Any word on an update for the AX8?

Every product has a lifecycle & if you want the most updates possible, get in at the very start of any products life cycle.

I have the AX8 & the FX8 & truly love both “As is”! Fractal promised me nothing but a great product & delivered that both times & then some.

Wanting & hoping for updates is a very understandable thing. I get that, but if you just bought an AX8 in the last year, you are way late to the party in its life cycle. You did buy a very refined product & never had to go through all the previous bugs, issues & updates. It’s issues are well documented & known, it’s major strengths are also well laid out.

The AX8 & FX8 will be producing amazing tones & FX for years & years to come. If they don’t work for you now “As is”, they never will & you own the wrong thing. That’s not a bad thing either, just move on......Fractal owes you nothing! The re-sale on Fractal devices is at an all time high for the AX8.

I know that Cliff said that updating the AX8 is a royal pain & very difficult........& the programmer has moved onto another company. That alone might be what stopped or might stop any further updates.

I’ve had several small issues regarding my different Fractal devices & every time they made it right! I’ve had help from their employees & this forum......& am proud to be among the Fractal family here.

I’m on the latest AX8 firmware, gig out & have no issues at all w/ it. If you are having issues, contact the Fractal team & they’ll make it right, they always do. Just my 2-cents here........& my point of view.

Peace! X
 
∞Fractals said:
Not really familiar with the bugs; is there a short list somewhere?
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Don't have a short list. You might want to check out the bugs & wishes forum. For me it's the stone old tempo bug and the more recent LFO issues that I wish FAS would fix in a goodbye firmware update.
 
∞Fractals said:
It is really hard to understand people who bought a product for not how it sounds today, but for maybe how it might sound in the future.

I don’t think I’ve ever purchased a piece of equipment for how it may be might sound possibly potentially some day maybe in the future. I buy it for what it does for me today.
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Other than say buying a guitar and knowing I'm going to change the pickups, or buying a car and knowing I'm going to upgrade the stereo, I totally agree. And those are things in my control, not dependent on what PRS or FAS decides to do. I'd still be happy if my AFXII was on FW 6... ;-)
 
I bought my AX8 as new with the firmware 6.1. Now I am on the last firmware and can not be happier.I think that 99% of the guitarists are very happy with the AX8 as it is now.

Despite everything, I am on the waiting list at the G66, and I am sure that just as many know why ;););)

So people please do not be disappointed, just enjoy it Thanks FAS
 
Kind of getting to a point where I just want to settle for what i got or find something that isn't going to be replaced every 5 years. I know these modelers have so many amp models but keeping up with the updates is like keeping up with new computers. I can't see spending another 1000 just to have the newest model unless I sell my ax8 first.
 
"...or find something that isn't going to be replaced every 5 years"
Respectfully, you should think about buying a fine acoustic piano. Or a vintage guitar. Or, a classic tube amp. Or, any musical instrument that isn't based on microprocessors, digital chips, firmware or software. Because EVERYTHING that uses digital technology will be superseded by a newer, more powerful model every couple of years.
"...but keeping up with the updates is like keeping up with new computers"
Exactly. Because, basically, they ARE computers. It's the price we pay for taking advantage of digital technology.
Hopefully, we've all adjusted our expectations accordingly, before purchasing.
 
Or the FW10.01 announcement thread - Post #3 in that thread confirmes that a bug from FW10.00 had still not been corrected. There are also the most recent posts that report really loud pops when you switch presets that contain certain amp models. Both of these bugs have been confirmed by several users.
 
Brian Dixon said:
Kind of getting to a point where I just want to settle for what i got or find something that isn't going to be replaced every 5 years. I know these modelers have so many amp models but keeping up with the updates is like keeping up with new computers. I can't see spending another 1000 just to have the newest model unless I sell my ax8 first.
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The thing is, you aren't forced to apply any update...

And just because an updated unit comes out doesn't make the one you own stop working. You can continue using it and be happy.
 
unix-guy said:
The thing is, you aren't forced to apply any update...

And just because an updated unit comes out doesn't make the one you own stop working. You can continue using it and be happy.
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Staying on a backlevel firmware can stabilize your system, true, but also makes it impossible to exchange presets or buy new ones.
 
I think - at some point there may be a last firmware update. The Axe-FX II received it - one year after the announcement of the successor? 1 1/4?
No need to hurry here.

Apart from the LFO bug, and some other stuff I see in the "Bugs & Wishlist" subforum, the system works quite well. And, from what I saw with the Axe-FX II, it will "only" improve Amp-modeling. From my perspective, problems in UI or with controllers would be better to fix, but just my 2 cents...

Anyway, I know I have a unit I can trust, and after 1.5 year haven't brought it to it's real limits. I often find myself thinking out of the box to get the sound I want, and on the way I stumble on even more cool things.

So, anyway, if there would be a last update, Amps wouldn't be the priority I see here, but more reliability of the blocks itself. The AX8 is the small take-away live unit, and as such reliability has a topmost priority. And, let's face it: most audiences won't hear the difference in most Amp modeling (okay, I don't know firmware 5 of the Axe-FX III, but if I want to hear, I buy one).

And remember: AX8 has faster X/Y amp switching than the II, of I remember correctly. We're a little more ahead in certain points.
 
ChristThePhone said:
Honestly, if that was the final FAS position I would be truly disappointed.
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Nothing to do with FAS... You either apply updates and deal with all that it entails (and provides), or you don't apply updates and deal with all that entails.

The same applies to anything that has Software or firmware updates.

My comments are purely related to the post I replied to as far as "keeping up with updates".
 
3 days ago there was nothing wrong with the AX8. I don't see why everyone's looking for a new firmware release when we were just drooling over the last one last summer. It sounded great then, it sounded good three weeks ago and wait......... yep it still sounds great today. I just confirmed it for myself. I'm good to go. The saddest thing is I'll miss the folks who post in the AX8 forum because 80% will be moving to the new product.
 
i bought my ax8 only a couple of months back. for sure i would love the excitement of upgrading firmware but if i had a choice now between the ax8 and the fm3.........i would still buy the ax8!
 
Well, I have a bittersweet feeling now. Please forgive for my english, I'm a spaniard.

I mean, it's obvious than Fractal doesn't have the obligation to give us firmware updates but even in their AX8 web the last sentence is: "The AX8 is also fully compatible with Fractal-Bot for preset sharing, easy backup and restore, plus firmware updates in the tradition of continual improvement that has become as much a hallmark of Fractal Audio Systems as the quality and sound of our products."

AXE II has received a final update with some of the ARES stuff (and I think the original Standard/Ultra also received one). Seems that FM3 has the same power as the AX8 (well, more as they are tasks left to coprocessors) and memory isn't an issue (Cliff stated than AX8 had "more memory than will ever need") so, why AX8 is left high and dry?

Seems that, I don't know where, Cliff has stated that updating AX8 is a nightmare as the engineer that made the updates has left the company.

So my feelings after this are:
- There are two classes of clients for Factal, the ones that can afford the flagship and the ones that buys some of the "second class" units. Not really nice for me as a client, if you ask me. Cliff, or somebody from the company could even came to this AX8 subforum and say something like "We are working in a new firmware for the AX8, but it will take some time as FM3 are taking almost all our production time" or "We're sorry but there won't be more updates to the AX8 as we consider it a obsolete product now and we don't have the time to update it/it doesn't have enough power/whatever reason...". But this silence and lack of comunication only makes me (and I think more people too) increase the feeling that we are second class clients to them and they even don't bother about us to have this gesture.
- If I would buy a FM3 in a future (when it and the FC6 are available in Europe), I will keep being a second class client. Would be left alone again?
 
I knew I would piss off people with that comment but we we're told probably a year ago this was still a new product early in it's life cycle. Just a little disapointed it is being replaced so soon. I just don't see it smart to keep seeking the next model. It's a certain amount of marketing and making you feel you lose out by not having the newest thing. For someone who doesn't have a endless supply of time or money I just cant see buying into the new fm3.

Also my point is that there is nothing wrong with the ax8 as is but if I really wanted the next thing that much closer to a real amp I think at this point I should just buy a real amp. Otherwise you will speed. 1000 every 5 years to make a few steps forward. I will at least wait till the next product after the FM3 comes out to upgrade. There just isn't enough difference right now to justify a new product for me personally. So while everyone else is rejoining the announcement I just Don't see it applying to me personally.

paulasbell said:
"...or find something that isn't going to be replaced every 5 years"
Respectfully, you should think about buying a fine acoustic piano. Or a vintage guitar. Or, a classic tube amp. Or, any musical instrument that isn't based on microprocessors, digital chips, firmware or software. Because EVERYTHING that uses digital technology will be superseded by a newer, more powerful model every couple of years.
"...but keeping up with the updates is like keeping up with new computers"
Exactly. Because, basically, they ARE computers. It's the price we pay for taking advantage of digital technology.
Hopefully, we've all adjusted our expectations accordingly, before purchasing.
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I feel the same as you @Josetxu. Fractal has earned a well-deserved reputation for continued cutting-edge development and support for their flagship products, but I do not think the same holds true for their 'lesser' products.

The AX8 has gotten pieces of the AxeFXII FW developments, but very little development has been done towards the AX8 product itself. Bugs are allowed to exist for months (soon to be years), and there is very little response to any wishes.

Don't get me started on the FX8 - As a dedicated FX unit, you would think that it got all the FX updates, but that does not seem to be the case. The latest FW is from November 2017.

Will it be better for the FM3? Who knows?

When you buy Fractal you also buy into their reputation for always pushing the limits, advancing the state of the art within modelling and what products can do. This has certainly been true for the rack units.
 
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