Axe-Fx II Firmware Version 12.04 Public Beta

[Rook]

A simple multiband compressor running only between 90hz and 200hz would fix that up without making it sound un natural. You can use just about any multiband compressor in your DAW to do this.

That is brilliant, and seems like the kind of thing I should have thought of for myself

Cheers!

 

[BillyZeppa]

What most of us (me included) feel, when we say "it`s more dynamic", mostly the opposite is true: A more saturation of the Power Amp Tubes. It feels more punchy, more "dynamically", but loudness wise, it is less.

When comparing 12.03 vs 12.04b i normalized both tracks to -0.3db max. A/Bing both tracks sounds very similiar to me, but the little tighter low-end on 12.04b. So i change the phase on one track, assuming most of the sound will now cancel out eachother, but that did not happen! The cancelation was minimal! Looking at the meters, the differences where small, but i thought 12.04 has a bit smaller dynamic range loudness wise - what would explain the less cancelation but very similiar sounding of both tracks.

In other words: The feel is a bit more "tubish" now ... perhaps ... i don`t know. The only thing i know is: I am very satisfied with this beta

"So i change the phase on one track, assuming most of the sound will now cancel out eachother, but that did not happen! "

With a new HW version, you may need to slide one of the prints forward or back a few samples to get them to align properly. The correct offset will be the one that gives you the smallest difference.

 

[sprint]

OK - I know this one is really good because after upgrading I now like the SOLDANO amps whose virtues have totally eluded me up to now.

Thank-you!!

 

[spikey]

Having the Head Honcho and Maker here on an internet forum sharing in such a way is truly... Awesome.

Its also a very unnatural and taboo policy for nearly every other major modeler manufacturer in todays world.
And why that is, I haven't a clue... It's gotta only hurt them in the long run. Getting anything from those guys is well, impossible.
So thats another reason why (besides owning the Axe FX II) I feel very fortunate to be here...

 

[MesaGuitarGuy]

wow Tyler, you really have the Stevie vibe nailed! great job!

 

[Xrocker]

I've got blisters on me fingers!

 

[shemihazazel]

Its also a very unnatural and taboo policy for nearly every other major modeler manufacturer in todays world.
And why that is, I haven't a clue... It's gotta only hurt them in the long run. Getting anything from those guys is well, impossible.
So thats another reason why (besides owning the Axe FX II) I feel very fortunate to be here...

It's the small, grassroots business model. And it works in part precisely because of the open contact between creator and user. Pretty damned awesome.

 

[Adman103]

It's the small, grassroots business model. And it works in part precisely because of the open contact between creator and user. Pretty damned awesome.

Absolutely. This, to me, is a major reason why I'm a Fractalite. It's just about the only thing I've ever bought that has gotten better as time goes on. I will continue to use and buy Fractal, because their products are of incredible quality, but also because they are a company that I want to support.

 

[Der JD]

Finally got a chance to try out the new beta. Brought up my go-to preset and duplicated a recording that I'd done on 12.01. It's a definite improvement, but it's subtle. As usual, many of you are smoking crack with your gross exaggerations. The tone is fairly similar but sounds fuller (I suppose more three dimensional would be appropriate), especially in the low end. It also sounds like the highs are more present. I had to back off the presence a bit to make it sound similar to 12.01.

Overall, I like it. I really like the effect of raising low resonance without the flub.

 

[jakel]

Der JD, I have found the changes to be really apparent with some guitars and amps, and not as noticeable with a different guitar and an amp that was really noticeably different, but a huge difference with the 2nd guitar and a different amp. If you caught all that you're a better follower than I am a writer.

 

[Stratoblaster]

I agree that the overall tonal changes remain generally the same over the 12x firmware series, but if anything the feel, especially on NMV amps and when cranked loud thru the speakers, it's what I'm finding is getting subtly, but tangibly, improved. The latest beta is great in getting the low and high end dialed in quickly. I reset/initialized the amp in my five gigging patches and got them all back online in about 20 minutes. Had a good jam for a couple of hours and was really liking what I was hearing/feeling in my rig at gig levels.

 

[svl]

Across the board my presets gained a lot more "body" with 12.04. I mean A LOT, which is not a bad thing (in fact, it's a great thing) but it has caused me to go back in and adjust to account for the more "perceived" low end, and bring down some gain in my gainier patches.

Love it though, a real breakthrough in feel and "in the room" sound direct through the PA and my FRFRs.

 

[Stratoblaster]

Love it though, a real breakthrough in feel and "in the room" sound direct through the PA and my FRFRs.

Yea me too, everything just sounded killer thru my FRFR rig when I throttled it last night and I like how the low end is a lot more 'controlled'. Interesting update to be sure...

Going to jam out again on it tonight, but at a quieter level lol.

 

[Variable]

Here's my two cents on the beta: The cleans are 100% better than they were before. I feel like 12.03 went a long way toward getting them better, but they're right where they need to be now. I always struggled with getting that full-bodied Fender clean out of the Double Verb, even kicking down the input trim and bumping up the patch level, and now it's like I can't get it to sound bad no matter how I set it. Something about the way the bass is more "breathy" rather than "farty/woofy". I would always go back to my Swart Atomic Jr and PWE Event Horizon and be like "Why aren't the cleans in the AFX THIS good?!" Now they are

The NMV Marshalls need no report. They're flipping amazing once you get that sweet spot. They have that sweetness to them when cranked that I always remembered from vids of Jimmy Page's live work, but never quite found in the Axe.

And I have to say that when you find the sweet spot on the MV of the Friedmans (Friedmen?), be ready to call in to work the next day.

What's slightly disappointing, though, is I just recorded this with 12.03 and now I want to do it all over again with the updated Swart

 

[fremen]

Initial observation is I might be able to disengage cut on some amps now, and not high pass the speaker cabs as agressively. The mud is being handled better in the amp itself.

I removed Graphic and Parametric EQ blocks in most of my presets. Now I get everything I want with just the amp and cab blocks

 

[kmanick]

I removed Graphic and Parametric EQ blocks in most of my presets. Now I get everything I want with just the amp and cab blocks

I'm finding this as well. I just re did my Cameron channel 2 patch and removed my GEQ and PEQ. I'm also finding that suddenly my Redwirez Marshall G12M-r121 Ir's
are sounding killer.

 

[edoboss]

I've got blisters on me fingers!

Funny I was going to post picture of my black finger tips.
But seriously, this is THE most significant update so far, well at least since I started using axe (2007)!
Absolutely incredible, you've done it brother.

 

[kerrlehr]

Personally, I went with Cliff's prod to "Turn up the MV" and it gets quite different up there then in past FW's. It feels and sounds more like a full stack at studio level now that you can hit the MV higher. IMHO it opens up better w/o the flub. Each amp is different as far as where you can hit the MV, but it is a noticeable mod. This along with the guitar volume can give quite a dynamic range. Then cranking the LF Res to 7-8 gets the speaker to flavor more like my Eminence Red Fangs - Now it's time to re evaluate some IRs.
This is a positive FW specific to enhancing tone and FEEL rather than new amps - it adds to the feel of the amps already inside.

 

[Stratoblaster]

The NMV Marshalls need no report. They're flipping amazing once you get that sweet spot.

Indeed...I have the jumpered Plexi 100W on "X" and the jumpered 1987x on "Y" in an amp block, and cranked thru my CLR's mounted on stands they both sound as "Marshall Stack" as I've ever heard thru a FRFR setup with 12.04 Beta. I agree, amazing and addictive...

 

[Stratoblaster]

I removed Graphic and Parametric EQ blocks in most of my presets. Now I get everything I want with just the amp and cab blocks

I had one preset with a PEQ pre AMP block to tame/fine tune the low end but am also able to remove that PEQ now; I can get that preset dialed in fully with just the AMP block in the latest beta FW.