Changing from Ares 1.03 to Firmware Ares 2.00

Veloso1978

Inspired
Hi everyone,
When we change for the next firmware what the change we must do to sound like the older but better ?
I notice some presets lost theirs punch and expression.
Any tips ou tricks?
Cheers.
 
I never notice any difference between firmware upgrades. That's not to say Fractal doesn't do anything, I just lack the Golden Ears of the Gods so I just never notice.
 
There’s no generic change going from 1.03 to 2.00. How the upgrade affects your sound depends on what type of sound you’re using, and how you’ve configured your patches. In my own case I lost some artefacts in the 3 to 4 kHz range that I’d previously used EQ to make less apparent. Some people seem to have increased their gain levels to add back some distortion. Personally I rejoiced at the improvement.
 
Personally didn’t have to adjust anything, just another noticeable improvement on my end. Not really drastic, but a bit more clarity in the low end and a more natural top end. I use high gain/death metal type sounds and run through a matrix and cab, so not really sure about frfr sounds or edge of breakup and clean tones.
 
Personally didn’t have to adjust anything, just another noticeable improvement on my end. Not really drastic, but a bit more clarity in the low end and a more natural top end. I use high gain/death metal type sounds and run through a matrix and cab, so not really sure about frfr sounds or edge of breakup and clean tones.
Some amp change drastically... I use de JS lead Red and notice very change in the sound and with cleans to... Everytime must tweak to improve but notice have some improvements in the settings and sound.
 
Some amp change drastically... I use de JS lead Red and notice very change in the sound and with cleans to... Everytime must tweak to improve but notice have some improvements in the settings and sound.

yea that’s the general consensus I’ve heard. I’ve been using engl/diezel/MkIV/some others. The Engl was basically 'oh cool thats a bit better.' I think I actually increased the lows a bit because they were tighter and I could get away with having more. The Diezel was like a whole new experience...I'd always wanted to use the VH4 models because of the wicked low-end they have, but the overall tone always sounded very 'plastic' to me so I never quite got along with them. After the latest Ares updates (not sure if it was at 1.03 or 2.0) I called up the VH4 and immediately dug it. MkIV was similar to the Vh4...never got along with it, gave it another go after the latest Ares and suddenly found an awesome setting for it.

I think overall, my approach is not 'what do I tweak to get my sound back to where it was before the update.' If I find a major difference after the update then I come at it more from, 'Here's the newest update, now lets scrap the old amp block and go at it again from scratch.' I started with an AX8 on Quantum 1, I think, and this has been a pretty reliable method for me. I think there have only been maybe 4 or 5 updates where I actually decided to start from scratch. 9 times out 10 I just don't touch anything and keep rolling along.

I guess what I'm saying is, sometimes we tweak things a certain way to work around certain things to get to a sound we want. Sometimes those things get fixed at the base level through an update, so if we keep adding more work arounds to get back to our starting point then things can just get crazy.
 
Personally I can hear a pretty substantial difference. For example - the FAS Wreck is now AMAZING. Total tight thickness and definition - it used to get lost in the mix but not anymore!
 
Personally I can hear a pretty substantial difference. For example - the FAS Wreck is now AMAZING. Total tight thickness and definition - it used to get lost in the mix but not anymore!

Yeah, this is the first amp I used when I updated to 2.0. built a preset from scratch with it and was blown away by it's touch sensitivity and dynamic control.
 
Gonna try that... Any tip?

Sure! I could go on forever, but I'll keep it to a few. I can post a preset too when I get back home in a couple weeks if you're interested. I just realized while typing this that I haven't turned on the AxeFX in almost 2 weeks... :(

For reference I'm using it primarily as a lead amp, using HSH configuration (I dialed it up on my Charvel Pro Mod DK24). I really like it in pickup position 2 and 4 where the single coil is blended with a coil split humbucker. Kinda Nick Johnston-esque sound if you're into that.

With all that in mind...

1) I like it with Greenbacks. I used an Ownhammer mix that's primarily GB with a little G12H30 mixed in, on the darker and more focused end of their mixes, but this is purely taste and application dependent of course.

2) The EQ knobs don't make big swings in overall tone, they're more of a distortion control for that frequency band. I don't know for sure, but I assume it's the location of the tone controls in the signal chain more similar to a Mesa Mark Series... maybe someone else on here can confirm/deny that or explain why it behaves this way. Anyway, use those knobs to set up the distortion as you like and use the cab and the graphic EQ in the amp block to shape the overall tone.

3) I like to keep the bass knob down to get a clean and punchy fundamental (it does this very well), so I set up a "mid gain" amp setting with the low cut on and bass knob down, then I boost it with the Timothy Drive with even more low cut to get at higher gain settings to keep it clean. Then if more low end is needed, do it in the graphic EQ to make it fat but not flubby.

4) Leave the master volume knob dimed as it defaults as a non-master volume amp.
 
Back
Top Bottom