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Hey 73 - there are a lot of pages here, but I would cruise through this thread for ideas and inspiration, as well as thinking of things that you may want or already have that you can mount to the board as well:
Show Us Your AX8 Rig! (post your pics)
And yeah, to chase up on the OC-2 chat... the AX8 just isn't there. But, if you can live with having the OC-2 on the board and AX8 for everything else, then you may still be ahead. I think Fractal Audio offers their 15 day trial even on the AX8, so it wouldn't cost much to give it a whirl
.
Show Us Your AX8 Rig! (post your pics)
And yeah, to chase up on the OC-2 chat... the AX8 just isn't there. But, if you can live with having the OC-2 on the board and AX8 for everything else, then you may still be ahead. I think Fractal Audio offers their 15 day trial even on the AX8, so it wouldn't cost much to give it a whirl
.
I'll also say, if you're looking for some additional bass cabs, 3SigmaAudio has released some great ones. I had written off using a cab block in my presets before I stumbled on these one day.
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I've been loving the Aguilar, but honestly, they're all good. These blow away the ones in the unit from factory. If you buy these, tell them I sent you over.
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I've been loving the Aguilar, but honestly, they're all good. These blow away the ones in the unit from factory. If you buy these, tell them I sent you over.
Would the Sigma 3 SVT be a better choice than what the AX8 comes with? Also, wanting to add a volume pedal, but I see that they come set up for either active or passive instruments. My current setup has one active only bass,one passive only,and 2 that are switchable. Thoughts?
To my ears, these cabs are better than the stock ones that came with the unit. However, I would first say spend a good bit of time listening to the stock ones and see if they work for you. For me, and what I do, the 3Sigma ones are way better.
How are you wanting to control the volume? You can of course use a normal volume pedal in front of it (bass -> vol -> AX8), or use a generic expression pedal and use a Volume block in your presets as well.
If you're doing the latter (which, is what I would suggest doing personally), I'd suggest look at the Mission Engineering pedals:
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They have a REALLY cool one out that I want to get my hands on - it is one expression pedal with two outputs, so you can use it to control two sweeps inside the AX8 (say out1 of the pedal to Volume, and out2 to Wah. Set the button on the pedal to toggle which block it's controlling and then have at it)
How are you wanting to control the volume? You can of course use a normal volume pedal in front of it (bass -> vol -> AX8), or use a generic expression pedal and use a Volume block in your presets as well.
If you're doing the latter (which, is what I would suggest doing personally), I'd suggest look at the Mission Engineering pedals:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
They have a REALLY cool one out that I want to get my hands on - it is one expression pedal with two outputs, so you can use it to control two sweeps inside the AX8 (say out1 of the pedal to Volume, and out2 to Wah. Set the button on the pedal to toggle which block it's controlling and then have at it)
The list of high quality IRs made by different little companies is getting pretty amazing!
The more I learn about the ax8, the more I like it.
Over time, my thinking about the price has shifted from
to
as Ive considered the broad functionality it serves.
The more I learn about the ax8, the more I like it.
Over time, my thinking about the price has shifted from
to as Ive considered the broad functionality it serves.
3 Sigma just put out three more IR sets! Orange 8x10, Acoustic 8x10 and some custom Mesa 8x10. I'm still experimenting with the original set I bought of theirs, but I'll certainly be picking these ones up as well - especially if they come out with another 3 anytime soon, so I can get the 20% off again 
The AX8 is at a very great price point. Even at $2250 for the rack unit, I feel it is worth it beyond words. If you are interested in one, get itThe list of high quality IRs made by different little companies is getting pretty amazing!
The more I learn about the ax8, the more I like it.
Over time, my thinking about the price has shifted from
The return policy is very much worth it, and I will gladly hold your hands and help you out. The learning curve can be intimidating, but it's so easy to keep from getting pulled into settings you don't yet need to explore.
For anyone that has their AX8, I've "leaked" a preset from my upcoming preset bank for bass:
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It's using one of the factory cabs, mostly as a place holder. I'd very much recommend checking out the 3Sigma IRs instead:
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I've been using the Aguilar one a lot later, but I find them all to be very tasty, and immensely better than the factory offerings.
It's a fairly basic preset, but should be a decent starting point. More will be coming in the next few weeks!
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It's using one of the factory cabs, mostly as a place holder. I'd very much recommend checking out the 3Sigma IRs instead:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I've been using the Aguilar one a lot later, but I find them all to be very tasty, and immensely better than the factory offerings.
It's a fairly basic preset, but should be a decent starting point
. More will be coming in the next few weeks!
Which poweramp you use with Ax8?
Matrix? Or something else?
Are Crown XLS series good as a poweramp?
Matrix? Or something else?
Are Crown XLS series good as a poweramp?
When I use an amp, I use a QSC PLX1804. A Crown XLS would work just fine as well. I do a fair amount of IEMs, too, which again work just fine . What cab you have would matter more than the power amp, IMO.
. What cab you have would matter more than the power amp, IMO.
I had a Matrix GT1600 with ampeg 410 hlf...
But here in my country there's no custom service for Matrix. And I plugged it in wrong voltage one time and that gear never get 100% working well again..
So I want to try again my AxeFx with poweramp and looking for one to use with the HLF cab
But here in my country there's no custom service for Matrix. And I plugged it in wrong voltage one time and that gear never get 100% working well again..
So I want to try again my AxeFx with poweramp and looking for one to use with the HLF cab
I like the Matrix's as they come in 1U size, which is kind of appealing. Then for my Axe-Fx II setup, I could use a 3U rack which would save a little weight and size. But, I've had my QSC forever and don't have any other reason to change power amps at this point. I can imagine plugging anything into the wrong voltage could be bad . Can you get a Crown serviced locally?
. Can you get a Crown serviced locally?
For those that may be interested, the AX8 is now entirely off of the waitlist and is available with no wait in the Fractal Audio store!
I have no insider knowledge or anything, but I would expect waves of availability, as I know quite a lot of people didn't want to bother with the waitlist process. But, for now at least, you can just go up and buy one.
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I have no insider knowledge or anything, but I would expect waves of availability, as I know quite a lot of people didn't want to bother with the waitlist process. But, for now at least, you can just go up and buy one.
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Way to go Grimm! I don't play much guitar, but I do play some and record a little bit too, and both the Axe-Fx II and AX8 have been great for that as well, of course. Glad to have you on board - I'm looking forward to hearing about your experiences, tones and thoughts as you go.
What do you think so far? Pretty simple to setup a basic preset and get going? UIs (AX8Edit + front panel) are somewhat intuitive, no?
What do you think so far? Pretty simple to setup a basic preset and get going? UIs (AX8Edit + front panel) are somewhat intuitive, no?
AX8Edit has made it very intuitive to edit patches and get things going. I need to spend some more time with the front panel to get comfortable with it.
My favorite tones are straight from the 90s... think Mike Starr from AiC and Eddie Jackson from Queensryche... Spector punch into either Ampeg or GK. I'm getting pretty close to that now. Biggest obstacle currently is getting my head wrapped around the compressor block. My current pedal comp is a Keeley Bassist, which is a great and easy to use compressor. I don't use a ton of it, but would like to get a similar sort of effect.
My favorite tones are straight from the 90s... think Mike Starr from AiC and Eddie Jackson from Queensryche... Spector punch into either Ampeg or GK. I'm getting pretty close to that now. Biggest obstacle currently is getting my head wrapped around the compressor block. My current pedal comp is a Keeley Bassist, which is a great and easy to use compressor. I don't use a ton of it, but would like to get a similar sort of effect.
Finally got mine set up. Just happens that I needed exactly 8 scenes for our long show. I moved all the factory presets from block 1 to an empty block,and made my own Pink Floyd Preset. Now its just a matter of tweaking effects and trying the different amps. Starting off with the SVT, but the 67 Bassman has some good possibilities.
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