The Effects
68
BRIGHT - Many amplifiers contain a “treble peaker” on the volume control. Some amplifiers have
a “bright switch” that can be used to engage or disengage the circuit. On some amps this switch is
built in to the volume control as a “pull on” switch or as a separate dedicated switch. On others the
circuit is hard-wired.
The Axe-Fx amp types default to a particular state for the bright switch. If the amp had a hard-wired
treble peaker the default state is on. If the amp had no circuit at all the default state is off. You many
override this state by selecting the
TREBLE control and pressing
ENTER
. This will toggle the state
of the switch. The text “BRT” will appear under the control when the bright circuit is active.
If the original amp did not have a treble peaker circuit, the bright switch uses circuit values most
suited to an amp of that type. On some amps the effect may be subtle, on others, quite pronounced.
DRIVE - Sets the preamp drive. Higher settings equal more preamp distortion. On some amplifier
types the drive control has a treble peaker (like the original). When the drive is turned down the low
frequencies are attenuated more than the high. As the drive is turned up the low frequencies are
increased more.
Many amplifiers have this feature and it can be heard as the drive is varied. You can use this to
achieve the exact sound you’re looking for when a drive block feeds the amp. Adjust the drive
control of the amp to achieve the desired amount of input treble peaking and then adjust the drive
and the output level of the drive block to achieve the desired amount of distortion.
The Drive control has 50 dB of range. At a setting of ‘0’ the gain is 50 dB below the maximum gain.
BOOST - Selecting the TYPE control and pressing
ENTER
toggles the input boost. Use this to add
more gain to the amp simulation.
BASS, MID, TREB - Tone controls. The active tone controls in the Axe-Fx have up to twice the
range of a typical amplifier. When a tone control is set to the 12:00 position (0.0 dB) it is equivalent
to the simulated amplifiers control at 12:00. However, the boost cut range of the control is greater,
+/- 12 dB, whereas a typical amplifier may have only +/- 6 dB or less. This allows you to get sounds,
like heavily scooped mids or boosted treble, that normally wouldn't be possible.
Also, the active tone controls do not interact like a typical amplifier. So when you turn the treble
control the midrange and bass are not affected. This makes dialing in a certain tone easier and
quicker than with a typical tone stack. This does not affect the voicing of the simulation in that the
frequency response of the original circuit is always achieved however the exact setting of the
controls will be somewhat different. In general the Axe-Fx tone controls are more sensitive than a
typical amp and require less extreme settings to achieve the same sound. For example, if you set the
treble to full on a British hi-gain amp, the corresponding setting on the Axe-Fx is about 5.0 dB. The
advantage of this philosophy is ease of use plus more flexibility and wider range of tones. Adjust
the tone controls slowly and listen carefully. A 1.0 dB adjustment can make a marked difference in
the tone.
For those who prefer the classic passive tone controls that are found on most tube amps, the Axe-
Fx has the option of using this style of tone control as well. Not just a crude shelving filter
approximation, the Axe-Fx passive tone stack simulation exactly replicates the frequency and phase
response of the classic passive tone stack. When using the passive tone controls the display will read
out in traditional 0-10 style as opposed to decibel readings.
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