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Axe-Fx III 16.00 Beta 4 "Cygnus" Firmware - Public Beta

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deathbyguitar

deathbyguitar

Experienced
I have nothing of substance to add other than to reiterate that this firmware is completely ridiculous. My presets sound absolutely primal compared to previous firmwares. However, there have been so many milestones in Fractal's algorithms over the years that I have to imagine that we're approaching diminishing returns. I wonder what the end goal is. Perhaps making all the amp models 100% authentic compared to reference designs/schematics while also not having to worry about potentiometer tolerances and other flaws that the original amp manufacturer didn't intend. I hope Cliff's fabled new patent is something completely and totally out of left field that makes us question everything we know about guitar amps in general. I should probably be in bed about now.
 
M

Mark Al

Inspired
deathbyguitar said:
However, there have been so many milestones in Fractal's algorithms over the years that I have to imagine that we're approaching diminishing returns. I wonder what the end goal is. Perhaps making all the amp models 100% authentic compared to reference designs/schematics while also not having to worry about potentiometer tolerances and other flaws that the original amp manufacturer didn't intend.
Click to expand...
Well, after achieving close to perfect replication to all sort of real-life tube amps, perhaps we'd figure out what exactly made tube amps appealing to us mortals in the first place. Then model, magnify those extracted properties and create virtual amps that is hard/challenging/prohibitive/impossible to build in real world in Axe III.

Perhaps, it already started doing that ;-)
 
Jozsef Kiss

Jozsef Kiss

Inspired
A little brainstorming.
What you need to know about tube amplifiers!
The anode voltage was 400-500!
Even with large outlets, the current consumption is low! -This changes the operating point of the output tube less. This preserves the sound and almost jumps out of the speaker.
So the dynamics are maintained at small tones as well as at large cylinders.
So far, transistor amplifiers have not known this.
Dynamics is what is difficult to reproduce.
The tone and preamp can be varied as desired.
But every variation of resistance and capacitor creates a different sound.
That is why it is quite difficult to create the same thing that is created in an amplifier.
But if the part of the power amplifier isn’t good, it’s all in vain.
I am writing this to those who demand voice fidelity!
Preamp amplifiers are a big scam!
Because a tubular power amplifier needs:
1./A- mains transformer
1 / B - for high voltage power supply
2, .For end amplifier tube and a phase reversal tube
3., Output transformer
These four things are very expensive!
But these four things give the true sound of a tubular amplifier!
Dumble Overdrive Special - I don't know why it's so expensive!
There’s really nothing extra in it that isn’t in the other amps!
This line of thought was triggered by the fact that many expect perfect reproduction.
 
chrisni

chrisni

Member
Mark Al said:
Well, after achieving close to perfect replication to all sort of real-life tube amps, perhaps we'd figure out what exactly made tube amps appealing to us mortals in the first place. Then model, magnify those extracted properties and create virtual amps that is hard/challenging/prohibitive/impossible to build in real world in Axe III.

Perhaps, it already started doing that ;-)
Click to expand...
Isn't that what most FAS amp models are already trying to achieve? Also the amp models of real amps already allow you to do physically impossible things.
So I would say reaching that goal is already in progress.

Problem is that people are ruled by emotions rather than sense. People want the best amp, but what they want even more is to have the feeling of playing through this 40 year old boutique amp model that their childhood hero used in his prime. Cliff already said somewhere that he would much rather do only original amp models going forward than only modelling real amps. Real amps have limitations that digital amps don't have.
 
ElectricPhase

ElectricPhase

Power User
For me, the difficulty is that the ‘named’ amps are familiar. The FAS models are a bit of a mystery. For example, because of these posts, I skimmed the wiki and I was surprised to learn the ‘FAS Crunch’ is an idealized Plexi. That wouldn’t have been my first guess (or even in the top 5) based on the name. Maybe some additional official info could help people discover these models? Maybe it’s already out there and I just missed it?
 
J

JDR3009

Member
I wanted to wait until the full release to try Cygnus out but after backing up last night and installing the beta... wow.

I usually use the Triaxis models so started with them, and even just the presence controls now working as they do in the real unit made a huge difference. I actually had a heavily modified Triaxis saved in my library that sounded perfect with the old firmware, but in Cygnus I found myself undoing all the mods and the stock Triaxis sounding way better. I’m very impressed!

What’s more, I always found the Rectifier models inauthentic to the real thing. I like the sound of a real Recto but always thought the models sounded totally wrong, but with Cygnus they get exactly what I hear from the real heads. This firmware made me enjoy playing a Rectifier again. I started building a preset at about 5pm and the next thing I knew it was 2am, and I don’t really know what bigger compliment there is than that.
 
yek

yek

Legend!
ElectricPhase said:
For me, the difficulty is that the ‘named’ amps are familiar. The FAS models are a bit of a mystery. For example, because of these posts, I skimmed the wiki and I was surprised to learn the ‘FAS Crunch’ is an idealized Plexi. That wouldn’t have been my first guess (or even in the top 5) based on the name. Maybe some additional official info could help people discover these models? Maybe it’s already out there and I just missed it?
Click to expand...

If it's out there, it's in the wiki.
 
Brian Angiel

Brian Angiel

Inspired
ElectricPhase said:
For me, the difficulty is that the ‘named’ amps are familiar. The FAS models are a bit of a mystery. For example, because of these posts, I skimmed the wiki and I was surprised to learn the ‘FAS Crunch’ is an idealized Plexi. That wouldn’t have been my first guess (or even in the top 5) based on the name. Maybe some additional official info could help people discover these models? Maybe it’s already out there and I just missed it?
Click to expand...
I think that’s part of the beauty of the FAS models. I don’t care if the FAS Seal Clubber is nothing more than a model of a Metal Zone into a Princeton if it sounds good. I wish there were more FAS models, and I always look forward to additions to the current lineup.
 
Manny Fufish

Manny Fufish

Power User
SinglecutGuy said:
How do I do the “reset” of the amp in a current (Ares) preset after updating to Cygnus?
Click to expand...
Here ya go:
Manny Fufish said:
Toggling the amp to another and back gives you a soft reset , which means it updates the block to the new firmware but it doesn’t change the basic settings like BMT MV etc.. as opposed to taking a screenshot and setting the knobs back where they were, so less to do after the reset.
Click to expand...

yek said:
Yes, that's how it works when you've Authentic Mode enabled in Setup > Global.
Disable that, and "soft resetting" will leave BMT values intact.
Click to expand...
 
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