III. Necessity to Implement This Request
Question 7: "Why is a dedicated model for the Deacy Amp necessary? Shouldn't it be possible to simulate a tone similar to the Deacy Amp by tweaking existing models in the Amp Block?"
Answer: Based on my experiments and research so far, I believe that a dedicated model for the Deacy Amp is necessary to accurately replicate its sound on the AXE-FX III.
In attempting to reproduce the Deacy Amp using the existing toolset on the AXE-FX III, I have explored various methods, but none have been able to faithfully recreate the Deacy Amp's sound to a satisfactory level. The closest approach I have found involved the following steps, but I still encountered issues with reproducibility:
<<Approach>>
- Loading the IR of the Deacy Amp's speaker cabinet that I measured myself into the Cab Block.
- Connecting two Drive Blocks in series, applying a Treble Booster to one and a Face Fuzz type to the other to generate distortion.
- Selecting the "Class-A 30W" or "AC-20" type in the Amp Block, applying various adjustments to cut the bass frequencies, increasing the Hardness parameter to replicate transistor clipping, and adjusting the gain to an appropriate level.
Note: I did not utilize the Tone-Matching feature as it would limit tonal options.
<<Issues>>
- Bass frequencies are still prominent. However, cutting the bass too much results in insufficient distortion.
- The tone is not quite the same.
Regarding the question of whether there are decisive electronic engineering factors that prevent the reproduction of the Deacy Amp using the existing toolset on the AXE-FX III, as I am not an electronics expert, I cannot provide a definitive answer.
However, based on my understanding, certain characteristics present in the Deacy Amp's circuit are not available in the existing toolset of the AXE-FX III to the best of my knowledge, making it extremely challenging to replicate the Deacy Amp's sound:
- The use of transformers between AC126 and AC128 in the circuit (likely a phase inversion circuit).
- The output transformer being an auto-transformer, if one believes the description of the circuit based on the Supersonic PR 80 circuit used in creating the schematic.
- The absence of a clear method to change vacuum tubes on the Amp Block to transistor characteristics.
Question 8: "Why should Fractal prioritize implementing the simulation of the Deacy Amp over those requests? There are already a significant number of requests for the Amp Block, some of which pertain to historically significant guitar amps but have not been implemented for a long time."
Answer: I defer to Fractal to make decisions regarding the go/no-go, priority, and order of the implementation of requests. However, I would like to share information that could serve as a reference for their decision-making process.
I expect Fractal evaluates requests based on both technical feasibility and business impact criteria. This would likely include factors such as the potential increase in sales of AXE-FX by implementing the Deacy Amp model, revenue growth from selling Dyna-Cab for Cab-Lab or IR Packs, as well as other metrics like market share and brand strength.
Unfortunately, I cannot directly estimate the above metrics. Instead, I will share information that could be used to estimate the potential demand for the Deacy Amp model:
1. The estimated global ownership of faithful replicas of the original Deacy Amp is around 300 units.
- According to the following sources, Knight Audio Technologies has sold approximately 250 replicas of the Deacy Amp (including DIY kits).
https://www.gbase.com/gear/knight-audio-deacy-brian-may-recording-amp-2010-black
Knight Audio Technologies Deacy Amp. A replica of Brain May's homemade recording amp, heard on countless Queen recordings. Only 150 of these were made.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...sembly_and_Test_Instructions.pdf?v=1659609148
The result of the three years’ work is 100 full sets of original vintage TO-1 transistors tested and fully matched in sets using an identical amplifier test unit.
- DoxyWorld (https://doxyworld.com/supersonic_pro.html) has also reportedly sold around 5 faithful replicas of the original Deacy Amp per year for the past 10 years. Additionally, there have been confirmed cases of individuals building their own replicas.
- Please note that this 300 figure does not include potential demand.
2. The estimated user base for digital simulations of the Deacy Amp is over 1,000 individuals.
- On Amplitube's preset sharing platform (ToneNET), approximately 1,200 downloads of presets labeled "Deacy" have been observed (as of the posting date of this message).
https://www.tone.net/amplitube/search/?q=deacy
Note: In addition to the criteria listed above, Fractal's decision-making criteria may include “contribution to the technical roadmap." – in other words, for example, “whether implementing this request may have ripple effects across Fractal's entire platform?” Unfortunately, I cannot provide a clear answer to this point.
Question 9: "Products like xxx have already released decent simulations of the Deacy Amp. Wouldn't it be better to use those?"
Answer: Some guitar amp modeling platforms indeed offer models of the Deacy Amp. However, evaluating their performance often involves subjective factors, which may not lead to productive discussions. Therefore, I will refrain from discussing their performance here.
The reasons for requesting the simulation of the Deacy Amp on Fractal's platform, despite the availability of competing products, are as follows:
1. Continuous improvement for accuracy:
- Fractal consistently works on improving the absolute accuracy of its amp modeling algorithms through iterative updates. They have continuously discovered and implemented various "unknown" areas for improvement in the past and are expected to do the same in the future.
2. Significance of inheriting guitar history:
- Developing a full digital twin of the Deacy Amp is considered a highly meaningful project for inheriting an important legacy in guitar history for future generations. I believe that Fractal is best positioned to accomplish this project in the most optimal way.
IV. Presentation of This Request
Question 10: "What is the intention behind such an unusually long post? It seems like you're trying to pressure Fractal into fulfilling your demands, which feels inappropriate."
Answer: I apologize for the lengthiness of the post. There is absolutely no intention to pressure Fractal. I made this lengthy post to provide as much information as possible for Fractal to discuss and make informed decisions and alleviate any concerns they may have.
Even if Fractal decides not to implement this request despite my efforts, I will respect that decision. Furthermore, if additional information is needed, I am more than willing to cooperate to the best of my abilities.