Fractal AXE-FX II User manual

AXE-FX II
Amp & Cab
Quick Reference Guide
for Axe-Edit
Amp and cab block parameters explained
Amp and cab descriptions
Amp speaker types matched with Axe-Fx cabs
Tone stack seings
Drive block descriptions
Amp and cab block diagrams
content compiled from the Axe-Fx II manual, Wiki and forum
suggestions, corrections, etc.: send a PM to JMA at the Fractal Audio forum
rmware v10.06 ~ Axe-Edit v1.9 ~ rev. June 9, 2013

DRIVE – Sets the preamp gain for more or less preamp distortion. Used in con-
junction with MASTER, it determines whether the sound will be clean, slightly
broken up, moderately overdriven, or completely distorted.
BOOST – Toggles the input boost for an additional 12 dB of input gain. Enabling
Boost sometimes works better than turning up preamp gain.
BASS/MID/TREB –“Passive”tone stack. Can be changed with TONESTACK TYPE.
INPUT TRIM – A clean, linear gain applied at the input to the amp block that
adjusts the relative gain of the preamp. It does the same thing as the BOOST
switch, the dierence being that you can control how much is boosted or cut
(±20 dB). As a rule of thumb, every 2x multiplier equals +6dB boost. In other
words, Input Trim at 4.0 produces a +12dB boost.
INPUT SELECT – The Amp block processes audio in mono. This control deter-
mines how incoming stereo signals will be processed.
FAT – Emphasizes midrange“body” by shifting down the tonestack center
frequency. Specically, it alters the tonestack treble capacitor, so the eect
depends on the tonestack’s location (see TONE page).
BRIGHT – A“treble peaker” which functions mainly to compensate for the loss
of highs at low amp volume. The eect may be subtle or quite pronounced,
depending on the amp selected, and it is also aected by the BRIGHT CAP.
SATURATION – Switches in a zener diode clipping stage between the preamp
and the tone stack (the“Arrendondo Mod”) for more aggressive distortion char-
acter which also adds compression and cuts volume. You may have to adjust
the MASTER or LEVEL to compensate.
MASTER VOL TRIM – Can be used to increase (or decrease) the Master Volume
for non-MV amps. If MV is 10 and you set MV Trim to 2.0 then the MV will be 20.
DYNAMIC PRESENCE – Models the output transformer leakage inductance that
results in a brightening of the tone when the power amp is pushed. Increasing
this value results in a brighter response as the virtual power amp is pushed.
When playing softly or at lower gains, the inuence of this control is lessened.
Note that this only aects the power amp modeling and is dependent on
the degree of power amp overdrive. This control can also be set negative to
cause the tone to darken when playing hard. This control can also be used to
help“dial in”the sweet spot of an amp model. As the MV is increased an amp
becomes more liquid, compressed and easier to play. However, the highs may
get overly compressed causing the amp to sound too dark. The Dynamic Pres-
ence control allows you to get the desired power amp drive and liquid feeling
and then bring the highs back without aecting the rest of the spectrum.
DYNAMIC DEPTH – Analogous to the Dynamic Presence control, this increases
or decreases low frequencies when the virtual amp is being pushed. While real
amps don’t display this behavior, it is a valuable tone-shaping tool.
Amp Block
You can also adjust preamp gain globally with GLOBAL AMP GAIN, which
aects every amp and preset. One reason you might do this is to compensate
for the gain dierence when switching to a hotter/quieter guitar.
On the Axe-Fx unit: GLOBAL button > CONFIG > AMP GAIN
Before adjusting the MASTER VOL, be aware that it defaults to 10 for non-
master volume (vintage) amps. If you want more MV, increases the MV TRIM.
In most cases, DRIVE, BASS, MID, and TREB are accurate to within 10% of the
actual amp.
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COMPRESSION – Most models default to zero as they do not have measureable
compression. Other models have a non-zero default value which matches the
amp’s preamp compression characteristics. The time constant of the dynam-
ics can be set with PREAMP DYN TIME. Preamp compression can be used to
emphasize pick attack which is useful for certain musical styles.
PRESENCE – Boosts/cuts upper frequencies from the power amp by varying
negative feedback frequency response. Increased presence can help sound cut
through a heavy mix. Decrease it to compensate for overly-bright amps. Pres-
ence is tightly coupled to speaker impedance (HI FREQ, HI RESONANCE).
HI CUT – On amps with no negative feedback (DAMPING=0), PRESENCE is
replaced with HI CUT, a simple high-shelf EQ at the power amp output.
DEPTH – Boosts low frequencies from the power amp by varying the negative
feedback frequency response. On amps with a xed depth circuit, Depth will
have a preset value. Also called“Resonance”or“Girth”on some amps.
MASTER VOL – Determines the amount of power amp distortion. As it increases,
the tone controls have less inuence on the sound. Amp models default to a
starting Master Volume setting when selected. (Non-MV amps default to 10.)

LOW RES FREQ/RES Q/RESONANCE – Guitar loudspeakers have a low-frequency
resonance, typically about 100 Hz. This shifts up slightly when the speaker
is mounted in an enclosure and is typically lower for open back cabs. This
resonance causes an increase in the power amplier response due to the nite
output impedance of the power amp. The default LF Resonance is based on the
cab most likely to be used with that amp.
HI FREQ – Sets the “corner frequency” of the speaker impedance rise due to
voice-coil inductance. The speaker voice-coil presents an inductive load to the
power amp at high frequencies. This inductive load, in conjunction with the
output transformer capacitance, creates a high-frequency resonance. Typical
guitar speakers have a corner frequency between 1 kHz and 2 kHz. Lower
values give more midrange emphasis.
HI RESONANCE – Similar to HI FREQ but this control only changes the slope
of the resonance. Default value is consistent with typical “semi-inductance”
of speaker voice-coil. Varying this value will change the high-frequency load
presented to the power tubes.
NOTE: The SPEAKER page is not an EQ. It allows you to adjust the impedance
that the virtual speaker presents to the virtual power tubes. In most cases,
the resulting EQ is quite dierent than the impedance curve since nega-
tive feedback attens the response. If you turn DAMPING all the way down
then the EQ will be close to the impedance curve (but still inuenced by the
transformer).
XFORMER LOW/HIGH FREQ – These set the output transformer bandwidth.
SPEAKER DRIVE – Simulates distortion caused by pushing a speaker too far. It
interacts with the MASTER.
Amp Block
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DYNAMICS – Simulates the interaction and compressive eects of the power
amp, power supply and speaker when they are pushed hard. Negative values
cause dynamic range expansion, while positive values cause dynamic range
reduction, resulting in a more compressive, bouncier eect.
DYNAMICS TIME – Controls how fast it happens.
THUNK – Allows adding“weight”to tones by simulating the very low-frequency
interaction of a speaker cabinet with the guitar. Higher values simulate closer
proximity of the guitar to the cabinet.
PREAMP DYN TIME – The time constant of the dynamics, works with COMP.
PREAMP BIAS – Controls the bias point of the last triode (cathode follower not
counted) in the preamp. Depending on the bias points of the previous stages
increasing or decreasing this value can alter both the harmonic content and the
attack characteristics. Typically, if the previous stage has a negative bias then
increasing this value will be more noticeable and vice-versa.
TREMOLO FREQ/DEPTH (bias tremolo) – Works by varying the bias of the virtual
power tubes, resulting in a particularly “organic” sound. Most importantly, the
tremolo is“self-ducking” and decreases at higher signal amplitudes. On some
amps high values of bias trem depth can result in excessive crossover distor-
tion. On others, the tremolo can vary greatly between loud and soft playing.
SUPPLY SAG – Controls power supply impedance. Higher settings simulate
higher power supply impedance, causing greater tube plate voltage (B+)
“droop”and giving a more compressed, spongy and looser feel. Sag interacts
with the MASTER: as the power amp is pushed and draws more current from its
power supply, Sag has more eect. Sag values around 2 simulate a solid-state
rectier, 4-6 a tube rectier.
BIAS EXCURSION – GRID MODELING parameter that controls how much the
power tube grid voltage droops when the grids conduct.
EXCURSION/RECOVERY TIME – GRID MODELING parameter that controls the
time constants associated with BIAS EXCURSION.
XFORMER DRIVE – Sets the amount of core saturation in the output trans-
former, controling how hard the transformer is driven. Higher values simulate a
smaller, more easily saturated transformer.
XFORMER MATCH – One of the most powerful controls in the amp block. It
changes the turns ratio (and therefore the primary impedance) of the output
transformer, which controls how easily power tubes are driven into clipping.
Decreasing causes the power tubes to clip later, the phase inverter and grid
clipping become more predominant, and the speaker resonance will be more
pronounced. This control has more inuence with higher MASTER values and
low gain amps and less inuence with highly compressed amps. Increase
MASTER until desired amount of power amp distortion is achieved, then adjust
XFormer Match for sound’s character: higher = more compressed, lower = more
open. The LF/HF RESONANCE parameters interact strongly with this parameter.
B+ TIME CONSTANT – Associated with SUPPLY SAG. Controls rate of change in
power tube plate supply. “B+” refers to one of the high voltage “taps”or outputs
of the main power transformer. Lower values give a bouncier feel, while higher
values give a tighter, more aggressive feel. The eect of lower B+ is equivalent
to increasing XFORMER MATCH. A lower B+ means the plates clip sooner which
is the same as increasing the turns ratio on the transformer. This is assuming
that you rebias since typically lower the B+ aects the bias.
PICK ATTACK – Controls a sophisticated dynamic range processor that operates
on leading edge transients. Negative values reduce pick attack while positive
values enhance it.
Amp Block
Setting SUPPLY SAG to 0 disables the power amp and turns the MASTER into
a simple level control with a 40 dB range.
In general, the more heavily driven the power amp section is, the more eect
the SUPPLY SAG and DYNAMICS controls have.
Ghost notes are the result of a 120Hz signal plus harmonics getting past the
power supply ltering. High SUPPLY SAG along with low B+ TIME CONSTANT
can cause“ghost notes”when POWER SUPPLY TYPE is AC (as in a real amp).
Lower B+ Time Constant values will make the amp feel “faster” but too low
can cause ghost notes.
To hear what ghosts notes sound like, try the following: take an amp like
Plexi 100W, turn the SAG up and the B+ TIME CONSTANT down, then play
single notes around the 5th fret on the G string. You should hear a tone
unrelated to the pitched note.
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POWER TUBE TYPE – Allows selecting Tetrode (i.e. 6L6, KT66, etc.) or Pentode
(i.e. EL34, 6BQ5, etc.) power tube types. The type defaults to the appropriate
value when a model is chosen but may be overridden by the user.
POWER TUBE BIAS – Sets the bias point of the power amp. Increase Power Tube
Bias to decrease crossover distortion and vice-versa. Lower values approach
pure Class-B operation. Higher values approach pure Class-A.
DAMPING – Controls the amount of negative feedback in the power amp. The
feedback decreases output impedance, causing the amp to react less to the
speakers (”damping”). Higher values give a brighter, tighter, punchier sound but
can be harsh at very high MASTER levels. Lower values give a smoother, loose
and gritty sound and feel.
TRIODE1/2 PLATE FREQ – Sets the cuto frequency of the plate impedance for
the next-to-last (triode 1) and last (triode 2) triode in the chain, which allows
you to control the buzziness that sometimes occurs with higher gain settings.
The capacitor across the triode’s plate resistor is used to smooth the response
and reduce noise. You can adjust the amount of capacitance, and the resulting
frequency. Lowering the frequencies dials out sharpness and “zz”, making the
tone smoother.
TRIODE HARDNESS – Controls how sharply the triodes enter saturation and can
be used to simulate softer/harder tubes. The eect is subtle and most apparent
at edge of breakup. Lower values give softer saturation, higher values give
a more aggressive breakup. Defaults to an appropriate value when an amp
model is selected.
PRESENCE FREQ – Alters the center frequency of the amp’s PRESENCE control.
DEPTH FREQ – Alters the center frequency of the amp’s DEPTH control.
POWER AMP LOW/HI CUT – Low/high pass lters placed after the power amp
section that shape the tonal color of the power amp. Note that AMP VOICING
also sets these values. Reduce Hi Cut to remove unwanted“zz”.
Setting DAMPING to 0 disables negative feedback and replaces the
PRESENCE control with HI CUT. DEPTH is also disabled since it only aects
negative feedback.
POWER SUPPLY TYPE – When set to AC, models AC rectication and resulting
supply ripple. High SUPPLY SAG along with low B+ TIME CONSTANT can cause
“ghost notes”when the supply type is AC (as in a real amp). Lower B+ Time Con-
stant values will make the amp feel“faster”but too low can cause ghost notes.
AC LINE FREQ – Selects the line frequency.
MV LOCATION – Location of the Master Volume.
PRE-PI – Before the phaser inverter (most amps).
POST-PI – After the phase inverter (AC types).
PRE-TRIODE – Amp types based on Hiwatt models.
GRID MODELING – Replicates grid conduction in the preamp and power amp
stages, which adds“real world”high frequency“zz” or “grit”. Turn it o if this
eect is undesirable. Grid modeling parameters include BIAS EXCURSION and
EXCURSION/RECOVERY TIME.
Amp Block
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TONESTACK TYPES
DEFINITION – A basic“tilt EQ” located at the amp input. It changes the funda-
mental character of the amp from vintage to modern or vice-versa. Positive
values increase the amount of upper overtone saturation, negative values
reinforce lower harmonics.
LOW CUT – Reduces the amount of low frequency (10-1000Hz) before the
preamp input. Use this is to tighten up a tubby bass end. Somewhere between
10-150Hz is generally where it will sound best for standard guitar tones.
HIGH CUT – Reduces the amount of high frequency (2k-20kHz) after the
preamp output. Lower the value to make your top end sound smooth and silky,
raise it to make it brilliant and dened.
BRIGHT CAP – Sets the value of the capacitor which determines the sonic eect
of the BRIGHT switch. Increase to make the preamp brighter and vice-versa.
AMP VOICING – Voices the amp to a variety of tonal styles. Choose“Neutral”for
the raw amp sound or one of the other voicings for a quick “mix-ready”tone.
Aects POWER AMP LOW/HI CUT values and applies some parametric EQ.
Amp Block
CHARACTER/FREQ – These two parameters control powerful “inverse homo-
morphic lters”. When playing softly this dynamic lter has little eect on
the sound. As the amount of distortion increases, the inuence of the lter
increases. The Character Frequency control sets the center frequency of
the lter while the Character control sets how pronounced the eect is. For
example, to darken the tone when playing harder, one might set the frequency
to 10 kHz and the amount to -5. Setting the amount to +5 will make the tone
brighter when playing hard. (Default = 0.)
TONE FREQ – Sets the center frequency of the tone controls. This control works
whether you are using PASSIVE, ACTIVE, or substitute tone stacks.
TONE LOCATION
PRE – Places the tone stack at the input to the preamp.
POST – Places it between the preamp and power amp.
MID – Places it between the last two triode stages.
END – Places it after the power amp (which is impossible with a real amp).
The farther upstream you position the stack, the thinner the sound.
MID will sound chunkiest, with END being rather dark.
TONESTACK TYPE
PASSIVE – Matches the tonestack with the selected amp type.
ACTIVE – Gives each tone control ±12 dB boost/cut making them more
sensitive; they also will not interact with each other.
AMP TYPE – Replaces the default tonestack with one from another amp.
USE MIMIC – Identies deviations in the response of the simulated amplier to
the actual amplier and generates corrective data bringing a level of accuracy
that has been heretofore unachievable.
BROWNFACE – warm Fender early 60’s sounds (Vibroverb)
BLACKFACE – crisp Fender late 60’s sounds (Twin Reverb)
BASSGUY – fat and gain-y Fender Tweed Bassman
TOP BOOST – AC30 Top Boost, warm and chimey
PLEXI – classic rock late 60’s Marshall, fat, dense gain
BOUTIQUE – Matchless, brilliant and crisp
HI POWER – Hiwatt, which had a very unique tonestack design, clean/
punchy
USA NORMAL – Mesa Boogie“Mark” series, warm, smooth gain
USA FAT –
RECTO ORG/RED – Boogie Rectiers
SKYLINE – Dumble amps had a specially voiced tonestack after the mid-‘80s
called“Skyliner”
GERMAN – dark-voiced stack for mega-gain amps
BLUES JR – modern Fender 1x10 combo
WRECKER – the late Ken Fisher’s legendary “Trainwreck” amp
VINTAGE – a mid-heavy stack great for fat, small tweed amp-type sounds
CA3+SE – Bob Bradshaw’s CAE preamps
FREYER D60 – VHT/Fryette
MR Z 38 SR – Doctor Z
EURO UBER – Bogner Uberschall, the loudest, most hi-gain tonestack
PVH 6160 – Peavey 5150
SOLO 100 – Soldano SLO
CORNCOB – British-made Cornford amp
EURO – Bogner Ecstacy
CAROLANN – Alan Phillip’s boutique masterpiece, tons of mids, hi-gain
CITRUS – modern Orange Rockerverb, classic rock gain with tons of mids
BRIT JM45 – Marshall JTM45, Marshall’s 1st amp model. fat and sweet
USA RHY – Mesa Boogie MKIV
RECTO NEW ORG/RED – Boogie Rectiers
SHIVER CLN – Bogner Shiva
CAMERON – Mark Cameron amp model
GERMAN V4 – Diezel VH4
BRIT JVM OD2 – Marshall JVM410
5153 GREEN/BLUE/RED – EVH 5150 III
BRIT SUPER – Marshall AFD100
DIV13 CJ – Divided by 13 CJ11
BADGER – Suhr Badger
When an amp is selected, the settings on this page are updated accordingly.
If you then select a dierent tone stack, the settings remain unchanged.
See the Tone Stack Settings table.
LAST UPDATE: FIRMWARE v7
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EFFECT TYPE
MONO HIRES – mono processing at 2048 resolution (42ms).
MONO LORES – mono processing at 1024 resolution (21ms).
STEREO – stereo processing at low resolution (2 × 1024).
Note that with the stock cabs there is no signicant energy beyond an IR length of 1024. (The high res of 2048
allows for 1024 in stereo.) A mono cab with a non-acoustic IR would typically use Mono Lores (which also uses
less CPU).
LINK (STEREO ONLY) – Sets the left channel parameters as master controls, which set identical values for left
and right. You can still set right channel values independently.
LOW/HIGH CUT – Adjusts the cuto point of rst order low/high pass lters.
Increase the Low Cut if the sound is too“bassy”or“boomy.” Decrease the High
Cut for a darker cab tone. Common settings are 80-150 Hz for high pass, and
5-7 kHz for low pass.
PROXIMITY – Causes an increase in bass or low frequency response as proximity
is increased (closer to speaker). Disabled when MIC is set to none.
DELAY – Delays the signal up to 1 second. With cab in stereo mode or with
two cab blocks in parallel, delaying one cab relative to the other can achieve
interesting comb lter eects. A common practice in studio recording is to use
multiple mics on a speaker at dierent distances to intentionally introduce it.
The eect is most pronounced when the cabs are summed to mono.
ROOM LEVEL/SIZE – Determines the level and size of room reverb that is built
into the cab block. Increase to add room ambience to the sound.
MIC SPACING – Increases delay times inside the room reverb by simlating the
distance of the room microphone from the sound source.
AIR - Mixes some of the signal going into the Cab block with the signal leaving
the Cab block.
AIR FREQUENCY – Sets the cuto frequency of the mixed signal. Increase to
maximum value for a straight mix.
MOTOR DRIVE – See above.
Cab Block
CAB – Loads a cabinet impulse response (IR). The older FAS and RW cabs were
recorded with neutral mics. OH, Kalthallen, and the Mix/Producer Pack series
have matching mics included in the IR.
CAB SIZE (MONO CAB ONLY) – “Scales”the IR to simulate shrinking or enlarging
of the speaker. This eect can be used to shift where the tone sits in a mix, or to
create dramatic eects. Subtle settings (0.9-1.1) will sound most natural.
MOTOR DRIVE – Models the eect of high power levels on speaker tone.
Simulates the impedance and distortion eects that occur when the speaker is
pushed hard. Be aware this setting adds a little compression as you increase it.
NOTE: This parameter appears on the ROOM page for stereo cabs.
MIC – Don’t feel that you have to add a mic unless you want to add EQ, which
is basically what you would be doing.
MIC TYPES
57 DYN – Shure SM57
58 DYN – Shure SM58
421 DYN – Sennheiser MD 421 II
87A COND – Shure Beta 87A
U87 COND – Neumann U87
E609 DYN – Sennheiser e609 Silver
RE16 DYN – Electro-Voice RE16
R121 COND – Royer Labs R-121
D112 DYN – AKG D112
67 COND – Neumann U67
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1987x Normal........Marshall 1987x Vintage Series ....Features an “essential” mod to the tonestack of this Plexi. Reissue of the 50w JMP Lead 1987.
1987x Treble .........Marshall 1987x Vintage Series ....Treble channel of the 1987x Vintage Series Plexi.
5153 Green ..........EVH 5150 III (Green) ..............Green (gritty clean) channel of the 100w 6L6 model, made in collaboration with Fender. Recommended settings.
5153 Blue............EVH 5150 III (Blue)................Blue (crunch/rhythm) channel.
5153 Red ............EVH 5150 III (Red) ................Red (high gain/lead) channel.
59 Bassguy ..........Fender Bassman .................1959, Tweed era, 5F6-A circuit. Low-to-medium gain amp designed for bass but more widely adopted by guitarists.
65 Bassguy ..........Fender Bassman .................1965 Blackface version, AB165 circuit which is very crunchy and bright and does not sound like your typical Fender.
Atomica Low.........Cameron Atomica................A“brown sound” 100w amp, low gain channel.
Atomica High ........Cameron Atomica................High gain channel.
Band Commander ...Fender Bandmaster ..............1968 Silverface Fender Bandmaster with the AB763 circuit.
Big Hair..............80’s metal........................Mids without mud. Revive the 80s metal scene. (Spandex not included.)
Blanknshp Leeds.....Blankenship Leeds 21 ............EL84 tubes. Boutique version of an 18w Marshall with a big sound at low power. Mercury Magnetics transformers,
Bludojai Clean .......Bludotone Ojai (Clean) ...........Reported to be an exact clone of Robben Ford’s Tan Dumble. Clean mode modeled with preamp boost (PAB)
engaged as the owner prefers this. To disengage PAB change the tonestack type to Skyline.
Bludojai Lead ........Bludotone Ojai (Lead) ............Lead mode.
Boutique 1...........Matchless Chieftain ..............Medium-gain amp, thick, yet crisp, with a fair amount of power amp breakup. Based on a Vox circuit.
Boutique 2...........Matchless Chieftain ..............Added Boost for more gain and high-frequency emphasis.
Brit 800 ..............Marshall JCM800.................Model 2204. Bring the Master up for true 80’s tone. To soften the attack, lower Triode Freq and increase Damping.
Brit 800 MOD ........modded Marshall JCM800........Removed the treble peaker , making the amp “heavier” and“less strident”.
Brit Brown ...........Van Halen’s Marshall .............Faithful recreation of the legendary “Brown Sound” – The modded “#1” Marshall.
Brit JM45 ............Marshall JTM45 (Ch 1) ............Made famous by Clapton and others; actually a modied Bassman design. Try with a Tonebender or Treble Booster.
Brit JVM OD1 GN .....Marshall JVM410 (OD1, Green) ...OD1 channel, Green mode, hot-rodded.
Brit JVM OD2 GN .....Marshall JVM410 (OD2, Green) ...OD2 channel, Green mode, lower mids than OD1.
Brit JVM OD1 OR .....Marshall JVM410 (OD1, Orange) ..OD1 channel, Orange mode, extra gain. For Red mode, enable Boost or increase the Input Trim parameter.
Brit JVM OD2 OR .....Marshall JVM410 (OD2, Orange) ..OD2 channel, Orange mode, more gain and lower mids than OD1. See above for Red mode.
Brit Pre ..............Marshall JMP-1...................Rack-mount preamplier version of the Brit 800. OD2 channel. Crunchy“ZZ” tone.
Brit Silver ............Marshall Silver Jubilee............100w Marshall Silver Jubilee (2555), commemorative“25/50” model. Slightly darker and higher gain than the JCM800.
Brit Super............Marshall AFD100.................100w dual-mode head with 6550 tubes, believed to be a modied 1959 Tremolo. Used by Slash on“Appetite for
Destruction”. AFD mode adds an extra gain stage, 34 mode is based on Slash’s modded JCM 800 (2203).
Buttery ..............Budda Twinmaster ...............Based loosely on a late 90’s specimen. Relies mostly on power amp distortion.
CA3+ Clean ..........CAE 3+ SE preamp (Ch 1) .........Custom Audio Electronics preamp. The Clean channel is based on a Blackface Fender preamp.
CA3+ Rhy............CAE 3+ SE preamp (Ch 2) .........Channel 2 (Rhythm).
CA3+ Lead...........CAE 3+ SE preamp (Ch 3) .........Channel 3 (Lead).
Cali Leggy ...........Carvin Legacy VL100 .............Legacy 1, 100w, EL34. Uses a “James”tone stack which is more like hi- tone controls. Based on Steve Vai’s original
signature Legacy amplier. To get a Steve Vai tone, keep Treble low, Bass high and not too much Gain.
Cameron Ch 1 .......Cameron CCV100 (Ch 1) ..........An amp its creator Mark Cameron calls “one pissed o amp.”
Cameron Ch 2 .......Cameron CCV100 (Ch 2) ..........Higher gain tone. On Channel 2, Saturation is engaged by default, no Presence (set it to 0).
Carolann OD-2 .......Carol-Ann OD-2r .................50W, EL34 or 6L6 tubes. Overdrive channel. Model ne-tuned by the highly respected Alan Phillips.
Citrus RV50 ..........Orange Rockerverb ..............“Dirty” channel of the 50w head known for warmth and rich harmonics.
Class-A 15w TB.......Vox AC-15 .......................15w, EL84 tubes. The heart of this amp’s tone comes from its power section and no negative feedback.
Class-A 20 DLX.......Morgan AC20 Deluxe ............EL84 tubes. Similar to Normal channel of AC30 voiced on the dark side, a combination of clean chime and AC30
grind. With Bright OFF and a good treble booster think Brian May. With Bright ON think U2. Brilliant setting can be
simulated by setting the LOW CUT FREQ parameter to approximately 250 Hz
Class-A 30w..........Vox AC-30 .......................30w, EL84 tubes. Combo that dominated the British Invasion. Gritty character, warm tone, great feel.
Class-A 30w TB.......Vox AC-30TBX....................30w, EL84 tubes. Created in response to demand for “more treble”. Great highs and slightly reduced bass.
Comet Concourse....Komet Concorde.................EL34 tubes. Similar to Trainwreck amp. Response switch =“Fast”. To replicate“Slow” reduce INPUT TRIM to 0.25”.
AXE-FX AMP BASED ON DESCRIPTION
Colored amps are non-MV (no Master Volume on the real amp). The MASTER VOL is set to 10 by default.

Corncob M50 ........Cornford MK50 II.................Boutique British amp. Plexi-meets-modern tone with big cojones.
Das Metall ...........Diezel VH4 (Ch 4).................EL34 or 6L6 tubes. High-gain, boutique amp famous for its powerful, heavy, aggressive sound. 6550. See Dizzy V4 4.
Deluxe Tweed........Fender Tweed Deluxe ............Fender Deluxe (5E3) from the 50’s, 15w. The earliest and most popular of the so-called Tweed ampliers. It has only
one tone control, so use TREBLE and leave BASS anb MID at noon.
Deluxe Verb..........Fender Deluxe Reverb............1965 Blackface, 22w, AB763 circuit. Great, chimey tone with nice power amp breakup.
Dirty Shirley .........Friedman Dirty Shirley ...........40w, 6L6. Designed to be an ultra-fat, sweet-sounding, classic rock amp. Based on a JTM45.
Division13 CJ ........Divided by 13 CJ11...............11w, bassy amp, works best with single coils. High-performing “Tweed”meets “EL34”meets “Master Vol”1x12 combo.
Dizzy V4 2 ...........Diezel VH4 (Ch 2).................High-gain boutique amp with heavy, aggressive sound. 6550, EL34 or 6L6. Channel 2,“gritty funk, dynamic clean.”
Dizzy V4 3 ...........Diezel VH4 (Ch 3).................Channel 3, the favorite channel for most users, with higher gain but still big dynamic range.
Dizzy V4 4 ...........Diezel VH4 (Ch 4).................Channel 4, newer version of Das Metall. A monster of gain which still has great denition and authority.
Double Verb .........Fender Twin Reverb ..............100w, 1966 Blackface, AB763 circuit. Known for amazing clean sounds and nice breakup.
Energyball ...........ENGL Powerball..................100w Lead channel, 6L6 tubes. Very high-gain German model. Lots of bass. Great for aggressive, drop-tuned ri work.
Euro Blue ............Bogner Ecstasy (Blue) ............20th Anniversary model. Dark amp, turn up Presence or engage Bright. Blue channel with Boost + Structure OFF.
Euro Red.............Bogner Ecstasy (Red) .............Red channel with Boost + Structure ON (high gain).
Euro Uber............Bogner Überschall ...............120w, EL34. High Gain channel. Heavy grinding lows and insane gain. Sweep Presence for a wide variety of tones.
FAS 6160. . . . . . . . . . . . . Peavey EVH 5150.................Alternative version of the PVH 6160, more open and less zzy than the original amp. Also, a virtual choke has
replaced the resistor found on the original’s power supply lter. This results in a bouncier feel.
FAS Brown ...........Van Halen’s Marshall .............Original BROWN model from the Axe-Fx Standard/Ultra.
FAS Crunch ..........ultimate British amp .............More dynamic and open than a Plexi, but with more gain.
FAS Lead 1 ...........Mesa Boogie TriAxis (presumed) ..Neutral high-gain lead with a tight midrange.
FAS Lead 2 ...........Mesa Boogie TriAxis (presumed) ..Hot-rodded British lead sound with a tonestack by Bob Bradshaw (Custom Audio Electronics).
FAS Modern. . . . . . . . . . high gain rhythm + lead hybrid...High-gain hybrid. Equally well-suited to modern rhythm or lead work. Loosely based on a Recto with tighter bass.
FAS Modern II ........high gain rhythm + lead hybrid ..Tighter version of the popular FAS Modern model with a 5150-style bass boost in the tone stack.
FAS Rhythm..........British + USA crunch .............Combines the best features of the British and USA crunch models.
FAS Wreck ...........Trainwreck Express...............Original WRECKER 1 model from the Axe-Fx Ultra.
Fox ODS I ............Fuchs Overdrive Supreme-50 .....Overdrive channel, 50w, 6L6 tubes. Mid switch ON.
Fox ODS II ...........Fuchs Overdrive Supreme-50 .....Mid switch OFF.
Friedman BE .........Friedman Brown Eye .............50w or 100w, EL34. What many call“the ultimate modded Plexi”by Dave Friedman (Rack Systems).
Friedman HBE........Friedman Hairy Brown Eye .......BE amp’s alternate voicing with a gain boost. A killer hi-gain tone in your arsenal.
Fryette D60 L ........Fryette D60 (Less) ................60w, KT88 or 6550 tubes.“Deliverance Sixty”. “Less”mode.
Fryette D60 M........Fryette D60 (More) ...............“More” mode.
Gibtone Scout .......Gibson Scout ....................1964 GA17RVT Scout, 17w, vintage clean tones. No tone controls on the real amp.
Herbie Ch2-..........Diezel Herbert (Ch 2-) ............3-channel 180w, called “looser” and “more“familiar” than the VH4. Set Ch 2- at 35% gain for a cranked Plexi tone,
60% for a JCM800 tone.
Herbie Ch2+ .........Diezel Herbert (Ch 2+) ...........Channel 2+, gets you into Diezel VH4 territory.
Herbie Ch3 ..........Diezel Herbert (Ch 3) .............Channel 3.
Hipower Normal .....Hiwatt DR103 (Normal)...........1974 Harry Joyce/Hylight model. Medium-gain, full sound amp with unique tone-stack and chimey, grinding tone.
Hipower Brillnt.......Hiwatt DR103 (Brilliant) ..........Brighter model based on the amp’s “Brilliant” channel.
Hot Kitty.............Bad Cat Hot Cat 30r (Ch 2) ........30w, EL34, cathode bias, Channel 2. Voted by Guitar Player as“the second best combo of all time.”
Jazz 120 .............Roland JC-120 ...................120w (stereo: 2x 60w). The only solid-state-based model in the collection, a quintessential clean tone.
JR Blues..............Fender Blues Jr. ..................15w. A gutsy little classic with dual EL84s. To get the tone of an Egnater Rebel 20, set the Damping to 0.
Mr Z 38 Sr............Dr. Z Maz 38 SR ..................38w, EL84 tubes. Popular with country and roots players. The quintessential country amp.
Nuclear-Tone ........Swart Atomic Space Tone ........20w, 6V6. As with the actual amp, the bias tremolo is particularly eective.
ODS-100 Clean.......Dumble OD Special (Clean).......100w“HRM” (Hot Rod Marshall) version, Clean channel. A coveted but rare amp made famous by Robben Ford.
ODS-100 Lead .......Dumble OD Special (OD) .........Lead channel matched with the preamp bypass (PAB) engaged (which bypasses the input tone stack) and the Drive
control at approximately 7.0. Played by the great Larry Carlton and many others!
AXE-FX AMP BASED ON DESCRIPTION
Colored amps are non-MV (no Master Volume on the real amp). The MASTER VOL is set to 10 by default.

AXE-FX AMP BASED ON DESCRIPTION
Plexi 50w ............Marshall Super Lead 1959 ........1969 50w model. Classic amp head that gave rise to“the stack.”Great for crunchy rhythm work. As with the actual
amp, don’t be afraid to turn the bass all the way down or the treble all the way up, otherwise it’s too ubby.
Plexi 100w ...........Marshall Super Lead 1959 ........100w model.
Prince Tone NR .......Fender Princeton (no reverb) .....Class A, 5w. 5F2-A, AA964 circuits. Modeled after early CBS “Silverface”model, pre-CBS design and components.
Prince Tone Rev ......Fender Princeton (‘66 Reverb) ....Same as above.
Prince Tone Twd......Fender Princeton (Tweed) ........Same as above.
PVH 6160 Block ......Peavey EVH 5150 (Lead) ..........120w, 6L6. Rematched against an original block letter Peavey EVH 5150. Lead channel.
PVH 6160 II ..........Peavey 6505+....................120w, 6L6. Identical to the EVH II.
Recto Org Vintg ......Mesa Boogie Dual Rectier .......Late (3-channel) model, a high-gain masterpiece with crushing power and tighness. Rectos are bassy, zzy beasts but
that tone works great for certain genres.
Recto Red Vntg ......Mesa Boogie Dual Rectier .......Same as above, Red channel.
Recto Org Mdrn......Mesa Boogie Dual Rectier .......Modern version, no negative feedback, more aggressive, be careful with the Master Volume. Orange channel.
Recto Red Mdrn......Mesa Boogie Dual Rectier .......Same as above, Red channel.
Ruby Rocket .........Paul Ruby Rocket ................Trainwreck Rocket clone (similar to a Vox).
Shiver Cln............Bogner Shiva (Clean) .............90w, KT88. 20th anniv. Clean channel, powerful shimmering cleans. Dark amp, turn up Presence or engage Bright.
Shiver Ld ............Bogner Shiva (Lead)..............Lead channel, sweet, rich-sounding amp with aggressive, English-style midrange punch.
Solo 88 Rhythm ......Soldano X88R preamp (Crunch) ..Crunch channel of the Soldano X88R 3-channel preamp.
Solo 99 Clean ........Soldano X99 preamp (Clean) .....Soldano/Caswell midi-motorized X99 preamp; Clean channel.
Solo 99 Lead .........Soldano X99 preamp (Lead) ......Lead channel.
Solo 100 Clean .......Soldano SLO-100 (Nrml/Clean) ...SLO = Super Lead Overdrive, 100w. Normal channel, Clean gain selector.
Solo 100 Rhy.........Soldano SLO-100 (Nrml/Crunch)..Normal channel, Crunch gain selector. Aggressive rhythm.
Solo 100 Lead........Soldano SLO-100 (Lead) ..........Snarling Lead channel.
Spawn Nitrous .......Splawn Nitro (OD)................100w, KT-88, OD channel. All the Splawn tone with more saturation and voiced for a bigger low end and low mids.
Spawn Q-Rod 1st ....Splawn Quick Rod (1st gear)......100w, Channel 2. Signature Splawn tone with lots of bite, strong mids and 3 gear versatility. 1st gear, “Hot Rod Plexi’”.
Spawn Q-Rod 2nd. . . . Splawn Quick Rod (2nd gear).....2nd gear, “Hot Rod JCM 800”.
Spawn Q-Rod 3rd ....Splawn Quick Rod (3rd gear) .....3rd gear, “Super Hot Rod 800”.
Suhr Badger 18 ......Suhr Badger 18w.................18w version of this EL84-powered tube rectier classic. Master Volume is VERY powerful at altering the tone.
Suhr Badger 30 ......Suhr Badger 30w.................In comparison to the 18w, the 30w features a solid state rectier.
Supertweed .........Fender Tweed series .............Original SUPERTWEED model from the Axe-Fx Ultra.“Like a vintage Tweed amplier on steroids.”
Super Verb...........Fender Super Reverb.............Pre-CBS 1964 Blackface version of this 40w amp, AB763 circuit, Vibrato channel.
Supremo Trem .......Supro 1964T .....................Supro 1964T. The single Tone control on the real amp is mapped to Treble.
SV Bass ..............Ampeg SVT ......................300w, Super Vacuum Tube bass amp. Used for decades by famous bassists the world over.
Tube Pre .............generic tube preamp.............Completely neutral, low-gain tube preamp useful for“warming up”various sources.
Two Stone J-35.......Two-Rock Jet 35 .................35w, 6L6. Lead mode with Bypass engaged, which bypasses the input tone stack for a more focused lead sound.
TX Star Lead .........Mesa Lone Star (Lead)............50/100w, 6L6, Lead channel.
USA IIC+ Norm.......Mesa B. Mark IIC+ (Lead) .........US-made amp famous for its smooth overdrive sound; Bright OFF.
USA IIC+ Bright ......Mesa B. Mark IIC+ (Lead) .........Bright ON.
USA Clean 2 .........Mesa Boogie TriAxis preamp......Rhythm Green channel (“Vintage Fat Rhythm” or “old Black Face”).
USA Clean 1 .........Mesa Boogie MKIV (Rhy 1) ........Somewhat neutral, clean-sounding model that can pushed into warm clipping. Rhythm 1 channel.
USA Lead ............Mesa Boogie MKIV (Lead). . . . . . . . . Tight, focused, hi-gain sound. Great for fusion and rock leads. Bright OFF, Mid Gain OFF.
USA Lead + ..........Mesa Boogie MKIV (Lead). . . . . . . . . Bright OFF, Mid Gain ON.
USA Lead BRT .......Mesa Boogie MKIV (Lead). . . . . . . . . Bright ON, Mid Gain OFF.
USA Lead BRT +......Mesa Boogie MKIV (Lead). . . . . . . . . Bright ON, Mid Gain ON.
USA Pre Green .......Mesa Boogie TriAxis preamp......Lead 2 Green mode, medium gain Boogie lead. Modeled with the Hi-Cut control at maximum. Power amp sim active
by default (Supply Sag nonzero).
USA Pre Yellow.......Mesa Boogie TriAxis preamp......Same as above. Lead 2 Yellow mode, classic Boogie lead (Mark IIC+/Mark IV).
Colored amps are non-MV (no Master Volume on the real amp). The MASTER VOL is set to 10 by default.