Ares on XL+ ... mission possible or impossible!

Best news I've heard in a while!

This means the new Firmware is advancing....and that is all I ever want to see.

That's an excellent point, and one that should be made more often. How sad would it be if Cliff kept the Axe Fx 3 backwards compatible with the Axe Fx 2, not making the advances that could be made for the sake of backwards compatibility. Much, much better to just make a clean slate and make the Axe Fx 3 better faster making it easier to justify moving to the new platform instead of dragging old stuff along for the sake of it.
 
Yep I get that but half of my statement was if I put my NAME down, I want it in 10 business days - not wait excessive periods of time for a buying decision I made to be fulfilled. Making a consumer wait can result in losing that sale. The Fractal model ensures no-one can make an impulse purchase - not sure that is great for business.
 
Yep I get that but half of my statement was if I put my NAME down, I want it in 10 business days - not wait excessive periods of time for a buying decision I made to be fulfilled. Making a consumer wait can result in losing that sale. The Fractal model ensures no-one can make an impulse purchase - not sure that is great for business.
It's all well and good that's what you want, but that ain't how it works. ;)

You've declared an advanced interest in purchasing, that is all.

Fractal hasn't committed to sell you anything yet. That comes when you get your email to purchase, or when you see it available in the Fractal shop for purchase.
 
Fractal is going to sell them as fast as they can build them, don't worry about that.

So many armchair entrepreneurs feel they know "best" when it comes how to run a business, yet what actual track record do any of these folks have compared to what Cliff's achieved in a fairly short time since he started the company and rolled out the first Axe-Fx model.

Anyone here commenting on what FAS should do own a more successful musical technology business ?
 
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Fractal is going to sell them as fast as they can build them, don't worry about that.

So many armchair entrepreneurs feel they know "best" when it comes how to run a business, yet what actual track record do any of these folks have compared to what Cliff's achieved in a fairly short time since he started the company and rolled out the first Axe-Fx model.

Anyone here commenting on what FAS should do own a more successful musical technology business ?
Fair call - many of us just have different perspectives that's all :)
 
Sorry for my englisch:
I don‘t get it: We are Customers and we all paid a lot of money for the Axe Fx. Our interest is the best possible product care in the future. Our job is not to explain why FAS can‘t or won’t do this or that. FAS has there own interests and this is absolutly ok. We should just say what we want and this is also ok. Nothing wrong with that.
Now you can crucify me, haha!
 
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Couple of thoughts. Firmware updates are awesome but buying the product new at any time is always good as it already has all of the updates to that time! Hoping for more in the future to me is more like a bonus.

Personally, I didn't pay $2000+ for the hardware. I paid for the part that makes the Fractal different from the other brands, the firmware. In my opinion, the firmware updates are part of what I paid for, and I expect that as much as Cliff is able to, he'll continue to incorporate new ideas into the firmware in my XL+ and I'll continue to get firmware updates for some time to come.

A twist on this, IMHO, is that the pure modeling aspect of the firmware is now so far ahead of where it was when I bought my XL+ and sounds so good now that you could say, "We have arrived". The firmware is no longer a work-in-progress, so perhaps the expectation of future firmware updates at no additional cost has come to an end?

On the other hand, we all thought the modeling was totally amazing and could never be any better 3 years ago, too. So maybe we haven't yet arrived"?
 
I own an Axe-Fx Standard (remember those?) an Axe-Fx II Mark II and an AX8. They all sound great. I’ve never once expected that Cliff would make Quantum available for the Standard, that’s not how the world works.

A lot of days I think the Standard is the best sounding of the three. Why? Probably because I just “play” that one, while I still “tweak” the other two.

To make a comparison, and keep it in the modeling world, do you think you can load Helix firmware into a Flextone? Doubtful.
 
I bought my XL three years ago. I´m feeling the same. The updates are half of the fun.

Well,

i bought the AXE II + 3.5 years ago. As a working musician i then had to play 8 gigs only for the new toy. ;-) But after that, the AXE was merely a tool among others. Depreciation time for the AXE is 3 years. So at the end of 2017 the AXE was fully written off. Value at that time 1 Euro ;-) . So I sold it for a good price. After all a good ROI. So the III is 'round the corner and i am on the list. Money is waiting to get spent. But I know that i will sell it again in three years.

So much regarding the business /tax plan.

As i mentioned above, the AXE for me is a tool. It is not a collectable item . I doubt that they will play a great role in the vintage market.

So you pay for the Know How, good sound, convenience etc. For those who bought the AXE II last year. Don't worry, Quantum 9.04 is awesome. Play with it and have fun. Buy the AXE in three years. Maybe in an + version.

BTW, i would prefer a Fractal leasing program ;-)
 
Just iterated through this thread and geeess…what a bunch of power whiners, dropping tears the size of hot-air balloons, grow up people! I just went from a II to an XL+ less than a year ago, just checked, and yes, my XL+ still sounds as great as before the III was announced. Incredible the sense of entitlement spewed here.

All I have to say is: Thanks Cliff for keeping the evolution alive, looking forward to the new generation!
 
Technology is always progressing. As soon you buy hardware, you've bought a snapshot in time in technological progression. Updates can only take hardware so far. Go on eBay, buy a computer from 90s, and then try to install a play a modern video game like Overwatch or something. You're gonna have a bad time.

I don't care if the Axe FX II never gets another update ever again. It sounds incredible and I get compliments on my sound for every show I play. I'll be happily be using this black box for a very very long time. The last update that really mattered was like 6.00 Quantum or whenever when the power amp modeling was completely reworked about a year ago. Since then the Axe FX 2 has been perfect and all updates after that have been pretty negligible, in my opinion. I only updated to any latest firmware because, fuck it, why not.
 
+1 ^^^^

My lowly AFX2 Mk II sounds great, and if it gets an update that actually improves it that's great, and if not it still sounds great!

GREAT LOL!
 
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as a AFX2 and AX8 owner, I am more than satisified with the customer support of Fractal. And I do understand that Ares can't be available on AX2 since there's the new rackmount model available. But I wonder what happens to AX8. Since it's the only modeler on its form that Fractal offers, Shouldn't it get the latest and greatest amp modeling algorithms? Or maybe a new AX8 is on the works as well? :)
 
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What's easy not to consider is that if you bought an XL+ at firmware Q 9.02, you have the culmination of many firmware updates. I would have been much happier when I bought my first Axe Fx II if it sounded/felt like FW Q 9.4 instead of G2 FW 1.02!
 
But I wonder what happens to AX8. Since it's the only modeler on its form that Fractal offers, Shouldn't it get the latest and greatest amp modeling algorithms? Or maybe a new AX8 is on the works as well? :)

The Ax8 uses the same CPU type as the Axe Fx 2 but has even less power. If something can’t run on the Axe Fx 2, there’s no chance it can run on the Ax8.
 
I don't expect Ares on II or AX8... but I will be glad if a lighter version of Ares will see the light!
I know that the deeper Cliff dug into modeling, the better his comprehension of what happen inside an amp. I know that there are infinite ways to model, I hope there are some aspect of the improved ARES that could be implemented... or some Quantum code could be rewritten with lighter load trading some minor aspect: perhaps, lighter code could help ARES to progress further on III... you know, epiphany happens...!
 
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