Axe-Fx III Firmware Release Version 16.00 "Cygnus"

My yardstick on tone is the singer and leader of our duo. He’s not interested in firmwares and algorithms, he just wants me to sound ‘good’. He’s very pragmatic and not prone to gush. It either sounds ‘good’ or ‘good enough’ 😂

When I first got the Axe a couple of years ago and didn’t really know how to dial it in, he wasn’t very impressed. I think he was waiting for me to get over this modelling phase and go back to the HRD.

Last weekend, during sound check I played some stuff on a fender amp with 16b11. He instantly walked in from out front, with popping eyes, and said “that sounds REALLY good!” ‘Nuff said. If he’s impressed, I know Cygnus is something really special.
 
I used Cygnus and the 5153 blue 50w at rehearsal the other night for quiet a few songs and it sounded awesome, the other guitarist in the band us a die he'd Van Halen fanatic and he commented after 2 songs that the sound was huge and so Eddie like he needed to buy an FX3.. It really is an awesome tool. 👍🏿
Yep you gotta try out SinMix 5150 pack. It’s all 5150 50 watt amp. My go to sound these days
 
Was a/b-ing a divided by 13 patch on the fm3 and cygnus on the afx 3. Cygnus definitely has the mojo. I 100 percent prefer Cygnus. But there's a small chance that ultra res cabs might have something to do with it.
 
Was a/b-ing a divided by 13 patch on the fm3 and cygnus on the afx 3. Cygnus definitely has the mojo. I 100 percent prefer Cygnus. But there's a small chance that ultra res cabs might have something to do with it.
FM3 has Ultra res now , so you should be able to get them the same in that regard
 
I'm in love with the final release.

Bass players looking for more bass amps in the unit, check out the following with your favorite bass cab IR files and you will be happy:
  • Triple Crest 2
  • Buddha Duo Master
  • Double Verb Normal
  • Solo 100 Clean
  • Fox ODS Deep (especially if you are looking for that Darkglass edge type distortion, start with input drive on 1 and overdrive on 3.5 and tweak to taste - with an FET Preamp block in front adds fun)
  • USA IIC+ Deep Bright (start with input drive on 2 and overdrive on 2)
  • Texas Star Clean
If you need to clean up some frequencies that bug you, use the 5 band Passive EQ in the amp block post power amp and BMT (don't be afraid to get aggressive with the controls).
 
Last edited:
Maybe my 50 year old ears are are too shot to know the difference. In that case, ignorance is bliss.
We've been way past the point of modeling being indistinguishable from the real thing for a long time. Cygnus isn't about that.
Take the Tweed Deluxe for instance. You could always get the frequency and gain response, but it was always missing the spit and squoosh of the real thing. When you strum hard on an open E chord on the real thing with the gain cranked, the output volume disappears as the caps drain and the volume comes back as they slowly recharge. Cygnus does that now.
You may notice many amps get louder as you reduce your guitar volume pot.
Then there's the extremely reactive pick response that has made many adjust their technique. Then there's the speaker dynamics that alter the frequency response and output volume over time, which you can actually control unlike reality.
Then there's the completely redone cathode bias response and all the bias excursion extremes you can control with a knob.
I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot. Oh, right, the under-note thump.
Cygnus is that .001% that may not matter in a mix but you sure as hell feel!
 
I'm in love with the final release.

Bass players looking for more bass amps in the unit, check out the following with your favorite bass cab IR files and you will be happy:
  • Triple Crest 2
  • Buddha Duo Master
  • Double Verb Normal
  • Solo 100 Clean
  • Fox ODS Deep (especially if you are looking for that Darkglass edge type distortion, start with input drive on 1 and overdrive on 3.5 and tweak to taste - with an FET Preamp block in front adds fun)
  • USA IIC+ Deep Bright (start with input drive on 2 and overdrive on 2)
  • Texas Star Clean
If you need to clean up some frequencies that bug you, use the 5 band Passive EQ in the amp block post power amp and BMT (don't be afraid to get aggressive with the controls).
Thank you, Dr.

Food for the Wiki?
 
I have been fortunate enough to have played a few gigs, and with the Cygnus firmware. Beta 12 and tonight with the official release. I have to say that it feels and sounds great. As many have said above, it’s another step forward in amp modelling, for sure. The big thing for me is in the feel. The axe fx has sounded phenomenal for a long time. But the feel is here now in spades. Especially with the new speaker compression algos.
 
Last edited:
We've been way past the point of modeling being indistinguishable from the real thing for a long time. Cygnus isn't about that.
Take the Tweed Deluxe for instance. You could always get the frequency and gain response, but it was always missing the spit and squoosh of the real thing. When you strum hard on an open E chord on the real thing with the gain cranked, the output volume disappears as the caps drain and the volume comes back as they slowly recharge. Cygnus does that now.
You may notice many amps get louder as you reduce your guitar volume pot.
Then there's the extremely reactive pick response that has made many adjust their technique. Then there's the speaker dynamics that alter the frequency response and output volume over time, which you can actually control unlike reality.
Then there's the completely redone cathode bias response and all the bias excursion extremes you can control with a knob.
I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot. Oh, right, the under-note thump.
Cygnus is that .001% that may not matter in a mix but you sure as hell feel!
Well put! this is something that I didn’t know I had been missing with Ares, and couldn’t figure out how to quantify except by saying “it sounds great!” And maybe that’s the best way to sum up the jump from Ares to Cygnus? Addition of things you didn’t know you were missing, that add that much more realism, and make it that much better. No complaints here. Just trying to wrap my head around the changes.
 
I'm in love with the final release.

Bass players looking for more bass amps in the unit, check out the following with your favorite bass cab IR files and you will be happy:
  • Triple Crest 2
  • Buddha Duo Master
  • Double Verb Normal
  • Solo 100 Clean
  • Fox ODS Deep (especially if you are looking for that Darkglass edge type distortion, start with input drive on 1 and overdrive on 3.5 and tweak to taste - with an FET Preamp block in front adds fun)
  • USA IIC+ Deep Bright (start with input drive on 2 and overdrive on 2)
  • Texas Star Clean
If you need to clean up some frequencies that bug you, use the 5 band Passive EQ in the amp block post power amp and BMT (don't be afraid to get aggressive with the controls).
Great tip - thanks! I never would have thought to try those.
 
Is there a disclosed full list of amps that HAVE been updated to the “Cygnus“ algorithm here in the forum?
my “go-to“ everyday practice preset has a JCM800... after updating to 16.0 I immediately made a second copy of the preset, then re-set the amp block in 1of them... now I’m going back and forth and I hear or feel no difference. 🤷🏻‍♂️
I’m thinking this particular amp was not changed yet.. perhaps?
 
Is there a disclosed full list of amps that HAVE been updated to the “Cygnus“ algorithm here in the forum?
my “go-to“ everyday practice preset has a JCM800... after updating to 16.0 I immediately made a second copy of the preset, then re-set the amp block in 1of them... now I’m going back and forth and I hear or feel no difference. 🤷🏻‍♂️
I’m thinking this particular amp was not changed yet.. perhaps?
All amps were updated, hence this being the full release
 
Is there a disclosed full list of amps that HAVE been updated to the “Cygnus“ algorithm here in the forum?
my “go-to“ everyday practice preset has a JCM800... after updating to 16.0 I immediately made a second copy of the preset, then re-set the amp block in 1of them... now I’m going back and forth and I hear or feel no difference. 🤷🏻‍♂️
I’m thinking this particular amp was not changed yet.. perhaps?
Maybe your personal settings aren’t far from the factory ones? Is not like your comparing ares to Cygnus as both presets are cygnified.
 
Maybe your personal settings aren’t far from the factory ones? Is not like your comparing ares to Cygnus as both presets are cygnified.
My settings are not to crazy different from stock... but regardless.. when I deleted the amp block and then put it back in, it came back not as stock but with all my tweaks on it.
Makes sense that after updating the unit the preset was already affected by the Cygnus change so now there’s no difference between the 2 presets I’m comparing. 👍
This particular preset I use with that JCM800 just sounds so glorious to my ears I’m never surprised when I play that first “A” chord of the day and it makes me feel like I’m playing an arena. 😆
 
Back
Top Bottom