It's an amp simulation and multi effects processor. It includes two amps sim channels (actually two instances of destructor), fxs slots...
Official statement by BC : "
Blue Cat's Axiom is a powerful and open multi effects processor and amp simulationsoftware for guitar and bass. Based on the acclaimed Destructor plug-in for amp simulations, Axiom offers an infinite number of exceptional tones for your axe.

It includes two amp simulations channels (with pre and post effects) that can be mixed together or used alternatively like a real amp. You can choose your amp models from hundreds of presets or launch the amp editor to build your own, with complete control over the tone. Additional input and master sections let you adjust the tone at the input and the output of Axiom, with 4 additional effect slots each and an integrated high precision tuner. A brickwall limiter also protects the output from overshoot."....
All the details here : https://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/Product_Axiom/

For launch you can get it, or the bundle, discounted (149 instead of 199 for axiom only). If you already own Late Replies and Destructor you can get it for 59$.

 

It´s already in sister site...

 

Can't say I'm impressed at all, it has the same dull, unrealistic sound as their "Destructor" - the Zoom 505 that I bought in 2005 had better distortion - and the effects sound plasticky and pasted on as well, like glitter on shit.

 

I like destructor. That, or trash by izotope are great "algo" disto, where you can shape the wave used to distort or saturate. The dynamic module is a nice plus. Other units aim to emulate distortion or saturation met in the analogic realm (the PA vertigo VSM3 or AA Crimson, or Black Box Analogue Design HG 2, Elysia Karacter, Maul etc, many, many of those). Some flavors are probably achievable through destrucor with a few plugs in bonus to emulate the warmth of analogue gear which isn't something that is in destructor. Destructor is more meant to create your own kind of flavor, it doesnt aim to recreate old ones.
I don't use te included fxs, neither in axiom nor in Late replies, I'm not a big fan either, but you can use any of your own vsts instead, so I don't really care. Axiom even allows the use of your own vsties.

 

Yeah, that's why it uses design motifs from electric guitar amps in their GUI, right?

Sarcasm aside, they marketed Destructor as a guitar amp simulator that can "recreate any amp" and at that it completely fails. If it wasn't clear, my earlier post was regarding guitar sound, rather than distortion as a mixing effect - it may actually be useful for that. But it's certainly not going on my DI insert.

 

I can't tell about DIs emulation quality, really not my area. I read from a few people that seems to know their DIs that it's not something very well done in the digital area.
Destructor is marketed as a distortion unit that can incarnate any wave shape and that's what it does, extremely well I might add. Axiom is marketed as an amp sim, but for me, and I've used it a bit over the last 2 days so it's not like it's my most used plug, it's two destructors units plus the possibility to use my own plugins before and after those two units, all in one single plugin.
About the marketing side of things : all devs do that. All synths developper in the digital realm indicates that their synths do incredible new stuffs unheard of in the analogue realm but also has filters that are sounding analogue, and fxs that recreate this and that....But they never do. Not exactly at least. That doesn't mean that what they do isn't great. It's just not what was done in the past in hardware analogue gear. It never will and it can't be. Which is great cause digital fxs and instruments are great on their own. If we didn't have this invasive history behind us, they would be sold for their own qualities only, not marketed for what they aren't.
Destructor is like the equilibrium (eq unit by dmg audio) of distortion. Equilibrium has all the main shapes of most popular eqs in recent music history. And it offers its own shape which are my favorite. But if you pick equilibrium SSL peak recreation for example (well one of those offered) you just get the shape of the eq, not a replication of the entire unit. If you want that you'll have to use sand by AA, or the original unit, or try on your own with other ways to recreate the missing aspects of the original gear. Equilibrium offers a shape cleaned of any of the other elements harware would bring with the way it was built, it circuitry, etc.
I greatly enjoy devs that do that, they give us the opportunity to draw the line where we want in term of what aspects of yesterday sound we bring back alive.


Edit : oh...I say that cause I've noticed you just absolutely love Chris from AirWindows )). He offers awesome plugs to emulate just one aspect - sometime weird or very small - of the analogue realm. Power supply limitation (powersag), the desk serie for small things, there are a load of those....

 

Last edited: Apr 24, 2018