is the AXE III USB 3.x?

ChristThePhone said:
So, what's the point ? Because let's say 50% of Axe users have a Mac it would be wise to ditch the 50% non-Mac users or instead use USB and allow them all to connect ?
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You didn't read my post. I said Macs have both USB & Thunderbolt & so could the Axe III. No outcry what so ever.

It doesn't really matter to me. I'm just wondering why Cliff keeps posting anti-Mac posts when a lot of his client base uses Macs.
 
FractalAudio said:
We don't have the resources to do both. USB is hard enough. Product development is difficult and costly. I think we did an exceptional job.
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Totally understand! I wasn't complaining about Thunderbolt not being there, just kind of puzzled by the comment that 99% of Axe users would complain about it being there. I could understand if it was ONLY Thunderbolt! I agree, it looks like you did an exceptional job on the III and even though I already have 2 XL's & need more gear like I need a hole in the head, I want one!!!
 
Does USB work? Yep. Is it well supported? Yep. Has it ever broken for me? Nope. Does the Axe need Thunderbolt to do what it does? Nope. Will it ever need thunderbolt? Probably not. Even if there's a need for more throughput USB 3.1 is basically at where Thunderbolt 1 was. Will a device like the Axe need more throughput? Nope. I'm currently beta testing audio hardware that uses USB 3.0. At Axe like sample rates there's more channels on this thing than I know what to do with.

Every time a device like this is released there's always some outcry about the lack of "thunderbolt" - and yet somehow these devices continue to do what they do, do them well, and serve the user base well. I'm a guy that sold half a dozen tube amps because Fractal is that badd ass. I think we can trust that Fractal engineering thought about this, and made a solid decision...
 
notalemming said:
You do realize that more than 1% of Axe users have Macs with Thunderbolt, right? My multiple Macs have both USB & Thunderbolt & so could the Axe III. No outcry what so ever.
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DisplayPort <> Thunderbolt 2 <> Thunderbolt 3 <> USB C <> USB 3.0 <> USB 3.1

These terms get tossed around a lot as if there is some equivalency. There's a difference between connectors and protocols that are supported. And only some of the latest Mac's have Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C - they didn't even start shipping those until 2016. Even the latest Macbook doesn't do Thunderbolt but it does USB 3.1 and has a USB C connector. The Macbook Pro and Air do support Thunderbolt but the Air doesn't do T3/UC. The MacMini hasn't been updated in a long time so it doesn't have any of the latest stuff.

I just got a new DAW PC and didn't bother with Thunderbolt because my RME Fireface uses Firewire and it's still a kick ass interface.


Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C are not the standard yet at all.
 
hippietim said:
The MacMini hasn't been updated in a long time so it doesn't have any of the latest stuff.
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You're right. One has got to read into the documentation of the actual units.

I got the Mac mini 2012 and it has Thunderbolt 1.

Apart from that I think that USB 2 was a wise choice for the Axe III. If you got a USB 3.x or a USB C connector you can still run the Axe III. So it will still be compatible many years from now.
 
FractalAudio said:
Not a single computer here at home or in the office has Thunderbolt. Can you imagine the outcry if it had a Thunderbolt interface which 99% of customer's computers don't have? "You mean I have to buy a new computer just to use Axe-Edit???!!!!"
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So no Mac users at Fractal. :(
 
FractalAudio said:
Not a single computer here at home or in the office has Thunderbolt. Can you imagine the outcry if it had a Thunderbolt interface which 99% of customer's computers don't have? "You mean I have to buy a new computer just to use Axe-Edit???!!!!"
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I have an Imac and two Macbook Pro with Thunderbolt. Mandatory for my UAD Apollo. And yes, Thunderbolt is by far better than USB.
But on the AXE, USB is pretty ok. No need for Thunderbolt. It is a Pro Guitar-Processor not a Pro Audio Interface.
 
nicolasrivera said:
Ahh true, the old towers, keep forgeting those didnt have them standard.
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Yes. I upgraded my two towers to 5,1, 3.46 gz. 32 gb. They're networked and pretty much screaming. I'd like to get a Trashcan, but everything's working great now. I also have a 2016 MBP that has thunderbolt. I use a UAD quad thunderbolt with that. But my two MacPros share two UAD boxes: one Solo PCI teamed up with a Quad firewire. The audio interface uses ethernet and/or USB-c. Couldn't be much happier. I'm certain Cliff knows what he's doing and I'm happy with any decisions he makes regarding development.
 
Keybi said:
Pro Audio Interface
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USB is used on everything from Lavry, and Prism interfaces on down to Behringer and Peavey. The data interface has very little to no effect on sound quality. "Pro" (though I'm not exactly clear what it means here) typically refers mostly to everything that happens before the data interface. (including environment, performances, instruments, cabling, pre-amps, component tolerances, clocking, and A/D).

Adding thunderbolt to a Behringer UMC1820 for example wouldn't really improve on whatever qualities make it pro (or not).
 
endgroove said:
USB is used on everything from Lavry, and Prism interfaces on down to Behringer and Peavey. The data interface has very little to no effect on sound quality. "Pro" (though I'm not exactly clear what it means here) typically refers mostly to everything that happens before the data interface. (including environment, performances, instruments, cabling, pre-amps, component tolerances, clocking, and A/D).

Adding thunderbolt to a Behringer UMC1820 for example wouldn't really improve on whatever qualities make it pro (or not).
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Well, in other words. I wouldn't consider an UAD APOLLO with USB 2.0 as PRO ;-) .
 
What does it have to do with Mac? I have a couple of PCs with Thunderbolt. They work for audio interfaces, too. The latter are hybrid in my case, so I’m using USB2, however, for a number of practical reasons. Even if Axe III had a TB port I’d use USB still. It’s worse but the connectors are more reliable and there are jacks available for rack panels. That pretty much sums it all up.
 
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