Fractal Audio Systems

Ultra & Standard

Axe-Fx Ultra & Axe-Fx Standard (Discontinued)

Real Amp Tone and Feel with 70+ Amps

The Axe-Fx is an all-in-one guitar tone and effects processor which accurately recreates the sound and feel of real tube amps. It shines at pure vintage cleans, soars with sweet overdrive, and stuns with brutal modern hi-gain tones. There are currently 70 different vintage and modern amplifier simulations onboard, plus 39 different speaker cabinet types (and unlimited expansion via cabinet IR files.)

Axe-Fx Ultra Front Panel

The Best Stompbox and Studio Effects

The Axe-Fx also recreates the sounds of the world’s best guitar stompbox and studio effects. Build the virtual pedalboard of your dreams with access to up to 70+ effect types, from vintage and boutique pedals to leading-edge rack processors. Hundreds of onboard preset memories allow you to save any setup for instant recall at the press of a button... and yes, effect tails can "spillover" when you do.

Axe-Fx Ultra and Standard feature hundreds of effects.

  • 22 Distortion/OD types
  • Dozens of Delay types
  • Great reverb types
  • Totally customizable Wah
  • Whammy
  • Intelligent Harmony
  • Phaser & Uni-Vibe
  • Stereo Chorus & Flanger
  • Panner/Tremolo
  • Rotary Speaker
  • Crystals and Reverse
  • 5 Filter types
  • Graphic & Param. EQs
  • 2+ Compressor types
  • Noise Gate
  • And many, many more
Great Flexibility and Routing Options

Besides its superb sound, the Axe-Fx has unrivalled flexibility, offering greater freedom in many ways even than real gear. (It also weighs a lot less.) Freely place and interconnect amps, cabs, and effect blocks in a 4x12 grid, with complete control of mix and routing at every point. Insert 3rd party gear anywhere in the chain via the stereo effects loop, or use the extra outs to send a different mix to the house PA. Designed with the professional in mind, the Axe-Fx has a full complement of professional i/o, military-spec components, and a rugged, steel 2U chassis. Adding remote expression pedals, switches, or the midi foot controller of your choice puts extensive real-time control literally at your feet.

Ease of Use, Evolution, and Excitement

Despite having some of the world’s most advanced guitar technology inside, the Axe-Fx ’s still easy to use. It challenges the idea that guitarists need to "chase tone" with an ever-increasing arsenal of products by actually evolving over time (as demonstrated by the 10+ free updates we have released since 2006.) Musicians -- including many real life guitar heroes -- tell us that they don't care if it is run by tubes, DSP, or alien nanobots; it sounds great, inspires their creativity and gets them back to making music.

Two Models: Axe-Fx Standard and Axe-Fx Ultra

Every Axe-Fx has unprecedented computing power. The Axe-Fx Standard model meets the needs of many demanding musicians, with power enough to build a complete virtual rig. The Axe-Fx Ultra on the other hand utilizes an even faster processor and has more memory allowing more simultaneous blocks for even bigger rigs with additional effect types available.

Sample Axe-Fx Ultra Presets


A straight thru rig with lots of options. Set up internally to toggle wah and whammy with a single expression pedal.


A dual amp preset incorporating a delay using the internal send and return blocks. The reverb is routed in parallel.


A parallel FX setup for the "4-Cable-Method" using the Axe-Fx both in front of AND in the effects loop of an amp head.


Download Axe-Edit - Free Mac + PC Software Editor for the Axe-Fx II, Standard, and Ultra

 

 

Axe-Fx II - Twice the Power