Inputs and outputs
Every jack on the Axe-Fx II, on a diagram you can click — what it's for, and the thing about it that costs people an evening.
Axe-Fx II · Rear panel · schematic, drawn from Line 6’s panel diagram
INSTRUMENT IN (front)
TS, 1/4"front panel
The front-panel instrument jack, on Fractal's Secret Sauce III circuit.
Only live when INPUT 1 LEFT SELECT is set to FRONT in the I/O menu. Plugging in is not enough.
Fractal Audio: Axe-Fx II product and support pagesInput 1, and the Humbuster trick
Input 1 is the instrument input and carries Fractal's “Secret Sauce” circuitry, tuned for guitar and bass pickups. The other inputs are line level and will take a guitar, but without that front end. Plug the guitar into Input 1.
FM9 Owner's ManualThe quarter-inch outputs use Fractal's Humbuster wiring, which cancels ground-loop hum when you use a Humbuster cable — a TRS plug at the Fractal end and a TS plug at the amp end. An ordinary guitar cable works and simply gives up the benefit. If you have hum going into a real amp, this is the first thing to try, before a ground lift or a DI box.
Axe-Fx III Owner's ManualThe front jack needs a menu setting
INPUT 1 LEFT SELECT chooses front or rear. Plugging into the front panel does nothing until it is set to FRONT.
Fractal Audio: Axe-Fx II product and support pagesHumbuster on the quarter-inch outputs
The same wiring as the current generation. A Humbuster cable — TRS at the Axe-Fx, TS at the amp — cancels ground-loop hum.
Fractal Audio: Axe-Fx II product and support pagesHow the foot controller connects depends on the model
XL, XL+ and Mark II have an EtherCON port for an MFC-101 over FASLINK. The original Axe-Fx II has a plain Ethernet port.
Fractal Audio: Axe-Fx II product and support pagesPreset and cab memory differs by model
The XL and XL+ hold 768 presets and 1024 user cabs. The original and Mark II hold 384 presets and 100 cabs.
Fractal Audio: Axe-Fx II product and support pagesIt is a USB audio interface
Built in, alongside S/PDIF and AES digital I/O.
Fractal Audio: Axe-Fx II product and support pages