FX8 V3.50 Released

J

joe rogers

Guest
The FX8 V3.50 is now available for download. Some really cool new features, as well as some bug fixes. As always, please read the release notes before installing. We always advise you to back up your FX8 before installing new firmware with Fractal-Bot.

Here are the Links to download (please take care to download the correct firmware):

FX8 Original
FX8 Mark II

Additionally, there is a new version of FX8-Edit to support the new changes:

FX8-Edit V1.4.0

Release Notes:

FX8 V3.50 introduces some cool new features as well as a couple of bug fixes.

Additions:

· Added new “Control Switch Blocks” CS1 and CS2 – NOTE: see instructions below
· Added new GLOBAL and PER-PRESET momentary switches – NOTE: see instructions below
· Added the BANK LIMIT feature – NOTE: see instructions below

Fixes:
· Fixed a bug that prevented Pedals from driving controllers other than External.
· Fixed Recall Effect; bug was preventing loading effects from older presets.
· Corrected the behavior of Scene footswitches on preset load.

GLOBAL and PER-PRESET Momentary Footswitches
Momentary switches do not “latch” when you step on them. They activate while your foot is down on the switch, and deactivate when you lift it up. Any of the numbered footswitches of the FX8 may now be designated as MOMENTARY.
This can be done either GLOBALLY, or PER-PRESET.

If a momentary footswitch is used to BYPASS/ENGAGE effects, the effect state will be reversed by the action of the switch.
A block that is saved as ENABLED will by momentarily bypassed. A block that is saved as BYPASSED will by momentarily enabled. The same is true for a momentary footswitch assigned to SCENE 1/2 Toggle: depending on whether Scene 1 or Scene 2 is selected, the switch will momentarily toggle to the other.

1. To Set Up a Global Momentary Switch

a. Navigate to the GLOBAL FOOTSWITCH (“GBL FS”) page of the GLOBAL menu under SETUP.
b. Set each switch as desired to one of the following options:
i. PER-PRESET
ii. GLOBAL LATCHING (This is equivalent to the “GLOBAL” setting from older firmware versions).
iii. GLOBAL MOMENTARY

2. To Set Up a Per-Preset Momentary Switch

a. First, call up the preset you want to edit footswitches for.
b. From the main FOOTSWITCH (“FS”) page of the FX8, page right to the MISC page.
c. Select the new FOOTSWITCH MODE (“FS MODE”) option and press <ENTER>
d. Set Each footswitch as desired:
i. LATCHING
ii. MOMENTARY
e. Save the preset! (STORE -> ENTER -> ENTER)

NOTE: The settings on the FS MODE page have no effect for a footswitch if it is set to one of the GLOBAL options on the GBL FS page!

Controller Footswitch Blocks CS1 and CS2
The FX8 now has the ability for footswitches 1-8 to operate as “Control Switches”.
Control Switch 1 and Control Switch 2 now appear in the list of SOURCES on every MODIFIER page.

Using this feature, for example, you can create a BOOST footswitch (Volume Modifier) a WHAMMY effect (Pitch Block: Control Modifier) or a single footswitch that toggles two or more effects on or off in unison (BYPASS MODE modifiers).

CONTROL SWITCH 1 and 2 are footswitch blocks that can be assigned Globally or Per-Preset like any other Footswitch Block from the main Footswitch (“FS”) page. Use NAV to select the desired location and turn “VALUE” to step through the list of available footswitch assignments.

To Set Up a Control Switch Footswitch:

1. On the Footswitch (“FS”) page of the FX8, use NAV and VALUE knobs to assign CS1 or CS2 to footswitch 1 – 8
2. Add a modifier to the desired parameter, setting “CTRL SW1” or "CTRL SW2” as the SOURCE.
3. Adjust the modifier to work as desired.

Now, when you step on the footswitch, the modifier will change the value of the assigned parameter.

NOTE: Coupled with the new “Momentary Footswitch” options, Control Switches are quite powerful!

The initial value of each Control Switch is saved per scene. The initial values are set on the new Control Switches (“CTRL SW”) page of the CONTROLLERS area of the MISC page.

To Set Initial Values for a Control Switch:

1. From the main FOOTSWITCH (“FS”) page of the FX8, page right to the MISC page.
2. Select the CONTROLLERS option and press <ENTER>
3. Page to the CONTROL SWITCH (“CTRL SW”) page.
4. Set the initial value of each switch for each scene to either “ON” or “OFF”.

Bank Limit
Bank Limit is a new feature designed to prevent “oops” when stepping up or down through banks during a live performance.

It limits the available banks you can access through the footswitches with an UPPER and LOWER limit. For example, you could limit your FX8 to footswitch access to banks A through D for one gig, and banks L and M for another. Bank Limit is enabled through the global menu, and adds three new parameters to the GLOBAL SETTINGS menu.


To set up Bank Limit:


1. Navigate to the SETTINGS page of the GLOBAL menu under SETUP.
2. Set BANK LIMIT as desired: “NO”, “WRAP”, & “NO WRAP”
a. NO – Banks are NOT limited. Lower and Upper limit settings are IGNORED.
b. WRAP – Banks ARE limited and will wrap around from the highest back to the lowest (or vice versa).
c. NO WRAP – Banks ARE limited and will NOT wrap.

3. Set BANK LOWER LIMIT: A – P as desired. Cannot be higher than the UPPER limit.
4. Set BANK UPPER LIMIT: A – P as desired. Cannot be lower than the lower limit.


This feature has no effect on FX8 Edit.
 
these are really great new features, and get me 90% of the way to what i currently use an external midi controller for. keep up the good work!
 
These are all awesome ! I have a question, what is the different Control Switch Footswitch and Scene?
Good question!

I haven't had a lot of time to play with it yet, but here's my first impression:

Scenes basically do 4 things
  1. Remember bypass/engage states of effects
  2. Remember x/y states of effects
  3. Remember pre & post output levels
  4. Remember the state of 2 Scene Controllers which can be assigned to control various effect parameters through Modifiers.
Control Switch Footswitchs give us a different way to do the same thing as #4 above. This is for people who want to switch between 2 drive pedals without creating a whole scene for each, or have a 'high/low' switch for their rotary block, etc.

So far I'm using it in my Aces High preset to select the custom scale on the pitch shifter.

edit: Controll Switches are more powerful than i realized. Joe has added two new features here:
  1. Control Switches, which are like scene controllers but are off/on instead of percentages.
  2. Control Footswitches, which can be assigned to control the Control Switches.
 
Last edited:
Good question!

I haven't had a lot of time to play with it yet, but here's my first impression:

Scenes basically do 4 things
  1. Remember bypass/engage states of effects
  2. Remember x/y states of effects
  3. Remember pre & post output levels
  4. Remember the state of 2 Scene Controllers which can be assigned to control various effect parameters through Modifiers.
Control Switch Footswitchs give us a different way to do the same thing as #4 above. This is for people who want to switch between 2 drive pedals without creating a whole scene for each, or have a 'high/low' switch for their rotary block, etc.

So far I'm using it in my Aces High preset to select the custom scale on the pitch shifter.
Wow ! your explanation, Clear best !!!
I have tried as following your reply already.
It is not only more light weight(?) for CPU than changing whole Scene to change only drive amount also it has fast action than X/Y switching.
That is my understanding for Control Switch Footswitchs even if it's only 2.

I have one more question.
Fractal mentioned " a single footswitch that toggles two or more effects on or off in unison (BYPASS MODE modifiers)".
I hope to know how to do this with control modifiers.

Thanks a lot.
 
Wow ! your explanation, Clear best !!!
I have tried as following your reply already.
It is not only more light weight(?) for CPU than changing whole Scene to change only drive amount also it has fast action than X/Y switching.
That is my understanding for Control Switch Footswitchs even if it's only 2.

we're probably not saving any CPU, since the scenes are still there. we're just gaining a new way to control parameters on effects.

I have one more question.
Fractal mentioned " a single footswitch that toggles two or more effects on or off in unison (BYPASS MODE modifiers)".
I hope to know how to do this with control modifiers.

Thanks a lot.

see my attached preset for a demo of using control switches & control footswitches to switch between two drive pedals.

what i've done is create a preset with two different drive blocks
control footswitch 1.png

and assigned the bypass mode of each to 'Control Switch 1'. since i want one to be on when the other isn't, i've set up the modifier so that drive 2 has a start value of 100 and an end value of 0, so that one turns on while the other is turned off:
controll fs 2.png
control fs 3.png

then i assigned footswitch 1 to be 'control footswitch 1':
control fs 5.png

now when i step on switch 1, i alternate between the two drives.
 

Attachments

  • Controller FS Demo.syx
    6.3 KB · Views: 2
The Control Switch and Momentary functions slay. I can finally get rid of my external footswitches.
 
Thanks again.
I didn't think Min/Max parameter knob has "On/Off".
I just thought that it has only number even all the way down or up.
NOW I understand how to use "Control footswitchs".
Also thanks for Controller demo preset.
I have to leaving my office today to workout with this.

Thanks again !!!!
 
Is great! And finally handling FX8 begins to be as pleasant, as my old G-System ;-) (tc-electronic)
Because sounding FX8 has no equal.
 
Were there changes to the size of the Reverb CPU consumption? I have had to reduce the quality from High to Normal in many presets (density changes were ineffective).

I did reset system params after the backup/install process.
 
Last edited:
Same problem here. I was even already in normal quality but have now cpu issues with profiles that were functionning with the previous firmware...
 
Were there changes to the size of the Reverb CPU consumption? I have had to reduce the quality from High to Normal in many presets (density changes were ineffective).

I did reset system params after the backup/install process.
We'll look into this.
 
Mmm... I was very excited to try and upload this update today, maybe I'll wait a couple of days in case there's really a bug with the CPU power on this new firmware, I have some gigs ahead and don't want to mess up my presets. In any case, if there is, I know you guys are going to fix it asap.
 
I just started getting the ! in red circle on my reverb on normal as soon as I hit a single note. Even if I change reverb the same?
 
Hmm... I installed 3.50 via FractalBot yesterday using the latest FractalBot available. Upon completion a window on FractalBot comes up saying there was an error loading the software. When I reconnect to the FX8 it reports that 3.50 is installed. If I go to install the fw again I get the same message. So it looks like it loaded ok, but yet I get an error message.

Just prior to loading the FX8 I loaded the latest fw in my AX8 and AxeFX II without any problems.
 
Back
Top Bottom