Trying an AX8 in 2026 - Modelers and feel

[Tito83]

Found a pretty cheap AX8 and decided to try it. I was excited mainly for the reverbs and delays since it's been a struggle with my Hx Effects. Thought that with good time based effects I could maybe try to like the slightly dated modeling on the Ax8 - and it was exactly as I remembered my past experiencing with an Ax8 and Fm3. It always feel like it has a gate turned on. There's this out of place tightness that just feels weird IMO. I'm sure it's great if you do mainly high gain, it's like everything wants to "chug".

Has anyone that has this impression think this changed the past few firmwares? I think it's awesome all this updates... But I'm more than little skeptical about how much it actually changes things. I sold my Axe-fx Std and Fm3 both for this very same reason while the Eleven Rack stuck around.

I guess I'll only be able to be really happy with modelers the day UA puts out their own multieffects.

 

[JCW308]

I had an AX8 until a year or two ago and the thing sounded incredibly good with older firmware and newer. I don't remember it sounding strange at all.

 

[FractalAudio]

The algorithms in the AX8 are at least 10 years old and have nothing in common with our latest products.

 

[Cupa' Joe]

Found a pretty cheap AX8 and decided to try it. I was excited mainly for the reverbs and delays since it's been a struggle with my Hx Effects. Thought that with good time based effects I could maybe try to like the slightly dated modeling on the Ax8 - and it was exactly as I remembered my past experiencing with an Ax8 and Fm3. It always feel like it has a gate turned on. There's this out of place tightness that just feels weird IMO. I'm sure it's great if you do mainly high gain, it's like everything wants to "chug".

Has anyone that has this impression think this changed the past few firmwares? I think it's awesome all this updates... But I'm more than little skeptical about how much it actually changes things. I sold my Axe-fx Std and Fm3 both for this very same reason while the Eleven Rack stuck around.

I guess I'll only be able to be really happy with modelers the day UA puts out their own multieffects.

If my memory serves me correctly, there is an input gate on by default. You need to edit the input and manually turn off the gate.

 

[Tito83]

I had an AX8 until a year or two ago and the thing sounded incredibly good with older firmware and newer. I don't remember it sounding strange at all.

Have heard many good tones with it and I actually have a recording I made with an Ax8 I borrowed from a friend many years ago, and it still sounds great to me. My complaint is about the feel.

The algorithms in the AX8 are at least 10 years old and have nothing in common with our latest products.

I understand. I'll grant it's perfectly possible recent firmwares changed that, but it hasn't from the time the last update of the AX8 came out and when I had an Fm3 a few years ago. I sold the Fm3 for this very exact same reason.

If my memory serves me correctly, there is an input gate on by default. You need to edit the input and manually turn off the gate.

First thing I do with any of these devices is to turn off the noise gate. It's not that.

 

[JCW308]

Never had a problem with feel on the AX8. Two of my buddies still use them and they are both touring musicians with zero complaints and incredibly good tone.

 

[Tito83]

Never had a problem with feel on the AX8. Two of my buddies still use them and they are both touring musicians with zero complaints and incredibly good tone.

I do. I'm not even saying it's bad, it just feels a bit too "chuggy" if that's a thing. I can see some people not really minding it, even preferring it. And it was the same with the Fm3 actually.



Recorded it almost 10 years ago when I borrowed an AX8 from a friend. I could play a gig with the AX8 no problem, and it would sound great I'm sure. That's not at all what I'm saying.


In the end I'm not even sure what I'm posting about actually... Just venting some frustration because I can't find a solution that works 100% for me.

 

[Shask]

I do. I'm not even saying it's bad, it just feels a bit too "chuggy" if that's a thing. I can see some people not really minding it, even preferring it. And it was the same with the Fm3 actually.



Recorded it almost 10 years ago when I borrowed an AX8 from a friend. I could play a gig with the AX8 no problem, and it would sound great I'm sure. That's not at all what I'm saying.


In the end I'm not even sure what I'm posting about actually... Just venting some frustration because I can't find a solution that works 100% for me.

I find Fractal to have a squishy pick attack, like there is always a compressor on that you can't turn off. Maybe that is what you mean?

I say this, but many people say they don't notice. To me it makes it feel sluggish and not as immediate as some other units like ToneX and NAM. Gives a smoother overtones to everything.

 

[JCW308]

Guess it's time to sell it to someone who knows how to use it

 

[Tito83]

I find Fractal to have a squishy pick attack, like there is always a compressor on that you can't turn off. Maybe that is what you mean?

I say this, but many people say they don't notice. To me it makes it feel sluggish and not as immediate as some other units like ToneX and NAM. Gives a smoother overtones to everything.

I guess compressed could be a way to describe it - but when you say sluggish, I think I disagree. To me playing fast picked stuff is quite fun and sort of easier on the Fractal stuff, makes sense it being popular among metal players, but it doesn't work quite that well for some other styles IMO.