Axe-Fx II "Ares" Rev 1.03 Firmware Release

Download Axe Edit (Gen 2) via the fractal website, same with the Ares Firmware 1.03, once you installed Axe Edit on your Mac or Pc, Upload the Ares Firmware via Fractal Bot. Kudos!
 
I found the new firmware to have less compression and more mids. Maybe it sounds more compressed to you because you are playing loudly?
Shure? I´m surprised........Don´t you feel the more of compression also on clean amps ? I played it loud and with headphones and felt it from the first moment, the fast compressed response.
 
Shure? I´m surprised........Don´t you feel the more of compression also on clean amps ? I played it loud and with headphones and felt it from the first moment, the fast compressed response.

Yeah, I am pretty sure. I did an A/B test with q10 and found that my presets had less compression and more mids. I am listening through mixing monitors in a treated room. I agree the response and touch has changed, but that's not from compression.
 
So far no one has found any major bug, if you're thinking about upgrading yeah, this firmware is solid.
 
I’ve read mention that the gain is much higher with Ares than the last Quantum firmware. Have you guys been able to dial your presets back fairly easily or was it a major chore?
 
I’ve read mention that the gain is much higher with Ares than the last Quantum firmware. Have you guys been able to dial your presets back fairly easily or was it a major chore?

No hassle for me. Where I felt it necessary I've simply lowered the amps input gain (volume) to set the gain where desired.
 
I’ve read mention that the gain is much higher with Ares than the last Quantum firmware. Have you guys been able to dial your presets back fairly easily or was it a major chore?

All of my presets have way too much gain to be usable. I'm now debating whether to go back to Quantum or start from scratch in Ares (but I'm in a cover band, so I use one preset per song,and that's a lot of from-scratch presets to work on). What really bothers me is that it seems like the vast majority are super happy with Ares and don't seem to need to tweak anything at all...

... My go to 5150 Block amp went from Input Drive of 4.5 to 1.69 to preserve the same amount clarity in the gain structure. The FW should have been called Kapow!... @FractalAudio !

But dr Bonkers' statement reflects more accurately my experience... In Quantum (and with the amp models I tend to use), if I were to drop the gain from 4.5 all the way down to 1.69 it would effectively change the tone from crunch to clean (if not anemic)... yet it seems to be a necessity in Ares?
 
Last edited:
I didn't really notice a change in gain, but I also only tried the MkIV, Savage & Skull Crusher models. I might have brought the Engl model down a touch on the gain, but I'm constantly fidgeting with that anyways as I can never really decide if I like juuuust a little more or juuuust a little less. I'm also running through a poweramp & cab.

Any chance on these cases of extreme gain changes that the global input level was affected somehow? Mine has always been around 9-15% I believe, didn't check it after loading Ares because I didn't have any issues.

Other than all that, I'm pretty happy with this firmware. I fall in the camp of not being able to tell a whole world of difference from one firmware to the next, but I think on this one the feel is improved and the sound has some more clarity to it for my high-gain stuff. I gave the skull crusher a whirl, its definitely a strong competitor to my engl preset, but it'll need some heavier tweaking than I was able to give it so far to get there. No matter what other model I try, when I come back to the engl it just sounds bigger better clearer punchier etc etc. There are certain things about the engl that I'm still working on dialing in/out, and thats part of why I keep trying other models out, but for the most part I just can't find anything else to compete with it for the tone & feel that I want. Can't really comment on clean or edge/crunchy type tones as I haven't messed with them at all since loading ares & to be fair I don't really mess with them much at all anyways.

Definitely a badass firmware, definitely still happy I picked up the 2 when I did. Definitely still itching to get a 3, but not too terribly upset that I won't be able to afford one any time in the near future. The 2 is finished, the 3 is well under way...I'm pretty excited to see what Cliff & Co. come up with next, whenever 'soon' might come around this time.
 
Any chance on these cases of extreme gain changes that the global input level was affected somehow?
Assuming you're referring to the global Instrument Level control, that has no impact on tone or signal level - it's only for optimizing the A/D converters.
 
Assuming you're referring to the global Instrument Level control, that has no impact on tone or signal level - it's only for optimizing the A/D converters.
Yeah that I believe. Couldn't remember...I swear when I bring it up a bit it adds a bit of gain though, like increasing the level on a clean boost. I haven't messed with it in months, definitely could be completely wrong haha.
 
May be a bug on HBE C45: too anemic compared to BE 45 and other HBEs... check yourself and let us know...

Otherwise a GREAT FW for an end of life !

If any of the models is a bit "..." i think i would be the BE c45 [ Mark Day's BE-100] (that one sounds a bit *bass heavy* The HBEc45 [2018] sounds more like the other models.. i think.
I like the HBEc45 :)

The C45 = (treble boost) on the REAL Friedman amp

Wiki says
  1. BE: based on old Marsha model, BE mode
  2. BE C45: based on Mark Day's BE-100, C45 switch engaged
  3. BE V1: based on Mark Day's BE-100, voice: right position (less mids)
  4. BE V2: based on Mark Day's BE-100, voice: left position (more mids)
  5. HBE: based on old Marsha model, HBE mode
  6. HBE 2018: based on 2018 BE-100, HBE mode
  7. HBE 2018 C45: based on 2018 BE-100, HBE mode, C45 switch engaged
  8. HBE V1: based on Mark Day's BE-100, HBE mode, voice: right position (less mids)
  9. HBE V2: based on Mark Day's BE-100, HBE mode, voice: left position (more mids)
 
Back
Top Bottom