Fractal Audio Axe-Fx

This is not a toy, it is a serious piece of equipment. It is not for everybody. Neither is recording at home. Neither is swapping tubes in an amp for that matter. Some things require some smarts, and this unit definately is not for those who think everything should be plug and play. As far as the presets, they get better every release. I use a bunch of them stock. But you still need a basic understanding of sound equipment to use this unit, you must amplify its sound somehow, and for some reason this blows people's minds. But it was easy for me and hundreds of others, just go to the Fractal website and the forums there have multitudes of information and solutions.

Geez, no low end ... my house thumps when I play through my Verve 12ma. Sometimes it is user error, not the product. Becasue you can get as much low end or high end or midrange as any tube amp PLUS more. You can make a Fender Deluxe tone with extended low end, or a Marshall with those highs you always complain are not there. Complete control over the sound. My patches blow people away. For reference, I have owned all Bogners and about every other boutique amp that has gone around. My SLO patch just kills. My Plexi patch rips. And my effects sound phenominal. No question this sounds as good as a tube amp. IMHO there is little if any difference now, so make your choice and rip some tunes.

As good as any piece of high end equipment.

I have always been responded to within 24 hours. Cliff is on the forums all the time, he answers questions on there when he can. It is a community of users, not just tech support or a phone number. Nothing else out there like it.

The best unit money can buy. It sounds like a million bucks, I have patches setup for every amp I have ever wanted or owned, and my sound blows people away. What else is there? Tube amps kick butt, they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. And now the Axe-Fx is the greatest thing since tube amps. Some think that is a bad thing. I don't waste my time with such trivial BS, I make music, I suggest you worry about your sound and not whether there is a tube in the amplifier.

I just received the AXE-FX this week, and after a few days, I would say it is pretty easy to use. Running the amp thru my Mesa Boogie's effect loop didn't work well, but a simple hook-up thru a power amp and a couple of guitar cabs in stereo did the trick. Editing patches is fairly straight-foward, I've rarely had to use the manual so far, but I'm not doing deep editing yet. The manual could be better, but it does the basic job. On-line manuals are better I think. I have the latest firmware, for Aug 2009.

The sound is incredible. I've been playing 40yrs on guitar, and nothing in a rack has EVER sounded this good. Pods are toys, childs play, compared to this unit, not even close in quality.

The effects are world class, especially in stereo where they shine. The unit is so quiet, unlike my old-school rig, where some patches have high gain, and feedback easily. The noise gate is excellent. The S/N ratio is like 105dB I think, and this unit couldn't be much quieter.

Guitar-wise, I play an '88 PRS custom and I am using the AXE-FX thusfar with a QSC stereo power-amp thru a couple of Celestion loaded guitar cabs, 4x12 and 2x12 in stereo, using the power amp and cab simulations. Suprisingly, the cab simulations work well even going thru guitar cabs. I have yet to run it thru normal monitors or house PA, but suspect it will sound as good or better. I recommend using the poweramp and cab simulations, they are that good.

The Mesa Boogie amp models in the AXE-FX are fantastic, just as good as my real tube Mesa amp, and more responsive typically. Santana sounds can be "exactly" created, and did not require any patch tweaking, for example. All in all, sound quality would be very hard to beat unless you had a closet full of tube amps and effects, and they would still be noisy.

Thusfar, seems to be built like a tank. Time will tell.

Have not needed much customer support early on, other than during pre-sale questions. They were very responsive via email to my questions, when asking about stock and delivery.

This is an expensive unit. I thought long and hard before buying it, and even found a guy who had one locally to hear it first. It has exceeded my expectations so far. This unit is excellent for any style, our band plays progressive and classic rock. I will be able to replace every pedal I own, and my stereo bi-amp rig with this rig. I think it should be able to replace my very expensive boutique distortion pedal, "Mighty Red Dist" and it has awesome sound too.

After 40yrs of playing, I think I have the last gear I'll ever need, unless they modify this again!

If it was ever lost or stolen, I would definitely buy again to replace it.

Compared with a Line6 Pod unit, there is no comparison, period. Effects and tone aren't even in the same league or galaxy. End of story.

I wish it had a larger display, and had a nice midi controller pedal readily available. Currently, using a FCB1010 pedal and it is doing a decent job so far. Also wish it had knobs on the front for basic controls, like bass, treble, presence, etc, but menu is okay.

I'm mostly responding to Nemo who must is foolish. The Axe is easy to use if you want to use presets. It's got a good programming interface, but it's an incredibly deep device. If you're a tweaker, it's for you. If not, I'd say stay away.

If you strip all effects off and just use amp/cabinet, you can get a great basic sound in any genre you want more or less the same way you would with an amp. If you don't know how to get good sounds already, you might be very frustrated.

I'm really looking forward to them getting the computer editor done as it's a deep device and the editor will make unlocking the potential a lot easier and quicker than it is now. Still, it has a good and well thought out interface for a device of such complexity...very like
TC Electronic stuff in some ways.

This thing is absolutely the bomb and it just gets better and better. Cliff, the designer, just completely redid the drive models and they're just stunning. I'm typically a clean amp plus pedals person who doesn't play all that loud at gigs. This rig has allowed me to run "amp plus pedals" with a midi pedal and I'm getting the best drive sounds of my life.

How it sounds depends a lot on what you run it through, but with the right gear, you can get sounds that will rival anything I've ever run through. The amp simulations are as or more touch sensitive than my real amps (58 Fender Tweed Deluxe, 64 Deluxe Reverb, Music Man 50/65, Ampeg Super Echo Twin, Gemini II).

The effects are awesome, but I feel like I've only scratched the surface in 6 months of use. I think within another 6 months I'll be on a completely new plane in terms of ability to get a world of sounds I'd only dreamed about. The quality and depth of effects is just ridiculous.

Seems very reliable. I've used it with no backup and have had no functional issues at gigs.

Outstanding customer support. The unit has improved massively in sound quality in the six months I've owned it and it was excellent to start with.

I've played a long time and have tons of gear, probably 15 overdrive pedals among them and I'm not using any of them any more.

This is the best gear purchase I've ever made. I feel like it's Christmas every time I turn it on and there's so much to be explored in there that I feel like I've barely started.

Again, if you're not ready to dig in and tweak, I don't think you'll get what you're looking for.
The sound is light years beyond PODs, Tonelabs, Guitar Rig, etc. I've had most of the emulators out there and while there are certainly uses for them and good sounds can be had, I would never have gigged with any of them. I also don't think any of them sounds anywhere near as good as the Axe.

I've already sold gear worth more than the Axe cost me as a result of its' purchase and plan to sell a bunch more.

One thing to note is that you'll likely want to accessorize the Axe with a good midi controller and possibly the best powered monitor or 2 you can afford. You can run it into a cabinet/power amp and some people do, but I like to use the Axe's power amp and cab sims.

its easy enough, but the parameters are very deep and the time and patience it takes to understand them is not worth it for the difference they actually make in the sound.

the manual is very basic and lacks thouough explanations of how to edit the parameters

i have the latest firmware. and i just sold this unit

ive used it with power amp and cab, into effects loop of tube amps , and direct to full range qsc 122i speakers in stereo. the effects sound good, but they dont blow you away like alot of people say, there no better than th eindividual effects pedals you will buy, like boss. as a matter of fact some of the effectsi actually prefer the analog pedals, the boss chorus pedal has a much warmer, sound and the axefx chorus lacks that sound of depth, you get from an actual pedal. the effects are extremely clean, but a bit sterile.

the amp sims are fun if your recording direct, but if your playing live, they dont compare to the real thing. no matter which way i used this thing, it lacked in one major area overall: bottom end. th esag of a tube amp was there, as a matter of fact, too much so. it didnt punch through th way my dual rectifier does. put this thing in the room with an actual amp(which ever setup you decide to run the axefx through) and the real amp will simply blow it away. particularly noticeable was the harsh icepick sound of the distortion sounds, when playing with pick ahnd muting style. no matter what i couldnt dial it out.

it is better than all other hardware amp sims out there though. for recording i preferred guitar rig over this unit

never had any problems

there are no phone numbers to call???

This unit is not for the novice tweeker. A decent or high level understanding of tone shaping would be of great benefit for the user. Having said that, I now know this thing like the back of my hand, so I see it as very easy.

I have an army of HIGH END boutique amps, and I have exceptionally good ears (I work in a studio every day fulltime) I have heading close to $10,000 worth of pedals alone, so I wanted the amp to be what the last reviewer said.. hype.. It would justify for me personally a lot of gear that has taken years to pick and choose and sculpt my sound.

The Axe-Fx has replaced ALL the gear, and I couldn't be happier. I never thought there would be an all in one solution world class tone, fx, tone shaping, routing value for money, appeal... this thing just kills it.

I honestly think the people that are not salivating have not spent the time you NEED to invest in it to 'get it' I say that because I have owned 2 of these, The first one I took home and tried it our during the trial period. Uh huh... hype, exactly, and I sent it back, almost proud that my ears were not deceiving me like many others. But I kept hearing stellar recordings, and thought, these are really really good recordings, especially running through my hi end studio monitors worth much more than the Axe-Fx.

I bit the bullet and bought it again. This time I ordered a pair of HTPR122I QSC monitors to partner with it, instead of my studio monitors and my botique D13, and Bluesbreaker amps etc. I followed the manual closely this time, and within 30 mins I 'got it' and I have not stopped loving it ever since. Sometimes I will do a shoot out between this and my tube amps, like a calibration for my ears, and each time it's the same result, a slightly different flavor, but it is a simply stunning aural experience.. every time.

I wish I could fault it, but this is hands down the greatest musical instrument technology I've discovered in 20 years. End of story.

Not an issue here.

I sent the Cliff 2 emails and never heard back... they have no number to call, so I would actually dock them points here because some of these smaller high end companies have legendary customer service. Having said that, they are always releasing new updates free of charge and Cliff listens to his customers, and seems like a very pleasant man. The Axe-Fx army of supporters are helpful on the forums, and fiercely loyal to the product and to Cliff, just my own personal experiences did not mirror what others have spoken.

This is about as close to perfection as I can get. I can honestly say this is the cure for GAS for me. I know a lot of people boast how they have owned this or that, yet this thing is the best (insert your fx unit/amp/guitar etc here) but I have to say I have been in a position to by 4 boutique amps at a time, and entire ranges of pedals for example like the enpress gear, Cusack, TC Nova, cmatmods, Divided by 13, Bad Cat etc etc, and this single 2 rack psace unit just kills. I never ever thought the day would come when I would swap all these treasured pieces of gear for a 'rack unit' yet that is the conclusion.

To answer previous reviewer,I also just got one out of the box,ran through presets, initially disappointed ? thin and tinny . Then saw how I had hooked up, did it properly and played with the now amazing sounds
a while and found why EVERYBODY who knows about sound is giving it the
thumbs up. I am a pro' and so every time I play I want the BEST sound
from my gear, not a bad-night/good-night tube reaction.Not acceptable
from any amp, so here is the answer.If your super-car tried to kill you
at random on odd day's you would off'it pronto.Get into 21st century
and stop whining about old tech'best.
Manual needs a bit of a tweak'as lacks some basic info for novices.
Easy to work-out if you sit and try.

When properly linked to out-board gear there is nothing to challenge
the Fx .The harmony/pitch sounds are incredible, cannot fault any of it.
Just into small desk and Truth p/mon's I love it to death.

From all the facts I have read they seem as reliable as day/night following .Always keep small fall-back unit

The very best there is

I play for pay , anything, anytime so must have the best, now I have got it. If any misguided cretin tried to relieve me of it,they would regret it for all time, I would have a thousand demons on their case in a flash.
Love everything about it, wish it had a floor-board inc. with pedals.
Do not read any of the put-down trash a few poor sods have entered on this forum, Majority rules,as does Axe-fx.

Tried one out recently, typical as all rack processors, you go through the presets, etc. Haven't tried editing too much, just surfing it out, etc.

I agree that this is hype. No, this will not replace your tube guitar rig. Effects are very good, why they don't make a seperate unit just for effects I have no idea, some companies always try to go too far (ya hear me Eventide?) and throw in the kitchen sink. The idea of an 'everything' processor was never good.

N/A

N/A

Here is the deal: You cannot replicate tube amps with this stuff. Why? Because a "tube" is like a human, not perfect. A tube is fussy, it changes with temperature, it has good days and bad days, in other words, it has real "Character" and you can feel this everytime you play. That is why people keep going back to the tube, it is moody just like they are. Now enter these digital clones or emulators or whatver... To find out the TRUTH of its amp character, you absolutely must turn off all the effects, all the crap, and listen the the raw sound alone. This is what usualy kills these type of processors, because they are digital robots, and their character never changes, it is designed to act one way, and it will do that. You won't notice this right away, you have to own one of these things for a bit till your ear finally gets dialed in to the sound and character. That is when you keep going back in trying to "tweek" everything over and over, wondering what it is that you are missing. Well, that is the cog in the wheel for digital and emulators/etc, they are not flawed and imperfect or moody, they will perform EXACTLY as they have the 1000 times you've played it, you will get no new emotion out of it. Think of driving a Vette down a curvy road really fast, exciting and dangerous! -Until you've learned the road and drove down it 1000 times, you wonder where the thrill went. That is the best analogy I can give. This thing would be great if it were TWO seperate items, a dedictated effects processor in one, which would be most excellent, and then if you want these amp models or whatever, you can get that unit. That way you get WHAT YOU NEED, no overkill, no serious $$$$ to drop down if you only want the effects. So in the end, as it is said, nothing new under the sun. The mistakes companies made in the 80's was trying to cram too much )$&W)&$)W# into everything and it got really old, guitarists just want what they need! You don't need all this crap! If you do, then you are a tech nut or studio nerd, haha. I say that affectionately, haha.. But just like Eventide, many many parameters of stuff not really useful to a major degree. Make a stand alone effects unit of these effects in a one rack space with a USB out to connect to your computer for a nice prog that is as big as your 19" monitor to make on the fly changes like you use your digital camera? You will have perfection.

I couldn`t spent too much time with this unit, but what I`ve seen so far is enough to say that it stands worlds apart from any other software which reproduces guitar sounds. I`m looking forward to the PC editor as the display isn`t too big (well I wouldn`t expect a bigger display but a full screen is simply more comfortable).

Supperiour product !

must read the manual and spend sometime to understand the routing and effects placement.editing is fairly easy as long as you spend some time also. easier to tweak than the old multi effects processors.manual is quite extensive and covers the unit throughly.firmware isthe latest 7.04 released in march.

11 on this one.i sold my entire pedalboard with 3,000 worth of old analog pedals including, teese wah, 70's mistress, uber vibe, deep blue delay, analogman chorus, red reverberator, big muff,fulldrive, rat etc. no noise on any settings. pristine.effects are the best on par with eventide h-3000 and highend lexicon and tc units.using it with a custom marshall 1974x with mercury magnetics and matching cab with all nos tubes. all tones are possible, trower, hendrix, clapton, blues, metal, etc.this unit finally eliminates all analog pedals and custom tube amps forever. i ah an hk zentara i thought was good . garbaga compared to this.sell everyting you got and get this. i have bought and sold over 50.000 in the last 15 or 20 years searching for that tone in you head. this is the end of my search. you will be shocked once you plug into this unit. you will **** your pants, literally!

fractal responded to all my emails within hours and answered all my questions. built like a brick shithouse. inside unit is sweet. super clean wiring and soldering. i can gig without fear of let down.

see above.unit is constantly releasing new firmware and the tones are just getting better and better. all for free on midi.one year warr. cliff stands behind his product. company has benn around almosy 4 years now. unit sounds considerably better now due to upgrades.

i play blues, rock and metal. this can cover all the bases.been playing since 68.i own a 78 strat, 78 les paul cust and a 2005 telecaster.would most definately buy again.i love everything about the unit. no dislikes.tried all the amp sims. this thing is the real deal. what are you waiting for?sell all your **** and get your *** down to tone merchants in orange, ca and see noel and tell him art sent you. i promise you wont be sorry!!!!!!!!!!

Borrowed unit for evaluation as to wether to buy one.Easy as can be to
get any sound in the head, if you can work an amp you can work this.
Running latest version.

Bill? or whoever you are, surely when all the top studio players, road going guitar-pro's and the main industry gear guru's unanimously give the axe-fx top credit,it must get through to you that YOU ARE THE PROBLEM not the unit. I cannot find a bad sound in it and I have tried
all the latest,oldest,gear going in my time.A bad chef' will make crap out of the finest ingredients. AXE-FX rules.

This one has been fine.

All the reports say amazing service from an amazing company.Who can argue?

I am a gigging pro-gitar man of some 46yrs. Played just about all kinds
of music.This will do the same for me.No big amps and cabs to lug,just plug-in and play.Gotta have one a.s.a.p.

Remember readers of these revues,if a majority say it is good then
trust that it is ,ignore the BOZO' who tries to be the lone voice of
insanity and neg's all over the gear,bad kit and the ones who make it
soon get found out and dumped. Fractal are not in this box.

Once you get your head around the logic, it is pretty straightforward. The fact that you can alter the way that effects can be placed in a signal chain is probably unique and has a significant effect on the end result.

If you are prepared to work at it then you can get a lot of variety of real quality sounds with this animal. This is the first product that I have come across where realistic simulations and effects can be put together to provide new avenues for guitar based sounds-basically it is down to the individual to be creative.

The constant free upgrades and support from Fractal (who else in the industry upgrades their products and doesn't charge for them) mean that the end product stands a good chance of getting better all the time.

Very solid and no issues.

I had a freak accident an with electrical short which zapped my Axe FX (nothing to do with unit).

Emailed G66 (European distibutor)on a Sunday not expecting to get a response, but Jochen and Suzi Isser got back to me and by the end of the night, she had organised a collection.

The unit was collected on Tuesday in the UK and was in Germany by Thursday, turned around on Friday and on it's way back. Came back on Tuesday and Suzi couldn't be more apologetic that the item wasn't back with me sooner (carrier problem).

There was no charge, even though the item did not fail.

My experience of customer support was amazing.

This is a very versatile product that can only get better as it is developed further.

The designer is very hands on with the development of the product.

It suits many different styles of music that I dabble with, Blues, Rock, Fusion etc.

This is the most complete product that I have ever come across and I believe that the very few negative reviews that have been posted on this forum have been put on by people who have vested interests in competitor companies and choose to denigrate this product.

With a bit of effort you can get some very solid sounds without much fuss. The preset patches may or may not work for you as the unit is very sensitive to the individual guitar and you set the front end up. It responds to pick attack like a valve amp does.

The noise floor is lower than a valve amp.

There is tremendous amount of user support and patch development that you can pick upon and run with.

Not too complicated to get around, pretty typical for a prcocessor.

With out question, this thing sounds like a $200.00 multi effects prcocessor made in the 90,s. Do not belive the hype, right out of the box, following the instructions it sounds like a BUZZ BOMB. The amp simulations arn't even in the Ball Park! Unless I recieved a bad unit from the factory (and that is possible) this thing is a huge waste of money. There are no tube amp sounds in this box, all of the patches are loaded with lots of effects............that should tell you they are trying to cover up their tube amp emulation with delays etc...

Who cares, it's going back to wince it came.

There are no phone numbers to call, all you can do is email...........what does that tell you?

This thing is supposed to be the Ferrai of multi effectors. If you were to get in to a Ferrai with average driving skills it should act like a super powerfull sports car. Plugging the Ultra in to my Bogner XTC - both the front end and effects loop and then directly in to my digital recording consel rendered the same terrible results.
Regardless of where the Global parameters were set.
Here is the biggest disspointment, they tell you to take a couple of weeks to get used to programming the Ultra, but if this thing is so good, where are the patches to prove it? Why are they not installed at the factory, are they not the experts? The factory presets are a bad joke! and tweaking them yields more crappy tones!

I am following up on my review from July, 2008. After having this unit for over 6 months, I have not changed my mind about this unit. The more you use it the more familiar you get with it, the easier it is to use. One of the great features is, it allows you to keep it as simple or as deep as you want. Six months ago when I got the unit, the software version was 5.19. Today Fractal released 7.0.

I an very happy with the sounds I get. I am hard pressed to try to think of a sound that this unit can't get.

So far, the unit has been bullet proof. I gig without a back up.

I have never dealt with a company with better customer service. Cliff Chase is an amazing man.

I play modern country music. The Axe-Fx has some of the best clean sounds I've ever heard. I have been playing for over 40 years. I was tube snob. I had tried the POD, PODxt, ToneLab SE, GT-6, GT-10. I had never found a modeler that I liked. The Axe-Fx is a whole different animal. Right now, I own a Deluxe Reverb, a Carr Rambler, a Gibson Paul Jackson Jr, a Fender 52 Tele RI, a Shure Classic Tele, a Shure Classic Chambered Strat and a Talemine NP-18.I have owned Musicman amps, Many different Fender amps, Peavey amps ... I even owned a Vox Super Beatle in the 60's. I do wish I would have stepped up and went for the Ultra version of the Axe-Fx.

Is fairly easy if you have been using deep menu, interfaces in the past. It can be a little daunting if you are an old schooler knob guy...but it is pretty straight forward once you get the hang of it.

The sound quality is amazing!
It sounds good through almost anything.
Models sound and respond very close to the gear they represent... and the effects stellar.
The routing and hook-up capabilities are off the chain!!! none better!!!

I have only had my unit (standard) a few months...but they have actually been around a few years now...
Never had any trouble with mine.

Top notch!!

The owner of the company, who is also the developer of the technology, who is also the site administrator, who is also the new release and firmware developer...you get the picture...
He is there always...fixing bugs...solving issues, even lending suggestions on hooking up and personal setting preferences...
Very, very involved and hands on...
...are there bug...occasionally...but they get addressed and fixed promptly by the owner/developer himself!!!
Lets face it when was the last time you talked to the owner of Marshall, Vox, Digitech or TC Electronics...
I know for me it was....ummm NEVER!!
but it is this kind of dedication that has earned Cliff a very loyal(sometimes defensive) and well deserved admiration from his customer base!!

Over-all 10

After reading all the reviews, forum pages & Wiki as well as and spending a lot of time watching Youtube videos, I finally decided last week to pick up an Ultra. By coincidence, an Ultra came on the used market in my area so I jumped at the chance and grabbed it the same day (Friday). On Saturday, I stopped by a local music store to pick up a midi pedal board and grabbed a used FCB1010 (still didn't get a chance to plug in anything).

I finally had a chance to plug it in and test things out on Sunday (yesterday) so this is just my initial impressions. First I installed the editor, MIDIOX and downloaded the latest frimware & patch banks (wanted to start clean since this was a used unit).

I updated the firmware using MIDIOX without a hitch and proceded to update the patches with the latest presets using the editor. I did experience some quirkiness trying to get patch banks from the AXE-FX but loading presets from a sysex file and uploading to the unit was trouble free. Finally, I plugged in my Lado Elite, powered everything up and began my journey through preset land.

Editing patches is straight forward using both the unit's front pannel and the editor. Settign up routing is a breeze but you do need to understand the paradigm so a quick scan of the manual is advisable before trying to dig too deep. There are tutorials on Youtube for the Editor which helps a lot.

Version 6.10 firmware, 1.34 Editor, Latest Manual & Factory Patches

My home setup consists of a Mackie 1604VLZ out to a Bryston 3B power amp to a pair of Tannoy C10 midfield studio monitors. I have a number of hardware and software amp modelers/FX units plugged into the Mackie in which to compare the Axe-FX Ultra (Boss GT-6, M-Audio Black Box Reloaded, Tonelab, Vamp 2, Pandora PX5D, Revalver MKIII (demo mode), ... Too many to list {yes I'm a junkie when it comes to digital amp/cab modeling and effects} )

2 words describe this device:

UNBELIEVABLY REALISTIC!!!

As a complete package, I thing is in a class all its own although there are other effects processors that can provide comparable quality in specific areas. The quality of the effects will stand up to pretty much anything in the studio or in a stomp. In terms of Amp simulations, I believe that this is where the unit really shines beyond anything else (both hard and software based) on the market today. The quality of the tones that come out from the Amp block is astoundingly realistic and seems to capture the behaviour of a real tube preamp - amp better than any other digital simulation available to date (of course time will tell if this holds up since the competition isn't about to sit still). I was especially impressed at how the unit reacted to playing dynamics and changes to tone & volume from the guitar.

I've been a digital gear junkie for a while now but my search is over. I started listing my other gear on Craigslist this morning. No reason to keep it since I'm sure the other stuff will never get used again.

I purchsed the unit used (has obviously been in a rack and spent time on the road) but doesn't seem to have any issues. I don't gig (home studio use only) but it appears to be made to take a beating.

There is a VERY active online forum/support community as well as an online WIKI to get you started.

Now here is the kicker - The firmware is CONSTANTLY being updated with bug fixes, new features and enhancements. While there has been some revisions of some of my other gear, it was highly unlikely that new features would be added. The guys at Fractal are amazing in that they understand that people don't want to have to buy a new version of the processor just to get additional software enhancements and features.

Finding this unit is kind of bitter sweet. Over the years I've enjoyed the journey of buying and trying all kinds of gear but now that I have the Axe-FX Ultra, I think I'm done.

Give this unit a try. You'll not be disappointed (unless you like having things to complain about)

No chance for it to get lost but if it was stolen, I'd order another the next day.

This unit is what guitarists have been waiting for for a long time! Just like any fx processor, it takes a lil tweaking to get Your sound. The manual is good. Editing is real user friendly,from the panel or with the editor. Mine came with v 6.07, upgraded to 6.10. Easy. The layout and design is easy to understand. YOU DON'T NEED A DEGREE TO EDIT THIS UNIT. Prior experience is helpful, but there is a learning curve for any processor you buy.

This potentially could be a end all solution to GAS for any guitarist. It is designed for guitarists. It sounds phenomenal!!! Imagine an Eventide with spectacular amp simulations. This thing can track full chords with no glitching. NONE. Effects in this thing are nothing but quality. Like I said, You don't need a degree to edit this. It gives you the flexibility to rout the effects just about any way you like. The price alone for this unit is worthy for the effects alone but they also give you the best modeling for amps and cabs (Bar None). Go buy an H8000 and try to edit it and see how for you get for the typical guitarist. Also, you can put your own ir's in 10 user slots for the cabs. Flexibility! If you don't like theirs, you can use your own. Can you say FLAWLESS PRESET SWITCHING! No need for a switching system(unless you just can't part with any of your gear). Remember those heartbreaking moments where you bought a fx unit before and found out there was no delay, rev, spillover or you wish someone would make a processor where the presets would change instantly w/o lag or the processor having to play catch up. Fractal has done it and they didn't cut the cost of any of the parts to profit. Not greedy. Finally after years of wanting this, someone has got it right from a guitarists point of view. By the way - it can sound good either way you want to run it. Run it through the loop of your own amp. use your own cabs, use frfr speakers. It doesn't matter. Just adjust it to what you using it with and once you've got your sound your good to go.

Best support ever. Just search the forums and you'll see what I mean.

I'm not affiliated with Fractal. Just a very satisfied customer. If you cant afford this unit, that is OK. Just get out there and play your guitar and know that this unit can save you potentially thousands of dollars of heavy, complicated, and overwhelming gear in the long run. It has everything you need to get the sound you wanting(or close enough to it no one will notice anyway). Besides just pluggin a guitar into a amp and jammin and nothing else mattered. Remember those days? If you need or want more, look into getting this. Learn how to use it in and out and get back to doing what you love to do the most. JAMMING!!!!!!!

This is more than an effects unit. Until there is a "modeling" category, I recommend it be placed in the amps section as well.
I will apologize in advance for the long review, but a product jammed with so much stuff is hard to condense into a few paragraphs.

EASY TO GET A GOOD SOUND? - 9 -
What is the definition of a good sound? Is it the sound of a naked amp, unmiced and on stage, or in a room with you?....Or is it the sound of your amp blasting through a PA system at a gig? Or is it both?
The Axe-Fx can do both, but out of the box, it sounds like a miced up amp, ready to blast out of a PA. The problem is inexperienced players don't know the difference between the two sounds and expect it to sound like a naked/unmiced amp in the room with them.
It can do that, but setting up for that is beyond the scope of this review.
Unless your audience sits in your bedroom with you, they judge your sound by what comes out of the PA, as does the soundman. This is how I define a good sound, and the Axe-Fx is simply outstanding at getting a great sound to the PA. In the first 15 minutes with it, I dialed a great fender deluxe sound, and a fun AC30 sound. Better than what I was getting using a single tube amp.

EASY TO EDIT? -8-
If you've messed with a TC electronic Gmajor, or Gforce, this is a very similar interface and probably the best method for editing on a small screen, and you can get pretty fast once you know your way around. The software editor gives you more screen real estate and has some fantastic editing options. In the end though, both methods fail to provide an interface that puts all amp parameters into one window, or all parameters of an effects block into one window. I blame the software editor (NOT a Fractal product) for this short-sighted implementation. Having said that, the Axe-Fx could use a bigger screen someday.

HOW IS THE MANUAL? -8-
The Axe-Fx can do so many things it's impossible to get them into a manual. The manual explains how everything works and the basic principles. It gives you a launching pad so you can choose your tonal destination. What it doesn't do is provide the destination for you. It doesn't show you how to duplicate your favorite pedals, or duplicate your favorite amp rig. This is where the presets pick up the slack, but the manual could use an appendix that walks the user through a dozen or so presets (that have well known 'famous artist' rigs). This would help for those too lazy to read the manual.

FIRMWARE -10-
I'd give this an 11 if I could. I started with firmware 3.05 and am about to upgrade to 6.09. I gigged professionally with 3.05 out of the box and paid my bills with it, so it was a "finished" product for me right from the start. I've done 20 firmware upgrades since then. Almost every one has a small tweak or a small fix...but that's not why I upgrade. I upgrade because many times upgrades have new amps, new pedals, new cabinets, new parameters, and new features....and the upgrades have all been FREE.

WHAT IS MY SETUP?
I use two guitars. Electric is a Tyler Landau Classic currently loaded with a Tom Holmes bucker, and Budz Purebred singles. Acoustic is a Collings D2H. I run electric direct to the front input and acoustic direct into the effects return in the back. Long story short, the routing and programming options in the Axe-Fx allows me to switch guitars on the fly without needing an a/b switch.
The Axe-Fx has the ability to be controlled remotely or fully automated.
I control Axe-Fx with a midi footswitch AND a laptop. Midi footswitch is for manual control, and laptop is for full automation -- I perform with backing tracks and the backing tracks can send midi -- Long story short, I can be anywhere in the venue and when the solo comes, the laptop "steps on" all my pedals and effects for me, so I don't even need to be on the stage at all during a song. The women love that. Here--see for yourself: youtube.com/watch?v=vjtIqKTmSTI The clip is with 2006 firmware - sounds even better now.

IS IT NOISY?
No and yes. No because it's designed to be dead silent thanks to the genius of the designer. Yes because just like a real amp, when you've dialed higher gain with single coils, you get the same phenomenon, but the on board noise gate takes care of that AND it can be set per-patch.

EFFECTS QUALITY?
Top shelf. There's plenty of reviews about them.

WHAT AMP DO I USE?
I go direct to PA. It's simpler, easier and gives me a chance to hear my tone the same way the crowd does. This is a big hurdle for some players addicted to that amp-on-stage sound. But if you do your own sound, going direct makes life way easier. I go direct to FBT and RCF powered speakers.

CAN I GET THE SOUND OF MY FAVORITE ARTISTS?
Yes, Yes and a resounding Yes.
I can duplicate, or nearly duplicate the rigs of cover tunes from the 50's to the 90's, and there's an armada of high gain amps in the Axe-Fx, and routing options that go far beyond anything I do in my gig. I could never do these duplications of covers with a single tube amp. I can play the style and feel with my hands, but the tonal foundation would be wrong (your hands can't make a fender tweed sound like a hot-rodded marshall).

ANY WEAK EFFECTS?
I'm not a big fan of the treble boost drive pedal. The matchless amp sounds thin to me. A few cabinets are overloaded with mids and lows. But every player is different and these might be exactly what someone else is looking for.

CAN I DEPEND ON IT?
Yes -- the sound is identical gig to gig. For the first few gigs it was weird because I'd gotten so used to my tube amp sounding different gig to gig. But I got hooked fast, and for me, this is the only way to go.

USE WITHOUT OUT BACKUP?
Because I'm a solo act, I can finish a gig with acoustic and voice if it went down. I could easily drag my tube rig to gigs until it was fixed...but I wouldn't be happy about it. I'd have a backup if I could afford one, but for now, my tube rig is a backup. Would I sell the tube rig to have a backup? Good question. I've been considering that, but I like tube amps and I think I'll keep my Suhr Badger. It's serial #013 :-)

HOW HELPFUL & FRIENDLY IS FRACTAL?
Cliff hangs out on the fractal audio forum, posting, making jokes, and collecting feedback for future firmware upgrades. He often fixes bugs the same day or next day, and posts firmware asap, sometimes even beta runs of firmware. He is accessible through PM, but refers to support for any hardware problems so they can troubleshoot with the user.

UPGRADES/REPAIRS?
I actually did have something "break" on the unit. I had a very early-build Ultra and the graphics chip went out. No one's had that happen but mine went out and the screen went blank. The Axe-Fx still worked perfect & I kept gigging (my patch names are programmed into my rocktron midimate footswitch) Support immediately sent a new screen. It was easy to install, and proved the graphics controller was offline. I could have installed a new mother board myself, but Cliff had an entirely new unit shipped out 2nd day while I gigged with mine. I had to talk him into letting me pay for shipping. I don't know if Fractal does this for everyone, but as a working professional it was extremely helpful to keep gigging until the replacement arrived.

STYLE OF MUSIC
Covered in a previous area

YEARS PLAYING & OTHER GEAR
I toured for 3 years in bands, no home, no car, just 6 days a week in bars and drive to the next town on day 7. I've performed solo since 1997 paying bills with music. As the music scene and economy have tanked I've picked up some seasonal work but I still gig full-time as much as possible.
I owned a Gallien Kruger, then a marshall JMP-1, then Egnater IE-4 before I went to tube amps. I gigged with a Fuchs ODS30 combo then switched to a Suhr Badger. I discovered the Axe-Fx in 2006.

WOULD I BUY AGAIN? Yes

LOVES/HATES/
Love-Favorite features:
-- First, the dynamic feel of a tube amp rig
--Being able to run a fender 10 different ways with 10 different custom pedal and effects setups, and having those custom fender setups just a click away.
-- Being able to "virtually" have an amp running like it's cranked and about to blow up, and to have that tone/feel at any volume.
-- The massive library of amps/cabs/mics/pedals/effects and all the routing options makes it possible to duplicate or get damn close to any rig I need for doing covers.
Hates?:
-- I don't have any, but the button layout could be improved. The recall and enter buttons are really far apart.
-- The effects bypass button needs a light (like global bypass has) for instant visual feedback of the bypass state of a block when editing that block.
-- The cabinets could be improved. The micing options are limited and getting top notch pros to make impulses might help improve some of the cabinet models.

COMPARISONS TO OTHER PRODUCTS?
I compared to Fuchs and Suhr Badger. For covering multiple artists tones, getting great sound to PA, having great tone/feel at any volume, and having all this with minimal setup/teardown.....there is no comparison. And that is why I chose this over anything I've ever used.

WISH LIST
-- Global parametric EQ. I need this BADLY for gigging with acoustic at loud gigs.
-- Minor improvements listed above.
-- For the yet-to-be released plugin and audio interface, I wish the audio interface would have more inputs so a live act with a small number inputs could route ALL audio into a laptop and do ALL soundman duties (mixing, effects, routing, eq) in the DAW without needing an additional A/D/A interface or mixing board/outboard effects.

DOES IT HELP OR GET IN THE WAY?
For the first time in my career, the "gear" has disappeared. I can leave the stage and sing/play anywhere during a song while patches are changed and pedals are stomped on. I'd say that qualifies as "out of the way".

FINAL THOUGHTS?
The Axe-Fx has transformed how I pay the bills, enabled me to dial the tones of any artist I cover at any volume, and the quality and consistency of my guitar-rig-to-PA tone is far beyond any gear I've ever used.

Some players only want one amp, one tone, and they're hooked on that amp-in-room, amp-on-stage sound. The Axe-Fx may not be the best tool if that's what you want. Even so, some one-amp/one-tone players have moved to the Axe-Fx for simplicity, convenience, and ease of recording.

I'd recommend everyone learn how to get good sound to PA or CD using real tube amps and pedals and other effects units. That experience is perfect preparation for owning an Axe-Fx, not required, but very useful when it comes to understanding the Axe-Fx and harnessing the tools inside. There's a universe of tone in there!

The first time I unpacked this little rack and connected it to an old amplifier I was really disappointed. I'm not a presets guy, but after sliding myself by 30 o 40 I remember I started to tweak and see what the menu offered. I turned off the unit very very scared and Axe Fx let me down. I didn't turn it on again since two or three days after. Well. I decided to connect the rack to a power amp and a Marshall 4x12 and something changed...the sound was better. Two pre-amps in serial mode are not the best way to connect it. Now, three months later, I have to recognize that the unit is amazing and very very very easy to operate, but it's not so easy to get a pro sound. You have to tweak and know what are you doing at every moment. a little and subtle change by a knob could be a radically different sound. So, you'll need many many hours of working in it to learn to build a tone, but once you know how to do it, once yo know the unit deeply, when you have a sound in your head it will be much easier to bring it out from the case. Everything you need is here,
The manual is similar to other gear, particularly Vox Tonelab, it shows the amps, cabs, effects and it tells little secrets that specially in my case didn't help me. Other secrets and tricks are very very useful and good!
I've got the last firmware and I love the warmth of the PA section working together to SAG , lately I discovered that this unit works better when you think about moving the knobs in "familiar", for example if you tweak DRIVE and MASTER togheter is better than one of them alone, or if you move in the REV block TIME and PREDELAY is better than moving one alone, for example...
Tweak tweak and tweak 'till your sound start to come!!!!

I use a POWER AMP SS very cheap Omnitronic P250 and a 4x12 Marshall Cab. Very very cheap and low class gear and the sound is great.
The unit is not very much noisy, except in some drive sounds, as a normal amp, it becomes noisy the louder you get.
The effects are very good in general. I am a guy of stompoxes and I miss some of the analogue features there, but no problem at all. The unit is very analogue and warm.
I have had a lot of amplifiers, tube amps, VOX AC30 (still with me), MARSHALL JCM900, Fender Blues Deluxe, Vox Valvetronix, Vox BM1, and hundreds of multi-effects and stompboxes and this unit is better than all that stuff, but I have to recognize that I cannot get the same sound of my old brittish VOXAC30 still miss some features in the effects part...fI use a lot E-bows and with some pristine effects in the AXE is incredible.
The drive bloc is the worst part for me, but the amp section covers all my sounds. My favourite amps in Axe Fx are Vox AC30 TB, Trainwreck, Blackface, Blues, Plexi and Hipower 1. I love the sound of this unit. I never had such a variety of real souunds at one foot's strike.
I use midi functions and is very easy to program.
AMPS and EFFECTS together in the same box. Amazing. And the sound is TRUE.
I am a tone snob, believe me.

Now I depend on it.
I still use my old VOX AC30 TB and some effects (digital and analogue) but I'm getting my tones in Axe Fx in order to use it and get rid of 50kg. of useless amp.
I still have to work more in the VOX ac30 sound.
SOUND is a very subtle and subjective thing. This machine makes my guitar SING but I'm still
scratching the surface. Don't wanna sound like any amp, I just wanna SOUND.
And if two same amps (for example two old Bassmans) never won't sound the same you cannot expect this box to sound like the two amps together...the rack sounds killer. Simple!

Great stuff and great idea, good philosophy, I fell in love of this mysterious hype of AXE FX and now I'm a lucky man. Users in forums and WIKI are helping (me too to make this thing bigger and bigger. Democratization of Sound.
It costs a lot of money, but it's worth.

I play rock, blues, modern and vintage sound. I love Gilmour, Brian May, The Edge, Tom Verlaine, Frusciante...etc etc etc.
I can get my own sound for the first time, I won't try to imitate never again the sound of another guy with the same gear.

Response to Matt. This is a discussion forum for musicians to evaluate equipment based on other musician's experiences. People are looking for answers here and they are capable of choosing what to believe after they read these reviews without the all knowing Matt telling them who is right and who is wrong. Having said that here is a post copied directly from the Fractal Audio forum:
"I purchased my Standard two months ago, Firmware version 5.19. Yesterday I updated to 5.24 and followed the directions closely. I used a MidiSport 2x2 and although the download to the Axe took approx 25mins, I believe everything went well since there were no errors on completion & the F/ware page now states "version 5.24".
My concern is that I am now experiencing the following symptoms, which I hadn't until the f/ware update:
-get a "excess cpu usage, reduce load" error on few of the presests, a couple of the factory presets and a couple of those I downloaded from the exchange site.
-get this error on factory preset #24, "Dual Clean" which uses two amps, but don't get it on #10 Backline which also uses two amps. Both are factory & haven't been modified
-when I power up the Axe, I hear two small chirps right away but then everything is fine."

Now Matt old buddy, this isn't my post but the same thing happened to me and apparently the owner had to go back and fix the presets that didn't work after upgrading to the newest firmware and here is a copy of his post:
"If you are using the factory presets I recommend downloading the latest from the website. The ones that cause a CPU overload have been reworked to prevent that."

Now I really like the spin that was put on that! Notice the work "reworked." By the way Matt, this ease of use category includes questions on "editing patches", "firmware revisions", "upgrading the unit" etc. Did you even read any of the parameters here before you started writing? Let's move to the next section and further explore what "reworked" means.

Here is another quote from good old Matt:
"Again, you can revert back to an old firmware if you need the extra CPU resources, so this should be a non-issue."
Well Matt, here is the problem. The firmware updates are provided to do 2 things. 1. Fix problems and 2. Enhance performance. Now if I can't do that without going back and taking out parts of the signal chain layout, I am sorry but that is a little more than a "non-issue." However, when we use the word "reworked" it doesn't seem as bad. The only way to look at this logically is that the Standard is now at the point where you have to compromise fixing and/or enhancing this processor for the sake of not having to delete part of your preset layout. Now I don't want someone else to buy one of these without knowing that but apparently you must think that you need to run interference for Fractal Audio and refer to this as a "non-issue."

Here are some more good ones from Matt:
"OK, the comments about customer service is complete and utter B.S. If you didn't get an e-mail response you either 1) typed in the address wrong or 2) Fractal's response went into your SPAM folder."
Wrong you are again Mr. Matt. When you go to the Fractal website there is a place for you to click for customer support. When you click it, a blank email is automatically generated with the Fractal address on it. My email system does not put email into a spam folder and I had to write to them before and received a response without any problems.

"I know for a fact that the owner of Fractal reads each and every e-mail himself. " I will just let the viewers evaluate this statement for truth.

"A phone number is not listed on their website but they will give it to you if asked."
That is great Matt!!! Why don't you get it for the rest of us and post it right here on HC because some of us need it.

"you seem like the type of person to jump to conclusions."
Matt, please read your own posts if you want to see the type of person that seems to jump to conclusions. I AM in the process of reaching a conclusion based on the information that I have and it isn't good.

I didn't ask Fractal Audio to give me one of these for free. I paid a lot of money for it. They didn't do me a favor by making it and selling it to me. I don't like the fact that you can't call in and get an answer to a problem or a walk through. Besides Fractal Audio, who does this benefit? Certainly not the user!!

Well, here are probably the best quotes and the biggest jump to a conclusion by Matt yet:

"There are so many resources out there for this unit that anyone how claims to have "trouble associated with using it" probably shouldn't be using one anyway."
Thanks Matt, that will probably help a few people make the decision not to keep it after the 15 day trial period.

"apparently, this user is a bit short on imagination."
Yeah Matt, I can't imagine that I would ever have bought the Standard knowing that there was a trade off between upgrading firmware to fix problems and taking parts of my presets out.

Now, as I said before, I would not buy one of these again. However, if you have to have one and you don't want any tonal compromise with your unit, my advice is to get the Ultra because I think the Standard is just about overloaded.

In closing, I am obviously not one of the people mesmerized by the genius of the designer of this product or his company. I wrote this to help other people make an intelligent decision based on real facts and I wish that someone had let me know what I was going to run into before I bought the Standard. If I said it was all good, I would probably make Matt really happy but it is not what HC is here for. You decide what is truth and what is BS here, not Matt.

The sound is amazing....but it don't come for free. Just as you would on a amp, you have to dial in you're preferred settings and sound.If you don't know what you want, this box won't act as a magic tool that's saves you. I own the ultra version and I have read the manual!!
I made 6 basic sounds via the editor and it took me 15 minutes to get sounds that are more than "ok". These are sounds that will replace my current setup, just adding in more effects. People giving this a "1" in ease of use haven't read or understood the consept. You can make quite simple or complex setups and sounds in minutes.And comparing the sound of these against Boss-gt series or simular cheap gear is meaningless. I own a lot of stuff and nothing sounds like this.

My axe-fx are going to replace a marshall jmp-1,a 12 channel mixer,g-system,lexicon mpx-1,roland sde delay, boss gt-6 and a roland chours + some other pedals.The only thing I will keep is the marshall poweramp and a Mesa wegded 2x12 cab and a marshall 2x12. You a endless array of means to create the sounds you want. But you have to spend time whith the unit. I use sounds that are spanning from very heavy to ambient stuff and the axe can do all that. From very good clean sounds to dirty. The noise level on the unit is very low compared to tubeamps. There is of course a little "hiss" but......The effects of very good quality. I almost bought a eventide eclipse, glad i did't. I use mostly delays, wah, chours and reverb and these sounds very good and I also have to point out that switching from one preset to another is painless...you can also make the delay continue on the preset and fade out. One feature I like very much.

Since I'm not finished doing my sounds and the unit haven't been used in a real live situation. I have no opinion on this, but the unit seems to be well constructed.

Customer support is more than good. I have to comment one the very negative message on this page. Poor bastard. There are tons off information on a dedicated forum, a wiki whith links to all the info you need and downloads.If you in worst case have to speak to "real" fractal people, then you're unit has to be dead or you have to be plain stupid. The firmware updating is to make the unit better and why is that a problem. I you don't like keep the old one.
I have upgraded my Ultra 4 times whithout any problems, adding new features to the unit. The support for the g-system for instance, that's a real bad one.

If you sould buy something simular in real amps and effects. You have to be a rich man. For the price, this is my best buy in gear. But you have to understand that this unit has to be tweaked to get the sound you want. If you're not into this, then you don't need one. Buy a cheap korg unit instead.

I found the menu fairly easy to navigate through...I must admit I was a little scard at first after reading some comments, but it was actually pretty easy. I have used a lot of menu based gear though...so perhaps that has helped. I admit theres tons I still don't know how to do...But setting up basic patches is pretty easy.

The unit sounds great, plus it feels great under your fingers...so to speak...when you play soft or dig in it really has a dynamic response. Plus it is an all-in-one solution to your sound. Albeit it can be a little daunting with so many editalble parameters. The urge is there to over do it sometimes...you kinda get the mindset of "if a little bit sounds good...a lot more will sound a lot better" so be careful of that, because there is plenty there to pile on...

And the effect are super good!! They are the best part of the whole package.
They just blend and sound so much like part of the signal and not just added to it...
They really are high quality!
I do wish they had put a usb connection on it though.

don't know...mine is still quite new...but no problems so far.

don't know...haven't tried to contact them directly...
there seems to be a good response on the user forum though...
I dont think it will be problem...
but if i understand rightly the users are able to make change requests and if the engeneers like it it will get put into a firmware update. Thats pretty unheard of...

I think it's a great sounding, well thought out unit.

Not the easiest device on this planet, if you are still "analog" (I mean you prefer rotary knobs) you could have some troubles in the beginning since you have so many settings.

Anyway I consider it a very good "digital" interface as everything is easily reachable.
Presets are valuable, and you can copy the setting of each effect/amp between the presets.
The editor (that's not a Fractal product) is far from perfect but you don't have to pay for it. LarsB made a very good job, but a product of this class deserves a professional product.
Anyway even if I've no midi pedalboard (I'm waiting for the Fractal one) I've had no problem in editing patches directly on the Axe.
The manual is good and the wiki and the forum are a gold mine of informations.
Firmware revisions comes for free and it's easy to upgrade the unit (just avoid midi interfaces that use the standard USB driver).
I do not rate 10 for some of the reason I've tried to explain, anyway I wonder if its possible to have a better "ease of use" with a product of this class.

I use the Axe-Fx with a 57 Commemorative Strat and a Custom Elite LX Ovation.
It sounds great with both.
I have two SR Technology Club 60A FRFR speakers so I can play stereo. I thought the 6" speakers was a comprimise since most users plug the Axe-Fx into powerful 12" speakers.
The pleasant surprise is that sound is great and it still sounds great at low (and very) volumes so it's the best I can have for home usage.
Speakers are just above my JBL HI-FI stereo speakers, I play a Pink Floyd DVD or a CD and I feel myself in the mix.
Effects are pristine quality, and you can even tweak anything you can think of.
The sound is really dynamic, it follows your struck and amazingly follows the volume of the guitar (it changes with it as it does on a real tube amp). I still don't understand why they don't want to call it a modeler.
Fantastic.

I have it from few months, so the unit it's just after the burn-in period. Never had a problem. Never had a spontaneous reset. Never had to reset it.
You can see the designer is a real engineer, the components are really the best you can find, if you deal with electronic components you can verify it.
The only thing I found strange is the front input jack that is a little bit slack (not as hard as the one I have on the Strat and the one I expected), anyway it could just be my feeling.

Simply perfect.
I've never seen a company taking user's opinion and suggestions into account as Fractal does.
They (I mean both Fractal and G66, that's the EU distributor) always reply within 1-2 days. Very kind.
As I said firmware upgrades comes for free. Most of the times you get enhancements and new features.

I mainly play rock/blues, but I also love some metal tones (John Petrucci).
I played when I was a kid, then I've left the guitar in its case for many years and recently started playing again.
If it were stolen or lost I would buy it again, no doubt.
Favourite feature ? The huge arsenal of sounds at your disposal.
Why I choose this one ? It's the only one that doesn't sound "digital" and cold, you know what I mean.
Wishes ? I'd like to have its companion pedalboard (hope it comes out soon). Oh, may be I would buy a 1-2U rack mountable midi unit full of pots and small (programmable) displays showing "rate" "depth" "master" and anything you want...

I Give it a 10. All you have to do is open your eyes its all right there in a little green window.If i can do it anyone can and if you cant buy a amp.

Very Very good.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
All Amps and effects are over the top or close enough to not care. I fave the marshall tones. But all other amps sweet also.

Had it a year now NEVER had one issue yet don`t see any either. Unless you drop it 10 stories off a roof.

The Best I`ve ever had to deal with.. I`ve seen peeps get them used and had a issue and he still fixed them free. That`s service.Always gets back to your emails VERY FAST not sure what >>>>Fractal User<<<<< Is even talking about..Think hes just a flamer for bad reviews.Anyway cliff and his wife do one hell of a job.. TY CC

Overall if it got ripped off id get another ASP..

This is in response to the guy who blasted the product below. First off, if firmware updates use a little more CPU power and you don't like them, you can *always* revert back to the old firmware. 2nd, his rating of '1' is based on a lot of assumptions, his thoughts on the Standard vs the Ultra, and *not* anything remotely related to actually programming the unit (which he says at one point is "one of the better sounding digital processors out there"). Third, Boss, Line 6, TC Elec, etc will not release something on this quality because they won't be able to give you something of this high quality at this price and still maintain the profit margins large companies need to make it a viable product. For what you get this is not that expensive of a device. Eventide gear is more expensive, offer only effects (i.e. less versatile), for no real improvements over the AxeFX. If they (Eventide, TC Elec, Lexicon, etc) has released the AxeFX I guarantee that it would be far more expensive then what Fractal is charging.

"I am losing tone for the sake of CPU usage"

Again, you can revert back to an old firmware if you need the extra CPU resources, so this should be a non-issue.

No problems here, but with any piece of gear time is the only tell.

OK, the comments about customer service is complete and utter B.S. If you didn't get an e-mail response you either 1) typed in the address wrong or 2) Fractal's response went into your SPAM folder. I know for a fact that the owner of Fractal reads each and every e-mail himself. I have contacted him on several occasions and have never had to wait more then a day for a response. A phone number is not listed on their website but they will give it to you if asked.

As for going to the AxeFX forum, what's wrong with that? I regularly see tech support problems being asked there and the owner will always respond.

Given his history of addressing user-reported bugs, responses on the message boards, and the fact that you are the first person who I've seen that has criticized his e-mail support, I have to believe that the e-mails were lost. Did you write a 2nd time to make sure the message was received? No, probably not... you seem like the type of person to jump to conclusions.

There are so many resources out there for this unit that anyone how claims to have "trouble associated with using it" probably shouldn't be using one anyway. It's not a plug-and-play device and never claims to be one. It's whatever the user makes of it and, apparently, this user is a bit short on imagination.

I have an Ultra. I'm not much for reading manuals even though I know I should, but this unit was VERY easy to get a good tone out of right out of the box by simply using my knowledge of amps. As I started actually reading the manual, I realized that this thing is an endless journey for tone...I mean you can get pretty much ANY guitar tone you want out of it if done right.

This is the top dog right here. I have never heard my guitar sound so crystal clear, clean and still get brutal sounding before the Axe. I don't know how they did it but they did it. It has the feel of a tube amp and also "breathes" like a tube amp. I've been playing Marshalls for years and I have no intention to even turn my JVM on at this point. The effects are world class...right up there with Eventide and TC. Godly sounding really. The amp sims can be tweaked to get utterly close to the originals or take you in a totally new direction to create your own sound.

I've only done 2 gigs with it so far but both gigs gave me the best tone I've ever had. It's funny because I was using my marshall for power and I had 2 people tell me that the marshall sounded great tonight. They couldn't understand when I told them this little box was giving me my tone. I just got a QSC FRFR speaker that I can't wait to start gigging with.

I haven't had to deal with customer support directly as of yet but just by using the Fractal forum has given me all the help I've needed so far. Even Cliff has been kind enough to frequent some forums to answer questions. 2 big thumbs up.

I play guitar for a Bon Jovi tribute band called Jovi (www.jovitributeband.com). I really wanted something that could help me achieve Richie's tone from each era of the band but also not having to lug around a complex guitar rig. With the Axe-FX I'll be able to carry a rack case, my fcb1010 midiboard and a QSC as a personal on stage monitor, run direct out to FOH and be able to enjoy the best guitar sound I've ever gotten.

Here is a sample of the jargon used in connection with this product to help you make a decision on whether to get the Ultra model or the Standard:
20% faster DSP plus 6X more memory.
More sequencer steps (16 instead of 8)
The Axe-Fx Standard is limited by the amount of memory on board to the existing feature set. Effects can be updated, with new controls and tweaks being added, but expansion is highly unlikely. The Ultra has much more room for growth. Cliff has stated his intention to keep the quality of the effects, especially the Amp & Cab sims, the same in both processors. Thus the Standard isn't an "inferior" or "outdated" product, it simply has a more specific feature definition.
Now here is what this means to someone who bought the Standard. After you go through all of the trouble to create and tweak your tones and you try to install the new "firmware" for your unit, the extra load on the CPU from the new firmware will make some of your patches not work because there is not enough computing power. So you have to go back and take things out of your patches in order to free up space and not overload the CPU. In other words, it seems like the more they improve the firmware, the less effects you can use. I will be happy when Boss, Line6, or TC Electronics tear one of these apart and come up with a common sense approach to using a similar sounding unit along with a good editor.
They are still working on the midi foot controller for this unit and that is just more trouble trying to use it.

The sound quality is very good for a digital processor but now I am losing tone for the sake of CPU usage. By the time we get to a couple of more firmware updates this category will be a 5.

Don't know if I can depend on it yet.

What customer support? There is no phone support!!! There is an email support address but I wouldn't call that support. I didn't even get an answer the last time I asked for help. Don't think just because you pay a big price for this that you are entitled to get someone on the phone to help you. Your job is to go to the Axe-FX forums and search through them for as long as it takes to find someone with the same problem and read until you find the answer. If you can't find it, then you can write a new thread and hope someone that has had that problem or knows about it will help you.

This is one of the better sounding digital processors out there at this time. However, considering the trouble associated with using it, I like it less and less each day. I would not buy one again. Within a year, I expect the other companies that make this kind of gear to figure out the good stuff about this unit and incorporate it into a more practical form with a great, easy to use editor, and midi foot controller. It is worth the wait for me not to have to deal with Fractal Audio again.

I must say, when I first tryed axe-fx, It was very complicated for me. Than after some time I realised that this thing actualy isn't that complicated at all. Making patches is very simple. One thing that I don't like on axe is connection troo midi cable.

When I fist heard the sound of this device I was amazed. Some factory sounds are really astonishing. The amp simulations are very realistic. The choruses are very clear. Axe-fx sounds amazing.. !

Well I have it about 4 weeks now and I didn't have any problems. All working fine.

I bought thing in Europe from G66 (They import thing in Europe). I must say that customer support is very nice, really helpful.. They upgraded mine to newest firmware and change fans to silent one. Great deal.

I must say that I was little surprised on beginning, I didn't expect that much of it. With Axe-fx you can create any sound you want. The choice between sounds really big. Every guitar player should have it.

Ease of use?
Here is the REAL scoop on the Axe-FX.
It's as simple or complicated as you want to make it. That's it!
Meaning, if you want to just plug in and play you can easily find many awesome patches already on the unit. (Especially with the release of the extra bank "C" for the Ultra).
If you want to tweak deeper, than this is your huckleberry. You can get really deep with it. The trouble I think with most users that have put down the Axe-Fx's "ease of use", are basically just unfamilar with the interface. You don't even need a few hours with it. The manual is not 2 inches thick. It's about a quarter of an inch thick. Keep it handy to refer to, and just explore a little on it. You'll be an ace at running it in now time.
If your the "Bread good, fire bad" caveman type, then perhaps line 6 or Boss may do it for you. The Editor program makes things even simpiler yet! I am not an engineer, or computer geek, but yet I was able to get up and running in no time. It's a relatively new piece of gear, so the interface may seem a little alien. But in no time at all be looking at it like it's an old friend. Really, it's not nearly as bad as some of the past reviewers have tried to make it seem. Based on that, I would give it an 8.

Well here is where it really kicks butt! Quiet, clean! Everything is of the HIGHEST quality!! Just about any guitar tone your looking for, you'll find it in the Axe-FX! From clean to monsterous metal, it really covers the spectrum WELL!! It's an extremly organic sounding processor! And the effects are to die for!!! Others have gone into deeper evaluation of the tones so I'll leave this with a 10 rating!!!

According to users on the Axe-Fx Forums, reliabilty has been VERY high. The highest quality components are used in the building of them and the steel chassis is as solid as anyone could hope for. And these incude rack handles to protect the controls on the front panel! If there were ANY issues, Axe-Fx seems to address them promptly. I would feel as comfortable gigging with this without a back up as I would any other, quality built, high end processor.

I have not had to use customer support. The best option would be to use the forum first, (Answers come pretty quick!) then e-mail. Fractal Audio would direct you from there as to call or not. Being a small company, I'm sure they do not have the staff to sit around taking calls for operational support. Again, the forum is your best friend here. With that said I would rate them an 9.

Whatever your style of music may be. The Axe-FX will get the job done! I have been playing for over 25 years and have had my share of GAS "and" Buyers Remorse!! With years of false promises from various manufacturers like Boss or Line 6, etc. etc. I had leanred to set my sights LOW on digital guitar processors. Being "accepting" of what i was paying for. If you don't have the cash, $500 to $1000 is quite a bit to lay out for guitar processor, like the GT-10 or the X3, so looking at an Axe-FX Standard or an Ultra may be WAY out of your price range. That alone will kick in the buyers remorse (like the guy who recommended buying 3 GT-10's for the price of an Axe-Fx!) I have onwed the GT-10. You get what you pay for. It's okay for the money, but NOT EVEN CLOSE to being in the same league as the Axe-FX!! If I could have saved $1300 (like anyone) and just bought a cheaper unit, I would do it!! But Cliff and Fractal Audio has said, he only uses the BEST components in these units! The Convertors are EXCELLENT!! Even if the money was being spent on the Axe-FX as a guitar amp with NO effects it would be worth most of the sticker price (a new Ultra can usually be had for around $1900, a standard for around $1300. The main difference between the two is the Ultra has maxed out memory and a faster CPU plus a few other effect features.) But when you had the high end, Lexicon/Eventide/TC type effects, this thing is a STEAL!!!!!!!! Jeez! Listen to the reverb tails on an Axe-Fx and you'll get what I mean!! Let alone the other effects!!!! No CHEEZE here!! If you are serious about your tone and the quality of your effects, the Axe-FX is for YOU! Not to put these people down, but if it's a hardship to come up with $500, then Line 6, Boss, Digitech, Zoom, Vox, etc. are where you need to be. There is no need to scrap up enough money to buy an Axe-FX, just to spend a few days fooling around with an Axe-FX to justify to yourself something like a GT-10 is a superior unit....
within in a year previous to the Ultra, I wanted to start moving away from tube amps (because they were not getting any lighter to lug around, etc). I owned a Vetta II, a Prophesy, a GT-10, an X3 Live, and what I thought was a pretty excellent amp modeler. The Fender Cyber-Twin SE (I though the first Cyber-Twin was not ready for prime time, but was pretty happy with the Second Edition). NONE OF THEM COME CLOSE, EVEN REMOTELY, TO THE AXE_FX!!! I find the longer I own my AFX the more I love it!!!! And I have been known to be the poster child for Buyer Remorse!! lol!

Almost does the work for you!

I have amps that are best in the world. I am the man when it comes to tone. This incredible device is better than the best amps in the world and it rocks the house.

I have use this miracle of reality for a few hours but already can tell that it will not break, and also nothing will ever go wrong.

I have heard that these people rock the house.

Listen, as mentioned above, I am (quite simply) nearly a deity when it comes to the topic of tone. If I say this box rocks the house... then THIS BOX DOES ROCK THE HOUSE.

aw yeh

Definitely designed by an engineer who wants to appeal to those that are technical and understands effects - if you don't "get it", he won't care. It's this mentality that leaves the unit sitting at a solid 7 for me. It has a daunting number of knobs and parameters and you will end up spending at least a week to just get the thing dialed in on a few patches. There is some hope though - a beta software editor shows promise but still needs a lot of work.

Well this is where the Axe-Fx shines - there simply is not better sounding amp modeling and effects unit on the planet. And while I won't be selling my tube amp any time soon, I will say the Axe-Fx sounds very very close to mine once it is dialed in - way better than any other modeler out there. Recent software releases have further improved the tube amp modeling. Effects are in another league as well and continue to improve - here again, a recent software release improved the reverb, delays, and compression.

The unit is solid and I've gigged with it a few times with no problems. The beta software editor locked up my Axe-Fx a couple of times, which is obviously not entirely the Axe-Fx's fault.

Customer support on their forum is good. Email support is okay. Phone support...they'd prefer you didn't call.

Overall if tone matters to you then the Axe-Fx is a must have. You'll need to fight through the cumbersome interface and daunting complexity to get you to tone-nirvana, but it is well worth the effort once you sort it all out. As the company grows and they attempt to reach new customers I suspect their customer support and product design (user interface, manual, etc.) will continue to

Good programs to start with. The manual is appropriate and a good resource to learn how to explore all the possiblities that this little Swiss Army knife provides. Editing is very intuitive compared unlike a lot of gear on the market.

When I received my Fractal Axe-FX I was very curious about how it would sound after having heard such phenomenal reviews and buzz about these units. Tube amp sounds in a box with easy editing and real tube amp feel was what I was expecting. After stepping through all the program patches and getting quickly familiar with editing any kind of parameters, being it boosts, amps, speaker cabinets and microphone types, I recorded several tracks on ProTools.
I compared these tracks to tracks that I laid down weeks and months earlier on a particular ???up tempo shuffle??? of a three piece band mix that I always use as a reference for checking out new gear. The guitar lines that were recorded were pretty much the same that I laid down on each of the other tracks, all in all 14 different tube amp combinations. A range of distorted lead, laid back clean and swelling effects with the volume pot of a vintage Fender 65 Strat. All tracks were cut using the same 65 vintage strat. The tube amps that were used are listed below as well as the speakers and respective booster pedals:
1.Reinhardt ???The 18??? / Celestion G1265 / Lead channel
2.Reinhardt ???The 18??? / Eminence Tonespotter / Lead channel
3.Fuchs ODS 30 / Celestion G12H30 Heritage / Clean channel with Blackstone MosFET Overdrive
4.Fender 57 twin / Weber Alnicos / Blackstone MosFET Overdrive
5.Dr. Z Stingray / Celestion G1230 Anniversary/ Blackstone MosFET Overdrive
6.Divided by 13 RSA23/ Click Channel/ 4x12 closed back cabinet with Celestion G12M Heritage
7.Divided by 13 RSA23 / Click Channel / 2x12 closed back Celestion Golds
8.Top Hat Club Royale/ Celestion G1230 Anniversary/ Blackstone MosFET Boost
9.Louis Electric Mini Bluesbreaker / Celestion Gold/ Divided by 13 / BSM Ambassador Booster
10.Louis Electric KR12 / Celestion G1230 Anniversary
11.Matchless SC-30 /Celestion G12H Anniversary/ Divided by 13 Dynaranger Booster
12.Matchless Phoenix / Celestion G12H Anniversary/ Pentode channel/ Divided by 13 Dynaranger Booster
13.Matchless Phoenix / Scumback M75 HP/ Pentode channel/BSM Ambassador Booster
14.Ceriatone Overtone Special / Celestion G1265 Heritage / lead channel
All tube amps were close miked with just one Royer 121 Ribbon microphone at the same distance and at the same angle, and they sounded as you might expect all different.
I recorded several tracks with the Fractual to approximate respective sounds that I achieved previously with any of the above tube amps. After listening to the mix with each individual combination I found the Fractual Axe to be convincing only with clean sounds. The crunchy sounds were better with any of the tube amps. The distorted sounds of the Fractual were no match to any of the tube amps and sounded too harsh. Most importantly they did not deliver a convincing tube amp feel and response. I had to compensate my playing for the lack of dynamics and I felt a steady tendency to overplay and dig in too much. I feel this has to do with the lack of dynamics. Tweaking the sounds on the Fractal to make them sound warmer and more tube-like had the effect that the sounds did not cut in the mix as well anymore. All the tube amp tracks sounded warmer while sticking out noticeably better in the mix at the same time.
I did not use the Fractal AXE in combination with any of the tube amps and can???t comment on that. Playing it through my Bose L1 systems or a QSC HPR122i Powered 2-way speaker gave the same impression I had playing it through any of my studio near field monitors. On the other hand using a simple Sennheiser 409 microphone in front of my Matchless Phoenix or Matchless SC-30 miked in a separate room resulted in a much more pleasing and powerful sound through the QSC or the Bose systems. Using an inexpensive Hughes & Kettner Red Box Classic DI in addition to the microphone, set up in a true stereo panning of the two signals, I achieved a perfect and accurate amplification of any of the two amps.

I don't know. I did not keep it and send it back.

Didn't have to use the customer support, but have heard that these people are very responsive and helpful.

I play mostly classic rock, blues and jazz and owned and played a lot of different gear in my over 40 years of guitar playing experience. I worked for 25 years in the music industry as a musician, recording engineer, producer, and sales manager for a major Japanese musical instruments distributor in Europe. Besides my vintage amps that I have all sold over the years (Marshall, Fender, VOX, Selmer) I own or have owned following newer amps: Blockhead 18 Firstborn, Fuchs ODS30, Fuchs Train 45, Germino Club40 (Serial #1), Fender 57 Twin RI, Dr. Z MAZ 18 and MAZ 38, Dr. Z Stingray, Budda Twinmaster Ten, Sovtek MIG50, Boogies MK1, MK2, MK3, MK4, two Dumble ODS, Swart Atomic Tone 20, Top Hat Club Royale, Pritchard Sword of Satori, Divided by 13 RSA 23 & RSA 31, Matchless SC30, Matchless Phoenix, Louis KR12, Louis Mini Bluesbreaker, Komet Constellation, Ceriatone Overtone Special.
For me the Fractal is not convincing enough as a standalone sound solution to replace a good tube amp for live or studio work. The effects quality however is very good and rivals probably everything in this price range on the market.

I HATE MODELERS. I love the idea of a modeler. Walk into a gig with a rack, plug it into the PA and have any sound you want. I have owned a PODxt, GT-6, ToneLab SE, and a GT-10. None have measured up to what I was looking for. I realize that sound is subjective. I can only speak about what sounds good to me. To me ... this is the real deal. You do need to read the manual and look at some of the supporting websites, but when you understand the concept, it becomes easier and easier. If you are only willing to give this a couple of hours, don't waste your time or $$$. Took me about 6 hours of playing with this to understand the concept. Once that happened, dialing in something was a snap. You can keep it simple or go as deep as you want. Editing the patches gets easier all the time. Once you get the hang of it, it's no more than turning a knob on a pedal. The manual definitely does need a rewrite though. I am on firmware 5.19

Well .... where do I start? I use this with a Suhr Classic Chambered Strat. and a Suhr Tele with Fralin Blues Special pickups. I use the Axe-FX with a EV SXA 360 powered speaker. I use an X2 wireless and a Gordius Little Giant Midi Controller. The Axe-FX set up replaces a Carr Rambler with a pedal board with a Xotic RC, Barber LTD, Xotic BB, Barber Tone Press, and a Analog Mini Chorus. As you can see, I am not real big with heavy distortion or metal sounds. I go after more of the Tele Paisley and Mason sounds. The AXE-FX can nail them all. If you want pre-amp distortion or power-amp distortion, you can have it. It also has stomp boxes that can be tweaked to whatever you want. The Chorus, Delays, Flangers, etc. are all on par with Lexicon and Eventide. No Noise.

It seems to be built tough. It's a rack unit.

This is another place Fractal Audio excels. Cliff and his wife Denise have a lot of owner pride in this product and is very proud of it's quality. Firmware upgrades are constant and many of them are based on customer requests. I don't know how anyone can give this company anything other than a 10

I play "new" country music. What you hear on radio today. I have been playing guitar for about 43 years. Other than what has been mentioned already, I also own a Fender DRRI, a Gibson Custom Shop Paul Jackson Jr, a Takemine NP-18, and a Fender 52 RI. I have owned Mesa Boogies, Peavey Classics, Super Reverbs, Pro Reverbs, I even owned a Vox Super Beatle in the 60's:) If this unit were lost or stolen, I would get another without hesitation. I love the flexibilty of the unit. I A/B'd this unit with the DRRI. I was able to nail the sound in about 15 minutes. I wish it came with a dedicated floor controller. I understand it is in the works.

I am going to get into the bad things about this unit which have absolutely nothing to do with the sound quality. Fractal Audio is IMHO light years ahead of their competitors in the sound category. Yes LINE6 that means you! However, what they make up for in sound, they loose in two areas. #1. Trying to get the Editor, Midi, Firmware Updates,etc. to work properly has been a nightmare for me.
#2. There is no Fractal Audio Midi foot controller specifically made for this unit yet.

Besides having to buy a bunch of other equipment ie. midi interfaces, cables, other programs to make it work, and foot controllers, I find the instructions for installing and using all of these things are horrible. There is a forum where everyone is trying to work out the "bugs" of the beta Editor but if you are not a computer savvy person, a lot of it is Greek. This doesn't mean that they are not trying but I sincerely believe that these accessories such as a computer Editor and a dedicated midi foot switch should not be after thoughts with a processor that has a price tag of approximately $2000. The "industry standard" is to include these things or at least have them easily available with very little computer skill required to be up and running. I know the argument is going to be that the processor stands on its own and we never promised you any accessories. Well that is right, but it drops your rating in the ease of use category accordingly then and that is what we are doing here. If you don't believe me, go to the Fractal Audio site and read through the Editor/Midi threads and put yourself in the place of the poor guy who is trying to work his way through these problems. This is a real shame because the sounds of this unit are truly some of the best I have ever heard from a digital processor.

The sound quality is in a class by itself with respect to digital processors. I hate giving anything a 10 but damn, this thing really sounds great! If anything deserves a 10 in sound quality, it is this thing. I use it with a stereo tube power amp and a pair of speaker cabs with one 12" speaker in each one. You can nail just about any artist tone out there but you have to tweak it to your playing style because the unit responds like a tube amp. It is not noisy.

I probably would not gig without a backup but that doesn't mean that the unit is not built very well. The unit itself seems very dependable. It is the Editor and the support for it that doesn't make the grade.

If you include the Editor software in this section, then the support is terrible! I think the company would stand behind the processor itself if it were to break/malfunction.

Well let me first say that I would buy this again. I love the tones! I hate the frustration associated with using the Editor. I don't know what Line6 uses for their Editor format but this seems like 10 steps backwards. With Line6, you pretty much just stick the USB cable into your computer and everything syncs right up but then you have crappy digital fizz tone. With this unit and several hundred more dollars worth of accessory gear, I am still waiting for everything to sync up but when I use the unit by itself, it sounds great. For now, I will take the great tone with the extra trouble and headaches but in our present state of technology and the price of this unit, why should someone have to make that compromise?

Any unit that goes as deep as this one (the deepest) will take some work to get the hang of. But, as deep as this is, it's easy to work with. Good sounds are easy to find, excellent sounds take a bit more effort. This unit is as sensitive to the guitar and speaker system as you'd expect a high quality item to be. In response to below review: there's no way an inexperienced user could get the best out of it in 3 days. In those cases, a GT10 is indeed a much better choice. If you care to invest, get the best: currently that is the Axe-FX.

If there's anything I'd like it would be that it came in a footpedal-form. Also some direct-access tone potmeters like the Vetta has would be nice, but not required.

All of it sounds great and much better than anything I've used before. It's the unit I've been waiting for all of my life. Really wish I had more than

Any guitar I own sounds different through it. where one guitar sounds stellar, another one on the same preset sounds even bad and needs a bit of tweaking before it sounds stellar again. If you want something that sounds good with everything, get a GT10. ;)
The Axe-FX gets a 10 because it has pristine sound quality as Harmony Central calls the "10"-rating, but it appears the designer still comes up with improvements all the time. And each time when we think it can't get any better, it does. I'm really wondering what's in store for the 6.0 firmware.

It appears there were some problems with some units, but nothing I'd consider as unreliable. Any electronics manufacturer will have some faulty units that get sent out, or there would be no need for service centers or warranty forms. Mine works fine and I'm not worried.

Nothing less to be made of it. Bugs get solved sometimes within hours of getting mentioned on the user forum. Nothing like it in the world that I know of.

I've been playing for 26 years now. Different kinds of music, I like many kinds of music. Where anything I've owned previously always left me wanting, this thing gets me everywhere I want to go. I got the Ultra model, just because it's the best one. I wanted to be sure it would go the furthest it could go, also in upgradability. But it's really overkill for what I usually use. If I lost this one, I'd probably get a standard, depending on the state of affairs at that time. Will there never be any better? Sure there will. But for now, this is the best.

The Axe-FX is a rack mount computer capable of reproducing the sounds of a huge warehouse full of tube amps, stomp boxes, rack effects, and outboard gear, all hooked up with a pro level switching system. We've heard that promise before from other companies, but the Axe-FX is the first product that actually delivers. It is considerably easier to use than said warehouse full of gear. All the same, to get the maximum benefit from this tool, the user is required to learn about the gear being emulated. Luckily, in addition to the supplied documentation, there is a growing repository of information at the user supported Wiki site http://axefxwiki.guitarlogic.org and there's always the wonderful community at the Axe-FX forum. http://www.setbb.com/axefx . Thanks to these resources, you can get nearly instant answers to most Axe-FX questions. Since I've been using rack gear since 1989, I took to the Axe-FX pretty quickly. Technophobes may have a rougher ride, but it's worth the effort.

When I bought my Axe-FX Standard, it shipped with version 3.06 of the Axe-FX software. At that time, about a year ago, the Axe-FX was the best sounding amp modeler available. The amp modeling responded to touch and dynamics like a good tube amp, the effects were on par with the best rack mount multi-effects processors available at any price, and the effects routing was extremely powerful and flexible. Within a month of buying, the Axe-FX had rendered nearly all of my other guitar gear (including my tube amps--and I have some nice ones) obsolete. The Axe-FX did an outstanding job in all situations: recording direct, running though a PA, and using a power amp and 4x12s. Based on version 3.06, I had already gotten my money???s worth. Like most computers, the Axe-FX can be upgraded. Now at version 5.18, the software has advanced immensely since my purchase. For some time now, a wish list of desired features has been maintained on the Axe-FX forum. It is great sport watching it shrink as the Axe-FX improves. The best updates, however, haven???t been feature additions. The quality and realism of amp modeling has been improved several times. After each improvement I???ve told myself that it can???t possibly get any better, but it does!

My Axe-FX has worked flawlessly through long hours of daily use for as long as I've had it.

Fractal Audio provides the best customer service of any company (music related or not) I have ever seen. Cliff Chase, the genius behind the Axe-FX, has proven his generosity, integrity, and responsiveness with a consistency that borders on superhuman.

A previous reviewer suggested that positive reviews may be "hype from the people that build these products". Having watched Cliff Chase in action over the past year, I have to say that the suggestion is preposterous. If you have any doubts, head over the Axe-FX forum and talk to the working musician's who use this box every day. Still skeptical? Find one and try it. This is the best gear purchase I've made in 23 years of playing guitar. The once familiar affliction of Gear Acquisition Syndrome is a vague memory for me. I spend that previously wasted time and energy on my playing.

Given the spate of idiotic reviews here, (including obviously fake ones by people using fake names), I'm not sure why I'm wasting my time...but maybe someone will give this a bit of thought when they make their buying decision.

I'm a 50 year old guy, been playing for 35 years. I don't "shred", but I know how to play. I've bought and sold too many "classic" tube amps to even count, same with guitars...and I adopted (well, at least tried to adopt) digital technology going all the way back to my purchase of the Line6 AX212 when it was first released. Been through Pods, etc. also. Those never stuck, always back to an old fashioned amplifier and analog stomp boxes. I just offer that up as a basis for my opinion. I know my gear better than I can play, but I'm OK with that.

Ease of use? Probably pretty difficult if you've never used a rack device or a computer, or if you are dyslexic, or if your abilities are limited to twisting knobs.

But...if you've got half a brain and are willing to spend an hour with the manual and the unit (before proclaiming it "way too difficult for you")...you'll find everything very intuitive, extremely well thought out pretty simple actually. After an hour, you should be able to create a killer sound in about 60 seconds. It's as easy as you want to make it. On the flipside, it's also as deep as you want to make it. Easy as pie for the novice, deeply challenging for those who migrate to these things and want to spend the time. What more could you ask for?

LP's, strats, 12 string Ric, tele....straight into the AFX, then straight into a QSC HPR122i powered monitor. Rip your head off loud, and more thump than anybody could possibly want.

Here's the first thing to realize: a patch that sounds utterly fantastic with the LP most likely will sound like butt with the strat. Oh, you say, your GT-10 sounds good with everything? That's because it's making everything sound THE SAME! The AFX respects the differences of your guitar. You bought all those guitars because they sound different right? Well then do them a favor and create a set of patches that take advantage of the sonic signature of that particular guitar.

The amp sims in this box are fantastic. There is a connection between your fingers and the sounds coming out of your system (if you don't know what that means, you've been playing your Pod too long). Do I *love* them all? Nope. Are there more than enough great ones in here to keep me busy for the rest of my life? No doubt.

The effects are stellar, even though I don't use them a bunch....if I need to, I can recreate almost any stompbox known to man, put them in any order (pre/post/serial/parallel, etc.). Way more than any human being needs.

I could go on and on, but if you think your Pod sounds as good as this...I'd suggest you pay more attention to your high school classes because you are never going to make it as a recording engineer.

One disclaimer here...if you plug this thing into the input of a Crate guitar amp (or any other guitar amp for the most part) it's gonna sound less than stellar. You are getting about 20% of the goodness out of the unit. If that's what you want to do, go buy one of the consumer level units and wail away. You'll be happier.

It sounds good. It sounds like an amp. The effects can replace anything you currently have. Most importantly, it *feels* and *plays* like a classic tube amplifier.

Had mine 6 months, trouble free. I don't know too many people who take back up amplifiers to gigs, and I can almost guaranty you that you'll see less problems from this than a typical tube amp (even discounting routine tube replacements).

Fantastic company - direct contact with the inventor/software genius via the web forum - even though I've never had problems, I've seen others fixed, even if they are 2nd owners and the unit is out of warranty.

FREE firmware upgrades (yes upgrades! new amps, new effects, etc.) come on a routine basis.

15 day full return policy after you purchase.

All companies should be this customer friendly. I wish to heaven the employees of the company that I run were this good.

The first "modeling" device worthy of actually keeping after you buy it.

Honestly, if you play your Vox or Korg or Line6 device and you are really happy....this may not be the box for you. It's a lot of money, and you probably won't/can't tell the difference.

This box is for the guy who currently has a Twin, a Marshall, an AC30, maybe an old Tweed in the corner...because he likes the different sounds of all those amps. The guy who always *wanted* to like the Pod because it seemed so easy and convenient...but unplugged it in disgust after about 5 minutes of playing because it really wasn't anything like playing through one of your amps.

This thing sounds and most importantly (to me at least) feels like you are playing through one of those amps. I'm not gonna blow smoke up your rear and tell you that it's a perfect recreation of all those amps. But it's good enough for this old fart....and leaps and bonds ahead of anything that has come before it.

A friend of mine bought this unit and couldn't figure it out so I helped him out. I have had tons of these units (amp modelers) so I could figure it out but it's too deep for your average guitarist.

I took my newly purchased Boss GT-10 over and we did a shoot out and guess what? I could get my GT-10 to sound as good and even better than that $1800 unit he had. I showed him how much easier it is to get killer sounds out of the GT-10-next day he sent the Axe-FX back and picked up a GT-10! I'd have to give it an 8 for sounds-there are some great sounds in there but you could buy 3 Boss GT-10's for what this overpriced unit costs!

Worked fine for the 3 days he had it

Do you ever get the feeling that some of these reviews are just hype from the people that build these products? I know for a fact some of them are. And that idiot a couple posts down wouldn't know a Dumble from a Fumble. I would think that if Fractal Audio would lower the price of this piece where it's competitive with the Boss GT-10 then there would be some real reviews on this product-and they might even sell a few! My advice-Buy the Boss and save $1300 bucks!

First a little about myself....I am 30 years old and play in a cover band that plays Van Halen, Creed, Tool, Chris Issak, Billy Idol, Gavin DeGraw, ZZ Top, Pearl Jam, 80's & 90's pop, country....everything! I have played guitar for 12 years and play both Lean and Rhythm equally well as the sole guitarist in my band. I use a Mark Tremonti single cut PRS guitar with 2 stock Tremonti humbuckers. I have a home-made EVH Ernie Ball/Wolfgang with a floyd rose and 1 Tremonti PRS bridge pickup...Finally I have a home made strat with 3 Lace chrome dome single coil pickups. My current rig(until the AXE-FX came) was a Mesa Boogie Triaxis, ISP Decimator Pro Rack G, TC G Major, Mesa Boogie Power 2:90 poweramp, and a Mashall 1960 straight cab with Celestion GT-75's. This rig was fantastic except the ISP Decimator was a must have because the Triaxis was so squeally and hissy on high gain, I couldnt get great low volume cleans, the mid gain was not the best, and the effects while decent were not mind blowing.
I have owned a Vetta I combo, a Vetta II head, a Flextone III combo, a Cybertwin combo, a Pod XT Live, a Pod XT, an atomic amp, a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier(modded by VooDoo Amps), and a Marshall TSL100 head. All of these also had things I liked but ultimately gave up because of what was missing and the search continued. I also worked through college at a couple music stores that carried every kind of top dollar boutique or vintage amp you could name. While I always prefered tubes...it was really just a means to an end.....I was and have always been up to the challenge for a non tube amp that could satisfy my tone quest. Basically...I wanted one amp that could do it all and do it all well with no reservations or compromises. Enter---AXE-FX.
I got the standard and hooked it 1st up to my buddies Carver 950 watt solid state power amp....I built a patch from scratch 1st without even listening to the presets because that is the one thing with gear...presets usually suck! Started dry with cab sims off, power sims on, and was going for that EVH Van Halen II Beautiful Girls tone...after learning how to program it by just fiddling around 30 minutes...bam....got it! I added delay and reverb and instantly saw that the effects were far beter than my TC G Major. I then went on to build several other presets for 3 .5 hours. I did a lot of noodling in between and had fun...left that day with my cleans not being what I had envisioned.
Came back next morning and thought I'd try the Axe-FX with my Mesa Power 2:90 poweramp...HOLY HELL it was amazing....everything came to life...the cleans were the best I'd ever heard and all the other patches that I'd made also sounded perfect. Pristine yet warm clean, gritty shimmer, mid gain, Marshall, Mesa, boutique....anything is now possible...there are no compromises because you can tweak in or out anything because their are so many parameters! Yet it is very easy to program...very logical! I'm fine with still having one foot in the door with a tube power amp....guess it just gave me the clean head room I needed. Maybe the solid state poweramp I had used the day before wasnt good or rated as high as I thougt(borrowed that from a buddies PA and it was a Carver(not Carvin) 950???
I am able to get everything I want from this preamp, the feel of tube amps, the ease of digital, an all in 1 package, effects that all steller, and tweakability that is endless. I just sold all my gear and my new rig is the AXE-FX, Mesa Power 2:90, Mashall 1960 straight cab, GCP midi footboard, and a Ernie ball expression and Dunlop wah(which after I mess with the Axe's wah I may sell too). I told my wife my 5 year search os over...I have no need for another amp(EVER). Maybe a wireless unit and a 2/12 cab...that's it....and this chair and this remote control(sorry...had to quote some Jerk lines). If anyone has any question they can email me...I love this thing...Told my wife in explaining

I have the Standard. It takes some time to figure out, but given what it does, it's exceedinly easy to dial in the tone you like. The controls are logically laid out, so once you get a gist of it, you won't be needing the manual.

This is the finest sounding piece of gear I've ever had, and I've gone through tens of thousands of dollars worth of gear over the years. Axe-FX plugged directly into a powered PA cabinet replaces them all. I know it's hard to believe, but some of the models in this unit sound better than the real thing. You can, for example, get a cranked JCM800 tone without the fizz, at bedroom volume, with adjustable presence, density, sag and master volume (output volume remains the same - "master volume" just changes by how much the "power tubes" are overdriven). You can get the buttery tone of a cranked Fender Twin without shattering the windows. The clean tones are very lively and dynamic. High gain chording sounds great (try that on any other modeler!). Amp models react to the volume knob better than real amps they model. The dynamics are there while you play. You can upload your own impulse responses for cabinets. Modeling in this unit is really "deep" and possibilities are truly endless.

Notice that so far I was just talking about amp/cab modeling. The effects are equally impressive, easily on par with the best units from TC Electronic, Lexicon and Eventide. It's all there, down to the very Vai-esque sounding vocoder (See "Yai Yai" from Real Illusions album).

I haven't had it long enough, but it gets a 10 for initial build quality. Looks like it will last a lifetime. Thick, solid steel, built in the USA.

It's not often that you can actually talk with the chief designer of a unit on a forum and suggest features. Granted, not all suggestions get implemented (free firmware updates, too!), but Fractal Audio has a history of listening to the customers and I appreciate that a lot.

If it were stolen or lost, I would buy a new one immediately. It's a game changing device for me. I was a tube snob for decades and I had my doubts before buying Axe-FX. A week after receiving it I listed all my tube amps on eBay. Quite frankly, they don't do anything Axe-Fx can't do, except you can use them as free weights, for exercise. My only gripe is a somewhat noisy internal fan, but given how the rest of the unit performs, I won't take off any points for that.

As far as whether it helps me when I make music... Let me put it this way. It's liberating and inspiring. Say, you're learning an instrumental piece by your favorite guitar god. Wouldn't it be liberating and inspiring if you could dial in THE EXACT TONE you hear on the record? Well, now you can! Or, say, you don't want to sound like anyone else. You can do that too!

I admit the price seemed a bit high before I bought the device, but now that I have it, I can say it's the best value on the market, by a really wide margin.

Super awesome! This quality product is so easy to use, I can't believe how I managed without one!

The Fractal Audio AxeFx sounds amazing! I have played Dumbles, Trainwrecks, and even Dumbles, but this sounds better than all 3 combined! I havent used an eventide, but I can tell for sure that the effects in this are much better! Awesome!

This is the most reliable piece of equipment ive ever bought! In the 3 days ive had it, its worked flawlessly. I don't actually gig, since im more of a bedroom player, but I think that's who this product is aimed at anyway. It will definitely stand up to my bedroom use, thats for sure! Awesome!

The Fractal guys are awesome, friendly, cool guys. Probably the coolest and smartest guys in the industry. Simple awesome!

This is the best $2000 modeller on the market, its awesome! The manufacters like very much to describe it as a 'Pod on steroids' and they're right, that's exactly what it is. I waited 9 months for this, and it was worth every minute.

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

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.