Wish Using Axe Edit without Axe Attached

Patzag

Patzag

Fractal Fanatic
I know that right now it's impossible due to the server/client nature of the beast.

But another post made me think about this crazy idea.

Rex said:
(man, how I miss being able to pull up a patch in Axe-Edit without my 900-cubic-inch dongle attached),
Click to expand...

Would it be possible to make an Axe FX Dongle? A small USB thing that would be loaded with a flash that acted as a server and allowed off line editing?

Hmmmm?
 
My question is....Why you would need this?
I use Axe Edit to tweak sounds an presets. What is the need to do this when you don't hear the outcome.

So imo putting lot of effort in a dummy server, and offline editing (which gave so much problems with the old software) is a use of resources FAS could use for better purposes.
 
When I'm at my desk and see a new preset of some interest shared, I download it. I want to look at the structure and see how it's put together. It's a learning experience.
I also used to use Axe Edit 1.x to design presets away from my rig. It was a facility I liked. I've spent flying time to performance locations doing the same.
Maybe I'll poll it.
 
Never say never, but M@ has said right now that's not in the cards. The way Axe-Edit works is it loads everything it needs to know about the parameters for blocks from the hardware. So it's always current, it doesn't need an update to stay in lock step with firmware updates, it's just always current.
 
iaresee said:
Never say never, but M@ has said right now that's not in the cards. The way Axe-Edit works is it loads everything it needs to know about the parameters for blocks from the hardware. So it's always current, it doesn't need an update to stay in lock step with firmware updates, it's just always current.
Click to expand...

I loved this feature. For me, I have a few Go-to presets or templates - I know what they sound like.

I could name them, save a new tempo, maybe flip the scenes around, all on my lunch break.

Go home and upload the changes.

I do this with my Liquid Foot controller too, and it makes life a lot easier. With my "pre-production" out of the way (which I can do at lunch or sitting on the couch, not making any noise), I can put my guitar on and focus on the music.
 
GibsonLesPaul said:
My question is....Why you would need this?
I use Axe Edit to tweak sounds an presets. What is the need to do this when you don't hear the outcome.
Click to expand...

Thing is, the old AxeEdit had this capability and it was useful. I used it offline a lot for management tasks such as organizing presets, renaming presets to a standard naming pattern, saving preset blocks from existing presets for future use, studying preset structure and parameters without needing to hear them. I could do this from any computer anywhere and often did it on a macbook air in the middle of nowhere with no axe in sight.

I don't want to overstate the usefulness vs. the effort to bring this feature back but it was a very useful feature that allowed me to concentrate on listening when near the axe and management/technical details when I was not. It may be one of those features that you need to experience before ruling it out.
 
Mr.X said:
Well, not always...

Bug AxeEdit not reflecting bypass states of blocks
Click to expand...

That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the data: the list of amp types and cab types, the parameters on each block -- those are loaded from the hardware, not delivered statically with AE, so you don't have to pair specific versions of AE to specific versions of the firmware (more or less).

Though the thing with bypass states and the foot controller had been improved in 3.0.2. There was lots of use-AE-and-the-MFC-101 stuff happening on stage at Axe-Fest last weekend. With 3.0.2 and 11.04 it's gotten much better.
 
iaresee said:
That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the data: the list of amp types and cab types, the parameters on each block -- those are loaded from the hardware, not delivered statically with AE, so you don't have to pair specific versions of AE to specific versions of the firmware (more or less).
Click to expand...
I understand, but it's an example that shows that AE doesn't always show real-time info from the Axe-FX II.
I too would much prefer to have the ability to use AE offline, and it's not too much of a stretch to think that since all of the parameters of a preset are stored in a preset file, there shouldn't be any problem with AE loading it with the Axe-FX offline, even if to do so it will need a 3rd party Axe-FX II "emulator". That's the way it's done with embedded hardware development after all.
 
GibsonLesPaul said:
My question is....Why you would need this?
Click to expand...

I agree! Why would anyone need this capability? That would be like staring at a photo of a car while imagining you're driving it.
On the other hand, It might do FAS some good as a marketing ploy. I say this because it worked on ME! Between the YouTube vids and playing around with the old version of AxeEdit, (before my purchase) I was sold immediately by the Awesome capabilities of both! I can't speak for anyone else, but I have found that editing from the front panel gives me a feeling like wearing horse blinders. Axe Edit is such a pleasure to use, I think a prospective buyer would be that much more inclined to choose the Axe over the competition. Its GUI is the best! Of course, sound quality is everything (or so it should be). At the very least, make a demo version that people can check out.
 
When I first heard of Fractal Audio, I found out about Axe Edit and downloaded it instantly.
I played around with it, looked at the possibilities, opened up the amp block and saw the awesome number of emulations possible and so forth.
Axe Edit closed me on the purchase of the Axe FX as much as the demos on line.

When I then got the Axe, I continued to use Axe Edit offline to create templates and "imaginary" presets that I would then load and listen to. I would still do this today.
Do I ABSOLUTELY NEED it? hmmm, maybe not. Do I want it. Absolutely! And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.
 
Last edited:
carloszeke said:
On the other hand, It might do FAS some good as a marketing ploy. I say this because it worked on ME! Between the YouTube vids and playing around with the old version of AxeEdit, (before my purchase) I was sold immediately by the Awesome capabilities of both!
Click to expand...

+1

I used offline editing all the time, both before AND after I got the axefx.
 
It really doesn't matter that you don't need this feature or even that you don't understand that other people do. You could also ask why Axe-Edit is needed at all, since everything can be done from the front panel. It's a capability we got used to with the original Axe-Edit and personally, I'm not upgrading our Axe-FX units until Axe-Manage is out and it works offline. It will be a PITA if we can't find a way to also edit offline.
 
+1

I used offline editing all of the time for comparing presets (with multiple instances of Axe-Edit it was super easy using ALT+TAB), changing routing, switching effects from series to parallel, etc. I have over a 150 presets that I try to keep current and I don't because I have to be connected to the Axe-Fx now. Before I could make changes any time I had a few minutes with my laptop. Now when I sit down to edit my presets I end up playing the whole time and not getting any work done.:)
 
I can see both sides of the issue... tho' I REALLY did like having the off-line editing capability available and given a choice would prefer it remain. I have used it a great deal in earlier AE releases to compare presets, other users presets and how folks build things.

However, I can also appreciate the challenges to support that type of feature - which was one of the problems the old AE had. When you opened a preset offline, (I'm making assumptions here) AE had to know which fw version it was saved under, was it current and if not, upgrade to current AE/fw build. If you saved it, it would be as the "newest" version not the old one you opened. AE had to track all those version enhancements between firmwares and know what was added to each.

If we only had fw v1.00, off-line editing would be a no-brainer, much like it is with some other devices that come to mind. No changes, no enhancements, no fw upgrades (except maybe one) in years..

Since we own a product that Cliff is driven to continually improve to make it the best he can for us, I'll take the trade-off that AE now reads parameters from the firmware attached and will not support offline editing. But, offline editing sure was nice :)
 
+1

Although I'm also understanding, the sad thing is that theoretically there are maybe hundreds of presets / stuff from previous Preset Masters that I might wanna recreate some day.
Not gonna happen if that means my Axe has to run from 1,1 to 20 times more to pull that off.
Kinda weird from Cliff who wants stuff to last and not wear out from 1,1 to 20x sooner.
But I agree that a dependable Axe system comes first and there may not be another practical choice.

Somehow I believe this could one day be solved (or to a certain degree), if the willingness was there.
Just a belief though, that may practically be unlikely :)

For older presets though, a converter or importing capability is already a huge part of it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom