Do major firmware updates make commercial preset packs obsolete?

Q

quark

Experienced
For those of you who purchase commercial preset packs, do you find that those presets hold up after a firmware revision like 16.01? If you go in and reset your amp block and/or other blocks to bring in the settings required by 16.01, how does that affect the quality of the presets that were created by the vendor under an earlier firmware revision? I was always a bit skeptical about purchasing those packs because it seemed to me that they had a relatively short lifetime depending on the frequency of Cliff's eureka moments.
 
quark said:
For those of you who purchase commercial preset packs, do you find that those presets hold up after a firmware revision like 16.01? If you go in and reset your amp block and/or other blocks to bring in the settings required by 16.01, how does that affect the quality of the presets that were created by the vendor under an earlier firmware revision? I was always a bit skeptical about purchasing those packs because it seemed to me that they had a relatively short lifetime depending on the frequency of Cliff's eureka moments.
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Obsolete is probably a strong word. The updates do change the sound sometimes, but I’ve never seen something go from good to bad. Usually it’s more good to different.

That said, I believe most preset vendors update their presets along with major firmware changes, if the sonic shift justifies this effort. AustinBuddy, for example, has very diligently kept his presets updates since the OG release.
 
Yeah firmware changes are usually not that drastic that any given preset would be rendered completely unusable. Usually just a few minor tweaks to the gain, level, and/or EQ are all that's needed to get things back where you want them. Often just resetting the advanced parameters and keeping the main controls where they are is plenty. If the preset relies on a bunch of drastic advanced parameter changes then it might be harder to adapt to the new FW version. Sort of depends on what gets updated.
 
Whether using commercial presets or home-grown, I do not see how you get around this. Speaking from the experience of my own presets, I find they need to be reworked from the ground up periodically. Complex presets are most at risk. Major FW changes can make previous presets unusable, in my opinion. Simple presets (without too many block interdependencies) tend to endure longer.

Basic FX, blocks and routings, also tend to endure, but may need periodic level adjustments.
 
My name is mud said:
Don’t know if you agree or not with your comment but when I read that some sellers never update their pack after their first release , this is really bad . If you sell packs you update them everytime there is a new firmware as soon as you can , this is a main rule to me and it’s completely normal .
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if you buy any software, you buy it to work in a certain configuration at a certain point in time. Unless they explicitly state that they will provide you with free updates for every future major firmware update they are not required to do so.

If they still do it it's fantastic customer service and basically a gift.

Just imagine having to re-edit hundreds or even thousands of presets 2 to 4 times a year for the life cycle of the Axe FX III. For FREE. I certainly wouldn't want to do it.

Considering this I'd say the preset packs are way too cheap
 
On this topic - I'm new to the AFX3 and still learning the ropes. This was one of my concerns as well, but I have to say AustinBuddy has been amazing for this; check out the threads in the Commercial Preset forum.
 
phil92 said:
if you buy any software, you buy it to work in a certain configuration at a certain point in time. Unless they explicitly state that they will provide you with free updates for every future major firmware update they are not required to do so.

If they still do it it's fantastic customer service and basically a gift.

Just imagine having to re-edit hundreds or even thousands of presets 2 to 4 times a year for the life cycle of the Axe FX III. For FREE. I certainly wouldn't want to do it.

Considering this I'd say the preset packs are way too cheap
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Upgrading the firmware may require x100 more work than upgrading the presets, plus R&D, and we still get the firmware upgrades for free
 
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