Fractal Audio Axe-FX

I'm not going to comment too much on this unit, we all know what it does.

I'm just going to say , I owned , Shiva, Suhr OD-100,THD-Flexi,JCM 800 1982(vertical),1983 JCM 800 Canadian, 1972 SL(Marshall),1959 Plexi RI,TC G-Force and finally Bogner XTC 101B WHITE CHASSIS(still have it, but it's going too...), besides other like Mesa, 5150, JSX, etc. that are not worth mention,comparing everyday to friends Tone King and Fargen,..Don't let me start with pedals,Original TS 808,exotic etc..
If you give me all above for this unit, I wouldn't do it.. end of my review here!!!

Getting a good sound is as easy as plugging it in. Most of my previous pre-amps were narrowed down to a dozen preset favs. The Axe was 'narrowed' down to 53 out of 128. The ones I eliminated were no slouches I just needed to cull because of my pedals. I gave up when Fractal gave us 128 more presets.

I'm on firmware 5.06 on the Ultra. Updates are a breeze and they are frequently introduced. The manufacturer is always improving things based on customer request. The manual is fine. The device is as easy as you want it. From no-tweak to geek-tweak and everywhere in between. I say it is easy to use because it requires flipping on the power and plugging in your guitar to sound great.

I use a handmade Marler ($$$) strat style guitar. There is no noise. This unit is a studio dream. I am direct to board only at this time thru a Mackie mix into Sennheiser HD-650 phones. Honestly I can't think of an artist sound you can't nail as well as the ability to create your own unique soundprint.

I don't gig anymore but I never gigged without backup. I doubt that I would do so now but the unit is too new to tell about long term reliability. I will say it is built like a tank whereas I see no area of weakness. I don't want to give an opinion here because 10 is premature and anything less would be unfair.

Outrageously fantastic. I have never been involved with a company that will hear a series of customer request and release firmware to reflect those request within a short time period. Cliff Chase makes his customers feel like they are part of his product... not just an owner of a box. It just doesn't get any better.

I'm an old rocker but have played country, jazz and pop and covers as well. This device is the Swiss Army Knife of studio pre-amps. I've been playing for 37 years and surprisingly the 'other' gear I own is thinning down dramatically because of this device.

It's helps me make music and it helps me be a better musician. Sorry but there are no products to compare it to. It is a unique product and to compare it to other effects, amps or pre-amps would be apples to oranges. Like comparing a mandolin to a Les Paul and asking which you like better... they're both stringed instruments.

Trying to explain it to someone that hasn't played it is near impossible. When you own it you then understand. The beginning of this review stated 'nothing is perfect''glowing reviews may not be published'... so be it but I'm thinking that being honest is the most important. This product is not perfect but for my purposes it is real close to it. The knick or knack that I would change or do differently aren't even worth mentioning. Especially when looking at the whole package.

I actually have the Ultra version (4.05 firmware... I believe current as of this review is 4.08). However, I have not made much use of the extra Ultra features yet (beyond using extra FX instances that are available... for example the Ultra has 4 parametric EQs and the Standard has 2). Anyway, to continue, I should be up front and tell you that the rating I give reflects my ability to use the product after spending some time with it. It had its challenges when I first received it, but many computers do... and this is indeed a computer. Menu navigation is fairly intuitive as is placing, linking, and moving effects. The largest learning curve has to do with its deep editing capabilities. However, they aren't difficult to use. The difficulty comes from your ability to understand what they mean and how they alter the sound (which has no bearing how now easy it is to tweak them within the unit). The manual does an excellent job of describing each parameter. My only complaint would be that the manual is not updated as new features/parameters are introduced. But, I understand a manual revision is in the works and the firmware release notes that you receive when doing an update can easily act as a manual supplement as they do a fairly good job of describing anything new.

Absolutely fantastic. It is by far the best digital sound generator I have tried. The effects are, at the very least, on par with those produced by Eventide/Lexicon/TC Electronic and in many cases exceed it. Its use of impulse responses for features such as reverb and the cabinet simulator gives it a realism that is unmatched by any others because it uses actual room and cabinet responses in the algorithms. The use of a grid matrix to place your effects blocks anywhere you choose gives you nearly unlimited routing possibilities. The generous helping of EQ blocks (both parametric and graphical) as well as several filter instances allow you to shape your tone any way you please... and that's above and beyond any EQ functionality that exists within the other blocks as well.

The amp simulations are incredibly accurate. I don't know the exact number of amp sims, but I think it's somewhere in the 45-50 neighborhood. You are able to tweak way beyond the 'gain, treble, bass, mid, etc' settings and have access to parameters that alter the characteristics of your not only the preamp but the power amp as well such as tube sag and output impedance. Advanced parameters include tone stack location and output transformer settings. The cabinet/mic simulator is equally impressive. You can choose 2 cabs and 2 mics per block and adjust parameters such as the mix between the 2 cabs as well as the speaker drive of each cabinet. All of this tweakability gives you the power to create just about any sound you like. The great thing about this unit is that if something doesn't sound quite right then you have the power to make any number of minor (or major) adjustments to create what you hear in your head. Some of my favorite simulations include the Brownface and Blackface (Fender Vibrotone and Fender Twin respectively), the Marshall JCM800 and JTM45, the OD Spec 1 & 2 (clean and dirty dumble), Buttery (Budda), and Wrecker (Trainwreck).

So... the question everybody seems to want to know is: "how does it sound compared to a tube amp". First, my main beef with some of the reviews I've read (not too much here, although there is some, but mainly on some message boards) is that the big mistake that most people make when comparing a unit like this to a real amp is that they severely handicap the digital unit in terms of the output amplification device. A digital unit run through studio monitors or headphones will lose out to a tube amp every time. A tube amp with 10" or 12" speakers (especially multiple ones) moves a great deal of air when compared to your average studio monitor. That is a huge part of getting that "lovin' feeling" from an amp. You as a player react to that feeling of moving air which is one reason real amps are so desirable to many. You can't get that same feeling from headphones or small speakers. Run your tube amp through 5" speakers and your opinion of it will likely drop faster then you can say "yuck". So, when doing a comparison of this nature you have 1 of 2 options. First, do yourself a favor and get a neutral (or as neutral as you can) output system with 10" or 12" speakers to play your AxeFX through. Play it at the same level as you would your tube amp (so make sure you output system as enough overhead and doesn't distort). I guarantee that you will hear and feel a huge difference over playing it through headphones or small studio monitors. The second option is to record your tube amp and the AxeFX and play both back over the same headphones/monitors. I prefer option #1 and use a dB Technologies Opera Live 402 (biamped, 250W 12" woofer, 50W 1" tweeter). Now, I'm not implying that the AxeFX is better then a tube amp. If you have a tube amp that gives you 'your sound' then you probably should stick with it. But it is, IMO, close enough through the right output device (or recorded) and the versatility allows you to do so much more with it then you can with the average amp.

I have personally, in the 6 months or so that I have owned it, encountered zero issues in terms of reliability. It spends most of its time at home, but does get out of the house twice a week. I keep it in a Gator rolling rack bag which doesn't offer much in the way of shock protection. It has taken a couple of minor spills with no adverse effect. The casing is very strong and I have no doubt that it could take some abuse. I cannot speak as to how the circuit boards are mounted in the interior because I have not opened up the unit to look. I have heard of a handful of issues, but since this is a review of my experience I will rate it as such and not presume to rate it based on someone else's.

Cliff (the creator of the AxeFX and owner of Fractal Audio) provides support that puts many other companies to shame. He actively participates on the AxeFX message board where he not only offers technical advice, answers to difficult questions, and solutions to problems user have been having... but he also regularly polls the user-base for their opinion on new ideas and desired features. Firmware updates for bug fixes and new features are offered regularly. E-mails are answered promptly in most cases and within a day at the most. Fractal is concerned about solving any problems, not sticking it to the consumer and that is a refreshing change.

Of all the gear I've owned (and it has been, embarrassingly, a great deal) this is my favorite. I have owned some really nice tube amps (notably a Diezel Einstein, Mesa Mark IV, and Hughes and Kettner Duotone) as well as just about every modeler ever made and a ton of pedals and I am finding that I don't miss them all that much. It's not that the AxeFX has better tone then those amps, but I don't think it's worse either. It certainly has better tone then the low-end modelers (but that's not a fair comparison at all). It sounds fantastic no matter which guitar I use (Fender American Dlx 'Fat' Strat, PRS CE24, Ibanez Artcore ASF75T, and Takamine EF341SC acoustic). The appeal to me is the flexibility it gives you to create just about any sound you can imagine. For someone such as me who is a techie at heart and who likes to tweak as much as they like to play, it has been the funnest piece of gear I've owned. A simple plug-and-play guitarist might not appreciate it as much, and that's perfectly ok, but for those of us wanting the ultimate in versatility this, so far, is the solution.

If you have experience with high end effects (rack gear) or good modelers, you can get a good sound pretty quickly. With that said, I am not very experienced with high end rack gear, so there is a bit of a frustrating learning curve. But with some patience and experimentation, I have been able to find what I am looking for.

I am not rating this category because I really think it depends on your past experience.

This is where this unit REALLY shines. The tones I am getting from the Axe Fx Standard are superb. I am not much of an effects guy (maye a little verb and chorus on cleans and some OD and EQ on high gain tones), so I bought this intending to use it as my main tone generator.

The amp modeling is excellent. I have owned just about every high gain channel switch ing amp on the market, including quite a few boutique models and I don't feel lik eI am missing anything using the Axe FX.

I was expecting it to sound good based on the information I read prior to getting my mitts on it. I was also hoping the feel would be there but wasn't really countin gon it. IT IS THERE. I don't miss the feeling of playing a good tube amp one bit.

I run it through a VHT 2/50/2 power amp and a Diezel 4x12 and Voodoo Amps 4x12 in stereo. I do, however use the power amp sims in the Axe and have decided to go all the way and bought a Carvin DCM 600 power amp. If I can get away without any tubes, I am all for it. More consistent tone and no worries about the tubes are a good thing in my book.

I rarely rate anything a 10, but this thing deserves it.

Thank you Cliff!!!!

No opinion...haven't had it long enough

EXCELLENT...ongoing firmware updates and actually listens to his customers!

Best all in one unit I have ever used. As good as any tube amp I have played and can be used in just about ANY configuration you want.

There is often hype abou tthis or that product and usually the products don't live up to it.

When it comes to the Axe Fx, BELIEVE THE HYPE!!

I rated this category a 7 feeling it is fairly simple to get a good sound from this device. The sample patches are overdone to demo the effects and need to be tweaked. Patch tweaking is easy IMO. If you've never worked with a programmable effects processor it might seem like a 4 to you. If you have a lot of experience it may seem like a 9. The manual could use a re-write as it was a bit needy originally and the firmware has changed several times. My unit has been upgraded and is running 4.05 (Standard). The manual is a free download and I suggest you get it and study it to get a better idea regarding ease of use (or not).

This device can emulate or create preamp and power amp patches as well as effects. It can be used as a preamp, running into a tube or solid state amp, as a preamp and power amp running into a guitar cab, or as a preamp, power amp and cab simulation driving a full range PA. It can also be used as a simple effects processor. You can cop a wide range of sounds with this device, but despite the claims made by some of the more outspoken advocates, it will not satisfy everyone as a replacement for their tube amps. For direct input recordings, you can get some pretty good sounds, especially if you use some of the speaker impulse responses being made available for users. I've used it with my Gibson and a borrowed Strat and the uniqueness of each comes through better than other modelers I've owned. The effects are on-par with TC or Eventide effects processors based on my experience, but don't dump all of your pedals...The Vibe (Univibe) is no where near as good as the boutique makers are putting out, no matter how much you tweak. I've basically run this direct, into full range tube and solid state amps, and into a guitar amp power section (effects return). I've run it into guitar cabs and full range speakers. IMO it sounds best direct but does a respectable job into a power amp and guitar cab. Some users evangelize using flat response full range PA monitors and I'm sure they really think they are the best. The best advice is to try one (trial period offered) and spend a lot of time tweaking it in various configurations to see what You like. Don't fall for the hype of a few articulate enthusiasts.

There have been a fair number of product malfunctions reported on the Axe-Fx web page. Go there, search and determine for yourself if you care or not. You always need a backup, and given the unreliability of vacuum tubes, I'd say it seems to be fairly robust.

The owner and his wife seem to do a fine job at customer support, although they are suffering growing pains.

I play mainly classic rock and covers with some jazz. Been playing about 35 years. After using this device for several months, I've mainly moved back to my tube amps. It's not that the Axe-Fx sounds bad, it's simply that my amps and cabs sound better *to me*. I currently use the Axe-Fx primarily as a replacement for my old Line 6 TonePort, using headphones and practicing new material from CDs and so forth. This unit is clearly a step up from my previous Boss and Line 6 modelers, but for me it's not a replacement for my amps. If it were lost or stolen I'd probably not replace it, but never say never. Finally, watch out for the over-hype. Some influential posters on the Axe-Fx web page and other big gear sites would have you believe this is The New Paradigm and can replace any of your equipment. They claim they are objective and acknowledge tone is subjective, then they turn around and condescend or feint pity if someone disagrees with their conclusions. As I said before, get your hands on one and spend a lot of time with it; decide for yourself and disregard the self-proclaimed experts. Oh, and don't sell your tube amps until you're sure you won't come back to them; I think you might ;-)

Finally time for a review. I've had the AFX for almost a year now, so feel I'm qualified to comment.

AFX Standard. Ease of use? Not easy, but not hard either. The interface is a bit of a learning curve...not much, and hour or 2 and you find out where all the stuff is that you need. You use a spin wheel and page menus to get where you need. I still had to refer to the manual a few times over the first month. This is an EXTREMELY advanced piece of equipment, so there's no practical way to have a knob for all that *stuff*.

Now being that advanced, you can get as simple or as complex as you have imagination for. Very simple (going direct) to set up an amp, cab, and output, however, if you want to pan 2 amps, run a few FX in parallel, and be able to pedal pan from all of it, it's complex. Keep in mind here that I personally HATE tweaking, but finding out that you can make massive improvements in tone by doing so has sent me to the dark side. The presets are extremely usable, but I noticed that they are designed to go primarily direct, and can be very guitar dependent (i.e. playing a Pink Floyd patch with hot 'buckers sounds overly distorted...use your Strat!) They can be easily tweaked to be used in your live or studio applications. Mostly I suggest using them as examples of how to dial in things...especially FX.

The manual is very good, but it is not enough. There are now a few online resources that can help with the learning curve. Tips and tweaks are now readily available at the AFX chat board or established wiki. This helps us who don't hold a recording engineer degree (and DON'T WANT TO) but want great tone quickly.

Others have reported problems with MIDI and upgrading firmware, (bad checksum's, etc), but I use a MacBook Pro, and I've upgraded several times with absolutely no issues.

Going to have to give this a 'No opinion' as when I started it was very easy, but as I learn more, its' getting harder as I want to do more things!

Here we go: the presets are remarkably accurate to get you 'close' to the tone of your favorite artists. Granted they need to be tweaked for your guitar, speakers, whatever, but nailing a few of my favorite tones (Eric Johnson, Santana, Marshall crunch) was a snap.

I've used a variety of setups:
Dean Caddy, Gibby LP, Amer Strat
AFX - Mesa 20/20 - Mesa 2x12
AFX - Clean PA poweramp - Mesa 2x12
AFX - Powered monitor
Controlled by MIDI Mate in controller mode, so I can toggle off/on whatever FX or drives I'm using.

The progression is because I trusted the unit more and more as time went on. I had dialed out the cab sims in the first 2 options there, and used the poweramp lightly with the 20/20, and extensively with the clean poweramp. Speaker choice of the 2x12 was limiting (V30's), so the last one is where I found this thing to be as deep as you can get. It runs everything Soup to Nuts, and offers the most versatility. Now I can go from brutal Recto to Chime AC30 to shimmer Fender with a touch. I recommend full range speakers wholeheartedly.

The rest of this is based on going direct to my powered monitor with the AFX doing everything:
The amp sims are so good that you really believe that you are playing them. Another reviewer nailed it when they said 'embarassingly better than the competition', and that's understating. I have no beef with the other products (have had a few of them), but this is head and shoulders over those. This also lets the character of your guitar shine through, which is a good and bad thing. If you have a weak spot, this WON'T hide it. Strats sound excellent, LP's have that thick roar. My fav tones are Marshall, and I have so many options from the JTM45, to JCM800, to the Plexi that I'm in heaven (also other flavors like hot rodded, and Brown sounds as well). The SLO is one of my favorites as well. The Matchless is incredible with a Strat. Right now it's like a roomfull of amps you would never buy, but wanted to try.

The FX are addicting, and encourage you to explore and change your tonal palette. I've explored things like a 'vibe, deep chorus', flanges that I would have never experienced without this unit. I was able (by cheating and using the presets) to dial in a 'Synth' type sound for a song we were doing, and it fit perfectly. The drive models (Tubescreamer's etc) are not great for me, as once I dial in a tone, I don't like too much of a change when I hit them for solos (I just hit a boost option that adds a bit of sustain, and it works great.) Drives work with low gain for me and the added volume boost (easily set up to kick these both in at the same time - one button.) They do sound good, but not all usable for me.

Performance wise, normally I get almost no noise. Some hiss from the powered monitor, but the noise gate works great on amp sims. It very well can get noisy on high gain models with all the trappings like deep switches, maxed gain, etc. YMMV, but it's a non issue for me.

The FX are just plain outstanding, but you DO have to work with them to get the proper mix in there... This is the most complex part of working with this unit. I don't understand FX as well as I would like, so playing with them is a joy, but don't know how to get the 'verb tone in my head. Doesn't seem to matter, since they sound great at any setting suprisingly.

I DO NOT LIKE giving 10's, but if anything deserves it, it's this thing. The 10 is mainly because of it's comparison to other modeling products out there. I'll say 9.5 because it's not perfect, but damn'd near close.

I've used this in very hot conditions, and very cold, and it's worked fine. I had an issue with the front panel, and sent it back, and it turns out that when it was shipped, UPS had bent one of the front knobs so that was almost undetectable.

Like anything, this is an electronic device, and they do break down, but so far, so good.

For the above issue, the front panel would be unresponsive. It only happened occasionally, and it didn't affect it's operation from the pedal board. I had a show that I had to do 3 days after speaking to the company, and they ONE DAY'D a loaner unit out. Absolutely stellar service. Looking on the AFX board, I am not alone in this sort of treatment.

The upgrades including additional amp models come out roughly twice a year, although there are SO many in there now, that will certainly slow. The bug fixes are damn'd near immediate, if there's a problem, then Fractal fixes it and posts new firmware the next day. I don't know of any amp company that is that responsive.

I've played for over 30 years (ouch.) I play in various projects, mostly covering Funk, Rock, Metal, Country. I cannot imagine a better tool than this for what I do. This is not a trivial expense as well, but all doubts vanished for me the first chord I hit. The bottom line is your getting a backline of amps and cabs, an ego rack of FX, and a huge pedalboard in a 2U box.

I've owned: AC15, HK Triamp, Egnater MOD50, Single Rect, Valvetronix, Zinky Superfly, oh, you get the idea...alot of stuff over the years. This fills the bill and I get the feel and response of the tubes, without the downfalls of them (constantly varying sound, replacements, expense.) There is no question that I would get another one in a heartbeat.

What do I love? Hmm. Pretty much everything about it. I love that I can get a consistent tone from bedroom to stadium. I have a new appreciation for FX. I understand why people have raved over the Lexicon's and Eventides now. The amp models are so much fun to have that each one is a month of playing in itself.

Complaints? The interface is good, but not great, but I just don't see another way to fix this unless you have a computer on stage with you (there's a 3rd party Editor that can do things in realtime.) So it's difficult to tweak quickly if you're on stage...too much stuff.

Another complaint might be that to get great tone is easy, but to really dial it in TAKES TIME. The presets help, but you are basically building a rig, you have to get the amp you want, the proper cab for that tone, and play with each until you get what's in your head. EVERYTHING IN THE CHAIN IS IMPORTANT. This is probably the downfall of some of the other reviewers. While they're opinion is valid, it's impossible to see the range of this thing in a few hours of tweaking. (Although I'll call out anyone who sais that they got the same quality tone out of thier other '$400' modeler...you just lost me on credibility if that's what you heard.) From that, the online community is now extremely helpful and knowledgable, but this is so flexible that you need time to work it with your setup. Bottom line is that you start with great tube tone, but to get it to sound perfect is going to take work.

Last notes: A common problem for me is finding a great tone, and I end up playing for 3 hours on that alone. It sounds THAT good. It almost demands that you play.

I've owned my AxeFX since May 2007. I've been a "tube snob" for over 20 years (although dabbling in modellers here an there with some satisfaction) I found the AxeFX easy to use, easy to edit patches and tweak to get the sounds I wanted - and I consider myself a novice programming any of these type of devices. I had my 3 main patches setup within 15 minutes sounding great through my rig.

The manual is good, there are some other examples for newbies that could be helpful to get the full potential out of the unit, but that's where the AxeFX Forum comes in. A great resource and good bunch of folks including the owner of Fractal Audio. I have my original firmware I thinks it's 3.09 several items have been tweaked/fixed/added since. I just haven't got around to it yet

I don't use a bunch of effects for most of the stuff I play, but I wanted the option to experiment and find new sounds and this unit has it all in Spades! High Quality effects, great amp, speaker, mic and cabinet sims. My primary styles are Blues, Jazz, Funk with some progressive and heavier stuff thrown in when I feel like chugging along. I can get various SRV tones, EVH Tones, Petrucci tones, Metallica, Police, U2, ZZtop, George Benson, Mike Stern, Scofield, Ford, EJ etc...etc...etc. It just takes a little tweaking depending upon your guitar, pickups and other equipment.

Current Setup: VHT 2/50/2 running 6L6's going into a Port City Wave Cab 1x12 with an Eminence Swamp Thang speaker. It sounds fan freakin' tastic. I primarily use this as a preamp and effects processor. I've tested it with my Mesa F30 and Fender Super Reverb as an effects unit and it sounds great. No noise for my uses, but like everything if you keep gain stacking you're going to introduce some noisee - but the built in Gate works very well.

I've never had a problem with the unit and I trust Cliff Chase the owner of Fractal Audio. This thing is built to last!

I have gigged with it without a backup without any problems, but if I gigged regularly I might buy another one just to play it safe - which is not an inexpensive undertaking, but well worth the money IMHO!

Cliff and Danielle are Awesome! Very friendly and VERY busy! Right now this is like a boutique preamp/effects processor but they are ramping up facilities and growing. Cliff is regularly on the forums answering questions, taking suggestions from users and potential users. He makes those changes which will work well with the design, very quickly I might add! I swear he must not sleep.

I haven't upgraded my firmware yet, although I'm a few versions behind, I'll get to it eventually.

As mentioned above I play mostly Blues, Funk, Rock and some Jazz for the most part. I also have my moments of playing heavier, progressive and metal type of music. I have an Buddy Guy Sig American Strat (Tobacco Burst) with Fat50 pick ups, a Heritage H150 (Les Paul) with Duncan Seth Lover's, Gibson ES 137 Custom and too many others to mention. I play these regularly through my AxeFX rig. I still have two tube amps (collecting dust) Mesa F30 and a Fender Deville and 2 or 3 Keeley pedals and my Barber Direct Drive that I'll keep just because I still have to horde something. I've owned and sold many of my other pedals and rack gear, mostly boutique from Fulltone, Hermida Audio, Xotic, Egnater M4 Pre, JMP1 etc etc. They were and are all good gear, but redundant and I can't keep everything.

Lost is not an option. If stolen the SOB that stole it would pay dearly. And then I'd buy another. Honestly there's nothing I don't like about the unit, it does everything I need and does it very well.

I had an Egnater M4 Preamp with the TWIN/Vox, SL, COD and MHG modules it kicks serious butt! Within a week of receiving the Axe FX I sold it and most of my other gear because this unit is that good IMO, and I don't have a road crew to haul around thousands of pounds of gear. I wanted to simplify my rig and focus more on playing and making music, and the AxeFX fills that role for me and many others.

If you have any questions stop by the AxeFx forums and read up, post and get answers to your questions.

I am rating this an 8. I can tweak easily on it but for someone who is a straight plug and play person they may be a little intimidated by the menus. If you already work with LCD and computers this thing is easy to program. There is an editor but it is a user addition. They seem to have done a nice job with it but I have yet to get my Ultra and editor working on my intel Mac.

For a direct box, which is how I am using it, it is the bomb. Best direct guitar box I have ever played and being a full time composer I have been through a lot of direct boxes.
Pod,Pod pro,Pod XT,GR8,VG-8exp,A red Box, JMP,A couple of hughes and Kettner things,Sans Amp,GR2 and probably a host more I can't remember. I liked most of that stuff but they were not perfect. This thing can be perfect times a lot of options.

I cannot comment on reliability as I have had it a short time. Also I do not plan on banging it around as it will live in my studio.

Customer support is fast and efficent. I have had an issue and it was dealt with swiftly and in a satisfactory manner.

I am a full time composer and part time studio guitar player in L.A. and trying to get a pro sound quickly and through one box...well this is currently the state of the art IMO. I need a wide variety of authentic and sometimes not authentic sounds and the Axe-FX passes this test with flying colors. I have been playing professionaly for almost 30 yrs and I have traded equipment as most have, over and over again. I am wondering if this box will be with me for as long as I play guitar, it's that good.

After about 20 minutes with the manual i easily navigated the page & edit menus. Once you get the layout down it ly easyis sooo easy to create your own patches. Editing existing patches and saving them into usable banks of presets is mindblowing

The factory presets are all very usable. All the sounds in this thing is awesome. I am running it into a Mesa 2:90 into 2 -4x12 recto cabs and was blown away... then I took the XLR outs to my protools digi 002 and was even more supreised when the direct recording sounded better than the live sound. This does not mean that the live sound was bad it was just as good if not better than my triaxis & JMP1 preamps that the AXE FX Ultra replaced. I have had Marshalls, Mesa, fenders, Line6 and Splawn, Framus Cobra, and I can get my tone out of this box.

So far everytime it gets turn on it sounds the same. I haven't had it long enough to have any problems with it but it seams like it is built like a tank

I went to Fractal Audio and picked it up with the inventor/Owners word that any issues he would tak care of personally. Cliff Chase seams like an honest person who just happens to build an incredible product.

I play everything from Blues Rock Country metal Jazz pop so far there is nothing that this thing can't do. the effects are stellar and the preamps are dead on. Direct recording is where this thing really shows it's worth. Dial up any tone that you can create in moments. THis is what Line 6 has been striving for, Fractal Audio just leaped ahead in the Simulator game. I have line6 gear and a friend used to be a product rep for them and the sound and design of this thing is better than anything they can come up with. I thought i'd miss playing my tube amps but the overall quality is amazing and crystal clear so I was pretty happy and sold my Triaxis and JMP1 preamps... I still have the 2:90 & recto cabs.

I Just Got my Axe-fx Ultra. Right out of the box I plugged it into my Mesa 2:90 power amp into 2 Mesa recto cabs and I was imediately very pleased. Although all the presets have a long reverb tail on them all the Sounds are spot on. I Have marshalls, mesa, Splawn & fender amps that I normally run through in different configs and I set up just the AXE-FX to see how it held up at rehersal with in 20 minutes I mapped 10 usable presets onto one bank of my Midi Foot controller toned down the verb and went at it.

Once you get used to the menu system. The menu system is very easy to navigate and real simple to create your own presets. With a few buttons you can change effect type, change routings and algorithim arrangements. The manual is very infomative and easy to use. Cliff put alot of thought into the development of the Product & Literature. Creating your own tones takes minutes and all of the amp sims & effect come with a optimum value sound, so once you select an amp or effect it already sounds great, sort of an sweet spot starting point. very very easy to get great tone out of this box in any signal path.

I have been playing for about 30 years amd have a lot of guitar gear so using the AXE-FX with out my usual tone generating rig was a leap of faith (Don't worry I didn't sell anything yet)To my and my bands amazement I didn't miss my old rig... Wow one box replaced a Triaxis, JMP-1 & Digitech GSP 2101 & a Splawn quick rod with the AXE-FX. It sounds amazing but I am sure that if you A/B'd it with the real amp you would hear some difference but if you were to record the real amp and record the AXE-FX you wouldn't, The Noise level is extremely low, the amp on high gain settings palm muted had no audible sound ( Amazing)The Tube Dynamic feel & response was so real i didn't even think about the amp and Just kept playing. The Effects are all crisp & clear with plenty of tweak to them. Tones are endless with this box. Now it is a matter of what you want to hear.. Line6 better work real hard to catch up to this unit, there stuff if low fi compared to this Hi FI.

Only had it for 5 days but this is extremely well built. So we will have to see....Built like a tank.

Cliff Chase lives about 30 minutes from my house and I actually helped him box my unit. (Small company Builds them in his house) Told me to email him or call and he would take care of anything.
I dont think there will be any.

I heard of this from a mutual friend about a year ago and wished I had jumped on it then, but then I wouldn't have the Ultra Version.
So far this thing is kicking my A#$ I can tweak any thing I want out of it. Sounds amazing direct, through a PA or into a power amp & Guitar cab. I would Definately buy it again it was worth every penny.
Line6 stuff is cheaper but you get what you pay for. This thing doesn't have any Audio artifacts that plague most amp Modelers. This is really a High End Amp Simulator. That allows you to tweak beyond the originals capabilities