Who doesn't upgrade firmware and is happy with old (vintage :-) ) one ?

Not me. I bought the Axe because I want tones that are as close to the sound of the amps the models are based on as possible, hence I always upgrade when a new update is released.
 
17.04 was great for heavy sounds - i loved. But also 13.07 - but 15? I remember the Ultrabug......hm.

I prefer the new FW - great to have a more dynamic, open sound in Quantum.

But I didn´t like every new FW - sometimes the betas were more interessting than the final or some amps sounded not so good than others.

In 7.0 beta - most of the amps sound great to me.
 
my final re-tuning of some 200+ song specific presets for my covers band project was done on 17.04. That band dissolved a year ago, but we occasionally get together for jams, and when we do I simply reload that firmware and preset bank and away we go. I will never re-do those presets as they are perfectly dialed in and the time spent on getting them there.

Otherwise, I update once official releases are put out (never Beta) because I like the added amp models, features and bug fixes, and IMO the modeling is "moar realer"
 
I wanted the best and most accurate amp modeler. That's why I bought the Axe-Fx. If each firmware update keeps getting closer to the real thing, then that's what I want. I don't mind if I have to tweak after a new firmware. I always use the newest.
 
i'm addicted to firmware 15.07, not the one before, not the one after, this one is perfect -for me -
i try new firmware but always going back to this one
just wanted to know if anybody else use old firmware ? Just curious :)

Me and you are not alone. lol! My best fw experiences were 15xx 16xx and Q2.0. I can explain why.

The Axe-Fx pretty much kept the same sound in those versions without major change. This allowed you to subtly tweak your presets and move on.

As we got to fw 17 and 18, things started to change and some presets would need a total rework.

I got my axe at fw 13 something. So I had struggled and then gotten used to it coming up with incredible tones.

The later fw versions literally changed the amps to be a little more accurate. By the time Quantum hit, accuracy was even closer making it even harder to maintain your beloved presets.

So in a nutshell @stefherbuel guys like you and I have been so used to messing with this thing being a little inaccurate, now that the amps ARE modeled more correctly, we struggle.

Though I've always had issues finding "my sound" in updates, we have tube characteristics down now. I can just about cop any of my old sounds on beta 7 which is pretty groundbreaking.

There are still a few things that I like better in some of the older fw, but the new options overpower the slight difference in tone you may pick up. And those slight differences are only heard by you.

Here's how to look at it. Each fw is another axe fx. Picture yourself having 45 different sounding units if you are a backup whore like me.

And lastly, learn how and where to tweak on your axe fx. Knowing what to touch after a fw update is super important. If you play around a little bit with Q7 and really dive into it, the results are kinda scary.

I just about always use 2.0 on my fw knob selector on my XL+. There's just something tighter about it that I'm not getting using other fw options. However, 7 is winning me over to where I have created some pretty cool patches using "latest" for the first time ever.

They are nearly identical to my favorite 2.0 patches including using the actual 2.0 fw installed. This is huge for me because of that tightness I mentioned.

That new weedle knob lol pulls boxy mids right out of the tone....which I feel has been a bit of an issue with later fw. A little too honky sounding for me. Not now though.

Stick to your guns if you are happy with your sound using older fw. But do give 7.0 a real chance or wait for the final if you don't like beta.

I sincerely believe this may be one of the biggest updates we've ever seen in terms of sound, feel and of course authenticity. Come over to the dark side and play through the amps like they we're originally meant to sound. :)
 
Best of Both Words for me!

I did several tests and came to the conclusion that Quantum 2.01 for ultra cleans and Quantum 7b for other sounds.

I do not know why the Q2.01 is much softer than the later and earlier ones. But that pleases me a lot.

Of course, this is for my setup which is Axe XL, Mesa Boogie 2:90 and two cabs with two V30 and two Creamback 65

Anyone who uses this kind of setup would be good to try.
 
It's difficult to say when comparing worldchampions in amp simulation to themselves. The latest Q6.03 IMHO has that openness I experienced with FW14, and the feedback parameter is quite enhancing this feel in case the standard parameters are not "it" for you. You could give it a try. If you have a mark I like me the hassle is that you first will need to upgrade to Q4 + AEversion and from there on to Q5, then to Q6 as is no backwards compatibility of patches between FW versions from Q4 and on.
I'd suggest not to wait too long 'cause as versions go by, upgrades will become more and more an athletic workout...except if you have XL or XL+. It is a day's job to make such a jump as for this jump since FW15 you'll have to tweak in a general manner :
- overall Volumes and input drive settings
- Wah settings
- Booster and drive settings
- Some reverb settings + reverb mix
That's quite a bit, and you'd better not gig before having a thorough rehearsal for testing it all out in "real life".
Before anything else, better make a complete backup of the unit (banks + utilities + cabs). Downgrading would need -> install old AE version and install old FW, reload backup (maybe a second time for FW+Backup). Downgrading works, I tried it out with FW14 lately, as long as you have the corresponding AE backups. Had to load the FW14 twice as at first trial the BOT would come up with some error message.
Of course, if you have XL or XL+, just forget this post.
Keep on rockin'
 
thanks all for your answers , seems we are 2 in "pre quantum" lol .for accuracy, i don't want a sound to be "accurate"(BWTcliff said it was 100% at firmware 1 lol) i want a sound that : sound like a guitar amp , a good one ,but most of all inspire me and have some "mojo".don't know what cliff did in this fw15 , but there's something i don't find in Q.xx .good is that we have the choice , i'm happy with 15, i can stay with it.
i was again just curious if other people found "their" perfect firmware and "stopped" there.
and "latest" in not the best in every situation.i prefer a jcm800 over a 900 or a 2000 !

@lauke-lux i have an xl, but thanks for the help , thanks danny danzy too !
 
I can relate to a lot Danny Danzi's post - tone / preset hoarding, and I'm on Q 1.0
Many presets already made...someday I'll venture into higher FW's.
 
Fw updates I end up doing them. I have had some Ahhs, and some ARrrrgs, when updating. Usually I find some magic parameters to get me where I need to be or I just trash presets that dont do it for me anymore. I MUST have the latest drives wahs, etc, too curious not to.
 
thanks all for your answers , seems we are 2 in "pre quantum" lol .for accuracy, i don't want a sound to be "accurate"(BWTcliff said it was 100% at firmware 1 lol) i want a sound that : sound like a guitar amp , a good one ,but most of all inspire me and have some "mojo".don't know what cliff did in this fw15 , but there's something i don't find in Q.xx .good is that we have the choice , i'm happy with 15, i can stay with it.
i was again just curious if other people found "their" perfect firmware and "stopped" there.
and "latest" in not the best in every situation.i prefer a jcm800 over a 900 or a 2000 !

@lauke-lux i have an xl, but thanks for the help , thanks danny danzy too !

Actually I'm on Q6.03 as I found it too close to my preferred FWs (FW7, FW14, FW19 & Q1.x/2.00) so not to profit of wah and other evolutions of the latest FW's. IMHO the ampsims on themselves are already perfect since FW7.0. I also tried to compare as I lately have some groundloop problems I didn't have before and I wondered if it was a difference in the input gate algorythms. It turned out that FW14 is less bright with the old backup's patch settings but above all I'll have to do maintenance on my main guitar pots and input jack.
 
I can relate to a lot Danny Danzi's post - tone / preset hoarding, and I'm on Q 1.0
Many presets already made...someday I'll venture into higher FW's.

Haha, you too eh? The hard thing is...we get so used to what we have....awesome presets, and then something else comes along and we're stuck tweaking them. That's the hardest part for me followed by cool things that you can't use if you stay in the older FW. But, thankfully we have the option to just stay on what works best and can revert any time we want to.

The good thing about having an XL+, I can literally compare my sounds due to the FW knob. The FW knob isn't spot on perfect with the actual FW being loaded, (like if an amp was altered during a FW update) but it's super close to where you can dial your tone in, in seconds as long as you use the FW the patch was created on.

But I do a lot of comparing. Probably too much. Between recording sounds to copying X to Y etc....it can get time consuming. I try my best to embrace all the updates. Being a tester, I WANT to load them up and use them in hopes to find issues before you guys get them. But it's been cool comparing as long as I don't make it part of my life. I've done that with a few versions. I think it was 18 or something....I just couldn't make that work. Q1.05, Q 2.04 and a few others...whew....I just had no luck. But even there...some of it is user error. I look at guys like yek, Chris, Moke and many others who can dance around this box like they've been doing it their entire lives. I'm not quite there yet.

I can say this though....the more I learn from you guys, the easier it's been to dial in my sounds using the newer FW. You gotta know what to touch. Some guys are afraid to even go near the advanced tab. I get it...so was I. LOL! But man, once you know what affects what....it makes tone sculpting a lot easier. It's still a drag when we have to change a boat load of presets, which is why some of use stay on older FW. I still always have hope Cliff might have an epiphany at some point and come up with something....but until then, I'm pretty ecstatic about what we have.

The other thing to keep in mind, there have been a few bug fixes in the newer FW that may still exist in the older FW. But man, there are so many new things with the new stuff that ARE worth the upgrade. Seriously.....if you forget about your old presets and just want to have some fun of a different nature, it's like buying a new piece. If someone offered you a Helix or a Kemper for free right now, would you accept it? If so, think of a current FW of the Axe as being a totally new processor.

Grab it, and just see what new stuff you can come up with IF you have the time of course. I think it will be quite rewarding. Between the new stock presets that have been updated, the new wah's, the new amp modeling, more amps and now the drive blocks....it's almost sad to not at least check all this out. Trust me, I'm one that hates change and cringe when I have to redo presets....but this is super cool and worth checking out. You can always revert back!

-Danny
 
I'm slow to update, and I think I'm still on Q3. My FRFR is rarely home, so trying to dial in settings with headphones and then tweaking later isn't something I enjoy doing. But our gig schedule is light right now, so I'm anxiously awaiting the formal release of 7
 
Grab it, and just see what new stuff you can come up with IF you have the time of course. I think it will be quite rewarding. Between the new stock presets that have been updated, the new wah's, the new amp modeling, more amps and now the drive blocks....it's almost sad to not at least check all this out. Trust me, I'm one that hates change and cringe when I have to redo presets....but this is super cool and worth checking out. You can always revert back!

-Danny

Hi danny, i try every new firmware, just in case :) for ME, fw 15.07 is perfect , fits really my taste and can't find the feeling i have playing it with newer firmware , even whith hard tweaking...
always goes back to this one..
.different firmware is now for me like different "amp" as was jcm 800/900/2000 ,still marshall sound , but each one has his "color" his "feeling", but it's not always the last the best for you or me.
of course i lose every "goodies upgrade" (new wah etc) but as a reel "geek" it stop me tweaking the machine and play more too, which is a good thing loool

btw it's not so much about "accuracy" but about "feeling" :

interesting reading about thordendal amp :
"The old Recto models weren't terribly accurate. When G3 came out the models were accurate but Fredrik contacted me and said something like "ahhhhh, I loved the old Recto model". So I took the old Recto models and made them "Thordendal" models."

(https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...models-thordendal-pre-g3-recto-models.115326/)
 
Hi danny, i try every new firmware, just in case :) for ME, fw 15.07 is perfect , fits really my taste and can't find the feeling i have playing it with newer firmware , even whith hard tweaking...
always goes back to this one..
.different firmware is now for me like different "amp" as was jcm 800/900/2000 ,still marshall sound , but each one has his "color" his "feeling", but it's not always the last the best for you or me.
of course i lose every "goodies upgrade" (new wah etc) but as a reel "geek" it stop me tweaking the machine and play more too, which is a good thing loool

btw it's not so much about "accuracy" but about "feeling" :

interesting reading about thordendal amp :
"The old Recto models weren't terribly accurate. When G3 came out the models were accurate but Fredrik contacted me and said something like "ahhhhh, I loved the old Recto model". So I took the old Recto models and made them "Thordendal" models."

(https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...models-thordendal-pre-g3-recto-models.115326/)

I can relate, trust me. :) You have the same problem as me. We got used to working with our AXE FX when it wasn't as accurate.

You created good sounds, and the new fw didn't help your sounds. Trust me, I totally understand and will never.attempt to change your mind.

However, going back in time myself listening to the old fw compared to now, (and it's never been about accuracy for me either, I just want great sounds) we have a more realistic tube sound today than 15 or 16 in my opinion.

I used to love fw15 and 16. I go back and listen to my patches then and wonder what I liked about them so much. I know what you mean about feel, and I certainly know how starting from scratch can be no fun.

But see, that was the purpose of my last post. I'm having as good or better results with the new fw as I did the old. You mentioned hard tweaking. Another point I was trying to make was, I didn't do any hard tweaking to get the tone I wanted.

It's so important to know what to touch when you hear your favorite preset has changed due to a fw update. My other point was, for the longest time, I did hard tweaking to try and get my old sounds back. All that time, I was over thinking it!

What took me months to fix on my tones after a fw update (or I just reverted back and stayed there) now takes minutes.

People have been saying this to people like you and me that like our tones and stay on old fw. They say it's easy to get your tone back, but for me, it was never easy until now.

I'm telling you, it took me 8 minutes to get my old tone back. We've had quite a few changes from 2.0 to 7.0. Heck one of my favorite amps was redone after 2.0 so I really had my work cut out for me.

At the end of the day, if you are perfectly happy where you are, stay there and enjoy like you are. It's much better to play instead of tweaking your tones over and over to where you get frustrated. I've been there, trust me!

But, the good thing about the new fw this time for me, I thankfully learned some cool tricks to where now, I can make anything work and sound good.

I've done so much tweaking in my time, I feel very confident I can make any amp on any fw sound good or at least acceptable.

What took months takes minutes now. I'm telling you....it should never be hard tweaking....there are knobs in the Fractal stuff that can make a huge change in tone, feel, and realism just by touching one of them.

Especially that master volume knob. It's amazing the impact that has on some amps. Like you can literally get 3 amps out of one just by messing with that master volume. HUGE epiphany for me.

When you don't know which knobs can do stuff like this, (I was willing to do a video but no one was interested lol) it can make you do hard tweaking when you don't need to.

I totally understand what it means to be content with your tone and happy. If 15.xx works for you, I would stay there too. You know me....like I said in our other thread, 2.0 has been my favorite for a while.

I think being a beta tester has helped me though. I mess around with stuff and try to purposely break it to find bugs even if I don't like a fw. But I've learned to like them all now that I really know what to touch when my tone changes.

Maybe one day you'll find out this stuff too. Until then, enjoy what you have with 15.xx brother. :)
 
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