Having some issues / concerns after upgrading to Quantum

Alabama man

Alabama man

Inspired
After not having my Axe II XL for close to 8 months, It's finally back in my possession. I upgraded from firmware 16.01 with no real issues. I also upgraded my MFC-101 Mk III to v3.08. Overall, I can tell a huge difference in sound and feel and I'm really enjoying it.

I'm having issues with the volume momentarily cutting out when switching between presets on my MFC (have switches 1-5 dedicated to preset change). Has anyone had this issue / is it normal?

I'm also noticing some of the factory presets are overly muffled / low volume. For example, preset 10 - "Plexi 100 watt treble" and preset 287 - "Yngwie" seem abnormally dark to my ears. Not all patches sound like I'm describing, and some are quite good. I just thought it might be worth bringing up to make sure I don't need to reinstall the firmware.

One more question! I'm running the Axe into a Matrix GT1000FX-1U > 2x12 guitar cabinet, Mono. What would the proper output mode be for the axe in this setup? stereo, l+r sum, or copy l+r sum? I've gone back and forth between stereo and l+r sum, but I can't decide because certain presets will sound good and some bad / bland depending on the output mode.


Thanks
 
Switching presets usually does result in a dropout of output. Switching scenes should be seamless if there is no amp x-y switching involved. Its a lot worse when axe-edit is open and connected to the axe. Is it?

The official advice is that 'bad FW installs' are very uncommon and fractal themselves have not experienced one yet. Reset system parameters might do the trick, as system parameters may get slightly screwed up in a FW install.
 
Alabama man said:
I'm having issues with the volume momentarily cutting out when switching between presets on my MFC (have switches 1-5 dedicated to preset change). Has anyone had this issue / is it normal?
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Yes this is normal - it takes a little time for the AxeFX to build the blocks into the new activated preset which can result in a tiny drop out

The way round this is to use scenes if possible for presets that require seamless changes - then you can use one preset with all the FX blocks and have them in different states for each scene including overall output level control per scene - EG you want 3 of your grid's FX blocks 'On' and your amp block's input gain at a certain level in Scene 1 but in Scene 2 you want a different combination of your grid's FX blocks On and your amp block's gain at a different level then that's possible - up to 8 Scenes per preset.

You can also incorporate X/Y switching into your grid blocks - and have these saved per Scene - X/Y switching means you can have completely different FX types or Amp types per X or Y state (Scenes alone can't switch block types they can only alter parameter values within the blocks).

X/Y switching can introduce a little delay again if the block that's being X/Y changed is in an 'On' position after the Scene change - but usually less noticeable than a complete Preset change would.

You can use the Reveal switch on the MFC to switch between switches 1-5 being preset changes and Scene changes - or set up your AxeFX and MFC to have up to 8 IA switches assigned to Scene changes and your preset changes done by UP/DOWN switches on the MFC ... or a few other ways too.

That's a very rough guide to Scenes and X/Y use by the way :) You can get better advice by researching posts on the forum or visiting Chris' axetutorials.com site where I'm sure he probably has video tutorials to help grasp the concept better than I could do.

If you prefer the simpler Preset change method and couldn't be bothered re-thinking your presets for Scenes then you'll just have to live with the slight cut out of sound.

Alabama man said:
I'm also noticing some of the factory presets are overly muffled / low volume. For example, preset 10 - "Plexi 100 watt treble" and preset 287 - "Yngwie" seem abnormally dark to my ears. Not all patches sound like I'm describing, and some are quite good. I just thought it might be worth bringing up to make sure I don't need to reinstall the firmware.
Click to expand...

There was a new set of revised Factory presets published by Fractal for FW 18 onwards (including Quantum) - you can download them from the main fractal audio site.

I'm not saying they will 'cure' everything because the amp blocks were in the process of being 'G3'd' for FW 18 which changed their sound slightly - but Quantum supersedes the 'G3' technology I think. They are however the 'official' Factory presets that would be installed on all new AxeFX's ordered today - so download them and try them out.

Alabama man said:
One more question! I'm running the Axe into a Matrix GT1000FX-1U > 2x12 guitar cabinet, Mono. What would the proper output mode be for the axe in this setup? stereo, l+r sum, or copy l+r sum? I've gone back and forth between stereo and l+r sum, but I can't decide because certain presets will sound good and some bad / bland depending on the output mode.
Click to expand...
Probably l+r sum - but the likely reason some presets don't sound good is due to them being dependent on stereo FX settings and they get phase cancelling issues - or you've monitored them first on stereo Studio monitors or headphones and there's an Enhancer block creating a pseudo wide sounding stereo effect etc. that's missing on a mono setup.

I use 2 FRFR cabs now so I'm back to Stereo output - probably very little stereo effect noticeable from FOH use but sounds nice to me on stage :)
 
When I upgraded firmware a lot of the presets were muffled and dark, especially the Marshalls. Kinda like a blanket over the speaker effect. I had to rework a lot of them using different cabs, backing of the gain, and cutting a lot of bass.
Now they sound fantastic, but I had to tweak.
 
maxdown said:
If you prefer the simpler Preset change method and couldn't be bothered re-thinking your presets for Scenes then you'll just have to live with the slight cut out of sound.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the thorough breakdown of scenes vs presets. Definitely cleared up a lot for me. I'm still in my infancy stages of figuring out how to configure my Axe setup. I'm not committed to the preset method, it's just the only way I know how to get around on the Axe at this point.


maxdown said:
There was a new set of revised Factory presets published by Fractal for FW 18 onwards (including Quantum) - you can download them from the main fractal audio site.
Click to expand...

I actually went ahead and installed the revised presets after upgrading to Quantum. I'm pretty sure I did it right - the file came with 4 separate folders that I had to install one at a time. I feel like bad firmware install would be something I'd notice - most of the revised presets sound very good. I just thought it was odd that a Plexi Treble model sounded so dark and muffled.

maxdown said:
Probably l+r sum - but the likely reason some presets don't sound good is due to them being dependent on stereo FX settings and they get phase cancelling issues - or you've monitored them first on stereo Studio monitors or headphones and there's an Enhancer block creating a pseudo wide sounding stereo effect etc. that's missing on a mono setup.
Click to expand...

I noticed some ambient patches sounded better on stereo, through my mono rig. However, some patches revealed more rhythmic delays when switching to l+r sum. It seems like I need to make a compromise? Still confused on what the three output modes actually do when running a mono setup. I am considering grabbing a 1x12 cabinet to run in stereo - sounds amazing.


Thanks for your help!
 
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What's your spillover set to? Turn it on if it's off and see if that doesn't help some.
16.13 Setting Up Spillover
Spillover allows delay and reverb tails to ring out when an effect is bypassed or when you change presets. This
method details how to set up spillover when using different presets. Firmware 9.0 added SCENES capability, which
makes it easier to get perfect spillover within a single preset as detailed in the first section below. (See p. 175)
16.13.1 Within a Single Preset
The first case is the easiest to set up and requires almost no special settings. To enable tails to ring when an
individual delay or reverb effect is bypassed (by a footswitch or scene change for instance), simply change its
BYPASS MODE to “MUTE FX IN.” The explanation of Bypass Mode on p. 116 explains why and how this works.
Scenes allow blocks to be engaged or bypassed automatically one-by-one or in groups. This is one of the best and
most popular ways to create presets with perfect spillover effects.
16.13.2 Across Different Presets
Setting up spillover that works across different presets is a bit more involved. The first step is to set DELAY SPILL on
the CONFIG page of the GLOBAL menu (p. 132) according to whether you want Delays, Reverbs, or “BOTH” to spill
over when you change presets. (“Delay” does not include Multi-Delay or Megatap blocks).
Then, you need to ensure that the same delay or reverb blocks exist in both the preset you are changing from and
the preset you are changing to. These need to be not only the same block but the same INSTANCE (i.e. you must
use Delay 1 and Delay 1 vs. Delay 1 and Delay 2).
The moment you change to a new preset, the current settings for its delay or reverb blocks “take over” processing
the tails. If you change from a preset where delay has a time of 500 ms to one where the time is 100 ms, the tails
will be “inserted” into the new effect and be heard as 100 ms echoes. For spillover to work perfectly then, the
pair(s) of blocks in both “starting” and “landing” presets must have essentially identical settings and be placed in
similar routing architectures. You would hear quite a sudden difference in the tail, for instance, if a delay was
placed after a clean amp in the first preset and in front of a heavily overdriven amp in the second.
Bypass states and BYPASS MODE settings must also be considered. Switching from a preset where delay or reverb is
engaged to one where it is bypassed with a BYPASS MODE setting of “MUTE FX OUT” will prevent the tails from
being heard. Switching to a preset where the block is bypassed with a setting of “MUTE FX IN” however, will
cleverly allow the tails to ring while material you play after the preset change will be heard without the effect.
Some smart shortcuts exist for setting up reverb and delay presets for spillover. If you create one preset as desired,
you can save a copy to a new location and make changes only to other blocks. Using Global Blocks is another way
to ensures that mix, level, and other important settings will be consistent (though block routing and sequence on
the grid could still be a concern). Using the RECALL EFFECT function (p. 37), you can “import” a delay or reverb
block from another preset. This certainly beats pencil and paper as a means to transfer settings. Finally, Axe-Edit,
our free companion editor/librarian to the Axe-Fx line, offers numerous conveniences, like copying/pasting blocks
from one preset into various others and the ability to keep a “library” of effect block templates that can be
inserted into any preset at any time.
Click to expand...
 
Alabama man said:
However, some patches revealed more rhythmic delays when switching to l+r sum. It seems like I need to make a compromise?
Click to expand...

Using presets designed for stereo with no changes, you may need to compromise.

Instead of stopping there, you could choose one mode, then identify and adjust any problem effects/routings in presets. If you choose Sum L+R you might find most presets are pretty good, but some require phase reverse to be switched off in a delay block.

The apparent mix of stereo effects can change in mono even when they don't fall into the "problem" category like disappearing delays. For this reason it's good to build/adjust presets specifically for mono if possible, and test them in mono.
 
Ah OK .... having Axe-Edit still connected while using the MFC to change presets would indeed create a big drop out.

You don't need to close Axe-Edit completely in these cases - you can 'Pause Communications' on it when you want to do something via the MFC or Front Panel of the AxeFX - either hit F8 or look under 'Settings' in the top menu bar for Pause Communications.
 
Alabama man said:
I'm also noticing some of the factory presets are overly muffled / low volume. For example, preset 10 - "Plexi 100 watt treble" and preset 287 - "Yngwie" seem abnormally dark to my ears. Not all patches sound like I'm describing, and some are quite good. I just thought it might be worth bringing up to make sure I don't need to reinstall the firmware.
Click to expand...

I'm having the same experience with my plexi presets after resetting my amp blocks. The Vox/DeeCee 30 also got too gainy. I'm going to have to go through my dozen or so "go to" presets this week before we play Friday night. I've gotten used to tweaking my main presets after every firmware upgrade and associated resets, and it usually doesn't take more than an hour if I don't go off into Neverland having fun with it (my ADD and the Axe are a lethal combination). I still need to build some basic presets from scratch to try out amps I initially wrote off when I started with FW18 eight months ago.

I'm in Montgomery. Let me know if you're nearby and want to compare notes.
 
Larry Mitchell said:
Hey Alabama man and dsimms. I'm in Opelika. Let me know if you guys want to have a little local Alabama meet up :0)

Larry
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Hey Larry, that would be great. I've looked to see if you were playing around Montgomery, but I don't think you've done anything here since the Alley Bar gig a year or two ago. There's one other Axe guy here in town I know of - Bill Hinds with the Paul Thorn Band. Let's see what Alabama Man says and try to get together in the next month.

Doug
 
Larry Mitchell said:
Hey Alabama man and dsimms. I'm in Opelika. Let me know if you guys want to have a little local Alabama meet up :0)

Larry
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Man, I would be so down for this, but I'm actually located in Portland, OR. My username is referencing a South Park Episode - Apologies for the confusion!


Also want to mention that I watched the AxeFx tutorials video on presets, XY switching and Scenes. That video cleared up a lot of questions I had and now I'm running 5 scenes comfortably within one preset. I seriously love this box.

I'm going to start digging into Yek's stuff, but I'm curious as to what other resources are out there for learning the axe. Not gonna lie, kind of intimidated by the advanced params in the Amp block.
 
maxdown said:
Alabama man said: Not gonna lie, kind of intimidated by the advanced params in the Amp block.
Maxdown said: Only strange people go in there nowdays :mrgreen
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I'm new to the Axe world, but been I've been involved in computers and networking since early 80s and music since the early 60s. So I have a real good grasp of what I want to do. And I have been easily navigating the AXE. But I have to say the AXE FX2 XL Plus is for sure Alien Technology. The parameters I've been discovering and experimenting with are out of this world. So instead of getting intimidated, I grab a preset, move it to an empty preset location and experiment away. I have destroyed a preset and also ended up with some really good ones. But I'm also learning what each parameter does.
 
Alabama man said:
After not having my Axe II XL for close to 8 months, It's finally back in my possession. I upgraded from firmware 16.01 with no real issues. I also upgraded my MFC-101 Mk III to v3.08. Overall, I can tell a huge difference in sound and feel and I'm really enjoying it.

I'm having issues with the volume momentarily cutting out when switching between presets on my MFC (have switches 1-5 dedicated to preset change). Has anyone had this issue / is it normal?

I'm also noticing some of the factory presets are overly muffled / low volume. For example, preset 10 - "Plexi 100 watt treble" and preset 287 - "Yngwie" seem abnormally dark to my ears. Not all patches sound like I'm describing, and some are quite good. I just thought it might be worth bringing up to make sure I don't need to reinstall the firmware.

One more question! I'm running the Axe into a Matrix GT1000FX-1U > 2x12 guitar cabinet, Mono. What would the proper output mode be for the axe in this setup? stereo, l+r sum, or copy l+r sum? I've gone back and forth between stereo and l+r sum, but I can't decide because certain presets will sound good and some bad / bland depending on the output mode.


Thanks
Click to expand...

I specifically remember trying Yngwie patch trough few firmware updates from 1.06 (which came on my Axe when I bought it used) trough firmware 2.01 - 2.02. It sounded very wrong, muffled, like some dark overdrive crunch tone, nothing like Yngwie sound at all, not even close. So I think Your firmware upgrade is fine. Maybe You should try new updated presets for Quantum, if You haven't? if that doesn't help, You will just need to tweak, I suppose.
 
Tommy Tempest said:
I'm new to the Axe world, but been I've been involved in computers and networking since early 80s and music since the early 60s. So I have a real good grasp of what I want to do. And I have been easily navigating the AXE. But I have to say the AXE FX2 XL Plus is for sure Alien Technology. The parameters I've been discovering and experimenting with are out of this world. So instead of getting intimidated, I grab a preset, move it to an empty preset location and experiment away. I have destroyed a preset and also ended up with some really good ones. But I'm also learning what each parameter does.
Click to expand...
Well ... my original reply was tongue in cheek of course. :) If you like deep editing go for it

I will however say that it has nothing to do with Computing/networking skills ...... the menus are easy to find in Axe-Edit or via front panel editing ...... the problem is knowing the mechanics of all the various components in an pre/post amplifier circuit. Some will relish that level of super fine control and some won't want to go near them ...... and I'm pretty happy that I don't need to delve in too deep to get workable tones :)
 
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