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8 BLOCKS GUIDE
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ADVANCED PAGE
Air, Air Frequency
– Allow add high-frequency “air”, with a cutoff frequency to control brightness.
Proximity Freq
– Tunes the frequency range over which the “proximity” effect occurs. The amount is set per-IR on
the Cabs page.
Room Level, Room Size
– These controls determine the level and virtual size of a room reverb simulation, built
into the Cab block. Increase to add room ambience.
Mic Spacing
– Increases delay times inside the room reverb simulation by simulating the distance of the room
microphone from the sound source.
TIP: To convert Axe-Fx II values for Axe-Fx III, multiply your milliseconds value by 343.
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MIX PAGE
Input Mode – Selects the input mode of the Cab block. Options include inputting only “LEFT” or “RIGHT” channels,
“STEREO” or ““SUM L+R”.
WORKING WITH USER CABS
See
“Loading User Cabs” on p. 129
for more information on User Cabs.
THE SOUND OF IMPULSE RESPONSES
Fractal Audio Systems speaker simulation technology is
incredibly accurate
, yet some listeners find the sound of
IRs unfamiliar at first. This is because impulse responses typically recreate the sound of “close miking.” When you
mic a guitar speaker, the mic “hears” something very different to what you might hear. Our ears are by definition
“neutral” whereas a mic has distinct “color.” We typically listen at a distance (and speaker tone is very different as
we move around) while a mic is inches away and stationary, focusing on the desirable sound at a specific spot.
As guitarists, we are accustomed to the sound of a speaker “in the room,” but this is not what our audiences hear.
For recording and performing, the close mic’d sound is essentially a universal standard. THIS is the sound that the
Axe-Fx III Cab block is designed to reproduce, and this explains why not only guitarists, but recording and front-
of-house engineers have embraced its use. (Of course the Axe-Fx III can also be used with a traditional guitar
speaker as demonstrated in many of the rig designs in
Section 4: Setting Up
).
If you are new to using mics on a guitar amp, you will find the Cab block is a fantastic way to learn more. To get
started, listen to single IRs, or explore the factory presets which combine several at once. For almost a century,
artists, producers and engineers have honed the craft of placing or blending mics to achieve a desired tone. Many
classic techniques are easy to recreate. Try a tried-and-true “recipe” blending one “bottomy” and one “bright” mic,
or try something totally original.
The factory content includes dozens of speakers with multiple different mics in different positions. You may also
enjoy “Mix” IRs by Fractal Audio or 3rd-parties, which bring a producer’s experience to you in a single IR. In any
case, recognize that the sound of IRs is the very sound of the speakers and mics they capture.
