6
1 INTRODUCTION
HUMBUSTER™ CABLES
Most FRFR setups use the XLR outputs of the Axe-Fx III into the balanced inputs of mixers, monitors, and other
devices. For these applications, XLR cables or XLR-to-TRS cables are typical.
When connecting the 1/4” outputs of the Axe-Fx III to unbalanced 1/4" inputs on other devices, you can use
standard 1/4" patch cables, but there is a better option. Humbuster™ technology on all 1/4" outputs of the Axe-Fx
III can significantly reduce unwanted noise due to the common problem of a ground loop. For this to work, you
must use a special Humbuster cable. This has one TRS end (like a balanced cable) and one TS end (like a guitar
cable). The TRS end connects to the Axe-Fx III. The TS end connects to your other device or amp.
Humbuster cables are available from
http:/www.fractalaudio.com/cables
. You can make your own by following
the diagram below. Be sure to use high-quality connectors and shielded cable.
The Axe-Fx III comes pre-configured for stereo but you can connect it in mono with no issues.
In mono, however, you may find that certain presets or settings produce unexpected results.
For example, a panner sounds like a tremolo when one channel is missing. A ping-pong delay
may “ping” but never “pong”. Stereo enhancers or certain types of modulation may not be
apparent at all. Even the tone can change if amps or cabs have been panned. Here is an
overview of several scenarios, with recommended settings for each.
MONO VS. STEREO
STEREO: No special settings required.
HALF STEREO: Leaving the Axe-Fx III in its default stereo configuration but connecting
only one (Left) output results in “half-stereo.” This setup works fine, aside from the
exceptions mentioned above (ping-pong, panning, etc). No special settings required.
MONO, COPY L>R: Sonically, this is identical to half-stereo, with the same limitations, except that
mono signal is produced at both the left and right jacks so you can connect to two monitors. To
switch to dual mono, open SETUP: I/O: Audio and set Mode for the desired output to “COPY L->R”.
MONO, SUM L+R: In this setup, left and right channels are added together resulting in a mono
signal at both left and right outputs of the Axe-Fx III. While this does not discard half of the
channels like half-stereo does, summing has its own issues. For example, short delays or
phase differences between channels can result in strange artifacts or cancellation. To switch
to summed mono, open SETUP: I/O: Audio and set Mode for the desired output to “SUM L+R”.
On the Axe-Fx III, a flexible block-based I/O system makes it easy to use different outputs with different
settings for different purposes. See Input and Output blocks in the
.
All options of the I/O menu under SETUP are detailed in
.
