Ready to purchase III, but knowing my luck, a MK2 would probably show up soon...

rich2k4

Inspired
Knowing my luck with purchases like this, I get it and then 1 month later a MK2 version comes out.

I'm curious, for those who got the original Axe FX 2 MK1, and stuck with it till the very end. Was the tone the exact same? From what I read, the original one was supported up to the very end with latest firmware, and it was all the same operating system, majority of the differences in later models being more I/O and more memory for presets?

I'm pretty sure I have nothing to worry about since Fractal has excellent support of their products, but I'd like to hear from original owners.
 
Knowing my luck with purchases like this, I get it and then 1 month later a MK2 version comes out.

I'm curious, for those who got the original Axe FX 2 MK1, and stuck with it till the very end. Was the tone the exact same? From what I read, the original one was supported up to the very end with latest firmware, and it was all the same operating system, majority of the differences in later models being more I/O and more memory for presets?

I'm pretty sure I have nothing to worry about since Fractal has excellent support of their products, but I'd like to hear from original owners.
I got the Axe FX II MK1 in 2013 and stuck with it til the Axe FX III came out (still have it, in fact). I never found any limitations in it. You're good.

I doubt an Axe FX III MK2 will come out soon. They're gonna spend at least a year on the FM3, and they're still releasing updates on the III now.
 
I also had the original Axe-Fx II, which I bought in 2011 and never let me down. Hardware updates came out for the II to address shortcomings (RAM for looper length and more presets, a quieter fan, etc) or to add new bits like FASlink. I don't really see the III having any real limitations or shortcomings that would call for a hardware revision. I think with the III you're looking at "third time's a charm". It has a ton of processing oomph and plenty of IO -- even if they did come out with a III Mark 2 tomorrow, I'd still be plenty happy with my original III.
 
I bought a used Axe FX II mk II after the XL and XL+ were out. I never got close to hitting the ceiling on its capability, memory-wise. I did start maxing out DSP with my patches, which is the reason I went to the III. That wouldn’t have been any different on the XL+ though. Just know that if you buy the III, you’re buying the best guitar processor that exists. And if another one comes out later, it doesn’t make yours any less great or powerful.
 
I was having coffee with Cliff on Monday, and he said there’s no plans for a new Axe Fx version until at least August 16, 2027 to honor the 50th Anniversary of Elvis’ passing.

Ok, I made that up. Well, not the Anniversary part.

@yek is right, though. There are no guarantees and every day you wait is a day closer to whenever the next flagship sails its maiden voyage. The III is beyond what I could do with it already, and will not sound any less awesome when a new unit arrives.

Jump.
 
I'm curious, for those who got the original Axe FX 2 MK1, and stuck with it till the very end. Was the tone the exact same?

Yes.

I purchased an original Axe-FX II and MFC-101 Mark II for $2,400 in 2014. Best decision of my in-home-studio, church, and random gig gear journey.

All of the discussion surrounding the AX8 right now, don't buy into it. It's still world class amp modeling and FX processing that will blow you, and your audience away. Quantum is still amaze-balls, nuff said.

#FASForLife
 
I totally understand the OP's feeling. My question is what would be in an improved Axe III MK II version? It seems that memory/horse power (the reason of the Axe II MK II upgrade) is no issue right now.

OTHO the FX8 had a MK II version VERY fast!
 
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I stuck with my mark I when I bought it in 2012. It did not sound any less awesome than any of the other variants. I've never had any more than 30 presets anyway so having 512 vs 384 wasn't a big issue to me which was the main difference aside from the MFC connections and the display. When I sold it this year to get the III it still felt like I got some resale value out of it. My advice...spend your time making and creating music and don't worry about the next version of the III.
 
I don't see any of that coming real soon. Why?

The Axe II Mk1 had several flaws (fan, jacks (iirc) and most importantly that Ethernet port), which were corrected with the Mk2. After some time it became obvious that the hardware had some unnecessary limitations (memory, way to safe the unit after a corrupted update process, ...) so the XL came out. The XL+ is the same, just with a different display. Hope I got it right, more of it should be found in the wiki.

What I'm saying is: Cliff has learned from all those mistakes and certainly hasn't repeated them on the III. So you can kind of interpret the III as a II Mk4. Now that the III has been out for quite some time and I literally NEVER heared of any design flaws, which would make a III Mk2 necessary, there's no real need to wait. If I wanted a III, I'd buy it right now!

And I've been unlucky aswell! I've bought the Ultra not even a month before the II came out, then bought the II Mk1 just before the Mk2 came out. To this day I can hardly forgive Cliff to put in such an Ethernet port in the Mk1, but I managed to work around it, so it's ok now. But Fractal has improved on both hardware and software, so you need not to worry!
 
I don't see any of that coming real soon. Why?

The Axe II Mk1 had several flaws (fan, jacks (iirc) and most importantly that Ethernet port), which were corrected with the Mk2. After some time it became obvious that the hardware had some unnecessary limitations (memory, way to safe the unit after a corrupted update process, ...) so the XL came out. The XL+ is the same, just with a different display. Hope I got it right, more of it should be found in the wiki.

What I'm saying is: Cliff has learned from all those mistakes and certainly hasn't repeated them on the III. So you can kind of interpret the III as a II Mk4. Now that the III has been out for quite some time and I literally NEVER heared of any design flaws, which would make a III Mk2 necessary, there's no real need to wait. If I wanted a III, I'd buy it right now!

And I've been unlucky aswell! I've bought the Ultra not even a month before the II came out, then bought the II Mk1 just before the Mk2 came out. To this day I can hardly forgive Cliff to put in such an Ethernet port in the Mk1, but I managed to work around it, so it's ok now. But Fractal has improved on both hardware and software, so you need not to worry!
I've only been in the Fractal work for a couple years, so I'm unfamiliar with the older products. What was wrong with the ethernet ports?
 
They were ethernet ports just like being used in computers, made of plastic, totally cheap and unreliable. I had broken mine on the MFC Mk1, but luckily I've got a brother who could update it to kind of a Mk2. What happened was, that my singer steped onto the cable. Something like this could happen anytime onstage. Similar with the jack on the Axe, there can always happen something that causes tension on the cable. In the best case the plug gets ripped out, then it can be plugged in again. In the worst case the jack breaks which not just finishes the show, but would force me to send the thing to G66. Now with the Ethercon jacks, more so with the Faslink jacks, that doesn't happen anymore.

That was a horrible decision, but like I said, Cliff has grown on this and doesn't build the Axe with studio use in mind, but absolutely roadworthy.
 
Fractal makes amazing products.
But in the world of digital, the life cycles are short. And they have to tweak in some ways to generate new sales.

That said the modeling technology is extremely advanced by all companies right now and improvements are incremental at this point.

The present Axe 3 is the best and will still be kickass ten years from now IMO.
 
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