Axe-Fx II "Quantum" Rev 1.00 Public Beta

Dillonski said:
When installing I ran into a transfer error and Fractal Bot kept telling me that I'd put the Axe-FX into firmware update mode when I didn't... Any tips? Running an XL+ currently on FW19
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Maybe Restart the Computer, also make sure you're installing the XL+ Firmware.
 
I am just about to embark upon recording leads for my band's album. I'd like to try Quantum for it, can anyone tell me if there are any particularly glaring errors or issues before I update? Just to save me reading the thread.

I mostly use the Mesa sims (Recto/Mark)

Many thanks!
 
Genome said:
I am just about to embark upon recording leads for my band's album. I'd like to try Quantum for it, can anyone tell me if there are any particularly glaring errors or issues before I update? Just to save me reading the thread.

I mostly use the Mesa sims (Recto/Mark)

Many thanks!
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Recto 2's are incorrect. Recto 1's are good. Saw something about some user cab errors and saving banks internally. Besides that I dont think anything. My personal uses have only improved. The new sound from this FW is awesome.
 
Cliff, this is some of your best work!! I love this Q1!! It's insanely responsive and the dynamics, lovely. I hope nothing changes on the final release, it's that damn good!! Excellent update, it's a must have.
 
Ok, I'm finally sold on the Quantum action!! I decided to give Quantum another try and kept an open mind. I decided if I try this again and doesn't work for me then it will be easy to just go back to FW20. I'm not going back. :)

I took the advice about the "Short Tube" adjustment and sure as mentioned, got me back to my tone. I pushed up the Dephase to around 5.00, dipped the mids a tad in the EQ, and sonic goodness came out of my Friedman ASM-12. There are so many new little adjustments that I feel like a mad scientist again with the Axe-FX. :) I was messing around with my Van Halen Modern preset and got such a great tone I swore I saw Sammy Hagar sitting next to me going "hell-o baaayyyy-baaeyyy!"

I've attached my Modern Eddie ASM Preset for a modern Eddie tone. Just keep in mind that I'm playing this thru FRFR (my Friedman ASM-12) and that depending on what guitar, pickups, etc. you have this could sound way different on your setup. If it does sound good with someone's setup, let me know.
 

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The short plate option is definitely much better sounding with the Friedmans.
Maybe Cliff could double check if all Friedman values are correct in Q1beta? I haven't owned a Friedman but cannot imagine it really sounding what it sounds like with the authentic option. Any stock Marshall (I own quite a few of them) sounds way more alive than the Friedman authentic option.
 
Hmm. I tried Quantum last night with the Mark IV (dialled in from scratch) and it was enormously flubby, Cut was the only way I could reduce it and I don't normally have to use that, or a drive block before the amp. The Bass knob, naturally, is run very low. Engaging Bright seemed to help too, but the amp defaults it to off when I remember it defaulting as on before. But it was definitely out of the ordinary levels of flubbiness.

I A/Bed it with a real Mark V into the same cab block, (amp into Cab Clone load box, line-level out (no cab sim) going into Input 1 Rear) with the same ballpark settings and the real amp was tight as hell.

The Quantum Mark IV clips I've heard so far are nowhere near as flubby so do you think I need to reload the firmware? Rolling back to 19 for now.
 
Genome said:
Hmm. I tried Quantum last night with the Mark IV (dialled in from scratch) and it was enormously flubby, Cut was the only way I could reduce it and I don't normally have to use that, or a drive block before the amp. The Bass knob, naturally, is run very low. Engaging Bright seemed to help too, but the amp defaults it to off when I remember it defaulting as on before. But it was definitely out of the ordinary levels of flubbiness.

I A/Bed it with a real Mark V into the same cab block, (amp into Cab Clone load box, line-level out (no cab sim) going into Input 1 Rear) with the same ballpark settings and the real amp was tight as hell.

The Quantum Mark IV clips I've heard so far are nowhere near as flubby so do you think I need to reload the firmware? Rolling back to 19 for now.
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Did you try adjusting the MV ?
 
I think I had it at around 3 or 4. But the real amp stays tight at much higher MV levels - or at least, as high as it can go without clipping the Axe-FX's input, which through a real cab is deafeningly high.

I understand the MV tapers are more linear on the Axe but it shouldn't flub out that much between 3-4, especially when I had it set there on 19 and 20b and it was as tight as the real amp.

I might throw a comparison clip up later.
 
Genome said:
Hmm. I tried Quantum last night with the Mark IV (dialled in from scratch) and it was enormously flubby, Cut was the only way I could reduce it and I don't normally have to use that, or a drive block before the amp. The Bass knob, naturally, is run very low. Engaging Bright seemed to help too, but the amp defaults it to off when I remember it defaulting as on before. But it was definitely out of the ordinary levels of flubbiness.

I A/Bed it with a real Mark V into the same cab block, (amp into Cab Clone load box, line-level out (no cab sim) going into Input 1 Rear) with the same ballpark settings and the real amp was tight as hell.

The Quantum Mark IV clips I've heard so far are nowhere near as flubby so do you think I need to reload the firmware? Rolling back to 19 for now.
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I have similar experience with the Mark IIC+, Recto 1 is great, but Mark IIC, I was just like: Hmm, this will need a lot of tweaking, so I just moved on. I never had any mesa boogie amps before so I don´t know what they are supposed to sound like in person, so I just thought it needs to be tweaked, but maybe there is something with it, because I believe Cliff said that the Recto 2 has some wrong value.

but again I have no idea what these are supposed to sound when set at default.
 
Mark amps are well known for being flubby for high gain sounds unless you turn the Bass knob down, the Treble up and don't go overboard with Gain. Some people put clean boosts in front of them too, but I've never found the need.

The uninitiated tend to complain about them but they are dialled in differently to say, a 5150.
 
Genome said:
The uninitiated tend to complain about them but they are dialled in differently to say, a 5150.
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Quoting Bane is always a classic. And to the point. I wonder what will break first, my strings...or my fingers?



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I've owned 3 different Mark IV heads in my life. I've been on this same quest with Genome for the past week. It's easy to get the Mark IV sounding close the real Mark IV I have at the studio by using the exactly same settings that I have on the real amp. I actually have A/B clips on the way! What I was struggling with a little bit was the tightness with the stock settings (like Genome). But once again all the Mark IV heads I've owned have been different. The one that I have at the studio is not stock. I have EL34 tubes in the outer sockets just like Petrucci, Lamb of God, Chevelle... etc. which tightens the amp up. Also I'm not sure if the Mark IV amp sim is Mark IV A or Mark IV B. B is usually a bit more scooped and tight. However now that I've tweaked a bit more I've found that I can get it tighter with cutting the lows before hitting the gain stage but that leads to this bee like overall tone which is not okay for me. Yesterday I think I found the magical control though. Try this one out Genome: Tone Freq (on the Tone page of the Amp Block) Raise that one up and it tightens the amp up. :)

I did these tests both with FW19 and Quantum and it didn't affect the tightness in my end. (ha-ha) Actually Quantum was maybe just a hair tighter.
 
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Interesting, I'll try that later and post up a comparison clip between the Axe's IV Sim and the Mark V's IV Mode. I guess both are an emulation of the real Mark IV :lol: I think I figured out that USA Lead Brt+ with Fat, Bright and Presence Shift on is the way the V is configured to sound like the IV.

I never had to touch any deep amp controls before to get the Axe to sound tight though. Interesting.
 
Genome said:
Interesting, I'll try that later and post up a comparison clip between the Axe's IV Sim and the Mark V's IV Mode. I guess both are an emulation of the real Mark IV :lol: I think I figured out that USA Lead Brt+ with Fat, Bright and Presence Shift on is the way the V is configured to sound like the IV.

I never had to touch any deep amp controls before to get the Axe to sound tight though. Interesting.
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Actually it's the Extreme mode that I'm trying to achieve myself. That's the USA Lead with the fat switched turned on. Literally the same amp settings sound exactly the same on that amp sim.
 
My research led me to believe Extreme mode is as I described the IV mode in the Axe, just with the Presence Shift off. Highs are reduced, midrange kicks up and it gets louder. Exactly what happens on the real V. I know I read on here that the Extreme mode is related to Presence Shift.
 
Genome said:
My research led me to believe Extreme mode is as I described the IV mode in the Axe, just with the Presence Shift off. Highs are reduced, midrange kicks up and it gets louder. Exactly what happens on the real V. I know I read on here that the Extreme mode is related to Presence Shift.
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Exactly. The only push pull that's pulled out is the fat switch. That's the mode I use on the real Mark IV.

Also now that I'm tweaking it I think I'm going to start from the beginning by raising the XFormer Low Freq. I think the model itself is very accurate. The speaker frequency page is what obviously is different to mine since I used a different cabinet in my clip.
 
Just a quick reminder for everyone: the purpose of a beta release is to expose the pre-release firm/software to a large user base, so the users can comment on any bugs or user anomalies, so they can be addressed prior to the final release.

It's awesome that this release sounds as great as it does! Loving every bit of it. But, keep in mind that it's up to us to police our own house, and to let FA know if we notice any strangeness, so they can address it prior to the "actual" release. Please be sure you're passing this info along to them, if you have concerns that need to be looked at; otherwise, hold your tongue when the final release comes out, if there are things you "wish" would have been taken into account. A beta release is not just a free gift - it's intended to shake things out, and fix them. Let them know privately, or in the forum, but don't just yack it up about how great it is, then later bad-mouth them for something that didn't happen like you wanted it to. Cliff and crew have been VERY considerate in implementing our wishes, and sometimes our ideas may spark other ideas, that may not have even been considered.
 
ML SOUND LAB said:
Exactly. The only push pull that's pulled out is the fat switch. That's the mode I use on the real Mark IV.
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I should've said the amp model you want depends on the Bright switch, I think it needs to be a + model to emulate the V. In the V's manual it says they configured the Mk IV Mode for more midrange gain so it's different enough to the IIC+ mode. Which implies it's modelled after the IV in Mid Gain mode, and I think this is the same with the Extreme mode.

So I think for the IV mode you want USA Lead + or Brt +, with Fat, Bright and Presence shift on and for the Extreme mode you want the same but with Presence Shift off.

I think. Could be wrong. We're digressing...

Back to Quantum, I'll throw a clip together tonight with a real Mark V and the Axe configured to sound like the IV Mode on the V (because that's as close as I can get). The flubbiness doesn't feel right, I'm just not sure whether it's me or a bug in the beta.
 
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