What will you do when no more firmware updates?

What will you do if no more firmware updates on Mark I and Mark II?


  • Total voters
    222
  • Poll closed .
I usually keep my comments to myself but I feel compelled to chime in on this one. If my Axe-Fx never got another update ever again that would be fine with me. Why? Because it sounds great now. I can get any sound I want right now. Will it stop sounding great if I can't continue to update the firmware? Of course not. It will sound exactly the same. I think some folks just like creating controversy for its own sake.
 
I think some folks just like creating controversy for its own sake.
I don't see it that way. Everyone is talking about the amp modeling, but what about effects? Imagine if we couldn't get Quantum 5, which has the drives revisited. It has nothing to do with amp. There's a lot of thread where people are saying the drives are lacking. What if you had a Mk1 or 2 and wouldn't be able to get the new drive algo? Would you be as content with your axe you paid over 2k for?
 
The axe has been the most fun piece of equipment i've ever bought. It's revolutionized my playing and enjoyment of guitar. I'd recommend it anyone who enjoys guitar and computers. I think the latter is a must though. You have to enjoy manipulation of an electronic machine in order to be truly satisfied with it. It's definitely not for old school plug and play musicians. But, it could cause them to adapt and enjoy!
 
I want to change my previous answer.
What will I do?? Mmmmm...at the moment I'm planning a holiday in Bora Bora...that's the first thing I'll do...all the rest can wait! :D;)
 
Complaining about this is like complaining that your early 2010 MacBook Pro can't upgrade to OS X Sierra.

Another way to look at is..... Do you recall the Axe-FX Standard? How about the Axe-FX Ultra?

Do you see a pattern developing here?

Products evolve and reach their limitations. We should be glad Fractal didn't stop with "good enough" and is always aiming for the stars with their development. Fractal has been very generous to provide FREE upgrades as long as they could. Other company's charge for upgrades like this.

I can't stand the thought of not being able to experience the latest and greatest so I'm probably going to sell my Mark I and purchase an XL+. But I would be very satisfied with my tone and effects if I had to stay right where I'm at.

I had a 1979 Marshall for many years that never had any firmware upgrades.
 
..... Do you recall the Axe-FX Standard? How about the Axe-FX Ultra?

I seem to recall a lot of forum complaining when it first became clear that Cliff would stop developing for the Std\Ultra and focus only on the brand new Axe II. Seems lots of 1st gen owners thought the updates should keep coming forever, and they were pissed.
 
I'll just keep my gen 1 axe II which has seen me though quite a few years already. The friedman amps and Engl Savage are my personal favourites, I'm recording an industrial metal album rythm guitars with the savage model.
Only thing that could make me switch to something else now would be going tube amp+torpedo, I fell in love with the Duesenberg Berlin but it's not really practical buying one at the moment.
The worst side of the Axe II is that the occurrence of shiny new toy purchases goes drastically lower. At some point I4d actually really like not having one sp I could have excuses buying this and that pedal again.
 
I will begin to crave Pizza with Canadian Bacon on it. Bacon!

Food has an amazing ability to pacify when one can't exert directional will-power towards some

No, wait, I have friends telling me that pigs are as smart as many well known, influential cultural icons.

Gee, I guess there's no solace like authentic Liege Waffles.



(or crap, any waffles I guess. Who has time to prepare when you're thinking of waffles!)
 
If I wanted an XL, I would've gotten an XL.

That said, I'm still kinda put off by the "no upgrades" thing given that support for backwards compatibility is said to be the driver for the decision. It seems rather unlike Cliff to paint himself into a corner, increasing the FW image size to the point that the Mk 1 hardware can't support it. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's planned obsolescence but the decision not to make the compatibility modes conditional when they were implemented is a heckuva case of unplanned obsolescence. :mad:


Some people just amaze me.
 
Wow, that's just a really rude thing to say. I'm amazed what some people will infer given that they know absolutely nothing about how much work goes into a product like this. Accusing a manufacturer with a track record like ours of planned obsolescence is downright insulting.
Cliff, you're absolutely right that I can't say whether you saw the firmware image size trending towards a value that the Mk 1 units could not support. My unintended insult was a result of 7+ years of observing your attention to detail in all matters. If the lack of conditional logic was an oversight when the feature was implemented, it is very much out of line with your history of anticipating things, particularly if you had noticed the increased firmware image size.

Like I said, there's nothing in the XL that appeals to me enough to make the change. That include upgrades. I was just observing that it was out of character for you to implement a feature without anticipating the side effects, particularly as catastrophic as this appears.
 
Will you buy a new guitar?
Will you drive a more powerful car?
Will you work straight through the night?
Will you get into fights?
Leave the lights on?
Drop bombs?
Do tours of the East?
Contract diseases?
BURY BONES
BREAK UP HOMES
SEND FLOWERS BY PHONE
TAKE TO DRINK
GO TO SHRINKS
GIVE UP MEAT
RARELY SLEEP?
KEEP PEOPLE AS PETS?
TRAIN DOGS
RACE RATS
FILL THE ATTIC WITH CASH?
BURY TREASURE
STORE UP LEISURE
BUT NEVER RELAX AT AAAALLLLL.

Or will you bitch about it on the Fractal Forum, bitterly playing a pretty damn-awesome sounding modeller cringing that it's not the newest firmware?

WITH OUR BACKS TO THE WALL
 
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I would protest! What would be the reason for that? Mk1 & 2 are pretty much the same machines as Xl's right? Then not updating them would be unfair...
It's not just about the sound, it's about the effects that evolve, and the whole community that evolves with it..
No to mention the sound discoveries that Fractal will still make.
 
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Mk1 & 2 are pretty much the same machines as Xl's right? Then not updating them would be unfair...

but they are not the same machine and the MK I and II has limitations that the XL does not have.

at no point did Fractal say that the MK I and II will have updates for life - it really is a bonus of Fractal gear that we get such good service and product improvement.

Surely people must have realised that at some point the product would reach EOL. This is simply to be expected when it comes to digital gear.
 
Mark I and Mark II users are kind of in no mans land if firmware updates stop what are your plans once it is no longer supported?

I didn't vote because none of the answers fit my circumstances. I love the DSP audio technology and have most of the competitors current offerings as well as the MK 1. Obviously I am not in need of any updates from anyone and I hardly have time to turn on the Mk 1 these days with so many choices! BTW, I also still have several tube amps (including my own build) and real cabs that I also love. Variety solves my problem with this oncoming obsolescence and I have no plans to ever upgrade my FAS hardware.

peace,
boogie
 
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