Axe-Fx III Longevity

The thing is, technology constantly moves forward no matter what. If you wait for the next model, the question will still be there. There will be a next model after that one as well. I personally have upgraded every new release. I will probably have to think long and hard on the next one as to whether I will really need more CPU (I don't use close to what the III offers ) more connectivity (I don't use close to what the III offers) I could play the rest of my guitar life and not need anything more than what I have now. The updates when The II is no longer updated might snag me, but my guess is it will be a long time before it gets maxed out. Worrying about the next unit will only steal the joy from this one! What's 3 more years of satisfaction worth?
 
The reason the Axe-FX gets hardware upgrades is because the firmware updates become more taxing over time, ultimately hitting a ceiling. Usually there are some other upgrades as well, based on consumer feedback. I'd say you have a few years to go before anything like that becomes an issue. I've had my Axe-FX III for a year now and I have zero issues w/ hitting the CPU limit as long as I'm not being completely stupid with routing/FX. If you want to get the best modeler on the market, get one now. The speaker impedance emulation that was added in the latest firmware update is awesome :)
 
tu peux y aller sans soucis pour la longévité j'ai eu un 2 un 2XL et maintenant le 3 je pense qu'il y a du temps devant de plus qu'est ce qu'il peux ajouter de mieux ? pour le processeur ya de quoi faire de sacrés preset tordus sur le 2 j'étais souvent limite et la tranquille
 
Nothing is coming close to this shit for at least 5 years, and FAS updating and continually working and improving on it and THE NEW FM3, were looking at at least 8 years (ten total) of longevity

That’s what made me spend the $2750 upfront without hesitation: I knew for the foreseeable future, nothing would match it , or even come close for at least 5 years looking at the state of the market

ACTUALLY

IT MIGHT BE THE LAST BIG AMP WELL EVER SEE....with everyone moving to digital plug ins and direct plug in with re amping I mean literally, this might be the last BIG (it’s not big at all I mean in comparison to a single footpedal or no equipment at all, just a guitar and DAW+plug in) piece of Amp /gear/hardwire that may be worth purchasing FOREVER

I know many people take my hyperbole as over the top but think about it, in 10 years will we even need something this size , NO WAY...the “axe 4” will probably be smaller than the FM3,

So let’s deal with this decade and get the one and only all in one piece of gear you’ll ever need for the foreseeable future-literally

:):as he checks out and cliff adds another bundle to Santa’s sleigh::)


DONT RESIST: Just buy it- it’s at a price and time real at the peak of the wave...I see now a steady nice plateau till the fm3

Then We’ll have another toy!
 
This question is never asked when buying a physical amp. It would be like buying an amp with the expectation of the designer, or someone else, coming up with a mod to make it "better". When purchasing an amp, decisions are usually based upon whether said product does what they want or sounds the way they want it to now with no expectation of sounding better in the future. If the Axe III does what you want and sounds the way you want now, buy it. If not, don't.
 
I asked Fractal this via email before buying my unit a few months ago and was happy with the response. Given what the Axe III is giving me, I'll never have to worry about buying another unit and still be happy. Not saying I won't when that days comes, but it's no different than any other cost/benefit decision. The III exceeded my expectations on all counts. So much so that I no longer even have my tube amp in my playing space, and don't miss it at all.
 
An Axe-Fx II XL + that came out in 2012 and just got a final FW update like 6 months ago is still selling for like 1500+ used, basically 3/4 what it cost new. You can't lose with these things.

Going off the rails a little but....
I have been an Axe Fx III owner for a few months, first ever Fractal Product owned. I have know about Fractal since the standard came out over 10 years ago. One of the things that has always amazed me about the Axe Fx, (all versions) is how well they retain value in the used market. Pretty much unheard of in the world of tech hardware. Look at the price of Electronics/Computers after a year of introduction how much the value falls off. Fractal is doing something right :). I'm happy to be a part of the family now.
 
Nothing is coming close to this shit for at least 5 years, and FAS updating and continually working and improving on it and THE NEW FM3, were looking at at least 8 years (ten total) of longevity

That’s what made me spend the $2750 upfront without hesitation: I knew for the foreseeable future, nothing would match it , or even come close for at least 5 years looking at the state of the market

ACTUALLY

IT MIGHT BE THE LAST BIG AMP WELL EVER SEE....with everyone moving to digital plug ins and direct plug in with re amping I mean literally, this might be the last BIG (it’s not big at all I mean in comparison to a single footpedal or no equipment at all, just a guitar and DAW+plug in) piece of Amp /gear/hardwire that may be worth purchasing FOREVER

I know many people take my hyperbole as over the top but think about it, in 10 years will we even need something this size , NO WAY...the “axe 4” will probably be smaller than the FM3,

So let’s deal with this decade and get the one and only all in one piece of gear you’ll ever need for the foreseeable future-literally

:):as he checks out and cliff adds another bundle to Santa’s sleigh::)


DONT RESIST: Just buy it- it’s at a price and time real at the peak of the wave...I see now a steady nice plateau till the fm3

Then We’ll have another toy!
Ah, but look at the "future cellphones" in I, Robot. They were TINY!

Trajectories sometimes shift in unpredictable ways....
 
There's only so small the chassis could get. You still need to fit all those connectors, display, and knobs on somehow...

In any case, the Axe-FX III is still getting better month to month. FW11 is simply amazing.
 
Ah, but look at the "future cellphones" in I, Robot. They were TINY!

I personally like the size reduction/portability trend of devices. I'm not usually an early adopter of the latest/greatest/fastest, but I've tended to go for smaller, lighter, simpler. I haven't had a desktop for ~20 years and my MB Air 2013 is still light yet functional enough. I purposefully bought an old model Samsung S4 mini phone because I wanted something smaller (now phones tend to be bigger).

When my time comes for the FM3 I'll likely sell my AF3 - as much as I enjoy 2 amps/cabs and all the power.

If Cliff eventually produced something 1/2-1/3 the size of the FM3, I'd be on it.
 
Going off the rails a little but....
I have been an Axe Fx III owner for a few months, first ever Fractal Product owned. I have know about Fractal since the standard came out over 10 years ago. One of the things that has always amazed me about the Axe Fx, (all versions) is how well they retain value in the used market. Pretty much unheard of in the world of tech hardware. Look at the price of Electronics/Computers after a year of introduction how much the value falls off. Fractal is doing something right :). I'm happy to be a part of the family now.
This. I bought an AF2XL when it just came out, enjoyed it for like 5 yrs, then sold it for around 70% what I bought it for when I upgraded to the III. Buy it, it’s a no brainer.
 
HEY CHRIS, awesome name, there are a lot of Chris on this site, including the famous @chris who is an Axe Master, so def ask him any question you might have, very knowledgeable dude

Actually, I’m curious since you just joined, WELCOME BTW, and we’ve had so much activity lately with the holidays, where in France are you Chris, Cuz I have a buddy in France actually. Hes an American named Adam Howard..do you know him?

He plays metal gigs In Paris, a lot at Le Black Dog....have you been there?

I am gonna reach out to him if you would like to see the axe in person and what not.... He bought an iphone from me because his broke so we could facetime free instead of international calls but , and i havent been able to call him otherwise ill email him or something, but hell def be helpful if you want to see the Axe in person....

did you want me to ask Adam if he is going to be at a gig or something so you can check it out in person? He just bought one (from here i think?)

Anyway, very interested to hear from you Chris...is that short for Christopher or Christian?

Chris is famous so it gets confusing... Just so we dont get you confused with all the other ones lol

Ah, but look at the "future cellphones" in I, Robot. They were TINY!

Trajectories sometimes shift in unpredictable ways....
For sure Joe, look at EMG: fishman pounded the shit out of them with the fluence line: so they started releasing passives and passive hybrid actives in order to pivot!

But I really mean it as a tip of the hat to cliff.....

I mean it in this way as a compliment: I dont think ANYONE, not ONE DAMN company out there, not even Kemper, with an arguably equally incredible capture system STILL it cant compete, (Sorry kemper boys but you know its true and thats why your lurkin lol) with FAS...

Now the FAS is going Mobile+ (meaning the AX8 was a great product to start, but the FM3 looks like they REALLY REALLY know what they are doing at this point) so were witnessing the pair

this is like the first iphone 7 and iPad Pro, the pro is a game changer, if though it doesn’t seem so, it is

The FM3 is a mini Axe3, [one thing i keep forgetting is if it HAS a USB interface for daw but knowing cliff it must] so if they are going to be maintained basically together, I mean we are literally getting two products for optimiziation , with one launching just in 2020 and one only having 1.5 full years of market prescence

FAS is going to completely dominate the entire guitar amplifiying world

FELLOW AXE BROTHERS (especially those who REALLY know me like Fred, Joe, and Ian) NOTHING IS GONNA TOUCH AXE for A DECADE AND HERES WHY:

By the time, every single other silly stupid little fuckin foot pedal company drops a modeler interface, every time someone releases new plug ins, every time something else comes out, its DYING against the gold standard - that benchmark being Axe 3

So with that in mind, and the FAS putting the Pressure on the industry by CORNERING ALL aspects of the market, meaning they have an all in one studio (axe 3), all in one mobile all one one studio (fm3_) and I dont mean to imply i know something or specuilation but come on, do you really think if the entire market is trying to remain relative and relevant by becoming unique, niche, super ultra Uber boutique bullshit they cant.....in order to compte with FAS now, they are going to have to ditch physical modeling completely because they will all DIE with the FM3 and Ax3 on the shelf at the same time

ON TOP Of that, look at FAS.....they literally never stop, and they have the best sound engineering coders in the business working together with cliff at the helm, so do you honestly think FAS isnt prepared for this SUPER ULTRA DIGITAL movement, in that i mean the modelers are already starting to get competition to lower priced plug ins and what not.....so do you think FAS isnt ready for that bullshit

I dont mean to sound too harsh, if I’m too harsh @chris lmk, but seriously, if those shit companies are doing all digital, do you think cliff cant just pivot to crush em.....he knows WTF hes doing I’m telling you, i see the grand vision of FAS now, and I hope what i see is clear.....by the time modelers(physicals) are outdated, which very well may happen under 10 years, then the FM3 and Axe 3 will be what does this - it will become the one and only ultra all in one undisputed BEST amp on earth (in mini/portable form and studio form), but whats gonna knock the shit outta all these weasels and nonsense pedals, is what they got up their sleeve in the coding department

Now, im obviousyl an amateur when it comes to using the axe...i literally did coopers class, and I still ask basic questions like I did the other day (like i said, shortcuts are useful when needed, but you dont always need to use em)..... so WTF do i know?

Is this speculation? WTF do i care? I think its possible and probable, but MOST important I say that because:
other companies will literally die if they try to make any hardware to compete with Axe, if they havent started it already (meaning the Helix and Kemper are the only companies that have a shot at remaining alive IF they can come up with something big, something cheap, something new, and something quick!) but they’ll be dead in 3-4 years MAX

What;s left boys? Def not the analog....ALL digital? So that means all the plug in with re amping DI to your interface>DAW....it wont be feasible to create physical modelers after this FM3 release, so this is meant to be an industry stomper [ownership lol] the way the axe 3 was the biggest game changer to amps since MEsa boogie.

So thats why i think: THIS IS THE LAST GREATEST PIECE OF FULL ON HARDWARE WELL EVER SEE!

I think the only thing that could negate this trajectory is if Cliff‘s Axe 4 IS itself a full on studio w/fully integrated OS, browser, programs/apps......thats what I see, and I can see buying that: in 2030, i would definitely by

the MacBookPro - Axe Fx IV edition =

AxebookPro4

(^ Cliff if you like this idea, HMU, we can talk about other things I see ; get that schmoneyyyy tugeva kiiiiddddd)

And the best part is, FAS is all on the up and up....straight balanced company, between excellent support, excellent service, excellent everything, and i bet the next thing is price, [as we see with the 999 MSRP of the FM3, i think it was anyway]

Just 2 cents



FractalAudio: "The Axe-Fx III hasn't even been in production for two years. This industry is not like cellphones and cameras. We strive to get at least five years out of a product." Link
EXACTLY, i think i said something like almost the same but I didn’t even read that! Weird, Thanks for the link so i can read the article
 
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that’s a great point,
I got a 2, then another 2, then a 2 xl, then sold one of the 2s for about 30% loss after postage and ebay fees, then got the 3, then sold the 2 and the 2xl (no longer saw the need for 2 units), and made around the same loss. To me, that translates to good value. Very good value really when I picture Clif, Matt and the other fractal team members beavering away to get us another update every few weeks, making the units better and better. so about 3 hardware updates in 12 years For me.
Also - there has already been at least one hardware update with the 3 - the temperature controlled fan. A minor thing I’ll admit, but to me, the fan noise has always been the thing that needed attention To me - if there was a retrofit, I’d buy it. I have solved that problem on my unit anyway, but you can bet when the 3 megasuperjoyfultone release comes out, I’ll buy it, and sell my 3 v1 for a small loss.
my point? I’m not losing, I’m seeing Fractal as an example of what any company should be so I’ll continue to support them :)
these things have a life - one day, Cliff will wake up and think, sheesh....I don’t want to work today....and Avid, Behinger, Line 6, or some other company will coincidentally call him that morning with an offer for the company. They’ll promise to keep things as they are, and maintain Cliff at the helm for (say) 5 years with complete autonomy, and promise to put $x million dollars into the bank for ownership of fractal. Cliff will discuss it with his family, and they will come to a conclusion that its the right move. Cliff will then have a super retirement fund, and go to work for the the man. After a year or so, Cliff will decide ‘this sucks’ and negotiate an early release. Then - we will be dealing with a different entity.
I may change my stance then - but only then. As long as that bloke’s at the helm, I intend to give him $4000 aud every 3 or 4 years to keep it going.
thanks
pauly


Going off the rails a little but....
I have been an Axe Fx III owner for a few months, first ever Fractal Product owned. I have know about Fractal since the standard came out over 10 years ago. One of the things that has always amazed me about the Axe Fx, (all versions) is how well they retain value in the used market. Pretty much unheard of in the world of tech hardware. Look at the price of Electronics/Computers after a year of introduction how much the value falls off. Fractal is doing something right :). I'm happy to be a part of the family now.
 
I have that same problem then LOL

Still have the ultra, ii, ax8 and now the iii.

Ultra still amazes me! I fire it up occasionally and it's STILL one of the best units out there, even at this day and age!

I have the same set of units, is there a support group for users like us. lol
 
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