Korg AX1500G

It's very easy to get a good sound out of it. Altough I'm not quite fond of the overdrive contained in this fx. I only use it for my delays, chorus etc.

I run my Korg AX1500 through the fx loop of a Marshall JCM900. Since I only use it for chorus and other modulation fx, it sounds great. Like said before, I'm not fond the distortion in the fx.
For distortions fx I'm using a Boss gx700 19"multifxunit.

There are a few things that are not so good,that's the adapter contained with the fxunit. I dropped it out of my hand one time and it din't live to tell the story.
Also one of the troubles I had, was that my wah turned lame on me, but after tightening the bolts again I've never had the problem again

I've never had to deal with this problem

My music style differs from blues to hard rock and metal. Once again I'm coming back to the distortion unit. It's doesn't quite make it to any of the musical styles. But if your only using the chorus, delays etc... It's great. If my korg should brake down, I won't by a new one. But that's just because I've got my eye set on an TC Electronic.

I must admit, it's not the easiest thing to know how to use. The manual doesn't explain things properly at all. Once you do know how to use it, the interface is good; not overly complex.

I don't know what some other people are talking about, but the sound quality of this thing is AWESOME! There are a few things to keep in mind however...
-Don't bother using the cabinet simulators through a guitar amp, it will sound like garbage. That's not what that feature is for.
-Nowhere on this unit does it say "Marshall" or "Vox". It does not sound like another amp, it has generalized sound categories which, in my opinion, are MUCH more useful. You get WAY more flexibility with this unit than something that simulates 10 different kinds of overdrive amps that all sound the same.
-This unit is super-wicked for the STUDIO. When using the ax1500g direct in with the cabinet simulators turned to the line in setting, you can get some AWESOME tone! If I could give it an 11 out of 10 I would.

It is a solid unit. It has NOT let me down with any goofy glitches or sudden sound squeels. The memory has always worked.

When I bought the unit from a store, the dummies lost the AC adaptor. We eventually found a BOSS adapter that worked, but when I tried to double check the voltage/current rating for the AC/DC input, I couldn't find it. Nothing in the manual, nothing on the website. That's the only time I had to use support.

This thing has been a godsend in the studio. It definitely helps making music a lot. I couldn't get along without it, I will always have one with me. It really is THAT good!
ONE NOTE HOWEVER
-It is awesome for the studio, but I agree with some other opinions here about how inadequate it is for live situations. I can't use this thing live. Buttons are too small, and having to press 2 buttons together to scroll down the banks is WAY too impractical. I'm also paranoid that someone will step on one of the knobs, and then I'd have to kick their ass.

It real easy to use if you have messed with things like this before. Editing patches is really easy, but changing them is a bitch! The pedals are small and to close together. I have stared to play in just my socks so I can change patches. When playing live in the mist of all the chaos it hard to put your big size 13 Boot on a little pedal thats 1/2 inch a way from the other one. I also do not like the 2 button step to bank down.

The sound quality is great(with a eq pedal after it). All of these people that are giving bad reviews (because it does not replicate good enough) need to realize that NOTHING is going to sound like a Marshall but a Marshall. It partly Korg fault for advertising that but buy now everyone should know what DIGITAL PROCESSOR ARE LIKE AND ABOUT. Anyway, The distortion are great for Metal and anything harsh or ballsy. If your looking for something thats warm and perfect this is not it. The effects are good but I do not really get to deep in the effects. The vox wah, I think is worse that other processors that I have heard but still is ok. The cleans sound great but im not that picky on my clean sound as I am on my gain.

Ive had mine for a year and it still running

Never had deal with them

If your looking to play Metal or something harsh it perfect. It does not modle anything that I can compare it to. It has its own sound and I was able to creat a sound for my band that is not comparable to most bands. I have owned the Zoom GFX 8 and i must say that the zoom has more option concerning midi and effects loop and stuff but your locked in to one tone. The korg has about 5 distortion that i like. Go with Korg

As Easy as it gets. Editing fairy easy, but a lot of times a tweak in one setting, say flanger, disappears while you're turning the knob to another effect in that same block, say chorus, and when you get back the flanger resets to whatever "original" it was. Manual is just decent, but not that good. There's no explanation to, for example, what AP and Ln stands for in the Cabinet editing parameter AIR section. I make a qualified guess that it means AMP and LINE, but can't be sure. Anyway, it's quite easy to get an overview by just looking at it. But 8 effects simultaneously? C'mon, Hall + Echo I can understand, but Noise Reduction an effect? Chorus/Flanger should NOT be lumped as 2 effects as someone proposed. I can only get 6 effects running simultaneously. Period.

Using a Squier strat with EMG SA. This unit is not noisy and its NR (Noise Reduction) masks noise and release quite carefully although not as swell as HUSH's (ROCKTRON) products. Full tilt distortion sounds are what this unit is all about. Great! But I still have to hear/see a cabinet modeller that sounds great. Virtually ALL of these modelling manufacturers seem to overlook the factor that a speaker starts to make a thump, when driven to it's maximum. And that a speaker is sensitive to pick attack, and starts to make this big thump only when picking hard on the lower strings. So I am using mostly with the cabinet sims off, in a STUDIO setting direct to the PC/mixer. Using no real guitar amp at all. Favorite artists? None, I get my own sounds, and what I particularly noticed when playing through headphones for quite a while that one didn't get that digital noise hangover - modelling fatigue - with this unit as much as with others (say ME-50, or Berhingers V-amp). It has a bits and bytes flying out of the reverb settings though, which are poorer than average, so I turn these down in the mix. Delay and echo settings seems the better ones on this unit. The Echo simulator of different heads are great and the inherent chorus effect the tape head simulator makes, in one of the delay settings. Great for SHADOWS/VENTURES and surf echo effetcs if one only could get a decent clean sound! Wah and volume everybody here seems to agree on, it's a shame you can't tamper with the settings more. I think that the limited settings on the compressor is a downer, and the semi-clean and semi-distorted settings are a no-no on this unit. It has not the dynamics enough to follow ones pick attack. Ring mods and all those space FX (Traveler) could they have exchanged for better control over WAH and compressor, and better reverb. They're decent but average. Pitch shifter could be a lot nicer sounding. Chorus and Flangers, well how can anyone fail with these nowadays? And as with all these units, as someone pointed out, there really seems to be a delay (no matter how slight) between actual pick of a note and when it jumps out of the speaker. It's NOT the noise reduction setting. Eric Johnson sound? forget it. There are other's I've tried which comes a lot closer, even - lo and behold - the very ancient Boss SE70! This unit, excels in quietness, and distortion. Oh hey, and the metronome! Finally they have this white noise chip sound, and not the pitch one, which drives anyone crazy before it reaches the first bar. This sound - white noise click - makes me not so fatigued when practicing.

Yes, metal case seems good and sturdy. That's why I bought it.
Yeah, I would use it without a backup. However, you never know about these switches and buttons. If they're hardwired soldered to the circuit board, it's only a matter of time before they'll crack and go.

No. Haven't dealt with them. I did a lot back in the 80s but that was back then... :-)

2250 Skr is about 295 US dollars. I play everything from shred metal to classic rock and blues, with a lot of looping experiments, so that's why the sampling and play option of this unit can be handy sometimes. However, a little unintiutive (!).
Played for 30 years. Owns, and have owned a whole load of stuff, since in the 80's I used to work for a while for KORG Sweden as a product specialist and demonstrator. So, while none of those 80s products holds up very well today, at least, I know what to look out for, and can get picky about details. What I love about this unit the sturdiness, and ease of use. What I would like too see in ANY live floor unit is a LIGHT SENSOR, and a dynamic contrast display that would sense the stage lights our outdoor sunlight and match the display's power accordingly. When it's completely dark on stage, a full glowing red display could actually harm ones eyes (the contrast being too sharp) so then it should dim accordingly. In sunlight or bright stagelights the display should increase so everything on it turns discernable. But you can't expect this on this unit for it's price. I wish it had more parameters and that you could combine any effect in any block without defeating the other block. And still, I want that "overspill" effect, that when you switch a program it should NOT become silent at all for ANY tiny bit of second or even a chirp or glitch in sound. Regardless of program and how much effects one use. I think Rocktron have been the only ones, who once made such units. If it's for live use, such things should be a priority. I can get very good shredders metal sounds out of this box, and low tuned riff sounds. This is what this units seems to be all about. And a last thing, where does this 8 effects simultaneously comes from?

Very easy to get a sound out of it.
Very intuitive.
The french manual is a bit funny, the translation is ... uh... literral !

OK, it's not true simulations, it just gives you the flavor of the original models.
But what do you expect with that price ?

I'm using different guitars with it :
- American Fender Strat with Texas Special PU
- Mexican Fender Tele with Duncans (vintage rhythm and hot rails)
- Hohner G3T (Steinberger copy)

I use all kind of sounds : clean, crunch, lead.
Very noisy with acoustic simulation when the level is full. And you need to push the level 'cause there's too many difference between the output.

The effects sounds good in general. This is not over the top, but correct. Considering the nice price of this unit, it's wonderful.
I think this is the best bargain and the first correct multi-effect pedal-board. If you want better, you have to spend much more.

I'm playing straight thru the console, and it works well. In this case, you have to EQ the console strictly flat.

I don't use all the distortions, Seattle is useless, metal, classic dist, quite the same.
The best are the VOX, Marshall and high gain simulations.
Concerning the clean sound, it's a bit disappointing, cause you just have "classic comp" and then you have to choose a cabinet simul.
I better like some more amps simuls. Anyway, you can have some correct sounds.

Chorus are pretty good, flanger and phasing correct.

The Wha is a bit weak.

Echo and reverb correct.

The rest is just for fun...

I don't how it's reacting with an amp.

With the price in mind, this unit deserves an 8 or 9.
I just give a 6, cause there's not so many nice sounds you can get out of it.

Very good for the moment.
I got this for 3 years, and it's OK (I touch wood !)

I didn't need it.

I play rock, pop, blues, and even metal when I'm angry. All the pots to 11 !
I'm playing since 1980, and if an asshole would steel this, I should watch carefully what appeared on the market since I bought it.
I don't think there's many products in this range of price.

Korg should update this product with more amps (one Mesa-Boogie for the lead sounds) especially clean sounds (Fender and Jazz Chorus) and throw away the shit you don't really need (talking pedal is useless !!!).

I must respond to the terrible review from Dantheman. I totally disagree with his assesment, having owned & used the AX1500 for over 3 months now. It has a great sound running it into my amp! Maybe he didn't read the manual to explore it to it's fullest potential. I don't believe he owns all those other MFX units and bothered to go buy the Korg, sounds fishy to me.
Anyways, the secret to using the AX1500 with an amp is to run in the "clean comp" mode with the cab sims off, all 3 tone controls pegged at 10, the drive at 2, and the level at 7.3 Using it in this mode, you dial in the crunch you want on your amp without the Korg, then use thiese settings to achieve an almost true bypass sound. Then just layer effects or engage the cab sims for added oomph. This unit compliments your sound, doesn't create it for you!
Editing patches is as easy as tweaking the knobs 'til you're happy, hit the "write" button twice, and it's saved. The manual explains things very well, an idiot might have trouble with it.

My current set-up: Gibson Flying V 83
Gibson LP Custom (78)
Yamaha SBG1000 Santana model (84)
Peavey 2x12 130w combo with GK 2x12 ext. cab
I run guitar > Bad Horsie wah > Carl Martin Hot Drive'n'Boost MKII > AX1500G > amp. I upped the noise gate on the metal patches to 8, otherwise leave it at factory 6, and no noise at all.
The effects: I use the "Seattle" setting for all my solos and heavy metal, I run it with the 4x12 modern cab sim, and it has thunderous bottom and singing sustain! Don't use many other distortions or cab sims, 'cause my amp gets great sounds on it's own. The choruses (stereo & mono) are lush, the flanger and tremole are decent, the reverbs are pristine (and it has a great spring reverb, unlike another reviewer said) and the delays & echos are first-rate! I don't like the wah sim, hence the Bad Horsie. This frees up the Korg's pedal which I program to give me delay on any patch, so I don't have to write it in. Some effects I don't use, like talker, u-vibe & ring modulator, so I have no comment on them.
Here's where the AX1500 shines: it has an A/B channel on every patch, and has 48 user patches, so it's like having 96 patches at your feet! Every patch can have lead/rhythm, chorus/metal, etc. Plus it can run in manual mode, using the bank buttons as on/offs for the effects. I can get anything from CCR to Gary Moore to Metallica with this thing, and I do, because I gig with it every week! A very live-use friendly pedal, requiring a lot less programming than the Boss GT6 with better-sounding distortions.
The only 2 drawbacks to the Korg are the small buttons (I have big feet) and the millisecond delay when switching patches, but I quickly adjusted to both of these minor problems. But they knock my rating down to a 9.

I do depend on it, have done 14 gigs so far without a back up, and feel no need for one.

Never needed any.

I play classic rock covers in a working band, been playing over 30 years, and have owned tons of pedals and several amps in that time. Only wish I got one of these sooner, would have stopped my "tap dancing" on 14 pedals a long time ago!
If it were lost or stolen, that would make me a moron who couldn't take care of his own gear, wouldn't it? Stupid question.
For anyone looking for a good stage-use MFX, I highly recommend this one! You could get a Boss GT6 & spend days programming it, or the ME50 & spend $ for a power adapter(it doesn't come with one) and an extra footswitch to bank up/down (won't do this on it's own)or just get the Korg AX1500G and be happy the first time around.

How easy is it to get a good sound out of it? Plug it in.

How about Editing patches? If you're familiar with stompbox lingo you'll find it a breeze.

How is the manual for it (if there is one)? Didn't get a manual so I can't say.

Do you know the firmware revision number? Don't know it.

Has your unit been upgraded? Not to my knowledge.

RATING reflects on one with GENERAL knoledge. Not a beginner, but it would probably make a class A beginners tool to learn from...manual or not.

Using USA Fender Strats, G&L Legacy Special and the super under rated Peavy T-25.
Quiet unit except on radical settings. Much quieter than Digi-Trash units.
Using no amp...Being a former journeyman the only use I have for an amp is something to have to leave behind in an Airport or Bus terminal.
I found all the sounds I needed quickly and easily.
Like many have said below the wah is a bit weak...but I havn't tinkered with it much either.

Again a 9 ... They probably won't publish this because I'm pretty high on this little box. Matter of fact I believe I left one post already but don't see it anywhere.
I've owned many and this is by far the best "bang for the buck" like many have said below.

Built well ... Keep the beer out of it and don't use it for a surfboard and you'll be fine. METAL CHASSIS, SOLID FEEL.
YES ... I'd go gunslingin' abroad without a backup with no second thoughts about it.

Duno..........

What style of music do you play? Classic Rock, Country, Top 40 Country, Blues, etc...if it's genuine "Music" I play it. NO metal, thrash etc...(keep that in mind )

Is this a good match? DEAD-ON for now, with no 1000 page(paper-or-tronic) bullShit to sort through. Grab a sound and DIAL the rest. I like to PLAY dammit...I don't have time for page flipin' or an IT corse in the "NEW MODEL OF...".

How long have you been playing? 30 years, 20yr Pro-Regional, 9yr National Pro-Tour and 1998-2003 NO PLAY WHATSOEVER(Hermit).

What other gear do you own? (1) Marshall MXL67 mic, some Recording software and my guitars. ONE processor is all the gear I need. I don't play for Acts that can't provide a personal monitor mix.

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? If it were lost(and I was presently WORKING) I have another one :D but may venture...just because that what we guitar players do, always tinkering.
If it were stolen mytrusty Canines would return the unit and keep the BONES.

what do you love about it? Not as DIGITAL...sounds more analog than most I've had or tried....AND or corse EASE OF USE.

What do you hate? NO ON/OFF SWITCH (What the Fuck were they thinking?)

What is your favorite feature? The Chicken head Knobs :D

Did you compare it to other products? Of corse.
Which ones? Same as everyone else ranging fro 1990-2003.

Why did you choose this one? Ok... At this point THIS is a stupid question.

Anything you wish it had? YES...an ON/OFF SWITCH (Blond hair -n- Big Tits)

Does it help you make music, or does it get in the way? It ISN'T A HUGE DISTRACTION (like most...if that give you a hint)

Anything else you'd like to share? Yeah...but we can't smoke it here. BUT... I have 2 AX1500G ...#2 is FOR SALE. Holler soon or it'll be GONE. $200.00 & FREE ship to lower 48 USA(payPal or credit card through PP)
Peace,
RSS

Average, compared to boss, zoom, digitec.

This is where it loses bigtime. It is "not" an amp modeler. It "may" be an amp distortion (and heavy at that) modeler, but notan amp. It gives you lots of heavy crunch and distortions. thats it. i hated the effects, they are "not" models of real effects, they are tinny makeshift imitators. the company lies about the fact they say it has ""56"" modeled effects. they count the eq, lousy comp(which you cant use with amp dist)expresion pedal, standard digital fx, "each" dif amp model, spkr sim, every diff delay, including reverb with delay, and that is lame. "none" are modeled. i would like to see how they digitally re-create the components of the originals. you know they didnt model a volume pedal!! i think it is really one of there worst products.

probabley would last, i traded mine off after a month or so.

no opinion. wouldnt even talk to someone who makes a pos like this.

I have owned, zoom 9150, zoom 505, zoom ps-2 palm studio, zoom table top amp modeler, korg pandora-2, korg ax-1500g, korg ax-30 (i think), digitech rp-6, rp-2000, gnx-1, rp-100, MM3 pre-amp, Boss ME-30, GT-3, GT-6, and lots of pedals. And this is the worst piece of sh!t i have come across so far. Don't beleive the hype, go for a boss/roland, you will thank yourself. they actually have amp "modeling". clean, warm,crunch,overdrive, and distortions. just like "real" amps. plus usable effects. sorry korg, but this product is terrible.

Relatively easy to use. Better than many others such as Boss.

After using a PX4 and Tonelab, the AX1500G seems to have some glaring shortcomings. It's ridiculously hard to get a good uncompressed clean sound. The midrange control is voiced very badly and imparts a nasal honk when turned up at all. There is no reverb even approaching the sound of a spring.

Of course, these observations are made while trying to use it as an amp modeller live, not as a distortion pedal for an amp, which is how a lot of the reviewers seem to be using it.

I was going to use it for quicky pickup gigs so I didn't have to tear down my other rig, but I put it on Ebay and sold it immediately for a $50 loss and don't miss it.

Seems very well built. It was a pleasure to use live and didn't give me any doubts about its durability.

Probably not so good.

OK for a front end distortion, I guess, but next to worthless for an amp modeller, which is how it's marketed.

Anther update to my previous post:

The wah and volume pedal issues have been resolved. I've found three things to do to help the generally inadequate expression pedal. You can see what needs to be done at:

http://www.dominocs.com/ToneWorks in the "Guitar Shop"

ashley