Ultra Firmware Version 8.02 Released

[supersecretjim]

POSTED BY SHREDI...

Cliff, I hate to make a complaint, but....


The Drive models no longer work as clean boosts (Drive at 0.00, Level at 10.00). Instead of boosting the signal and hitting the amp sim harder (like their real world counterparts would with those settings), putting a Drive Block set that way in front of an Amp block now sends a weaker signal than when they are bypassed. In other words, instead of boosting the signal, the Drive sims are choking it. The signal level becomes noticeably decreased (I would say by about 30-40%) when you engage the Drive sim than from when it's bypassed. They're pretty much acting the exact opposite of how they should as clean boosts.

P.S. I'm mainly talking about the Full OD here, but the 2 T808 sims seemed to be the same way.


I find this to be very true on my own presets. I never use any of the drive pedals as anything other than just a clean boost to push my virtual amps front end (adds gain & tightens up the low end).

Shredi is right on the money... Im sure the drives are great now, and sound more like their real world counterparts, but as a signal booster (Drive at 0.00 and Level at 10.0) these drives are waaaaaaay off base now. It actually attenuates the signal.

Note that I only use the two tube screamer drives in my own presets, so I cant comment on all the others, but I assume they are misbehaving in the same manner.

Sure hope this gets fixed.

Otherwise, great update Cliff & team.

 

[Enzo Sutera]

"Added HICUT FREQ parameter to QuadChorus block. This parameter, in the Advanced menu, allows you to control the corner frequency of a lowpass filter on the wet signal. This can be used to replicate the limited frequency response of analog chorus/flanger units."

My TRI emulation thanks!!

 

[DNW]

POSTED BY SHREDI...

Cliff, I hate to make a complaint, but....


The Drive models no longer work as clean boosts (Drive at 0.00, Level at 10.00). Instead of boosting the signal and hitting the amp sim harder (like their real world counterparts would with those settings), putting a Drive Block set that way in front of an Amp block now sends a weaker signal than when they are bypassed. In other words, instead of boosting the signal, the Drive sims are choking it. The signal level becomes noticeably decreased (I would say by about 30-40%) when you engage the Drive sim than from when it's bypassed. They're pretty much acting the exact opposite of how they should as clean boosts.

P.S. I'm mainly talking about the Full OD here, but the 2 T808 sims seemed to be the same way.


I find this to be very true on my own presets. I never use any of the drive pedals as anything other than just a clean boost to push my virtual amps front end (adds gain & tightens up the low end).

Shredi is right on the money... Im sure the drives are great now, and sound more like their real world counterparts, but as a signal booster (Drive at 0.00 and Level at 10.0) these drives are waaaaaaay off base now. It actually attenuates the signal.

Note that I only use the two tube screamer drives in my own presets, so I cant comment on all the others, but I assume they are misbehaving in the same manner.

Sure hope this gets fixed.

Otherwise, great update Cliff & team.

Damn it! This might put me off updating for now. Aside from the TB, the TS-type ODs are what I use most.

 

[shredi knight]

I find this to be very true on my own presets. I never use any of the drive pedals as anything other than just a clean boost to push my virtual amps front end (adds gain & tightens up the low end).

Shredi is right on the money... Im sure the drives are great now, and sound more like their real world counterparts, but as a signal booster (Drive at 0.00 and Level at 10.0) these drives are waaaaaaay off base now. It actually attenuates the signal.

Note that I only use the two tube screamer drives in my own presets, so I cant comment on all the others, but I assume they are misbehaving in the same manner.

Sure hope this gets fixed.

Otherwise, great update Cliff & team.

Thanks for bringing this up here. I'm glad it's just not me (misery loves company :mrgreen: ). I use the drives for the same reasons as you - To tighten up the low end and give the tone more punch and balls (and now it sounds like it's been neutered :lol: ). It's like the level control went to 10 before, and now it only goes to 5.

Hopefully Cliff will remedy this for us (and everyone else that uses the drives for a clean boost). They are, as you put it, "waaaaaaay off base" in their present state.

 

[hunter]

For who's interested, some 8.02 Fuzz recordings: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=8691&p=84326

 

[mranonimouse]

To those guys that are complaining about the clean boost thing:

I haven't installed the firmware yet so I can't try this, but...

...what if you turn the gain up a notch? Just a little bit?

That should hopefully bring all your level back whilst still being clean.

 

[Smilzo]

I use the drives for the same reasons as you - To tighten up the low end and give the tone more punch and balls (and now it sounds like it's been neutered :lol: ). It's like the level control went to 10 before, and now it only goes to 5.

... use the null filter as volume... standard reply for volume issue... but I think we could apply it to Ultra also... :roll: :lol: :lol:

 

[mitch236]

I have a simple question. I have moved my presets around to better organize them for my uses. If I update to the new banks, will I have to re-organize my presets again?

 

[voes]

I have a simple question. I have moved my presets around to better organize them for my uses. If I update to the new banks, will I have to re-organize my presets again?

yes

 

[quonsar]

I use the drives for the same reasons as you - To tighten up the low end and give the tone more punch and balls (and now it sounds like it's been neutered :lol: ). It's like the level control went to 10 before, and now it only goes to 5.

... use the null filter as volume... standard reply for volume issue... but I think we could apply it to Ultra also... :roll: :lol: :lol:

It's not a volume issue. The pedal sims, particularly the TS models, also nicely carved out some bass, tightening things up at high gain. They behaved virtually identically to their real life counterparts, in a way that the null filter doesn't replicate.

 

[Jenssen]

Wonderful, thanks for the new firmware!

 

[KG MD]

So with 8.02 do we have to update the presets from the Utility menu? I've never done this in the last 5 updates, but all the new parameters that have been added since I originally received the unit are on my presets. What exactly does this function do?


Kevin

Edit: OK, so from the WIKI I get that if you tweak your presets with the updates, the Axe will store the preset in the proper format, but, if you have old presets that haven't been tweaked recently there could be problems reading older versions of the stored presets. So does updating the presets change any of the preset parameters?

 

[Smilzo]

... use the null filter as volume... standard reply for volume issue... but I think we could apply it to Ultra also... :roll: :lol: :lol:

It's not a volume issue. The pedal sims, particularly the TS models, also nicely carved out some bass, tightening things up at high gain. They behaved virtually identically to their real life counterparts, in a way that the null filter doesn't replicate.

I was jokin' a little... :mrgreen: I haven't update to v8 yet... but my suggestion is to add a filter AFTER drive block. Use drive as booster, then slam the amp with a filter used as volume block. Hope this help. I prefer the use of a filter block or any kind of volume block tricks, if the drive sound like real drive as it seems!!

 

[dk_ace]

I use the drives for the same reasons as you - To tighten up the low end and give the tone more punch and balls (and now it sounds like it's been neutered :lol: ). It's like the level control went to 10 before, and now it only goes to 5.

... use the null filter as volume... standard reply for volume issue... but I think we could apply it to Ultra also... :roll: :lol: :lol:

It's not a volume issue. The pedal sims, particularly the TS models, also nicely carved out some bass, tightening things up at high gain. They behaved virtually identically to their real life counterparts, in a way that the null filter doesn't replicate.

I posted a reply to Shredi's original comment in the other thread, but since the discussion has moved here....

It isn't unusual to have to give a real drive pedal at least a little something from the drive knob for it's output to get where you want it. I would expect you could set it at less than 2 to get the needed boost, but IME that would be pretty true to life performance.

As for using a filter block instead as a clean boost, it most certainly can work like what you're wanting it to. I've been doing it for a long time now. The simplest thing to do is just use a high pass filter instead of a null filter to get rid of the unnecessary bass. You could also make a specific EQ curve if you wanted, but I was always able to get the results I wanted with just the high pass.

My motivation for doing that was a little different. I did it so I could get the sound of the boosted amp and still have two drive blocks available in the patch for more interesting stuff.

D

 

[sheguitarplayer]

FWIW I have a couple of old TS9s here.
They work pretty much like the new firmware ie they dont push the front of an amp until the drive is at about 9 o clock with the 'output' at full.

 

[Snagglefinger]

Whoah! thanks a bunch!
one question though,i did update mine to 8.01 this morning and some of the presets were not there. do i need to go back to 7.18 first and back-up my banks or i can just go ahead update to 8.02 and all the presets should be there?
gonna have to wait til i get home though.

I had the same problem with missing presets. Actually, I should note that since I've purchased my new foot controller which I've been uploading Axe-FX data to, occasionally some of my presets, showed up as <empty> instead of displaying the preset name once I'd pressed the store button. Or when I tried to copy an effect from another patch using page 2 of the recall, scrolling past certain presets they would show up as <empty>. With normal usage all preset names and amps would appear. Once I'd re-store these presets everything would look fine.

For what it's worth, another problem I've had is the names of some presets would include some gibberish after the name of the item. One of my missing presets is one that has had that problem on a fairly regular basis (I've changed it a lot recently and upload the patch afterward to my foot controller). Some of the missing ones I haven't used for a few weeks so I can't say if either precondition existed before they disappeared. A couple presets which I've used within the last day or so actually had been changed and recently stored and should have been fine.

 

[Snagglefinger]

Additional weirdness: I go to save a patch and once I hit store, gibberish appears. I clean up the name, hit store again, now it steals part of the name of an adjoining preset. Third time was a charm.

 

[GreenTea]

FWIW had a full band rehearsal tonight. 8.02 is absolutely splendid. Such goodness and a real difference to my ears (upgraded from 7.18). Had to adjust half a dozen +/- drives in front of amp block and for some reason felt the need to dial down some of my verbs. Other than that: game on!!! Every member of the band can truly hear a difference.

I've found FA editor somewhat inconsistent on a handful of levels (possible operator error :lol: Anyway, Bome's SendSX plus midisport 2x2 (MS windows) always does the trick. Loads, saves and just works. Period. BTW I'd love to spend more time with the FA editor but that thing is just not fun anymore... dialing in my Axe-FX front panel is my choice of the moment. Look forward to the "anti-beta" version one day.

Thanks Cliff for a remarkable and growing tool, the great support, intellect and perseverance in honing the flexibility and professional sounds of this magic box (that's what our singer calls it). Loving it. gt


p.s. after the boys departed, I ran through all patches. Everything works as it should.

 

[JohnBee]

I hate to be a pest with this question but here is what I asked in another topic but got no response ( I think a few people have been asking this as well):

"do you have to run "update all presets" if you load the new firmware and upload all the new presets cliff provided?"

I updated the firmware and then loaded all the new presets for version 8.02. I don't have any old presets, I'm just using the latest preset Banks cliff provided. Do I need to hit update all presets? From what I read the answer is no but I'm just checking. I'm afraid I might screw something up if I do and they all sound good right now.

 

[Radley]

Cliff,

Thanks for the new Drive block & the filters for the effects - most excellent!

~Rad~