I Am David – Distortions in Our Live Setup on the Fractal Axe-Fx III
When the gain doesn't mask the emotion, but carries it further
With I Am David – Distortions, the 8 Scenes do not follow a specific setlist: instead, they explore eight different ways of building the guitar sound, from the warmth of the Tube Driver to fuzz, through to broader, more atmospheric lead tones.
On the Fractal Axe-Fx III, this preset becomes a palette of drive tones to choose from according to the character of the song and the space the guitar needs to occupy in the mix.
Eight different ways to bring the guitar forward
Tube Driver 4 Knob and Tube Driver 3 Knob belong to the same family, but they respond differently under the fingers. Riot Distortion, Valve Screamer, and Tone of Kings, on the other hand, push the guitar toward more present, aggressive, or mid-focused tones.
With Fuzz and Fuzz Solo, sustain and saturation take center stage, while Space Solo adds depth and ambience to the drive, turning the delay into an integral part of the phrasing.
When drive becomes expression
For us, the point is not to choose the Scene with the most gain, but the one that tells that moment best. A fuller distortion can sound huge on its own and then take up too much space when the whole band comes in.
For this reason, we adjust volume, sustain, fuzz response, and ambience directly within the context of the song. Cleans and Distortions thus become two sides of the same rig: one lets the guitar breathe, while the other brings it to the forefront when the music calls for it.
When the drive is right, you stop hearing the distortion: you only hear the phrase coming to life.
I Am David – Distortions · Fractal Axe-Fx III
8 Scenes · Overdrive + Distortion + Fuzz + Lead