AXE FX 3 MARK1 VS MARK 2

I'll tell you this: the new main display in the Mark II is really crisp and bright. People are often impressed when they upgrade.
I know it’s probably hard to capture, but are there any comparison images of the two displays?
 
If it was me, I'd get a new Mk II.
  • You get the new-product warranty.
  • 512 presets may seem like a lot, but some third-party packs have over 1000 by themselves, plus you may also want the factory presets, and some of your own.
  • We don't know what the extra memory will get used for, but probably something you'll wish you had when it comes.
  • The price difference isn't likely to be that big in the US; it might be elsewhere though.
  • You're already buying a pretty expensive tool, so if you can afford to, get the best version, IMO.
That said, I have a Mk I, and if I was feelilng like I had spare cash around, which not really, there are other things that are higher priority for me than upgrading to a II.
 
Is the mark I enough? Well, no one will ever hear a hit song with great guitar tone and say “if only he had another 500 some odd presets this would actually be good”.
Excellent point. I think it's a feature/bug of reflexive human brain function to not understand the possibility of independent or orthogonal factors: physical, mechanical, functional, human.

I also suspect this is a source of much of the world's problems: most brains associate, correlate, and conflate things that are totally unrelated if they simply occur together in time or space or in the same object. How many of us unreasonably like or dislike something (someone) regardless of what it (they) actually does (do)?

All of this is to say: Of course the Mark II sounds a shit load better than the Mark I because it's a higher number and because of the screen and extra preset memory!!!
 
If it was me, I'd get a new Mk II.
  • You get the new-product warranty.
  • 512 presets may seem like a lot, but some third-party packs have over 1000 by themselves, plus you may also want the factory presets, and some of your own.
  • We don't know what the extra memory will get used for, but probably something you'll wish you had when it comes.
  • The price difference isn't likely to be that big in the US; it might be elsewhere though.
  • You're already buying a pretty expensive tool, so if you can afford to, get the best version, IMO.
That said, I have a Mk I, and if I was feelilng like I had spare cash around, which not really, there are other things that are higher priority for me than upgrading to a II.
AB Live Gold "only" has 384 presets
 
Maybe Cooper Carter...but he is unique LOL

True. But even then, I’d be willing to bet that was a one-time thing for that demo/video. In one aspect, I can’t talk, because if I had the cash, I would have hundreds of guitars. I LOVE guitars. I can just admit that I want them simply because I like guitars without trying to convince anyone I have an actual need for a ton of guitars.

It can just be my own mode of operation that’s tainting my POV on this topic, as well. I tend to make a preset when I need it instead of using something I’ve used in the past, unless I know it’s exactly what I need. I rarely save them because I have a ‘use once and destroy’ mentality when it comes to recording. I’ll save it if I come up with something really interesting, but if it’s just a standard “I need a clean tone with a delay and some chorus”, I’ll just make it really quick, track and then move on without saving the preset.
 
[*]We don't know what the extra memory will get used for, but probably something you'll wish you had when it comes.


This.

It’s the only reason I would upgrade (and maybe the better screen). Having more than 500 presets is preventing people from actually playing guitar and making music.

Playing a single preset for just two minutes, means that you need 16 hours uninterrupted to try all the presets. I wish I had 8 hours in a month to dedicate to guitar 😬
 
As I'm neither gigging nor writing songs, lately I've been more of a "preset tourist" or Axe "sound junky" (lately trying to create nature or percussion sounds).

I like variety, so I'll wander all over the range from cleans to dirty to pads to ambient to synths to special effects as my mood takes me. On any day I might visit 5-50 presets, but they are all over the place and I like sometimes being surprised by randomly trying something out. Of course I have a limited mental/attention "bandwidth" that can get topped out. I can also get sucked into any one preset and tweak or play around for hours.

So for me 1024 presets would enable keeping more options right at the fingertips. That said, I haven't gotten the Mark II because I can't justify it yet.
 
I just like having the latest version. Once you're in the Fractal fold it isn't difficult to keep it new. Not crazy expensive either.

Buy Axe 3 v1 for $1999. Sell for $1850. Buy V2 for $2099.
 
Seriously, No sound differences. Unlike Analog amplification, when you purchase a digital product - it's consistent
In addition that Cliff mentioned that besides double preset memory and flash thingy nothing is different!
 
More presets takes longer to boot :)
The hip "Yeah, I know what I got but I don't got to use it all" attitude: One kitchen sink preset and the knowledge that you could store over 1000 more if you wanted but you don't. Instead, you prefer to run super lean with all that horsepower to spare because that's how the real cool Mk II cats roll. ;)
 
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