Axe-Fx III MKII Preamp/FX Processor

I have purchased 5 AXE FX units (3 AXE FX II XL+, 2 AXE FX III), starting with the AXE FX II XL+. We mainly use the AXE FX units for live performances. The quality of these units is second to none. And coming from tube amps, I can tell you, they sound authentic and cut through the mix perfectly. Even our sound engineers remark about how easy it is for them to dial in through the FOH, and they love the fact that we go direct and eliminate the cab mic. The support is a 10 all the way, not only from the Fractal staff, but the community is loaded with experts, donating their knowledge in the forum. The future is now and the AXE FX III proves it. No I'm not a spokesman, but I feel like one, as I'm always demonstrating my guitar rigs to anyone who asks. Upgrading to the AXE FX III was worth every penny and is a worthwhile upgrade from the II. Thanks Fractal Audio!

This thing is a beast....it's a game changer.

I've been playing guitar off and on for about 10 years. My main type of music I like to play is dropped tuning progressive type metal. I've had the axe for about a week now and I'm 100% happy with the tone and the amp models. It's great because I can get very close to the tone of a cranked amp with a speaker moving, but at lower bedroom volume. I've tried other modeling methods such as plugins for my DAW and had issues with latency, static, tone quality. Some were very good but just didnt feel as good when playing. Also, I got the ownhammer mesa 4x12 can IR. It's amazing with the AXe iii!! I was shocked how good it sounds. Lastly, with the axe 3 , I have had to do very little tweaking beyond factory settings to get the tones I want. Do not get hung up on what the internet tone heres claim. The unit ships with excellent usable tones. Get some IRs and it's even better.

A quick shout-out to the Fractal team for what is arguably the most impressive piece of music technology that I've had to opportunity to come across. I have played guitar for the better part of 30 years. Guitar-wise, I grew up during the virtuoso/metal/hair metal period. I play classical guitar, rock, metal, fusion, blues, funk and a combination thereof. I've always had a thing for modded-M type amps, clean and dirty. Over the years, I've surrounded myself with stellar tube amps and rather nice boutique effects, in my quests to nail all these tones. I must say that I succeeded to do so, and that I'm extremely satisfied with the level of tonal fidelity I've been able to coax with classic equipment. So no qualms there. With two teen-aged kids, a busy job, many other commitments in my extracurricular life, I've come to dread band practice. Loading/unloading, hauling HEAVY all-tube heads and 412 cabs (one of my ''classic'' combos, the Boogie Mark IV, weighs 1 pound for everyone of the 85 glorious watts it produces!), what a pain. With this in mind, I started looking out for a simpler, lighter, more portable solution, one that would absolutely not compromise on the stellar amp tones and effects that I've been accustomed to. Enter the usual suspects: Helix, Kemper, and of course, the mighty Axe FX III. I tested the first two in my local music store, and I must say that I was instantly floored by the level of precision and authenticity conferred by modern technology and clever programming. Of the two in-store try-outs, I preferred the Kemper tonally, but was disappointed with the interface, effects and above all, the unit's philosophy. I knew that I would have to buy the Axe sight-unseen and trust that all the hype was real. And boy, is it ever!!! I must say, ever since this thing landed a week ago, I have not stopped playing with and exploring its MANY, MANY brilliant features. Fans of other systems will say that it is complex, and goes very deep. I can say, as a total novice (one week ago), that one can simply plug the Axe and play it without concerning oneself with the finer tweaking. The factory settings are amazing, and usable out-of-the-box. The foot controller (I bought the FC-12) is simply brilliant. Plug and play, and the master layout allows practical, no-nonsense use that confers so much flexibility without any additional configuration headaches. I have said it on day one, and I will repeat it: The Axe III lives up to its reputation. It is an intelligently ENGINEERED solution to a plethora of musical applications, ranging from home playing, to jamming, to recording, and particularly to live use, and any professional level. The designer's attention to detail brings a bag of smiles at every use. Nothing is further than a simple tap, a press or a turn away. Most importantly, the Axe delivers TONE. Authoritative, authentic tones with no glitches. One can spend hours lost in a simple AC-20 preset, playing an LP and a Tele, and reveling in their glorious characteristics. I know I have, to say nothing about the simply breath-taking higher-gain, fire-breathing amps. All the tones I craved for, I needed (and a LOT I did not know I needed) are packed into the Axe, to be delivered anywhere, at any volume... A quick word on software integration: in general, I simply hate it. No time to waste with it whatsoever. So, before purchase, I dreaded that instead of being providential life-changers, the many free upgrades that Cliff & team are constantly pushing out to improve an already great product would prove a royal PITA. Well, I must say this: I have never experienced a more transparent environment that the one Fractal puts forth. The AXE III Editor / Fractal Bot were a breeze to install, and from there on, everything proceeded to run on its own. Moving from F/W 9,01 to 10 beta? One click away, no hassles. Access the editor and start exploring the design of presets/scenes? A question of minutes, and it's all intuitive. Great software design, robust operation and the same level of attention to detail as in the hardware. Great job. I love the warmth and glow of fat sizzling tubes. I'll always enjoy my tube amps, and never part ways with them. The Axe simply allows me to bring them with me and make them sing everywhere I go. Thanks to Cliff and Fractal for the most fun I've had in a while. But I do miss sleep...

What else can I say? This is an amazing product. I have been using Fractal since Axe Standard. I sold it and bought Axe 2 in 2013, and I just sold my 2 to buy the 3. It's just so much easier to get the sounds in my head with minimal tweaking and I love the built in cabs. There's so many to choose from. The overdrives, effects, and overall joy of playing have been more improved than I could have imagined. We always say we don't know how Cliff is going to make it better because we are already are so happy, but then he finds a way to wow us all again.The feel and response are the biggest upgrades I immediately noticed when I first got it. So glad I'm back on the constant holy shitballs firmware update train. :)

Just wanted to let you know I'm really enjoying the Axe III! I hesitated for quite a while, since I liked the Axe II so much ... but it was definitely a worthwhile upgrade ... the scenes combined with channels give you so much flexibility. The amps (particularly the vintage Fenders) sound so much more punchy. I didn't convert my old patches because I want to see how much better I can make them starting from scratch. It's an adventure to go back and recreate the patches I loved in the II. Fractal has made going to the music store a lesson in futility, I'll try a nice amp, get the urge to buy, but I never do because I know the Fractal has me covered and then some. I just saw Cliff post about the big improvements in 8.0. I havent had it a week and a major update has been released! Mike, Fractal owner since 2007.

I have been using Fractal products for over a decade now. 1st with the Axe Fx Standard and then the Axe Fx II. Both were amazing but now with the III it is absolutely stellar. Fast amp tones to dial in, mix multiple cabs together, crazy amount of CPU power for complex routing and rigs, endless fantastic effects that can be routed however and super flexible switching with the FC-12 floorboard. Nothing beats this and I have used complex and expensive tube amp and rack systems as well as the latest modeling from others. The Axe Fx III beats all with true feel of a tube amp and flexibility that is easy to do whatever you want. There is no down side and the cost of this unit is a great value with all that it provides. Purchase and enjoy what we've been loving , all these years. There is a reason that Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Def Leppard, Avenged 7x and many others have chosen this unit.....they can afford the best and this is what they want!

This is the best digital amp and effects modeler on the planet -- period, full stop. It's deep, and with skill or tapping into the Fractal community's greta resources for help, you can pull any guitar tone you can dream of out of it, whether for live use or recording. I have dreamed of such a unit for decades, and Cliff Chase and his team/company made my dream reality! They are the most responsive small company I have ever encountered in the music business -- they listen to customer feedback carefully, and make the product better and better each iteration of updated firmware. Love the Axe-Fx III so much I own two - one for studio, one for live use!

If you want the best, you've found it! I won't go into all the details about how amazing this product is... I will say that I've sold off all but one of my amps and most of my effects pedals... my tone has never been better and the AxeFX3 is a constant source of inspiration. You'll find plenty of info about the quality of the AxeFX3 online. Check out the major awards its won, or reviews by music industry publications... Or just look at their Artists List page to get an idea of who's using the AxeFX3... everyone from major studios and professional touring bands. What I will add here is that Fractal Audio, the company, is just amazing. I have never dealt with any other company, in any industry, that has the same dedication to customer service and support. When you purchase a Fractal Audio product, you're not just buying the hardware, you're buying into "the Fractal experience", which includes virtually endless, ongoing updates and upgrades improving the hardware, giving you extra effects, amps and cabs, and thoughtful features. You can tell that they love what they do at Fractal, and their whole customer base reaps the rewards.