Re: ULTRA FIRMWARE 9.02 FEB 12 2009
FractalAudio said:
The whole reason the Engl models weren't included is because the schematics are not accurate. Engl intentionally distributes schematics with wrong values and errors in them. Some users sent me schematics but they were the same as the schematics I already had that contain errors.
I entered the values from the Engl schematics and it sounded terrible. I knew it would because many of the values didn't make sense but I tried anyway. Without accurate data I can't model an amp.
The Orange Rockerverb is on my list of amps to model but I simply haven't had the time.
@Cliff, first of all I'd like to kindly say thank you for taking the time and patience to replying to this message. I very much appreciate your support for the user community, as well as the effort put into your products. Thank you also for spending some time with the Savage schematic. I will try to help Mosh with the shipping bill to send the actual unit to you for modeling, and hopefully you will be able to revisit at some point.
People seem to jump straight to conclusions, without grasping the whole story. You obviously could jump to the conclusion that I'm a spoiled brat crying because I didn't get what I asked for Christmas. You could also argue that updates are free and as such, they should not be criticized.
My one and only complaint was that what was on top of the wish list was not Cliff's priority. I honestly believe that Fractal Audio is a user-driven company, so I was surprised to see something that didn't match their regular user feedback incorporation modus operandi, and expresed it in this forum in order to find out if others felt the same way.
What I got instead was a stream of posts defending Cliff's choice, and stating that the updates are free.
To all those who mentioned the free price as a factor for discouraging criticism, I encourage you to read Chris Anderson's book Free, the future of prices. Cliff offers updates for free, but he benefits from it by counting on us to act as voluntary salesmen for the AxeFX, and also the new firmware updates get the unit better, thus potentially conquering new adepts. Just because something is free, it doesn't mean you have to take it how it is, and while i want to make clear that I am NOT questioning the quality of the updates provided, but only giving a short explanation on why you are still paying for the product, even if i is sill free.
To the ones telling me to stop questioning Cliff's decisions, I strongly believe that he has the right to bend the product to his own will, but so do I as a customer have the right of giving him feedback about what was expected.
Why did this post turn into a flame war I do not know, as I have not criticized the update itself, but only the lack of attention to user feedback when picking new features.
Next time I may end up just sending Cliff an email, I'm sure it will have a much less negaive response.
