Axe-Fx II Firmware Version 12.04 Public Beta

[DukeOfPrunes]

Sounds great but it always has IMO.

I'm going to do some videos soon demonstrating this. I'm going to get Cooper to come up and tape it. I'll bring a couple amps to the studio and maybe a Pod HD and a Kemper and do some matches of them.

I think people just don't understand how to do it well enough so I want to do some video tutorials. I'll do it the "hard way" and then the "easy way".

Now you're talking! These videos will be must see for many! Excellent idea!

 

[Jeff B]

Sounds great but it always has IMO.

I'm going to do some videos soon demonstrating this. I'm going to get Cooper to come up and tape it. I'll bring a couple amps to the studio and maybe a Pod HD and a Kemper and do some matches of them.

I think people just don't understand how to do it well enough so I want to do some video tutorials. I'll do it the "hard way" and then the "easy way".

Cliff,

That would be perfect!! I like vids as I'm a very visual learner. I've tried to TM quite a few times but never get the results you guys do (maybe I'm just stupid) and long to have a great TM of my amps. Also, showing how to use a LINE OUT from an amp head to TM would also help me, as my JSX head has a direct out 1/4".

Look forward to your teachings.

 

[Morphosis]

Anyone try tone matching with the new firmware? If so how is that sounding?
It's an area of the Axe I have yet to explore but I have some ideas.

Yes, today:

Reference: JM45 Amp Sim, all default but SAG=0/P.A.OFF, Presence (now Filter) to noon -> Out2 -> PowerAmp of my Koch (seeing load from real Cab) -> DI unfilterd out from the PowerAmp -> IN2 Axe-Fx

Local: JM45 Amp Sim, totally default

Matched with Sine Sweep from Synth Block (Voice 3, Sine , Filter=20000, Freq. to LFO = 20Hz - 20kHz sweep). TMA Block: High Resolution (1024); Average time: Peak Hold (till both graphs totally freezes)

Tried to "baking in the Resonant Frequency" of my Cabinet respectively the Valve PowerAmp to get the same sound, when using the Matrix Gt1000. TMA frequency graph looks similiar to the graphs in the SPKR page...

A/Bed then the JM45 PA-Sim off + Koch Valve PowerAmp + real Cab vs. JM45 PA-Sim on + TMA + Matrix GT1000 + real Cab. Sounds 100% identical, feels 97% identical (the missing 3% let room for future FW improvements *lol). (And using THIS tonematch with the JM45, the Axe + Solid State Amp sounds better to me than the Koch Amp on its own )

That said, the TMA Block works perfect (as always).

I really think about something like a "Global SPKR Page" with 5 Presets or so. If Global Speaker Page = ON, the Amp block grabs the data from the selected global preset. I think, this would be something very useful for the real Cab players and/or live gigging people, using just very minor different Cab sims ... really like to see a workaround, that let the Amp-Sims give a dedicated SPKR resonant frequency data for the actual used real cab (or cab sim which translate well to a finding curve).

 

[wcfieldskx]

Sounds great but it always has IMO. I'm going to do some videos soon demonstrating this. I'm going to get Cooper to come up and tape it. I'll bring a couple amps to the studio and maybe a Pod HD and a Kemper and do some matches of them. I think people just don't understand how to do it well enough so I want to do some video tutorials. I'll do it the "hard way" and then the "easy way".

Thanks Cliff. This would be great

 

[Morphosis]

I'm going to do some videos soon demonstrating this. I'm going to get Cooper to come up and tape it. I'll bring a couple amps to the studio and maybe a Pod HD and a Kemper and do some matches of them.

I think people just don't understand how to do it well enough so I want to do some video tutorials. I'll do it the "hard way" and then the "easy way".

Hopefully you share the results on axechange? I remember the tinematches from Pete thorn, they were awesome good sounding for live use. Sadly it seems they worked not any longer with the newer Firmwares, seems that something has changed in the TMA Block since then? And Sadly i did not have exported the TMA`s to IRs at that time ;(

We have accurate Amp-Sims, we have accurate Cab IRs. But when mixing them, the missing link because of an assumption at the SPKR page data came up and will result in a deformed result. a tonematch of the whole signal chain might be alternative to get back to the most possible "accurateness".

That said, I really would like to see some more TMA (better IR exported and Cab baked in IRs) Presets, which transport the sound of the actual Amp + actual cab perhaps better, than the "first 50" factory presets, which are (hope this is right) are more or less tweaked to taste presets, perhaps on a FRFR system with own influences to the tweaked sound result?!

I remember some TMA`s from Cliff - they all sound incredible good, just minor changes on the Drive BMT parameters to match the own used guitar and it sound easy and right out of the box...I think more of that would really help new customers to find easy and fast useful "raw amp" sounds and bring confidence to the console.

 

[FractalAudio]

Hopefully you share the results on axechange? I remember the tinematches from Pete thorn, they were awesome good sounding for live use. Sadly it seems they worked not any longer with the newer Firmwares, seems that something has changed in the TMA Block since then? And Sadly i did not have exported the TMA`s to IRs at that time ;(

We have accurate Amp-Sims, we have accurate Cab IRs. But when mixing them, the missing link because of an assumption at the SPKR page data came up and will result in a deformed result. a tonematch of the whole signal chain might be alternative to get back to the most possible "accurateness".

That said, I really would like to see some more TMA (better IR exported and Cab baked in IRs) Presets, which transport the sound of the actual Amp + actual cab perhaps better, than the "first 50" factory presets, which are (hope this is right) are more or less tweaked to taste presets, perhaps on a FRFR system with own influences to the tweaked sound result?!

I remember some TMA`s from Cliff - they all sound incredible good, just minor changes on the Drive BMT parameters to match the own used guitar and it sound easy and right out of the box...I think more of that would really help new customers to find easy and fast useful "raw amp" sounds and bring confidence to the console.

Sorry but I disagree with almost all of this. Tone Matching is not necessary to get "fast and useful raw amp sounds". I've never found Tone Matching necessary to make the amp models sound "more real". A well-captured IR is all you need.

 

[Matt Steele]

Tone Matching is not necessary to get "fast and useful raw amp sounds". I've never found Tone Matching necessary to make the amp models sound "more real". A well-captured IR is all you need.

...and I agree with Cliff! None of my patches incorporate tone matches and they sound great! Custom IRs are the key to finding "your" tone IMHO.

 

[chris]

i thought Tone Match was so someone could make the Axe sound like their exact amp or a favored recording.

i think everything in the axe already sounds good, so i only tried tone matching celine dion's voice once. didn't work out too well.

 

[Morphosis]

A well-captured IR is all you need.

Allright, i permute my question :mrgreen : Are the Factory IRs No. 75 - 118, at least those Cabs from Combo Amps (AC30, Fender Stuff, Hot Kitty, etc.) the originals for the SPKR page data of the correspondending Amp Blocks?

 

[Dimebucker]

Hey

Tone Matching was my main reason ,to get Axe FX II that I was looking for. Biggest influence for me was ,when I was see SilentUnderGround Axe FX II Metallica tone matching videos. I was like holy god what a sound he have ,100% same like original record. And that time I was own Kemper ,and after kemper Mesa Boogie Mark IV Head.

And then I device okey this is what I only want ,I sold Kemper and Mesa Boogie Mark IV head. And I bought AXE FX II ,and I must say that decide was one of best choices what I have ever made! Im so happy whit this Axe FX II ,amazing and best device! Im using 90% at time Tone Matching presets ,and sometimes little fun whit stock amps and some IRs.

 

[Bodde]

Great news about the bass development- I'm a guitar player but am thinking about getting a bass to pick up gigs.

Could I use a matrix GT1000 FX for a bass cabinet as well as a guitar one? That'd be pretty cool, as IDK if FRFR would be the way to go for bass

Yes I think you can. I am a bass player myself and want to use the Matrix GT1000 with Axe Fx II and an Eden 210 bass cab. Haven't had the time to test this out. Don't want to go fully FRFR though.
And yes an Acoustic 360 model and some bass cab IR's would be nice!

Thanks FAS for all the great work and updates!!!

 

[FractalAudio]

Allright, i permute my question :mrgreen : Are the Factory IRs No. 75 - 118, at least those Cabs from Combo Amps (AC30, Fender Stuff, Hot Kitty, etc.) the originals for the SPKR page data of the correspondending Amp Blocks?

The default values in the SPKR page are set to the values measured from the actual speakers.

It really doesn't matter though. You are confusing IR's with speaker impedance. There is little correlation. The speaker impedance sets your low end response and feel. The IR gives you the tonal coloration. Set the SPKR stuff to get the desired low end response and feel. Choose an IR that gives the tone you want.

Stop obsessing over exactly matching an amp. For several reasons. An amp is constrained by the speaker impedance. You don't have that constraint with the Axe-Fx. Don't like the resonant frequency? Change it. Resonance is too high or too low? Change it. You'll end up with a BETTER amp that isn't constrained by the limitations of the speakers. The Axe-Fx is the most powerful amp modeler in the world and gives you, the user, the power to improve upon a real amp. Use that power and make music. That's what the device is designed for.

 

[Deaj]

Yes they are!! Was working on a Santana song last night (Smooth, I know...).... anyways, the ODS-100 lead was awesome with my PRS! The single notes are just so THICK!! It's killer!!

One of the superlatives that is often used to describe a Dumble ODS' overdrive is 'chewy'. Once my Fuchs ODS50 was tuned to my liking I got a clear picture of exactly what's being describe in this way. For me this description was just as much about how it felt under my finger as how it sounded. It was a very dynamic and expressive element of the ODS style amps and most evident on the wound strings by my observation. Never muddy - just 'chewy' and Thick!

I'd never played through an amp that had this particular characteristic prior to the Fuchs and hadn't since.

...Until now!

The ODS100 Lead 2 exhibits this trait wonderfully.

 

[H3O2]

Very helpful summary on this area. Thanks Cliff.

 

[Rook]

I'm going to do some videos soon demonstrating this. I'm going to get Cooper to come up and tape it. I'll bring a couple amps to the studio and maybe a Pod HD and a Kemper and do some matches of them.

Very cool! A little request... could you please cover tone matching an acoustic guitar using a piezo equipped electric as well? You said once you had an EBMM Petrucci guitar, and doesn't Cooper have one too?

 

[rodzimguitar68]

I think people just don't understand how to do it well enough so I want to do some video tutorials.

I played my Takamine Electric-Acoustic into the Axe and recorded input 3 into Logic. Applied a LOGIC acoustic plug-in on that channel, and played it back into the Axe.

Then I played my electric guitar with a Duncan JB into the Axe. The result was a thin sounding patch. It did that best it could.

I have a dozen or so different acoustic plug-ins and I'm going to apply the others or combine them and see if any combination gets me closer to faking a piezo.

 

[Andrew Male]

I want to do some video tutorials. I'll do it the "hard way" and then the "easy way".

Dude, that would be massively appreciated.

 

[BillyZeppa]

Very cool! A little request... could you please cover tone matching an acoustic guitar using a piezo equipped electric as well? You said once you had an EBMM Petrucci guitar, and doesn't Cooper have one too?

Have you seen this video yet?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZixaSgBOy4

BTW - This thread is driving me nuts :witless: waiting for my AxeII. I can't wait to get my Axe and load the 12.04 beta.

 

[fremen]

We're just finalizing things so we can do an official release along with Axe-Edit and the other goodies we will be announcing.

More scenes controllers ? Please ?

 

[chris]

More scenes controllers ? Please ?

what would anyone possibly do with more scene controllers unless you're frem... oh it is you.