Hopes somewhat dashed........

Mini LCDs (scribble strips) are important to me. I play P&W and use a preset per song setup. I use usually scenes:
  1. Clean
  2. Crunch
  3. Lead
However, sometimes I use scenes:
  1. Intro
  2. Verse
  3. Chorus
  4. Bridge
I'm a single dad with a full time job, so this would be nice for me to make playing easier.
 
I think from a practical and business standpoint we will see an improvement over what we have now but not an AXE III in a floor processor. Price vs function vs market tolerance will always prevail. Anything will appeal to us Fractal fanatics but to the broader guitar world collective dropping more than a Helix on a floorboard will be a tough sell. I think there will be improvements but concessions as well. Also, why would Cliff ever cut into AXE III sales. Just my opinion but I see A headphone jack, possibly scribble strips, new UI/display and one keystone with no fan in a fc12 style package. The price point will be in the 1499-1699 range. They will sell all day long and take a huge bite out of the Helix market. Want anymore than that and you need to get an AXE III. Just my two cents.......
 
I know everyone is excited, myself included. But if I turn the clock back for a bit when we first heard about the TigerSharc EOL in May of 2016 on this forum. It took just under 2 years to release the AxeFx3 with the new architecture. The AX8 Sharc chips are still currently in production and the AX8 is selling at his list price.

I wouldn't expect anything soon from FAS on a replacement for the AX8. If anything they are going to try and put a product into the market to compete with the Line6 Stomp or Amplifire 3/6.

The other tidbit is that they are currently looking to hire an embedded firmware specialist. With the following statement in the job description "You will develop and maintain embedded code for our products, port existing algorithms to new environments". What I'm focusing on here is port existing algorithms to new environment. They already did that with the AxeFX3 and they are looking for someone to help do it for a new environment so they can focus on support future updates to the AxeFx3. These jobs are not easy to fill, coding in assembly is not an easy skill and I suspect it will take some time to fill this spot. I don't know how long it took to port over everything to the AxeFx3 but we can assume it doesn't happen quickly based on the EOL announcement to release of the AxeFx3.

Just my thoughts, if they come out with an update for the Ax8 tomorrow I would jump on the waitlist as soon as I saw it because their platforms are the best in the industry.
 
Just my thoughts, if they come out with an update for the Ax8 tomorrow I would jump on the waitlist as soon as I saw it because their platforms are the best in the industry.

That's right! And you bring up that reminder, how long did we all wait on that list... 3-5 months? So even if they announced it tomorrow we will still have to wait even though we know we will get on soooon.
 
The AX8 was announced a good 6 months before the wait list was even opened. From the time it was initially announced to the time it started shipping was about a year. Even if they announced an next generation AX8 today, we won't have it in our hand for quite a while. And as @JayCM800XL said, FAS has had problems bringing the FC controllers to the market. The electronics part shortage may delay production of a new product even further.

No one knows. No need for hopes to be dashed. They will eventually come out with the next generation floor unit. In the mean time, enjoy your AX8. It's a great piece of gear.
 
I rarely have a piece of gear that I wouldn't tweak somehow in order to make it "better" for me. The AX8 is no exception.

With that, I still have no expectations that I would automatically jump at whatever new version Fractal puts out, whenever that is. From a performance standpoint I really don't see my need for it. My current tweaks would only be on ergonomic convenience features.

I certainly wouldn't jump at a smaller product.

It will be interesting to see what comes down the road.
 
FX8 came out way before AX8.

L6 came out with HX Effects (fx only) long before their new HX Stomp (amp models).

Next gen FX8 might very well come first to market, although it seems like next gen AX8 is a vastly larger market.

All speculation.
 
Use and enjoy what you have, if and when something else comes along that will better suite your needs, buy it.

I enjoy my current car, it gets me around fine. It’s not the only car I’ll ever own. Sooner or later I’ll buy a new one, but in the meantime, I’m not worried about it.

Too much worrying about what and when might come along can take your enjoyment of what you’ve currently got away

Remember when the Ax8 was new and the “must have” item everyone obsessed over getting ?

Now people have them and seemingly can’t even enjoy them as they are so concerned with what is next ?

And crazier still, in a few years, the ax9 or whatever will also be old news and we will all obsess over what the ax10 has to offer and if and when that will be announced, totally forgetting our now outdated ax9’s lol

to quote the Marlboro Man, “Don’t chase after women or buses (or guitar modelers), there will always be another one coming along”
 
I think the key driver is to get the floor units onto the same DSP platform as the III, so they can more easily share code.

No one has yet tested the market for a truly high-end floor unit (unless you consider Helix to be that). I'd buy one, but I think the assumption is the sweet spot is maybe $1000 to $1500.

Before the first Axe-Fx, there was no "high-end" guitar processors at all. L6 had the Pod XT Live, wasn't that like 500 bucks? L6 could have built a much nicer product at 1k, 1.5k or 2k, but they must have believed there was no market. Cliff took a chance and proved them wrong. I doubt Kemper or Helix would have happened at their price points if not for Cliff's success.
 
Mini LCDs (scribble strips) are important to me. I play P&W and use a preset per song setup. I use usually scenes:
  1. Clean
  2. Crunch
  3. Lead
However, sometimes I use scenes:
  1. Intro
  2. Verse
  3. Chorus
  4. Bridge
I'm a single dad with a full time job, so this would be nice for me to make playing easier.
On a different product's foot controller I marked those three (or four) values with electrical tape, clean == green, crunch = yellow, lead = red (I also have blue for blues). Easier to see on stage than text.

Otherwise I agree that the sweet spot for pricing is $999-$1299 where $999 is the goal but it depends on the components and assembly costs.
 
On a different product's foot controller I marked those three (or four) values with electrical tape, clean == green, crunch = yellow, lead = red (I also have blue for blues). Easier to see on stage than text.

Otherwise I agree that the sweet spot for pricing is $999-$1299 where $999 is the goal but it depends on the components and assembly costs.

I would be willing to bet the 1400 to 1600 is more likely where a new AX would sit
Unless its a scaled down AX stomp based on the current SHRCS in the AX8 a sub 1000 product seems unlikely
 
Never would I compare the two! But if you think about it Line 6 puts out a 'series' of products which are all the same tech and just different format (ie Helix, Helix LT, Helix stomp.) There is no innovation in any new release until they come out with the next big thing.

I fail to see how this is at all a bad thing. Helix has been out since what? 2015 or so? They’ve created different hardware versions under the same engine to appeal to different segments of the market. Seems genius to me. Think how many units Fractal would have sold with an AX4 (I’ve heard guys swoon over this idea), can’t speak about a effects only unit since there is one already, the FX8. Just my 2 cents.
 
A lite version of the AX8 would have a spot for those that want it in a stomp size form. Having a small footprint AX would be really efficient and convenient.

Personally I like the footprint of the AX8 as well as most of the functionality, what I don't care for is the U/I. On a dark stage it is very difficult to see what you are doing if you need to make a semi deep edit without some sort of small light.

With the way tech is right now the need for physical knobs should be a thing of the past, replacing that realestate with a large touch screen.

I can't help but mention that I really like how the U/I of the Helix incorporates the use of the screen, touch sensitive foot switches and CC pedal, a simply brilliant move for editing on the fly without having to bend over and yet still be able to see what you are doing.
 
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