# Show me your Axe FX rig for playing live



## Najka (Sep 14, 2013)

Starting to build a set up for playing live with the axe FX, I know plugging direct into a PA is always an option. What does your Live setup look like? I'm curious how people on SS.org are using there Axe Fx's in live situations. 

Could you please provide a picture?

A brief description or run-down would be appreciated too!


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## ACE IT UP (Sep 15, 2013)

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/live-performance-stage-sound/235541-rig-rundown-band-rack.html


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## Najka (Sep 15, 2013)

ACE IT UP said:


> http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/live-performance-stage-sound/235541-rig-rundown-band-rack.html


 
wow.. ask and you shall receive! Thanks, for that post!


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## xCaptainx (Sep 15, 2013)

Axe FX II in a 2u flight case
MFC-101 and expression pedal on a pedalboard 
Line 6 L3M 1400w powered monitor. 

If there's a large P.A, I'll sit the L3M down on its kickstands and use it as a monitor. 

If it's a small P.A and the guitars aren't mic'd, I'll stand the L3M up and use it as backline, it's just as loud as our other guitarists 5150.


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## Seanthesheep (Sep 15, 2013)

xCaptainx said:


> Axe FX II in a 2u flight case
> MFC-101 and expression pedal on a pedalboard
> Line 6 L3M 1400w powered monitor.
> 
> ...



Have you used and compared the L3M against other monitors? Ive got an Alto TS115a right now and hate it and am honestly thinking of going and getting a Carvin SS poweramp into a regular guitar cab


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## xCaptainx (Sep 15, 2013)

This is the first and only powered monitor I've had. Previous to this I had a Blackstar Artisan 4x12 and Matrix GT800FX poweramp. I went to full D.I/powered monitor for the convenience (I have Ultimate Ears IEMs as well)


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## BenSolace (Sep 16, 2013)

Top to bottom;

2012 Macbook Pro (backing tracks/click tracks/patch changes)
Custom patchbay for rear of rack (under construction)
My Axe FX II
Furman power conditioner (handy for lights/power socket amalgamation)
LD Systems IEM Box (we have 2, one is not yet racked)
MOTU 828 Mk3
Bassists Sansamp Bass Driver Rack
Bassists DBX Compressor (compressing both input and output of Sansamp before FOH)
ART Patchbay (sends backing tracks, emergency click tracks, backing tracks both stereo and mono to suit FOH setup, guitar signals, vocal signals and bass signal)
Laptop drawer - padded and lockable, used for transportation


Not shown;

Other guitarists Boss GT-10 (he has yet to join the dark side  )
Instruments (obviously)
ART stereo DI box (in back of rack)
Mic splitter (in back of rack)

Yeah, it gets the job done


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## Najka (Sep 17, 2013)

BenHughesDS said:


> Top to bottom;
> 
> 2012 Macbook Pro (backing tracks/click tracks/patch changes)
> Custom patchbay for rear of rack (under construction)
> ...


 
What do you use as speakers? Do you just plug into the house PA and hope it sounds good? Whenever I plug my axe FX in direct, on some PA's it sounds good and others it sounds horrible


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## larry (Sep 18, 2013)

shure UT4>seigmund missing link>sonic stomp>axe fx ultra>mesa 2:100.

the siegmund missing link is a micro tube clean boost pedal that I use to color my input signal, along with the BBE. I don't over drive the front of the ultra with it, it's just there to impart tube character. I have an effects loop block in all my patches that bypasses the amp/cab sims and feeds the mesa 2:100. I run amp/cab and a signal to front of house simultaneously, which sounds absolutely fantastic. 

also built a small breakout box with xlr jacks. the xlr's are pass-through connectors for the ultra's direct output to front of house. it also has a 15 pin receptacle that runs midi, 9v phantom power, 9v out to pedalboard and a pair of trs cables for the boss FV-500L/H expression pedals. the other 15 pin receptacle is wired up in my midi controller, which replaces the original 7 pin midi connector since my mfc-5 does not have expression pedal inputs. rather, i'm using the two expression pedal jacks in the ultra. the breakout box was my cleaner solution for cable management. instead of 5 cables running to my pedalboard, I just have one. very tidy.

edit: I also modified my 2:100 with an internal midi relay so I can trigger the 'modern' voicing with midi. all of my distortion patches use it.


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## BenSolace (Sep 18, 2013)

Najka said:


> What do you use as speakers? Do you just plug into the house PA and hope it sounds good? Whenever I plug my axe FX in direct, on some PA's it sounds good and others it sounds horrible



Yes, we go DI. None of us actually own power amps/heads/cabs anymore, as we had to sell them to fund other stuff 

We have yet to encounter a venue that cannot handle our gear and sound halfway decent, but I always try and make contact with the soundguy before the night to make sure there won't be any problems and provide a stage rider if requested. In the utter worst case we have a Samson Stereo P.A power amp and 2 passive Alto speakers that we could use if needed, but it has never come to that!

Our philosophy is that the onus is on the sound engineer to make the FOH sound good, while we take care of our monitoring in order to be able to perform best. We do not have/cannot afford to run a "band van," so the prospect of lugging around 2 x 212/412 cabs and a heavy ass power amp is not too attractive. Even if we did have them, there's still no guarantee that FOH won't destroy the sound anyway!

One day I would like to get one of those Matrix power amps and a couple of Zilla Fatboy 212's when funds permit, just to add some "body" to the overall sound, but we get lots of compliments with our current setup!


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## ACE IT UP (Sep 23, 2013)

Ben, where did you get the direct output unit at the bottom of your rackmount?


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## BenSolace (Sep 24, 2013)

ACE IT UP said:


> Ben, where did you get the direct output unit at the bottom of your rackmount?



The patchbay? It's an ART P16, but I had to open it up and saw a section of the PCB off, switch it around and put it back together to get some inputs on the front. Theres an ART stereo DI box (DPDB I think is the model name) mounted in the rear of the rack that the stereo guitar mix comes out of, and the backing tracks come straight out of the XLR outs of the MOTU.


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## Exit Existence (Sep 25, 2013)

How are you liking the mixing capabilities of the motu? I have a similar setup but I'm thinking of upgrading to the 828 for the in ear mixing capabilities and the standalone feature just in case the laptop crashes.

Also god dammn that rack must be heavy!! I'm trying to go as light and compact as possible


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## BenSolace (Sep 27, 2013)

Exit Existence said:


> How are you liking the mixing capabilities of the motu? I have a similar setup but I'm thinking of upgrading to the 828 for the in ear mixing capabilities and the standalone feature just in case the laptop crashes.
> 
> Also god dammn that rack must be heavy!! I'm trying to go as light and compact as possible



The MOTU is brilliant. We only use 3 separate mixes (bassist and other guitarist share as they like theirs about the same), but the headphone output can be set to send it's own individual mix, bringing the total number of transmittable stereo mixes to 6 (5 if you save an output pair for stereo backing tracks). Each mix can be set with compression/limiting on the output, as well as reverb and EQ. Comp and EQ can also be applied to inputs individually.

I will be honest and say that I have never tried to mess with the unit using the front panel controls only, we just have the CueMix FX app running in the background of Logic in case something needs to change (which so far has been never).

The rack isn't actually that heavy, I can easily lift and carry it myself. The only things that extend even close to the back of the rack are the power conditioner and laptop drawer.


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