Please guide an experienced II XL user migrate to a III

Dpoirier

Dpoirier

Fractal Fanatic
Hey everyone.

I have a III on order and to say that I am stoked is an understatement. At the same time, I feel a bit overwhelmed already because I have not followed the evolution of the new platform, and many of its fundamental differences with the previous generation are totally alien concepts for me.

A little bit of background, and then 3 questions.

I'm an old timer, all the way back to my first presence on the waitlist for a gen 1 Ultra. I've been on the II XL for, what, maybe 10 years?... and it is finely tuned to my needs for a cover band project covering lots of different tones and sounds from the 70 to contemporary. I don't even use scenes (I rely on one preset per song, and use IAs and 4 expression pedals to dial in amps and effects within each song). This approach works well for me and I plan a similar strategy with the III. Still, I have a deep need to fully understand what's fundamentally different in the III (not talking about improved tone, but rather usage differences). So, on with a few questions:

1-) Is there any must-see video or post which introduces (with the right level of detail, without getting lost in the weeds) the architecture and usage differences between the II and the III?

2-) Is there a documented process for migrating II presets to a III? I realize the tones are so different I'll need to redesign my presets but what I need to migrate is the signal chain and controllers from my quite-elaborate (and numerous!) II presets so that I have a good structure as a starting point?

3-) Perhaps a follow-on from question 2, and/or as a migration aid, is it possible to simultaneously run two instances of AxeEdit on my computer, II on the left and III on the right, so I can visually guide myself through the process of recreating the chains (and then work exclusively on the III for tone shaping)?

Thanks in advance!
 
I used FracTool to migrate my Axe-II presets to the Axe-III. The interface was a little quirky to me, but it was a big help. I'll confirm I run Axe-Edit II and III simultaneously many times without problems.

Scenes are dramatically improved on the III compared to the II, you may want to take a closer look at scene features if you have some time.
 
Hello!

Scenes are really great feature!
And with the FC Layouts... dude, you can do almost anything, really.

With FC Layouts, you can:

. (for all presets) choose and config the way you want 8 layouts for effects disposition (assuming you will not change the Master Layout);
. (for every preset) assign 24 spots for requirements of the song and change, in that preset in particular, and change anyone layout.

So, you can adjust specifics songs with respective particularities changing the 8 layouts in each preset.
And the internal controllers are great as well and helping that a lot. Maybe you will need less expression pedal use in many cases.

You will have a lot of fun!
All the best!
 
As mentioned, you can use FracTool to migrate presets, however use that with caution and don't expect to get more than the "structure" of your preset migrated - they aren't going to sound the same.

I did that way back when the Axe Fx III was released and I got mine. The firmware was much more similar back then.

Also, when I did that, I found all my presets were about 12dB quieter for no apparerent reason. I could create a new preset with identical settings and it was 12dB louder.

There have also been cases of weird issues down the road due to FracTool potentially migrating settings that are no longer accessible to users under the new architecture.

I ended up recreating mine by hand from the front panel (the editor wasn't there yet)... :(

Personally, I would just bring up the editors for both and use the Quick Builder mode to quickly build your preset structure and then start matching the basic settings. After that, tweak by ear... Most major effect blocks have had at least one overhaul since the release of Axe Fx III.

As far as question #1 (no video I'm aware of):
  • Input and Output are not "locked" at the start/end of the grid
  • There's no FXLoop block. Use Outputs/Inputs as needed
  • DynaCabs in the Cab block
  • No predefined CC assignments
  • The Looper is different
  • Control Switches
  • Block Library in the editor
  • Scene Ignore for many blocks
  • Dual Modifier sources
  • Modifiers can be assigned to any single channel or ALL channels
  • Channels ABCD vs XY
  • Clip Warning message replaces "tickling the red"
I'm sure there are other things.

Are you also getting an FC? If so, in addition to the user manual I encourage you to read the Footswitch Functions Guide.
 
While I won't get into specifics of your questions because all of our goals/ ideas differ somewhat, I can say that I migrated over with no previous AFX experience, and I picked up the meat of building a preset and tweaking the fundamentals within 48-72 hours. And when it came to specifics/deeper editing, the Wiki and Yek's amp guide are amazing. Congratulations man. You will not be disappointed 💪🙏
 
I understand you have built a library in your ii, but what about starting fresh with the iii? You may find you use less to do more :). And if it doesnt work, copy those ii settings as mentioned above.
 
unix-guy said:
As mentioned, you can use FracTool to migrate presets, however use that with caution and don't expect to get more than the "structure" of your preset migrated - they aren't going to sound the same.

<snip>

I ended up recreating mine by hand from the front panel (the editor wasn't there yet)... :(
Click to expand...
Me too. Took me a while to figure everything had changed so much that automated migration was a false economy of my time. Felt like a long wait for the Editor at the time!
unix-guy said:
  • Channels ABCD vs XY
Click to expand...
Ultimately this is probably the biggest game change for me. 2 channels per block wasn't always enough. I generally need a maximum of 3, and it has really simplified the way I think about Presets.
unix-guy said:
Are you also getting an FC? If so, in addition to the user manual I encourage you to read the Footswitch Functions Guide.
Click to expand...
I can't recommend the FCs highly enough. I know they aren't for everyone, but for me they unlock a lot of flexibility that just wasn't there with the Axe II XL and MFC-101. OP, if you don't consider using Scenes with an FC, you are missing out. I'm mainly IA most of the time for most things I do, but Scenes can be really helpful, and you can set an FC up so toggling between Scenes and IA is just a long press on the same footswitch.
 
Having done this I’d say it’s easier to start afresh. Otherwise you are likely to spend more time and effort modifying old presets, and missing out on what the new firmware brings. The Amp models are very different. Many of the things we used to do on the Axe-FX II to adjust the sound aren’t needed on the III. New delay FX are spectacular - see Cooper Carter and Leon Todd videos.
 
Other than the quality of the algorithms and some parameter changes here and there, there's not a huge amount of difference in structure between the II and the III. Biggest primary difference is the II had the In and Out blocks built into each preset. On the III, they are all separate blocks that have to be added to the grid manually. Instead of an FX loop block, you use the various In and Out blocks separately to make any loops you need with their corresponding jacks.

I wouldn't bother trying to convert your II presets over. Use them as a general guide for the structure of your presets, but dial them back in from scratch. I agree with Roland above. Many of the tweaks I used to do in the II for many sounds are totally not needed anymore in the III. I rarely mess with any of the advanced amp parameters. The models just sound great already. DynaCabs makes dialing in your cab tones SO much easier since you can just move the mic a little instead of scrolling through tons of IRs.

The UI on the III is such a drastic improvement over the II as well. Enjoy!
 
Roland said:
Having done this I’d say it’s easier to start afresh. Otherwise you are likely to spend more time and effort modifying old presets, and missing out on what the new firmware brings. The Amp models are very different. Many of the things we used to do on the Axe-FX II to adjust the sound aren’t needed on the III. New delay FX are spectacular - see Cooper Carter and Leon Todd videos.
Click to expand...
Very good point well-made. I used to deep dive endlessly to get what I needed from amp models. Nowadays I seldom do more than twiddle the knobs in the "authentic" tab.
 
I would recommend starting with the IRs that you are already familiar with (unless you are feeling particularly adventurous) and re-dial in everything else. Use the same amp models and start with the Authentic knobs in the same place (I second the advice of starting with Advanced parameters at default vs trying to replicate what you had in the II).

Footswitching… the new FCs have a ton of capabilities and I’ve found it’s best to think creatively and re-imagine what I want.

Scenes are also really useful tools. For example, if you are more of a stomp guy than a scene guy, you can set some blocks to “Scene Ignore” and use Scenes to change the multiple other blocks together, such as changing channel on an amp, cab, and one more drive pedals.
 
Good answers already, but I want to add something that I wish someone told me when I made the leap financially from the FX 2 original to the Axe Fx 3 and that is simply to go out and buy a good, high quality and heavy chair.

Chair? Why a chair? (I have one, thank you.)

Because the Axe Fx 3 will literally BLOW you away in comparison to the Fx 2 or for that matter any other piece of gear on the marked today.

Enjoy your Fx 3! It is simply THE BEST guitar/bass gear you can buy today in my humble opinion.

I get every tone imaginable. It still makes me smile and shake my head whenever I turn the unit on and play.
 
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