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4 SETTING UP
This section provides an overview of various ways to use the Axe-Fx III. These diagrams represent just a few of
the many ways to use this flexible product, and even if you only intend to use a basic setup you can still learn from
looking over this section.
4 SETTING UP
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
POWER & LEVELS
When creating a new setup, begin with all level knobs turned down and all devices powered off.
The Axe-Fx III features pop suppression on startup, but speakers or
monitors should still be powered on last whenever possible.
Basic surge/spike protection is recommended but ot required.
AXE-FX III INPUTS
When connecting a guitar to the Axe-Fx III, the front or rear Input 1/Instrument jacks are preferable.
These feature “Secret Sauce IV” circuitry, which lowers the noise floor using a proprietary technique
and special analog input circuitry. The front jack overrides the rear one, so you can connect in different
ways without changing menu settings even when the rear jack is utilized in a rack system.
You can also connect guitars and other instruments to Inputs 2, 3 or 4. These are designated as
LINE level but accommodate high impedance sources so as not to load down guitar pickups.
When connecting the outputs of other devices to inputs on the Axe-Fx III, use appropriate
cables and connectors. For balanced signals use balanced connectors. Regular guitar
cables are fine for unbalanced connections to the inputs of the Axe-Fx III.
Setting Input Levels correctly is important. See
.
AXE-FX III OUTPUTS
Outputs 1 and 2 default to -10 dBV. You may wish to change these to +4 dBu when connecting
to to professional audio equipment. Find these settings on under SETUP: I/O: Audio
When connecting to a device with balanced inputs, it is best to use the XLR
outputs of the Axe-Fx III with XLR cables or XLR-to-TRS cables.
If a connected device has unbalanced inputs, use the unbalanced 1/4" outputs of the Axe-Fx III. Humbuster
cables are not required, but can help prevent the noise associated with ground loops. Purchase Humbuster
cables at
or from your nearest Fractal Audio Systems dealer. (See
MONO/STEREO
Any setup can easily be adapted for mono or stereo with some simple changes to input and output settings.
for details on I/O parameters.
USING THE AMP BLOCK WITH TRADITIONAL GUITAR SPEAKERS
When using the Axe-Fx III amp block into traditional (not FRFR) guitar speakers, certain advanced
parameters warrant special consideration. On the “Speaker” page of the Amp block, set Speaker
Drive to zero. You may also wish to zero Speaker Compression. Also consider matching LF
Resonance Frequency to match the resonance of your connected cab — if you know it.
