AXE-FX IV - WISH List

I'd like to see a more intuitive button/knob/screen and user interface layout on the front of the Axe-Fx 4. I'm not saying I can't navigate fairly well from the front of the Axe-Fx 3, but it's kind of stressful, so I only ever program from Axe-Edit. I prefer how the buttons were clustered on the Axe-Fx 2 (my fingers weren't back and forth all over the front of the unit as much). There is also a lot of unused space on the front of the Axe-Fx 3. Maybe change to a touchscreen, add a number keypad similar to Eventide racks, and backlit labeling on all buttons, knobs, and jacks?

 
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JSXtremist said:
I'd like to see a more intuitive button/knob/screen and user interface layout on the front of the Axe-Fx 4. In my opinion, it was better on the Axe-Fx 2 than it is on the Axe-Fx 3, and I feel like Axe-Edit is now, even more so, the only good way to program the unit. Also, maybe add a touchscreen, a number keypad like Eventide racks, and backlit button/knob labels throughout?

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There's been a whole thread (actually more than 1) on that video...

And the general consensus was that the complaint is BS from someone that didn't bother to learn how it works.

I personally find the Axe Fx III considerably more usable from the front panel than the Axe Fx II.

Everyone has their opinions, I guess ;)
 
dr bonkers said:
Expandable memory that's user installable.
4 amp blocks.
Selection in the Power Amp tab to switch from various power tubes to Mosfet operation
Drag and drop implementation of stereo IR files into the cab block with Axe Edit
RTA mode in Axe Edit
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+1 for Expandable memory that's user installable. Like a usb for thumb drives would be nice.
 
Tone wise I wonder how can it be better, on the other hand functionality that I’d like to have:

A touch screen, not super important but would make using the unit even easier

Read / Load presets / IRs / Blocks from the computer besides from internal memory, without having to load them in an slot on the device. I have a Torpedo Captor X and supports that, very handy if you are a home player with no touring needs, and can organise the stuff in folders under your own structure. You just select open preset and choose either from the internal memory or “mounted” computer storage.

An ADA MP1 model. Oh yes.
 
AJ Vargas said:
-1 or 2 XLR inputs with integrated Mic Preamps/Phantom power
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Cliff has already weighed in…
Designing a product is all about compromises. Do you want a phantom power mic input? Well that costs money. So either you have to raise the price of the product or cut costs somewhere else. For something that only a small percentage of people will use. Since we target the pro market our customers will likely use their own mic pre's like a Neve or API. So we don't include it and don't have to cut costs on other things.

If you open up any of the other modelers/profilers out there I guarantee you will find an OPA2134 on the instrument input and the rest of the op-amps will be NE5532 and/or TL07x (or some of those crappy NJR things). The OP2134 is okay, the rest are cheap. They are low-end, consumer-grade stuff and cost about 10 cents each. We use premium op-amps (over $1 each) because I can hear the difference and if I can hear the difference then the studio cats can too because they have better ears than I do.
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Maybe, since then, there are improved chipsets that are cheaper, so it would be more economical, but that doesn't get past his "For something that only a small percentage of people will use." comment.
 
Who wouldn't like a touch screen.....BUT, it wouldn't change the user experience much (in my opinion)
The challenge isn't moving around....the challenge is knowing where to find the one control you're looking for.
Even with a touch screen, editing wouldn't get easier until you learn your way around the many many controls in the Axe III.
You want lots of editing capabilities....you need lots of screens.
 
Greg Ferguson said:
Q: To do what? Be able to run bigger presets? To be able to store more user presets?
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to be able to make my own presets and store them on a thumb drive then plug it in the usb and call up my preset on the fly. would help me to keep things more organized.
 
Holbert71 said:
to be able to make my own presets and store them on a thumb drive then plug it in the usb and call up my preset on the fly. would help me to keep things more organized.
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I'm trying to understand what use people have for user installable memory.

A thumb drive wouldn't be accessible by the hardware to expand preset space, it'd only be usable to transport files because they look like drives to the system. And, for your suggested use, you'd find it wouldn't work well. The system preloads the presets as it boots and copies them into RAM so it can switch quickly. Loading them from the USB would slow preset switching speed because thumb drives, even the best ones, are slower than RAM.
 
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Just from a design standpoint, it would be kind of cool to have a rack/floor hybrid setup where you can take the brain out of the floor unit and put it in a rack. There was something that had this feature…was it the TC Electronic G-System?
 
1. Most important a new simplified UI. Whether its a touch screen or not I think the old panel style is one reason its holding back more users.
It needs more of a dumb musician perspective than an Engineers IMO.
The page/nav/value/enter/exit could almost be put into one joystick style pushbutton encoder. I've used Fractal gear from the Ultra right up to the III but its not fun compared to the other gear I have. I almost thought of getting rid of the 3 and going with the Helix rack just for ease of use.

2. For IR selection a speaker icon with moveable mic position with the following selection Cab type/Speaker/Mic
scrap the 1000's of IR's and house them in one simple to use application.
It is a hell of a lot of work to build the database (might be able to use existing cab packs?) but the pay off would be huge IMO.

3. 44.1khz added for SPDIF/USB

4. Ability to hide deep parameters, keep the edit page simple and maybe a tab to open up all the other stuff.

5. Probably not a popular idea but maybe some style of optional 1U breakout strip for more I/O if required?

6.If there was a way to freeze a patch so its tone doesn't change in future FW updates this would be really nice ... a tone stamp of sorts?
Being a long term user its the only gear I've had to edit patches quite a bit over the past. It almost doesn't make sense for the artist packs after FW revisions which can change the sound.

7.User patches, take note of the people that really get raved about their sounds and possibly get them to make some patches for the unit.
 
BBN said:
Who wouldn't like a touch screen.....BUT, it wouldn't change the user experience much (in my opinion)
The challenge isn't moving around....the challenge is knowing where to find the one control you're looking for.
Even with a touch screen, editing wouldn't get easier until you learn your way around the many many controls in the Axe III.
You want lots of editing capabilities....you need lots of screens.
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I have plenty of touch screens on my iPhone and iPad, and when I'm trying to do something that is very detailed it is maddening. Touch is OK but our fingers are not finely tuned "inputting" devices. We have these large fleshy pads that don't translate motion into tiny movements well. So, no touch screens, please!
 
zedeloc said:
I could really use a bottle opener right in the center of the face-plate. And an ip68 beer-proofed screen, knobs, buttons, power switch, input, and headphone jack.
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I have bottle openers on both my sandals, and anyone that has a pocket butane lighter can open bottles too. Now, if someone wants to make a rack that looks like a vintage Coke machine that can be filled with soda and beer, and still have room for a FX3, well, that'd be cool.
 
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