A THUNDERBOLT AT EASTER -
THE AXE-FX III III IS HERE !
THE CHASE FOR TONE CONTINUES
It’s Easter 2013 and for the first time there is a video that finally lets us get to know Cliff Chase in person. The same Cliff Chase who over the last seven years has revolutionised digital signal processing and turned the guitarist's world on its head. He was a nobody in the music business, who has obviously done everything right; a pioneer who has up to now remained somewhat unapproachable and about whom most people know very little. Well, now this pioneer has excelled himself once again and really has put the icing on the cake this time, because the brand new Axe-Fx III is here, Cliff Chase’s latest masterpiece!
FANTASTIC NEW FEATURES
Improved user interface!
New carefully selected amp models from the “rare & boutique” section!
A total of 122 amp models!
35 new pro level cabinet simulations!
100 User Cabinet slots!
New MIMIC technology (Multi-point Iterative Matching and Impedance Correction): correction of each model using analytical data collected at various points within the original amp’s circuitry! In Cliff’s words: “If you don’t like the amp simulation, you won’t like the original amp either.”
Artist IRs from James Santiago and John Petrucci!
Improved Drive models!
True Bias Tremolo effect added to the Amp block!
Extended control options in the Looper block, such as freely definable start/finish point, manual playback start, use of modifiers with Play, Reverse and Half controls!
Plus many more improvements and new features
NO PRICE INCREASE
And best of all, this third generation guitarist’s dream machine is available for the same price as the Axe-Fx II. Not only that, but Fractal Audio have learnt from the supply problems at the time of the Axe-Fx II’s release and have quietly been preparing for the expected rush of orders – the warehouses are packed up to the ceilings…
NO MORE WAITING LISTS
…so this time there will be no long waiting lists to deal with. Of course, here at G66 we have been doing our homework too and this time we will be able to cope with the expected high demand from the word go.
AXE-FX 3 OR AXE-FX III
A quick related anecdote: in a secret vote of just over 100 long standing Axe-Fx users, each of whom had to sign an document swearing them to secrecy, a clear majority decided in favour of using Roman numerals, i.e. Axe-Fx III as opposed to Axe-Fx 3. Too great was the influence of its exceptionally successful predecessor, the Axe-Fx II.
AXE-FX III - HISTORICAL CHANGE
Cliff Chase's work has already had a significant effect on the production, processing and improvement of guitar sound in countless situations worldwide, both in the studio and on stage. This effect will certainly be increased with the Axe-Fx III, though the real extent of his influence will almost certainly need a few decades to become properly apparent.
OPEN, HONEST AND ON THE BALL
The many personal telephone conversations we've had with Cliff Chase – mainly about orders, shipment sizes, future ideas and other business stuff – have repeatedly shown his honest, sometimes strikingly open attitude: no bluffs, no sales tactics, no exaggerations, no excuses – never before had we experienced a business relationship in such a pleasant and uncomplicated manner. And so it is hardly surprising that we were notified of the upcoming Axe-Fx III release even before the New Year and have thus had enough time to able to prepare ourselves properly.
UNDER 1000 EUROS
For existing Axe-Fx II users there will be, according to Cliff Chase, a hardware update kit available in the next few weeks. This will be a replacement processor board with a new TigerSharc Quadcore DSP and can simply be plugged into the upgrade slot inside the Axe-Fx II. Only a minimum of soldering expertise is required, so the majority of users will be able to carry out the upgrade themselves. The final price for the upgrade kit has not yet been announced, but will definitely be under 1000 Euros. Further information will be available shortly.