Fractal Audio AxeFX Ultra

How easy is it to get a good sound out of it?
If you're only familiar with dialing knobs on an amplifier a quick read of the manual will help you find the controls you're looking for. If you've played with rack mounted effects units before, getting good sounds from the AxeFX is simple.

How about Editing patches?
Editing patches is done using the "edit" button on the front panel, you can find most basic functions on the first page of the editor and scroll through subsequent pages for more depth.

How is the manual for it (if there is one)?
The included manual is very good, explaining FX parameters. It does not however go into too much depth about how to achieve certain tones it just provides a jumping off point to get you started.

Do you know the firmware revision number? Has your unit been upgraded?
Firmware loaded on this unit was 7.02 when it was purchased (February '09) and I brought it home and loaded up 7.04 (current as of this writing). Firmware loading is a simple process provided you have 2 MIDI cables and a recognized MIDI interface attached to a PC (or Mac). I use Windows XP and the Korg PadKontrol going to/from the AxeFX and didn't have any issues using the AxeFX software editor. Other programs and interfaces also work.

What setup (i.e. what guitars and amps) are you using this with?
I use this unit with 3 different guitars, an Ibanez S5470, an Agile AL-3100 Les Paul copy and an SX STL Telecaster copy. I go direct from the AxeFX into a Lexicon Omega audio interface and out to KRK RP5 monitors with the RP10 Subwoofer.

Is it noisy? On what settings?
The unit itself has some fan noise, but it is relatively quiet and hasn't affected my ability to play or hear the unit even at very low settings. The included patches vary in what they're trying to show you sound wise so some are extremely quiet and other high gain patches are predictably a little noisier. The unit behaves as a regular amp in terms of noise. There isn't any excess unless you go overboard with high gain settings and even then, you can use the included noise gate OR add additional noise gates anywhere in the FX chain making things very quiet.

What amp are you using it with?
I do not use the unit with an amp, my setup is FRFR at the moment.

Can you get the sound of your favorite artists? Who are they?
So far I'm able to get closer to the sound of my favorite artists than with any other FX unit or amp I'd ever tried. I typically try to get sounds from Vai, Satriani, Hendrix, The Edge, old school thrash ala Anthrax, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, etc.

Are certain effects (distortion, chorus, ...) very good? Very bad?
The quality of effects is simply above and beyond anything I was used to playing (Lexicon MPX-1) and various VST plugin effects (Waves, Khajerus, Native Instruments, TC, etc). I haven't found a musical application for every single effect, but the included patches show off a lot of possibilities with the unit and the effects are simply outstanding.

Can you depend on it?
So far reliability has been 100%. No clicks, hiccups, failures or system crashes of any kind.

Would you use it on a gig without a backup?
Absolutely.

If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they?
Cliff the designer/owner/mad scientist behind the unit is on the Fractal Audio forums constantly. I've rarely seen another company with such a high end product paying such close attention to its customer requests. Firmware is released often and adds more than just "fixes" for problems.

Ever get an upgrade, or try and get it repaired?
Upgraded the firmware using the AxeFX PC editor, again, never dealt with a company that releases firmware upgrades this often that actually IMPROVE the value of the unit by adding features rather than fixing features that were broken to begin with.

What style of music do you play? Is this a good match?
I try to play a range of different music, from the guitar geek standards above (Satch, Vai, etc) to classic rock, metal, blues, pop, jazz and everything in between depending on my mood. The unit can do it all without compromise.

How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?
I've been playing guitar for 16 years. I also play a bit of bass and a bit of piano. I own a MIDI keyboard and used to own various amps (Carvin, Mesa, Peavey, Marshall, etc).

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
If it were lost I'd kill myself for being that stupid. If it were stolen I'd sell my remaining lung to pay for a replacement.

What do you love about it? What do you hate? What is your favorite feature?
I love the effects, the way you can route effects and the overall sound quality of the unit. I love the fact that the owner listens to customers and actively improves things rather than just fixing things that are broken or poorly implemented. I wish there was something to really hate on with the unit (as I always have gripes) but I just can't find anything. It's the first *anything* that I've ever tried and really enjoyed and been satisfied with. My favorite feature is probably the limitations the unit removes from creativity. I no longer have to compromise in terms of what effects to use and where in the chain. I no longer have to be just OK with the sound I'm getting for rock or metal but less than thrilled about clean and blues sounds. With this unit everything sounds as it should!