Writing that answer was far more helpful than slamming the need for keeping factory presets which is a personal preference. Thank You.
slamming? i'm presenting an alternative. i've helped customers for over 10 years with this Axe stuff.
the thing i do most with 1-on-1 consultations is have almost psychological talks discussing why someone is doing this or that, and it almost always ends up being for no real reason at all.
deleting the Factory Presets that someone truly doesn't use at all, ever, isn't "slamming" anything. it's an excellent suggestion.
if anyone wants to keep the Factory Presets, they are giving up almost 1/2 of the Preset storage. if they truly aren't ever using it, that seems like a waste, doesn't it?
it's similar to people who ask if they need to update the Factory Presets when updating firmware. we ask "are you using the Factory Presets?" and they say no. so we say no. and they're like... oh yeah that makes sense. next question is "am i allowed to delete the Factory Presets since i don't use them?" and the answer is yes. and they're like OHHHHHH.
i think the desire to keep the Factory Presets on the unit at all times comes from the fact that many other devices have permanent Factory Presets that can't be removed or adjusted at all. and honestly, people usually don't use many/any of those anyway. but because devices in the past "always had Factory Presets", they want all their future gear to have it as well.
i wonder what would happen if the Axe3 was sold without any Preset data on it at all? all 512 slots are "user slots" and you can add the Factory Presets on if you want. i truly think that would change the view of many people regarding the 512 slots. why give them up to presets we aren't using?
when i work with people on the Axe from a fresh starting point, the first thing i do is have them move the Factory Banks up so Preset 1-128 are blank. this immediately gives them an "aha moment" compared to starting their presets on #385 or whatever. suddenly everything seems easier since it starts on number 1. i believe this approach was even considered briefly when the Beta Team was painstakingly creating and editing the Factory Presets before release. but it was agreed that to ship a device with a blank sound when turned on would be confusing to most people.
i love the Factory Presets. i and others here spent a very, very large amount of time working with them. but if you don't use them, you're allowed to delete them and give more space to things you do use. and if you want to keep them, then keep them, knowing that you're using up space.
it's pretty straightforward and non-emotional.
more preset slots would be great, but i think many would agree not at the cost of losing features in the future. didn't we see that exactly with the Axe-Fx II at some point?