JFET Switch on AXE I/O

[Greggo704]

Hi all,

I know the JFET switch on the AXE I/O is meant to be subtle, but the difference seems to be non existent on mine.

Before getting the AXE I/O I used to have a Z-Tone DI that I paired before a Scarlett 2i2 or a Behringer UMC202 and I remember the JFET mode there was a subtle but still noticeable difference, like a bit more sparkle and a slight mid boost in the DI signal.

With the AXE I/O I'm not really hearing any difference at all, can anyone else confirm if they notice much difference? I don't know if this is a component tolerance thing.

The pickup is set to passive mode and its registering as instrument so the config is right, so wondering what others experiences are.

[bellaah]

I also keep mine in passive since I only play a strat. I leave my JFET switch on as it's a touch warmer and gets rid of some plinkiness in positions 2 and 4. Off, it's a clearer tone but slightly thinner. It is pretty subtle though so unless I'm recording a take I don't mess with it much.

[Greggo704]

The thing that bug's me is that on the z-tone DI the JFET was very noticeable so makes me wonder if the circuitry on that device was better, it was a very rugged device. Part of me thinks I should have kept my original configuration of z-tone DI into Scarlet 2i2 rather than full fat axe I/O

[Peter_IK]

It shouldn't be different, please open a ticket with IK Support for direct assistance with your issue. Thank you.

[Greggo704]

Thanks Peter - do you think much can be done with it being hardware? Do you notice much difference on yours, I remember you saying you had a few of them.

I do really like the device, but was just a bit disappointed that it didn't seem to have the same sparkle as the Z-tone I had did. The headroom is better than previous interface though that's for sure

[Cessanfrancisc0]

I don't notice any difference between the JFET and the PURE settings. If the JFET does anything, it's not audible to the human ear, or at least not my ear. Otherwise, I think the AXE I/O sounds great.

UPDATE:
I am now able to hear a very slight difference between the PURE and JFET settings. I have made sure all my input and output levels are not clipping (in the red) in Amplitube 5, the AXE I/O Control Panel and on the device itself. I am also now playing a humbucker equipped guitar with a high gain amp model. When I switch to the JFET setting I do notice a barely perceptible amount of warmth. Keep in mind, however, this difference is so slight that I can't tell if I'm actually hearing a difference or if it's totally psychological. But I do (think) I hear something.

If the slight variation I'm hearing is, in fact, real, and the JFET is doing something, it would make absolutely zero difference in a full band mix.

The bottom line with this, for me, is the AXE I/O sounds great (miles better than the interface I am replacing) with or without the JFET feature. I didn't buy it for the JFET feature so, personally, I don't really care if it works as advertised. I still like the AXE I/O.

[Peter_IK]

Glad you like it. Note that the Z-TONE should absolutely affect tone and though it might seem subtle, playing through the right Z-TONE and gain staged settings can make a big difference to the part. Warren Huart does a great video, he starts playing through it at around 10 minutes in and you can hear even on the active setting and just working the gain there's already a lot of tone shaping ability and then he starts playing with the Z-TONE around 12-12.5 minutes in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVtCjpdR9XU

[Cessanfrancisc0]

Thanks for the video. Yes, I noticed a quite a bit of difference in tone when turning the Z-TONE knob. It's just that little JFET switch. I just don't really hear any difference between the PURE and the JFET settings. Like I said in my previous post, the difference, if any, is so slight that I either miss it or wonder if it's purely a psychological difference.

[Mattvmb]

Three days ago I purchased an AXE I/O ONE audio interface, and the sound is great after a few minutes of configuration, I managed to achieve low latency, the z-tone is very useful when building the tone, but Jfet and Pure do absolutely nothing difference in sound for me.
It seems I'm not the only one who has this impression, has anyone come to a conclusion about this?
Does anyone have a video or review that demonstrates this difference? I didn't find anyone on the internet who could clearly demonstrate the difference between the modes.
Any indication?
If someone could help me clarify the matter, before I return the interface due to malfunction lol, would that be cool!

[Peter_IK]

The video above demonstrates it. Note that the Z-TONE knob and PURE/JFET switch both only apply to Input 1 and this control only works when the Pickup Selector is in the Passive position. Please refer to the AXE I/O User Manual for more information on how all of the switches and knobs on your AXE I/O function. https://www.ikmultimedia.com/faq/index.php?id=1395