This is totally my opinion here and it may be splitting hairs to some degree, but I feel that FAS has always been dedicated to capturing/modeling/preserving amps, mostly tube guitar amps, and not interested in modeling pedals for the most part. It could explain why we haven't really seen any specific delay pedals or reverbs etc in the past. I think Drive pedals lend themselves to modeling specific types, but then the Wah types were some of the first specific "models" we saw, then some more specific Drive pedals, now some recent Delay types. It seems like it's happening more and more, but the focus remains amps, not "pedals."
Just how it appears to me. Not making any statements of fact, YMMV, IMHO, and all the other letters I can type so I don't get attacked for sharing an opinion
For better or worse, I, and according to some threads, some others as well, felt that by creating a product that only does effects, FAS was showing a new emphasis on the effects side of things. Regardless if that is warranted or not, I and others felt that by creating a pedal that only does effects, FAS was entering the effects game with the same attention to updates and modelling specific analog units as they do to amp models. Rightly or wrongly, it is human nature and I see that I am not the only one. So I did expect that FAS would try to conquer the Revolution effects pedal or Timeline delays the same they did with the Kemper and so on. With the Axe, as with the Kemper, the effects are a great bonus to powerful amp sims. The intention behind buying an Axe was not the effects but the Amp sims, hence it made sense that they received the focus. By creating an effects only unit, it made sense to some of us that now FAS would also give that kind of attention to effects, since they now have a box that is sold only for its effects. If Kemper came out with an effects unit, I would expect they would put more attention to there effects than they had when it was just a bonus to their amp modelling.
If Chick Fil A introduced a burger on it's menu, you better believe people would expect that they now show considerable attention toward beef, and anyone countering by saying that, well, they've never showed attention to beef products before, well, that was before they had a burger on the menu. FAS updated amp sims constantly because they weren't selling an effects only device previously.
Furthermore, people may be frustrated that Axe has gotten new effects months before we have when we are the ones who bought the product that was supposed to be all about effects. Obviously we are the ones who care about new delays more than amp sims yet the new delays went to the people who bought the amp sims.
So it's all good, we are getting the attention now and are thankful new firmware is on the horizon.
I am glad some members voice their frustration that we did not get firmware promised for months ago as it affected some people's buying or keeping decisions. If it didn't effect your decision, great (not you Chris).. but don't be snide toward those that did, let them air their concerns. FAS as a company is and has to be above dealing with decisions emotionally (as in, how dare they complain about firmware! I will now hold back on the release of the firmware another month just to show them whose boss!!) No. FAS is a business and they have to none emotionally pay attention to concerns of users, regardless of how artfully those concerns are put forward. Why? Because there will always be people who haven't bought the unit yet who have the same concerns, and past users may also base future purchases on this information. For instance, many MPC users refuse to buy a new AKAI MPC because of their failed history of product support. On the reverse, I bought my FX8 with the proven track record of Axe FX updates in mind.
And if a user reading this didn't, great, I'm happy for you, but that doesn't make your stance any better or more justified than ours, and we make a good bit of FAS's business just as you do, so the snide fanboyism should just stop. We paid money just like you did, and their is enough of us to where we have provided a good bit of money into FAS's success, just like you did. So if you don't share our concerns, cool, just move on.
If we didn't show concern, any business, not just FAS, would be justified in thinking that we don't need anything more, and they would spend their time in development in those areas where people are showing concern. We're lucky that they actually do....... scratch that.. the first FAS owners were lucky, then when others such as myself heard that this was their business practice we showed our appreciation with dollars.
Heck, I was considering a Heliix before getting the FX8. You know why I didn't? Because no matter how the Helix compared to FAS initially, I knew that Line 6 does not have a track record of updates that would make the product better. Thus, unless it was perfect from the get go, their was slim chance it would be improved. With the FX8 or with the Axe, I knew that even if not every effect or functionality, hit like I wanted (or had certain bugs) that it would constantly be improved. Shoot, the Helix is sexy, if Line6 had a history of updates like FAS I would have bought that!
