FM3 - how to/updating to firmware 8 (video)

[Paul Bradshaw]

as i just did the update this morning to the official release, figured i'd post a video on the whole procedure in case it's useful

I'll just add this below on gapless preset changing, i believe gapless within a preset is done by default, for presets you need to activate it as below

Gapless Preset/Scene/Channel Switching​

A new parameter SETUP > Global Settings > Config > Gapless Changes has three settings: Off, Channel & Scene, and “All” (Preset, Scene, Channel). Note that channel switching speed has been improved in general even with this setting turned off. For preset changes to use the new gapless switching, two conditions must be met:

• Setup > Global Settings > Config > Spillover must be set to “ALL”
• Your presets must be saved under firmware 8.x or newer. You can do this manually in any of the usual ways or use the automatic utility in: SETUP > Utilities > Preset > Upgrade All Presets.
  IMPORTANT: Saving a preset under 8.x makes it incompatible with previous firmware versions!
  Use Fractal-Bot to make a backup first in case you ever revert to an older firmware. Make backups!

 

[yek]

I think the video is mistaken on the subject of resetting amp blocks. The firmware release notes do not say that resetting the amps blocks is needed or advised. Some new parameter defaults are applied automatically upon loading a preset, without a hard/soft reset.

 

[mcaviel]

From release notes:

Nearly all amps have been “remastered” using new measurement techniques and analytical methods.
Existing presets are NOT altered. A hard or soft reset will load the updated values.

 

[yek]

Exactly, the notes do not say "need" or "advised".

 

[Paul Bradshaw]

Exactly, the notes do not say "need" or "advised".

thanks for the feedback, that's true,

i posted that line in there as well :

Nearly all amps have been “remastered” using new measurement techniques and analytical methods.
Existing presets are NOT altered. A hard or soft reset will load the updated values.

i had this in mind given how 8 beta, and in particular the d60 model had been changed, not resetting the amp block in that instance makes a difference i would think this is perhaps the same with the official firmware 8?

in the sense that my existing d60 more preset saved in firmware 7 will not have the updated values from firmware 8 that correspond better to the new model after updating since it's an existing preset that will not be altered according to the release notes,

hence it would perhaps be a good idea in this instance for amp models that have been updated with the firmware but would be unaltered, at least this is what can be interpreted from that line in the release notes

perhaps i should have been clearer on that,

thanks

 

[Rex]

Exactly, the notes do not say "need" or "advised".

True. But the words are subject to interpretation.

Nearly all amps have been “remastered” using new measurement techniques and analytical methods.

The word “remastered” is vague. Even more so when it’s placed in quotes. Does it mean new algorithms? New default values? New something else invisible to the user?

Existing presets are NOT altered. A hard or soft reset will load the updated values.

I read this as, “If you want to hear the changes, do a hard or soft reset.” Otherwise, the updated values (new defaults?) won’t be applied.

 

[prakhar1989]

I read this as, “If you want to hear the changes, do a hard or soft reset.” Otherwise, the updated values (new defaults?) won’t be applied.

+1 - this is exactly how I read it as well. Would love to get clarity from Fractal team on what this means.

 

[yek]

I read this as, “If you want to hear the changes, do a hard or soft reset.” Otherwise, the updated values (new defaults?) won’t be applied.

Possibly.

But I read and interpret the bullets as separate things.

bullet 1: Some stuff is not applied until a hard/soft reset.

bullet 3: The mentioned params are updated.

This coincides with my factual experiences: Supply Sag, Cathode etc. were updated in my presets without a soft/hard reset.

And: it also coincides with the 2nd bullet, because the updated algorithms also operate automatically without a soft/hard reset.

 

[Rex]

Possibly.

But I read and interpret the bullets as separate things.

bullet 1: Some stuff is not applied until a hard/soft reset.

bullet 3: The mentioned params are updated.

This coincides with my factual experiences: Supply Sag, Cathode etc. were updated in my presets without a soft/hard reset.

And: it also coincides with the 2nd bullet, because the updated algorithms also operate automatically without a soft/hard reset.

Yes. Some stuff is applied, some stuff isn’t. The stuff in bullet 1 remains a mystery, but it’s part of the total X-3 package, and if you want to hear the complete X-3 modeling, you need to reset the Amp block.