Axe-Fx II "Quantum" Rev 6.02 Public Beta

The speaker drive seems to lessen some ugly frequencies in Recto 2 Red Modern and makes it sound/feel a lot better with headphones. I've been using it between 1 and 2 but haven't settled on the perfect number yet.

I have extremely limited experience with cranked tube amps (been a bedroom player with headphones for many years now) so I'm wondering what the relationship between speaker drive and motor drive would be like in a real amp? I saw that Motor Drive was basically the sound of a speaker really being pushed as the voice coil is heating, but is that something that usually coincides with Speaker Drive? Like does a speaker being over driven heat the voice coil or vise-versa? I'm just geeking out here thinking about all this stuff.

And damn I wish Motor Drive were in CabLab...
 
This is an awesome revision.

If you bought Silver & Black Volume 1. or 2 and try to use the presets with this FW, you MUST turn down speaker drive parameter by A LOT. With the new algorithm for speaker drive, where I had it turned up on the FW where I authored the presets and it sounded OK, on the new Q 6.2 beta those same values will have you swearing that your speakers are blown.
 
Played out with Q 6.2 beta Tuesday night and thought the feel was better but need to fine tune some sounds. Overall, I loved it!
 
I was just gonna ask the same question...

I run stereo 2x12s cabs w/ V30s and tried various amounts of speaker drive on a Hiwatt (which is really good & gritty in my preset), and yes it clearly simulates a speaker overloading but I'm not crazy about the sound; perhaps on a different amp it might work better?

Try it for yourselves ... :)
 
I would say no. Your guitar cab is already distorting so you would be adding more distortion on top. As always, though, let your ears decide.
By the same logic, wouldn't IRs already have some variable amount of speaker distortion baked in? Depending how loud the speaker was driven when the IR was shot?
Thanks Cliff. I thought so!
When playing alive, though, I use both Guitar Cab and FRFR. Any chances of moving the Speaker Driver to the Cab Block? Or make a copy to have on them both? Idk
I use guitar cabs and I would hate to lose this from the amp block before I've had a chance to "let my ears decide"! I'm waiting for the AX8 firmware.

Past examples:

1). My ears decided long ago I DON'T like the sound of a cab block IR running into an actual guitar cab,
2). I DO like poweramp modelling (carefully tweaked for my tastes) running into an actual tube power amp to drive my cabs.

Logic would say you shouldn't do either, but lately my favorite live 'real cabs' rig is AX8 into effects return of my tube head. Presets dialed in for SS power amp\cab don't translate directly... but with the right settings (generally less sag, less master, different EQ) I'm dialing up tones I still cannot beat with SS power. At least not the SS amps I've tried (Matrix, FX return of Quilter). YMMV, I'm sure it depends on the amp models used and the types of tones you're going after in the first place.
 
Everything gets nonlinear when pushed to its operational limits.
I ask because Cliff has stated many times that IRs do not need additional non-linear processes due to the fact that speakers are virtually linear, and when pushed to non-linear operation, sound terrible. Perhaps I misread or misunderstood.
 
Hi all

If I load the new presets into 6.02 do
I need to do anything to those
presets to get the latest modelling?

And if I do (like changing the amp to a different amp and back again) don't I lose the precise settings in the new presets? Please can someone help me to get new presets and latest modelling. Thanks for all advice offered.

Cheers Gilesy

(ps just flown back from 3 days business in Denver - very nice city)
 
I ask because Cliff has stated many times that IRs do not need additional non-linear processes due to the fact that speakers are virtually linear, and when pushed to non-linear operation, sound terrible. Perhaps I misread or misunderstood.
I know that guitar speakers don't behave like uniform sound sources. I know that if you push them over the edge, they sound crappy. Beyond that, I don't know much.
 
I know that guitar speakers don't behave like uniform sound sources. I know that if you push them over the edge, they sound crappy. Beyond that, I don't know much.
I'll simply try it and see if I like how it sounds. I used a real guitar cab for the first time in years last week, and was absolutely floored at how directional the highs are. I remember them being directional, but not that directional. I could never go back to using a cab, as the sound changes too radically as I move around, even an inch or two. FRFR is the only way for me. Any new parameter that adds realism is a plus.
 
I know that guitar speakers don't behave like uniform sound sources. I know that if you push them over the edge, they sound crappy. Beyond that, I don't know much.
I think they exhibit some sort of saturation at a certain level even when you haven't reached the limits of the cone movement (that's what causes the crappy sounds, a sort of "mechanical clipping").
From a physical point of view, as the cone moves in a closed-back cab I assume there's a good amount of compression caused by air pressure differences between the inside and the outside of the cab, and this accentuates the more you push the speaker and the littler the cab is. This could also happen to a lesser degree in open cabs, but I suspect the effect would be negligible in this case.
 
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By the same logic, wouldn't IRs already have some variable amount of speaker distortion baked in? Depending how loud the speaker was driven when the IR was shot?
This kind of distortion is nonlinear, and IRs can't capture nonlinearities.
 
I'll simply try it and see if I like how it sounds.
I'm eager to hear your thoughts. I think you'll like it. :)

I used a real guitar cab for the first time in years last week, and was absolutely floored at how directional the highs are. I remember them being directional, but not that directional. I could never go back to using a cab, as the sound changes too radically as I move around, even an inch or two. FRFR is the only way for me. Any new parameter that adds realism is a plus.
Whenever I get to thinking I need a cabinet-in-the-room fix, reality reminds me of what a massive compromise that is.
 
SICK... I've been waiting for the pi fuzz to sound a little more authentic.. and the BB pre is my fav drive pedal. I can die now
 
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