Axe-Fx II Firmware Version 12.04 Public Beta

Today I finally had some time to compare the afx2 to my real amp, and I must say, it is finally there, the amp in the room, (I think/hope... just a short test)

So I A/B-ed my Dual Rectifier (2-ch) into an Engl 4x12 with the afx2 into the poweramp of the Rectifier and the same cab (poweramp- and cab-modelling turned off). I had to use the recto poweramp, because I don't have a matrix or other solidstate poweramp to test now.
First disappointed, because the sound of my existing recto V1 modern patch was muddy and like a blanket over the cab. Then found out, I had to turn the Hi cut up, that brought back the hights and life into the patch, tweaked a little bit more, and voila, perfect.
Conclusion: I couldn't tell anymore which one is which, EXACTLY the same sound and feel (at least when played thru the real recto power amp)!!!! Great! I was so happy and amazed by the sound that I played there for several hours.

So this is for now the best FW ever (especially with the new preamp-sag switch, with which I can turn it on and off as desired/needed for some of my patches. Many many thanks for this Cliff!!!), and now has that final piece that was always missing, especially when played together with a real amp of my bandmate.

Then back home I got disappointed!!
I wanted to listen to the newly "tuned" preset through my valvestate combo and my headphones, but sounded very very awful!

So I maybe found a BUG, or does it have to behave like that?:
With poweramp turned on again, the hi cut "pot" behaved totally reversed!! Now the sound was muddy again, and also with cab-sim on thru my headphones. Had to turn the hicut back to the left (0), and the hights were back there.
So is it normal, that the hi cut "pot" reverses when the poweramp modelling is turned on and off? That means when all sims are on, the hi cut all to the left at 0 lets the hights come through, 10 is pure mudd (hights cut). But with poweramp sim off it lets the hights come through all at the right side at 10, 0 is pure mudd (hights cut)! If so, then I had to do for all my patches two versions, one for use with a real amp&cab, and one for frfr/recording/headphones...! Why does it bahave like this?
Other patches that have a real presence instead of that hi cut (e.g. recto vintage) don't behave like this, btw.

Anyone else noticed that? Any conclusions? Hope you understand what I mean....

Besides that, good work, very good work Cliff and the rest of FAS! Hats off.
 
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Darklord said:
Today I finally had some time to compare the afx2 to my real amp, and I must say, it is finally there, the amp in the room, (I think/hope...)

So I A/B-ed my Dual Rectifier (2-ch) into an Engl 4x12 with the afx2 into the poweramp of the Rectifier and the same cab (poweramp- and cab-modelling turned off). I had to use the recto poweramp, because I don't have a matrix or other solidstate poweramp to test now.
First disappointed, because the sound of my existing recto V1 modern patch was muddy and like a blanket over the cab. Then found out, I had to turn the Hi cut up, that brought back the hights and life into the patch, tweaked a little bit more, and voila, perfect.
Conclusion: I couldn't tell anymore which one is which, EXACTLY the same sound and feel!!!! Great! I was so happy and amazed by the sound that I played there for several hours.

So this is for now the best FW ever (especially with the new preamp-sag switch, with which I can turn it on and off as desired/needed for some of my patches. Many many thanks for this Cliff!!!), and now has that final piece that was always missing, especially when played together with a real amp of my bandmate.

Then back home I got disappointed!!
I wanted to listen to the newly "tuned" preset through my valvestate combo and my headphones, but sounded very very awfully!

So I maybe found a bug, or does it have to behave like that?:
With poweramp turned on again, the hi cut "pot" behaved totally reversed!! Now the sound was muddy again, and also with cab-sim on thru my headphones. Had to turn the hicut back to the left (0), and the hights were back there.
So is it normal, that the hi cut "pot" reverses when the poweramp modelling is turned on and off? That means when all sims are on, the hi cut all to the left at 0 lets the hights come through, 10 is pure mudd (hights cut). But with poweramp sim off it lets the hights come through all at the right side at 10, 0 is pure mudd (hights cut)! If so, then I had to do for all my patches two versions, one for use with a real amp&cab, and one for frfr/recording/headphones...! Why does it bahave like this?
Other patches that have a real presence instead of that hi cut (e.g. recto vintage) don't behave like this, btw.

Anyone else noticed that? Any conclusions?

Besides that, good work, very good work Cliff and the rest of FAS! Hats off.
Click to expand...

When power amp sim. is off, Presence/HiCut should be at noon (5).

Cliff: "If you turn off power amp modeling always check the presence control. It changes from a "classic" control to a shelving type where 5.00 is neutral."

Regarding the Rectifier, check the notes about its Presence/HiCut control:
AMP (block): list - Axe-Fx II Wiki
 
Hi yek

Whow, that was quick!
Thanks for the explenation and the links, just read the wiki entrance.
This explains my experience, so it seems everything is ok with the software. Seems that I have to do seperate patches for when playing with sims enabled and disabled... hm, quite some work.
What I also noticed is, that when using my valvestate combo, before I liked the sound when poweramp modelling was enabled, now I like it more with poweramp modelling disabled...
Now I really have to get myself a seperate poweramp ;-)
 
PacoCasanovas said:
Here (it's not online, it's in a magazine)

bassad.jpg


"Go deep - the AxeFx II is the perfect solution for electric bass! It features todays most popular bassamps, Effects, Cabinets, Tuner and even more". There is no special word in english for the german adjective word "angesagtesten" - slang would tell you " "most hippest" or so..... if not, sorry ;)

As I said....very promising! :)
Click to expand...

I remember Cliff said that the UltraRes IR would be released in the correct moment to be able to have the most impact!

I think we are in for a real treat!
 
Complete and utter speculation based on absolutely nothing but others' speculations:

12.04b becomes 13.00? Can haz ultrares and other stuffs too?
 
mortega76 said:
So folks can change the Transformer Match to emulate the mismatch? What setting would be the equivalent of 3200 ohms compared to 6000 ohms (or any other setting)?
Click to expand...

Okey....if you got an EL34 amp (SuperLead 100 for example) in your amp block and a 4x12" IR in your Cab-block. Now you want switch to the 6L6 instead, the virtual output transformer also changes to 6L6 - our goal is to calculate the correct mismatch on a 6L6 with an EL34 OT. Since the speaker load remains the same, we have to calculate the mismatch only related to the tube impedance change. This means, we have to mismatch the 6L6 OT to corrected EL34 OT specs, since we can't change the tube impedance, only the tube type
In real world this means: 3200Ohms OT with a 4000Ohm tube impedance - what we have now is a 4000 Ohm tube on a 4000Ohm transformer which need to be decreased to 3200Ohms to get the same result.

the virtual load (impedance) of your speaker is not so important here, since the same speaker is used, it remains the same. But this is important

Here is a simple explanation how the transformer mismatch parameter works normally when the output tab of the output transformer remains the same

OT primary impedance vs. speaker load on the same labeled output tab means Transfromer Match 1.00

OT primary impedance vs. half speaker load on the same labeled output tab means Transformer Match 0.5

Since there is an automatic re-matching because the transformer switches together with the 6L6, the Transformer match still is 1.0
But if we want to simulate a 6L6 in a EL34 Amp, we would stuck on 3200 Ohms. Now with a 6L6 and perfect matched transformer we have 4000Ohms but we just want using 3200Ohms of it. Hence the calculation must be:

OT Impedance EL34 / OT Impedance 6L6 = Transformer Mismatch Factor - or 3200/4000 = 0.8

So if you want to simulated 6L6 in a EL34 amp - switch to 6L6 and turn your Transfomer match up to 0.8

Hope this helps! ;)

all the best
Paco
 
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PacoCasanovas said:
So if you want to simulated 6L6 in a EL34 amp - switch to 6L6 and turn your Transfomer match up to 1.25
Click to expand...

The other way around. Set it to 32/40 = 0.8.

Another way to look at it is a pair of 6L6s normally wants an impedance ratio of 4000/8 = 500 but instead it will be seeing 3200/8 = 400. So 400/500 = 0.8.
 
A complete list of how to set things to get the normal mismatches (for those of us whose heads that all just flew over) would be awesome.

(edit: barhrecords read my mind)
 
barhrecords said:
A table in the manual or wiki that shows the transformer match settings for going from one tube to another would be cool.

EL34 -> 6L6 = transformer match 0.8
Click to expand...

I'm a math geek. if anyone can get me all the necessary info (values) to run through the formula laid out above, I can slap together a spreadsheet when I find a free minute.
 
Or just have it auto do it for us when you change tube types... end users shouldn't need a slide rule to make settings changes IMHO ;)
 
dpeterson said:
Or just have it auto do it for us when you change tube types... end users shouldn't need a slide rule to make settings changes IMHO ;)
Click to expand...

It does "auto do it" for you. It just does it the right way and changes the transformer at the same time. Simply swapping power tubes in an amp is the WRONG way to do it. The correct way is to install a matching output transformer at the same time.
 
dpeterson said:
Or just have it auto do it for us when you change tube types... end users shouldn't need a slide rule to make settings changes IMHO ;)
Click to expand...

We are actually talking about doing it "wrong". The AxeFx II, unlike a real amp, does automatically change the transformer when the tubes are swapped.

We are talking about an on purpose mis-match. Hence changing the transformer match to be "wrong".

Why? Because we are whiny obsessives! :)
 
I haven't tried it yet, but I have never seen so many overwhelmingly positive posts about a new firmware upgrade. It looks like Cliff hit a home run on this one.
 
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