The numpties came, threatened, and left... draw your own conclusions... Tony Mckenzie
Axe-FX reviews that are genuine are really pretty rare.
Originally back in 2011/12 I reviewed the Axe FX II and was harassed for showing
what
many had suspected for a while about that product. But later I reviewed the
Fractal Audio Axe-FX III and that was another story. I researched
that device from its origins, through shipping, how it was assembled from major
parts made in China over in the USA, and of course every
feature of the unit I could attest to.
Overall the Axe-FX III was really a very over complex
device at an over-hyped price to match and
with software that even added features to amplifiers that were not there on the
originals! What that meant in reality was that you got an amp
that could be NOTHING like the one it's supposed to be simulating. Which in
itself is a nonsensical deviation from the original amp.
Of course there were so many things to show and see in
that last review of the Fractal Audio Axe FX III - I even showed the premises
where
the thing was being assembled from components shipped from Hong Kong... all
sadly under the guise of 'Made in the USA' type of mentality,
clearly it was not 'made in America'.
It was probably the best review out there ever created,
showing things you would never know (at least from Fractal Audio) about the
device,
but if you really knew then maybe you might consider looking around a little
more.
Oh well, at least I tried... but I have created a video
as to why I bought a Line6 Helix rack that replaced the overly complex Fractal
device
and absolutely I'm about £1500 better off for it as well as having a great unit
suitable for electric guitar that is basically not over-complex
as the Axe-FX III is in my opinion. I can do most things with the Line6 Helix
and as it has progressed over the years I have to say that
it has long surpassed the Axe FX III - even with it's (crazy) excuse of a (laugh
now) Turbo mode that costs even more money.
Of course in the computing world (which these devices
really are) nothing stands still does it? Neural Networks Quad Cortex recently
dropped the price of its simulator citing the reduction in price of the main
processor... but not that Fractal did not? My own opinion
about the Neural Networks move, is not that the processors have somehow dropped
in price, but rather that the Fender Tone Master pro
puts the Quad Cortex to shame as it was more expensive than the Fender device.
So there are ongoing movements in the simulator markets
and always will be because technology devices are always moving forward,
ask yourself what last years computer is worth and you won't be far off what a
year old simulator is really worth no matter what
someone in or connected with the music industry might tell you about high resale
values. The only people that think their units
are worth lots of money, are the guys that have splashed out, now own last years
efforts from makers, and in reality can't recover
anything like the value that these types of companies will suggest they are
worth in the second user markets.
Oh you bought one? Well best of luck with that!