Fractal Audio Axe-Fx

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.