Ideas for a new firmware relese for the Ultra.

racetra

racetra

Inspired
I was wondering if it is possible to loose some of the less liked amps and cabs or whatever in the Ultra to free up CPU and Memory and change them out with some of the newer technology like what they did in FW 11.0. I just did the upgrade and it does sound killer for the most part. I have not yet gotten too deep into the Ultra as I have only had it for a month and a half. But obviously since there is a ton of them out there I think there is hope for it stickin around for a while. I am thinkin that for some of us that can't go out and get a 2, maybe we could get some of the new technology and amps that are in the 2 to tide us over til we can upgrade.

Just a thought
 
There's still room for more amps, so I guess it's different kind of memory once again...
also, I suspects that each amp model is loved by at least one guy out there.
this has already been 'discussed' in another thread
 
Maybe we could put something together so that Cliff could see what kind of amp requests the remaining Ultra/Standard users would like to see included in those models before the memory runs out. I know I personally would like to see a port over of that Jose Marshall ;)
 
I'm going to be selfish here, as a bassist, and wish for a "Bassists Firmware Upgrade" which emulates only a handful of KILLER amps and cabinets for the bassist alone - screw the rest of you guys! (j/k) The rest of you guitarists can just skip this firmware update :lol

Also, how about updating the pitch tracking for bass instruments so that the tuner and other pitch-based functions track better (a global "range" setting like the TC G-Force has: Guitar or Bass)?

I understand that bassists represent only a small group of users currently, but how about throwin' us a frickin' bone here?

dr_evil.jpg
 
Yeah actually that would be great to see some more bass stuff. I'm not a bass player, but the options for bass are quite limited.
 
DonPetersen said:
There's still room for more amps, so I guess it's different kind of memory once again...
also, I suspects that each amp model is loved by at least one guy out there.
this has already been 'discussed' in another thread
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This is the thing. There's nothing you can remove from the Axe as it is now that would not negatively impact a set of users. Most of the cool things added in G2 appear to be rather taxing on the resources. That isn't a problem for it because of the extra horsepower, but I don't thing G1 could handle it without really restricting the mileage you can get out of the unit.

D
 
like with guitar, I'm getting the best bass sounds I ever had.
yes, technically there is only one bass amp, but the tube pre + eq + compression route is very powerful and many of the guitar amps do very cool things for bass.
Then there's the mix parameter on drive pedals and the ability to eq out the low end in the chorus block. Did I mention the truly excellent compressor?

Limited?
Only on paper.
 
racetra said:
I was wondering if it is possible to loose some of the less liked amps and cabs or whatever in the Ultra to free up CPU and Memory and change them out with some of the newer technology like what they did in FW 11.0.
Click to expand...

I think you'll find that eliminating amps and cabs will *not* free up a significant amount of memory to do a G2 port of the preamp-processing algorithms (processor requirements notwithstanding which are, as we've been told, far more taxing for G2 code). Remember, the amp parameters don't take up that much space, it's the code that does. And adding Axe II amps will not yield G2 sounds because the G2 algorithms are not there. I would guess that all the additional Axe II amps could probably be ported to the Standard/Ultra without losing any existing ones, but they would be ported to run on G1 code.
 
DonPetersen said:
like with guitar, I'm getting the best bass sounds I ever had.
yes, technically there is only one bass amp, but the tube pre + eq + compression route is very powerful and many of the guitar amps do very cool things for bass.
Then there's the mix parameter on drive pedals and the ability to eq out the low end in the chorus block. Did I mention the truly excellent compressor?

Limited?
Only on paper.
Click to expand...

My request wasn't a rip on the ability to get quality bass sounds. I'm right there with you with literally ALL of the specifics you mentioned above (probably not an accident that you nailed the features I also find most useful). But you do have to admit that there hasn't been very much focus on bass guitar amps or cab sims. Again, that is not to say that great sounds cannot be had (I'm very happy with my core sound right now), but that clearly not much time has been spent indulging bassists in just a handful of different amp sim "flavors" by comparison. Of course IR importing helps with cabinet sims. All I'm saying is that it would be cool to see bassists get some face time - though I fully appreciate the reasons why we may not.

But the whole thing with the tuner and pitch tracking lower notes in the bass range, I'd think that wouldn't be a huge obstacle to tackle. Again, just hopin' and wishin'.
 
They should have an OPTIONAL Firmware 12 that uses G2 technology that really is just for amp/cab and barely any effects, knowing that the resources are being completely tapped out for the amps and cabs. Most users, especially the ones that use the full CPU of the Ultra/Standard, will just end up running Firmware 11.

It wouldn't hurt Fractal's sales for the AxeFX II as it's giving people a TASTE of the G2 technology without really giving them live functionality to be able to put all the effects they want. I think if the G2 technology is what they say it is, it should actually inspire more people to get the AxeFX II that would have never gotten to experience one any other way.
 
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I'd love to see the new Wah in G1. The current wah's not bad but since Cliff improved it in G2 I'd love to see that added.
 
paultanderberg said:
They should have an OPTIONAL Firmware 12 that uses G2 technology that really is just for amp/cab and barely any effects, knowing that the resources are being completely tapped out for the amps and cabs. Most users, especially the ones that use the full CPU of the Ultra/Standard, will just end up running Firmware 11.

It wouldn't hurt Fractal's sales for the AxeFX II as it's giving people a TASTE of the G2 technology without really giving them live functionality to be able to put all the effects they want. I think if the G2 technology is what they say it is, it should actually inspire more people to get the AxeFX II that would have never gotten to experience one any other way.
Click to expand...

If that were possible - to be able to have an Ultra function with the best of amp/cab simulation as per G2 at the expense of most of the other processors - I would think that many users would be very happy, but of course they'd need their amp/cabinet of choice to be one of the few "chosen" ones. How do you work around that dilemma? Thinking way outside the box (and probably the realm of possibility) but FAS could offer to SELL "blues" packages, "classic" packages, "Modern Metal" packages, etc. as Firmware upgrades, rather than just giving them away. I think that would make a lot of Ultra owners very happy, and I for one would pay $100 or so for a "package" that really nailed the amp/cab sim aspects for my chosen sound(s).

Again, just thinking out loud here...realistically in my wildest dreams, I doubt this will ever happen b/c I doubt that the Ultra can handle even the most basic G2 amp architecture, and it is probably not financially worth it for FAS to develop and implement this type of firmware strategy. It'd be a very neat option if the did though.

I was just discussing with a guitarist how the Axe-Fx is used, and he figured that most guitarists only use a handful, or maybe oven just one or two specific amp/cabinet combinations for their gig, unless they're doing a GB or cover gig that needs to cover a lot of bases stylistically. I wonder how close to the mark he is with that assumption. (thinking of starting a poll for this...)
 
jimfist said:
If that were possible - to be able to have an Ultra function with the best of amp/cab simulation as per G2 at the expense of most of the other processors - I would think that many users would be very happy, but of course they'd need their amp/cabinet of choice to be one of the few "chosen" ones. How do you work around that dilemma? Thinking way outside the box (and probably the realm of possibility) but FAS could offer to SELL "blues" packages, "classic" packages, "Modern Metal" packages, etc. as Firmware upgrades, rather than just giving them away. I think that would make a lot of Ultra owners very happy, and I for one would pay $100 or so for a "package" that really nailed the amp/cab sim aspects for my chosen sound(s).

Again, just thinking out loud here...realistically in my wildest dreams, I doubt this will ever happen b/c I doubt that the Ultra can handle even the most basic G2 amp architecture, and it is probably not financially worth it for FAS to develop and implement this type of firmware strategy. It'd be a very neat option if the did though.

I was just discussing with a guitarist how the Axe-Fx is used, and he figured that most guitarists only use a handful, or maybe oven just one or two specific amp/cabinet combinations for their gig, unless they're doing a GB or cover gig that needs to cover a lot of bases stylistically. I wonder how close to the mark he is with that assumption. (thinking of starting a poll for this...)
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You're right, it wouldn't be a financial win for them, but the idea would be to encourage people to upgrade. It's to give the Standard/Ultra people a TASTE of what they could have with the AxeFX II (given, as you mentioned, it can even handle that).

I think the vast majority of people that have been using modellers for a while (it took me a while to figure it out) only use a couple of amps for their main tones and have variations from there. I use the Trainwreck, Plexi and Dumble for live settings. That's all I need because other tones are derived from putting pedals around those amps. I would be curious to see a poll, though....
 
Heres a thought with a question that this thread prompted:
Have specialized FW "for sale" for Std and Ultra.
No not std FW, but say 4 different types/packages for FW with some things removed and other things added from the G2 that the G1 processor could handle.
Thoughts Cliff?
 
I think an "Axe FxB" would be siiik. I also play bass and have had a couple of bass units like the GT stuff. I use a Trace Elliott rig that I have had for over 20 years and love it. I think if Cliff built a killer Bass Only unit and put together some of the great amp models like Trace Elliott, SWR, Old Fender stuff, Acoustic, Sunn, Marshall, with cab sims from all and more, there would be a market for it. Pair that up with a 1x15 and 1x12 Atomic cabs....Daaang!!! I think a Bass setup would sound better than a guitar through a FRFR setup and would be easier to dial in. I'll tell ya what, Bass players could loose a lot of extra bulk with a unit like this.
 
I'll tell ya what, Bass players could loose a lot of extra bulk with a unit like this.
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Exactly what I've done. I love my full SVT rig, but now I can actually rehearse and gig with the SAME rig, instead of having to use a different combo rig for basement rehearsals while my SVT was employed for gigging only. Too much stuff to move. The Ultra has lightened the load significantly. Currently, I'm doing my own testing phase of bi-amped 15" coaxial speakers. So far so good, but you can't get stingy with the power amp for pushing out all of that bass.

But as Don said earlier, nothing is preventing a bassist from doing that right now as you can get great sounds from the Axe-Fx as is...but I'm with you: if there were a handful of choice bass amp/cab sims, I'd wager that a lot of bassists would jump in headfirst.
 
If it was possible to program a firmware with empty ampslots and cabslots, that we could fill ourselves. Like taking our fav amps and cabs from a bank and put them into that slots of the firmware and send that own customized firmware into the axe-fx...
This way, Cliff could release an endless number of amps and cabs. Many different versions of every amp and every cab.
That would open a new door.
 
paultanderberg said:
They should have an OPTIONAL Firmware 12 that uses G2 technology that really is just for amp/cab and barely any effects, knowing that the resources are being completely tapped out for the amps and cabs. Most users, especially the ones that use the full CPU of the Ultra/Standard, will just end up running Firmware 11.
Click to expand...

... assuming it would even fit in the flash memory. Also, don't forget that the memory bus is upgraded on the II and there's the additional FPGA to manage all that stuff, so even if you could fit the code on an Ultra, I'd be concerned about the latency.
 
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I would think that the biggest restrictions have less to do with memory it takes up and more to do with processing power that the code uses when it's in use. So basically the storage of the code isn't the problem; its the running of the code....kind of like having a computer that isn't fast enough to run a program so you delete some files to increase space. You can store different files now, but you won't get any increase in performance.

And I still think that Cliff's explanation of what is new in the AxeFXII; primarily the extra DSP was a very simplified answer. I think that there is more going on in there to pull all these new tricks off than we have available in the AxeFX.
 
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