AX8 V9.01 Public Beta

It took me a long time to realize that on certain parameters, including the new SPKR COMP and MOTR TIME CONST can be individually reset to default parameters in AX8 (and Axe) Edit by double clicking on the rotary knob ..in cases where one is concerned about ones tweaks..this can be very useful....
 
Personally, I've found that my presets need to be dialed in... yet again. They're in the ballpark, but they sound pretty different -- very forward and less compressed in the low-mids -- less gain-y feeling.

I hate to pull a cliche out of my back pocket, but it really does sound more amp-like. But I don't mean that as a positive, necessarily.... more like a tube amp before the tubes get warmed up and spongy.
 
... and lest that post be seen as a complaint about how v9.01 beta sounds, it isn't. That's just what it did to my current presets.

I'm sure I'll be able to dial them back in when I get a chance.
 
Which amp models are you using in your programs, or are you saying every single amp model is affected that way? Also have you tried them without ir's to see if it's the amp model and not the ir? Eric
Here is about Mesa Boogie Mark models. I use them most of the time. And I compare to real amp.
From all models I prefer IIC++ but they are all changed with this new FW.
And it's like benvigil says they sound now more like a bad-tubes amp :(
 
Here is about Mesa Boogie Mark models. I use them most of the time. And I compare to real amp.
From all models I prefer IIC++ but they are all changed with this new FW.
And it's like benvigil says they sound now more like a bad-tubes amp :(

OH crap, hope that's not true for me, as I'm just in the process of upgrading now.. Best of luck

Eric
 
Oh, haven't seen this! I'l try it today I think! :)

Beware though. . I just updated from 7.01 to 9.02 and all of my programs I use for my gigs now are different volumes and unusable for me. .I'll need to rewrite everything. I play my ax8 through a Tube Poweramp and a 2x12 Guitar cab and now all my Cameron and Splawn programs I use don't sound as good as I had programmed them previously. I knew this would happen (Regardless of what I read on here!) and made sure I did this on a week I don't have a gig. Good luck! :)

I just went through a lot of re-dialing in, and it's going to take me awhile. Some 'improvements' in amp modeling in 8.02 and 9.02 just didn't improve any of my programs. . SO I'll need to reprogram things. There sure are a million great tones in this thing but this has happened to me each time I've upgraded firmware, as I suspect the 'improvement's might be mostly aimed at people who use FRFR and IR's.. They don't help my presets ever. . .The Cameron models all are worse now and less gain than previously and Saturation is different on them too. I'll figure things out though. I haven't used the Mesas much so don't know how they changed.

Eric
 
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Just did the 9.02 update ... finding the same as Eric on my CCV preset. It’s very weak compared to what it was. I’ll need to do some revising. Not sure about the rest.
 
Just did the 9.02 update ... finding the same as Eric on my CCV preset. It’s very weak compared to what it was. I’ll need to do some revising. Not sure about the rest.

The Atomica changed drastically. Some if not all of the CCV's also . All of my main programs are built around those. The gain structure, Sag, and Saturation just seems to work differently on these now. I added a 'Boost" to the Atomica, and increased a bit of power amp sag (even though I'm going into a tube power amp) to get it to sound similar to my past setting. I use this at most of my gigs these days and have 6 between now and the end of the year, but a full week off to try to reprogram things, otherwise, I'll need to figure out how to reinstall the 7.01 that I loved my patches on . . I honestly don't know if the changes were from 8.02 or 9.02 though as I did them both at once.. .

edit/p.s. I just dialed in an Atomica patch that sounds great so I doubt if I'll have to go backwards in my firmware, BUT I need to reprogram/re-tweak all of my patches .. (I did realize this ahead of time! lol)

Eirc
 
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I just went through a lot of re-dialing in, and it's going to take me awhile. Some 'improvements' in amp modeling in 8.02 and 9.02 just didn't improve any of my programs. . SO I'll need to reprogram things. There sure are a million great tones in this thing but this has happened to me each time I've upgraded firmware, as I suspect the 'improvement's might be mostly aimed at people who use FRFR and IR's.. They don't help my presets ever. . .The Cameron models all are worse now and less gain than previously and Saturation is different on them too. I'll figure things out though. I haven't used the Mesas much so don't know how they changed.
This is EXACTLY my experience. Less gain, less power amp compression, and much more forward in the lower mids.
 
So ,..... Is this good or bad ?
I'll probably have time to update tomorrow.

All of my Cameron patches I programmed were no longer good (TO ME) . . It wasn't just gain differences. The whole eq curve on them was changed a lot. . Whether or not that was a Pre or Post eq or just due to very different power amp characteristics I don't know as there are soooo many parameters to re-look at. The lo-mids were way too much on 1 of mine, and on I think 1 of my Cameron 2a programs I could no longer even attempt to use my neck s/c pickup as it was nothing but mush. I was able to redial in some patches that I like a lot though, but if you're picky, don't think this FW upgrade will just magically transform any Cameron patches. AS for an Engl program I have it did not do bad things. As for my Splawn QuickRod ones , it did not do bad things. .Mostly just my Camerons. It'll be different for everyone
Eric

ps. Also due to some of that new programming (somewhere between 7.01 and 9.02 ) my main Cameron patches ended up above 0 db using the built-in vu meters, so I needed to bring them back down.
 
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I haven’t looked at everything, and can’t directly A/B the different firmwares, but I’ll probably replace the CCV model.
 
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