Gforce or axe-fx ultra

[Scary]

I'm considering picking up the ultra to have as a "late night jam" tool. I hear that you can plug it into a mixer and run headphones out of that for decent results. It's got to be better than a pod, right?

My question for anyone that owns a Gforce/Axe-fx and a Mesa amp. How does this FX unit sound in the loop? IMO the Gforce has had the least footprint on my tone out of all the FX units i've tried. Is the Axe-fx a tone suck in the loop?

I'm using a Mark V, which is an amazing amp. So i'm trying to figure out if the Axe-fx will take the place of my Gforce, or if it's only going to be worthy of late night jam sessions where tube amps aren't allowed. Your unbiased opinions are appreciated!

 

[stephen sawall]

Some well tell you it well replace your amp and effects.

 

[Scary]

Some well tell you it well replace your amp and effects.

I'm a tube amp player. No way anything solid state can change that. I just want to use it like pod mostly. Although it would be nice if it happens to be transparent enough to put in the fx loop.

 

[stephen sawall]

I am a tube person myself .... but have seen friends sell all there amps after they get a Axe Fx.

 

[hawk269]

I have an Axe-FX and I feel the effects are top notch, but I can't comment on how well it sounds through a loop. I can't imagine it being a tone suck in any way. It sounds worlds better than a Pod and the developer is constantly updating the modeling, adding new amps/effects and just making it better.

When I made my purchase, I was looking at getting the G Force. I feel I'm getting a lot more for my money with the Axe than I would've with the G Force. Go visit the Fractal Audio forum and ask you questions there. I'm sure plenty of people over there have used both units.

 

[t0aj15]

I am a tube person myself .... but have seen friends sell all there amps after they get a Axe Fx.

Most of my 20 or so amps are tube amps but now that I have an Axe-Fx Ultra they're all going to be sold, as well as a bunch of cabs & a slew of efx pedals & processors. They are now (IMO) useless.
As for the person in another thread that stated that the Axe-Fx has a "digital fizzy" sound, I couldn't disagree more. If you take the time to properly tune-in your presets it simply sounds STUNNING.
70+ amps & 90+ efx in a 2U box, it's shear genius and no amount of "holier-then-thou" preaching from tube purists is ever going to convince me otherwise.

 

[Laskyman]

If you take the time to properly tune-in your presets it simply sounds STUNNING.

very impressed by what I have heard and read in reviews, forum, etc...

it's shear genius and no amount of "holier-then-thou" preaching from tube purists is ever going to convince me otherwise.

when you see people who have access to anything, have been through nearly everything, and still *choose* to play the AXE FX...well, that tends to speak louder than the "its just a digital blah,blah,blah..."
I am a tube guy, but I am also a "if it sounds right and feels right to let me perform by best in the space that I have- Im doing it" guy.

I am thinking real hard about the AXE, and its not a knee jerk reaction....I dont want to part with my ED to do so though.....
time will tell.....

 

[hawk269]

As for the person in another thread that stated that the Axe-Fx has a "digital fizzy" sound, I couldn't disagree more. If you take the time to properly tune-in your presets it simply sounds STUNNING.
70+ amps & 90+ efx in a 2U box, it's shear genius and no amount of "holier-then-thou" preaching from tube purists is ever going to convince me otherwise.

I have tried all the modelers out there (except the 11 Rack) and I hated all of them. There is something about the sound that annoys me...too much white noise. The Axe-FX doesn't do this. It sounds and feels like the amp should and it makes it simple to get great sounding recordings.

The other thing is that Cliff finds new ways of improving upon the models on a regular basis and is constantly adding new amps and effects. He just added in a Shiva, Marsha and Marshall 1987X Mod and updated the Uber model for more realism. Two new fuzzes were added along with some improvements to the modeling.

There's no reason to be in an either/or situation. Some people sell off all their gear because it's redundant and others still hang onto some of their stuff. We've still got a head and speaker cabinet for those times we want to jam with someone and they don't have anything to plug the Axe-FX into. We use ours for recording, so we don't have a power amp or FRFR monitor to use.