Fractal Audio Axe FX Ultra and Digidesign 11

This topic has 9 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 4 months ago by Richard Lundmark.

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- December 8, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Frank
Member

Hi Guys,

There’s a real buzz going on about these two guitar processors…

http://www.guitarworld.com/article/fractal_audio_systems_axefx_preampeffect_processor

http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?itemid=6862&langid=51

I guess they’re more than processors. They look real good for recording applications.

Frank

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- December 8, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Eric Maldonado
Member

@Frank 9608 wrote:

Hi Guys,

There’s a real buzz going on about these two guitar processors…

http://www.guitarworld.com/article/fractal_audio_systems_axefx_preampeffect_processor

http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?itemid=6862&langid=51

I guess they’re more than processors. They look real good for recording applications.

Frank

I think the Eleven Rack would do better for recording since it is a DSP accelerated Pro Tools Le audio interface. But tone wise, I think the Axe FX wins. Many famous guitarists are now just using the AXE FX live and in studio so I guess you could say the Axe FX works great for both applications.

Are you thinking of getting one? I wish I could get both XD
- January 15, 2010 at 9:45 pm
legatofix
Member

Here is a clip of Marco Sfogli playing Still Hurts…and he appears to be using an Axe-Fx. Sounds amazing…in his hands!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgBpFUchycU
- January 16, 2010 at 2:31 am
billmeedog
Member

@legatofix 10116 wrote:

Here is a clip of Marco Sfogli playing Still Hurts…and he appears to be using an Axe-Fx. Sounds amazing…in his hands!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgBpFUchycU

Hi Ajay, 🙂

Then again…Marco Sfogli could make a 5-Watt Gorilla (practice amp!) sound huge – LOL! :p 😉 😎

All kidding aside though, I’ve tried the Fractal Audio AxeFX “in-person” and it’s AMAZING and every bit worth the lofty price-tag when you consider the individual pieces of gear you’d need to buy and use to get similar results! 😉

Fractal Audio AxeFX: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (…and I vow to own one – and a Flaxwood Rautia guitar by the end of 2010 – LOL!) 😎

~Bill Meehan~ 😀
- January 16, 2010 at 3:14 am
billmeedog
Member

@Eric Maldonado 9609 wrote:

I think the Eleven Rack would do better for recording since it is a DSP accelerated Pro Tools Le audio interface. But tone wise, I think the Axe FX wins. Many famous guitarists are now just using the AXE FX live and in studio so I guess you could say the Axe FX works great for both applications.

Are you thinking of getting one? I wish I could get both XD

Hey Eric,

I’m DEFINITELY getting an AxeFX-Ultra…It’s just a matter of time! ( I need to sell one of my 2007 Silverburst Gibson Les Paul Classic-Customs first. I play in a Tool tribute-band (called ToolFist BTW,) and I wanted to have a guitar that was as close to one of Adam Jones’ Original 1979-1981 Silverburst Les Paul Customs as possible. When Gibson announced that they were re-issuing some Silverburst Les Pauls (Classic-Customs – NOT Customs!) as part of their “Gibson Guitar-Of-The-Week” – (Mine is from Week-16 BTW!) series (in which they pick very specific instrument and produce only a quantity of 400!) I ended up getting (two) 2 of them, but that’s overkill, 😮 as I could free up that guitar’s equity/$$$$ to invest in some more useful gear (enter the AxeFX!) As I said in another post, I also REALLY would love to get a Flaxwood Rautia! We have a couple down at the store where I teach, and they’re AMAZING. I have a bunch of guitars (some better than others!) but I could envvision the Flaxwood Rautia becoming my Number One guitar, if you know what I mean! 😎

As far as the DigiDesign ElevenRack goes, I’m very impressed with that unit’s feature-set (although I HAVE NOT tried one in-person!) It’s getting some great reviews also, which does NOT surprise me, considering DigiDesign’s impeccable reputation for quality and innovation! I DO agree (from what I’ve read) that the ElevenRack is AWESOME for recording (which I TOTALLY expected for obvious reasons – HELLO ProTools-LE!) Not only does the ElevenRack come bundled with ProTools-LE multitrack-recording (MTR) software, but from what I understand, they’ve also embedded all sorts of shortcuts and time-saving & powerful features SPECIFICALLY for guitarists who are interfacing to their computers via ElevenRack and recording through the ProTools-LE software! Again…leave it to DigiDesign! GENIUS!!! 😎

~Bill Meehan~ 😀
- August 11, 2010 at 12:06 am
TLTD
Member

Hi just thought I would shed some light on what you can get for $2k. You already know what the Axe FX does and sounds like so consider this…
Eleven Rack $700 gets you Pro Tools, DI/Reamping/Audio Interface
$1300 gives you plenty to buy a real nice preamp and an Eventide Pitchfactor, or your favorite REAL amp head with a PDI-03 for nice direct to board or recording sound/reamping/etc; or put the $1300 towards a full on MTS amp with 12 modules (just a hair more $ than the Axe FX really), and you can use the Eleven to reamp through things you just can’t dial up.
Not saying you couldn’t eventually buy more stuff for your axe, but if you are going for something new from the ground up then the Eleven seems the way to go unless you REALLY REALLY just have to have everything in one box.
- August 11, 2010 at 9:15 am
luna97
Member

lots of awesome products out there…….and not enough money!
- August 11, 2010 at 4:09 pm
PinkyFailure
Member

@TLTD 11532 wrote:

Hi just thought I would shed some light on what you can get for $2k. You already know what the Axe FX does and sounds like so consider this…
Eleven Rack $700 gets you Pro Tools, DI/Reamping/Audio Interface
$1300 gives you plenty to buy a real nice preamp and an Eventide Pitchfactor, or your favorite REAL amp head with a PDI-03 for nice direct to board or recording sound/reamping/etc; or put the $1300 towards a full on MTS amp with 12 modules (just a hair more $ than the Axe FX really), and you can use the Eleven to reamp through things you just can’t dial up.
Not saying you couldn’t eventually buy more stuff for your axe, but if you are going for something new from the ground up then the Eleven seems the way to go unless you REALLY REALLY just have to have everything in one box.

If you’re building from the ground up why half ass anything? Go with the Axe Fx..there’s NOTHING the eleven does that the axe can’t do but there’s at least 100 things the axe does that the eleven can’t do. Comparing the eleven to an axe fx is like comparing a mexican made strat to an american deluxe strat, you just don’t do that.

Eleven probably works better with protools but it’s not 2002 anymore and protools is behind now. Too many great DAWs out and at least 2 that are better, more efficient than protools. Presonus Studio One is possibly the best one overall now and you can get that packaged with an interface for under $200. Why even think about going with eleven except for saving money?
- August 11, 2010 at 5:01 pm
billmeedog
Member

Guys, 🙂

First, I think there’s a very good reason why the Axe-FX costs $2000. and the Eleven-Rack costs $700…You generally get what you pay for, right?!? 😉

Second, I’m probably as guilty as anyone for getting off-topic on any given thread – LOL! 😮 However, I thought this thread originally was intended to compare and contrast (and share our experiences with…) the Fractal Audio Axe-FX Ultra and the Digidesign Eleven-Rack units?!? :confused: 😉

We could always just start a thread called:

“What’s the most efficient use of a “$2000. G.A.S. Attack” these days?!? – LOL! :rolleyes: 😉

It’s all good! 😉 😎

~Bill Meehan~ 😀
- August 11, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Richard Lundmark
Member

Then Bill my man!
I call dibs on your Access bro!! Whenever (if ever) you’re ready to part with that piece of fusion history, let me know 😉

I’d like to contribute with a Swedish guitarist’s clip with a Axe FX, where he really dials in a killer
Dual Rec mayhem tone! If you know how to tweak, then I am positive the Axe FX could pretty much nail any tone out there! (I’m not one that could though, I’ve tried one and I could get a good tone of out the thing (at least in my limited test through Behringer monitors hehe).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76S3E-wEgYY&feature=channel

And this video of his is HILARIOUS (but great!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WLhv0rId5k&feature=player_embedded

And finally a live clip with the Axe FX( metal once again):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_pwE8jDBUo&feature=channel