Every single multiFX user should watch this video before starting to tweak anything !!!!! Tone Shaping / Gain Staging / Komp Adjustment .......these R the key to success ^^^^^
Leon, thanks for all your amazing videos, using the AX8 has been a joy mainly due to your help. One question, when running the xlr's to the desk would you pan each channel or not..?
Hi, nice video once again. Would like to know more on the more advanced part of the amp block, like the speaker drive, power supply sag. and dynamics. The effects seems subtle but I’m sure perhaps makes just the right difference to make the psycho-acoustics work for both the player and the listener.
thanks, mate! Very helpful part on Speaker, Spkr Drv and Dynamics. I am using gibson LP standard 2012 and at output drive set to 5, I am getting twice less gain as you do. Is it because of the pickups on your gibson or there is some other reason?
Well, i'm a bit over those basics... but a prob i had was that a very good sound that i tweacked (well balanced in bass, mids and trebles, a bit of delay and a moderate 12% of reverb) was totally "lost" in the mix going direct from the Axe into the PA in stereo! A f***ing L6 HD500 from the 2nd background guitar totally crushed my guitar and from that point started the "volume battle" that all we know is absolutelynot the solution! How can you help me? It's better to go "mono"? No ambients fxs at all? Plz!
Really great video. Very helpful and very clear. I'm looking at going down this route. I've heard the DXR10 is a good monitor for live use . Any recommendations for a decent FRFR for club use? Thanks again.
Hi Leon, under your opinion, how is the best way to edit the audio to play live directly to PA? I mean, now I'm setting all my presets sound with headphones, but I realize that sound different on the stage. So, should I set all my effects thru a studio monitors or what? thank u.
Hi Leon, what slope dB per octave do you normally set the high- and low cut? I know that Neve preamps for example have a slope of 18… but I sometimes find that to feel quite drastic and sounding unnatural for guitar… thanks as always 🤗
Gotta set the line level based upon the unity input, -12 to -20, that gives headroom on your daw and evens your patches. Set the line level based on the same output across the board, it's not an adjustment for tone.This is according to austin buddy
Ive tried everything on my fm3 and it still sounds like there is a blanket over the speaker? I went through all my les pauls one with a custom 5 and one with a t top replica. It sounds muddy and not crisp and clear like your tone.
Great video maite... love my Axe Fx II, but there are a few presets I've got (mostly downloaded over the years and tweaked) that sound really "hi-fi" and just sound so full and present (like a mix between a really well produced studio/album tone, and something someone like John Petrucci or Eric Johnson might use live). I was thinking about trying to emulate that sound on my other patches by maybe recording samples, then analysing their frequencies with an EQ plugin and sticking a GEQ with similar curves on my other patches? What do you recon?
Leon, I was wondering what tricks or settings on the AX8 is helpful in making the guitar tone cut through in the mix instead of being buried? I boosted mids but do not want to go too much because it gets flubby. I am looking for that Elliott Easton Cars tone. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.
Great video. For a tight, high gain metal tone... I'm wondering if you go into the graphic eq at all? I have seen you use the parametric eq before. I see most people place it after the cab. That means that if you're using an FX block to send off to your real cab, then you may have some bad frequencies playing through the "real" setup. I use the Mark 5 GEQ to reduce some of the mids. I also have a low cut and high cut on the cab block. I'm wondering if I will need to include a low cut and high cut filter in my chain to go out to my real Mesa cab for a better sound with the AX8?
I use the Mark series EQ a lot with the Mark series models, but I tend to gravitate towards the GEQ as a pre-boost if anything (hyping up 800-1600hz, pulling out below 200hz). When I use a real cab I put a PEQ at the end of the chain and high/low pass the same as when I use an IR (80/8000) and I find it helps tighten everything up.
LMAO, you got to the headphones part and I'm sitting here like shit shit shit, what's shit is he about to drop on me? Then after talking about losing some overtones, you said you have Audio Technica headphones.... Wheeeeew, that's what I have lol. I think they're alright and I would use my Mesa but I'm in an apartment so I have to fight my battles unfortunately.
PRS Single Cut with Seymour Duncan Custom 5 in the bridge, Jazz in the neck. Trying to get a high gain (Tight yet chewie and organic sounding) M Audio studio Monitors (6') I have a Helix LT as well, no issues with getting great tones, levels, etc..(I only say that because Im not a total newbie here..just AX8 newbie)..I record with Digital Performer, but at the moment, plugged directly into studio monitors. I am following your vids step by step (Awesome and informative!!) and right out of the gate, my Friedman BE amps don't have that sweet gain and sizzle like yours does. Same exact amp and cab (eq /gain settings, etc..) I'm sure it's something I'm doing or not doing as everyone and their mother can make this thing sound good..except me LOL. Thanks for responding (beyond cool) and really enjoy your playing. I just watched the 2nd AX8 tutorial vid...totally inspired me to figure this thing out!
Hi there, just a question... Is it right that the cpu usage jumps up from 15% to 23% just because you turn the level up from -6db to -3db??? (around min. 3:10) Thanks That makes me afraid ! ;-)
so if i use my ax8 in front of my bogner shiva combo, i should turn off amp and cab modeling in global? or should i run it through the effects loop with 2 cable?
If this were year 2000 I'd agree that it's not as good. I love tube amps but today I really can't tell the difference most of the time. Hell even the software is getting awesome. Who cares? If it sounds good ya know? Kids... I'd be a much better player today if I didn't wast 20 years chasing tone.
Hey Leon I really love the tone of the ax8 but before pull the trigger in buy one I wanted to know Does it really respond to the attack like an amp ? Does it feel good ? Not like a flat or buzzy response as some other amp simulators Does it really respond well to the volume pot of the guitar ? Is there still a great dynamic while the volume pot of the guitar goes down, like to go from Lead to crunch, or cleaner sound ?
It definitely likes volume pot variations; I use the volume pot a lot with my main gigging patch and get great results, very much like a real amp. The feel thing is a harder one to demo; personally I'm really happy with it, but I lean towards gainier tones where that's going to be less of a factor.
Hey Leon...I have a Helix Rack..I have had it about 6 months now..I play it through my studio monitors' pair of Yamaha HS7's...My problem is the Helix sounds great at low volumes, but when I turn up the monitors a bit, it gets boxy, muddy,and small sounding..Thats the best way I can describe it...I am not talking absolutely cranking them, just loud enough that you can't talk over it...I use the Hi and Low cuts, and use Ownhammer IR's....still can't find a good sound at louder volumes....Is this just inherent in using monitors??Any advice??This is my first modeling rig..I know it won't be the same as a real amp in the room, but I feel like it should sound better than it does...I am really thinking of ditching this thing....
That's strange. All I can suggest is starting from scratch with the volume cranked and starting with an amp + IR (The Helix Soldano was pretty good from memory) and changing IR's until you get something appealing. Then tweak the amp and then tweak the EQ. have you spent much time with a mic'd amp in that same environment?
Leon Todd No,I haven’t spent a lot of time with mic’ed up amps.....Maybe that’s part of it,I am so used to an amp in the room sound...I am new to this whole digital thing....I like the ability to play at low volume and I love the IR’s,but so far it’s sounding a little “thin”...I kind of wish I had saved a little more and went with the Axe FX III....I wonder if I loaded a real amp and inserted it into the Helix if that would make a difference??Or maybe an amp in the box type pedal,like a 5150III OD....anyway,thank you for the advice....your rig sounds killer!!
From my experience, 95% of amp sim or modeler that sounds "bad" is due to the cabinet IR. I don't quite understand why, but most companies sell amp sims and modeler with poor cabinet IRs. Everybody ends up using custom IRs... With real gear (amp + cab + mic), the cab+mic is probably the element of the chain that affects the tone the most. So why are companies selling amp suites with shitty IRs, I'll never understand...
After 15:00 you never got your tone back and you lost all definition because you forgot the Saturation Drive on maximum at 10. All the extra adjustments you made after that were all just visual placebo.
Hi Leon stupid question here but how should I run the power amp and cab modeling in the AX8 when using a powered speaker frfr , on or off , .. thanks man
My check list is always this; Am I using a tube power amp and guitar cab? Turn power amp and cab modelling off Am I using a SS power amp and guitar cab? Only turn cab modelling off. FRFR? - Don't turn anything off
Do you recommend ax8 or helix lt or headrush ? My eleven rack went dead and now im spending all of my wealth on a new modeler im a tone guy just hoping if helix would somehow reach ax8 maybe with installing IR just because of its easier interface otherwise im leaning more towards the ax8. Thank you
As musicians we can focus so much on our craft that it's easy to ignore the physical phenomena related to what we are trying to achieve. FM is so overlooked!
Leon Todd I run the 8500 member Line 6 Helix FB Group and have - Helix Rack - Helix LT - AX8 - Headrush Pedalboards - and Fletcher Munson is an inescapable scientific fact - I really enjoy your videos Leon - thank you - feel free to friend me on FB 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
You nailed it on the head about great tones sounding quite uninspiring on their own. My favourite metal tone is Mark Mortons Lamb of God tones, especially his Wrath album tones. Having listened to the isolated stems it actually sounds very harsh. I tone matched it and when I play alone, again sounds harsh, but once I throw the backing track on it all gels together amazingly just like the original recordings.
cool story
Neat.
Thanks for sharing.
Very interesting
Got my AX8 2nd hand and I kid you not 3 months of horrible tones, about to give up on the ax8 and sell after I downloaded the Neural DSP Nolly and it sounded better, and I found this video somehow (after watching all 8 of your playlist AX8 videos) and realized my cab modeling was off (face palm). You are a life saver, and have put out better info then Fractal ever has on their own product. Your gift of time is a blessing to lots of us Leon
Dude me too. I’ve had mine 4 days and about to cry. My tones suck so bad
Hands down one of the most informative, thorough and entertaining tutorials on tweaking presets within the Axe units I've seen! Thank you so much for this... have owned the Axe Fx 2 for years and though familiar with it's infinite tweakability, learned so much from this video. Keep 'um coming... and thanks again!
Wow, thanks!
Thank you so much for making these videos man!! As someone who was/still is totally lost on utilizing the ax8 to its full potential I am so grateful that someone like you is out there providing such excellent info. Great work.
Much appreciated Marko!
Great points on describing what it is in your tone that you’re unhappy with, rather than quoting forum buzz words. Also, very pertinent to the point here that it helps if you don’t suck as a player. It’s hard to make a bad source sound good. As always, some immediately useful info, Leon!
Cheers mate, clarity of thought and of playing is of utmost importance to me so i'm glad that comes across.
Thank You Leon ! Fractal AX8 $1150.00. The information you provided, Priceless !
ive had my ax8 for about 2 years now and ive always been happy with it. i just started exploring the nitty-gritty settings (at least for me) recently, specifically IR/cab settings. its really amazing how flexible this thing is.
I really want to thank you man. It’s been a long time dream to own a fractal unit. I owned a helix loved it, bad shit happened and I had to sell it so I sold a bit of gear to get an AX8. Man I have hated the hell out of my AX8 since I got it lol. The tones are really amazing. Two steps up from the helix easily but I haven’t really been able to do what I wanted to on the unit and the learning curve is really steep at first until you wrap your head around the logic of the block layouts and such. Anyways man I started watching your videos, downloaded all of your presets from axechange to see how you set stuff up and now I love the AX8. I wish I would have researched a little more before buying it because an AXE FX II or III is much better suited to my needs but at least now I’m having a blast with the AX8. Thanks again for such in depth tutorials!
That means a lot, thankyou! This stuff really pushes you out of a traditional guitar player mentality and more towards the audio engineer/sound designer way of thinking about guitar sounds which is a big plus IMO
Leon Todd I’ve been using modelers since they first came out so you’d think it would be second nature to me but the fractal unit just can’t put obvious looking icons or controls in there lol. It reminds me of how a data entry program is laid out with it’s little nonsensical, at first, icons everywhere. Once you figure it out then you’re like oh well ok I get it this is easy now. The expression pedal function I almost never figured out but then I felt really stupid. I’ve read the manual but it never says this symbol will be located inconspicuously on random knobs lol. Watch I’ll finally learn it perfectly and then I’ll finally get my FM3 email lol. Seriously though man thanks a ton! Right now I’m trying to get a peavey invective type tone and it’s kind of kicking my ass but ever since going through your presets and videos I feel like I finally got a handle on it
Your video hits the nail on the head. Garbage in equals garbage out. One must know how to use their equipment, experiment-test-adjust-repeat using your ears and take the time to be able to spend a couple different sessions (or more) adjusting your tones. Developing great tones are possible with the vast majority of the modelers available today…especially the Fractal units!
I picked up a used mint FX8 off Reverb and am running it stereo into two 20 watt Blackstars using the 4CM method (actually 7CM plus relay cables to channel switch the amps with the FX8) and it sounds phenomenal! Your fractal audio tutorial videos and a quick run through of the user manual made a rather daunting task rather painless. Your videos really helped me navigate through all the sub menus as many of the parameters are similar across all fractal models. Thanks for the many great video resources to learn from! 🤘🏼
that's why i bought a Freidman asm 12, bc i always sounded muddy in the mix !! always at the mercy of the soundman !! another great video, Thank you Leon for all the wealth of knowledge you have with this stuff, great lesson
14:00 ... That was me the first few days I had the Axe8 lmao! Thanks so much for your videos, you have helped me a lot!
13:42 brought tears from my eyes :D
Thank you!
What you said in the intro about not sucking on the guitar is probably most important for the sound or maybe for the overall experience of the listener(s). Having fancy guitars and amps is worth nothing if you can't play them properly. I learned the hard way that equipment can never outweigh my skills on the instrument...
For me it's a constant process of reminding myself that I can't play better, only if I get the next super cool amp or guitar ;)
BTW you rock bro :)
Definitely, look within!
great job! this is very eye opening specially with the people that calls fake the sims without even learning how to use them, first was the axe fx 1, then the ax8 or any other, and now the most real ones are the dsp neural i bet their tone is gonna keep sucking if they dont understand as you said in the video
Thank you Leon, that opened new horizons for me.
This is one of the most informative tutorials ever!!! Thanks Leon.❤
My pleasure!
I dig it! Not only great tips on tone but equally a nice quick tutorial to boot! Thanks man
Another person who has a great affinity with good tone, good amount of gain. People like you speak a lot of sense and since about 2-3 months ago, I've really started dialing the gain back to about 10 o'clock (Orange th30). Sounds more punchier coupled with a good helping of midrange.
Gain is to what salt is to food. You need enough to bring out all the flavours you need but if you're used to way too much it can spoil everything and be hard to cut out. A good rule of thumb for me is to find that sweet spot where I have to push my technique just that little bit to get what i want; it really make me play better.
Dude I just bought myself my first ax8. Absolutely loving it so far. I seriously learned so much just from watching this video. Loving your content dude.
Welcome to the club, it's a wonderful machine :)
I was wondering do you have any favourite purchased 3rd party amp / presets that you love and use?
Cring0r I've tried stuff by Singtall and Fremen and they're impressive. I have a bunch of free Preset packs you can try as a starting point if your search through my videos.
Geez this unit sounds so good I'm so fine with the first tone. Nice video!!!
it goes alright hey :D
Great Leon video and the AX8 setup series as well. I knew this unit should sound better ;) thanks to you I can control now my Ax8 a lot better. I was one of those with no time to check the setup of the modeling I had it off!! hahaha! I guess that during this quarantine I would be able to read through the manual and realize that I wasn't being as conscious about that as I should, but your videos made it so much easier to understand. Thanks Leon!
Amazing overview for the Axe gear! Thanks man \m/ I’ve been Axe-ing for 3 or 4 years but your video really stitched things together. Kudos!
Awesome to hear, thankyou!
At last! Someone who knows what they are talking about concerning modelling amps and how to dial them in. For me the most important factor is dialling the tone at volume required for gig which usually resulted in reduced bass, treble and gain in order to produce the desired effect
"Practice as you intend to play" is the golden rule
Another important thing is to check your sound during rehearsals and getting feedback from your bandmates. Once joined a band and then realized, they didn't give a damn if they could hear each other. That was a strange experience for me.
Getting a great sound for recording is a different thing. At least you don't have to dial in your gear to sound good at high volumes. Anyways in the end the settings that work good in a mix are probably close to what you would use in a live situation cause you still need a lot of mids to cut through.
I have FINALLY found this video. Thank you so much for showing off this oddly intuitive solution haha.
My Axe FX 3 should be here sometime this week. I've been watching loads of videos hoping to have a better understanding of what's under the hood. I know this was done with an AX8, but it looks like the principles all still apply. Lots of good pointers in here, looking forward to digging in and dialing up some great tones!
Great video, funny story: I own a Kemper and suggested a fletcher-munson compensation switch (yep loudness on stereos since forever duh) but as usual it fell on deaf ears. Wondering if Cliff from Fractal would be more open to something like that.
Deny Watanabe that's pretty great actually. Would definitely be handy.
Dude you just saved my life. Cause that’s exactly what was wrong with mine. Thank you so much. I love your licks and tones are killer
I keep stalling tackling getting to grips with my AxeFXIII but you are giving me reason to experiment. Top man!
It's a long ride but a fun one. I try to learn one new thing on it every couple of days and I haven't run out of new things yet!
Actually I really liked the tone at 14:25. There's no headroom and the amp is ballzout roaring! Could be used like an effect :)
Superb video Leon. Thank you for putting in the time to explain all this.
Glad you enjoyed it
Now, how to get that perfect metal sound
I use old HD500X, but your tips are useful anyway, thanks!
You summed it up in the first minute......people who can't afford great gear are jelous haters ....why even make a video of this .anyone who does their homework knows. .Leo I love your videos.Very informative
Awesome tutorial, man! Also great knowledge that you share!
Thank you Leon!
Cheers!
Great stuff, Leon. I always learn a ton from your videos!
At about 14:00 with “ALL THE GAIN” had me on the floor 😂😂
Me too. But it sounded great.
Hey Todd! Love the videos. Been really helpful since I just bought an Axe FX. I would have been absolutely lost trying to dial things in without them. What FRFR cab do you use/recommend?
Every single multiFX user should watch this video before starting to tweak anything !!!!!
Tone Shaping / Gain Staging / Komp Adjustment .......these R the key to success ^^^^^
Thank you, genius Leon!!!
Please don’t forget about us, users of ax8!
((
awesome video man! I died at 14:00 hahaha
Thanks Rocco, I'm glad my sense of humour isn't lost on everyone :p
Agreed! I laughed my butt off also! LOL
Metal Zone 4 lyfe
I was waiting for you to proceed to cut the mids to -11...lol
This is an excellent video… I was able to apply part of the process with my Captor X.
Great to hear!
Leon, thanks for all your amazing videos, using the AX8 has been a joy mainly due to your help. One question, when running the xlr's to the desk would you pan each channel or not..?
If you've got the AX8 set to stereo, just pan the XLR's at the mixing board. Stoked to hear you've found the vids handy.
Handy doesn't even describe it... Huge thanks Leon..!
so far, the best video on AX8
Thank you very much Leon ! This video help me a lot ! Love all your videos and playing ! Thanks bro ! 🙌✌️🤘😉
My pleasure! I need to do an updated version of this!
@@LeonTodd wowow ! Yes please ! It will be fantastic ! Keep rockin Leon ! 🙌 🤘✌️🤯 ! Best FAS Ax8 videos !
The guy who I've been looking for to explain how guitar tone works! You're the man!
Hi, nice video once again. Would like to know more on the more advanced part of the amp block, like the speaker drive, power supply sag. and dynamics. The effects seems subtle but I’m sure perhaps makes just the right difference to make the psycho-acoustics work for both the player and the listener.
Thanks this is a very professional and focused video .
Thanks for checking it out, hope it helped
thanks, mate! Very helpful part on Speaker, Spkr Drv and Dynamics. I am using gibson LP standard 2012 and at output drive set to 5, I am getting twice less gain as you do. Is it because of the pickups on your gibson or there is some other reason?
Very informative and helpful. I guess I could apply these same ideas to AXE II, right? APPRECIATE!
Definitely!
Great stuff I learned some useful tools that I will try! Much better than using words in a forum !
cragginshred hearing is believing
Well, i'm a bit over those basics... but a prob i had was that a very good sound that i tweacked (well balanced in bass, mids and trebles, a bit of delay and a moderate 12% of reverb) was totally "lost" in the mix going direct from the Axe into the PA in stereo! A f***ing L6 HD500 from the 2nd background guitar totally crushed my guitar and from that point started the "volume battle" that all we know is absolutelynot the solution! How can you help me? It's better to go "mono"? No ambients fxs at all? Plz!
Love this tutorial. Very helpful. Thanks for sharing
There's a huge difference between a Fractal unit and Mooer GE300 though
Amazing video! You explained so many important things in such swift and amusing way. Thank you :)
So glad I could help! There's a ton of misinformation out there so it was my attempt to clear it up.
Really great video. Very helpful and very clear. I'm looking at going down this route. I've heard the DXR10 is a good monitor for live use . Any recommendations for a decent FRFR for club use? Thanks again.
Hi Leon, under your opinion, how is the best way to edit the audio to play live directly to PA? I mean, now I'm setting all my presets sound with headphones, but I realize that sound different on the stage. So, should I set all my effects thru a studio monitors or what? thank u.
Hi Leon, what slope dB per octave do you normally set the high- and low cut? I know that Neve preamps for example have a slope of 18… but I sometimes find that to feel quite drastic and sounding unnatural for guitar… thanks as always 🤗
Brillant video ! Wow so much good informations. Thump up
The amount of settings you can tweak in the Ax8 is incredible.
Incredible flexibility.
Gotta set the line level based upon the unity input, -12 to -20, that gives headroom on your daw and evens your patches. Set the line level based on the same output across the board, it's not an adjustment for tone.This is according to austin buddy
Ive tried everything on my fm3 and it still sounds like there is a blanket over the speaker? I went through all my les pauls one with a custom 5 and one with a t top replica. It sounds muddy and not crisp and clear like your tone.
Hey how do you import the Workhorse into you AX8 block thingy ?
Great video maite... love my Axe Fx II, but there are a few presets I've got (mostly downloaded over the years and tweaked) that sound really "hi-fi" and just sound so full and present (like a mix between a really well produced studio/album tone, and something someone like John Petrucci or Eric Johnson might use live).
I was thinking about trying to emulate that sound on my other patches by maybe recording samples, then analysing their frequencies with an EQ plugin and sticking a GEQ with similar curves on my other patches? What do you recon?
Alexander Joshua Davis you could also use the tone match feature in the Axe-II to more or less do the same thing.
Leon, I was wondering what tricks or settings on the AX8 is helpful in making the guitar tone cut through in the mix instead of being buried? I boosted mids but do not want to go too much because it gets flubby. I am looking for that Elliott Easton Cars tone. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.
Great video. For a tight, high gain metal tone... I'm wondering if you go into the graphic eq at all? I have seen you use the parametric eq before. I see most people place it after the cab. That means that if you're using an FX block to send off to your real cab, then you may have some bad frequencies playing through the "real" setup. I use the Mark 5 GEQ to reduce some of the mids. I also have a low cut and high cut on the cab block. I'm wondering if I will need to include a low cut and high cut filter in my chain to go out to my real Mesa cab for a better sound with the AX8?
I use the Mark series EQ a lot with the Mark series models, but I tend to gravitate towards the GEQ as a pre-boost if anything (hyping up 800-1600hz, pulling out below 200hz). When I use a real cab I put a PEQ at the end of the chain and high/low pass the same as when I use an IR (80/8000) and I find it helps tighten everything up.
Thanks so much for your time man. I will try that out.
LMAO, you got to the headphones part and I'm sitting here like shit shit shit, what's shit is he about to drop on me? Then after talking about losing some overtones, you said you have Audio Technica headphones.... Wheeeeew, that's what I have lol. I think they're alright and I would use my Mesa but I'm in an apartment so I have to fight my battles unfortunately.
The AT's are wicked! You don't have to go crazy to get sounds you love.
Freekin' hilarious at the part about the metal zone , yeah gimme that, I can't stop laughing!
Metal zone is a classic! Pure saturated goodness! Just have to use it the right way.
You never turned the saturation drive back down
Very useful info there. Good job man !
THANK YOU!
Leon, can you explain "Presence"?
I am following every step that you're doing here, and my AX8 doesn't sound anything like that... Im running right into studio monitors...
+Steve Bernstein can you tell me more about your setup? Guitar/pickups/monitor?
PRS Single Cut with Seymour Duncan Custom 5 in the bridge, Jazz in the neck. Trying to get a high gain (Tight yet chewie and organic sounding) M Audio studio Monitors (6') I have a Helix LT as well, no issues with getting great tones, levels, etc..(I only say that because Im not a total newbie here..just AX8 newbie)..I record with Digital Performer, but at the moment, plugged directly into studio monitors. I am following your vids step by step (Awesome and informative!!) and right out of the gate, my Friedman BE amps don't have that sweet gain and sizzle like yours does. Same exact amp and cab (eq /gain settings, etc..) I'm sure it's something I'm doing or not doing as everyone and their mother can make this thing sound good..except me LOL. Thanks for responding (beyond cool) and really enjoy your playing. I just watched the 2nd AX8 tutorial vid...totally inspired me to figure this thing out!
Hi there, just a question... Is it right that the cpu usage jumps up from 15% to 23% just because you turn the level up from -6db to -3db??? (around min. 3:10) Thanks
That makes me afraid ! ;-)
so if i use my ax8 in front of my bogner shiva combo, i should turn off amp and cab modeling in global? or should i run it through the effects loop with 2 cable?
great video 👍 very informative
Glad it was helpful!
If this were year 2000 I'd agree that it's not as good. I love tube amps but today I really can't tell the difference most of the time. Hell even the software is getting awesome. Who cares? If it sounds good ya know? Kids... I'd be a much better player today if I didn't wast 20 years chasing tone.
Hey Leon I really love the tone of the ax8 but before pull the trigger in buy one I wanted to know
Does it really respond to the attack like an amp ?
Does it feel good ? Not like a flat or buzzy response as some other amp simulators
Does it really respond well to the volume pot of the guitar ? Is there still a great dynamic while the volume pot of the guitar goes down, like to go from Lead to crunch, or cleaner sound ?
It definitely likes volume pot variations; I use the volume pot a lot with my main gigging patch and get great results, very much like a real amp.
The feel thing is a harder one to demo; personally I'm really happy with it, but I lean towards gainier tones where that's going to be less of a factor.
Learned a bunch great vid
LOL DI'd a Peavey Rage.... They were awful (and my first amp :)
One of the school's I teach at has a Rage in the music room. that thing keeps you grounded as a player :p
Awesome video and amazing playing
Cheers!
Hey Leon...I have a Helix Rack..I have had it about 6 months now..I play it through my studio monitors' pair of Yamaha HS7's...My problem is the Helix sounds great at low volumes, but when I turn up the monitors a bit, it gets boxy, muddy,and small sounding..Thats the best way I can describe it...I am not talking absolutely cranking them, just loud enough that you can't talk over it...I use the Hi and Low cuts, and use Ownhammer IR's....still can't find a good sound at louder volumes....Is this just inherent in using monitors??Any advice??This is my first modeling rig..I know it won't be the same as a real amp in the room, but I feel like it should sound better than it does...I am really thinking of ditching this thing....
That's strange. All I can suggest is starting from scratch with the volume cranked and starting with an amp + IR (The Helix Soldano was pretty good from memory) and changing IR's until you get something appealing. Then tweak the amp and then tweak the EQ. have you spent much time with a mic'd amp in that same environment?
Leon Todd No,I haven’t spent a lot of time with mic’ed up amps.....Maybe that’s part of it,I am so used to an amp in the room sound...I am new to this whole digital thing....I like the ability to play at low volume and I love the IR’s,but so far it’s sounding a little “thin”...I kind of wish I had saved a little more and went with the Axe FX III....I wonder if I loaded a real amp and inserted it into the Helix if that would make a difference??Or maybe an amp in the box type pedal,like a 5150III OD....anyway,thank you for the advice....your rig sounds killer!!
Have some question
From my experience, 95% of amp sim or modeler that sounds "bad" is due to the cabinet IR. I don't quite understand why, but most companies sell amp sims and modeler with poor cabinet IRs. Everybody ends up using custom IRs... With real gear (amp + cab + mic), the cab+mic is probably the element of the chain that affects the tone the most. So why are companies selling amp suites with shitty IRs, I'll never understand...
After 15:00 you never got your tone back and you lost all definition because you forgot the Saturation Drive on maximum at 10. All the extra adjustments you made after that were all just visual placebo.
And this video is very good, too.
Hi Leon stupid question here but how should I run the power amp and cab modeling in the AX8 when using a powered speaker frfr , on or off , .. thanks man
My check list is always this;
Am I using a tube power amp and guitar cab? Turn power amp and cab modelling off
Am I using a SS power amp and guitar cab? Only turn cab modelling off.
FRFR? - Don't turn anything off
Good lessons...👋
Hi Leon, I'm undecided between the Ax8 and the Headrush .... what do you say? Have you tried the Eleven?
I've tried Eleven and while the headrush interface looks amazing the amp modelling and effects aren't anywhere near the standard in the FAS products.
Ax8 is $1099 right now!
kez850 bought one recently for that price.
So good! Thanks dude :)
Do you recommend ax8 or helix lt or headrush ? My eleven rack went dead and now im spending all of my wealth on a new modeler im a tone guy just hoping if helix would somehow reach ax8 maybe with installing IR just because of its easier interface otherwise im leaning more towards the ax8.
Thank you
For tones, AX8 all day
@@LeonTodd Thank you
Ive watched this video about 5 or 6 times 👍🏾
metal zone plus max gain on everything ,,,,beer coming out of my nose
So bR0otAl
very old video but still useful
Glad you think so!
13:40 Single tear drops....:(
Great video
Nice video. Cheers
Thanks, hope it helped in some way.
Five stars for information and content.
Five stars for laugh-cry sarcasm.
Yep Fletcher Munson is real 🎸🎸🎸🎸
As musicians we can focus so much on our craft that it's easy to ignore the physical phenomena related to what we are trying to achieve. FM is so overlooked!
Leon Todd I run the 8500 member Line 6 Helix FB Group and have - Helix Rack - Helix LT - AX8 - Headrush Pedalboards - and Fletcher Munson is an inescapable scientific fact - I really enjoy your videos Leon - thank you - feel free to friend me on FB 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Leon Todd you should check the shootout I am currently doing on my channel 🌷
That shootout is exactly what people need to hear, great stuff!
Leon Todd thank you Leon
Gain's good :D