Axe-Fx III Firmware Release Version 17.00 Public Beta

[Thomas Obester]

Nope, it depends on the type of power amp you're using.
With a tube power amp it's probably better to use resistive load, with a solid state one you'd likely want the impedance curve of your cab instead.

you´re right. I forgot I´m using Fryette PS-2, which is a tube amp and sounds always best when set to resistive load.

 

[My name is mud]

So is there even further virtual capo latency reduction here?

Good question. Still waiting for an answer .
Or they don’t care , or the Mk1 users are boycotting this update . We will see in the final release hm ?

 

[State of Epicicity]

This is one area I've been trying to wrap my mind around, but I'll tell you my approach through headphones at least: I'll focus on the lowest note I can play in various chords and lines, lower the Q of the LF, raise the LF resonance, and sweep the frequency until feel it jumping out but way over the top. Then I'll increase Q and reduce LF resonance until I sound like a civilized person again. For the HF parameters I just tweak the slope until the character feels right, then I'll mess with the other HF parameters until they sound present enough but not too much.

For some reason I always equate it to the way Michael Mann talked about using digital cameras for some shots for the first time in his career in the film Collateral, in which he described it mostly as a matter of mitigating too much definition. That analogy is something that helps me immensely in dialing in tones both that feel right and don't promote ear fatigue.

One thing I've found if, e.g., I get a single coil clean tone that's beautiful and dimensional but can get grating if I strum a chord, is I'll increase Speaker Compression to combat the high end and create a warmer balance while maintaining the character of the tone.

In the end, I'm really trying to, in as informed a way as I can, follow Cliff's advice about the speaker page and just follow my ears. This is just my total jackass approach, but it feels good to me. I've been very influenced by reading this great post by @mixermang, which made me consider how the synergy of these speaker parameters really can be the secret in any amp model to making the tone utterly come alive. I don't know why, but that post completely broke the concepts into my mind.

Cliff talks about this in detail in the tech notes on this forum, but I haven't gotten deep into studying those explanations, which will take me a ton of extra study to comprehend properly, since I have no electronics background. I'm just grateful to own a machine in which the tools are there, and now to have even a little bit of understanding of how they can help me say what I need to say with my guitar.

 

[State of Epicicity]

To add one more point about the speaker parameters here: I do think of it, perhaps incorrectly, as tuning the reaction of the power amp model's sympathetic reaction to the cab, to my guitar pickup (I realize I couldn't have written that in a more convoluted way). I'm sure a lot of players can relate to creating an earthshaking tone of some kind on a real amp, a tone that just hits you hard in the chest, with one particular guitar on a particular pickup, but then you plug in another guitar, and there's nothing going on. You tweak the preamp as much as you can, but that power is just gone. Well, and I could totally be wrong about this, but I feel like that would never be a problem with the Axe FX III. I keep feeling like this is a genius design, to make the speaker page user accessible, and not a hidden setting that's just under the hood only. It seems like you could almost tweak any cab, any speaker, to come alive sympathetically with the pickup and the guitar you're playing at that moment. Again, I feel like I'm just getting a handle on the power of this, and my understanding is technically limited here, so take this with a grain of salt, but that's how I visualize it.

 

[jin1995x]

Good question. Still waiting for an answer .
Or they don’t care , or the Mk1 users are boycotting this update . We will see in the final release hm ?

most likely the latter. and not a lot of people use pitch shifts other than for harmonies etc, or during gigs to carry fewer guitars.
For me all my rhythm patches have a pitch-block for sure.but not very keen to try out the beta as things tend to change a lot from the first beta to the final one.

 

[jin1995x]

To add one more point about the speaker parameters here: I do think of it, perhaps incorrectly, as tuning the reaction of the power amp model's sympathetic reaction to the cab, to my guitar pickup (I realize I couldn't have written that in a more convoluted way). I'm sure a lot of players can relate to creating an earthshaking tone of some kind on a real amp, a tone that just hits you hard in the chest, with one particular guitar on a particular pickup, but then you plug in another guitar, and there's nothing going on. You tweak the preamp as much as you can, but that power is just gone. Well, and I could totally be wrong about this, but I feel like that would never be a problem with the Axe FX III. I keep feeling like this is a genius design, to make the speaker page user accessible, and not a hidden setting that's just under the hood only. It seems like you could almost tweak any cab, any speaker, to come alive sympathetically with the pickup and the guitar you're playing at that moment. Again, I feel like I'm just getting a handle on the power of this, and my understanding is technically limited here, so take this with a grain of salt, but that's how I visualize it.

absolutely, I tend to modify the curve myself in so many cases, I tend to use as few ir's as possible , but messing with the impedance curve more often than not solves a lot of problems for me. to achieve a slightly different result.


impedance curve, speaker impedance and the transformer match are among my most used advanced parameters. using these 3 properly inn conjunction help a lot to achieve a specific clarity of sound that we may have in mind

 

[jin1995x]

what's truly missing I feel still is the ability to save custom curves as expressed by a lot of people in wish lists.

 

[State of Epicicity]

This and the transformer match are among my most used advanced parameters.

That's another parameter I really hope to have time to study.

 

[State of Epicicity]

what's truly missing I feel still is inability to save custom curves as expressed by a lot of people in wish lists.

I wonder though; would it not change so much with every other aspect of an amp model that it would just make more sense to tweak it differently for each amp?

 

[State of Epicicity]

I wonder though; would it not change so much with every other aspect of an amp model that it would just make more sense to tweak it differently for each amp?

What I mean is, would the other characteristics of the amp not change the context of how the notes jump out enough for tweaking to be a better course, in which case the block library would do a better job?

 

[jin1995x]

That's another parameter I really hope to have time to study.

In cliff's simplest words - "If you decrease the matching the highs and lows don't distort as quickly and the amp will sound more open" and vice versa,"If you increase the transformer matching the highs and lows will distort sooner and the amp will sound more compressed"

so for really high gain stuff I reduce it and it sounds clearer and open because there's already a lot of compression. especially if I am pitch shifting lower.

there's also former drive but I don't touch it mostly.

What I mean is, would the other characteristics of the amp not change the context of how the notes jump out enough for tweaking to be a better course, in which case the block library would do a better job?

im not sure I understand what you mean but, what I meant was , say you do 'x' song which sounds better with a modified curve for say Archon amp, you need that curve only for that one song, so you can save it and use it , when not needing it you can simply switch to the stock curve.

that's what I meant.

 

[sprint]

with a solid state one you'd likely want the impedance curve of your cab instead

I'm still struggling to get the right impedance curve settings with my real cabs/ss amps (ported pair of Mesa 112s). I have the published spec for the speaker but not sure if that can represent the whole cab. I've tried the "rattle test" but it seems inconclusive and I don't have access to the equipment to do an accurate test. On top of that I recently replaced the speaker in one cab so I now have a C90 in the left cab and a V30 in the right. Now I just blindly choose a curve on the speaker page that I like the sound of as if I was choosing an eq but I don't think that's how this parameter is meant to be determined.

 

[sprint]

Anyone notice any changes to the amp sounds?

I immediately thought it sounded brighter with my goto preset (JP2C w ML Mesa 3rd pty IR), but, since no amp related changes were made in this realease I figured my ears were playing tricks on me.

 

[Budda]

I immediately thought it sounded brighter with my goto preset (JP2C w ML Mesa 3rd pty IR), but, since no amp related changes were made in this realease I figured my ears were playing tricks on me.

RTA block to the rescue.

 

[sprint]

RTA block to the rescue.

I always forget to do a pre install clip (well "forget" is generous - lazy more like.)

 

[wolk]

finally you did this Mud ! happy, for you

now you know this piece of gear is at least as good as the real deal, but IMHO it can be tweaked to sound so much better, like your most idealized amp in your head.

and heey, about that dizzy thing, I did some more testing recently and silver v2 is that real vh4 ch3, so all is OK

Have you ever compared that to the real amp?

I don't have a VH4 to compare anymore,
but it sounds like channels 2 and 3 are swapped on the Axe FX and also the Bright Switch is active on the Axe FX for channel 2,
making the tone much brighter than the real amp in channel 3.

For the others, the real amp has a Bright Switch active for channel 2 but not for the popular channel 3.

 

[xprophet]

OK…it’s time to purchase a Axe Fx III MK 2…no worries…This is THE best equipment I have ever owned. I understand that this will be a sacrifice on my part in terms of finances. I can only imagine what the individuals in this company sacrifice in their quest for perfection. Kudos…

 

[sprint]

time to purchase a Axe Fx III MK 2…no worries

not

 

[My name is mud]

finally you did this Mud ! happy, for you

now you know this piece of gear is at least as good as the real deal, but IMHO it can be tweaked to sound so much better, like your most idealized amp in your head.

and heey, about that dizzy thing, I did some more testing recently and silver v2 is that real vh4 ch3, so all is OK

Yes I did it just to try but in the end I still use the axe with studio monitors and the head and cab with the axe for effects , I change system depends of the mood .

 

[Thomas Obester]

Have you ever compared that to the real amp?

I don't have a VH4 to compare anymore,
but it sounds like channels 2 and 3 are swapped on the Axe FX and also the Bright Switch is active on the Axe FX for channel 2,
making the tone much brighter than the real amp in channel 3.

For the others, the real amp has a Bright Switch active for channel 2 but not for the popular channel 3.

the new vh4’s (2018 and newer) are really bright amps.

it’s not dark and compressed amp at all anymore.

in the past, it used to be like that - people tend to see them (dark and compressed), but now it’s almost opposite.

but is it bright and open like jcm 800 ?
surely no, but with every revision it comes brighter and more open, as Peter is kinda loosing his hearing and needs to hear more of hi freq. content.. kinda same thing with friedman amps..

in the end, dizzy v4 ch2 is very much like real 2018 vh4 ch3.

honestly, for live playing I prefered 2011 vh4, but for recording, 2018 revision for sure.. they all have their place in arsenal of hi gain glory