@fuzzyoctaves Good question. I talk a little about that in the LiveGold tutorial video #1 introduction on YouTube, about three or four minutes in.
Bottom line is, I tell people to get the LiveGold TonePack if they ask which one - it's my best work to date.
For the curious, a TonePack chronology may help explain the evolution and context. Below is long, I know.
2017 -
(DISCONTINUED) Original 700+ Naked Amps TonePack released, firmware Quantum 8.x. Worked on Axe- Fx II, XL/XL+. 3 banks, with two amp sounds per preset. One bank was not full and just cleans. Just amps and cabs mostly, using X/Y for lower to higher gain sound. Used the Factory Cabs. A few bonus presets. I dailed this more for studio tones, so not everything was dialed in/played at gig volume. I don't sell it anymore because the next product - Dream Rigs -- totally improved on it with better sounds and Cab IR pairings. This TonePack was updated for free to fw9.x and last to fw10.x (final version). I don't sell this on my website and I no longer support it. People have to contact me direct if they bought and want the last available update for fw10.
2018 -
1000+ Dream Rigs. This was a major expansion and improvement over the 700+ Naked Amps, the amps sound better, and better cab/amp pairings, the amps have boosts attached (Input trim), plus some effects like delay, phaser, and chorus here and there.
A key difference: On this one, I dialed a lot of it in on Atomic CLRs that were 8-10 feet away and loud, rather than a studio monitor environment, since I know people wanted presets to use on stage,.
This one was originally programmed on the AX8 fw8.x (had foot-switches assigned) but also works on the Axe- FX II (you have to manually assign an MFC101 or similar foot-switches to use the effects). It is seven preset bank files (!) -- they won't all fit at once -- and covers every amp model. This one uses User Cab IRs (included in zip download) you have to install once, for many off the presets to work. This one had free updates after Quantum fw8, to fw9, fw10 for AX8 but also has a ARES2.x version for the Axe-Fx II/XL.
2019 -
The Axe-FX III is launched! So I created a
1000+ Naked Amps, just for the Axe-Fx III. These presets use BOTH Amp blocks and often TWO Cab blocks, with 8 scenes per amp model type. The new Axe-Fx III allowed for ABCD channels for amp and cab blocks (not just X/Y like the legacy products). And even better - up to 8 Scenes. So, this one had two banks covering all the amps, plus a bonus preset bank (not full) - three banks total.
The Axe-Fx III was a game changer in terms of how many
different amp sounds you can cram into a single preset (8!). I stacked amp blocks and cab blocks in parallel to make this one.
And that is the reason there is no FM3 Naked Amps version - you don't get two amps and cabs in the FM3, only one. It can't be correctly ported over to FM3, you lose half the sounds because Amp2 and Cab2 will disappear.
Unlike Dream Rigs I only used Factory cabs in Naked Amps (because now we had 2000+ to choose form, including over 1 in 9 of the III’s factory cabs are from my own Cab Packs sold by Fractal). So, very few/no user cabs (except for a bonus Hendrix presets IR).
Later, in the firmware 15-16 update, some other fractal preset makers (Fremen, Moke, Justin York, Larry Mitchell, Leon Todd, Burgs) provided sample presets of theirs I included, and some of those had User cab IRs you had to install.
Now, I did dial the 1400+ Naked Amps more as studio sounds (on CLRs, but close to my ears, not 8-10 feet away) than for live use. These have some sculpting that cuts lows. But they can work for live, and this TonePack arguably give you more different flavors per amp.
There was an original firmware 1.x version first. Then (if I recall correctly!) I did a free update to fw5-6, then fw11-12, then in December 2021/January 2020 fw 15-16 which is the last available one. I have not updated this TonePack to Cygnus yet, planning to this fall.
I didn't originally use the CS switches for boost etc. on this TonePack, because the Fractal foot-controllers were not out, so earlier versions do not have. BUT did add them later in Jan. 2021 in last firmware update, along with a mild limiter after the amp block that "phattens" things up even more and controls bottom end better.
2020 - With the Fractal Foot controllers (FC-6 andFC12) out now, this time I wanted to use what I had learned in Dream Rigs and Naked Amps and make something designed to be played at gigs.
So that is what the
1000+ Live Gold TonePack presets are all about. It's my best work.
There are three banks in LiveGold. Each preset is an amp model channel, and the TonePack covers all the guitar amp models (but not bass). Each has four basic scenes that run from clean or lower gain to higher gain and lead. One cool thing: each preset can be used with humbuckers (Scenes 1-4) OR Single coils (Scenes 5-8) - the Scenes 5-8 add a little boost.
Each preset lets you access further amp functions (via CS controllers), like Amp Boost, Fat, Bright switch, Saturation, or Lo Cut from an FC-6 or FC-12 or the FM3 unit itself.
Each unit uses the best amp/factory cab pairing ( I spent a LOT of time on that) and may have a non-default speaker impedance curve in it, plus some other things I do in amp and cab block to me that make it sound best and realistic.
There is more bottom end on the LiveGold presets like a real amp on stage (contrasted to a mixed guitar in studio). Everything in LiveGold was dialed in at at least 92 db loudness, like a live gig. They were done on my Atomic NEO CLRs. And they were done on ARES firmware originally - on the FM3 1.x actually, then ported tor h Axe- FX III -- but now are 100% updated Cygnus 16.x (or 4.x for FM3). In the latest Cygnus update, I reversed it - I updated on the Axe-FX III then ported to the FM3.
Plus you get both downloads for the Axe-Fx III AND FM3 version together when you buy LiveGold - since they are the same presets, I thought that was very fair.
So when people ask me what to buy, I tell them get the Live Gold - I think it's the best combination of everything, versatile tones, and works well for live as well as studio ( just may need to cut/HP channel lows in your DAW when recording). There is some tonal overlap - maybe 15%-20%? with Naked Amps, but I did not just port presets over to make LiveGold, I did it mainly from scratch.
But if you want even MORE tones in their Fractal arsenal, then the 100+ Naked Amps is a great edition, but only for the Axe-FX III folks, and the Cygnus version is not ready as of August 2021 but should be later this year.
Hope that helps figure "how did we get here, what are the differences in TonePacks?"
...Along the way I also did a
200+ Bass TonePack, originally for the AX8 and Ax-FX II and XL/XL+. That is still available for AX8 and the Axe-FX II with version for the last available firmwares.
But that 200+ Bass TonePack was just revised and updated (design and sounds) to Cygnus for the FM3 and Axe- FX III -- and bass players are loving it and touring with it. Makes me happy. Having a complete bass touring rig in a portable FM3 is pretty cool!
I also did a
Brit Rock Royalty #1 of the first four LedZep album tones (over 150) originally on firmware 6.x for there Axe-FX III. Those presets need ridiculous processing power to replicate studio chains and doubeleracks etc. Made a "stripped down" version for the FM3 as well, pre-Cygnus.
I am in the process of updating and re-working Brit Rock Royalty #1-- everything, all over AGAIN -- for latest Cygnus 16.x and for FM3 too -- but
this time I am using my stupid expensive ATC 25 pro studio mixing monitors, and I am fixing a lot of things that were off as the firmware tonally has drifted since firmware 6.x when we first made them.
There is a Cygnus Axe-Fx III only version in there now, but that was done on my CLRs. That is going be replaced by end of August by a MUCH better and even more accurate stereo version and for FM3 too.
Then I'll turn to updating Naked Amps, maybe one final time, as I think Live Gold is organized in a better format.
Mainly, I really want to work on creating a massive effects TonePack library next, one that will work with existing TonePacks on the III and FM3, but the pace of Fractal firmware updates have prevented me from producing this (so far) uninterrupted. That's okay though!
I'm hoping next fall I can do that and maybe get it together by end of year/early next year - we'll see....