Axe-edit doesn't work with brand new unit

I want to first say....I apologize for the whiny rant. I think 1/2 my problem is that I'm going blind as I get older and the surfing around reading and tinkering is killing my eyes. I thank you all....(even you mean ones...lol) for your replies and assistance. I did download the fractalbot but it just ran out of steam from there. I'll keep at it. I've waited two years to own one of these and I assure you all I'm not going to be sending it back!!! I'll get this. Thanks again, Greg
 
I'm guessing part of the issue is that the Firmware required (17) is so new, it's only a few days old so most likely it was the previous version that was installed before the unit was shipped to you. It is a little daunting at first figuring this stuff out. For me though I didn't bother with the axe edit/fractalbot apps at all for the first couple of days, I was too busy playing around with the presets that ship with the unit. Sure some of them are aimed at the metal players but there are many that are good all-round sounds in there too, if I remember correctly the first patch is a clean Fender Bassman type one and that had me grinning ear to ear for a while when I played it first, so warm and punchy.

You have bought the best, most advanced system for guitar that exists, feel good about that and know that the technical stuff you can work out in time.
 
in all honesty, once you get the basics down, it's very easy to update, use Edit, whatever. updating with Fractal Bot is almost as easy as just hitting a button. are you on Mac or Pc?
 
Greg F said:
I want to first say....I apologize for the whiny rant. I think 1/2 my problem is that I'm going blind as I get older and the surfing around reading and tinkering is killing my eyes. I thank you all....(even you mean ones...lol) for your replies and assistance. I did download the fractalbot but it just ran out of steam from there. I'll keep at it. I've waited two years to own one of these and I assure you all I'm not going to be sending it back!!! I'll get this. Thanks again, Greg
Click to expand...

Good of you to apologize as your first post was a bit harsh. I understand we all say things in frustration we regret. You don't need to be a computer genius at all. The steps required to get up and running are commonplace in todays world. Computer basics 101 mind you.

You will find with time that Fractal goes far and beyond most companies when it comes to customer support. If you submitted a support ticket you WILL be taken care of. Also, this forum has many users both newbie and pros that are more than willing to help out anyone who seeks assistance in a civil manor.

So lets start at the beginning.

1. Power up your Axe.
2. Click on the UTILITY button on the front panel.
3. Click on the PAGE RIGHT button 6 times and you will be on the FIRMWARE tab.
4. What firmware is currently loaded on your Axe II?

Let us know and we can direct you from there.

Next, you will need to from this location: http://www.fractalaudio.com/support.php

1. Download the USB driver for Windows. (Make sure you get the Windows version!)
2. If you do not have v17 already installed then download Firmware v17 for the Axe II product you have. (either XL or Original/Mark II)

From this location: http://www.fractalaudio.com/fractal-bot.php

3. Download the Fractal Bot software (for Windows).

From this location: http://www.fractalaudio.com/p-axe-edit-software.php

4. Download the appropriate Axe Edit version for whatever Windows version you are running (8 or (7,Vista,XP)).
5. While you are there also download the Axe-Edit getting started guide.


Once you have all those downloaded to your desktop or folder of your choice you have everything you need to enjoy your AXE II. We can walk you through the installation process if needed. Just ask... nicely. :)

Basically, once you have the USB driver installed you will not have to do that again. Fractal Bot gets updated occasionally as new features become available but for the most part you won't have to worry about that very often. Firmware updates are common and happen all the time and you can choose to stay at your current configuration or update to the new version at whatever time is most convenient for you. Axe Edit updates follow each Firmware update but sometimes could take a few days to catch up.
 
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The AxeFX system has some idiosyncrasies, and it takes a bit of time to become familiar with how it all goes together. My AxeFX arrived in April, and within a few days there was a major FW upgrade. There have been three major FW upgrades since then, each unlocking huge new sonic territory and expanding the functionality of my AxeFX. System upgrades are the norm with this platform; if you look at the form postings from last year at this time you'll see that we were all excited about FW13. Major FW upgrades are accompanied by software upgrades for Axe-Edit, which allow us to manage newly added parameters. Awesome stuff every time!

I can tell you that Axe-Edit is beautifully engineered, and provides a detailed view into how the system works. Seeing the signal flow and parameter management interfaces makes it much simpler to build / manage patches. Definitely start with the factory patches to see which amps and cabinet combos are involved, and how the effect chains are assembled. I'm a visual learner, and this is what helped me get it.
I've told this story before, but since you're new to the forum, I'll share it again: about a week after I got my AxeFX, a friend of mine came over for dinner. He really wanted to try the AxeFX. I'd been saying how delighted I was with it, and knowing that I'm a geek musician who uses crazy complex signal chains, he was quite intrigued about the system. He's a well-known professional musician who has a lot of experience with music technology, but he'd never test-driven the AxeFX. After dinner I fired up the AxeFX and Axe-Edit, got him set up to make basic sounds, and left the room to open a bottle of wine. Less than five minutes later, I returned with a couple of glasses of wine, and he'd already figured out how to build signal chains, and was assigning modulation controllers to effects. I had given him no instruction on Axe-Edit, and hadn't even described how the interface worked. He just intuited all that from looking at it, and some quick experimentation. Now, most of us aren't going to take to it quite this immediately, but it does make sense pretty fast once you start exploring. By the way, he ordered his AxeFX almost immediately and is a happy owner.

This forum is a fantastic resource, as is the Wiki. You'll find that almost everyone here has learned and experimented a lot, and that we're always learning. Most of us on the forum have a crazy sense of humor, so you'll see some very funny discussion threads at times. The guys from FAS are always around, and they hop in to answer questions all the time.

You're in a good place. Welcome to the tribe!
 
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