Sigh... gig failure.

If I were having issues like the ones explained by the OP or cujo I would be on the phone with Fractal, not whining here. The #1 reason I personally use the Fractal is consistency and reliability. Take that away and this rig is a $3k paperweight.
 
cujoren said:
Thanks UNIX-guy,

I read your prior thread and Gary mentioned the down and setup being held simultaneously.

When I get home I'll try to recreate the problem that way. I remember being in Set mode on the MFC.
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I only use Preset mode...
 
The whole experience sucks, so sorry for you.

however, I will say I have used an AFX since 2008. A standard then a Mk 2 (Original). I dont use scenes - I use patches and then turn FX/Boosts on/off as I would a traditional pedal board.

Ive had 1 - count them 1 occasion with the AFX2, where it randomly changed a preset. Thats was 18 months ago, and not had another incident. I may be lucky - These issues may happen more with the AX 2 Mk 2s or above, but one small glitch in 8 years isnt bad. better than any valve amp Ive had, and way better than any rack processor (FX only) Ive had.

Non of that diminishes the problem is others are experiencing things at a greater recurrence rate.
 
ANY equipment can and will fail...at some point. Yes some equipment is more reliable than others. I'm actually not a Fractal owner at the very moment anymore (decided to change things up) but the only times it ever failed me were due to bad wiring at the rehearsal space, user error, and beer spilled on my MFC-101 (when someone put on on the sub...right next to MFC!). It sucks though when you're in the midst of it. Just always have a backup and try to sort out the Axe problem with a permanent solution. Maybe that becomes some other piece of equipment but I think the Axe is VERY solid for what is essentially a computer.
 
No issues here, many years, since ultra days. never touched an mfc though. I'll bet it's the Mfc. I've always had diff midi controllers.
 
I've had a few issues, but luckily they've all happened either at rehearsal, or at home.
1) Preset randomly changing - this one seems to be the most common for me, and happens with and without the MFC-101 connected. I have this happen probably once every 2 months or so. So what I've done to not cause as much issue (i.e. switching from my bass guitar preset to a squealing high gain guitar preset) is to simply blank out the rest of the presets. The Axe-Fx II never seems to be frozen, so I just spin the knob to get back to my preset and away I go.
2) NAME TIMEOUT - I've had this happen probably 3 or 4 times in my ownership, never using a PC at the same time as the MFC. Luckily, each time this has happened has been at rehearsal, so far.
3) Audio drop out / freezing. This happened once

Like the OP, I can't really open a ticket on these faults, as they are intermittent and cannot be easily reproduced. As an engineer / developer, I pretty much know what it's like to get asked for help with something that sometimes happens, seemingly at random. I'll get a few of the most common "fixes" as suggestions, then have to wait a few weeks for it to happen again, and hope that there is another fix possible.

So far, the AX8 hasn't had any issues at all, so I may just end up putting the Axe-Fx II in the studio permanently. I like peace of mind - my SVTs never once had a single blip, nor did my pre/power setup (Sansamp RPM into QSC poweramp). I'm just waiting for the day for the Axe-Fx to have issues at a gig. My bands aren't out there gigging each and every weekend, but the shows we do play are higher stakes shows (playing with national acts) - a let down at all at these shows would be embarrassing, to say the least.
 
selta said:
I've had a few issues, but luckily they've all happened either at rehearsal, or at home.
1) Preset randomly changing - this one seems to be the most common for me, and happens with and without the MFC-101 connected. I have this happen probably once every 2 months or so. So what I've done to not cause as much issue (i.e. switching from my bass guitar preset to a squealing high gain guitar preset) is to simply blank out the rest of the presets. The Axe-Fx II never seems to be frozen, so I just spin the knob to get back to my preset and away I go.
2) NAME TIMEOUT - I've had this happen probably 3 or 4 times in my ownership, never using a PC at the same time as the MFC. Luckily, each time this has happened has been at rehearsal, so far.
3) Audio drop out / freezing. This happened once

Like the OP, I can't really open a ticket on these faults, as they are intermittent and cannot be easily reproduced. As an engineer / developer, I pretty much know what it's like to get asked for help with something that sometimes happens, seemingly at random. I'll get a few of the most common "fixes" as suggestions, then have to wait a few weeks for it to happen again, and hope that there is another fix possible.

So far, the AX8 hasn't had any issues at all, so I may just end up putting the Axe-Fx II in the studio permanently. I like peace of mind - my SVTs never once had a single blip, nor did my pre/power setup (Sansamp RPM into QSC poweramp). I'm just waiting for the day for the Axe-Fx to have issues at a gig. My bands aren't out there gigging each and every weekend, but the shows we do play are higher stakes shows (playing with national acts) - a let down at all at these shows would be embarrassing, to say the least.
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Thanks for your commentary, Selta.
You're right, that IS the biggest frustration; the intermittent issues. Hard to open a ticket when they're not happening at that moment. I'm reassured that others have or have had similar issues and that it has been resolvable.
 
I'm pretty much in the same space as most replies here.. .never had an issue while gigging, and as a Beta testers we install a LOT of firmware updates - and I've been doing that since the Ultra days and thru various incarnation of the AxeFx (now XL) and MFC (now MK3).
The problem with intermittent issues is identifying root cause.

One of the biggest problems with digital gear is power.. We have a lot of not so clean and steady power in the US and many venues are simply not rigged to handle PA, lights and band power consumption.. sharing circuits with ice makers, fridges, yada, yada, yada.
You're expected just plug in and go! RIght?
It's not the minimal power consumption these devices use, but voltage drops and surges (mostly drops IME).

Try to narrow down the parameters...
Does it happen at the same venue? All venues?
Same preset? Different presets? What do they have in common?
How is your MFC connected to the Axe? CAT5, XLR?
and so on..

There are folks using the AxeFx that have complex configurations and no issues.
There IS a logical solution to the problem.. you should try to put aside the frustration and take the time to gather the data so root cause can be determined. It may not be the Axe at all.. IF it is, I'm sure they'll respond appropriately.
 
@s0c9 I hadn't considered that clean power could contribute to my rig's stability, but it's definitely plausible. I always joke that the Furman M-8D in my rack is really a glorified power strip -- I use it as a way to make sure I always have enough outlets with me when I'm gigging. It's got some spike protection and ripple removal on it, but it's not a brown-out protection unit with a big, honking capacitor or battery in it.
 
I had the name timeout during gigs before and had to unplug the ethernet jack and reboot the MFC in the middle of a song. I eventually found out that if I pushed the jack "tighter" into the back of the AxeFx it would fix the problem. Even though it was plugged in enough to click, its like there was some extra slack space that kept the ethernet connector from making a reliable connection. I bought a different cable and have never had the issue since. Something as small as tolerances in the jack size turned to be the problem for me.

I've played outdoor gigs with both an AxeFx II and Ultra and never had any other reliability issues, even running patches in excess of 90% CPU utilization in nearly 100 degree heat with crazy humidity. I always keep my gear running through a power conditioner, fwiw.

I will say that my friend had similar issues and went through all kinds of troubleshooting steps. If I remember right, he had to send his AxeFx and MFC back to Fractal for them to isolate the problem. Just sending the MFC wasn't enough, apparently it was an issue more or less unique to his specific units.
 
Never had mine crash where I use it.

Been using my Axe Fx II Mark II for years.

Whatever the OP is going through, it is NOT typical of the axe fx most people experience.

Most run the unit without any major problems. I doubt that if Metalica had problems like the OP's they would still be using them.

They have to have the units work show after show!

It sucks when it is your unit that is wonky, but I would NOT say that is typical of axe fx products in general. They are known for their reliability. The OP may want to send it to Cliff and let Fractal take a look at it.
 
tallcoolone said:
If I were having issues like the ones explained by the OP or cujo I would be on the phone with Fractal, not whining here. The #1 reason I personally use the Fractal is consistency and reliability. Take that away and this rig is a $3k paperweight.
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Hey look, I am not whining. I am using the forum community to see if other people have seen what I have see, and to look for some answers. That is what the forum is for. I'm trying to map out the best path to a solution. I stated in my original post that I was going to contact Matt, but since I can't reproduce the issues on command, it's tricky how to ask for help. That is what makes this forum so valuable, and it is a key part of the entire Fractal experience. It should be be an open and hopefully non-emotional environment for sharing ideas, successes, and failures (or... "learning experiences" if you prefer) for all of us to gain from. I am hoping to both learn and provide value to other guys with issues as well here.

For all of the other responses:
I REALLY appreciate all of the answers and feedback on this thread. Both those of you who have had issues and those who have not are extremely helpful. Those who have never had an issue give me confidence that what is going on is not normal, and can be resolved. That is key for me. It is what I wanted to hear. I love the system and want to stay with it. I simply have to solve my reliability issues.

Those who HAVE had issues are helping me narrow in on the possibility that there might be some common themes or conditions that are leading to the issues.. Hopefully my quest to solve the problems can help the other guys who have had glitches as well.

I don't consider myself a power user, but I am a fairly serious user, and I do own an operate a working band and play for income. (not my primary income, but income none the less.) Here are some things I have picked up here, and I that I am going to investigate or make some changes to:

1.) Power. I have thought about this more than once. I run my entire rig (which is a bit more complex than most AXE guys, honestly) off of a Furman power conditioner. (please, no need to open this common debate. I use it for convenience of multi outlets and light on the front and rear of my rack.) I do wonder if maybe it passes dirty power or spikes through. It has had issues with blinking LED's on the front of it, and I think that part of it is defective. I have hooked it to a voltage meters and monitored it for long periods and it puts out 120V, even thought the lights are flashing that it is putting out too high of voltage. I checked it off of the list, but I think I will change that unit out just to be safe. It's possible that if it sends any kind of spikes I would not see them on the meter.

2) One reason I DON'T think it's the power is the fact that some of my issues are triggered by scene changes. I did have a repeat situation on one particular patch, so I might have a corrupted preset. I have a preset for Hash Pipe that is a a very basic Mesa Boogie preset, and the solo preset (scene 4) is just a 3db boost and turns on a phaser block. It's not a high CPU patch, but twice now that patch has failed when I step on scene 4. It causes me to lose audio output. Here's the weird part, If I go back to scene 1 (that was just working), still no audio out. If I Bank Up to the next preset (I run a bank size of 1) then bank back down, it works again. I'm going to delete this preset and rebuild it from scratch in a whole new slot to see what that nets me. (in fact, I'm going to go a lot farther than that... I'm going to wipe my Axe clean. More on that in a minute...)

3) To the guys who have had MFC issues, random presets, runaway presets, Name Timeout issues... I've had all of that, but i think I fixed it because I have not had those problems since I switched my FASLink XLR cable to a one with a Neutrik end. I tried about 4 or 5 different cables over time, starting with a cheap guitar center cable (NO!) to several other brands, and a common theme was they all had some "wiggle" in them. The FASLink port is a little loose, and kind of fussy about what you put in it. XLR's for audio are one thing, but when carrying digital data, you can't afford any breaks in that system at all. The slightest disruption to that signal will cause you a big problem. So, the Neutrik connectors fit very snug and tight, and solved my MFC problems. Make sure that you run a single cable from the rear of the AXE to the MFC input. Try to avoid any additional connections like patch panels if you can. Make sure there is zero wiggle at the connections.

-More on MFC issues - I did have my MFC go blank 2 weeks ago at practice, and I had to reboot the AXE. At that time, I was connected to Axe Edit making some changes. For me, being connected to AXE edit is inviting trouble. Problems are frequent for me if connected, so I am NEVER connected by USB when playing live.

Potential problem spot:
4) I run about 50 presets. Many are similar, and frankly I don't need them. I have one preset per song, and I like having the name of the song pop up on my MFC when a song starts, to let me know I'm on the right tone. My AXE presets are changed via MIDI from Ableton Live, so when a track starts (via another controller) my AXE selects the right preset automatically.

This is layer of complexity that I am looking closely at. I do have both a MIDI connection and a FASLink connection to my AXE. MIDI runs the show, and the FASLINK allows me to make manual changes, use expression pedals and so on. I am really curious about the possibility of a conflict if I step on a button at the same time as an incoming MIDI change. I know this is very different from a lot of people, and this is a likely problem area.

What I am going to do:
A. I'm going to abandon that whole process for a while. (Makes me sad, because I worked very hard and long hours to set it up, not to mention the investment side of things.) I'm going to disconnect the midi, and run my show 100% by the MFC to see if problems stop. This creates some other problems for me, since right now my show is totally random access. I can start any track at any time, and instantly be on the right preset, no matter where it's located. (Meaning I can go from preset #3 to preset #40 with no scrolling or searching, simply by selecting that song in Ableton and pressing Launch.)
B. I am going to back up my system and presets, wipe my axe clean, and re-install the firmware. Then I'm going to make 3 new presets from scratch, and use just those. Basically a 3 channel amp with some effects. This should help me eliminate any possible corrupted presets or software problems.
C. I'm going to consult with Matt (hopefully) to see if he has any input on this as well.

So, with a new power conditioner, no midi connection, and 100% new and clean firmware and a few simple presets, we'll see if the problems stop. If I can go a couple of months with no issues, then I'll have learned something, and I can look closer at adding things back in slowly to see if problems return.

D. Finally, I'll report back and keep this thread updated with my progress. It might serve as a reference to other guys who have has issues as well. As many problems as I have had, for as long as I have had them, if I can get it fixed with these steps then I'll know it was either bad patches or the midi. If the problems continue, at that point I'll know I have something wrong with my actual unit.
 
Pinkycramps said:
What I don't understand is, guys who are on here for years who are big time users and supporters of the AXE... I've never seen them mention things like this. I have seen plenty of other guys talk about issue like this, but you never see it with the well known guys. Guys like Mikko (Clark Kent), Yek, Chris, Scott P, Tyler Grund, Cooper, I could go on...but you know the names.
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Sorry to read you're having problems.

I haven't had operational issues for a long time. Not counting beta testing of course. :)

I've had a few malfunctions in the past but those were hardware-related: the connector on a MFC, a rotary knob and LCD on the Axe. That's all I think. That's to be expected, no device is guaranteed to be 100% fail-free.

Always try to deduct. For example, try a rehearsal without the MFC, see if the same issues occur.

Reset the MFC, etc.

Wipe the Axe and abandon the sequencer-based method: good call.

Audio dropouts: the Axe has CCs assigned to Global In and Out Levels. To prevent the Axe from responding to unintentional MIDI commands, you can set those CCs to 'none'. Doesn't hurt.
 
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The only odd thing I had happen was having an odd, almost 75 ms delay happen across all my patches with no delay block engaged and no delay engaged in the cab block. When the hairdresser shop closed next door to where I was recording, magically the delay went away too.

So I have a feeling the wiring/power in the 120 year old building was outputting significantly less power to the outlet I was using that can make some electronics behave in odd ways. My monster power conditioner didn't say anything was wrong, but I think that's more of a glorified power strip/surge protector.

That is the only strange thing I ever had happen in almost 3 years and I could never replicate it, versus many wacky experiences I had happen with physical amps over the years..
 
I think I have had one time at a rehearsal where I had to restart the II. Right after setting up, I think it was my LF+ footswitch going a bit haywire.

That's all.

Oh. Forgot the display fading, but that didn't bother me at a gig.
 
For a year I did a fully tracked show (2014). I had all patches and scene changes done via midi through Ableton Live - but still had a MFC MK3 on the floor 'just in case'.
I had several times where the volume would disappear or the patch would change to somewhere WAY away from the intended patch.
It also would sometime choke on continuous controllers making programmatic filter changes.

While not connected via midi (full manual mode) I have not had any issues.

My guess is that midi clock / midi messages sometimes have issues.
 
I've had problems with cheap monoprice XLR cables w/ FASLINK. I've seen the Timeout issue with them to full AXE II lock-ups. Thankfully, I was able to test one of these cables and when bent/wiggled it was shorting two pins together. I quickly tossed it, bought some Mogami cables and never had a problem since. I don't trust anybody's XLR cable now. :)

Hopefully, you can get to the bottom of this. I can understand how aggravating it must be.
 
Axe-FX II Mark II with a MFC Mark II connected by an Ethercon lead (Neutrik connectors). I use it in Preset mode with Scenes and only use five presets. I have had one issue, back when FW15 first came out, where the MFC was unresponsive. A single power cycle resolved the issue and I've never had a recurrence of this issue or any others, across hundreds of gigs, rehearsals and stuff at home.

Dreadfully sorry that you're experiencing such chronic issues. Hopefully Fractal can assist getting to the bottom of what the cause is and make you as pleased with your setup as I am.
 
fox5150 said:
Axe-FX II Mark II with a MFC Mark II connected by an Ethercon lead (Neutrik connectors). I use it in Preset mode with Scenes and only use five presets. I have had one issue, back when FW15 first came out, where the MFC was unresponsive. A single power cycle resolved the issue and I've never had a recurrence of this issue or any others, across hundreds of gigs, rehearsals and stuff at home.

Dreadfully sorry that you're experiencing such chronic issues. Hopefully Fractal can assist getting to the bottom of what the cause is and make you as pleased with your setup as I am.
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Did you wipe all the other presets clean?
 
cujoren said:
Did you wipe all the other presets clean?
Click to expand...

No, I leave the other presets as they were from whatever the current factory presets bundle is. I might have some that I'm experimenting with dotted about, but otherwise they're as per the factory presets.
 
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