Anyone interested in developing a simple VST plugin?

Brock

Experienced
A fellow Axe-Fx user and I have been talking about how great it would be if there was a plugin that could be inserted in a channel in a DAW that would offer two simple features: (1) capture a preset (plus IR and FW version) and (2) recall said preset to the Axe-Fx. The plugin would have no affect on the audio, but rather receive data from and send data to the Axe-Fx.

Here's why: there have been so many times I've tracked a song and gone back later and thought "Man, I LOVE my guitar tone here" and had no idea which patch it was. Sometimes I put in my track notes the patch number and name, but I've realized that isn't good enough because I constantly change parameters in presets, rename them, move them, etc. An alternative would be to back up all the presets and save them in the project folder, but that requires all kinds of extra steps this simple plugin could save. My guess is this would have tremendous appeal in the recording community.

FAS has indicated this isn't a priority, so I'm wondering if there's anyone out there who might be interested in developing it. @AlGrenadine?
 
A fellow Axe-Fx user and I have been talking about how great it would be if there was a plugin that could be inserted in a channel in a DAW that would offer two simple features: (1) capture a preset (plus IR and FW version) and (2) recall said preset to the Axe-Fx. The plugin would have no affect on the audio, but rather receive data from and send data to the Axe-Fx.

Here's why: there have been so many times I've tracked a song and gone back later and thought "Man, I LOVE my guitar tone here" and had no idea which patch it was. Sometimes I put in my track notes the patch number and name, but I've realized that isn't good enough because I constantly change parameters in presets, rename them, move them, etc. An alternative would be to back up all the presets and save them in the project folder, but that requires all kinds of extra steps this simple plugin could save. My guess is this would have tremendous appeal in the recording community.

FAS has indicated this isn't a priority, so I'm wondering if there's anyone out there who might be interested in developing it. @AlGrenadine?
Interesting, not sure there's a market for this though
 
Interesting, not sure there's a market for this though
A fellow Axe owner agreed it's something he's been wanting for years. I can't imagine anyone who records with the Axe-Fx not wanting such a capability. I think it would simply workflow tremendously.
 
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An alternative would be to back up all the presets and save them in the project folder, but that requires all kinds of extra steps this simple plugin could save.
this is what we do now.

what if you change the preset during recording? at what point would this "grab" the preset?
 
this is what we do now.

what if you change the preset during recording? at what point would this "grab" the preset?
That's the whole point - for those of us who tweak presets endlessly, all we'd have to do is open the plugin (in the DAW), press a single button, and it would store all the preset settings in the plugin on the channel on which it's inserted. Then, if we want to recall it later, open the preset and press the Recall button and it would load the preset into the Axe-Fx. This, rather than having to export (and possibly later import) a preset in Axe-Edit every time we change something.
 
Given this product would only appeal to FAS owners, and of those, folks that record and want to recall presets, it seems like it would be a rather small market. This means the cost would likely be pretty high to recoup costs of development, and when the cost is kind of high, then your market size drops even smaller.

On top of that, if something was made with an older FW, how would the unit reload the old firmware, and then would you need to manually go and install the latest version again ?
 
Then, if we want to recall it later, open the preset and press the Recall button and it would load the preset into the Axe-Fx. This, rather than having to export (and possibly later import) a preset in Axe-Edit every time we change something.
would it account for firmware version?

preset files load very quickly. just drag and drop. chances are Axe-Edit is already open.

someone with drive could maybe easily make this for free. but when the market is so small, even someone with time and no money requirement won't take the time to make it.

great idea. i don't think it will happen though.

pressing export and saving it to the song's folder doesn't take that much time.
 
Given this product would only appeal to FAS owners, and of those, folks that record and want to recall presets, it seems like it would be a rather small market.

On top of that, if something was made with an older FW, how would the unit reload the old firmware, and then would you need to manually go and install the latest version again ?
I am pretty confident anyone who records with the Axe-Fx and thought about this for a minute would be interested. Bricasti has something similar for their M7 reverb.

would it account for firmware version?

preset files load very quickly. just drag and drop. chances are Axe-Edit is already open.

Regarding the FW, it would be stored as part of the data - it would display the firmware and maybe provide a pop up dialog box if the preset and present FW versions differ. I'm guessing after the final Ares is released, this won't be an issue as Cliff seems to have indicated Ares 1.0 is the end of the road for the Axe-Fx II.
 
100% agreed with the need for DAW recall.

The fact that a high end guitar product like the AxeFX doesn't have the ability to recall presets from a DAW is a large oversight in my opinion. Axe-Edit already works as a two way highway between the unit and a computer. Adding functionality that allows for a full status dump in the DAW would simply make a lot of sense.

Given this product would only appeal to FAS owners, and of those, folks that record and want to recall presets, it seems like it would be a rather small market.

That doesn't make any sense to me. Of course it would only appeal to FAS owners, it would be for the Axe. It IS the market. What does that have to do with anything? I would guess that at least half, if not more, people who own a $3k guitar processor also record with it. And regardless, I can speak from my experience as a professional composer with an Axe, 2 Kempers, 10 tube amps and pretty much every guitar plugin known to man, that the Axe takes the backseat when I'm working on deadline sensitive projects because it is too tedious to write down manually all of the patches I'm using, along with re-saving them any time I tweak a single parameter. All of this could easily be dumped into the DAW for recall-ability at any time.
 
too tedious to write down manually all of the patches I'm using, along with re-saving them any time I tweak a single parameter.
how long is this really taking?

anyone remember what it's like to write down the pedals you use, and drawing all the dials and settings and routing? surely writing a preset number and clicking save is faster than that.

would it be great if DAWs could recall everything? sure. but there are limitations to that idea that would need to be hashed out, and at the end of the day, this is a hardware device.
 
anyone remember what it's like to write down the pedals you use, and drawing all the dials and settings and routing? surely writing a preset number and clicking save is faster than that.

would it be great if DAWs could recall everything? sure. but there are limitations to that idea that would need to be hashed out, and at the end of the day, this is a hardware device.
Hey bro, if you want to stay in 1960, go ahead. The whole point of all this technology is to be able to get better results faster, to be able to facilitate creativity more efficiently. Personally, I enjoy the fact I can recall plugins, projects, instrument presets, etc.

I'm not alone here, guys. When I contacted @Admin M@ about this idea, he specifically said "I'd love to do this. I've been pushing for it for years.".
 
Cool, bro. 1960!

Sent from iPhone.


I’ll remember to never disagree with a question moving forward.

Though I’m pretty sure I said it was a good idea.
 
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how long is this really taking?

anyone remember what it's like to write down the pedals you use, and drawing all the dials and settings and routing? surely writing a preset number and clicking save is faster than that.

would it be great if DAWs could recall everything? sure. but there are limitations to that idea that would need to be hashed out, and at the end of the day, this is a hardware device.

Recalling manually is simply an outdated way to interface with the technology. Making excuses for a lack of foresight and progress isn't in the interest of the users of the gear, nor the developers of it.

As far as writing things down, I don't have time to deal with that on a 24 hour major commercial spot deadline where I have 7 different guitar tracks, all using different sounds, which I have to go and manually recall, and tweak to hopefully where it was when I last tracked it, for a revision due by EOD.

Regarding DAWs recalling everything, they do for the most part. Brock's example of the Bricasti recall plugin is exactly right. Also a $3k unit, with I'm assuming a much smaller customer base than Fractal, and they got it done years ago.
 
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That's the whole point - for those of us who tweak presets endlessly, all we'd have to do is open the plugin (in the DAW), press a single button, and it would store all the preset settings in the plugin on the channel on which it's inserted. Then, if we want to recall it later, open the preset and press the Recall button and it would load the preset into the Axe-Fx. This, rather than having to export (and possibly later import) a preset in Axe-Edit every time we change something.

Interesting idea but doesn’t really simplify the workflow too much. Right now you open Axe edit and export the preset. Your alternative would be to open the plugin and export the preset.

I guess one improvement would be if the plugin sent the preset to the Axe when you opened the project. But, wouldn’t that overwrite the current preset in the current Axe implementation?
 
Axe-Edit VST/AU...which would then open up DAW midi mapping with the plugin GUI...so fast + endless hardware controller assignments

...probably end up being a sysex trainwreck with the way they've got them master/slaved, it's not really direct control, it feels like Axe-Edit goes "hey, why don't you change this parameter." Axe-Fx goes..."uh, ok. Like this?" Midi direct through the DAW is so snappy, it feels like driving a mech warrior.
 
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I just have a folder in my cubase project and export the guitar and bass presets to it.
Having said that, it’s rarely been useful, as a revisit is usually many months away, and by that time the unit is better by firmware or hardware changes! Great idea though.
Thanks
Pauly
 
I just have a folder in my cubase project and export the guitar and bass presets to it.
Having said that, it’s rarely been useful, as a revisit is usually many months away, and by that time the unit is better by firmware or hardware changes! Great idea though.
Thanks
Pauly
Yes that's the main problem, so even with a plugin it would be useless
 
I would love and pay for a recall plugin.

About the firmware changes I think I am in a minority. I have songs and projects with guitar tracks made with Eleven Rack or older modelers - Axe FX II XL and Axe FX III. The Fractals spanning many firmware revisions.

I don't find it very hard to call up an old preset and tweak it to be in the ball park of the old sound.

It's about making and creating music - not putting unimportant obstacles in your creative path. Sometimes OCD is fine - but not here.

Anyways a recall plug would still be a big help.
 
I just have a folder in my cubase project and export the guitar and bass presets to it.
Having said that, it’s rarely been useful, as a revisit is usually many months away, and by that time the unit is better by firmware or hardware changes! Great idea though.

Yes that's the main problem, so even with a plugin it would be useless

@pauly - that's the whole point. There are several steps in having to open Axe Edit and saving the Preset/Cab bundle and then steering it to the project directory (this part would take longest for me). With the plugin, it's automatically saved in your DAW as part of the project by simply opening the plugin and clicking Save Preset. If you tweak parameters, no problem, just open the plugin and click Save Preset again. Then, if you want to recall that preset later, just click Recall Preset. No more spelunking through file directories, opening Axe Edit, manually saving/recalling, etc.

@AlGrenadine I believe Cliff has indicated Ares 1.0 will be the end of the road for the Axe-Fx II, so firmware shouldn't be an issue. Either way, my proposed solution to that issue is if the preset's FW is different, some sort of dialog would pop up announcing that fact.
 
@pauly - that's the whole point. There are several steps in having to open Axe Edit and saving the Preset/Cab bundle and then steering it to the project directory (this part would take longest for me). With the plugin, it's automatically saved in your DAW as part of the project by simply opening the plugin and clicking Save Preset. If you tweak parameters, no problem, just open the plugin and click Save Preset again. Then, if you want to recall that preset later, just click Recall Preset. No more spelunking through file directories, opening Axe Edit, manually saving/recalling, etc.

@AlGrenadine I believe Cliff has indicated Ares 1.0 will be the end of the road for the Axe-Fx II, so firmware shouldn't be an issue. Either way, my proposed solution to that issue is if the preset's FW is different, some sort of dialog would pop up announcing that fact.
AxeFx III still evolves ;)
 
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