Solo 99 Clean Cold Solder Joint?

C

Chris Hurley

Power User
As I was auditioning amp block models on my new Axe II, I noticed something strange about the Solo 99 Clean setting. Gain settings around or above 5 have a pronounced buzz/distortion in the background that halfway resembles the sound of a cold solder joint on a real amp. I went round and round trying to figure out what was causing that and eliminating it- reset the block, removed everything else from the patch (and ran into a guitar cabinet), added a cab and listened through headphones. Its not exactly the sound of clipping a block, nothing is lighting red.

Does anyone else notice anything odd with this model?
 
Make sure you have the latest revision of the firmware. There was a bug in the earlier versions that caused artifacts in some models.

It may be that I have the bias set wrong in that particular model. SLOs are characterized by a "cold clipping" stage but the clean channel does not have that stage. I may have inadvertently copied that stage into the clean model. I will check later.
 
I evidently don't have the newest firmware on it so I'll try that and report back. Could be that its already fixed. I mistakenly thought I had the newer firmware answers to but my x->y copy question suggest that I obviously do not.
 
It's more probable that it's the firmware than the bias set wrong on that stage. I don't have my code handy so I can't check but I'm pretty sure I set the bias correct on that model.
 
Firmware update from 1.01 to 1.02 fixed it.

Strangely, lots of models seems to sound better today as compared to the last few days. Was there a tonal difference across a variety of models in this update or is it all in my head?

This is more like what I was expecting.
 
Chris Hurley said:
Firmware update from 1.01 to 1.02 fixed it. Strangely, lots of models seems to sound better today as compared to the last few days. Was there a tonal difference across a variety of models in this update or is it all in my head? This is more like what I was expecting.
Click to expand...

I really wish Fractal would have advised me that a possible firmware update *may* be the solution to some of the "anomalies" and "artifacts" I was hearing with my early unit. Fractal only advised me that the product may not be right for me, that there was user-error from my high-end studio monitors, that I was hearing the "Haas effect," or that that's what "distortion sounds like." If Fractal would have acknowledged, even in the slightest, that some of the issues I was experiencing *may* have been with the unit itself (eg incorrect bias settings, bugs, switched firmware wiring or possible bad encoders etc) I may still have my Axe-Fx II today. Glad you later-adopters (not in the first batch) are getting your sonic issues sorted out.
 
At the time I didn't realize I had inadvertently introduced a bug into certain amp models. Upon trying to solve the popping problem between models I realized that I had introduced a bug on the previous firmware when I was making some optimizations.

I apologize for any problems that has caused anyone.
 
Chris Hurley said:
Firmware update from 1.01 to 1.02 fixed it.

Strangely, lots of models seems to sound better today as compared to the last few days. Was there a tonal difference across a variety of models in this update or is it all in my head?

This is more like what I was expecting.
Click to expand...

That bug would not only cause artifacts but it would change the tone of certain models as well. Basically the bug was caused by a filter being connected to the wrong node.
 
FractalAudio said:
At the time I didn't realize I had inadvertently introduced a bug into certain amp models. Upon trying to solve the popping problem between models I realized that I had introduced a bug on the previous firmware when I was making some optimizations.

I apologize for any problems that has caused anyone.
Click to expand...

Thumbs up.
 
+1 yek!!

There has allways been updates to fix or make things better. If everyone sold their Windows pc because of bugs... Well. Best to keep things for a little while to see. Fractal has newer let a bug be in the Axe for long. But of course... Cliff has to know it´s there :)

You can allways buy a new AxeII some day.. Have a nice summer :)
 
Kriig said:
+1 yek!!

There has allways been updates to fix or make things better. If everyone sold their Windows pc because of bugs... Well. Best to keep things for a little while to see. Fractal has newer let a bug be in the Axe for long. But of course... Cliff has to know it´s there :)

You can allways buy a new AxeII some day.. Have a nice summer :)
Click to expand...

Schadenfreude Axe-FX-II style!
 
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cinealta said:
I really wish Fractal would have advised me that a possible firmware update *may* be the solution to some of the "anomalies" and "artifacts" I was hearing with my early unit. Fractal only advised me that the product may not be right for me, that there was user-error from my high-end studio monitors, that I was hearing the "Haas effect," or that that's what "distortion sounds like." If Fractal would have acknowledged, even in the slightest, that some of the issues I was experiencing *may* have been with the unit itself (eg incorrect bias settings, bugs, switched firmware wiring or possible bad encoders etc) I may still have my Axe-Fx II today. Glad you later-adopters (not in the first batch) are getting your sonic issues sorted out.
Click to expand...
Ron,
I am sorry if you may now have regretted selling me this AWESOME DEVICE!!! :twisted
However I would be more than happy/willing to have you over to prove you can in fact attain the exact sound your were trying to dial in 8).
As it is if you still cant get the sound of the one amp you were after then you saved money. BUT...if you can dial this baby in you would just pay the same price you paid jumping the line :twisted
Feel free to call or PM me if I can in any way help! (short of selling it back to ya :twisted)
Not to sound like a broken record but I still feel like a little kid on Christmas Day thanks to Cliff!!!:D
Greg
 
I have to admit I thought of returning the unit, because even though it wasn't a huge problem, I was a little skittish. But FAS has a good track record of fixing/improving things quickly, and I could still hear some great sounds and appreciate the potential of the unit, even as someone new to Fractal. Glad I decided to keep it.

I think it's important to remember that you're buying version 1.0x of this product... you get the benefit of all the new technology, but understandably there will be more bugs initally than there were with Ultra v11 (a very mature product). Over time, that issue goes away. It's the price you pay for being "bleeding edge" with any technology.
 
FractalAudio said:
That bug would not only cause artifacts but it would change the tone of certain models as well. Basically the bug was caused by a filter being connected to the wrong node.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information. Most everyone probably appreciates the rapid development that Fractal is known for, but the other side of that coin is that bugs may sometimes be present. Bugs or undesirable behavior end up in all software, rapidly developed or otherwise.

I debated not posting about it but I'm glad I did.
 
Chris Hurley said:
Thanks for the information. Most everyone probably appreciates the rapid development that Fractal is known for, but the other side of that coin is that bugs may sometimes be present. Bugs or undesirable behavior end up in all software, rapidly developed or otherwise.

I debated not posting about it but I'm glad I did.
Click to expand...
This is exactly what several members were talking about when saying they would prefer to stick with Gen 1: stability and all known bugs resolved. Any time Cliff changes something there is the potential for bugs, this is just the way it is. The great news is how diligent Cliff is in continually improving the unit.
 
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