Axe-Fx II "Quantum" Rev 6.01 Firmware Released

Hi Cliff, Is the 12AX7A in the Fractal the closest sounding tube to the Mesa Boogie SPAX7A? I used those in my MESA Triaxis for the LD1, LD2, EQ, and FX Loop, and they were really quiet and IMHO the best choice for the Triaxis. Thanks, FLav
Hi Cliff, Is the 12AX7A in the Fractal the closest sounding tube to the Mesa Boogie SPAX7A? I used those in my MESA Triaxis for the LD1, LD2, EQ, and FX Loop, and they were really quiet and IMHO the best choice for the Triaxis. Thanks, FLav
 
Hi Cliff, Is the 12AX7A in the Fractal the closest sounding tube to the Mesa Boogie SPAX7A? I used those in my MESA Triaxis for the LD1, LD2, EQ, and FX Loop, and they were really quiet and IMHO the best choice for the Triaxis. Thanks, FLav

Hi Cliff, Is the 12AX7A in the Fractal the closest sounding tube to the Mesa Boogie SPAX7A? I used those in my MESA Triaxis for the LD1, LD2, EQ, and FX Loop, and they were really quiet and IMHO the best choice for the Triaxis. Thanks, FLav
In other words, which Preamp tube would you say should be first choice for use with all the Mesa amps within the Fractal?
 
Question about the preamp tubes.. Are these just settings (preamp hardness, etc) or is each selection inherently different?
 
On the surface, that is what you see being modified as you select each type, I am assuming that something else in the programming is also different for each one!
 
Question about the preamp tubes.. Are these just settings (preamp hardness, etc) or is each selection inherently different?
Each tube is physically different in some way or another - many times it's the materials used from one year to the next in the same type of tube that has an effect, so yeah he's trying to perfectly mathematically model the nuances of each distinct variant. It's an amazing thing. All those settings are aside from the characteristics of the tubes themselves.

No one else is doing it. No one else can.
 
In other words, which Preamp tube would you say should be first choice for use with all the Mesa amps within the Fractal?


Given that Cliff just updated all the Amp models in the latest firmware to load with the preamp tube type they're best suited for, I'd say Cliff's first choice would be each amp model's default tube type.


For the Mesa amps, all the USA LEAD/IIC+/PRE models now default to the 12AX7A SYL type, save for the IIC++ model, which uses the 12AX7A. All the Recto models use the 12AX7A type as well.


For the "USA" models, I personally prefer the 12AX7B tube type. Cliff described it as, "....the most linear of the types and clips hard. People who play with lots of gain tend to like this as it results in tighter tone and more aggressive harmonic content."
 
Given that Cliff just updated all the Amp models in the latest firmware to load with the preamp tube type they're best suited for, I'd say Cliff's first choice would be each amp model's default tube type.


For the Mesa amps, all the USA LEAD/IIC+/PRE models now default to the 12AX7A SYL type, save for the IIC++ model, which uses the 12AX7A. All the Recto models use the 12AX7A type as well.


For the "USA" models, I personally prefer the 12AX7B tube type. Cliff described it as, "....the most linear of the types and clips hard. People who play with lots of gain tend to like this as it results in tighter tone and more aggressive harmonic content."

Thanx for the Info man, that's what I was looking for, someone with more experience with the Axe FX to guide me a bit more. I get an awesome tone out of the USA LEAD/IIC+/PRE models, just wanted some insight on defaults! thanx again!
 
Well I updated and loaded a pre-existing plexi preset and checked the preamp tube type and it was still the 12ax7 so I reset it and got the ECC83 option - so I'm saying yes reset needed .... at least for the Marshalls
What exactly do you mean reset. Do I click the amp block and just select the amp model again? Or do I unselect the amp block and select it again? I did that and nothing changed. I did however, before doing the previous mentioned, changed the pre-amp modeling, in the amp block, to latest in each amp block I'm using.
 
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What exactly do you mean reset. Do I click the amp block and just select the amp model again? Or do I unselect the amp block and select it again? I did that and nothing changed. I did however, before doing the previous mentioned, changed the pre-amp modeling, in the amp block, to latest in each amp block I'm using.
Change to a different amp type and then back again to the one you want changed.
 
Thanx for the Info man, that's what I was looking for, someone with more experience with the Axe FX to guide me a bit more. I get an awesome tone out of the USA LEAD/IIC+/PRE models, just wanted some insight on defaults! thanx again!

No problem, but really, the answer is right there inside your Axe-Fx. I just went and looked to see what the new defaults were for the Mesa models before I responded to your post, that's all the insight I had - haha. :D

Seriously, I knew the IIc++ model used the 12AX7A, since that's my favorite amp model, but I was surprised that the rest of the Mesa Mark series models used the 12AX7A SYL tube, since the "A" & "B" are better suited for high gain (thinking about it, the "SYL" is probably the default tube type since it, and those amps, are both considered to be vintage/classic).

To get a good idea of what the various tube types sound like, and to determine which one(s) you prefer, take one of your favorite patches and copy the X side (or "state") of the amp model to the Y side. Change the preamp tube type on the X side to the first one in the order (the 12AX7A SYL), & change the Y side to last tube in the order (the 12AX7B). Set-up a button on your MIDI controller (assuming you have one) so you can toggle the X&Y sides of the amp back & forth. Hit the button several times without looking at your Axe-Fx's screen until you don't know what side of the amp you are on. Play a bit and listen to the tone. After 15/20 seconds, hit the toggle to change amp sides and play again for 15/20seconds. Listen for any differences between the 2 sides. Keep going back & forth until you determine which side you prefer over the other. Then look at your Axe's screen and see which tube type you chose. Now change the tube type of the amp side you didn't choose to the next type in the order and repeat the process. Keep doing this until you've reached the end (or beginning) of the tube types on one of the sides of the amp model. You've now determined which preamp tube type you prefer to all the others (whichever type you chose on the last comparison) ...................at least for the amp model you used for the test. :p

After each comparison between 2 tube types is complete, you might want to write down the name of the tube you didn't choose to keep track of the ones you've already listened to (in case that tube type comes up on the other side of the amp).

You can repeat this test to see which tube type is your second favorite, just be sure to skip over the type you chose on the first test.

And last, be sure to take several breaks while doing this to rest your ears. Once ear fatigue sets in, you could determine one of the tube types to be your absolute favorite and change all of the amp models in your patches over to it, only to find out you hate it the next day when you hear it with fresh ears.
:D
 
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Anyone know what the new presets are that were added?

I've never heard of new ones added, they are usually just updated. did they add some new ones?

Based on name differences alone...

Presets in Q6 not in Q2:

ABCD=ms,FB,mod.Ext1=Warp
Direct Inject
Echo Deva 2.1 /1=FB
Ham & Eggs
RockMeOn Clean
Satan's Hollow (e-)
Space Verb 2
Syncopated 2
Wide Echoplex Wash​

Presets in Q2 not in Q6:

ABCD=ms,FB,Jitter,Mod
Comb Delays 2
Direct Dual Chorflange
Echo Deva 2.0 (Ext1=FB)
Echoplex
FILTER PONG VERB
Satan's Hollow (E-)
Space Verb
Syncopated​

And cause I'm already diff'ing text, why not...

Presets in Q2 not in Q1:

Blanknship Leeds
Blues Aroncino
Bypass
Can You Hear it Ring?
Solo 100
Solo 99 Lead​

Presets in Q1 not in Q2:

Appetite
BYPASS
Corncob
Friedman Smallbox
Gone Fishin'
Solo 88​

I don't have any preset bank files other than those three handy, but there ya go... assumedly a few of these are false positives of sorts as the names are only slightly varying. Enjoy
 
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