Version 10 Firmware: Now truly a box full of tube amps!!

R

romanianreaper

Power User
I downloaded everything and just did about a half an hour of playing, barely scratching the surface, but lightly touching on nearly every preset. Before I get into this too deep, for anyone new to the Axe-FX II and waiting for their unit, you are in for a real treat and should be excited. For those of you who already own one....you should also be excited!!!

I'm not going to bore everyone with certain aspects that will probably be mentioned by everyone. Instead, I'll try to focus on certain things that made me want to crap my pants a few minutes ago. :)

Just a bit of background. I've been playing guitar since 1985 and have played thru tons of gear and have owned the Axe-FX II for about a year or so. I love the unit and nearly play every night for at least a few minutes. The changes are definitely obvious between firmware and for the better. I loved the Axe-FX II before and I really love it now.

The most apparent thing to me right off the bat was "feel". I actually sort of stepped back when I played thru a JCM 800 preset in shock and was like "wow, I actually feel like I'm playing thru a Marshall right now!". When I got to the bluesy-type amps like Fenders, etc. they had that certain sound that you can't really describe but know what I'm talking about when you hear it. It is that rubbery, twangy yet full and bassy, tone as you are hitting the strings. You can feel it and just blows you away. Think Stevie Ray Vaughn twang right in your hands. Just unbelievable.

Believe it or not, every single preset now just sounds so usable, vibrant, and full of energy. I was running thru the same preset names I've known since I've owned the Axe-FX II and somehow they sounded brand new.

Sometimes the heavier sounding amps would start to sound similar. Not anymore. As you go thru different high-gain amps, they really do separate from one another and inspire you to find your sound more than ever. I loved the Cameron Atomic and it gave me chills when I added a Tubescreamer. I think Cliff actually did a Santa Clause-style visit and stuck a Tubescreamer in my unit. That is the only way this is possible. :)

I haven't even scratched the surface guys. I still have tons of cabs to play with, effects, etc. Trust me when I say that this firmware update is really like a brand new Axe-FX. BTW, as others have mentioned, the upload bot kicks ass. It is so easy, it is a crime.

I gotta plug in again. This thing kicks ass. :)
 
This was my first observation as well. This is the first firmware (I think I started on Ultra v.4) where the different amp models actually sound and feel like different amps through my speaker cab. Before, switching the amp was more or less a change in EQ and gain, but couldn't overcome the coloring from the cab. Now the amps seem to hold their own.

My one time go-to amp, the Corncob, no longer does what I want it to. But that's fine, because the Hipower Brilliant does it even better. Sounding great so far.
 
NaturalScience said:
Now the amps seem to hold their own.
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Definitely. That is a good way of putting it.

I remember back around the version 6 and 7 updates, either the clean amp group or high gain amp group were unhappy with updates. This update is totally clean and twangy on one end of the spectrum and the most high-gain tight tone on the other and guaranteed to make everyone happy.

I played the Recto preset with a tubescreamer and started playing Metallica's "The Memory Remains" and it was the tightest tone I've ever heard from my Axe-FX II and was nearly identical to the recording. This is the preset with just adding a tubescreamer and I think I swapped one cab. Just great tone!
 
I have to agree as well. The character of the amps are much more revealing! Easy "dial-up". Overall, this is a vast and obvious improvement in so many ways. I actually got chills from my own playing. Something that doesn't happen that often anymore.

Congrats Cliff! A MILESTONE for the music world to gasp and take notice.
 
Glen Sorrentino said:
I actually got chills from my own playing. Something that doesn't happen that often anymore.
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LOL!! Same here! It is funny because reading other users' posts, people are saying the same types of things.

It is hard to explain what we are all feeling/hearing. The only thing I can compare it to is the feeling I got when I played my first tube amp after years and years of playing thru solid state combos, etc. I remember that "wham!! holy crap!" type thing where it felt like you had gone to a new level. Almost like a realization that you CAN sound like your guitar heroes playing more expensive gear.

The funniest part is that I often see folks joking about the firmware updates online. Someone will say "oh is this update more real than the real that Cliff already created?" and stuff like that. Unbelievably he has blown out minds once again and yes, it does sound more real than the first few reals. :)
 
The character of the amps has been more apparent as development has continued IMHO, but this is just a whole other frickin' level.

And to be honest the last few versions the only real regular tweaking that I had done to most of my patches was in the speaker tab messing with the resonance to get some midrange bite. Cliff removed some of those parameters and I knew that it was coming and I was a bit worried, but man I don't miss them. That midrange bite I had been trying to compensate for is there in spades on it's own.
 
When folks talk have talked about updates in the past they sometimes say "it is like someone took a blanket off the speaker". With this update, I feel like there was a circus tent full of amps and someone pulled it off with a giant crane, revealing the holy grail of tone. :)
 
Yup ,I agree with all above, right off the bat,I noticed the higher gain amps sounding fuller ,not fatter. Tonier(new word) Even made my bx5a monitors sound much better :D
 
I'm a high gain metal player, so I spent my first few hours with V10 with the Marshalls, Mesas, Peaveys and boutique stuff like the Diezels etc.

There is now a definite difference in tonal character between amps that wasn't there before. With proper EQing you could make pretty much any amp sound like any other, now I dicover that if I want that amp X sound, I'd better use the amp X in the axe.
Low and medium gain was always stellar in the axe since the standard, but I had a hell of a time getting a real sounding heavy high gain. With V10, those are noticeably better, and I don't really know what has been done, but half the presets are actually usable with my guitars. Both Euro red and uber are excellent but the 5153 red is just blowing them all. Meaning, as it is personal taste, that I likely just like this amp above others.
The "mix" cabs are excellent and I don't see myself use anything else for the moment.
 
Go to the Axe FX II Discussion Forum. It's sticky'd right at the top. Also new stuff in the Axe Edit forum.
 
It's stickied. I had been checking the fractal home page all day yesterday, so I missed it. So this thread and clicked on it before going into the Axe Fx II Discussion sub heading. Anyway, all sorted out - now just need to go install and have this life changing experience everyone else is having! ; )

Rock on, fellow fractalites!
 
My recto patch sounds really amazing now (It was good before on 9.02 but now I can't stop playing my 7 string with it)
 
You guys need to read the MIMIC.pdf file located in the same zip as the firmware. It really showed Cliffs's brilliance, in written form. If you read the document you will realize, why this is a different beast.
 
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