So far I'm not entirely sold on the Axe Fx 3....

Shaw said:
Nobody is grabbing them at $1500, and in a couple months, no one will be buying them at $1400. Hard facts, but time to face them. And this is simply what happens when you combine the Second Law of Thermodynamics with Free Market Economies. And this is especially true with high-tech toys because, guess what... “high tech” today is outdated in 6 years and antiquated in 12.
Your “wait for FAS to run out of stock” idea may pay off. Probably won’t. The problem is, you have no idea as to what their stock is. Their stock may outlast demand. In which case, they will eventually drop their prices further, and you, in turn, will be more annoyed.
Why blame FAS? They want to dump their Axe-FX IIs just as bad as you want to sell yours. The just happen to have a larger supply. Again, market economy forces.
And I feel your pain. I sold my Axe-FX II a few weeks ago... $1400. Got the AF3 and haven’t thought about it since.
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Not sure if it will be outdated in 6 years and obsolete in 12. They have a 1 year warranty. How many units have they come out with since 2006? The 3.. is already reaching 90% CPU storage..when 2 guitars are plugged in. Generally seems like most people don't see or hear the big justification and they say.. not much different but the future updates to come will separate the 2.. sounds like a leap of faith at this point. Things always evolve.. but to be on the hook ahead of change, with the anticipation of change... was listening to the comparison of tones from the 2 to the 3... hard to hear things on utube. The new presets seem like they just have a fuller reverb...like they have a layer of FAS reverb layer over them.. I know it's a bold assumption. I'm not 100% of supply and demands on electronic items.. you just never know what the demand is going to be... you do influence demand with price. Since they are in the driver's seat, supply or oversupply of a product... there choices. They monitor sales, production, inventory... so I don't think..what about them, what are they supposed to do. I would say.. it's all controllable.. it just comes down to how fast do you want to do it(liquidation of inventory). I wished they slowed it down..that's all... controlled the phase out
 
Ant Music said:
Woah that's deep.... Actually no, it's about the destination. I'd rather have some indication of what I'm buying into / what direction they are going to focus on for future developments.
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It's Fractal. You know they're going to make big updates in the coming years. Of that I have complete faith.
 
BaronVonGrim said:
....was listening to the comparison of tones from the 2 to the 3... hard to hear things on utube.
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No doubt. YouTube doesn't do it justice. I think very few people have heard the Axe-FX II & III side by side. I was fortunate enough to be able to do that, and in person, the difference is much more perceptible than it is over YouTube. Online video / audio compression and whatnot.

BaronVonGrim said:
... it just comes down to how fast do you want to do it(liquidation of inventory). I wished they slowed it down..that's all... controlled the phase out
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I don't think any company would ever do that. Choice A) Sell all these things now and get the money coming in. Choice B) trickle these things out while their value continues to diminish. That's a no brainer. The time-value of money and natural devaluation of inventory is going to win that battle every time. The choice is so obvious, I doubt FAS even thought about it. But, yes, from your perspective, it would have been helpful.
 
As for me, I do not overthink all this.
I like better the sound of the 3 in the videos.
I have a 2XL+ and I can afford a 3. So, that’s just it.

If I was listening to the total reason, I wouldn’t put a single $ in music gear as I don’t make any money with it ;-)
 
NeoSound said:
The one huge thing I can think of would be polyphonic pitch tracking but what the III has is pretty amazing.
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That's just it. Remember we are only at firmware 1.x for the III. So who knows what lies on the roadmap ahead...? With that much processing power available, I seen nothing short of amazing updates.

With that said alone, I'm easily sold. (queue the "shutup and take my money" meme, ha ha).

III - The future is now.
 
In the grand scheme of things it’s not really going to matter much in 99% of cases. Doubtful anyone is going to look back in 5 years and wish “if only” they could of got a hundred or two more selling an electronic item. Obviously I get that a few hundred bucks can make a big difference in a given months budget, and may be the difference in upgrading or not right now, but in the long run it’s a pretty insignificant amount. It’s like cars I’ve traded in etc over the years, maybe could of held out and tried to get $500 more or something, but does it really matter today one way or another ?

That all said, one also has to realize the landscape of higher end modelers has changed drastically. Lots of competition with Helix, Headrush etc whereas FAS was kind of the only game in town and could roll out stuff slower.

To slowly phase out a product before introducing a new one could let a new entrant come in and take a lot of market share. FAS may have spend up things for a competitive business need.

Isn’t ideal for past customers buttom lines but at the end of the day FAS is out to do what’s best for FAS. They aren’t going to potentially lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in earnings just so someone can get $100 more resale out of a used product.

I’d would be great for me if Cliff was willing to price he III at $50 above cost too, keep more money in my wallet, but business isn’t in business to save customers money, they are in business to make money. They want to make as much as possible, I want to pay as little as possible, and these factors determine the price based on supply and demand as well as market alternatives etc.

It’s simple economics 101, and nowhere in there is it said a company should do what’s best for the consumer, especially if that means taking a financial loss.
 
I wonder how much farther the unit can expand? Expansion is not exponential in every technology. Have not seen anyone who thinks this way. I see many who feel the unit will expand in the future. I thinks that's a nice neutral way to say they are disappointed in the tone advancement. They've made it very user friendly, and added many new ease of use features.
The axe helps us to produce a studio quality live sound. At some point, to get any better than it is, you need to enter the studio. Music evolved up to CD quality... and that's been about it. Then it enters a phase where music went to the computer and became so cheap.. it becomes a paradigm shift. We are seeing this happen...right now. How much farther can it really go look how far it's come in comparison better but just a little bit
 
You've spent enough time here to know whats going to happen with the axeIII. We'll get firmware updates steadily for years until the product is something Cliff is still proud of. I"ll take the extra CPU because most of my patches are one effect away from the dreaded stutter and sputter, and I don't even have much craziness going on. I welcome having the larger color screen, and the "channels" functionality, as well as the additional loops so even if it was an Axe2.5 at the moment, I'd still be onboard.

Already in the head to head clips I'm hearing something special, which is not what I expected out of the gate. Not something that I experienced when I had my ultra and everybody was getting their II's. I don't think I got jealous of the AxeII till they were past patch 7.0 or something... So IMO, I think it's a worthwhile purchase, but if you don't then there's no use trying to persuade you! Life is short, play what gives you the warm and fuzzies. There will be opportunities to pick up a III when it's had some time to mature and the possibilities keep you up at night and the gas is nearly painful!
 
I put myself on the list for the new one, and will splurge on it. As a counter balance, I won't pick up the floor unit. I have a passionate 30 yr hobby, I only play for the self. I have enjoyed the MFC-101, it's ease to change presets, add effects... but I do that at the initial entry. I can deal with doing it by hand. That will help counter the upgrade exchange rate..lol. I'll pick one up down the road.
The MFC... won't work with the 3? Why?
So I'll try to get rid of the 2+/MFC after the new one arrives.
I have appreciated Cliffs updates, cab packs.... it's a good business move by him to create that win win environment. It puts him in a relevant position as one of the leaders, or the leader in a technology with devoted client's that want leading technology. Its an industry where clients are demanding and critical. It would be a poor and foolishly risky business formula to charge for the multiple updates, and to risk pushing his unit towards irrelevance. It's a win win necessity, and to be expected from what is in my opinion the best.
 
Got my invite. Damn this is harder than I thought it would be, despite my previous posts.

I see my accountant soon, so I'll know where I stand after taxes.

The GAS is strong in this one.
 
steadystate said:
Got my invite. Damn this is harder than I thought it would be, despite my previous posts.

I see my accountant soon, so I'll know where I stand after taxes.

The GAS is strong in this one.
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Remember that feeling whet you first played through an Axe II? Same thing coming your way when you get your III, if you're ready to drop the coin on it. I still gig my AX8 mainly, and I have a couple of IIs available, but for practice, I'm drawn to the III every time. You'll know it when you feel it. YouTube videos don't do it justice.
 
I received my III yesterday and I can honestly say that there is a difference already. As stated somewhere above, there is more punch and definition. I could hear and feel it on the very first chord that I hit. It felt like "Oh hello. Nice to meet you!" ;)
 
I get this thread. I really do. Buying the III was a huge leap of faith. The editor is under development. The foot controller is some undetermined future purchase. Most importantly, if you have a II, it already kicks so much heinie that it's hard to imagine the benefit of the new hardware. I agonized over it the entire time I was on the wait list, and decided several times that I would not buy. In the end, I did.

People talking about the II being "obsolete tech"....it's an interesting strawman, but it just ain't so. The II is about the same age as the Kemper hardware. Both platforms produce outstanding tones and are thoroughly proven. Until the III came along, they didn't have any competition at all. (No, I don't want to get into that particular food fight. I've used everything. You're free to disagree with me, but for myself I'm sure.)

Although the III is better in many ways, I'm keeping my II and my AX8 for playing out. They are absolutely rock solid. When the missing pieces get added to the III ecosystem (maybe even a Fractool update with III support, fingers crossed) I'll start moving over. For now, I'm just enjoying what the darn thing can do. Is it really an improvement? You bet, baby!
 
Ultimately it’s your money if you think of he AxeFX 3 is a sound investment, then get one. If not, then save your money. The only one who can say you’re right or wrong is you. Not me, not anyone else on this forum. I trust you’ll make the right decision for you.
 
ElectricPhase said:
People talking about the II being "obsolete tech"....it's an interesting strawman, but it just ain't so.
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Yes, I also find this to be an interesting argument. The Axe FX II still does everything it could do before the III was announced. It's not like a laptop or an iPad that will eventually not be able to run the latest versions of operating systems or Apps/software and will eventually stop being able to do the things we purchased them to do.
 
If you don't see value in the III, there's no reason you have to move up from the II now. Absolutely wait until you find something you want. The II is still an amazing piece of kit!

Icarusuki said:
It's not like a laptop or an iPad that will eventually not be able to run the latest versions of operating systems or Apps/software and will eventually stop being able to do the things we purchased them to do.
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This argument is flawed because:
1) A laptop or iPad will continue to do what you purchased it to do. You just aren't guaranteed the ability to do newer things on it.
2) The Axe-Fx III is currently distinguished by the new Ares modeling. The II literally doesn't run the latest OS or software.

That doesn't mean the II is bad, but it's inaccurate to suggest it has the same future prospects as the III.
 
To me for the 3, ease of use should be the biggest focus. We already know the Axe-Fx 2 sounds phenomenal and there probably isn't a unit that can match the 3 soundwise right now.

I made a thread when the Axe-Fx 3 was revealed about why I was going to explore other avenues and not upgrade and the main reasons were lack of usability improvements on the hardware itself while at the same time not having the need for more of everything. The UI has some improvements, but I think there is still a lot they could do. I see that they are adding small convenience things in new firmwares so maybe in a year or two I will have to re-evaluate.

If Fractal were to just release a desktop or large pedal sized unit that did nothing but amp and cab modeling with easy to use controls (read: tons of knobs) I would buy one. The amp/cab modeling is the main draw for me, I could easily find effect pedals that serve my fairly simple needs that are much easier to set up than the effects blocks in the Axe-Fx because pedals are a more curated platform where you like how they sound or don't.
 
I could say, What drew me to the Axe Fx II! was the new interface.
I could say, What drew me to the Axe Fx II! was the new in's and out's
I could say, What drew me to the Axe Fx II! was the improved modeling. (also channels)
And on some level I would be full of S***.
I'm 54 going on 9 and just wanted the latest and greatest. Want to explore something new but familiar at the same time.
The Axe Fx II and the AX-8 did not change overnight, there are things in both those units I will never touch. Still allot of power there!
And they still sound awesome!!

Having said that:
When the 3 arrived, of coarse a better unit was expected out of the box, but the new modeling was a HOLY S*** moment. there are a few good YouTube videos, but there is nothing like playing the unit through your gear in your environment.. Its not just the amp modeling all the effects are greatly improved, the new cab block is one of my favorites.
New interface: although I read about it and had a idea how it works. Still hands on is best. Bottom line much easier to use one you get use to moving around the interface. Easier than I though!
New in's and out's, basically added flexibility, depends on a persons environment. (but its there if you need it)

John
 
Good comparison video between the II and III. My thought was very little difference. Most of the III presets sound better because they were louder. With that said, I'm on the list for a III. I just love moving forward with technology.
 
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