Axe III/FM9: So For All The Hype Over Dual Amps, How Many Really Use Them?

[TSJMajesty]

I'm curious how many people use this feature, or if it's one of those things that comes along, generates a bunch of discussion, but then fades into the background.

Edit: To clarify- "dual amps" means using 2 instances of the Amp Block in the same preset. Not possible in the FM3, thus the title excluding that unit. You can assign 4 different amp "models" to each of the 4 channels however, in all 3 units. But that's not what this thread is about.

 

[State of Epicicity]

I've been into gapless presets since I bought the Axe-FX III, and from the time I first read about the Multiplexer I've created dual amp presets for gapless switching. I've also used Scene Controllers (with modifier Attack and Release set to 0 and Update Rate set to Fast) to extend that capability. Four drive blocks into a Multiplexer into two amp blocks with another Multiplexer packs a hell of a gapless wallop!

I've never created a tone with two amps mixed together.

 

[Bob Zaod]

I dont have mine yet but unless I find the perfect amp that can go from really clean to tight hard rock during the travel of my guitars volume knob, I will be using at least 2 amps per preset. I do it with my Helix LT and my Headrush MX5. Both of those I use a JC120 and some Marshall variant. SLO100 on MX5 and usually Park 75 or Placater dirty for HX. Both always into the same IR.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I dont have mine yet but unless I find the perfect amp that can go from really clean to tight hard rock during the travel of my guitars volume knob, I will be using at least 2 amps per preset. I do it with my Helix LT and my Headrush MX5. Both of those I use a JC120 and some Marshall variant. SLO100 on MX5 and usually Park 75 or Placater dirty for HX. Both always into the same IR.

FM3 doesn't have dual amps.

I've been reading the manual

 

[jellodog]

 

[Mongillo19]

I use them if I want to mess around with a cover song where it's been documented a band uses 2 amps (looking at you Tool). Do I need to? Absolutely not. But if it's available and I feel up to it I'll mess around with it

 

[Bob Zaod]

FM3 doesn't have dual amps.

I've been reading the manual

It has channels if I am correct. the way I understand that makes it so one can have 4 amps in a preset. Here

 

[fretworn]

Rarely - in the sense of 2 at once.

But I’ve done it; recently too.

 

[Mongillo19]

It has channels if I am correct. the way I understand that makes it so one can have 4 amps in a preset

It does have channels! When people say dual amps they usually mean having 2 amp blocks running in some form of a blend together.

The FM3 only has one amp block per preset but 4 channels to that one block

 

[Bob Zaod]

It does have channels! When people say dual amps they usually mean having 2 amp blocks running in some form of a blend together.

The FM3 only has one amp block per preset but 4 channels to that one block

Oh I see. I havent tried to do that since the GNX3000 warp feature.

 

[jellodog]

Oh I see. I havent tried to do that since the GNX3000 warp feature.

Well that's a relief - to learn that you only wanted channels and not simultaneous dual amps. This thread is an emotional rollercoaster for sure!

 

[TSJMajesty]

I've been into gapless presets since I bought the Axe-FX III, and from the time I first read about the Multiplexer I've created dual amp presets for gapless switching. I've also used Scene Controllers (with modifier Attack and Release set to 0 and Update Rate set to Fast) to extend that capability. Four drive blocks into a Multiplexer into two amp blocks with another Multiplexer packs a hell of a gapless wallop!

I've never created a tone with two amps mixed together.

Yeah I'm pretty sure I have a thread bookmarked in which you explain the various ways to use the Axe for gapless switching. And that was before the reported improvements.

 

[metropolis_4]

It’s funny because I used to run dual amps all the time when I was using tube amps, but I never do it with digital.

I only use two amp blocks in the chain for switching purposes. But now that the channel gap is so small on the III I probably won’t even use it for that anymore.

 

[fretworn]

Well that's a relief - to learn that you only wanted channels and not simultaneous dual amps. This thread is an emotional rollercoaster for sure!

 

[State of Epicicity]

Yeah I'm pretty sure I have a thread bookmarked in which you explain the various ways to use the Axe for gapless switching. And that was before the reported improvements.

Well, it's also a non-issue at this point, in my opinion, because amp channel switching has become so fast with the latest updates that it's functionally so small I don't think it would matter in the course of normal music.

 

[Frodebro]

It has channels if I am correct. the way I understand that makes it so one can have 4 amps in a preset. Here

You can also use scene controllers to change the parameters of an amp in different scenes…

 

[fretworn]

You can also use scene controllers to change the parameters of an amp in different scenes…

Clean to mean …

 

[la szum]

I use to have 2 FM3s and ran them in parallel with different amps in each. That was fun. Definitely
something I can see myself going back to if the "playing nice with others" thing doesn't get off the
ground more than a few inches.

 

[Elric]

Dual amps is one of the more over-hyped features in modeling land. I blame Line 6 for overselling it starting w/ Vetta... Primary value of multiple amps IRL is for channel switching, or layering/multi-tracking in a studio which can be done one at a time, IMHO. On modern modelers we have scenes/channels/etc.

 

[laxu]

I always think I will use them a lot more than I actually do. I've had modelers with this capability, I've had real dual amp setups (with two different amps). The idea of stereo or wet/dry setups is enticing of course.

Usually there is just too much effort required to balance them so that they actually end up sounding better than one amp. Modelers are just poorly suited for this with the way their per-block editing works, you end up jumping between blocks to try to get them to work well together.

Meanwhile two different real amps always mean that they tend to have e.g different loop levels and for any given tone one of them tends to be a bit louder and dominate the mix. If I were to do another real dual amp setup, it would involve a stereo poweramp.

My best results have been:

• Modelers that technically support dual amps but they just run the same modeling on both sides. Strymon Iridium is a good example of this. The stereo doesn't necessarily add or detract anything. I don't know if "dual mono" would be more appropriate term here because unless something else before its input changes L/R sounds to differ, it's going to sound the same on both sides.
• Modelers where the two amps are possible to adjust together easily. Yamaha THR100HD (2 channels -> stereo poweramp -> cabs) was great at this with its two blendable channels, each with its controls stacked above the other and easily switching between one vs blended channels.

PS. Several years ago I was at a guitar festival in Helsinki and there was some small company that had built a stereo Plexi + Bassman tube amp where you could run both sides together. It sounded pretty glorious even at low volume, but it was also extremely expensive (I think 7000-8000 euros) and visually looked like it belongs in a street kitchen or backyard barbeque. I wish I could remember the company name.