Still no word on this... :/
Nice! Thanks!The Synth block on the Axe-Fx III under firmware 1.03 is a 3-voice monophonic synth.
It’s not the point that it has 3 voices, the main point is that it is still monophonic. It can only handle single single note inputs.Nice! Thanks!
(There may be some folks who won't be satisfied until you guys stick a Korg Kronos in there. But 3 voices will be enough for me to play around with while I'm waiting for the FTC to approve Fractal's acquisition of Korg. )
Thanks for the response. As I suspected the synth block is unchanged from the Axe Fx 2. More to the point I’d like to know if there is any interest within FAS to develop the Synth block further on the new platform ie: polyphonic capability? Extra functionality?The Synth block on the Axe-Fx III under firmware 1.03 is a 3-voice monophonic synth.
+1I gave up on guitar for synthesis years ago and took piano classes at the Community College. Other than using guitar synth for mono synth pad or lead work: I find a keyboard infinitely more versatile and easy to use. Guitar for guitar stuff, keyboard for synth stuff.
In general, i agree with much that you say here, but as I have advocated on these pages before, if you are willing to go into it knowing the limitations and numerous potential pitfalls of midi guitar , it is pretty easy these days to get good sounding and convincingly polyphonic tones with a fast computer and something like a Fishman Tripleplay, or more easily with no additional hardware, the amazing MIDI GUITAR 2 by www.jamorigin.com ...and i am surely looking forward to integrating that with the bolstered I/O of my incoming Axfx III!I don't think polyphonic synthesis from an audio guitar input signal is realistic. It may be enticing as an idea: but in practice its not suited to guitar. I started with the Roland VG-8 when it came out in the mid 1990s. With its individual string pickups and fine synth vocabulary (for the era), it was capable of some impressive synth results. However, even with those advantages: the characteristics of the guitar as an instrument are poorly suited to polyphonic triggering.
With a keyboard: you can trigger the notes of any chord simultaneously: on a guitar: that's just not possible unless you have some sort of super-precise tapping technique: and even then its so limited in terms of voicings compared to the ease of simultaneous triggering of any chord you can finger on a keyboard synth. A keyboard is precisely tuned. A guitar fingerboard is not. For most guitar tones, its significant level of inherent imprecision in tuning is masked by arpeggiation, or with strummed chords: each note's attack usually starting at slightly different times and/or by distortion. A guitar fingerboard's physical limitation of being slightly out of tune and not being able to trigger chords at the exact same moment sounds pretty awful IMHO with synth polyphony (as per experience with the VG-8), where a synths more simple harmonic content shows off every pitch, time and phase anomaly. AFAIK, its not currently possible to process a continuous audio signal input in real time for pitch detection and determine what is a fundamental and what is harmonics and on what string and have it assignable according to templates for conversion to polyphonic synthesis.
I gave up on guitar for synthesis years ago and took piano classes at the Community College. Other than using guitar synth for mono synth pad or lead work: I find a keyboard infinitely more versatile and easy to use. Guitar for guitar stuff, keyboard for synth stuff.
Monophonic synth accomplishes what is practical for guitar IMO. The Axe FX III also has a pair of inputs you can run the audio of an external hardware or soft synth of any denomination through for FAS effects and styling: That's great, and that's enough, IMO.
I don't think polyphonic synthesis from an audio guitar input signal is realistic. It may be enticing as an idea: but in practice its not suited to guitar.
I think the problem is that real synth/keys guys aren't going to be satisfied with anything in the Axe, short of the way to load VST's (which would be cool in itself) in the same way real guitar guys aren't ever going to be satisfied with any amp or effects in any synth/sampler/workstation.
I think its a question of where do they focus the Axe development ? Excel at one thing, or do a couple things halfway decent ?
With a keyboard: you can trigger the notes of any chord simultaneously: on a guitar: that's just not possible unless you have some sort of super-precise tapping technique:
Would love to see this!Polyphonic pitch detection and synthesis, e.g. the EHX key pedals, would be a killer feature in the III.
I have the EHX C9. It tracks really good and sounds great. A block like that in the III would be amazing. It could stand a comp after it to tame it a bit.
I really hope the synth block gets some love in the future. I found the one from the II to be too finicky and unpredictable. It would randomly shift up an octave and forced me to play stacatto because it gets confused very easily.
Agreed. I thought the same. Needs some compression.Polyphonic pitch detection and synthesis, e.g. the EHX key pedals, would be a killer feature in the III.
I have the EHX C9. It tracks really good and sounds great. A block like that in the III would be amazing. It could stand a comp after it to tame it a bit.