Objektive sound comparison: Fw17.04 vs. FW18 (G3)

Morphosis

Morphosis

Official G66 Support
So what advantages will FW18 / G3 bring to us? I`ve tried a Apple-to-Apple comparison FW17.04 vs. FW18 (G3 models). Here`s the test and all .wav samples as download for your own comparisons...

Test installation:
- Different DI-recordings with always the same guitar (MM Silhouette Special [SSH]), but diferent Pickups, different guitar volumes.
- All DI tracks got recorded while audition the same (one) Ampsound (5153 Blue)
- All DI tracks recorded / reamped via Axe-Fx II USB

REAMPED with FW18 (G3):
- all tracks with same Cab-IR (UR)
- all tracks with same Reverb (Studio C, High Res)
- different G3 AMP-Sims, all 100% default settings!

After that just re-installed / downgrade to FW17.04 on my Axe-Fx...

REAMPED with FW17.04:
- identical preset settings like FW18
- identical Amp-Sims like FW18, but on FW17.04 Basis, all also with 100% default settings!

Post processing: All tracks normalized to -0.3db (for better comparison on equal volumes), nothing more!

Axe-Fx II FW18 (Amps-Sims with "G3"-modeling):


Axe-Fx II FW17.04 (same Amps-Sims, but with FW17.04):


Hearing instead of believeing - compare for yourself in your DAW:
All tracks with Amp-Sim Names & FW-Version for download in 48kHz/24 bit .wav format:

public.php


ZIP-DOWNLOAD HERE (179MB)

Wenn man nun kleine loops in der DAW anlegt und A/B hört, werden (zumindest für meine Ohren) folgende Unterschiede offenbar:

If you now compare small loops in your DAW and A/B them, you (at least me) will notice following differences:

- particular better "tone-attack".
- particular better / more compact bass department
- particular less harsh highs, but smooth and also assertive ones!
- sound feels "rounder", more homogeneous
- particular better / mote pronounced mids, also because of tighter bass / less harshness

Conclusion: After this objektive apple-to-apple comparison, for me the differences are NOT "night and day" to FW17.04 (everything else would have been questionable in regards to earlier judgements of the Axe-modeling, no?! ;)
In general the whole sound feels better, more compact, well-adjusted, homogeneous with tighter bass and less harshness ... "rounder".

In short:
FW18 does give faster better sound, it feels more "natural".
Less tweaking, more playing, MORE FUN!

I like it! THANK YOU SIR CLIFF! :)
 
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So far, I'm not hearing any drastic, jaw dropping differences. It sounds GREAT. But so do your 17.04 clips. I'm actively A/B'ing one clip against the same portion of the other, at pretty loud volume in front of my studio monitors. For all I can tell, the clips are identical.

In fact, in one instance when I thought I preferred one clip over the other, I looked over and realized it was the 17.04 clip playing. But listening again, I can't say I really like one better than the other. I'm going to have my wife do a blind test with me where she cues them up and pushes the buttons. But I doubt I'll be able to tell.
 
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I agree with Morphosis' conclusions, but I wonder whether the methodology is as good as it could be. I think to get a fair comparison, the tracks would have to be played with FW18 and then re-amped to 17.04, since the player will interact with and respond to the improved dynamics in 18.

Edit: It's a good comparison and nice, quick work! I didn't mean to be overly critical...no offense intended!
 
I wish I could do stuff like this but I can't so thank you Morphosis for all the work you put into this comparison, very well done!. Of the two or so amp sims I have had a chance to demo so far I would agree with your findings.
 
Karl Houseknecht said:
So far, I'm not hearing any drastic, jaw dropping differences. It sounds GREAT. But so do your 17.04 clips. I'm actively A/B'ing one clip against the same portion of the other, at pretty loud volume in front of my studio monitors. For all I can tell, the clips are identical.

In fact, in one instance when I thought I preferred one clip over the other, I looked over and realized it was the 17.04 clip playing. But listening again, I can't say I really like one better than the other. I'm going to have my wife do a blind test with me where she cues them up and pushes the buttons. But I doubt I'll be able to tell.
Click to expand...

All i can say: The Clips ARE different (thats what the phse test says, technical spoken). The differences are indeed not "lightyears" apart. But audible. At least when A/B direct the .wav clips i`ve attached as download. All in all i audition tighter / clearer bass response and less "harshness" - but i repeat myself ... ;)

It is what it is ... IMHO, the test configuration is valid to judge FW18 in comparison to FW17.04 ... what should i say ... ;)
 
ElectricPhase said:
I think to get a fair comparison, the tracks would have to be played with FW18 and then re-amped to 17.04
Click to expand...

That`s what i`ve done: DI recordings with FW18, while audition a processed G3 FW18 Amp Sim. Than reamping DI with different FW18 G3 Sims, than downgrade to FW17.04 and reamp the counterpart FW17.04 Amps to the same DI tracks. Same Cab-IR, same Reverb settings...
 
Detch said:
Some FW18 takes are a bit louder then FW17
Click to expand...

All single tracks are normalized to -0.3db. If you think, some FW18 clips are louder (RMS) as there FW17 counterparts, than the conclusio would be for example a more compressed Sound in FW18... or more bass energy ... or something ...
 
Morphosis said:
That`s what i`ve done: DI recordings with FW18, while audition a processed G3 FW18 Amp Sim. Than reamping DI with different FW18 G3 Sims, than downgrade to FW17.04 and reamp the counterpart FW17.04 Amps to the same DI tracks. Same Cab-IR, same Reverb settings...
Click to expand...

Ah....I misunderstood your description. My bad. :encouragement:
 
I was just gonna do something similar to this tonight! Hahah thanks, mate! It's really helpful. I know how fw18 sounds like but I think it's great to hear the comparison. :)
 
weird. a lot of it is night and day for me. maybe i had the night mode activated when i was using fw17....

oh well as long as we all like it, i guess :)
 
Morphosis said:
All i can say: The Clips ARE different (thats what the phse test says, technical spoken)
Click to expand...

I'm not an audio engineer, but I do remember Cliff and I having a discussion about this a long while back and him saying something about inverting phase on one track and not hearing complete cancelation with regard to the other does not necessarily mean they are different. Something about differences in timing, reverb, even in re-amped tracks. Cliff can elaborate.
 
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FractalAudio said:
I don't hear much difference. Which is strange because I have two units here, one with 17.04 and one with 18.00 and when I compare them the difference seems drastic.
Click to expand...


hmmm, ... should i double check? I audition A/B directly from the original reamp- .wav`s in my DAW and the files are definitive not the same. Also double checked FW Version in the utility box after downgrade. I could take a look again but i doubt that i have done a mistake ...

Cliff, perhaps you`re willing to demonstrate a bigger difference by reamping the same DI through 17.04 and 18? Perhaps with some of the Amps i list above?

To me, 18 sounds definitive better, but yes ... the difference is not "night and day" but from what i read from the other guys in the FW18 beta thread ... in general we all hear the same improvements ... (tighter / clearer bass response; less "harshness"; better pronounced mids, etc...)
 
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