Terratec Axon 50 USB

[Jed]

Any one have any experience with this unit? I really want to explore controlling VI's with a MIDI guitar rather than a keyboard since I am a guitarist first and my keyboard skills are a distant second. I know in some cases I'll have to multi-track the MIDI to get the voicings I want but I'd need even more MIDI tracks to build my VI parts via keyboard since my skills and technique are so weak.

Thanks in advance for you comments,

Jed

[mhschmieder]

I've considered either this or the full rack version for many years now, but after the price went up so much earlier this year, I lost interest for the moment.

Remember that you'll need to get a hex pickup for the guitar as well, if you don't already have one. Also, there's a wealth of information on the subject on the internet; some of it in this very forum. I strongly advise doing a lot of research first, because you may find your playing style and needs dictate different choices than your initial assumption.

Just to make this clear, one of the biggest decisions is which type of pickup to use. Some are web based (not internet, but a network of sensors to correlate which tones are the fundamental vs. harmonics, ringing, etc.), a few are piezo based, and there are other topologies and form factors as well. Godin builds the pickups into their guitar and feels nylon strings are ideal vs. steel strings, if I recall correctly. Something about the vibrational characteristics and how long the strings sustain, and how accurate the tracking is as a result.

I used to own several different Roland GR models but never liked any of them very much. That's why I was interested in the Axon for several years, as I suspected their tracking method would work better with my tendency to use fingerpicking styles (especially classical guitar style) when triggering other sounds.

All pickups arte improving, from every manufacturer. The newer ones from Roland and Axon (the latter was announced but may not be released yet) can be placed on curved bodies, which not only helps Les Paul players and Jazz Guitar players, but also theoretically allows for application to violin and mandolin, etc.

As for the AX50 vs. AX100, there are advantages to each. The AX100 has built-in sounds that most say are OK but not great; whilst the AX50 has a soft synth for the computer, which from the specs looks similar to the hardware synth engine. There are differences in USB connectivity as I recall as well. I think one was said to be better for live work, and the other for the studio.

If you Google on reviews of the AX50 and AX100, you should quickly locate some excellent on-line reviews from Music Tech in the U.K., I think maybe Sound-On-Sound, and one or two other magazines. These reviews bring up a lot of the questions you need to ask yourself before finalising a decision, and can help you find other links.

I have a stack of printouts for long-term reference on the subject, but without specific questions, would not know where to begin. I hope the above is at least food for thought, and good luck on whatever choice you end up making. Several members of this forum either have guitar synths, have in the past and/or are considering them for the future.

[Frodo]

MH--

I'm always grateful for your input and am genuinely impressed by your breadth of knowledge. Thanks so much, in case I haven't said that in a while.

I recall (somewhere deep in the 100+ pages of the infamous Beatle thread) looking into the AX units. One thing I discovered, and confirmed by your report, was that the sounds in the AX100 were hardly worth the extra money, considering that the same exceptional MIDI translation technology is the same on both units. To me, that was really the crux of the matter.

The only thing that stopped me from getting the AX-50 was that no one locally had them in stock. But evidently, by many accounts, the Axon units are in many ways more reliable than the Roland units (which surprised me).

The AX-50 is still on my End-Of-The-Year-December-Non-Denominational-Generic-Politically-Correct-Mid-Winter-Holiday list of must-haves.