Cygnus Is Not Like Other Firmwares

[Jan Geerts]

Then don't wait (he whispers), DO IT (he whispers) YOU'LL LOVE IT! (he whispers)

Dive right into the ........Danger Zone!

 

[WW Audio]

Yes, Cygnus is groovy. And the added chug, thwack, blorp and honk are wonderful. But....will there be and FAS Chucklehead amp in there somewhere?

 

[mattgreenrocks]

Ares makes me smile every time I use it on my FM3. Stoked to hear and feel Cygnus in the near future hopefully.

 

[Stratoblaster]

I don't know what Cliff has done exactly in Cygnus, but it brought many amp models to life that I ignored or even hated previously.

I'm reading that a lot as well, along with that many IR's that users passed over are now sounding fantastic.

The consistency of users reporting that they are liking amps and IR's they never did previous to Cygnus has been catching my attention and tells me something very different is going on....great stuff!

 

[Kurt L]

Waiting on the final version... trying to be patient... enjoy what you have, Kurt!

 

[TSJMajesty]

So lemme see if I understand what the fuss is all about. Instead of adding to my rig (Tri Axis into Mesa 20/20, 50/50, or 2:90 into 2 4x12 Recto cabs) with various stereo effects, and doing away with the few pedals I own, I decided to go all-in and bought the Axe 3 as an early Christmas present to myself late last year, intending to only use it as a multi-effects unit. I had heard from friends using the Helix that amp/cab modelling had come so far that you couldn't tell the difference.

I figured that, if that was true, then that'd be like extra icing on the cake, so to speak. And since I don't own FRFR equipment, I have no real way to tell. I'm still scratching the surface, since this piece of gear is SO deep in its features and capabilities! But if I'm understanding all of what you guys are saying, with the FW shipped with my Axe 3, it wasn't completely there, but with Cygnus, it truly is? And I don't even need to decide which of those 3 power amps I want to keep, but instead just sell them all, and invest in FRFR? Is it really that good??

 

[Joe.Buerger]

Dive right into the ........Danger Zone!

You two really are cowboys

 

[68injunhed]

So lemme see if I understand what the fuss is all about. Instead of adding to my rig (Tri Axis into Mesa 20/20, 50/50, or 2:90 into 2 4x12 Recto cabs) with various stereo effects, and doing away with the few pedals I own, I decided to go all-in and bought the Axe 3 as an early Christmas present to myself late last year, intending to only use it as a multi-effects unit. I had heard from friends using the Helix that amp/cab modelling had come so far that you couldn't tell the difference.

I figured that, if that was true, then that'd be like extra icing on the cake, so to speak. And since I don't own FRFR equipment, I have no real way to tell. I'm still scratching the surface, since this piece of gear is SO deep in its features and capabilities! But if I'm understanding all of what you guys are saying, with the FW shipped with my Axe 3, it wasn't completely there, but with Cygnus, it truly is? And I don't even need to decide which of those 3 power amps I want to keep, but instead just sell them all, and invest in FRFR? Is it really that good??

If you are expecting any FRFR speaker to sound like a 4x12 cab, you'll be disappointed. Physics says no.

But monitoring your 4x12 remotely(mic'd up), or listening to a recording of it in playback on the same monitoring system you are running the AxeFX through, then yes, pretty much indistinguishable.

And the Axe3 as a preamp into the same poweramp/cab will get you there too.

 

[reclavea]

If you are expecting any FRFR speaker to sound like a 4x12 cab, you'll be disappointed. Physics says no.

But monitoring your 4x12 remotely(mic'd up), or listening to a recording of it in playback on the same monitoring system you are running the AxeFX through, then yes, pretty much indistinguishable.

And the Axe3 as a preamp into the same poweramp/cab will get you there too.

More like not “feel the same” perhaps ...but can definitely sound the same ....

But from these posts ....Cygnus sounds like great headway towards the “feel”!

 

[68injunhed]

We'll have to disagree on that one. A FRFR like a CLR, or XiTone, with a single 12 and a high frequency driver is NOT going to sound just like a 4x12 cab.

 

[GuitarGuy316]

Are the factory presets updated with Cygnus adjustments or will those have to be redone?

 

[mr_fender]

Are the factory presets updated with Cygnus adjustments or will those have to be redone?

The current set of factory presets is from Aries v12.09. Since Cygnus is a pretty big change, I'd bet they will get updated at some point once the production version of Cygnus is released.

 

[squealie]

I'm running two high quality FRFR speakers in my rig and I really don't feel I'm missing anything that a 4X12 can offer, however.......This weekend I plan on pulling out my VHT 2/50/20 and my 4 x 12. I'm going to run one set of outputs to the QSC HPR 112i and the other output into my 4x12 and crank it to full out gig volume. I'll report back.

I feel that a couple of FRFR really help with the AITR sound vs just one.

My gut says that this depends on your situation and the kind of music you are playing.

I played an Ultra, and a II into IEMs for years onstage doing modern rock and really enjoyed hearing what note I was playing in the 3rd set.

I ended up going back to sidefiring 2 4x12 cabs and an earplug on the drummer side. Thump and feedback.

I've also put those Axes into Meyer wedges and was totally sad.

 

[TSJMajesty]

...however.......This weekend I plan on pulling out my VHT 2/50/20 and my 4 x 12. I'm going to run one set of outputs to the QSC HPR 112i and the other output into my 4x12 and crank it to full out gig volume. I'll report back.

I'd be really interested in hearing (haha, I made a punny) how that comparison turns out. Would you mind pasting your response into a PM to me, in case I miss it? TIA

 

[zenaxe]

I figured that, if that was true, then that'd be like extra icing on the cake, so to speak. And since I don't own FRFR equipment, I have no real way to tell. I'm still scratching the surface, since this piece of gear is SO deep in its features and capabilities! But if I'm understanding all of what you guys are saying, with the FW shipped with my Axe 3, it wasn't completely there, but with Cygnus, it truly is? And I don't even need to decide which of those 3 power amps I want to keep, but instead just sell them all, and invest in FRFR? Is it really that good??

I love Fractal and the Axe, been here over a decade, through three generations of units, but; brutal truth: this kind of talk gets thrown around here with any major firmware update. It has been like this since the Axe 1.

That said, I am sure it is great, just like the current firmware, is... I suspect this is a significant change based on the feedback/hub-bub here and given that FAS has named this generation of it. They tend to not change the name unless there is some major change under the hood. So I definitely look forward to knocking it around...

That said, honestly, I tend to not like every single amp at the gear shop, so, at this point, given how close we are already, I would hold in suspicion any update that made me like every single amp in the collection. In theory, a model getting more accurate could actually make me like it less after a certain point...

As usual, as a customer, I appreciate and respect the dedication and support of Fractal as a vendor they are awesome. Love and appreciate the updates and it is part of the appeal of this platform.

But, TBH, its easy to lose your mind on the hype train around here. Sometimes you need to unplug to stay objective, I think.

 

[chris]

In my opinion, every major firmware updating that changed the amp modeling has delivered on its objectives. If that’s what creates hype, then it seems valid to me.

Just like when the amps were “G3’d” on the Axe2 years ago, Cygnus is a significant change.

Something a light shade of red can become more red even if it’s just a little bit. The axe is continually getting better. “The best” can become better.

 

[AJ Vargas]

Yes, Cygnus is groovy. And the added chug, thwack, blorp and honk are wonderful. But....will there be and FAS Chucklehead amp in there somewhere?

I'm all in for new amps and all that but sorry man, get back in the line as we are still waiting for the Death Monger Seal Clubber XT500.

 

[Dickie Fredericks]

Best firmware update ever! It smokes.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I love Fractal and the Axe, been here over a decade, through three generations of units, but; brutal truth: this kind of talk gets thrown around here with any major firmware update. It has been like this since the Axe 1.
...

But, TBH, its easy to lose your mind on the hype train around here. Sometimes you need to unplug to stay objective, I think.

Food for thought.

Prior to buying the A3, I was looking for high-quality effects, which is the primary reason I landed on the Axe. And since I really wasn't going for the modelling aspect in the first place, I think I'm just gonna take it slow, appreciate the fact that this will be the last effect unit I'll ever need, pair it up in stereo with the TriAxis (been totally caught up with all the factory presets to get to doing this yet) to get the various amp sounds I'm used to (been a diehard Mesa Boogie user for decades), and stay old school for now.

I've always been able to get great tone from my rig, so I'll continue to observe the modelling guys do what they do, and have my fun figuring out the ways in which I can set up different scenes and presets, and just let that be enough. Which for me will be plenty! Maybe I'll buy a nice set of headphones to see how the other half lives.

It's kind of like my truck: I had my 7.3L diesel for 20 years, so it was time for a new one. The one that replaced it has so much more stuff, that it's easy to get overwhelmed and caught up in all that. I just reminded myself that I don't need to take advantage of all it has to enjoy it. Which is what I'm going to do with the Axe Fx III. Besides, I'm still striving to be a better guitar player, and there's only so many hours in the day!!

Who's making quality tubes these days? I need some new ones, haha!!

 

[Triaxis75]

Food for thought.

Prior to buying the A3, I was looking for high-quality effects, which is the primary reason I landed on the Axe. And since I really wasn't going for the modelling aspect in the first place, I think I'm just gonna take it slow, appreciate the fact that this will be the last effect unit I'll ever need, pair it up in stereo with the TriAxis (been totally caught up with all the factory presets to get to doing this yet) to get the various amp sounds I'm used to (been a diehard Mesa Boogie user for decades), and stay old school for now.

I've always been able to get great tone from my rig, so I'll continue to observe the modelling guys do what they do, and have my fun figuring out the ways in which I can set up different scenes and presets, and just let that be enough. Which for me will be plenty! Maybe I'll buy a nice set of headphones to see how the other half lives.

It's kind of like my truck: I had my 7.3L diesel for 20 years, so it was time for a new one. The one that replaced it has so much more stuff, that it's easy to get overwhelmed and caught up in all that. I just reminded myself that I don't need to take advantage of all it has to enjoy it. Which is what I'm going to do with the Axe Fx III. Besides, I'm still striving to be a better guitar player, and there's only so many hours in the day!!

Who's making quality tubes these days? I need some new ones, haha!!

Man...I relate/have so many parallels with this line of thought. I lived in a Triaxis/2:90 world for so many years after several expensive failed rig attempts. Hard to completely give up a tried and true road warrior like that system, especially when you figure it out and know it better some of your own family lol.