First time buyer🤯

ADAM-X

Member
Hi everyone. Looking for reassuring stories before I take the plunge, and whilst there seems to be nothing but positive feedback and lots of very helpful people on here I suppose I just want to delve a little deeper.
My background with a modelling type set up is basically this will be my first experience, and I want it to be a positive one.

I'm aware that there is a learning curve with these units so that's not a problem. I suppose my main question for this thread is. Is the Axe Fx iii future proof. I'm kinda feeling a bit apprehensive about spending €2500 on something that will no doubt be improved upon. Just got me thinking that I suppose a unit like this is as good or as valuable as you want it to be, I'm sure not everyone on here felt the need to upgrade from ii to iii or whatever and find older models perfectly suit their needs.

I'm not sure what my question is here guys but I think what I'm asking is. How relivent will and axe fx iii be in let's say 3 years. Weird question I know. But something I wanted to throw out there.

Adam.
 
99.99% your experience will be a positive one -- if you don't have unrealistic expectations such as it sounding like an amp-in-the-room (AITR) with monitors or headphones. The learning curve to get up and running is relatively quick to do basics (Amp -> Cab -> Reverb).

Is the Axe Fx iii future proof.
How relivent will and axe fx iii be in let's say 3 years.

No technology is "future proof". Look at stone tablets, quill pens, oil lamps... all the way to Apple products. My 2013 Air refuses to upgrade and more and more software won't run on it. As for the Axe-Fx units, take a look at Fractal's history to determine product release schedule and longevity.

Worst case you can sell your III for only a small loss as there are enough new people interested in the Axe to buy the previous versions. Many folks (and pro artists) still use the Axe 2!
 
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I was in exactly the same spot in February 2019 when I ordered the Axe FX III. The reassuring thing to me was that a bunch of artists I liked were (and still are) touring with super old versions of Fractal hardware. It's been a godsend this year since we've all been trapped at home - I can play whenever I want with headphones and not disturb anyone.
 
Keeping with the current Firmware, not updating at all, the Axe III will sound the same 3 years from now as it does today. However, Fractal is constantly tweaking and 'improving' something that "can't get any better" so the Axe III is more than likely going to sound 'better' 3 years from now. Don't know how much more future proof anyone could expect.

Now if you're wondering if there will be another product that sounds "better" than the Axe III in 3 years, I would say more than likely. That will not make the Axe III sound any worse, just as the Axe III didn't make the Axe II sound any worse.

I get the hesitation but it comes down to what you need or want now. Does the Axe III have the tones and effects you want with the features you want at a price you can afford? If so, buy it and don't look back. It's no different than anything else you purchase; is the item worth the asking price to you. No matter what you buy, there will always be something better come along.

I bought the Axe III knowing full well at the time that the price would drop and that there would be something new released in the future. The price was something I could live with and could 'justify' spending for what I was getting. I not only made a decision to spend the money, I fully committed to the Axe III as exactly what I wanted and needed.
 
99.99% your experience will be a positive one -- if you don't have unrealistic expectations such as it sounding like an amp-in-the-room (AITR) with monitors or headphones. The learning curve to get up and running is relatively quick to do basics (Amp -> Cab -> Reverb).



No technology is "future proof". Look at stone tablets, quill pens, oil lamps... all the way to Apple products. My 2013 Air refuses to upgrade and more and more software won't run on it. As for the Axe-Fx units, take a look at Fractal's history to determine product release schedule and longevity.

Worst case you can sell your III for only a small loss as there are enough new people interested in the Axe to buy the previous versions. Many folks (and pro artists) still use the Axe 2!

Stone tablets and quills 😂😂😂😂😂
Nah your spot on tho. I'm looking for extra reassurance this time round. I usually rush into things. Just being a bit more calculated now cause I sold a lot of gear to be able to afford this.

Good points man👍
 
I was in exactly the same spot in February 2019 when I ordered the Axe FX III. The reassuring thing to me was that a bunch of artists I liked were (and still are) touring with super old versions of Fractal hardware. It's been a godsend this year since we've all been trapped at home - I can play whenever I want with headphones and not disturb anyone.

It's a bit daunting or something! Gone are the days I just throw cash at something like this. That's what kids do to ye😳
I knew there would be others like myself.
Plenty of time to get to grips with it as we are back in full lock down (in Ireland 🇮🇪)
I was in exactly the same spot in February 2019 when I ordered the Axe FX III. The reassuring thing to me was that a bunch of artists I liked were (and still are) touring with super old versions of Fractal hardware. It's been a godsend this year since we've all been trapped at home - I can play whenever I want with headphones and not disturb anyone.
 
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Keeping with the current Firmware, not updating at all, the Axe III will sound the same 3 years from now as it does today. However, Fractal is constantly tweaking and 'improving' something that "can't get any better" so the Axe III is more than likely going to sound 'better' 3 years from now. Don't know how much more future proof anyone could expect.

Now if you're wondering if there will be another product that sounds "better" than the Axe III in 3 years, I would say more than likely. That will not make the Axe III sound any worse, just as the Axe III didn't make the Axe II sound any worse.

I get the hesitation but it comes down to what you need or want now. Does the Axe III have the tones and effects you want with the features you want at a price you can afford? If so, buy it and don't look back. It's no different than anything else you purchase; is the item worth the asking price to you. No matter what you buy, there will always be something better come along.

I bought the Axe III knowing full well at the time that the price would drop and that there would be something new released in the future. The price was something I could live with and could 'justify' spending for what I was getting. I not only made a decision to spend the money, I fully committed to the Axe III as exactly what I wanted and needed.

Excellent point about it infact being better with firmware updates. Never took that into consideration. I've sold my tube amp/cab as I see myself recording mainly for the forseable future, but like the idea of also having something to gig with. So to answer your question and in turn answer my own question yes it's very much something I need and will justify its price.
 
The future proof question comes up a lot (for good reason, since it's such a big investment).
Two things about Fractal that make it 'better' in regards to future proof (because nothing is actually future proof).

1 - Fractal constantly makes firmware upgrades (sometimes for products that are a generation behind the current model being sold).
They are constantly using their extremely powerful platform, to bring the future, to your existing box. They seem to care about trying to give users more with their current platform, rather than just creating slightly better hardware and forcing users to purchase it, just to get an advanced firmware.

2 - Even when products become 'legacy' for Fractal, they're still absolutely amazing. I gig with an AX8 (but also own the Axe III). The AX8 (being years old) still sounds amazing. All Fractal products are so damn close to the real thing....no matter what new stuff they come out with, the old products will still be outstanding.
 
I'd whole heartedly say go for it. The amp modelling is superb and sounds as good as any amp you're gonna buy. Any amp you bought 10 yrs ago that sounded great still sounds great. The Axe fx sounds amazing now and even if you never update it , will still sound amazing ten years from now. It can be as simple or as complex as you want it to. I came from the early days of the Ultra and with the III, I can be a little overwhelmed at times but remind myself to focus on simple signal chains to start. Not to get tied up in the rabbit hole. If and when you do get the III, I'd recommend start with the factory presets and especially @austinbuddy Live Gold pack. That will get you incredible presets right off the bat that are dialed in beautifully so you can just start off enjoying and getting a sense of how different blocks are working together. Secondly, go and devour all of Leon Todd's (@2112 ) youtube videos. His channel is seriously awesome, in particular his 5 min tone vids. Keeps it simple and you start learning critical tips week by week.

on that note,after all these years, I found two of his vids extremely helpful. One on a method of selecting cabs by using your ears and not eyes. His approach is simple and effective. starts with a very basic preset...bare bones of a solid foundation tone. Also he had a great vid on fine-tuning presets. the polish.Using frequency sweeps to dial out undesirable frequencies. These two vids alone have seriously improved my Axe skills and i've been at this for years.
 
Thanks both guys above there. Really appreciate you taking the time to send such detailed replies to me. And I completely take everything you have both said on board, its definitely an angle I haven't given much consideration to, I see how popular older fractal units still are so it makes sense to say the iii has years of life left and years after that! Chewie5150 I'm a long time subscriber to Leon, his videos are excellent.
My mind is made up for sure, I just wanted to get a bit more from you good people on here.
 
Is the Axe Fx iii future proof.

I don't know. What is coming in the future?

I have several high-end boutique amps that sound amazing. One of them is going to be sold because the FX3 and FM3 sound so good, are so flexible, and, even if Fractal announced they'd retired those units, I wouldn't really care, because they sound amazing and will continue to sound amazing.

I've been following modeling systems a long time, and the FM3 and FX3 are the first that are good enough I'd consider using to replace my amps.
 
I don't think the future does matter. The axe sounds as good as the real deal, as proven by many users here. What could the future bring? Something that sounds more real than the real amps? Some things just really can't be improved
 
I don't think the future does matter. The axe sounds as good as the real deal, as proven by many users here. What could the future bring? Something that sounds more real than the real amps? Some things just really can't be improved
The axe FX is so close at this point I honestly don't even care about how accurate it is or anything. It sounds absolutely amazing.
 
I wholeheartedly agree with everything said so far and you also get two additional bonuses which actually are the two things I have enjoyed the most since my early AxeFX II days. You get to follow Cliff and the Fractal team in their journey pursuing the perfect tone (and that's not something abstract as they end up giving you free goodies which are actually worth hundreds - if not thousands - of dollars all the time: it's Christmas every month!) and 2) the community here is amazing. You will not find another group of users with a more positive attitude and so invested in helping others.
 
Lots of wisdom in the above posts. Have been a AxeII to AxeIII, Axe8 to FM3 guy - all in with Fractal. The thing that has been a constant is the dedication to upgrades and making any of the Fractal devices better. So 3 years from now, it will sound different - better and the updates provide new sonic treats and optionality. Cliff and the team's quest for excellence serves us all...and sounds fab!
 
There are still people out there playing with an Axe Standard (1st model @2006ish) and are completely satisfied.

Buy with the confidence that you have years and years on this platform. One of the few things in this life that lives up to the hype.

If this is your first toe dip into Modelers, be sure and watch as many videos out there that are tailored for 'getting started'. @chris has made very many excellent ones. @2112 has a few out there. And if you want to stretch @Cooper Carter has a full course that will do everything you need in one spot.

Welcome.

Edit: I should also mention that we have very many excellent crafters of preset packs for sale that will give you almost every tone you might want without the effort. (My standard caveat: You STILL have to learn the unit so you can tweak, load, save, backup, etc.)

R
 
There are still people out there playing with an Axe Standard (1st model @2006ish) and are completely satisfied.

Buy with the confidence that you have years and years on this platform. One of the few things in this life that lives up to the hype.

If this is your first toe dip into Modelers, be sure and watch as many videos out there that are tailored for 'getting started'. @chris has made very many excellent ones. @2112 has a few out there. And if you want to stretch @Cooper Carter has a full course that will do everything you need in one spot.

Welcome.

Edit: I should also mention that we have very many excellent crafters of preset packs for sale that will give you almost every tone you might want without the effort. (My standard caveat: You STILL have to learn the unit so you can tweak, load, save, backup, etc.)

R
Well I've officially taken the plunge. Have bout an axe iii off a guy. Got a great deal on it and the fc-6. No going back now.
Thanks for the response, and I agree with everything you said. Just need to do a few late nights now when kids go to bed and get to grips with this unit.
 
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