Axe-Fx III Firmware Release Version 15.01

The next will be even better, though, with the new bias excursion algo....
I'm guessing 95-99% of Axe users has no idea WTF that is (even after Cliff's explanation) but are excited nonetheless. That distinguishes the product and company from almost everything else.

In many other contexts someone proclaiming "there's this obscure thing I'm working on and it will be cool/awesome" would be pure snake oil or cork sniffing mythology or outright marketing BS. With Cliff it's real, even if it's subtle.
 
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I'm guessing 95-99% of Axe users has no idea WTF that is (even after Cliff's explanation) but are excited nonetheless. That distinguishes the product and company from almost everything else.

In many other contexts someone proclaiming "there's this obscure thing I'm working on and it will be cool/awesome" would be pure snake oil or cork sniffing mythology or outright marketing BS. With Cliff it's real, even if it's subtle.
Doubtless this new bit will improve the feel and sound as things are driven harder, as that is when bias tends to get pushed around and play with the operating point of the tubes, which affects the harmonic distortion content even before the amp breaks over into outright distortion.

A good number of people here likely know that idle current affects the tone, THD, and dynamics of an amp. Hotter bias sounds a bit different than colder bias, and even 'fixed' bias amps have bias shift as you drive them harder.

Bias excursion happens as you push an amp. It modulates the bias and plays with these 'static' settings dynamically in response to your playing. It makes compression as the bias shifts, and can, in extreme cases, trigger nasty blocking distortion.
 
Bias excursion happens as you push an amp. It modulates the bias and plays with these 'static' settings dynamically in response to your playing. It makes compression as the bias shifts, and can, in extreme cases, trigger nasty blocking distortion.

I'm a relative novice about most tube amp stuff but it seems like there are at least 4 or 5 sources/kinds of dynamic compression depending on circuit topology that are either 'accidental' or designed, not including speaker nonlinearities (and not including FAS amp dynamics extras).

I'm sure it's Fractal-proprietary (and requires non-trivial analysis methods and tools), but it would be cool to visually see how the various dynamic nonlinearities (e.g. compressions and harmonics) evolve in time including hysteresis effects. Basically what does the non-LTI transfer function look like in multiple dimensions?
 
Modern all the way. Just like wine, I'll take the fresh stuff over the old stuff that's been in someone's cellar for years.
 
John Mayer compared modelers vs ‘real amps’ and said that modelers just don’t have that ‘wapoosh’ like you get with a real amp, whereupon @FractalAudio promptly ‘wapoosh-ed’ the firmware to put that complaint to rest. 🙃 He uses an interesting analogy in the interview about a sex doll vs a woman, if I recall correctly. Anyway, we have ‘wapoosh’ aplenty now, so it’s all good.🙂
 

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I think I detected some 'wapoosh' :)
My old favorite 5153... OMG!
And I have to say that I'm much more brave about master volume in 15.01. I go up to 5 in high gain amps!
 
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