Axe-Fx II "Quantum" Rev 9.01 Beta

[Rex]

It says " Improved Speaker Compression algorithm so that the change in the speaker impedance is accounted for " .

Am bit confused with what that means ... ... no surprise there

When a speaker is driven into compression, its impedance curve changes. The new firmware makes that happen in the virtual world.

I just used a few presets with the Spkr Comp on 3 [default] and Constant on 100 [default]

That resulted in overall levels being about ~ 2db less than with both those settings "off".

I *thought* [wrongly I suspect] that the " accounted for" may be in relation to this drop in level ..... I gather its to do with somehting else ?

Whenever you compress a signal, its average level drops. It makes sense that, with SPKR COMP set to 3, there would be close to 3 dB of level reduction.

 

[Metal1993]

So so if i turn the speaker compression to zero instead of three do i have a defacto 8.02 sound then?

 

[Rex]

So so if i turn the speaker compression to zero instead of three do i have a defacto 8.02 sound then?

Pretty much. I haven't confirmed it with a direct comparison, but that's my understanding—and what I seem to be hearing (at least as far as I can trust my memory of sound).

 

[nicolasrivera]

So so if i turn the speaker compression to zero instead of three do i have a defacto 8.02 sound then?

Nope, you need to read the release notes, also Cliff mentioned that something else was improved.

You want FW8.02 just revert to it.

 

[ben ifin]

When a speaker is driven into compression, its impedance curve changes. The new firmware makes that happen in the virtual world.

Whenever you compress a signal, its average level drops. It makes sense that, with SPKR COMP set to 3, there would be close to 3 dB of level reduction.

Thanks. I knew about the 2nd bit [average level drop] but had *no* idea about impedance curve changing as a speaker is driven into compression.

Much appreciated. Thanks again

 

[Rex]

...had *no* idea about impedance curve changing as a speaker is driven into compression.

It's actually a really cool and simple thing. A loudspeaker is a transformer. It transforms the mechanical impedance of its parts into an electrical impedance at the speaker terminals. When the speaker gets driven so hard that its components can't keep up, that's a change in mechanical impedance. And that change gets transformed into a change in the electrical impedance at its terminals. And that change in electrical impedance changes the way the amp reacts to the speakers. Quantum firmware 9.01 beta just ties all those things together to make the whole thing behave more like a real amp does.

Much appreciated. Thanks again

You're totally welcome.

 

[pauly]

Wonderful - Thanks Team Fractal!
Pauly

 

[jesussaddle]

So so if i turn the speaker compression to zero instead of three do i have a defacto 8.02 sound then?

I'll take a guess. I'm thinking the new 9.00 algorithm just might change things if it "interacts more with the MV" even at a Spkr Comp setting of zero, there's just a chance Cliff had adjusted something else that may affect your sound. But more so because, although I don't see it in the release notes, he did mention he had improved something, as was replied to you a moment ago.. "There was a minor change to the phase inverter algorithm that I forgot to mention."

 

[Rex]

...Cliff mentioned that something else was improved.

That "something else" was a "minor change in the phase inverter algorithm."

 

[Rex]

I'll take a guess. I'm thinking the new 9.00 algorithm just might change things if it "interacts more with the MV" even at a Spkr Comp setting of zero...

With SPKR COMP set to zero, it's out of the picture and doesn't interact with anything.

 

[ben ifin]

Hey all

Just loaded 9.01 Beta to test out the new Spkr Comp.

Below is a quick audio "test" file I did for myself. I have uploaded it to S/Cloud in 32 Bit .WAV format ... what S/Cloud "does" to it I have no idea

It has 4 short "dirty / crunchy" clips - I dont believe in "clean guitar" .....

All guitar / amp / cab etc.... were identical on each - the *only* setting change was:-

Clip 1 = 0 Spkr Comp
Clip 2 = 1 Spkr Comp
Clip 3 = 2 Spkr Comp
Clip 4 = 3 Spkr Comp

It was recorded via 48k Spdif to my RME UCX interface .... zero DAW processing of any kind ..... clips 2, 3 and 4 were adjusted slightly up in level to "volume match" Clip 1 [ the 0 spkr Comp setting] for matching playback volume purposes



This was a fresh clean new preset from Stock - details as follows:-

-> Telecaster Bridge P/U Kinman 6.4k Broadcaster
-> Axe Input Impedance 230k
-> Axe Instrument In at %29
-> All gates / efx / revs / mods etc.... off
-> Amp Block is 011 1959 SLP Treble with Drive = 7, Bass = 4, Mid = 8, Treb = 6, Pres = 6, Cut = ON, Bright = ON .... everything else stock / unchanged
-> Cab Block is F034 4x12 G12H-30 RW with NO MIC, Low Cut = 100hz, High Cut 12k, 12db Slope, Pre+Drv all OFF, Room all OFF .... everything else stock / unchanged
-> nothing else what so-ever in the patch

My initial thoughts are ..... without wanting to sound completely self-contradictory .... that the change is subtle but obvious ... especially as you begin to approach live/gig level .... even going from 0 to 1 .. let alone to 2 or 3.

I want to come back to it with fresh ears as all I can hear now in my head is "chunka-chunka"

I did this all through my CLR in my home studio up loud ... my very-initial-sense is that for my style of playing and tone etc..... [ classic to hard rock ] I wouldn't imagine myself running this any higher than 2 [max] .... more likely maybe around 1 'ish <-> 1.5 'ish ... but I need to come at it again with fresh ears.

Be interested to "hear" what others think.

Hoping others may get some "ear-value" from this

All the best,
Ben

 

[soheil]

Thanks a million Cliff

 

[Stratoblaster]

It's actually a really cool and simple thing. A loudspeaker is a transformer. It transforms the mechanical impedance of its parts into an electrical impedance at the speaker terminals. When the speaker gets driven so hard that its components can't keep up, that's a change in mechanical impedance. And that change gets transformed into a change in the electrical impedance at its terminals. And that change in electrical impedance changes the way the amp reacts to the speakers. Quantum firmware 9.01 beta just ties all those things together to make the whole thing behave more like a real amp does.

I've always felt that ~90% of the 'magic' of a tube amp, particularly the feel, is the interaction between the power amp, output transformer, and the speaker motor, so any improvements to that modeling is very cool. I was particularly excited when I read the release notes for v9.01 since it seems like a pretty big step forward in that regard.

Am going to crank v9.01beta up tomorrow to fully get a feel for that change....

I put a few hours in with v9.1 tonight and just re-tweaked the Master Volume (in particular) and Input Gain a bit on my v9.00 presets...setting the Master Volume properly right away is so essential to getting any amp to sing and feel the way you want it.

Oh, and try the v9.01 "Badger 30" with single coils and a nice, fat, punchy IR...fantastic amp...sounds and feels amazing. I like the "Citrus A30 DRTY" a lot too with single coils.

 

[Stratoblaster]

Just adjust the Speaker Compression and Speaker Time Constant to taste (default values are 3.00 and 100 ms respectively).

Played with this parameter tonight and it seems to me that a faster constant causes the speaker motor to be more 'rigid', yielding less compression and a more brittle high end (and feels a bit 'anemic') vs turning it up so the entire motor system is 'slower' and less reactive overall (but fatter, with a sweeter high end, and feels much better).

These new controls, and Speaker Compression modeling, are awesome indeed. So far I've just left the Speaker Time Constant to the default and dialed in with the Speaker Compression control...anywhere from ~2 to 3 seems to be my preferred zone for amps I've experimented with.

 

[Stratoblaster]

I wouldn't imagine myself running this any higher than 2 [max] .... more likely maybe around 1 'ish <-> 1.5 'ish ... but I need to come at it again with fresh ears.

I'm likely to dial Speaker Compression down a bit when I can test v9.01 with the full band; so far I've been tweaking with only the guitar and jamming with a few recordings.

 

[Stringmanipulator]

For some reason, this beta doesn't want to work with my volume pedal ..
axe fx II mark II , mfc 101 , mission pedal sp1 (extern 1)
always worked prefectly, right up until right now when installing 9.01 beta ..I can see on the unit that it has signal, but when looking in axe edit the volume know stays at zero even though I move the pedal up and down the value show 10 but the knob is at zero


If I go into the modifier page and change the Min value the volume comes back
so if I set the min volume to 10 it has the normal volume .
All this is in axe edit latest version and beta 9.01

Seems like this has happened to me before. If I recall, all I had to do was choose a different controller (ext3 for ex) and then go back to the correct controller (ext1 in your case).

Thank you for answering, I tried it but it didn't help, still the same problem
I am surprised no one else has the same problem .. ?
If I remove the volume pedal entirely the sound comes back,
and then insert a "new" volume pedal into the grid
but as soon as I assign a source ext 1 or whatever the sound dissapear again

Just to clarify, I didn't have any problem at all with fw9.0

I just found out that my other pedal doesn't work either .. a spring loaded mission that I use as wah controller

 

[b@d]

thanks again for us MkI/II owners not letting us falling behind.

I have resetted all my amp blocks (i know it wasn't necessary) and dialed them in from scratch, and damn, i don't know if it is the new FW or if i get better in tweaking, this sounds so good. Tone separation in gainier patches is amazing, there is warmth and "kerrang" at the same time, the leads are singing and i can't stop playing.

By the way, not much tweaking, only the basics, Speaker Compression between 2 to 3 as other have stated and i am in gitar heaven.

 

[jnorum]

Do you still have any problems? There´s a new Edit-Version for Q9 !

Yes, I have the quantum 9 and last version of AE, but still loses the communication between them

 

[Hubi]

Yesterday I had also a timeout - Edit had to read the blocks after the update - and bang - timeout. But since them everything´s fine........

 

[lauke-lux]

I wouldn't imagine myself running this any higher than 2 [max] .... more likely maybe around 1 'ish <-> 1.5 'ish ... but I need to come at it again with fresh ears."]

Listening to your takes on simple computer speakers I totally agree; difference with this audio support is really subtle but it is there. I feel more openness/rawness at 0 & 1 positions.[/QUOTE]