Axe-Fx II "Quantum" Rev 2.00 Firmware Release

I can't speak for Cliff or anyone else. But the darkness for me has been in adjusting a few things.

The first thing I touch is presence. You'd think this would add a little high end, but to my ears it actually adds a bit of a mid range voicing making the sound a bit thicker. Sometimes you want that, other times thinning things out is the better choice.

Next is supply sag to a higher number. The higher the number, the tighter the sound for me and you get less boxy-ness. I find that at default, the amps sound a bit too congested with mids for my personal use/liking. Setting to 5.0 up to 8.0 has been a game changer for me on every amp I touch.

I also like some of the old values we used to have. For example, on the Marshall 800 mod that I use, the neg feedback was at 2.0 now it's at 1.55. The bias excursion was at 50% now it's at 42 something.

The next thing I touched was the xFormer low freq. Raise it until some of the low end, darkness goes away. I run mine anywhere from 25 to 40 on some amps. It depends on the cab I'm running.

Speaker low res Q at 2.000 now at 1.697.

In dynamics, comp clarity was 10, now 6.51.

When I changed those back to what they used to be, the darkness was gone and my amp sounded like me again with a bit more pep along with the new dynamics and feel Cliff has added. Will that work for you with your amp? No idea man...but I noticed the darkness you spoke of and changed the above and bam...back to me, but better sounding to my ears.

EDIT** Just to be clear....the old values are what I reverted back to...meaning the first numbers given. When I say "now" I mean that is what the value changed to after the update if you update the amp block. Adding a little eq on the amp by 0.15 at 8k helped me too while taking out -1dB of 500Hz. Dark is good because 9 times out of 10 we can control that....raspy and razor sharp....ugh, thank God we didn't get that!

I'm blown away by this release. The tube realism is simply off the charts on so many amps! There are more usable amps in this thing than not. There was a time where I looked at all the amps we had and sort of felt bummed that more weren't usable for me. Now I'm like a kid unleashed at a toys r us! A few small tweaks and the majority of these amps sound like a million bucks no matter what cab I use. High 5 Cliff...thanks man! :)

Thanks for the input... I don't typically feel the need to put that much effort into getting an amp where I like it to sound. This is just a case of knowing that there was some special "love" given to the Class-A amps, and wondering if what I am hearing is expected or not.

I don't recall any time in the past (since FW10) where I feel like one of the models I use (all at edge-of-breakup) changed so drastically.

I'll probably reset the amp and just dial it in fresh... or maybe switch to the AC20 EF86T, which I felt now sounds much closer to what the Bass version sounded like before (I didn't vibe with the Treble version before at all).

I will also probably revert back to 1.06 for a bit to make sure how much difference I hear and refresh my ear to what I had before. Too bad I don't have 2 Axe Fx's!
 
Thanks for the input... I don't typically feel the need to put that much effort into getting an amp where I like it to sound. This is just a case of knowing that there was some special "love" given to the Class-A amps, and wondering if what I am hearing is expected or not.

I don't recall any time in the past (since FW10) where I feel like one of the models I use (all at edge-of-breakup) changed so drastically.

I'll probably reset the amp and just dial it in fresh... or maybe switch to the AC20 EF86T, which I felt now sounds much closer to what the Bass version sounded like before (I didn't vibe with the Treble version before at all).

I will also probably revert back to 1.06 for a bit to make sure how much difference I hear and refresh my ear to what I had before. Too bad I don't have 2 Axe Fx's!
ive made the decision to take the plunge and start fresh, it sounds arduous but so far ive been having a blast setting everything up again. its so easy to get a good sound that you can allocate more time to toying with sounds and playing around knowing that such a great sound is right there out the box practically. :)
 
Thanks for the input... I don't typically feel the need to put that much effort into getting an amp where I like it to sound. This is just a case of knowing that there was some special "love" given to the Class-A amps, and wondering if what I am hearing is expected or not.

I don't recall any time in the past (since FW10) where I feel like one of the models I use (all at edge-of-breakup) changed so drastically.

I'll probably reset the amp and just dial it in fresh... or maybe switch to the AC20 EF86T, which I felt now sounds much closer to what the Bass version sounded like before (I didn't vibe with the Treble version before at all).

I will also probably revert back to 1.06 for a bit to make sure how much difference I hear and refresh my ear to what I had before. Too bad I don't have 2 Axe Fx's!
I'd say leave 1.06 behind. Just turn the knobs on 2.00 until it sounds good. Lately it's very few knobs!!!
 
I am over 50 and a possible moron who just updated to Windows 10. When I download the zip and unzip it, I can see it in the File Explorer, but it does not show up in Fractal Bot. What do I need to do to see it in Fractal Bot?
 
I am over 50 and a possible moron who just updated to Windows 10. When I download the zip and unzip it, I can see it in the File Explorer, but it does not show up in Fractal Bot. What do I need to do to see it in Fractal Bot?
If you just open the zip file, then a program cannot yet work with its contents. Try Extarcting it, by right clicking on the zip folder and selecting Extract All. Now you can access the file from its new, extracted folder within the bot.
 
On a different note:
I was reorganizing some of my old patches and came across about a dozen presets, which I created last summer. I was stunned how amazing they sounded with Q2! I remember them sounding kinda blah a few months ago, so I initially thought that I'd just write over them, but now I have several more alternative options. FAS Rocks!
 
Got a chance to play with the JS410 models. LOVE the Orange channel models. Great tone. Tight. Responsive. Articulate. Just FUN to play. Crunch w/TS808Mod might be my new go-to for ... everything! :)

Now I have to go fiddle around with the other 230ish amps again! :D

Thanks Cliff & Co. for constantly infusing more and more FUN into the guitar experience.
 
hey guys , pretty new to the AXE FX - 5 weeks :p - so pls help :)
on Q1 I had some presets made from scratch that I liked a lot - most of them based on Mesa Mark II or IV - clean, crunch and high gain - with some recto cabs.
now all those presets sound thick, dark , tighter...I am not saying it's bad but would appreciate some advice on how to open the sound a bit
I use a music man majesty guitar with dimarzio Illuminators - so high output pickups
thx a lot :)
 
hey guys , pretty new to the AXE FX - 5 weeks :p - so pls help :)
on Q1 I had some presets made from scratch that I liked a lot - most of them based on Mesa Mark II or IV - clean, crunch and high gain - with some recto cabs.
now all those presets sound thick, dark , tighter...I am not saying it's bad but would appreciate some advice on how to open the sound a bit
I use a music man majesty guitar with dimarzio Illuminators - so high output pickups
thx a lot :)
increase presence?
 
Way cool!

How to express
The sensation inside
When Cliff us all impress
New firmware!?! Words collide

You let us be a part
of your science meeting art
Where magic has appeared
So often, I'm almost scared

Even better than the last
Never resting, never still
Always forward, moving fast
You find a way, with mind and will

Thank you Cliff! :)

Per
 
My favorite "real" amp was the Bogner Ecstasy.
I sold mine (20th Ann.) after getting the Ax-Fx Ultra.

I also used the Bogner models for a long time on the Ultra and II. Although I struggled at times to get the right tone and feel (before G3 resp. Quantum).

So I joined the Friedman models years ago. Used the BE model for a lòng time, I'm now on the Smallbox (more raw, more open, less congested).

The new Satriani model is a great addition for those like the modded Marshall sound.
A contender for the #1 spot in my presets.

It made also made me think of the Bogner again. So revisited the Bogner Euro models this week.
And I'm hearing again what I liked so much in the real amp. The rawness.

I prefer the "non-modern" models.
Blue/Red: BMT between 3 and 5, Bright on, Presence at 6, Gain up.
Cabs: combination of greenback (54) and V30 (73). Bingo.

Hmm, Smallbox... hmm, Euro Blue... hmm, JVM410HJ... Agony of choice.
 
Download Q2 this arvo....played for 4 hours straight! Magic! I really like the JS Amp. Thanks once more to Cliff and all the FAS staff for this update:D:D:D
 
They also sound really good with default settings! I like them very much with the CabIr Pin68 with a SM57 Mix. Not so aggressive as the normal 410, more deep wide mids.A nice alternative to the other Marshalls, maybe the best amps in the Axe, I think.
 
Good Lord................................. I just tried out the new JS amps............... I'm totally floored.................INCREDIBLE!!!!!

Thank you so much Cliff (and Joe and everyone at FAS) this is just tonal Nirvana, I'm actually happier than a pig rolling in shit.
 
Am fooling around with the JS's also.
Try this: two amp blocks in parrallel, the JS410 Lead OR and JS410 crunch OR, all controls stock, level the same each.
Cab F055 (Mark 1), 4x12 Pre-ROLA 75 M160 (ML).
I like it!
 
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