At first sight, Blue Cat’s Axiom may look like your average effects processor for guitar & Bass, with its amp simulation at the core, its built-in effect pedals placed before or after the amp…

But let’s see what hidden gems actually make it really different and more powerful!

Unlimited Amp Simulation

Destructor (which provides the amp tones in Axiom) is not like traditional amp simulations: instead of giving you access to only a small number of amps or cab models, it can be entirely customized to create your own tone, up to a very deep level, without compromise:

Axiom comes with hundreds of amp simulation presets designed after famous models to get you started, but there is no limit to what you can achieve with it. You can even imagine the craziest tones that were never ever created before: you are in full control. It’s an infinite number of simulations available at your fingertips. And it’s all designed to make it both sound and feel good to play.

And yet, you do not need a degree in electronics or be an expert of tube amps to get the right tone, because is is based on a perceptual model. It feels like you need more treble, just add treble! The amp feels over-compressed? Increase the dynamics… All parameters have been chosen to relate to what you hear, instead of how an amp is supposed to work in the physical world.

Unique Tone Crafting With Tone Maps

With the tone maps tool, Axiom introduces a new revolutionary way to explore new tonal universes seamlessly, for both amp simulations and a bunch of other effects (reverbs, chorus, flanger, eqs, cabinets and more…).

You can now craft your tone without having a single clue about what the parameters of the effect or amp simulation are! Forget about choosing virtual amps, microphones, cabinets (4×12? 2×12? 4×10?) and all sorts of accessories you may have never heard about, and focus on what you hear.

Or You have no idea about what the delay parameter of a chorus does? Forget it, and just think about the type of effect you are looking for: should it be closer to a vibrato, a flanger, or maybe alter the pitch? Move the magic cursor around, and you will probably find the effect you are looking for in a minute.

[Read more about tone maps here]

An Open Field With No Limits

Axiom is not a walled garden, keeping you locked inside a tiny niche of available pedals or amps. It’s more like an open field that gives you entire freedom of choice regarding your tone.

Destructor has no limits in the way you can create your own amp simulations, and it also provides all the tools you need to create an infinite number of custom distortion, compression and miscellaneous boost pedals. The same applies to the built-in Late Replies delay and reverb that includes hundreds of predefined delay and reverb effects (analog or tape echoes, shimmer ambiances…) and lets you create all sorts time-based effects for your tone. And the built-in Re-Guitar plug-in even lets you change the pickups of your guitar without touching the instrument!

Also, all effects listed in Axiom (more than 70 to this date) are full versions, with no limitation: no extra purchase is required, it’s all there!

Last but not least: you are actually free to use these built-in effects or not, as Axiom can also load third party plug-ins! It is a truly open system, thanks to third party VST, VST3 and Audio Unit support. You can even load third party amp simulations, and mix them with the built-in Destructor, or load our favorite impulse responses (IR) for cab simulation, there is no restriction of any kind!

Same Tone In The Studio & On Stage

What’s also great with Axiom is that it excels both in the studio and on stage: you can use the same tones while writing and recording music, or when playing live.

Available as a plug-in in all standard formats, it can be used inside any DAW when recording and then mixing. The unique perceptual approach of Destructor makes it very easy for the mixing engineer to tweak the guitar tone after recording, and make it fit into the mix. With its openness and all built-in effects, Axiom is the perfect channel strip for your guitar and bass tracks!

But Axiom was also designed to play on stage: it comes with a great feeling while playing, and offers many MIDI control options. You can load Axiom as a standalone application on a laptop, plug it into a FRFR speaker and/or the front of house console, and control everything with a MIDI foot controller during the performance. It’s like having and giant pedalboard and a huge collection of custom amps in a little box!

Worth A Try?

As you have probably already understood, Axiom is really about flexibility and openness, without any compromise for your tone.

While this may sound like a gigantic open field you can get lost in, Axiom also provides multiple levels of details: with many levels of presets and sub presets and the unique tone maps tool, you can interact with your tone using the right level of complexity, anytime. Either choose an amp and a few pedals quickly, or dig into the details of each simulation to tweak your tone.

Axiom can be used as a traditional multi-effects processor, but it also offers a lot more under the hood.

Like many guitar players, you can try Axiom now: it may change the way you think about your guitar tone forever!

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