View source for Tutorials and How-Tos

==Read This First / How-Tos==

Axe-Fx owner Alexander van Engelen (nickname Yek) made a monster how-to page. It was translated from his personal site over to the wiki. I highly recommend checking his page out. Very well organized and written. You can find it here: [[Yeks_How_Tos]]. Thanks for the hard work Yek!

If you're trying to figure out how to get started with a foot controller, or MIDI controller, [[strumbringers_midi_noob_guide]] may help.

==Effects Tips/Tutorials==

=====Spillover=====
{{:Spillover}}

=====Using the Vocoder=====
{{:Using the vocoder}}

=====Wide Chorus=====
{{:Wide chorus}}

=====Wide guitars with mono compatibility=====
{{:Wide guitars with mono compatibility}}

=====Slapback Delay=====
{{:Slapback delay}}

=====Room Simulation/Early Reflections=====
{{:Room Simulation}}

====EQ Tips====
=====Radley's EQ Tips=====
{{:Radley EQ tips}}
=====General EQ Links=====
{{:EQ links}}

====Reverb Tips====
=====Radley's Reverb Tips=====
{{:Radley Reverb tips}}



====Compressor tips====
{{:Compressor tips}}

====Multi Band Compressor====
{{:MultiBand_compressor_tutorial}}


===Emulating Well Known Compressors===
==== MXR Dyna Comp====
{{:Dyna_Comp_emulation}}

''The following compressors don't have Axe specific settings posted, but you should be able to get in the ballpark by looking at the "Compressor Tips" section above.

====Teletronix LA-2A====
* tube-based electro-optical attenuator 
* Comp = soft knee, semi-fixed 4:1 ratio 
* Limiting = infinity ratio 
* ATTACK TIME: @ 10 microseconds 
* RELEASE TIME: 0.06 seconds for 50% release; 0.5-5 seconds for complete release 

====Universal Audio 1176LN====
* FET-based attenuator 
* Attack Time: 20 microseconds to 800 microseconds 
* Release Time: 50 milliseconds to 1.1 seconds 
* Ratios: 4,8,12,20,All 
* All-button mode or "British mode": For those that don't know, back in the glory days of gonzo recording, an adventurous engineer wanted to know what would happen if you pressed all four compression ratio buttons in at the same time. It was discovered that with all four buttons pressed in, the 1176 made drums jump out of the speakers, and became a much used staple of hard rock drum recording. 

====Teletronix LA-3A====
* electro-optical attenuator 
* Attack: 1.5ms or less 
* Release: 0.06s for 50% release


===Emulating Well Known Drive Effects===
====Barber LTD====
{{:Barber LTD}}

====T-Rex Dr. Swamp====
{{:T-Rex Dr. Swamp}}


===Emulating Well Known Mod / Filter Effects===
====Mu-Tron Envelope Filter====
{{:Mu-Tron envelope filter}}

====Boss VB-2 Vibrato====
{{:True Pitch Vibrato}}

====Clyde Wah====
{{:Clyde wah}}

====Bad Horsie Wah====
{{:Bad Horsie Wah}}

====Boss Slow Gear====
{{:Slow Gear}}


===Emulating Well Known Delay Effects===
coming soon...

==Amp Block Tips==

====Cliff's recommendation for setting the Master====
For vintage amps I like to set the Master at around 9 or so. This includes Plexis, Fenders, Hiwatts, etc. Fine-tune the Master after you set your Drive and Tone.

For modern high gain amps I start with the Master at 5 and adjust the Drive and Tone. Then I bring the Master up until I get the desired amount of coloring from the power amp.

====Cliff's recommendation for setting LF Resonance====
Furthermore there are certain aspects that simply can't be modeled and require user intervention. For example, a speaker has a low-frequency resonance. A tube amp will create a higher output at that resonant frequency. The Axe-Fx has no way of knowing what that resonant frequency is and defaults to a value that is common for the speakers that are typically used with that amp. However, if you drive that speaker through a solid-state amp you won't excite the resonance unless you adjust the LF Resonant Frequency to match it. This is the one of the few advanced parameters I ever adjust and I tweak it until I hear the bottom end "sympathize". For example, my favorite Mesa cab resonates around 110 Hz but most of the models default to 95 Hz so I usually adjust the LF Resonance to 110 Hz when using that cab. After I do that the Axe-Fx is indistinguishable from the real thing, IMHO.

The SRF parameter makes a difference in certain circumstances: medium-gain with lots of power amp breakup and high-gain into a traditional guitar cab.

For example, a Deluxe Reverb easily gets into power amp breakup with a Drive of 5.0. Play a G chord and listen to the low notes breaking up. Adjust the SRF and you'll hear the character change pretty dramatically. This applies to both FRFR and traditional speaker applications.

For high-gain amps into a traditional cab the SRF has a definite effect for palm-mutes and diad chugging. As you excite the resonant frequency the speaker excursion increases and you get much more punch. This even applies a bit to low and medium gain amps if you rely on that punch as part of your tone. Note, however, that the punch is rarely audible to the audience or captured during recording.

One way to find the SRF is to put a Filter block after the amp block. Set the type to Peaking, Q to 5 or so and Gain to 10 dB. Start with a Freq. of 50 Hz. Play some chugga-chugga and slowly adjust the Freq. until you hear and feel the cabinet resonate. Make a note of the frequency. Remove the filter block and set the amp block SRF to match. 4x12s typically have an SRF of between 80 and 120. Open back cabs are typically a bit lower.

===="Plexi Bright Setting":====
One of the first mods people make to real 'Plexi' Marshalls is to "clip the bright cap". The bright cap varied over the years, supposedly depending on what was lying around in the shop. The model defaults to the bright cap in the circuit. If you turn the bright off you're effectively clipping the bright cap. 

With the bright cap in Marshalls can be very bright and harsh. However, if you crank the Master you might find the extra brightness helps compensate for the power amp getting darker.

====How to get brutal yet tight metal tones====
If you're looking for a brutal yet tight and clear metal sound, select one of the high gain amps with the preamp gain at about 9 or 10 o clock (fairly low), master at around 2 o'clock, boost and bright engaged (Experiment, sometimes the boost makes it too hevay, then just leave it off) and put the custom drive in front (drive: 9 o'clock, level almost full and a bit of tone to brighten the sound up. Next, put a filter block between the drive and the amp. Select the null type filter, set the level to taste (in my case between 12 and 14 dB) and leave the rest alone (you can tweak it if you like, I don't). Also, here's a trick to tighten up the low end on high gain patches:
1. Put a filter block before the amp block. Set the type to Highpass.
2. Attach the Envelope controller to the Frequency parameter. Use default settings for the Envelope parameters.
3. Set the Scale to 40%, Offset to around 22%.

Make sure to set the gate to compensate for all the noise. Voilà, plug in and play your favorite Cannibal Corpse riffs ;) 

For more traditional rock sounds (check my 'rock riff with the brown model' clip) this approach works similarly well. Try leaving the preamp gain fairly low, engage the boost, set the master to taste (depending on the amp model) and try a filter block in front for a clean boost.

Added note: The boost parameter is just a +12db volume boost at the front of the Amp block. The same results can be achived by setting a null filter to +12db.

===Tips for emulating well known amps===

{{:Mesa_amp_tips}}


{{:Fender_Amp_Tips}}


{{:Dr_Z_Amp_Tips}}


{{:Matchless_Tips}}


{{:Cae_3+_SE_Lead_Tips}}


{{:Budda_Twinmaster_Tips}}

==Midi Tips==
{{:MIDI Tips}}

==Routing Tips/Tutorials==

===SideChain vs Inline Routing===

Thoughts on inline vs. parallel fx routing.

''(Jay Mitchell)''
<blockquote>
Here is the single difference between the two routing methods: in "inline" mode, both wet (processed) and dry levels are affected by the mix parameter. At a mix value of 50%, both are attenuated by some amount.

In parallel mode, the level of the dry signal remains constant. The only thing that varies is the amount of wet signal that is summed with the dry signal at the input of the next block in the chain. With certain effects and settings, this tends to minimize apparent level changes between the effect being bypassed vs. active (just make sure to set bypass mode to one of the mute options). The downside of the parallel approach is that you can never reach a 100% wet mix. There will always be a substantial amount of dry signal.
</blockquote>

''(matman)''
<blockquote>
Unless it is a type I might want 100% wet (CMP, WAH, etc), I run effects in parallel. It saves the trouble of needing to tinker with changing the level of the dry when you adjust MIX. You do need to watch your overall levels, but it works out in the end. I also tend to like to have reverbs and delays isolated so I can hit them with their own EQs. 

Some folks who rely on series routing complain unnecessarily about dry levels changing when an effect is bypassed. This can almost always be dealt with using the MUTE FX IN bypass mode.

You do sacrifice GLOBAL MIX when you run in parallel, since mix will need to be set 100% wet.

Some people enjoy the nostalgic misconception that not having the DRY on its own straight-thru path will result in unwanted coloration or even degredation. This is hogwash. If you compensate levels, there is ZERO difference sonically between effect-in-series 50/50 mix and wet parallel blend, a 100 dry/100 wet.

Oh, one more thing... beware of hidden dry paths through multiple parallel effects. While the Axe-Fx isn't prone to phase problems like other boxes in these cases, it can result in a buildup of levels.
</blockquote>

===How to set up two different effects lines===

If you want to set up two different effects lines for 2 guitars with out using the fx loop:

You can do this with the mixer blocks. 

Put mixer1 in row2 column1 and mixer2 in row3 column1. 

Set mixer1 pan1 to full left, mixer2 pan1 to full right. Set both mixer output modes to mono. In the routing grid the main input is always in row1 even though it shows up down the left side of the display. 

Now row2 is your left input and row3 the right. 

Be sure to set you Audio I/O to stereo for the main input. Also, if you are using the rear inputs make sure to set your mode to analog rear. You can use the front panel input along with the rear right input. In this case set the mode to analog front. The mode only controls the selection between front panel and rear left.

===Pitch Block Placement===
When going direct, pitch shifting often sounds best when placed BEFORE the cab block. 

The factory presets may have the block doing the shifting (pitch or multidelay) after the cabinet block. Try moving the pitch before the cabinet block for smoother results.

===Modulation Before Amp Block===

Placing modulation effects (i.e. chorus, flanger) before the amp block can give a more vintage flavor to a preset. Most of the Axe-Fx factory presets follow the "studio" routing philosophy of putting modulation near the end. 

For example the following is the basis for Andy Summers tone: 

Compressor->Flanger->Blackface Amp->2x12 Cab->Stereo Delay w/ mod->Reverb 

Try this with the flanger time set to about 5 ms, rate around 0.8 Hz, Depth at 60% and Autodepth set to High. Set the amp fairly bright. Set the delay time to an eight note. Add a little modulation. 

Notice the flanger is before the amp block. The delay could also be before the amp block. It's unclear to me where Andy had his Memory Man. 

When using a modulation block before the amp block be sure to check the LFO Phase parameter. The amp blocks are mono and sum the left and right inputs. If you put a modulation block before the amp block set the LFO Phase to 0 degrees otherwise you might get weird cancellation effects when the two signals are summed in the amp block. 

===Inserting effects in a Delay loop===
{{:Delay loop effects}}

==Tweaking tones for covers==
{{:Tweaking tones for covers}}