How Will AX8 Take Advantage of Prior Presets? Or Starting From Scratch?

[DavidE]

In my view, one of the big issues with Helix is that it's a brand new product and people are just learning how to use it. Some of the patches being created and shared are garbage. Few are any good. This is where the AX8 theoretically has a HUGE advantage with years of prior work behind it.

BUT ONLY IF WE CAN SOMEHOW MAKE USE OF THE PRIOR WORK ON THE AX8.

Obviously AxeFx presets will not be directly compatible with AX8, especially those with more than 1 amp model or with too many effects for the AX8 DSP. So, how will AX8 users be able to take advantage of the huge existing bank of quality presets?

Since you need to have an AxeFx hooked up to Axe-Edit to see a preset (evening if it's not on the Axe itself), Axe-Edit as it exists is not an option.

Some ideas:

1) Axe-View: a program that lets you open and view a preset you've downloaded to your computer. While you can't manipulate the preset, you can at least see how the preset is put together. Better yet, let you separate and save each individual block so you can then use those blocks to build a new preset in AX8-Edit.

2) Axe-Convert: a program that lets you open and view a downloaded preset and convert it to be compatible with the AX8. It could keep track of the DSP usage and show you visually how much DSP is being used by each block so you can pick and choose until you reach 90-100%. Then save other (or all) blocks that don't fit as favorites so you can mix and match later on the AX8. A 2 amp Axe patch could be converted to 1 amp block with one amp as x and the other as y on a single block. You could then toggle between the two on AX8.

3) AX8-Edit: I may be showing my lack of knowledge regarding how the Axe works, but if the AX8 has the same grid as the AxeFX, allow users to simply load the original preset but turn off all blocks and let the user choose which to turn on until the dsp is gone.

I'm sure you experienced Fractal users can come up with more and better ideas, but I think some kind of way to use the existing database of

 

[atquinn]

It seems like the best way would be to have an import function in AX8 Edit that would allow you to view AxeFX2 and AxeFX2XL presets and then import blocks from them into an AX8 preset a block at a time. Blocks that aren't present in the AX8 (like the synth block or the MBC) would be grayed out. Cliff has already said things are compatible on a block-by-block basis, so this seems theoretically doable. If not, then just modifying Axe Edit so you can open presets to view without having a unit attached seems like it would be easy.
-
Austin

 

[DavidE]

It seems like the best way would be to have an import function in AX8 Edit that would allow you to view AxeFX2 and AxeFX2XL presets and then import blocks from them into an AX8 preset a block at a time. Blocks that aren't present in the AX8 (like the synth block or the MBC) would be grayed out. Cliff has already said things are compatible on a block-by-block basis, so this seems theoretically doable. If not, then just modifying Axe Edit so you can open presets to view without having a unit attached seems like it would be easy.
-
Austin

Agreed. Something I asked about for the FX8.

I believe Cliff has said that it is impossible to revise Axe-Edit so that you can view a preset unless an AxeFx is connected. I think it would take a new program to do this based on what he said.

 

[Rick]

Early conversations allude to most blocks being present, with identical sound quality. I hope transposing numbers from the Axe Edit screen to the block settings in the AX8 window manually will be a quick and direct way of getting one into the other. No doubt a drag and drop sort of program would be wonderful. I think it'll be workable to transfer one to the other, as I am looking to have a backup of my XL+ presets on the AX8.

 

[atquinn]

Early conversations allude to most blocks being present, with identical sound quality. I hope transposing numbers from the Axe Edit screen to the block settings in the AX8 window manually will be a quick and direct way of getting one into the other. No doubt a drag and drop sort of program would be wonderful. I think it'll be workable to transfer one to the other, as I am looking to have a backup of my XL+ presets on the AX8.

Yes, but that's a little less workable for those of us who don't currently have an Axe 2 or XL unit!
-
Austin

 

[DavidE]

Yes, but that's a little less workable for those of us who don't currently have an Axe 2 or XL unit!
-
Austin

Exactly.

 

[Rick]

Good point. As a former Ultra user during the II intro, then a II user in the XL and XL+ introductions, I certainly empathize. Those experiences did convince me that the work to replicate almost always resulted in improved sounds. Often that's when I would fix things I had been procrastinating over for months.

Sorry for any oversight or "rig-centric" thinking. I am really looking forward to working with the new unit.

 

[Johan Allard]

Given that Fractal hasn't made it possible to import XL presets into a non-XL Axe Fx 2, I think it would be extremely unlikely that it would be possible to import presets into Ax8.

I think the best we can hope for is block compatibility. So in Axe Edit, you can take your favourite blocks and save them (you can do this now). Hopefully then we will be

 

[ElectricPhase]

Preset compatibility sure would make life easier for those of us who are getting an AX-8 as a backup/travel unit....

 

[Johan Allard]

Preset compatibility would have made it a lot easier to change presets between an Axe Fx 2 and an Axe Fx 2 XL, and they are a lot more similar to each other.

 

[DavidE]

Preset compatibility would have made it a lot easier to change presets between an Axe Fx 2 and an Axe Fx 2 XL, and they are a lot more similar to each other.

That's why I suggested even a viewing program that allowed an AX8 owner to see the full II XL preset and strip the blocks for loading into the AX8 would be better than nothing, even if cumbersome.

 

[AZG]

+1000

Being able to open a Axe-Fx II preset, pick compatible blocks and then create a AX8 preset seems like basic required functionality to me. As someone who programed in the past it seems like a pretty trivial problem to solve.

 

[chris]

As someone who programed in the past it seems like a pretty trivial problem to solve.

*sigh*

 

[philipacamaniac]

 

[Cooper Carter]

?
It's really not that difficult or big a deal to just save the blocks out of your Axe-Fx presets in Axe-Edit and then import them into the FX8 or AX8 in FX8 or AX8 edit to rebuild the presets.

 

[philipacamaniac]

?
It's really not that difficult or big a deal to just save the blocks out of your Axe-Fx presets in Axe-Edit and then import them into the FX8 or AX8 in FX8 or AX8 edit to rebuild the presets.

This.

 

[DavidE]

?
It's really not that difficult or big a deal to just save the blocks out of your Axe-Fx presets in Axe-Edit and then import them into the FX8 or AX8 in FX8 or AX8 edit to rebuild the presets.

It's impossible if you don't own an AxeFX since you can't load the preset into Axe-Edit without an AxeFX connected.

 

[atquinn]

It's impossible if you don't own an AxeFX since you can't load the preset into Axe-Edit without an AxeFX connected.

Seriously. Reading is Fundamental people!
-
Austin

 

[DavidE]

Seriously. Reading is Fundamental people!
-
Austin

Well, I read here that you can't load a preset into Axe-Edit without an AxeFX connected When I asked about loading the Brit Floyd presets so I could strip out the effects blocks to load them into my AX8. If I CAN do this, I'd like to know.

 

[chris]

why don't we all just wait until the thing comes out and see what IS instead of what might be. way too much misinformation due to postulation recently.