Questions regarding the Cab Packs and Axe-FX in General

[Robert Timms]

Hey guys! I’m sort of new here. I’ve never posted, but I joined when this all started (been crazy busy with my band).
This is for the gear heads out there.
Currently I run a Line 6 Helix in 4 Cable Method with a Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200, into an EVH 212 for my live rig. I used to run the Helix direct to FOH, but around here, they look at you like you have two heads if you tell them to plug into the back of your rack instead of sticking a mic in front of your FRFR speaker… Another problem was finding an IR that isn’t too harsh or boomy for going through FOH, so I resorted to using the Helix into a real cab.
ANYWAYS
I’m going to be buying an Axe-FX III soon, because I’m an amp tweaker at heart, and I’ve always wanted one.
Looking at the Syn Cab Packs, they seem like they’d be ideal because I’m a studio guy as well as a regular gigging musician, so the “Syn’s Iso” pack seems really appealing for my live rig.
Does anyone here have experience with the Iso Cab IRs, and what are your thoughts? Bonus points if you have videos!
Thanks guys! Sorry for the long-winded post, hopefully it isn’t too confusing.
Cheers!

 

[Ed Seith]

I did some fairly detailed videos. Syn hung with us on the first one.
https://youtu.be/fNRe3FwOkXY
The second demos the actual Syn Cab Pack A/B’d against stock Fractal cabs and also a Misha Mansoor cab pack.

Let me know if you have any follow-up questions. I don’t have a III, but for most purposes questions about the IIXL+ and III would be the same.

 

[Robert Timms]

Okay, awesome! Going to check those out right now and I’ll check back.
Thanks man!

 

[Robert Timms]

They all sound great from what I heard in your videos, but I do still wonder how the Iso Cab one sounds. If it isn’t too much of a hassle, would you be able to showcase that IR in a video? Maybe comparing it to the Hellwin and one of the ML Zilla cabs?
I Love what I’m hearing so far!

 

[Ed Seith]

I can, but I can tell you this, too – the iso cab, coupled with my tone, is REALLY thin. It’s just a speaker that features a very different frequency set than I built my heavy tone around, and so it doesn’t sound good with the tone I have dialed.
I have no doubt that it CAN be tuned to sound pretty killer – clearly Syn’s tone is righteous. I’ll see what I can find and try to do a quick shootout this week.
I can also tell you that these things are all modeled fantastically. I’ve paid good money for some cab packs, and most, over time, I’ve discovered some weird artifacts in while I’m playing. Since I switched over to Syn’s modeled cabs, I haven’t noticed any, and that was quite a few months ago.

 

[Robert Timms]

Okay great, thanks. Tat would be awesome.
Yeah I’m mainly aiming to hear the differences, so I can figure out how I should dial them for live, etc.
Thanks again!

 

[Ed Seith]

Okay, so this is the good and the bad about being active here. I took my main tone, that I’ve spent a year tweaking, and changed the cab out to Syn’s ISO. Spent 10 minutes tweaking it – lots of EQ, changed the amp model (from 5153 Blue to Red), and little stuff like that, and I have a tone I like better than my standard.
Sigh.
Now I need to take what I’ve learned and adapt it to my lead tone.
It both sucks and rocks at the same time. I should be able to post a clip tomorrow.

 

[Robert Timms]

Hahaha, isn’t that the joy of modellers though? I find myself doing that all the time.
Thanks again, man! I look forward to hearing it!

 

[Ed Seith]

Okay, I did a demo for you. It’s about 10 minutes long, and I went into the cab, the amp settings, what’s different between the other cab models, what an Iso cab is (for anyone else watching who wants to know), and played a little guitar.

I’ll be doing a couple more vids, this week I hope, and getting them up there. Thanks for making me look into that cab again! Arggh!

 

[Robert Timms]

Awesome. That helps me out quite a bit, thanks! It sound a lot better than some iso cab sounds I’ve heard before. I’m probably going to buy the pack when I get my Axe FX III.
I’m going to be running into a power amp and cab, but I’ll have a line running to FOH, so I want to make sure the IR I choose is good and balanced.