Axe-Fx II "Ares" Rev 2.00 Firmware Release

This thread was created when Ares 2.0 was released in 2019. The presets are from 2017... I'll let you deduce the answer :D

And just to be clear because of how you worded things: the presets and firmware are separate things. They aren't "downloaded together".
Thanks for the quick reply. I did mean what I said by the wording I used because I thought I saw a download button that had the firmware and presets together in the same download and I assumed there would be 2 separate files in the zip or rar archive being downloaded. I could have sworn I saw 2 separate download links with one being ares 2.0 and then a newer link with Ares 2.0 that included presets in the download. That is not what I am seeing there now and I am totally confused as to why I thought that was what I was seeing but I had a hard day at work yesterday and maybe not enough coffee lol. Sorry for the confusion.
 
This thread was created when Ares 2.0 was released in 2019. The presets are from 2017... I'll let you deduce the answer :D

And just to be clear because of how you worded things: the presets and firmware are separate things. They aren't "downloaded together".
Ah, I see what I did now. Man, I must have been tired because I read the header thinking it was the download itself lol. The header reads "Axe-Fx II Firmware & Presets"

 
Thanks again to Cliff to keeping sufficiently powerful hardware current with the 2019 Ares 2.0 firmware upgrade!!! Cygnus...? Pretty please???
There wasn't room for Ares. Even after deleting what he could get away with, Cliff could not fit all of Ares. What he did fit was an awesome upgrade.

For a couple years it's been my understanding there is not room to fit anything from Cygnus.
 
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There wasn't room for Ares. Even after deleting what he could get away with, Cliff could only fit core Ares functionality if I recall.

For a couple years it's been our understanding there zero room to fit anything from Cygnus.

Even if there was space (and HP) to fit some Cygnus algos, it's been stated numerous times by Cliff & Matt that the Axe-Fx II/AX8 family are Legacy products now, so no more updates. I wouldn't get any hopes up, at all... If anything, the II at least got Ares 2.00, the AX8 sadly did not.
 
Even if there was space (and HP) to fit some Cygnus algos, it's been stated numerous times by Cliff & Matt that the Axe-Fx II/AX8 family are Legacy products now, so no more updates. I wouldn't get any hopes up, at all... If anything, the II at least got Ares 2.00, the AX8 sadly did not.

The Axe-Fx IIxl+ is plenty powerful relative to say, the FM3. Understanding what has been said in the past, and without expectation, suffice it to say that lots of II owners will be super thrilled if Cliff chooses to bring the algorithmic epiphanies undergirding the latest release to their previous investments in Fractal. If it can't be done, it can't be done. Otherwise, I'm putting in my vote here for it to happen. Cheers.
 
It's not only about raw power, it's also about the company's resources. Why should a small company with limited resources should keep supporting and developing for 10-years old products***? Heck, FAS even did the unthinkable, they kept giving new firmwares (one better than the other) for the AF2 for 8 straight years (I know this because I bought my AF2 in 2011 and the last firmware came out in Sept. 2019 if I am not mistaken).

And some people keep forgeting that there are 2 new FAS products the last 2-3 years, 4 if you count the two pedalboards.

So, why some people still have hopes that one day the previous gen will get yet another firmware with the latest tech (and it needs to be reminded that the AF2 has never even been given the FULL version of the Ares tech, so it IS also a matter of power), two years after the latest firmware update and the announcement that those products have been discontinued (= they became legacy products), it's beyond me...

***point of diminishing returns, we are talking about discontinued products therefore, nobody can buy them to fund the company in order for the company to keep improving them so more people buy them and so on...
 
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I purchased my IIxl+ new in 2017. In Gen-X computer programmer years that’s virtually nothing. No need to be concerned about my hopes! Fractal can do what they feel is or isn’t appropriate.
 
The Axe-Fx IIxl+ is plenty powerful relative to say, the FM3. Understanding what has been said in the past, and without expectation, suffice it to say that lots of II owners will be super thrilled if Cliff chooses to bring the algorithmic epiphanies undergirding the latest release to their previous investments in Fractal. If it can't be done, it can't be done. Otherwise, I'm putting in my vote here for it to happen. Cheers.
It's not about power, it's about storage. The II has only x amount of space for the firmware, and that is absolutely filled to the brim already with Ares. There's no more room, even if it does have the power.

Besides, even if it could hold Cygnus, having enough power to run it doesn't mean it'll instantly be a III, it might have only 1 amp block, or only a few blocks at a time, who knows how much of a toll Cygnus actually has on CPU.
 
It's not about power, it's about storage. The II has only x amount of space for the firmware, and that is absolutely filled to the brim already with Ares. There's no more room, even if it does have the power.

Besides, even if it could hold Cygnus, having enough power to run it doesn't mean it'll instantly be a III, it might have only 1 amp block, or only a few blocks at a time, who knows how much of a toll Cygnus actually has on CPU.
Filled to the brim with Ares? Certainly firmware updates aren’t just piling up in the units? Perhaps you are privy to the storage architecture? Maybe I’m simply deluded in my enthusiasm for architecture that I assume readily supports alternative algorithms? And who said anything about expecting a II to become a III? And why all the pessimism? I’m strictly interested in the improvements to amp modeling and voiced continued interest. ‘night.
 
Filled to the brim with Ares? Certainly firmware updates aren’t just piling up in the units? Perhaps you are privy to the storage architecture? Maybe I’m simply deluded in my enthusiasm for architecture that I assume readily supports alternative algorithms? And who said anything about expecting a II to become a III? And why all the pessimism? I’m strictly interested in the improvements to amp modeling and voiced continued interest. ‘night.
No pessimism here, just realistic that a machine with roots nearly a decade old isn't going to run the state-of-the-art architecture. If all that was changed was lines of code, optimization for all programs would be a lot easier wouldn't it. The firmware on the III and the FM3 for that matter takes up more space than the II has, it's as simple as that.

Of course it would be great if Cygnus came to the II, there's no doubt about that. But it doesn't make sense from any perspective, financial or technical.
 
There wasn't room for Ares. Even after deleting what he could get away with, Cliff could not fit all of Ares. What he did fit was an awesome upgrade.

For a couple years it's been my understanding there is not room to fit anything from Cygnus.
This. When the final Ares 2 firmware came out, it was only a partial port. It was announced that a complete Ares port just wouldn’t fit.

It would be great to get Cygnus into Gen 2 hardware. That would breathe new life into my Axe-Fx II and AX8, which have been relegated to researching and answering forum questions from Gen 2 owners. But first, they’d need to invent a better shoehorn. :)
 
Is it? The IIxl+ supports two amp blocks and tone matching capability, and my FM3 doesn’t.

Supertramp’s “Dreamer” would be a better burn if the link weren’t broken. ;-)
That has nothing to do with the amount of physical storage space it has.. do you know what I'm talking about?

Look, right here is hard proof that the firmware on the FM3 physically takes up more space than the firmware for the II, thus won't fit.
1624623994644.png
1624624014685.png
 
That has nothing to do with the amount of physical storage space it has.. do you know what I'm talking about?

Look, right here is hard proof that the firmware on the FM3 physically takes up more space than the firmware for the II, thus won't fit.
View attachment 85326
View attachment 85327
I’m totally not suggesting a 1:1 transplant of firmware. Thanks for clarifying what you meant, as I think it explains the disconnect.
 
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I still have / love my 10 yr old AxeII Mk1 and make good use of it as an extention to Axe3 via spdif (ie for dual HQ reverbs, synth sounds, compressor/enhancer/looper at end of chain...), and as a still very powerful overall modeller/fx unit that, even today, blows away lots of currently marketed units from other brands . Would be great to have another upgrade somehow - just don't think it will realistically happen since Fractal needs to make a buck to pay its employees and they won't do that spending time upgrading their legacy products. We had a great run with it though, as we are having now with the III.
 
I still have / love my 10 yr old AxeII Mk1 and make good use of it as an extention to Axe3 via spdif (ie for dual HQ reverbs, synth sounds, compressor/enhancer/looper at end of chain...), and as a still very powerful overall modeller/fx unit that, even today, blows away lots of currently marketed units from other brands . Would be great to have another upgrade somehow - just don't think it will realistically happen since Fractal needs to make a buck to pay its employees and they won't do that spending time upgrading their legacy products. We had a great run with it though, as we are having now with the III.
Amp modeling improvements to make ten years of machines that much better might be impossible, or a welcome coup. I leave it to Fractal to be the naysayers on going back on "no more firmware updates." I'm happy with my Ares infused IIxl+, but crave relative sonic compatibility with my FM3. IIxl+'s that get sold can generate interest in the company, and may also allow sellers to purchase III's.

The pro players that sold me on Fractal in the first place aren't flush with cash and I see II's still active in their racks. I wouldn't have added my initial "pretty please" message to this thread, but Cliff seemed so enthused about the mods that led to Cygnus, I was hoping to appeal to his obvious pride in the products and interest in keeping the competitors at bay.

I mean, a lot of the "evidence" provided here could have been thrown at the 2019 Ares update suggestion. And I'm typing this on a 2010 MacPro that stomps on many current computers. And for that matter, when I worked at IBM straight out of college, folks could still order ribbons for 1920's models. We all have different perspectives on this stuff. Happy Friday everyone. Thanks again Cliff, Fractal!
 
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