Line 6 AX2 212 User Manual
* Fender, Marshall, Vox, Matchless, Mesa Boogie, Soldano, Roland, Dumble, Budda, Arbiter, and other amplifier and effect models are all trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. These trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely for the purpose of describing certain amplifier tones produced using Line 6's TubeTone
modeling technology. Line 6's TubeTone modeling technology provides the AX2 with a wide variety of sounds and effects modeled after some of the most popular sounds of these classic amps. Line 6, AX2, Floor Board, TubeTone , the Line 6 logo, the AX2 logo, and the TubeTone logo are trademarks of Fast Forward Designs, Inc., maker of Line 6 brand products.
19.1 Acoustic Guitar Simulation 1
19.2 Acoustic Guitar Simulation 2
15 AX2 Crunch
16 AX2 Drive
17 AX2 Layer
18 1960s Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face
13.3 Budda Twin Master
14 AX2 Clean
11 1994 Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Tremoverb
9 1986 Marshall JCM 800
10.1 1985 Mesa Boogie Mark IIc++ Clean
10.2 1985 Mesa Boogie Mark IIc++ Crunch
12.1 1988 Soldano Preamp
12.2 1989 Soldano SLO
13.1 Dumble Overdrive Special Clean
13.2 Dumble Overdrive Special Drive
4.1 1964 Fender Blackface Deluxe
4.2 1965 Fender Blackface Twin
6.1 1961 Vox AC 15
6.2 1960 Vox AC 30
6.3 1966 Vox AC 30 (Top Boost)
5 1996 Matchless Chieftain
7 1965 Marshall Jtm 45
8 1968 Marshall Plexi
2.1 1961 Fender Champ
2.2 1952 Fender Deluxe
1 1987 Roland JC-120
3 1959 Fender Bassman
MODELED AFTER:*
AX2 FRONT PANEL
AX2 USER GUIDE FOLDOUT BACK COVER – SIZED DOWN TO LETTER SIZE FOR PDF PRINTING
23
25
22
26
24
16 AX2 DRIVE
17 AX2 LAYER
18 FUZZ TONES
19 ACOUSTIC SIM
15 AX2 CRUNCH
9 BRIT HI GAIN
10 OCTAVE BOX BRT
11 OCTAVE BOX MED
12 OCTAVE BOX DARK
9
FUZZ DARK
GUITAR
INPUT
Noise
Gate
Stomp Box Input Effects
Canceller
Hum
Compressor
PRE DIS
Distortion
Boxes
Wah
TubeTone
Drive / Bass / Mid / Treble
Bright Switch / Presence
Volume Pedal POST
™
Amp Models 24 Bit Digital Stereo Effects
Amp Model
Out Level
Volume
Auto-
Graphic EQ
INPUT
AUX
Bass / Mid / Treble
Global EQ
Independent Aux Channel
Mix Bass Treble Reverb Send
Tremolo
Stereo
Delay
Chorus
Stereo
Reverb
Stereo
Channel
Volume
Simulator
Cabinet
10 CALIF CRUNCH
11 RECTIFIED
12 MODERN HI GAIN
13 BOUTIQUE
14 AX2 CLEAN
1 JAZZ CLEAN
2 SMALL TWEED
3 TWEED BLUES
4 BLACK PANEL
5 MODERN CLASS A
6 BRIT CLASS A
7 BRIT BLUES
8 BRIT CLASSIC
1
3O
4
6
7
8
DISTORTION DARK
FUZZ BRIGHT
FUZZ MEDIUM
16
OVERDRIVE BRT2OVERDRIVE MED
DISTORTION BRT5DISTORTION MED
VERDRIVE DARK
1 WAH PEDAL
2 AUTO-WAH
3 RANDO-WAH
4 SAMPLE/HOLD
5 MOD ASSIGN
1 MONO
2 STEREO 90
3 STEREO 180
4 RING MOD
°
°
1 MONO
2 STEREO
3 PING-PONG
4 MULTI-TAP
5 TAPE ECHO
SIGNAL FLOW
1 CHORUS
2 FLANGE
3 PHASE
4 ROTARY
5 VIBRATO
6 FREQ MOD
1 MONO SINE
2 STEREO SINE
3 MONO SQUARE
4 STEREO SQUARE
1 SPRING
2 DARK ROOM
3 BRIGHT ROOM
4 DARK HALL
5 BRIGHT HALL
1 1 x 12
2 2 x 10
3 2 x 12
4 4 x 10
5 4 x 12
15
AMP MODELS DISTORTION BOXES WAH TYPE TREMOLO TYPE DELAY TYPE CHORUS TYPE CHORUS SHAPE REVERB TYPE CABINET TYPE
3
010
010
010
4
1
2
4
6
8
2
4
6
8
2
4
6
8
GUITAR INPUT
AUX INPUT
2
GUITAR AUX MASTER
CHANNEL
A
CHANNEL
B
6
CHANNEL
CLIPCLIP
C
CHANNEL
D
GLOBAL
FX ON/OFF
MAIN DRIVE BASS MID TREBLE
(
FLASH
)
CHORUS
REVERB REVERB TYPE PREDELAY REVERB DECAY REVERB TONE REVERB DIFFUSION REVERB LEVEL
DISTORTION BOX ON/OFF DRIVE ON/OFF GRAPHIC EQ ON/OFF TREM/CHORUS ON/OFF DELAY ON/OFF REVERB ON/OFF
CHORUS TYPE
CHORUS SPEED CHORUS DEPTH CHORUS FEEDBACK CHORUS SHAPE CHORUS LEVEL
BANK DOWN
BANK UP
7
P06
U
P
E
C
EDIT
COMPARE
PRESET
USER
BANK
12
COMPARE
TAP TEMPO
TUNER
13
TREMOLO/CAB
GRAPHIC EQ
DELAY
TREMOLO TYPE TREMOLO SPEED TREMOLO DEPTH TREMOLO SHAPE CABINET TYPE CABINET STEREO SPREAD
80 Hz 240 Hz 2200 Hz 6600 Hz PRESENCE
DELAY TYPE
MAIN DELAY TIME DELAY TIME OFFSET DELAY FEEDBACK DYNAMIC DELAY DELAY LEVEL
:
USER/PRESET SAVE
8
9
10
11
COMP/PEDALS COMPRESSION LEVEL VOLUME PEDAL ON/OFF DISTORTION BOX WAH TYPE WAH DEPTH AUTO-VOLUME ATTACK
AMP MODEL MODEL SELECT BASS MID TREBLE BRIGHT SWITCH AMP MODEL OUT LEVEL
NOISE GATE
AUX/MIDI
NOISE GATE ON/OFF NOISE GATE THRESHOLD NOISE GATE DECAY HUM CANCELLER
AUX INPUT MIX AUX INPUT BASS AUX INPUT TREBLE AUX INPUT REVERB
27
FLEXTONE: TAP LIT BUTTON FOR TAP TEMPO / HOLD LIT BUTTON FOR MANUAL
28
SPEAKERS UNPLUGGED
17
SPEAKERS UNPLUGGED
OK TO RUN AMP WITH
8 OHM • 50 WATT
CLASS II WIRING MIDI IN MIDI OUT
18 19 20 21
HEADPHONE
LINE OUT/
(REMOTE)
PEDAL
(VOLUME)
PEDAL 1
PEDAL 2
(WAH)
OK TO RUN AMP WITH
8 OHM • 50 WATT
CLASS II WIRING
AX2 REAR PANEL
RIGHT SPEAKER
STEREO
:
LEFT SPEAKER
5
IN TUNE TUNER SHARPTUNER FLAT
CH VOLUME DELAY/REVERB
750 Hz
14
MIDI CHANNEL
GATE/HUM PER SOUND
TRANSMIT SOUNDS
AUX PER SOUND
DIGITAL GUITAR AMPLIFIER SYSTEM
User Guide
printed in the USA by Line 6
Electronic version also available at http://www.line6.com
part no. 40-00-0050 Rev D
The serial number can be found on the AX2 back panel near the power switch. Please note it for future reference:
SERIAL NO:
WARNING:
electric shock, do not expose this appliance to
rain or moisture.
CAUTION:
pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
The lightning symbol within a triangle means
“electrical caution!” It indicates the presence
of information about operating voltage and
potential risks of electrical shock.
L
INE
6, AX2, F
LOOR BOARD
YOU
To reduce the risk of fire or
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device
CAUTION:
do not remove screws. No user-serviceable parts inside. Refer
servicing to qualified service personnel.
To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock,
The exclamation point within a
triangle means “caution!” Please
read the information next to all
caution signs.
, FB4, T
UBETONE ARE TRADEMARKS OF LINE
6, INC. ALL
OTHER TRADEMARKS PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS
SHOULD READ THESE IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
EEP THESE INSTRUCTIONS IN A SAFE PLACE
K
Before using your AX2, be sure to carefully read the applicable
items of these operating instructions and the safety suggestions.
1. Obey all warnings on the amp and in the
2. Do not place near heat sources, such as radiators, heat registers, or appliances which produce
heat.
3. Do not block any of the ventilation openings or use in an enclosed space.
4. Guard against objects or liquids entering the enclosure.
5. Connect only to AC power outlets rated 100-120V or 200-240V 47-63Hz (depending on the
voltage range of the unit; refer to the back panel). Current ratings should be a minimum of
5A for the 120V range and 2.5A for the 240V range.
6. Do not step on power cords. Do not place items on top of power cords so that they are
pinched or leaned on. Pay particular attention to the cord at the plug end and the point where
it connects to the amp.
7. Unplug the amp when not in use for extended periods of time.
8. Do not perform service operations beyond those described in the
following circumstances, repairs should be performed only by qualified service personnel:
•
LIQUID IS SPILLED INTO THE UNIT
•AN
OBJECT FALLS INTO THE UNIT
THE UNIT DOES NOT OPERATE NORMALLY OR CHANGES IN PERFORMANCE IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY
•
•
THE FUSE IS BLOWN
•
THE UNIT IS DROPPED OR THE ENCLOSURE IS DAMAGED
9. Prolonged listening at high volume levels may cause irreparable hearing loss and/or damage.
Always practice ‘safe listening.’
AX2 User Guide.
AX2 User Guide
. In the
.
CHAPTER 1: I
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1•1
Register and get great free stuff!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1•1
Get Online. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1•1
What’s With This TubeTone? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1•2
Amp Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1•3
NTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 2: WAY I
Input Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2•1
Knob Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2•2
Instant Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2•2
Pass Through Edit Knobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2•2
Selecting the Knob Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2•3
CHAPTER 3: M
CHAPTER 4: C
CHAPTER 5: W
ODELED AMPS
Which Amps Are Modeled? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3•1
AX2 Signature Sounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3•7
And Then Some . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3•9
ONTROLS
Road Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4•1
Front Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4•1
Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4•5
ORKING IT
Way Important Info On Setting Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•1
Tuning Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•2
Changing The Tuner Reference Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•3
Selecting The Tuner With MIDI Program Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•3
Channels & Banks & Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•4
Huh? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5•5
Preset Channels Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•5
User Channels Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•5
Pushin’ Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•6
Tweaking the AX2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•7
Checking the present settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•8
Editing & Saving Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•9
Edit Buffer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•9
Dare To Compare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•9
Compare To What’s There . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•9
Save Yourself. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•10
Not Saving Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•11
Global Main Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•12
The AX2 212 Signal Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•13
Volume Pedal Positioning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•14
The Option Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•14
Foot Pedals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•14
MPORTANT
ONNECTIONS
& C
!
Direct Recording/Headphone Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•15
Important To Remember About The Direct Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•15
Using the Aux Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5•16
CHAPTER 6: D
Noise Gate/Hum Canceller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•1
Compressor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•2
Distortion Boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•3
Wah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•5
Volume Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•8
Amp Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•9
Graphic EQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•9
Tremolo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•10
Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•12
Chorus Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•17
Reverb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•20
Cabinet Simulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•21
MAIN Row. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•23
Thinking Globally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•24
ETAILS
Overdrive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•3
Distortion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•4
Fuzz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•4
Octave Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•4
No Distorted Acoustic Guitar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•4
Pre/Dis/Post . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•8
Auto-Volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•8
Tremolo Speed/Depth/Shape. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•11
Tremolo On/Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•11
No Tremolo With Rotary Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•11
Delay On/Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•12
Delay Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•12
Dynamic Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•14
Delay Times. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•14
Tap Tempo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•16
On/Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•17
Chorus Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•17
On/Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•20
Reverb Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•20
Reverb Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•21
Cabinet Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•22
Cabinet Spread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6•22
CHAPTER 7: T
Making Your Blank Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7•1
Making A New Channel Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7•3
UTORIAL
Unblanking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7•6
Ramblings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7•6
Gain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7•6
Somebody Else’s Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7•7
Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7•7
CHAPTER 8: F
OOT CONTROL
Floor Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8•1
Getting Connected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8•1
Two Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8•2
Channel Select Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8•2
Banks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8•2
Channel Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8•2
Editing and Saving Setups with the Floor Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8•3
Tap Tempo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8•3
Tuner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8•3
Wah & Volume Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8•4
Effect On/Off Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8•5
Distortion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8•5
Drive/Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8•6
EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8•6
Trem/Chorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8•6
Delay & Reverb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8•6
Programmer’s Tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8•7
When Is A Wah Not A Wah? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8•7
Using the FB4 with the AX2 212. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8•8
CHAPTER 9: HOW DO I...
Save A Channel? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9•1
Turn An Effect On or Off? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9•1
Change Delay, Reverb, Chorus, Etc. Settings?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9•2
Get Back To Where I Started? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9•2
Set/Reset the Global Tone Controls? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9•3
Back Up My Sounds? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9•3
Write ’Em Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9•3
MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9•4
Clean My AX2? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9•4
Get Out Of Debt And Become A Famous Rock Star On TV? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9•4
CHAPTER 10: T
System Resets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10•1
Bright Switch Defaults. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10•2
MIDI – Implemented Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10•3
MIDI Program Change Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10•4
Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10•5
The AX2 Design Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10•5
WEAKY STUFF
Performing a Soft Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10•1
Performing a Hard Reset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10•1
Introduction:
I
NTRODUCTION
ELCOME
W
Thank you for purchasing the AX2, the amazingly powerful digital guitar amplifier
system that can get you the guitar tone of your dreams. Can't wait to get started, can
you? Well, before you do anything else:
EGISTER AND GET GREAT FREE STUFF
R
Included with your AX2 is a handy, postage-paid card for you to send back to us to
register your purchase, and let us know a little about yourself. It is very important that
you fill that registration card out
How come? Well, for one thing, it gets you are all set up for warranty service should
you ever have a problem with your AX2. It also insures that we will be able to contact
you if new software versions or other enhancements are offered for your AX2 – not the
kind of thing you normally have to worry about with a guitar amplifier, but way
important in this case. Cutting edge technology and all that.
right now
, and send it to us in the mail.
!
ELCOME
W
1•1
Registering also gets you access to special resources available only to Line 6 registered
users. We are creating the LUP – the Line 6
registered users to access these special resources. Things like free new sounds for your
AX2, a free newsletter with tips & tricks and other AX2 news, and special accessories
like custom AX2 amp covers and Line 6 wear will all be made available
registered owners of the LUP.
Utilization Party – as a forum for our
only to the
GET ONLINE
Here at Line 6, our mission is to bring powerful new technologies to musicians. As part
of that mission, we are going to be focusing great effort on making the internet a
valuable resource for every one of our customers. You may have already visited the
Line 6 web site at http://www.line6.com when you were considering the purchase of
your AX2, and found all the information already there on Line 6 products and
technologies.
Introduction: WHAT’S WITH THIS TUBETONE?
1• 2
Not on the internet yet? This may be the time to make the big jump, and thereby
insure that you will get all the great resources we can offer for you and your AX2.
Already on the internet? Great! Visit us and keep an eye open for new offerings.
WHAT’S WITH THIS TUBETONE?
Tubes, we can all agree, are the heart and soul of every legendary guitar amp and are
responsible for the warm, harmonic-rich tone quality of those amps. Solid state
devices (transistors) are simply unable to duplicate tube warmth and performance.
And “hybrids” – a tube in a circuit along with a bunch of transistors – are really a vain
attempt at warming up a transistor-based tone. They fall short in any comparison to a
100% tube circuit. So that’s it – tubes or nothin’, right? Well, not any more....
You see, the engineers at Line 6, being an adventurous lot, and totally pumped about
this whole guitar tone thing as well, decided to stock up on the coffee, bust out the
engineering equipment, and get down to learning everything there is to know about
tubes. Riding high on the caffeine wave, they began a three-year project to analyze
and map out exactly how different types of tubes respond under various conditions
typical of guitar amplifier design. How tubes process an input signal, how the signal is
colored and shaped, at what point it begins to distort, the quality and characteristic of
the distortion – complicated stuff, but all analyzable as electronic data. A guitar
pickup output, after all, is an electronic signal, and tubes are really just a complex form
of signal processing.
Having sussed it all out, the Line 6 engineers were then able to apply their digital
expertise to develop software which simulates the tube and other circuitry’s signal
processing entirely within the digital domain. Cool, huh?
This revolutionary software-based modeling technology , called TubeTone, gives Line 6
the power to create butt-kickin’ Digital Guitar Amplifier Systems like the AX2:
feature rich guitar amps with a whole new kind of tonal flexibility.
Introduction: AMP MODELS
AMP MODELS
The TubeTone process allowed Line 6 to create software Amp Models modeled after a
collection of amplifiers recognized by guitarists the world over as true “tone classics.”
We got these amps together, cranked ’em up, and had a look at the electronic data
generated by the tubes, transformers, capacitors, plate and grid voltages, tone control
curves – and the whole mess of components and elements unique to each amplifier
design. This research led to the creation of TubeTone software Amp Models. These
Amp Models were tweaked up through careful A/B listening comparisons to the amps
that inspired them, with an ear open for the effects of different volume levels and
settings of the originals’ tone and gain controls. The gain and equalization
characteristics of the modeled amps were carefully measured so that changes to amp
knobs on the models would mirror the effects of these changes on the originals as
closely as possible. We’re talkin’ major attention to detail here. Tone control center
frequencies, slopes, and cut/boost range were painstakingly analyzed, and we also
carefully attended to the effect of presence circuits, “bright” channels and switches,
and other model-specific factors. Not only that, but since these old amps had highly
interactive circuits, we paid careful attention to the way that the setting of one knob
will change the way that another knob on the amp will behave. All in an effort to
make our Amp Models as much like the amps we modeled as possible. The resulting
TubeTone Amp Models are the foundation of the AX2 guitar amp. Now, then. Here
are a couple of things we want to be crystal clear on:
1. The TubeTone modeling process is a 100% digital software-based technolo gy
exclusive to Line 6.
1•3
2. TubeTone is not sampling, nor is it solid state; no special guitar, pickup, or
cabling is needed.
So, now that you know what’s in store, it’s time to experience the TubeTone Amp
Models for yourself. Grab your favorite axe, plug in to the AX2, and join us for the
AX2 Grand Tour....
WAY IMPORTANT
Way Important: INPUT LEVELS
INPUT LEVELS
THIS PART IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. YOU MUST SET YOUR INPUT LEVEL CORRECTLY
TO GET GOOD SOUND FROM YOUR AX2!
1. Turn the GUITAR, AUX and MASTER knobs all the way down to zero, plug
the AX2 into a power socket with the included power cord, connect your
guitar to the AX2’s GUITAR INPUT jack, and then turn on the AX2 by
pressing the rear panel POWER button.
2. Adjust the volume levels using the following procedure:
• Select your guitar’s loudest pickup and set its volume to max.
• Begin strumming your guitar as loudly as possible.
• Slowly turn the GUITAR knob up until the CLIP light just flashes.
• Turn the knob back a notch so the clip light never flashes.
• Turn the MASTER knob up to a comfortable listening level.
• Set your pickups and guitar volume and tone controls as you like.
3. You can audition the AX2’s Preset Sounds like this:
• Press the USER/PRESET button to select the Preset Bank. A
should show up as the left character in the AX2 display. If you've got a
U instead, press USER/PRESET again.
• Use the BANK UP/DOWN buttons to select a Bank from 01 to 32.
• Use the CHANNEL A thru D buttons to select a Channel.
• When you want to tweak the basic amp tone of the channel you've
selected, turn one of the six knobs in the middle of the front panel.
P
2 • 1
4. For now, don’t worry about the groups of parameters shown in the center
of the front panel. Don’t ev en look at ’em! We’ll discuss these in detail later.
Just play!
Now, we just know that some of you are going to be forging ahead fearlessly, without
consulting the rest of the manual, because you're that experimental, visionary, and
often stubborn type who wants to find stuff out for yourself. You may find that our
“How Do I?” section toward the end of this User Guide is helpful. Turn to it if you get
stuck, or can't get something to do quite what you think it should do. The basic
operations it quickly describes just might get you out of trouble....
Way Important: KNOB MODES
KNOB MODES
2•2
The AX2 is, as you’re probably already well aware, pretty much all about having your
cake and eating it too. We’ve tried to give you about as much stuff as could possibly be
crammed into one portable black box, while still keeping it simple and easy to use.
When using you AX2, you’ve got two options for accessing that power. Each has its
advantage, and each will likely appeal to different people. Here are the choices:
INSTANT ACCESS
The default mode for the AX2 knobs is Instant Access. Y ou grab any knob on the AX2
and start turning it, and whatever it does will start happening immediately. This is
pretty much the standard way for knobs to behave in the world, so you probably won’t
notice it as anything special.
PASS THROUGH EDIT KNOBS
The other option is called Pass Through, and it only applies to the six knobs in the
center of the AX2 front panel (the Guitar, Aux, and Master knobs are always in
Instant Access mode). This mode can be used to give you more seamless sound as you
are tweaking the settings on your AX2.
Let’s say you recall a saved channel on the AX2, which has a low setting for the Drive
– like 10, for instance (Drive has a range of 0-99). Now let’s say your Drive control
knob happens to be at its maximum position. In Instant Access mode, if you grabbed
the knob and started turning it, your Drive would jump instantly to the maximum
level (99).
In Pass Through mode, a knob does not become ‘active’ until it ‘passes through’ the
current value for the particular setting that you are controlling with the knob. So, in
our example, when you first started turning the knob, it wouldn’t be anywhere near 10.
Y ou would have to turn it all the way down to ‘pass through’ 10 before anything would
happen; once you passed through 10, the knob would become active, and the Drive
setting would start changing, and affecting your tone.
Why would you want to use Pass Through? People who do a lot of sound editing may
find that Pass Through is handy because it generally lets them check a particular
Way Important: KNOB MODES
parameter’s current setting before they change it. So, in the example of the Drive,
maybe you want to just have a look at where the Drive is set now, without changing
the setting. With Pass Through mode, you can turn the Drive knob, and at first you
won’t change the setting. The current value for Drive will be displayed in the AX2
display as you turn the knob, so you can see that it is set to 10 (or whatever) without
having made any change to the sound.
So Pass Through mode might be for you. On the other hand, you may be the kind of
person that finds Pass Through mode to be a big pain in the butt because half the time
when you grab a knob and turn it, nothing happens. You might want to always have
your AX2 respond to you instantly without having to pay too much attention to where
the knobs happen to be. If that’s your kind of scene, then Instant Access is probably
the thing for you.
SELECTING THE KNOB MODE
To get Instant Access Mode, do nothing. The AX2 defaults to this mode.
To choose Pass Through mode, you use the Row Select button for the MAIN Row.
That’s the button to the left of the boxed word MAIN on the AX2 front panel. On the
fold-out illustration of this manual’s back cover, the MAIN Row Select button is the
bottom one of the group labeled . Get ready to work that button.
13
2 • 3
To set the knob mode to Pass Through, turn off the AX2, and then power it up while
holding in that MAIN Row Select button we just described. The six Edit Knobs of the
AX2 will now be in Pass Thru mode, and will stay that way (even after you turn the
AX2 off and on again) until you reset them to Instant Access mode by powering up
with the MAIN Row Select button held. This Knob Mode selection is one of the
things that the AX2 stores in its Global section of memory, so resetting the global
memory , as described in the System Resets section of this User Guide, will also reset
the AX2 to Instant Access mode.
MODELED AMPS
Modeled Amps: WHICH AMPS ARE MODELED?
WHICH AMPS ARE MODELED?
Note: For the following description of the TubeTone Amp Models, and other references that
you will find throughout this manual, please be aware that Fender, Marshall, Vox, Boogie,
Soldano, Peavey, Budda, Dumble, Roland, Matchless, Dallas-Arbiter, ADA, Leslie,
Tycobrahe, Binson, Maestro, Pro Co, Ibanez, and other amplifier model designations, and
the names of musical artists and groups, and effects, are all trademarks of their respective
owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. These marks and names are
used solely for the purpose of describing certain amplifier tones produced using Line 6’s
TubeT one modeling technology . The TubeTone modeling technology provides the AX2 Digital
Guitar Amplifier System with a wide variety of sounds and effects modeled after some of the
most popular sounds of the classic amps, effects, and artists mentioned here.
1. Jazz Clean - This Amp Model is modeled after the classic Roland JC-120. This
transistor amp was known for a strident clean sound and built-in stereo chorus. When
using the Jazz Clean Amp Model, try cranking up the treble for a shimmering clean
sound that’ll cut through just about any mix. It’s also perfect for that 80’s “new wave”
sound. Alternatively, try backing off on the treble and turn up the bass and mids for a
darker jazz tone. It’ll give you an essentially flat response, providing a balanced tone
across the fret board for jazz chord melodies or single-line phrasing.
2. Small Tweed - These models are based on the smallest of the 50’s and very early
’60s Fender “Tweed” amps. These were among the very simplest amps that Fender
made, generally with just one tone control. This simple passive “Treble” control did
not add, but simply rolled off high end to adjust the amplifier tone.
3•1
2.1 – Modeled after a 1960 Tweed Champ, this is a great sound when the Drive is
cranked (not bad clean, either). These amps were originally designed to be sold to
beginners, but rock and rollers quickly discovered that you could get a great distorted
sound at fairly low volume levels. Many of the classic guitar solos of the 50’s were
recorded through a Champ. The Champ had no tone control, only Volume. With your
AX2, it’s easy to get a classic Champ tone. Just leave all the Bass, Mid, and Treble
Modeled Amps: WHICH AMPS ARE MODELED?
controls of the MAIN Row parked at 12 o’clock, which means they are “flat,” making
no contribution to the tone.
Still, we’d hate to waste those things, so we figured out a way to put the Bass, Mid, and
Treble controls to work without mucking about with the authenticity of this Amp
3•2
Model. When using this Amp Model, all these tone controls are applied after the
TubeTone modeling, which essentially lets you EQ up your tone as you would do on a
mixing console after recording your amp. Remember, for the unadulterated emulated
sound of the Champ, set all the tone controls at 12 o’clock.
2.2 – Modeled after a 1952 “wide panel” Fender Tweed Deluxe, this Amp Model will
snarl with the best of them. The original amp had only a single tone control,
essentially a Treble roll off. We set up the Treble knob to give you this Treble roll off
when using this Amp Model. Which left us with the Bass and Mid knobs just sitting
there. That just didn’t seem right, so we set up the Bass and Mid as post-TubeTone
controls. Set the Bass and Mid knobs at 12 o’clock to put them in “neutral,” and try
the Treble knob somewhere above halfway for a classic Tweed sound.
3. Tweed Blues - The Fender Bassman 4x10 combo was the amp that started it all –
instant rock and roll tone. Originally a bass guitar amp, the Bassman became a Blues
staple for 6-string guitarists. It has the fat bottom end you’d expect from a bass amp but
also has the Fender twang on the top. The 59 Bassman was the “blueprint” for the
AX2’s Tweed Blues. Incidentally, when Jim Marshall built his first amps with Ken Bran
they were heavily influenced by the early Bassman. One of the interesting things about
the Bassman is just how interactive the Mid and Treble controls are. The Mid control
isn’t a bandpass, as in most tone control setups. Instead, it’ s almost like a second treble
control. The two are additive, so if you’re running the Mid knob higher than halfway
up, you’ll find that the Treble Control might give you more bright than you really
want. On the other hand, when you turn the Mid knob down, you’ll probably want to
boost the Treble.
The Bassman, like many of the amps modeled for the AX2, didn’t have a master
volume. So to get the kind of tone that the Bassman can deliver at higher gain
settings, you had to crank it up loud enough to do some serious damage to anyone who
might be standing close by . With the AX2, you can get that kind of tone at a bedroom
or studio level – or through your headphones even! Try a drive setting of about 4 or 5
– it’s guaranteed to dredge up the best R&B licks you know.
Modeled Amps: WHICH AMPS ARE MODELED?
4. Black Panel – Inspired by a couple of classics from Fender....
4.1 – The Holy Grail for many blues, country , and “roots” players has been a blackface
Fender Deluxe Reverb (Of course, now that the AX2’s here, that will all change).
After listening to quite a few candidates for modeling, we stumbled upon an extremely
cool ’64 Deluxe. Most players love a Deluxe when it’s turned up to about 7 for a nice
gritty sound that cleans up nicely when you back off your guitar’s volume knob just a
little. Notice how the tone control response changes as this Amp Model’s Drive is
changed; clean settings are crisp and present, while more driven settings will mellow
the high end. This is typical of what you get from a Deluxe, and is nicely captured
here.
The Deluxe itself has only Bass and Treble controls. Leaving us, once again, with the
prospect of a knob with nothing to say for itself. But fear not; in this case, we’ve set up
the Mid knob as an “active” style tone control, that can boost the mids. Use it to add
some post-Tubetone midrange contouring for a little more flexibility. Once again, set
the Mid knob to its “neutral” 12 o’clock position for the classic Deluxe sound.
Tweaked up right, this tone will cut through and sing.
4.2 – The classic blackface Fender Twin (in this case, a 1965 Twin) was a real
workhorse. Everybody used it from jazz and country players to serious rockers. I
remember seeing Johnny Winter at a concert where both he and Rick Derringer – am
I dating myself or what? – were using six Twins stacked in a pyramid each. We were in
the second balcony and it was REALLY loud even all the way back there. The Twin
has a lot of tonal flexibility and is at home in a great many different situations. It never
gets extremely overdriven and dirty, mostly just louder; a lot louder. This is the amp
for the classic surf sound. Dial up the spring reverb, switch on the tremolo, crank up
the volume, and look out for bikinis.
3•3
5. Modern Class A – The Matchless Chieftain, which was studied for the Modern
Class A selection, is a very expensive handmade amp. Originally designed to sound
like a top-boost Vox AC 30, the Matchless doesn’t exactly have a Vox sound, but
something unique; the sound is sort of “future retro.” Its soft clipping is typical of Class
A amplifiers and gives you almost a “hi-fi” sound in a great rock n’ roll amplifier. The
differences in tone from the Vox are largely due to the complicated scheme of the EQ
electronics.
Modeled Amps: WHICH AMPS ARE MODELED?
6. Brit Class A – Emulations of Vox classics....
6.1 – Modeled after a 1960 Vox AC 15. Vox amps owe much of their unique tone
quality to a Class A power amp and were standard issue for English bands in the 60’s.
They were actually one of the first amplifiers designed specifically for electric guitar;
3•4
the other companies essentially got their designs straight from the RCA Radio book.
This particular sound is based on Channel 1 of the best AC 15 we could find. Once
again, the original amp had only a single tone control – a treble cut. We faithfully
modeled that and then slipped in some post-Tubetone Bass and Mid contouring. Set
the Bass and Mid in neutral (12 o’clock, or halfway up) and play with the Treble
control to get yourself some of those classic British invasion sounds. By the way, when
using relatively clean AX2 sounds like these ones, you may want to keep your Drive
fairly high – this will keep up the volume, without really adding too much “dirt” to
your tone.
6.2 – This one is based on the Normal Channel of a Non Top Boost V ox AC-30. Once
again, the early Vox amps were especially for electric guitar (Hey, some early amps
from other manufacturers have Accordion inputs! Polka, anyone?), and used Class A
power amp designs, rather than the much more common Class AB type. Much of the
unique character of the Vox sound can be attributed to the fact that Class A amps
overdrive in a very different way than Class AB. Brian May of Queen, Mike Campbell
of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, and The Edge of U2 have also used classic AC 30s to
make their music. We were lucky enough to find what we are told was one of Bryan
Adams’ favorite AC 30s for recording. Lenny Kravits happened to be using it the week
before we began testing. It was one of the gems in a great collection of vintage
amplifiers offered for rental in Los Angeles, where Line 6 is located. We later bought
this amp, and continued to hone our emulation of it to bring you the Amp Model it
inspired in the AX2. This is definitely a good place to start to get yourself some of
those classic British invasion sounds. Like the AC-15, the AC-30 NTB has only a
single treble control so the Bass and Mid controls here are set up for boost after the
Tubetone modeling to add a little extra flexibility without compromising the accuracy
of the model. The 12 o’clock setting on these controls is flat response.
6.3 – Music was changing in the early 60’s and guitarists were asking for more
brilliance & twang. So the Jennings Company, makers of Vox amps, decided to add
Treble and Bass controls (and an extra 12AX7 gain stage, incidentally); this additional
circuit became known as Top Boost. The AC 30 with Top Boost was the amp made
Modeled Amps: WHICH AMPS ARE MODELED?
famous by many British invasion bands. On this Amp Model, the Mid Control acts
like the Cut knob on the AC-30. Although usually played fairly clean, a cranked
AC-30 has a great saturated lead tone, a’la Brian May on the early Queen albums.
7. Brit Blues – This Amp Model is based on a JTM-45 head with block logo
(predates the “scrolled” Marshall logo), complete with a gold Plexiglas (Plexi) front
panel, although the sound normally associated with Plexi amps comes from the late
60’s, 50-watt version that was the inspiration for the next in the AX2’s line up of
TubeTone Amp Models. The JTM-45 marked the beginning of Marshall’s transition
from a mellower Fender-like tone to the distinctive bright “crunchy” sound of the later
Marshalls. We’ve actually got both the Normal and Brilliant channels of the JTM-45
in here, since the Brilliant channel differs from the Normal channel only in having a
hard-wired bright circuit. All you have to do is turn on the AX2’s bright switch to get
sounds of the Brilliant Channel.
8. Brit Classic – Modeled after the infamous Marshall Plexi – coveted by tone
connoisseurs the world over. By this time (ca. 1968) Marshall had completely changed
the circuitry away from the Fender 6L6 power tube heritage and moved to an EL34
tube; another major tone and feel difference was due to the necessary output & power
supply transformer changes. All this mucking about added up to create a tone forever
linked with Rock Guitar. Amps of this era didn’t have any sort of master volume
control, so to get this sound you’d have to crank your Plexi to max – just the thing to
help you really make friends with the neighbors. Hendrix used Marshalls of this era;
twenty years later Van Halen’s first two records owed their “brown sound” to a
hundred watt Plexi. In order to get a crunch sound out of a Plexi you would likely
crank up the input volume and the mid and treble tone controls (to 10!). You’ll find
that the Brit Classic, in keeping with our basic “make-it-sound-a-whole-lot-like-theoriginal” concept, is set up to do pretty darned near the same thing. Max out the Mid
and Treble knobs and turn Bass to about 9 or 10 o’clock on the AX2 when using this
Plexi-inspired Amp Model and you can treat those nice neighbors to a tasty slice of fat
rock tone.
3•5
9. Brit Hi Gain – Turn to this Amp Mo del to conjure up tones of the mighty
Marshall JCM 800, one of Marshall’s most universally-acclaimed modern amps. This
updated version of the Plexi built on Marshall’s heritage, with added gain and edge for
a new generation of rock guitarists. We worked with a 1990 JCM 800 with Master
Volume to develop this model. This is the metal sound Marshall made famous.
Modeled Amps: WHICH AMPS ARE MODELED?
Although not many people play Marshalls clean, it’s a great tone, so you should be sure
to check out this model with a low drive setting, too. Of course, you can always pump
up the Drive and rage....
10. California Crunch – The first of the “boutique” amp makers was probably Mesa
3•6
Boogie. This model is based on the classic Boogie Mark IIc, with the enhancements of
the ++ version of the Mark IIc circuitry design. Boogie made their mark in the late
70’s and early 80’s by adding master volumes and more gain stages to amps with
Fender-style circuitry. You can hear the Fender heritage but with more “punch” in the
mids. Try your Santana licks here.
10.1 – This Amp Model emulates the Clean Channel of the Mark IIc+.
10.2 – And this Amp Model emulates the Drive Channel of the IIc+.
11. Rectified – This Amp Model is modeled after a 1994 Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier
Trem-O-verb. With the Dual Rectifier, Boogie took a more mo dern, high gain
approach for that “big hair” sound. In contrast to the earlier Boogies, the Dual
Rectifier’s tone controls have more influence at high gain settings, so you can scoop
the mids and increase the bottom end – great for a Seattle grunge sound.
12. Modern Hi Gain – The Soldano sound.
12.1 – This is based on one of Mike Soldano’s rackmount preamps. Talk about high
gain preamp tube distortion! The X88R we studied to create this Amp Model would
have been the rage for Los Angeles studio use in the late ‘80s. This preamp had no
presence control, plus other little details that give it a bit of a different sound as
compared to the head modeled for the next AX2 Amp Model....
12.2 – We obtained one of the early SLO amp heads Mike Soldano produced when he
was based in Los Angeles in order to create this flavor of the AX2’s Modern Hi Gain
setting. The Soldano sound is intensely overdriven, and also has EQ after the preamp
distortion. This oversaturated tone is well-suited to thrash metal and grunge bands,
but has also been used more subtly by artists like Eric Clapton. The Soldano amps are
very similar to a Peavey 5150; this is a good Amp Model to use if you want to get a
current Van Halen or Joe Satriani sound. With Drive cranked way up, you’ll get
sustain for days.... Go out’n’ave a bite – when you come back it’ll still be sustaining!
Modeled Amps: AX2 SIGNATURE SOUNDS
13. Boutique – High end tone machines.
13.1 – This model is based on a Budda Twinmaster head. The Budda has a great,
warm, Class A, sound. This was Budda’s first offering. The Budda philosophy is all
about power tube distortion. Simplicity is the key. With relatively low front end gain,
highly interactive tone controls, and tube rectifier “sag” it’s great at getting a classic
cranked sound for small gigs and recording. Once again, since the Twinmaster has no
mid control, we’ve added a little bonus in the form of some post-TubeTone mid
contouring available via the Mid control. As usual, set this control to 12 o’clock to get
groovy with the unadorned Budda-style vibe.
13.2 – Based on the Clean Channel of the Dumble Overdrive Special. The Dumble
Overdrive Special is one of those incredibly expensive, custom amps that most people
never get a chance to actually get close to in this lifetime. Each incarnation of the
Dumble magic is a little bit different, because each of these amps is hand built for a
specific customer, and voiced to match their playing and desires. With that in mind,
we based this TubeTone Amp Model on the analysis of several different Dumble
Overdrive Specials. Despite this tuning to the individual owner, these amplifiers tend
to have a number of features in common; the clean channel is very sensitive to attack,
and dynamically responsive, and the drive channel has a thick, liquid, singing sustain
that doesn’t lose string definition when driven hard. The tone controls on this Amp
Model are quite subtle. If you’re looking for more marked tone shaping, you’ll want to
try some GRAPHIC EQ finesse.
3•7
13.3 – Based on the Dumble Overdrive Special Drive Channel (just described). If you
like the Dumble sound, you might also want to check out the AX2 Crunch model – it
was created to deliver a similar kind of tone.
AX2 SIGNATURE SOUNDS
While TubeTone modeling was first developed to allow Line 6 to capture classic tones
for our Digital Guitar Amplifier Systems, it also has opened the door for us to create
unique new tones not possible with conventional hardware – that’s where this whole
software-based deal really comes in handy. Informed by the forty years of classic guitar
amplifier design that we’ve studied to develop TubeTone, we’ve selected the best
Modeled Amps: AX2 SIGNATURE SOUNDS
elements of various amplifiers and brought them together in the four AX2 Signature
Sounds: AX2 Clean, AX2 Crunch, AX2 Drive, and AX2 Layer.
14. AX2 Clean – To create this Amp Mo del, we essentially grafted the top end of a
JC-120 onto the bottom end and mid-range of a JTM-45 to give you the crisp and
3•8
clear top end of a solid state amp, but with a rich, satisfying tube amp-style body.
15. AX2 Crunch – Our “boutique” sound. Not too clean, but not too raging. We
spent some time with several amps including an early Dumble combo, and picked up a
few tricks from them to put together this tone. Great for modern blues or jazz, this
sound should be like a fine cognac, smooth and warm going down, but with a nice
kick. The Mid control is located before the TubeTone Drive, but the Bass and Treble
controls are placed after the Drive for maximum tone shaping.
16. AX2 Drive – Our version of the modern, super-saturated, high gain lead amp;
smooth, yet biting. All the tone controls here are post-Tubetone for maximum control
with minimum muddiness. Again, this unique overdrive tone was created by merging
different tone-shaping elements from different high-gain amps. We started with
studies of a Bogner, which is designed to meld the designs of Fender and Marshall
amps. We tweaked from the Bogner-inspired starting point, to bring you unique tonal
advantages that come from our own unique tone-bending combination.
17. AX2 Layer – AX2 Clean meets AX2 Drive. Many guitarists and producers have
experimented with running multiple amps simultaneously, with each amp making a
contribution to the overall tone. Stevie Ray Vaughan, for example, would split his
guitar signal to drive a Marshall, Fender Vibroflex, and Dumble Steel String Singer
simultaneously to get some of the amazing sounds on his records. This studio
technique has made possible some of the greatest guitar tones of modern recordings.
This Amp Model was produced by superimposing a “traditional” clean guitar tone and
a particularly tweaked-up variant of the AX2 Drive. The Drive knob acts as a blender
control – fully left you’ve got big bottom 21st Century Clean, and fully right you’ve
got paint-peeling Ultra-drive. Set it anywhere in between, and you get to have your
cake and smear it all over your audience, too.
Modeled Amps: AND THEN SOME
AND THEN SOME
18. Fuzz Tones – Although not technically an amp, we felt that the unique tonal
qualities of the classic 1960’s Arbiter Fuzz Face entitled it to a place among the amps
modeled to create the AX2’s TubeTone Amp Models. This fuzz box used broad
frequency, transistor-based clipping. The result is a buzzing kind of distortion that has
become popular again with the alternative and grunge set. Jimi Hendrix was among
the first guitarists to popularize the Fuzz Face in the States, but our model is
considerably dirtier than the tones found on “Are You Experienced.” Try playing
“Satisfaction” by the Stones, or the lead from “American Woman” by The Guess
Who. Liberal use of the Bass, Mid, and Treble controls will let you go beyond the
tones that the Fuzz Face could deliver, enabling you to discover your own unique
recipe for those elusive fuzz tones in your head.
19. Acoustic Simulations
19.1 – This uses the TubeTone magic of the AX2 to create a sound similar to what you
get from an acoustic electric guitar with a piezo pickup. Is it going to replace your prewar Martin? Probably not. But if you need a quick acoustic sound for an intro or a
quiet bridge passage, it’s a lot easier than switching guitars.
19.2 – Same as above, but created with a little bit different feel. You could say it’s got
a bit fuller sound, or maybe a tad brighter. Anyway, you’ll want to check ‘em both out
for yourself and see what works best for whatever you’re up to.
3•9
BRIGHT SWITCHES
Please see chapter 10 for a chart listing all the Amp Models, and the Bright Switch
default settings for each of them.
Controls & Connections: ROAD MAP
CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS
ROAD MAP
If you flip out the back cover of this User Guide, you’ll see handy reference drawings of
the AX2, plus the optional Floor Board and FB4 foot controllers that work with them.
Wow – the art department strikes again! Keep this folded out and refer to it while
you’re reading the rest of the user guide.
4•1
When you see a boxed number like this one , you'll be able to refer to the
corresponding number on the fold out to find out what the heck is happening.
Now then, in the following section, we’re going to go over just what does what, so get
yourself a cool beverage, sit back, and follow along:
1
FRONT PANEL
Guitar Input
1
Like you’d expect, this is what you plug your guitar into.
2
Aux Input
This is for mics, drum machines, CD players, tape players, and anything else you might
want to amplify at the same time as your guitar. It’s great for guitars that have a piezo
(or any other sort of acoustic pickup) in addition to the regular magnetic pickups, as
well as acoustic guitars with pickups. The cool thing about the Aux is that the signal is
routed right past all the guitar distortion and effects processing, so you can have
thrashing guitar along with practice CD, or an amplified acoustic guitar – even a clean
vocal in a pinch – with no distortion or guitar processing on the clean aux channel.
Input Level Controls
3
BE SURE TO SET YOU GUITAR LEVEL AS DESCRIBED IN THE QUICK START SECTION!
OTHERWISE, YOUR GUITAR SOUND’S LIABLE TO SUFFER.
For the Aux, just turn it up ’til it sounds good, and down a bit if the CLIP light flashes.
Controls & Connections: FRONT PANEL
Master V olume
4
Controls the overall volume level of the amp. Also sets the headphone/direct out
level. This setting is not saved when you store a channel into one of the AX2 memory
locations. Unlike most conventional amps, changing the Master Volume level does
not change your tone. This way, you can get the tone you want at any volume level.
The Editing Knobs
5
4•2
These are the controls you’ll use to create and edit different amp sounds on the AX2.
Because the AX2 has so many editable parameters for each sound, these knobs will
change function, depending on which row of the edit matrix you have chosen. When
you first recall a sound, these knobs are automatically set to control the parameters of
the Main row (Drive, Bass, Mid, Treble, Channel Volume, and Delay/Reverb Level).
You can tell, because the little red arrow next to the MAIN Row label is lit.
Channel Select Buttons
6
These allow you to select any one of the channels in the current bank. This enables
you to recall all the details of a complete AX2 setup at any time. You can also use the
optional Floor Board foot controller to call up AX2 channels, but we’re not gonna go
into that here. See your Floor Board User Guide for details.
Bank Select Buttons
7
These buttons let you move from channel memory bank to channel memory bank.
There are 32 User Banks, 32 Preset Banks. 64 Banks total.
User/Preset
8
This button lets you choose whether you want to work with your AX2's Preset or User
channels. The AX2 has 64 different banks of memory which hold 4 channels each for
a total of 256 different channels. 32 of these banks hold factory Preset channels, 32
have User editable channels. While you can’t write over any of the factory Preset
channels, you can edit them and then save your edited setup into a User bank
channel. You may find it handy to think of the Presets like library books – you're
supposed to read them like they are, without making any changes. Whereas the User
memories are like your notebooks – the place where you can store the ideas you've
created yourself.
Controls & Connections: FRONT PANEL
Display
9
Most of the time, this shows which channel you have chosen. It can also show you:
whether or not you’ve edited the channel you’re playing through; which note you’re
tuning to; the value of the parameter you're editing; or other useful information.
Save
10
Press this button to save a setup you are working with. When you press the button
once, the display will start to flash. At this point you either press Save a second time
to write your setup to the displayed location, or you use the Bank Up/Down and
Channel Select buttons to choose another location. Then you press Save a second
time and that channel setup’s yours forever.
11
Compare
When you’re editing a channel, this button will toggle between the last saved version
of the channel and the current, edited version you’re working on. When saving a
channel, you can also use the Compare button to check what’s already saved in that
channel before you write over it. See the discussion of saving sounds in the Working
It chapter for the complete scoop.
4•3
T uner/T ap T empo
12
This button normally will select the built-in digital chromatic tuner. However, when
the Delay Edit Row is active, you can tap this button to set your delay tempo. Check
out the discussion of Delay effects in the Working It chapter for the skinny on that.
Edit Row Select Buttons
13
These buttons will select which of the Edit Rows is active. What in the world is an
Edit Row, you ask? Well…
Edit Rows
14
The Edit Rows are what enable you to get to exactly the AX2 details you want to
adjust, extremely quickly. Just press one of the Edit Row Select buttons to choose an
Edit Row, and spin a knob to change a setting.
Controls & Connections: FRONT PANEL
When we say “Rows,” we’re talking about the left-to-right group of six settings for a
particular aspect of the AX2’s function. For instance, the top Edit Row of the AX2 has
the label AUX/MIDI at the left, and includes the settings “Aux Input Mix, Aux Input
Bass, Aux Input Treble, Aux Input Reverb, MIDI Channel, and Transmit Sounds.”
The Row Select Buttons each do double duty. You press a button once and that
chooses one row; you press it a second time, and that chooses a second row . To see this
in action, repeatedly press the little black button to the left of the AUX/MIDI Row’s
4•4
label. You’ll see that you light up a little red arrow pointing to AUX/MIDI, then one
that points to the NOISE/GATE Row, then AUX/MIDI, then NOISE/GATE. You get
the idea. The other Row Select buttons work the same way.
These rows are laid out in the order that sound flows through the AX2 – the way it
would flow through a classic guitar rig with a bunch of pedals, and an effects rack, and
an amplifier and cabinets....
Input effects come first, in the top three Edit Rows. These are the things that you
apply to the guitar signal before it hits the amplifier’s preamp tone processing. Noise
Gate, Compression, Distortion Boxes, Wah, and Volume Pedal. Think of these as your
built-in stomp box collection.
Think of the next three Edit Rows down as the Amp and Cabinet portion of the
AX2 processing. This is where you’ll find the controls of the Amp Models – Drive,
Bass, Mid, Treble, and Bright Switch, as well as a volume control for the Amp Model’s
output level. Plus the kinds of sound shaping tools that you might find built into an
amplifier – Graphic EQ and Tremolo – and the control for the AX2 cabinet
simulations, which emulate the distinct sounds that you get when using different
speaker cabinet configurations.
Continuing our downward tour of the Edit Rows, we come next to the parts of the
AX2 that you can think of as its Effects Rack. This is where you’ll find digital delays,
digital reverb, chorus and more. You’ll also find several emulations of classic effect
boxes from the past, like Tape Echo and Ring Modulation. Even a rotary speaker
emulation.
After that, you’ve got a row for turning individual portions of the effects processing on
and off, as you would do from a pedal board (like the Line 6 Floor Board).
Controls & Connections: REAR PANEL
And finally, the MAIN row gives you easy access to the most-used AX2 controls.
Everything's covered in detail in the oft-promised Working It chapter.
Option Lists
15
This information is here so that you’ll know almost everything you need to edit your
sound without having to keep looking at this User Guide. Not only that, but it gives
you something to read when you’re playing at one of those clubs where you have to
wait for the manager to turn off the jukebox before you can start your set.
Signal Flow
16
Another handy reference. Just so you know what goes before and after what.
REAR PANEL
AC power connector
We didn’ t bother to put it on the road map; we figure you can probably find it. The end
of the power cord that won’t fit into the wall socket goes here.
4•5
Power switch
Also not on the road map. We figured you’d find it OK on your own. Little red push
button. On or Off? You decide.
Speaker Jacks
17
Plug the speaker cables into these (actually, we already did that when we put your
AX2 together). If you’re going to drive an external speaker cabinet with your AX2,
make sure that the cabinet has an impedance of 8 ohms or greater. Also, note that you
can just unplug the speakers here if you want to record or practice silently using the
direct recording/headphone output. Unlike some tube-based power amplifiers, it is
perfectly OK to run the AX2’s amplifiers with no speaker load.
MIDI In/Out
18
Use these to connect a MIDI floor controller or to connect to a computer with a MIDI
Controls & Connections: REAR PANEL
20
interface. You can do all sorts of interesting things with the AX2 and MIDI. Check
out the chapter on Tweaky Stuff for details.
Headphone/Direct Out Jack
19
Plug your headphones or a stereo 1/4” cable into this jack to provide you with your
own private listening experience, or a direct output to a mixing board or recorder.
Plugging into this jack turns on a built in cabinet simulator that emulates a miked
speaker cabinet. That means no direct box is needed for recording or feeding a live P A
4•6
setup; just plug into this Direct Out for great sound right out of the box! Use a good
quality cable to ensure the lowest possible noise, and be sure to keep the Master
volume level down so you don’t blow your ears out with the headphones when you first
put ‘em on. One last thing – plugging in headphones does NOT disable the speakers,
so if you plug in at 3AM for a little private shredding, disconnect the speakers so as
not to wake the rest of the family with an impromptu midnight serenade!
Line 6 Foot Pedal Connector
This thing that looks like a telephone connector on steroids is where you connect the
optional Floor Board or FB4 foot controllers. See the Floor Board and FB4 User
Guides for all the insider info.
Pedal 1 & Pedal 2 Jacks
21
You can plug a standard expression pedal (like the Roland mo del EV-5 or equivalent)
into these jacks to control volume (Pedal 1) or wah (Pedal 2). If you’ve only got one
pedal, don’t worry, just plug it into the Pedal 1 jack, and when you choose a channel
that has the wah turned on, it becomes a wah pedal. Kinda like magic, isn’t it?
If things don’t seem to be working out between you and the foot pedals, please be sure
to see the sections of this User Guide that detail the foot pedal functions, as well as
the volume pedal and wah effects.
And thus, our tour of the AX2 controls and connections is completed. Thanks for
coming along, and be sure to tune in for the next episode, Working It.
Working It: WAY IMPORTANT INFO ON SETTING LEVELS
WORKING IT
OK, so let’s take a few minutes and get down to business with the AX2 together, and
see how it all works.
WAY IMPORTANT INFO ON SETTING LEVELS
I KNOW – WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE. BUT IT IS PROBABLY THE MOST
IMPORTANT SETTING ON THE AX2, SO WE'RE JUST GONNA TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN.
In order to get the best tone, it is imperative that you set the input level properly!
1. Turn the GUITAR, AUX and MASTER knobs on the left side of the front
panel to 0.
2. On your guitar, select the loudest pickup.
If your guitar has a humbucking pickup, use it. Otherwise, try the pickup closest to the
bridge.
3. Turn your guitar’s volume and tone controls to max.
4. Strum your guitar as loudly as possible.
5. Slowly turn up the GUITAR input level.
Continue strumming loudly while turning up this knob (it’s a good time to have three
hands) until the CLIP light flashes just a little when your guitar is at its loudest.
6. Back off on the GUITAR input knob a notch so the clip never lights.
This will back off the level to prevent any undesirable clipping while you play. You
never want to consistently light up the clip light, since that will mess with your sound.
An occasional little flash every once in a while is OK.
7. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the AUX input if you’re going to use it.
5•1
Working It: TUNING UP
Example: If using a microphone, sing loudly into the microphone and adjust the AUX
knob until the CLIP light no longer flashes. Warning! You may want to give others a
chance to leave the immediate area before you start singing loudly.
8. Adjust the MASTER knob to a comfortable listening level.
9. Set your pickups and guitar volume and tone controls as you like.
If you’re using more than one guitar with the AX2, you can take a couple of different
approaches to setting the input level. The first approach is to find what the optimum
setting is for all your different guitars and change the input setting whenever you
change guitars. The second approach is to find the optimum setting for the guitar with
5•2
the highest output and leave the input level set for that guitar. If you do this, your
other guitars will vary in level and the way they drive the amp the same as they would
on any other amp.
TUNING UP
Despite the fact that Jimi Hendrix once said “Only cowboys stay in tune,” you may
want to tune up your guitar with the AX2's on-board tuner before we continue
checking out the incredible sounds stored in its electronic brains.
Press the TUNER button and – kablam! – your AX2 instantly transforms into a big
black digital chromatic tuner. All TubeTone and effects processing are bypassed so you
can hear those questionably-tuned strings clearly.
If you’re up in front of an audience while doing this, you may want to be able to tune
silently, or at least at a reduced volume. You can do that by turning the CHANNEL
VOLUME knob while the tuner is active. This will set your tuner level without
effecting the other channels of your AX2.
Play a note on your guitar and the AX2 will show you what it is in that handy display
( ). Play that string again, give its tuning key a spin, and the six little red lights
9
above the AX2 knobs give you a light show . The idea is that the lights to the left come
on if you’re flat. The lights to the right come on if you’re sharp. And the two lights in
the center will be on at the same time when you’ve got it just right. Give any one of the
AX2’s buttons a push, and the tuner disappears just as swiftly as it came and you’re
right back to your amped-up sound.
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