Firmware updates...blessing or curse?

L

lj045637

Inspired
hey there,

I generally love firmware updates...but when it comes to the axe fx I wonder how you guys deal with your your favorite presets...

unfortunately existing presets get unusable (or hardly usable) after a firmware update...how do you update your favorite presets to the new firmware?
start from the scrap or write down all settings of each block and then apply them after the new firmware has been installed? which method could be applied in order to save time and not spending hours tweaking around? a 80% approach would be great knowing that the fine tuning will always require tweaking :)

Looking forward to your comments.

John
 
Quantum FW 1 PB required no tweaking of EQ, just level adjustment, for me. For the past few major releases, the only thing to do was reset the amp (select another amp then go back) and make minor adjustments to basic controls.

If you need to adjust 30 things in the Advanced controls of an amp, chances are you are using the wrong amp, honestly.

If people want things to improve, then there must be change. Change means things might be different and need adjustment. You can't have improvement without change or else it would be the same, by definition.

If it's a curse, stop updating.

All the professionals know never to update during the run of a show or recording session. If you can't control yourself, then the firmware isn't the problem ;)
 
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I haven't really noticed any changes in my presets for the past few firmware updates, so I think your claims that they become "unusable" it a bit of a stretch.

Of course the easy solution is simply "don't update" if your happy with things the way they are. Its not like you turn on your Axe and find it automatically updated itself overnight....
 
thanks for your comment, chris...but this does not answer my question...

I gather from your reply that you rebuild presets from the scrap after a firmware update, am I correct ?
 
Lol you guys. How many of these threads do we need. No one is making you update and if you're curious then just backup your shit. If you don't like it, then revert back. If you have to put to much time in changing your patch. Revert back. Bugs? Errors? No Axe edit? Revert back.

If you don't want to spend the time doing that. Then don't update. Simple.

Cliff and the crew do a lot of work to make this device better. If you like where the device is at right now and dont want to / can't put in the time. Then don't update.

Most of the time you don't need to scrap patches, but it helps. I still have patches from FW14 that sound great after a tiny bit of tweaking.
 
I have the same Q as lj045637, I always Save my presets, but with a new FW update - i end up reconfiguring them to jive with the FW update. There must be a more efficient way to do this, no ? anyone ? anyone? Bueller? Bueller ?
 
Wow, I hope no one takes the Q as a knock on Cliff or any of the crew - just looking for tricks/tips related to the Q's above, Thanks
 
crg123 said:
Lol you guys. How many of these threads do we need. No one is making you update and if you're curious then just backup your shit. If you don't like it, then revert back. If you have to put to much time in changing your patch. Revert back. Bugs? Errors? No Axe edit? Revert back.

If you don't want to spend the time doing that. Then don't update. Simple.

Cliff and the crew do a lot of work to make this device better. If you like where the device is at right now and dont want to / can't put in the time. Then don't update.

Most of the time you don't need to scrap patches, but it helps. I still have patches from FW14 that sound great after a tiny bit of tweaking.
Click to expand...

I want to improve...so why shouldn't I update...but I also want to continue using my favorite presets...
so the question is...how to cope with that efficiently without spending hours tweaking:)
 
I never spend any time tweaking because of firmware updates - I'm always tweaking! I think people get too hung up on re-creating their sounds precisely again and again. Once you are in the ballpark (and aren't The Edge) the fun is in trying new flavours. I have a new 'amp of the day' for most gigs.
 
I think folks who are worried about presets should just wait for an official release
and/or time the scheduled transaction based on the comments of the folks who've braved the water first.

With that in mind...backing up your preset work before updating is a recommendation that should be followed religiously.

I think if the above advice were followed, the fractal world would be a happier place ;)
 
lj045637 said:
hey there,

I generally love firmware updates...but when it comes to the axe fx I wonder how you guys deal with your your favorite presets...

unfortunately existing presets get unusable (or hardly usable) after a firmware update...how do you update your favorite presets to the new firmware?
start from the scrap or write down all settings of each block and then apply them after the new firmware has been installed? which method could be applied in order to save time and not spending hours tweaking around? a 80% approach would be great knowing that the fine tuning will always require tweaking :)

Looking forward to your comments.

John
Click to expand...

after I get every patch where I want it I am saving as I go.
If I have some particular patches that are crucial I will screen cap the amp and cab blocks
as well the speakers mic ect..

every page at axe edit under amp and cab and I try to save those as well efx blocks
as I go by naming them and saving those in library..

I screen cap the finalized patch and store it off for reference.
If things change so drastically I cant seem to get back where I was,
I pull the screen cap up and re visit what I had before..
screen cap as you go along while saving the final patches...
then back everything up when you are done internally as well fractal bot.

Once I get things settled in Quantum I want to load all the screen caps
and get them printed for a 3 ring binder.

I just backed everything and loaded Q so far so good..


I was going to stick at 20 but just went ahead and got Q and Im checking random patches to see if any blocks were set to mute or
other changes so far they stayed as I had them.. Some were goofed from before but I have screen caps to review if needed.

I had a long discussion about this last night and came too the mutual conclusion that trying to do 128 amps and 640 different scenes
was quite a bit of work and not really needed...

I am culling things down to maybe 20 favorite amps and trying to setup some banks to just
be able to get through 3 sets of music..

Im going to stop at Q for awhile cause it takes days to redo it all..

no pain no gain though..
 
Unless some exotic effects blocks change the amps are always easy to tweak lately. There have been occasions when my favorite clean or dirty amps character seemed to change, so I just try other clean and dirty amps that get me in the ball park, then lightly tweak.
I have favorite irs that I've been using for a while so that helps when selecting amps as I have a reference point.

Updates are definitely a blessing! If you have presets you love then don't update. It's like playing the lottery hoping to win a better preset than you already have? (Which does happen a lot with updates :))
 
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200man said:
I think folks who are worried about presets should just wait for an official release
and/or time the scheduled transaction based on the comments of the folks who've braved the water first.

With that in mind...backing up your preset work before updating is a recommendation that should be followed religiously.

I think if the above advice were followed, the fractal world would be a happier place ;)
Click to expand...

sorry, didn't get your point...what should backing up be good for...? if I load the presets from my back-up after a firmware update they definitely don't sound the same!!!
 
lj045637 said:
I want to improve...so why shouldn't I update...but I also want to continue using my favorite presets...
so the question is...how to cope with that efficiently without spending hours tweaking:)
Click to expand...

This makes no sense honestly....

You want the improvements of the new updates, yet, you still want it to sound exactly the same ?

FW update X adds improvements in how aspects A, B, and C respond/sound, but you want to tweak the new FW back so that nothing has changed since firmware Y ?

If you think the new FW makes your previously great sounding presets sound awful, or "unusable", then I don't get why your updating as the "improvements" obviously aren't improvements to your ears. Who cares what Cliff says honestly ? If he says something is better, but you think its worse, are you really going to use something you don't like ?
 
Tex Axe said:
after I get every patch where I want it I am saving as I go.
If I have some particular patches that are crucial I will screen cap the amp and cab blocks
as well the speakers mic ect..

every page at axe edit under amp and cab and I try to save those as well efx blocks
as I go by naming them and saving those in library..

I screen cap the finalized patch and store it off for reference.
If things change so drastically I cant seem to get back where I was,
I pull the screen cap up and re visit what I had before..
screen cap as you go along while saving the final patches...
then back everything up when you are done internally as well fractal bot.

Once I get things settled in Quantum I want to load all the screen caps
and get them printed for a 3 ring binder.

I just backed everything and loaded Q so far so good..


I was going to stick at 20 but just went ahead and got Q and Im checking random patches to see if any blocks were set to mute or
other changes so far they stayed as I had them.. Some were goofed from before but I have screen caps to review if needed.

I had a long discussion about this last night and came too the mutual conclusion that trying to do 128 amps and 640 different scenes
was quite a bit of work and not really needed...

I am culling things down to maybe 20 favorite amps and trying to setup some banks to just
be able to get through 3 sets of music..

Im going to stop at Q for awhile cause it takes days to redo it all..

no pain no gain though..
Click to expand...

thanks...that was helpful...!!!
 
lj045637 said:
sorry, didn't get your point...what should backing up be good for...? if I load the presets from my back-up after a firmware update they definitely don't sound the same!!!
Click to expand...

You save your presets, and if they don't sound good, you go back to the previous FW and reload your presets and your back to what sounds good to your ears. Go make music

I stuck with FW14 for a while, as I didn't find 15 etc sounded better. Finally when I tried 18 I thought it was a big improvement and updated.

Some people still are using FW9 as it gives them the tones they are after.
 
lj045637 said:
I want to improve...so why shouldn't I update...but I also want to continue using my favorite presets...
so the question is...how to cope with that efficiently without spending hours tweaking:)
Click to expand...

You do like I did and buy a second unit and keep it set up the way you like it and do new updates and tweaking on the other unit. Works for me. If you don't want to buy another Axe just try the firmware and then if it doesn't please you then revert back. Simple. Hope this helps.
 
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