Fractal Audio Axe-Fx

Having so much at your disposal with only a handful of buttons to operate is a recipe for disaster. There is a steep learning curve but then you face the challenge of getting a MIDI foot controller programmed to work with it.

The effects are where it's at with the Axe-FX. The amp modelling while good doesn't particularly live up to what I was led to expect from all the hype that's been thrown around.

If the reality equalled the hype it would have easily achieved a 10. Make sure you spend a lot of time listening with your brain and not other user's hearts when making the decision to buy.

Will wait and see.

The support is great but there has been no need to really put it to the test yet.

I play just about all styles except for country and western.

I've been playing for almost 30 years and own a whole bunch of guitars and amps - too many to type here but I tend to gravitate toward Strats through Fender amps and I dig my Vox AC30.

If the Axe-FX were stolen I would use the insurance money to get to get two or three of something else that could almost do the same job.

The value for money factor has to be considered here. It does more than competing products but not enough to warrant the expense. Remembering that to use it live you have to consider the cost of a MIDI foot controller and amplification system.

I have gone through all the modelling gear and the Axe-FX does raise the standard in some respects but when you break it down to what the listener hears on a disk or hears during a performance, you can make the audience equally as thrilled with a $400 piece of equipment that doesn't need to have a foot controller added to the price.

This is a great piece of equipment for those who want excellent multi-effects (think Eventide, etc.) for their favourite amp. If you are into all sorts of "pristine" effects then you'll probably dig this unit. If you are not an effects fanatic then, like me, you won't really get as much value for money from it.

Considering a 10 on this category is titled "Fantastic Value" I can only give it a 4.

I have programmed the TC Electronics G-Major and G-Force, Lexicon MPX-1 (Ugh!), Eventide Eclipse, Pod XT, Boss GT-Pro and various others. Compared to these, this thing is a breeze to program. Considering the power and sophistication of this unit, the interface is very easy. When I first received it, I created a couple of fairly complex presets even before I opened the manual. Some may find it more difficult than others, but if you have any experience programing multieffect/modeler units this one should be easy. You will have to open the manual to understand a few of the deeper functions. However, it is relatively easy to get good sounds by just tweaking the presets which are generally excellent.
I have upgraded the firmware twice since I received the unit and did not have any problems. Others have had problems but they usually get the job done after getting some help on the Axe-Fx forum.
I have used the editor and it generally worked OK for me, but I find myself just tweaking the unit itself since I find it easy and quick to do.

I will not give it a 10 just because it is not perfect. That said, this is the best amp emulation out there. Period. You can coax out of it just about any amp sound you want. Depending on how you use it, you can tweak the power amp section and cabinets to make it sound good through a PA or full range amp (both of which I have used). Or you can turn off the cabs and power amp and plug into any power amp and cabinets you want (I have used it through a Carvin TS-100 tube power amp with a Marshall 4X12 cab). You can have combinations of these for each preset. You can then plug in direct to a recording console and it will sound just as good.
However, more important is the response of the amps to your guitar and playing dynamics. This unit responds like the amps it emulates. This is one area where the run of modelers today fail miserably. The Axe-Fx "feels" like a real amp (tube or solid state).
As far as the effects, they are excellent and a step above any modeling unit I have used. My only small critique would be that the delays are not quite a "airy" as those of an Eventide and the pitch shifting is not as responsive as the Eventide, but this is nitpicking because the delays are very good and the pitch shifting/harmonizing is good enough for 95% of applications (and light years ahead of anything that you get with Boss or Digitech. Line 6 doesn't have it). Other than that, the filters, the chorus, compression, reverbs, Eqs, distortions, etc. are great. I especially like the emulation of the Proco-Rat distortion that allowed me to easily nail some hard to get Jeff Beck tones.

I have had the unit only for three months so I cannot say how it will hold up over the long haul. However, it is built like a tank. I have hauled it around quite a bit, left it in the trunk of the car in 95 degree weather and switched it on and off countless times. It has never failed to work flawlessly.

This is another area where this unit shines. Fractal Audio is a very small company but they do have an excellent web site, forum and even a Wiki which is more than you can say for most larger manufacturers. Furthermore, Cliff, the principal creator and programmer of the Axe-Fx is very active in the forum. He will respond to your questions and even make tweaks and enhancements to the unit firmware based on user requests. Try getting that kind of service from a Line 6, Vox, Boss, etc.
This is not a customer support issue, but more of a purchasing issue: to get an Axe-Fx you must get on a waiting list. I waited about six months for mine, though I hear that Fractal Audio has ramped up production and now the wait is about three months. Of course, this could change since demand seems to be soaring. Lucky for the big boys that Fractal Audio can't flood the market with these things or they would be in trouble. Did I mention that it is made in the USA (and not China)?

I started playing guitar when I was 11, in 1970. I started out playing Hendrix, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin. Then I experimented with early fusion jazz and the likes of John McLaughlin and Al Dimeola. In the 80's I picked up The Police, U2, EVH, and others and played professionally in various bands. When I got tired of being a starving musician, I got very involved in my professional, non-music career and stopped playing seriously for about 10 years during the 90's. Then, as I entered my "mid-life crisis" I started playing again. Armed with enough funds to buy any gear I wanted, I went through tens of thousands of dollars and tons of gear. Because my tastes are eclectic (Rock, Blues, Jazz, Metal, and even some Country) I never found the right gear solution. Certain Amps are good for certain kinds of music, but none cover the gamut. Modelers should have been the solution, but they all sounded too digital to my ears and they did not respond or feel like real amps (believe me, I have owned them all). Then I reluctantly ordered the Axe-Fx (the samples on the website were not very convincing but I gave it a shot based on comments from the users on the forum). When I first plugged my guitar into this unit I knew that my search was over. I have now sold much of the gear that I had (thank you Ebay) and I am using the Axe-Fx exclusively for both recording and live playing. I have reduced the gear that I had to carry (an AMP head and a combo, two cabinets, two 6U racks, two pedal boards) to one 4U rack unit that I generally plug into the PA (I also have two Tech 21 Power Engines that sound good with this unit and the aforementioned Carvin and Marshall cabinet).
Unlike a previous reviewer, I did not spend $900 just to control the Axe-Fx. Instead I spent $150 on a Behringer FCB1010 and after changing the Firmware chip with a $9 UNO chip and some Midi programming have it working as a complete solution for controlling the Axe-Fx.
I have twelve guitars right now and I tend to favor Gibson Les Pauls, though I will play a Strat or Tele when the music calls for it. I have some others like an Ed Roman Quicksilver with P90s and a 1981 Aria Pro II CS-400 that is a great guitar. I have owned PRS, Parker, Ibanez, Brian Moore, and even a Line 6 Variax among others.
Overall, the Axe-Fx is a revolution in digital modeling. I'm sure that as DSPs get better and cheaper, and as programmers get better, the Axe-Fx will run into some competition from the bigger boys. But right now, nothing can touch it.
If it were lost or stolen I would definitely get another one. In fact, I am on the waiting list for an Axe-Fx Ultra (the new, more powerful model).

Not as easy as I wanted. firmware was dumped 3x already. updating is a pain in the neck. it starts, stops , settings. after 5 hrs I finally got a checksum ok. culd be midi-osx program. its a pain. manual covers some things. If you are new at this, forget the manual. 3.18 was the latest and mine has been updates since early may. The owner fixes as it goes which is good I guess.

Sounds are good. The effects are totally cool and worthy of eclipse fashioning. I use a Custom 22,24 PRS, Carvin CT-6 and 7 string Ibanez, A Strategy 400 amp and 2 Avatar cabs. Recording sound is great but don't use cab models in your guitar amp presets. Models are good to me. I had the POD Pro and those models were as pleasing to my ears. Going to the axe-fx was a price qualifying decision. Then you need a midi controller and cheap ones work, but not good. Had the Behringer FC and had to buy a Rocktron Access, expression setup. So get ready to spend bucks on midi gear. I spent over $900 just to control the Axe FX.

Not sure yet.

Not used yet

Its a nice piece. Expensive and you have to be a little patient to get it working. Foot pedal options can run you big cash. Its not for any simple preamp user to own. My big issue is the editor. Its small and not as visble as the Line 6 I am accustomed. With fw changing, the editor does not even work (but the guy is making a new one).

I jumped on 2 soon, so I expect bugs to be there and worked out. Line 6 has its problems. I'm not judging Axe as a Line 6 FWIW. To suggest anyone to put $1400 into this without all the features and editors working is premature IMHO.

Since my fw did not work. I lost session time at a recording house. It wasn't a big deal since we put off guitar for a day. After tinkering I finally had the fw loaded. What a relief! For recording, we used the Mesa preamp model. The engineer suggested a real amp. I was upset by this since I liked my sounds. Next day we went with a Triple Rectifier head and cabinet instead. So I can't say 100% it passes in a pro studio. On my home recordings I always liked it. That may be a stigma from the engineer but he easily convinced my band what(real amp)was better.

I decided this to the POD PRO, GT-8, Rocktron Prophesy II. I regarded all the reviews from Fractal website. How happy I really am remains to be seen. Honestly, I should have waited 8 months longer until all the bugs and kinks were fixed. I don't like flashing fw unless I absolutely have too. For the moment I am only using the Axe FX for effects only. Through my amp loop it's fine for my tastes. I think I'm done with modeling for a while. Too many quirks and not e-nuff perks.

It's a menu oriented device not unlike many other digital processors. Most of the common settings are pretty intuitive and easy to adjust. The large lcd display certainly helps given the large number of adjustment parameters availble. If you've had any other menu oriented gear, you'll have no trouble figuring this unit out.

There is a cross platform pc editor availble that is also very intuitive and easy to use.

If any processor ever actually deserved a _legitimate_ HC 10 rating, this is it. Embarassingly better than any other product on the market now, and finally puts the analog vs digital argument to bed. Sound clips do not do this unit justice; it is much more than the sound, it is the FEEL. For sure that is something that digital boxes have always lacked.

Built with only the highest quality components availble, I do not expect any problems.

Try getting this level of support from _any_ other digital manufacturer. Just go to the AxeFx forums and see for yourself... You may end up chatting with the owner/designer himself.

This product came out of nowhere and is single handedly turning the industry on it's head. You can tell that this is a product designed without compromises to be the best that current technology can produce. In addition to that, it is built by people who really seem to care about what they make. You simply cannot put a financial value on all that.

This unit has too much to be able to explain here...which imo is not a bad thing. It is capable of just about anything and has massive routing possibilities. Getting a good sound for me happened within 5 minutes...VERY easy to do. In general the unit is very easy to use/edit and the manual (well written) was only necessary for a couple of tweaks in getting used to the layout/controls. I can't see needing it (the manual) much more unless I venture into some non standard wierd/spacey stuff. I can see the Axe-Fx being a bit overwhelming for someone who has little or no experience with a unit like this...but If you have messed around with something like a Pod it should be a breeze. It gets a 9 in this catagory only because I had to open the manual at all. Otherwise it is fantastically built and super smooth in operation. Top notch high end gear!!!

Ummm...I dont know where to start. What I will say first though is that even though this review is my opinion...I have a very good ear for tone. I can hear the small details that make or break good tone.

I have only had the Axe-Fx for about 2 weeks but I have been fortunate enough to be able to play with it extensively (every day for at least 2 or more hours)...so I'm certain in my opinion that this thing is hands down the best gear purchase I have ever made. I have a pretty big collection of tube gear (multpile ADA mp-1's (3TM, 3.666, stock, Mod4 MkII), Triaxis, Engl E570, VHT GP-3 all through a VHT 2502 via multiple switchers, Bogner Uberscall, Peavey JSX, Engl Powerball, VHT 100/cl, Rivera K-Tre and a new Marshall JVM. Then there is another 20U worth of FX (Eclipse, G-Force etc.) and various support gear (Switchers, Isp ProRackG, tuner, Eq's etc.) which I have done a ton of A/b'ing with. Actually just my favorites of the bunch...3TM/2502, 570/2502, Uberscall, K-Tre and JVM. My whole reason for getting the Axe-Fx is because of all this gear. I love it all but for me it is way too much stuff hanging around doing nothing. I wanted/needed something that has a huge pallette of tones and did all of the rack crap (WIRES EVERYWHERE AAARRGH) in a much smaller set up. Well...I definately have found it. The A/b'ing left me in partial disbelief (too good to be true?) at first as I have been tweaking on a Pod for the last year or so...what a pitifull piece of crap IMO. It has some good points and potential but...bleh! Anyway...the Axe-Fx IS the right tool if you want to get rid of that massive pile of gear and simplify your life. I am in love with it. The tone is not just close...it is there. I use it with the cab/mic sims turned off into the VHT 2502 into various cabs with various speakers (not sure which one's I like best yet...all are pretty awesome)...and have only tried the direct route (cab/mic sims on) through a Carvin DCM1204/JBL 4410's a couple of times and all I can say is that it is in another dimension completely compared to the Pod. As far as through the VHT though...I have matched every tone that I loved with all my other gear with NO trouble whatsoever. It has all of the tubiness you could ever want. The feeling is THERE. The dynamics are THERE. When you want it to sing it sings, chirpy lively harmonics...THERE. The volume on the guitar WORKS and works well. The noise gate is a keeper even. As I said I have the ISP ProRackG and I thought that would dominate the Axe's gate...Nope. The ISP is fantastic and would be choice #1 if not for the Axe-Fx. In fairness The Axe's gate didn't necessarily filter any better but closed quicker. This is enough for me to shed yet another 1U. The only thing I will be keeping in the rack besides the power conditioner and VHT is a Korg DTR-2000. The Axe's tuner is fine and from what I can tell it works as well as the Korg...but I like the Korg for visual purposes...I can see it from more than 10 feet away.

The FX are incredible. What else can be said? I won't say they're better or worse the the Eclipse or G-Force...FX aren't my main thing. But I will say I won't miss any FX unit I currently have.

This is a new piece of gear but I'll give it a 10 based on the care and attention to detail Cliff put into the design and manufacturing. It has all top notch components and from what I understand no corners were cut to keep pricing down. There are a few instances I've read where it has been dropped and where UPS bent a rack ear...both cases not a problem.

Again...new product but both Danielle and Cliff have been nothing short of unbelievable. You just don't see this kind of support...or at best it is rare with a few boutique companies. Im sure this has been said before but I LMAO every time I think about someone being able to comunicate with...say Line6 designers...or most any company owner...yeah right!

I have been playing since 1983...24 years...ouch. I play mostly metal...heavy heavy heavy. But I do like to goof around with blues and classic rock from time to time as well as my interpretation of classical guitar...on an electric...yeah I know...but I don't own an acoustic and probably never will. The Axe-Fx IMO is a perfect match for any of the above and any others as well.

If it were lost or stolen...I can't even allow that thought into my head.

Basically all of my other gear is going. Over the years I have spent more on gear than one should ever be able to spend IMO. The thing is though...I'm not sad or bummed in any way. I used to think I was getting some where with the Pod as the solution to the mountain of gear...but would allways be sad that my precious collection would be gone...and this substandard toy will be the replacement. Now I am so relieved...I have found the solution beyond any shadow of a doubt. The Axe-Fx for me what I have been searching for for some time now...Thanks Cliff!!!

It's not really difficult but it's not super easy either.I had to consult the manual a couple of times but that's it.It's SO tweakable it's not even funny.I personally love tweaking and this is truely a tweaker's paradise. Anyway enough of my yakin' i'll get to the good stuff.

Ok first of all I'd like to say I've been on a quest for about a year for the "ultimate" rack setup.I didn't want tons of gear maybe 2 or 3 processors and a power amp. Here's what I've owned in just the last year:
Pod Xt Pro
TC G-Force
Eventide Eclipse
Marshall JMP-1
Lexicon MPX G2
Triaxis
Engl E570
VHT GP3
Rocktron Profesy
Boss GT PRO
There's been more but you get the point.
I've owned some of these more than once and have been buying and selling on Ebay like crazy.
Ok so let me first say the only one of those previously mentioned that comes close is the Eventide Eclipse but it dosen't have amp models or cabinets. I'd like to point out that all of those units have SOME good points BUT none of them cover everything.
The AXE FX does EVERYTHING as good or better than everything listed.I know it dosen't have tubes but to me it comes SO close it dosen't matter because you get so much more.
The amp models sound real and also have the poweramp simulation which adds a whole new dimension.
The cabinets are great and you can have up to 4 different ones at the same time!(2 amps at once if you want).
Reverb is better than the G-froce and equal to the Eventide but different.(you can have 2 at the same time)
Delays are great you can have 2 delays at once PLUS 2 multidelays at once and they have 8 seconds of delay.
The compressor blows away the Pod xt's it's very tweakable... which reminds me, the Cleans on this thing are Excellent!
Parametric EQ and Graphic EQ are available 2 at once of each.
I'd like to point out that the effects are FULLY routable.
I could go on but you might as well just download the manual.
There may be a combination of processors that could offer all this but this is a one box solution.I'm really blown away my search is over I can now be at peace. I'm giving it a 9 but I would give it a 9.7 if it was an option!

Seems solid and durable.

I sent Fractal Audio a note thanking them for the order and Cliff(the creator of the AXE FX)wrote back to me personally and mentioned if I needed any help at all just drop them a line and they would get back to me ASAP.

Well if it was lost or stolen I'd beg, borrow or steal to get another one. I waited since November of 2006 for this unit, I went to the Fractal Audio website EVERYDAY looking for news and Info and now I finally have one and it was TOTALLY worth the wait.
Congrats (I can't spell "congratulations" so I have to say "congrats") Cliff on a killer product!!
If you have any questions feel free to email me.

Considering how much this thing can do it's fairly easy to program.
The graphical interface helps a lot. The manual is very complete
which is good because you'll probably find yourself referring to it
quite a bit at first.

I use this mostly with a B.C. Rich into a PA system. The sound is
excellent. I especially like the "Brown" amp model which is
supposedly modeled after EVH's modified Marshall.
The effects are awesome. Real nice reverbs and delays. I don't use
chorus or flange much but the ones in there sound really good to me.
Wah-wah is excellent as is the phaser. Pitch shifter seems good but
I don't use it so can't really comment much on it. Tons of EQ
options make it easy to get just about any sound you can imagine.

The amp models alone make this thing killer. Add to that all the
effects and there really isn't anything out there that can match it.

It's built like a tank (I wouldn't want to drop it on my foot) and
feels real sturdy. It's too early to comment on reliability but I
wouldn't hesitate to use it without a backup.

Customer support is awesome. Had a couple questions and sent an
email and they responded immediately.

I play mostly rock and metal and have been playing for 25 years. I dabble in pop and 60's-70's playing also and find that I can get any tone I'm looking for with this thing. The unit would be a good match for any style of music since you can pretty much get any sound you can dream up. I've been told that the web site will eventually have a users area that can be used to share/swap patches. That should prove to be pretty cool.

If it were lost or stolen I would hunt that person down and...

My only gripe is that when I first turn it on I get a pop and
sometimes a squeal if my PA is already on so I have to remember to
turn it on before the PA.

I've compared it to similar units are there's really no comparison.

First, let me preface this section by saying that this is the most capable multi-effects/preamp unit I have ever used. One of the design challenges Fractal Audio faced was leveraging all of the capabilities of the Axe-FX in any easy to use GUI.

How successfully were they? Overall, I would say extremely. As a whole, the GUI is extremely intuitive and obviously designed with the perspective of an experienced guitarist in mind. Many times while reading they manual you will let out an "a-ha!" and realize that Fractal Audio has read your mind and realized many of the features you've always wanted and made them easy to access.

A constructive criticsm I would give would be perhaps more knobs instead of buttons. I would prefer a real physical knob for each "virtual" knob instead of using the same master knob for every "virtual" knob and having to scroll across each time. Also, having a USB connection either as a virtual sound card or for computer editing capabilities would be a very useful addition for future products.

I feel like the sound quality and capabilities of the unit are far superior and that of a product that surpasses anything else on the market. However, the appearance and user interface are sufficient and intuitive, but just not quite as well beyond the rest of the competition.

I believe the sound quality section of these reviews is largely meaningless. One man's "great" is another man's "awful". I could submit a soundclip of myself playing a Les Paul into a '68 plexi and somebody would tell me it sounds like a POD.

The Axe-FX stands out from the competition. There are no good adjectives I can use here to convince you of this, you simply must hear and play it yourself.

I think this product will shine in the recording studio. For high quality tones straight to the board I have never heard a better sounding or more flexible unit.

A negative that I would mention is that I wouldn't want to use this unit with a traditional amplifier. This is more of a personal bias against any modeler in general than this unit itself. It is possible to shut off the cabinet simulation for this type of use, however I would recommend just going straight into the PA for live use.

I have not had the product long enough to submit a reliability rating. They are hand assembled in the US so that is a plus.

I have communicated extensively with Cliff Chase (owner of Fractal Audio and designer of the Axe-FX). He is extremely passionate about his work and dedicated to his craft. I have complete confidence he will stand behind his product.

The concept behind the Axe-FX is to digitally create amplifiers, effects, cabinets, and microphones and add complete flexibility and control over each block and the signal chain layout.

Fractal Audio chooses not to call itself a modeler. I'm not sure this is the right marketing approach as my initial worry was that they had made this choice because the processor wasn't intended to accurately reproduce the full features of the original.

However, after getting to know the Axe-FX one comes to the realization that it is not a modeler because it does MORE than the original. The Axe-FX accurately models a specific channel of a specific amp and the wide range of the tone controls and added power amp customization capabilities are far beyond. It is NOT a modeler because it doesn't model the negative aspects of the originals: the limited tone control capabilities, the annoying interaction of these controls, etc.

So is this whole "not a modeler" approach good or bad? It depends on your perspective. Often, one can start with an amp with flat tone controls and achieve an extremely dynamic and organic amp sound that is far superior to any modeler I've ever played. However, the additional flexibility can be daunting. I suspect the vast majority of players won't know what to do with "sag" and "damping" controls and thus they won't be used.

In the future, it might be a good idea for Fractal Audio to market a less expensive, less full featured product that just features the basic models.

Many players will also be put off by the price. At $1495 the Axe-FX costs substantially more than a Pod XT Pro. However, it is also a substantially superior product in both features and sound quality.

With the Axe-FX, Cliff Chase and Fractal Audio have established a new market of "boutique" digital guitar effects. There has never been a product on the market from a startup that refuses to cut corners the way the Axe-FX does. They have aggressively targeted the high end of the market exclusively by refusing to compromise on the quality of the converters, DSP, and other components. It remains to be seen whether inherently technologically backwards guitarists will latch onto "boutique" DSP the way they latched onto "boutique" amplifiers and pedals.