I agree. Accuracy is accuracy. Maybe the modeling from the am4 which is "accurate amp modeling" and "behaves like the originals" is trickling down to AFIII and that would explain the differences? And now that they have it, it will not change. To your point, I have not updated the firmware but it does mean that you don't get the new effects (if you need them) and if you do, you do have to potentially rework a lot of your presets so I would personally disagree that it "make sense".
The problem is that everyone hears things differently, especially when it comes to an opinion of "what's best". Cliff's mad scientist progress has produced incredible progress in the last 18 - 19 years. During this time some have loved changes and some have not. Surely you understand that, though the latest changes don't work for you, many (most?) others disagree. Hearing acuity, guitar makers, guitar models, wood used in a guitar, pickups, strings, picks used, picking attack, brand of strings used, type of strings used (flat wound or round wound?), gauge of strings used, age of life of strings, playing technique, listening environment, the device that you use to listen back to the model, humidity, guitar cables (there are shoot outs between cables, for goodness sake), or the urban legend that Eric Johnson can hear the difference between batteries used in pedals, how much a speaker has been broken in, and other things that don't come to mind, all impact how something sounds. Given all of these inescapable variables, how can one person define what is best? All it takes is a change of one of the variables that I mentioned above and the amp will sound different. I've read more than one interview with an engineer who stated that, even using the same gear in the same location, with the same mic/mic placement sometimes cannot replicate the exact same tone.
To my admittedly abused ears, the modeling, as it currently is, sounds incredible. This is of course just my opinion. I respect that, what other's love some may not like at all, even find inferior. But how can personal perspective, opinion, and the crazy concoction of variables I mentioned above define "best"? Music/Art is by nature unique to each of us. Some love death metal. I really dislike it and would much prefer to listen to something like Pat Metheny's Watercolors or Steven Wilson's The Overview. I embrace the differences and I'm grateful that we can all listen to what floats our boat. Different strokes for different folks.
I've decided that fixating on perfection often diverts me from artistic expression. So I do my best to focus on bringing to the outside world what I hear/feel/experience on the inside. I read an interview years ago with an old blues artist who loved playing so much (I think that it was an interview with Buddy Guy, but not 100% about this), that they never gave a second thought to using an old beat up guitar and a beat up old amp that was laying around at a blues club that he frequented. He didn't complain that the strings were old, or the guitar was poorly setup, or that the amp was neglected and in need of servicing. He was just glad to play.
I believe that you are trying to get as close as possible to having a tone that is similar to what's in your mind when you create. That's an awesome thing (sincere comment) and often sets apart revolutionary artists from run of the mill. But my understanding is that Cliff is using digital technology and mad programming skills to achieve accuracy. Is it accuracy to your ears or mine? Or someone else's? Is it accuracy based upon variables lining up to your liking? My liking? Someone else on the forum's liking? A poll that tabulates which opinion is most popular?
I am confident that Cliff is doing his sincere best to create something that is as accurate as possible. He measures shit to figure out just how accurate something is. The latest firmware reflects an epiphany that resulted from his recognition that he measured something different on the amp when comparing measurements of the modeling. So he figured out a way to make the model closer, based up these measurements. I have also seen him own up many times (dozens?) when something is off. And he typically has a fix ready within days, sometimes even the same day.
Something is working right in Cliff's creative process (at least in my opinion). I just can't see how asking for recordings of all the amps after every firmware update is going to help. To my mind it will just open up another long string of arguments about "what's best." Someone likes old firmware, someone else likes new firmware. These arguments have occurred many times, sometimes accompanied by rudeness entitlement, even when folks get free stuff. I remember all of the negativity that came out when the AxeFX III was released and people complained when Cliff maxed out the capabilities of the AxeFX II and had to stop firmware development for the AxeFX II platform.
I for one will be sad when Cliff gets fed up with the lot of us, sells Fractal Audio to someone else. I'm a bit surprised that it hasn't happened already. Do you really think Cliff hasn't already been offered millions of dollars for his intellectual property, not to mention the value of the Fractal Audio brand? It will be a sad day when we lose free updates and constant innovation and near instant bug fixes to corporate bean counters and bureaucracy. I try not to think about it, but I'll bet some days the lure of millions and the notion of taking cruises and ski vacations, or touring on a Harley, or ?, give Cliff pause. He is so driven that maybe he loves the challenge enough that solving the next riddle of modeling tone is fulfilling enough. But back surgeries and tumor removal and daily stress take their toll. I'm just incredibly grateful for Cliff's genius, business values and practices. Especially when personal integrity is missing from so many areas and from so many people in our society.
In my humble opinion, we have something very special here. Let's celebrate it now, while it's still here and vibrant. Someday, things will change. I for one will look back on this time fondly and wish there was still someone like Cliff using his/her genius to innovate and create.
