Axe-Fx II Firmware 15.00 Released

[Orvillain]

Sounds like you did a RESET SYSTEM PARAMS from the Utility menu somewhere in your upgrading process. It will set your Input Mode to Left Only which is the default.

Hmmmm.... I hadn't thought of that, but it's possible. I did reset the amps in the presets, it's possible I slipped one time and reset system params. *chin stroke*

 

[yek]

Any of the amps I've had that have a saturation boost, like the Laney VH100R and the Fryette Sig X for instance. They did not have volume drops when kicking in the saturation stage. Personally, I think Fractal has it wrong on this one.

I'm looking at the SIG X website page, and I'm not seeing the equivalent of a saturation switch.
SAT is not a regular boost.

 

[Orvillain]

SAT is not a regular boost.

Please explain.

To my mind, SAT does exactly the same as the less/more switch on the Sig X, and the same thing as the channel boosts on the Laney VH100R. IE: It brings in some LED based clipping before the tonestack, which is what those two things do in those two amps AFAIK.

 

[unix-guy]

http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-f...e-15-00-released-post1057403.html#post1057403

Perfect - thanks! I think I will only need to adjust the low freq resonance... I don't touch any of the other values that are being reset.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[yek]

Please explain.

To my mind, SAT does exactly the same as the less/more switch on the Sig X, and the same thing as the channel boosts on the Laney VH100R. IE: It brings in some LED based clipping before the tonestack, which is what those two things do in those two amps AFAIK.

Less/More is just the difference between 3 and 4 stages of gain.

The SAT switch is something else:
Amp block - Axe-Fx II Wiki

 

[chris]

Any of the amps I've had that have a saturation boost, like the Laney VH100R and the Fryette Sig X for instance. They did not have volume drops when kicking in the saturation stage. Personally, I think Fractal has it wrong on this one.

Can you describe the "Saturation Boost" in each amp a bit? I can't find them at all.

This is what the Axe saturation switch is:

Cliff: "It switches in a zener diode clipping stage right before the tone stack. This is the so-called Jose Arrendondo Mod."

 

[Orvillain]

Less/More is just the difference between 3 and 4 stages of gain.

The SAT switch is something else:
Amp block - Axe-Fx II Wiki

Can you describe the "Saturation Boost" in each amp a bit? I can't find them at all.

Guys, I know what the SAT switch does. I've poured over the wiki for months prior to getting my AFII, and I still use it over and above the manual now. It's a great resource. But again AFAIK, in the Sig X the 4th gain stage is LED Diode clipping. I'm going on what my amp tech told me when he serviced it. Given that the SAT switch brings in diode clipping in much the same fashion, it isn't much of a stretch to equate the two. And with that amp there is no massive volume difference between the two modes, it's pretty much limited to how saturated the tone you get is.

On the Laney VH100R when you kick in the overdrive circuit, you are in fact bringing in some diode clipping there too - again, AFAIK. Happy to be proven wrong.

There is no need to be defensive and go on a crusade against me. I'm just giving one opinion. You were presumably plenty happy with FW14's SAT switch behaviour, just like I was. I am just expressing a dislike for the change. It doesn't echo anything that I've experienced using real world guitar amps. The only times I recall a volume drop were switching in and out poorly built FX loops that weren't buffered thus giving signal loss whenever you used them.

This is just my experience - I've mainly stuck to complex multi-channel amps in the past because of the nature of the material I write. Not really into single channel amps so much, and if this volume drop is prevalent with them then I am just ignorant of it.

Finally... the reason I care??? Previously it was possible to set an amp up how you'd like, fully tricked out and saturated to all levels of fuckery. Dial in the output level of the block, and move on from there. You could turn saturation off, and have roughly the same level, and it was great for recording. But now??? You turn saturation OFF, and the level goes through the roof and starts clipping. It's totally a workflow thing rather than a sonic thing.

 

[vAmp]

The core modeling algorithms in the release are identical to the beta except for the Sat switch. However, many of the models themselves were altered to reflect the updated algorithms.

Does that mean the epiphany you had just before your small vacation isn't included yet? Or did that happen on a "per model" basis?
Just curious, not expecting "the bomb" from it anyway (like some seemed to).

 

[yek]

Guys, I know what the SAT switch does. I've poured over the wiki for months prior to getting my AFII, and I still use it over and above the manual now. It's a great resource. But again AFAIK, in the Sig X the 4th gain stage is LED Diode clipping. I'm going on what my amp tech told me when he serviced it. Given that the SAT switch brings in diode clipping in much the same fashion, it isn't much of a stretch to equate the two. And with that amp there is no massive volume difference between the two modes, it's pretty much limited to how saturated the tone you get is.

On the Laney VH100R when you kick in the overdrive circuit, you are in fact bringing in some diode clipping there too - again, AFAIK. Happy to be proven wrong.

There is no need to be defensive and go on a crusade against me. I'm just giving one opinion. You were presumably plenty happy with FW14's SAT switch behaviour, just like I was. I am just expressing a dislike for the change. It doesn't echo anything that I've experienced using real world guitar amps. The only times I recall a volume drop were switching in and out poorly built FX loops that weren't buffered thus giving signal loss whenever you used them.

This is just my experience - I've mainly stuck to complex multi-channel amps in the past because of the nature of the material I write. Not really into single channel amps so much, and if this volume drop is prevalent with them then I am just ignorant of it.

Finally... the reason I care??? Previously it was possible to set an amp up how you'd like, fully tricked out and saturated to all levels of fuckery. Dial in the output level of the block, and move on from there. You could turn saturation off, and have roughly the same level, and it was great for recording. But now??? You turn saturation OFF, and the level goes through the roof and starts clipping. It's totally a workflow thing rather than a sonic thing.

I understand what you're saying. I used to have a switch assigned to SAT on my MFC. The volume drop kind of messes with that.
There are ways to deal with that luckily.

Nevertheless, switchable SAT as found on the Friedman, does have that volume drop in real.

 

[Orvillain]

Nevertheless, switchable SAT as found on the Friedman, does have that volume drop in real.

I don't doubt it. Here is another workflow annoyance that is introduced by this change...

Setup an amp with Saturation enabled, get the block output level you want so it is nice and loud, and the tone you want, etc.... do it with sayyyy... Das Metall.... Now... switch to the JVM OD2.... and play a chord - for me... HOLY MOLY THAT IS LOUD... everything is clipping, now I have to go in and tweak levels and such to get it to not clip. This change basically has added a lot more 'tweak' and less 'plug in and play' factor.

 

[yek]

Out of interest (I'm on the list for a Fryette GP/DI) I did some searching.
Info on the net says that the difference between Less/More on the Sig X is a tube gain stage.

 

[Orvillain]

Out of interest (I'm on the list for a Fryette GP/DI) I did some searching.
Info on the net says that the difference between Less/More on the Sig X is a tube gain stage.

Just going on what my tech told me, this was a few years back now, I no longer have that amp. Interesting though, he might've been wrong. I saw inside it though and it looked a VCR!!

 

[R.D.]

FWIW - I used to have a 1987x that Dave Bray modded and his "SAT" switch dropped the volume when it was engaged too ....

I never asked if his mod was the infamous "Jose" mod., but I'm guessing that it was ....

In the name of accuracy, I don't have a problem w/ the new behavior ....

 

[Orvillain]

FWIW - I used to have a 1987x that Dave Bray modded and his "SAT" switch dropped the volume when it was engaged too ....

I never asked if his mod was the infamous "Jose" mod., but I'm guessing that it was ....

In the name of accuracy, I don't have a problem w/ the new behavior ....

Just to double check... you don't have a problem with this:

1. Switch to Das Metall.
2. Set gain to 4. Sat button on. Block output level to -3dB.
3. Play a series of chords.
4. Switch to any other amp.
- Output is very loud, and possibly clipping depending on your settings.

You may say "well why not just use the master volume" and the answer is: I've already got my tone at that point. I just want it louder. Turning up the master is going to introduce sag and bloom that I don't want.

 

[R.D.]

With the idea the accuracy is a good thing .... No, I wouldn't have a problem with it .... But, I recognize that might just be me !

That said, in the instance you gave, I wouldn't use the master volume to balance the tone ..., I'd use the level control .... Maybe increase it to -6dB or -10db, whatever it takes to balance the volume ....

 

[Orvillain]

With the idea the accuracy is a good thing .... No, I wouldn't have a problem with it .... But, I recognize that might just be me !

That said, in the instance you gave, I wouldn't use the master volume to balance the tone ..., I'd use the level control .... Maybe increase it to -6dB or -10db, whatever it takes to balance the volume ....

I'm not using the master volume to balance the tone, as I said... I don't want to do that. As I said - it's the block output level I am adjusting.

The problem with this, when you change the amp model, the block output level stays the same, leading to all sorts of situations where your face is being blown off by the loud volume and clipping, and not in a good way.

 

[R.D.]

I'm not using the master volume to balance the tone, as I said... I don't want to do that. As I said - it's the block output level I am adjusting.

The problem with this, when you change the amp model, the block output level stays the same, leading to all sorts of situations where your face is being blown off by the loud volume and clipping, and not in a good way.

I guess I don't understand then ..., are you talking about the patch building process, or during performances ? If it's during the building, the who cares ? When building patches I routinely get clipping .... If it's during performance, can't you just use scenes, or a new patch to achieve the same result ?

 

[Ironwill]

At the 5153 Red model,How much you had to increase your Drive to get the same amount like in a 14 fw preset or 15b, what you guys experienced there? Is there a exact value you can say to add on the drive knob?

 

[yek]

At the 5153 Red model,How much you had to increase your Drive to get the same amount like in a 14 fw preset or 15b, what you guys experienced there? Is there a exact value you can say to add on the drive knob?

Seriously ... turn that knob and leave it at where it sounds best to you.

 

[Orvillain]

I guess I don't understand then ..., are you talking about the patch building process, or during performances ? If it's during the building, the who cares ?

Um... I care. And if you're going to be dismissive of my opinion then this conversation doesn't need to go any further. But it's about workflow. I know I can adjust things, but with this FW I am adjusting too often. Before, I could set the output level and leave it pretty much as is... focusing purely on sat switch+gain+bass+middle+treble. I cannot do that now.