Axe-Fx II Firmware Version 12.04 Public Beta

It's good at all volumes.

I've gigged this firmware; it's gig worthy and your ears don't deceive you.

I'd call it incredible; but that's hyperbole. Let's say I called it spectacular instead. It's hard to get it to sound bad, you'd have to REALLY be trying to make this firmware sound bad. Even then, you'd still sound better than anything else on the planet.

(*hyperbole much?) ;)

I think this firmware and where Cliff is going with this right now is a big leap towards making direct-to-FOH (or the term I hate: FRFR) easy.

Boiled down: turn up your rig till shit falls off desktops, shelves and walls. If you are not wearing the biggest grin you've ever had, well, I don't know what to tell you. :eagerness:
 
Manny Fufish said:
I had been playing for a couple hours on the Friedman HBE when this came in, so I had the current FW sound in my head. I updated to the new BETA and went back to the Friedman HBE, and it sounded great as always. I turned the master up to 7.8 and it sounded better to me where the top end of the sweet spot used to be before that to my ears. Then I went into the speaker tab of the amp and bumped the low resonance up to 8.66 and it's now completely killing it! Low palm mutes are just awesome in this configuration. Playing around with different OH IRs using the T2 SP Mixes and they are just amazing with the amp set this way!

Lovin' it Cliff! Thanks man!!!
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SP 1x12s?


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Der JD said:
Interesting. Looking forward to trying this beta out tonight. Have to admit, though, I'm skeptical. Usually with every FW release I see tons of people saying "huge improvement" or "big difference" then I try it and find the differences subtle at best.

For those that have tried it, are you finding the differences evident only at high volumes? I ask only because I typically use the Axe strictly for "bedroom level" practicing and recording.
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I wouldn't say "huge" I'd say "definitely noticeable" and I have been playing at all volumes (I just cranked it up so see if I could hear/feel a difference.)
I mean my patches still sound like my patches , just ..."fuller"
 
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I'm just amazed at the ongoing "value added" that Cliff and his associates keep giving. Thanks so much!

If these updates - 12.03, 12.04 - merit revision increments in the hundredths, what happens with an integer change? The Hoverboard function? World peace? A global end to hunger?

Incredible.
 
FractalAudio said:
Brick_top said:
wouldn't this qualify for the 13.0 version name?
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Yeah, but... superstitious.
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Dammit, and I just updated my avatar for the current FW (Doctor #12)! :)

Honestly, can't wait to try this out. I've been waiting for alternative tube types for ages. And did I read correctly that the preamp sag will effectively now allow us to use a block as a "power amp-only"? For example, we could use one block for a Mesa preamp and run it into another block with a Marshall power amp (a-la Master of Puppets)?
 
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Jeff B said:
Can't wait to get home so I can actually try this FW update! :) It sounds like this one has really taken things to a new level. I'm glad to hear that tube choices have been incorporated, as I like to mess around with tube swaps for tone nuances. I'll be putting in my inputs as well after getting some time with it... but at the rate Cliff is knocking these updates out, we'll be on FW 20 within a week! :)
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The effect is very subtle. Its hard to hear a difference...at least to my wore-out hearing. I did change the deluxe from 6V6 to 6L6 because I think I could hear a bit tighter bass with the bigger tube.
 
The main things with this for me are that the mids seem more forward/present and this means that the guitar fits into a mix more easily without having to constantly mess with the overall volume, you can be heard. Also you can now drive the bass and presence harder without flub or bleeding ears which makes it easier if you are in the "well this is how I done it on real amps" gang, of which I'm a member :)

I play mainly into a power amp/cab setup and for me this update is awesome. It's like all the good tone is emphasised and the bad takes a step back, either way I'm happy.
 
I think besides my $400 Blendtec blender (will it blend ?) my Axe-Fx II has been the single best purchase I've ever made, and a huge reason for that is the continued improvements from Cliff and company.

Yeah it was a lot of money upfront, but your just not going to find anything else on the market where the developers just keep on trying to make an already awesome product even better, and even cooler, give those updates away free to owners.

They could have some policy where updates are free for a year and then cost $100 each or something, ala some other brands like Native Instruments, but they don't. You purchase an Axe-Fx II and your taken care of for the life of the product which is rather rare in the industry.

Making it all even better still is the fact that (IMO) the Axe II is already the best sounding device on the market. Cliff and company could just sit back and relax for probably a year or two and remain at the top, but they choose instead to keep working and making the product I paid a good sum of money for even better seemingly each and every week now.

Just really can't say enough about how much I appreciate what they are doing
 
Cliff with your ungodly knowledge of guitar amps and how they work you should maybe consider building a real non digital tube amp for the people that just refuse to go digital. I could only imagine the tone. I will personally stick with the axe fx but there are so many people that won't go digital.......and if they heard it was built by fractal ............just sayin
 
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