Why is there such a difference between Axe II mk1 and mk2?

lqdsnddist said:
Well I think nearly every mkI owner would like an official explanation for the issue of why the "feel" is different.

They run the exact same firmware, and "feel" should be related to software, not hardware, so either the OP is incorrect, or, there is some fundamental change Fractal never told us about hidden in the firmware that seems to make the mkI version only act like g2.5, while the mkII can fully utilize the new g3 models.

I could give 2 craps about noise floors, half my LP's have hot p90's for gods sake so I have plenty of noise, but things like amp like response, dynamic and feel....those are biggies....

If I wanted something without realistic dynamics and feel, I'd of stuck with various other modelers.

I bought an Axe because it comes 99.9% to the tone and feel of my tube amps.

I haven't upgraded to an XL because I was told by Fractal what the differences are, and that they were just things like storage slots, fan mounting, FASlink etc.

In every FW18 thread Cliff said that all Axe II models can run G3/Firmware 18

If a mkI version can't fully take advantage of it, as the OP seems to suggest, I would like Cliff to explain what is missing, and I would guess we will see a lot of mkI's up for sale...


Then again, I've owned both, and played a friends XL plenty, and notice no difference from my current mkI. Cliff also has repeatedly stated there are no differences and I have no reason not to trust him, and he obviously has a well earned reputation.

So it either comes down to one guy on an internet forum who claims the mkI doesn't feel the same is correct, or everyone else is correct and they are the same......

Either way, I'd like to know the truth

I don't know why no one else seems interested in this.

OP says the mkII has better feel and is more fun to play thank the mkI...... whats up with this ?
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The Mark II and XL/XL+ have an extra comodjulator diode connected to the rambus extractor. That could definitely affect the feel. All Mark I owners should sell their units and buy XL+s.
 
FractalAudio said:
The Mark II and XL/XL+ have an extra comodjulator diode connected to the rambus extractor. That could definitely affect the feel. All Mark I owners should sell their units and buy XL+s.
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Tis also the secret to the Space modulator......Coming soon in a future firmware

marvin-martian-looney-tunes.jpg
 
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FractalAudio said:
The Mark II and XL/XL+ have an extra comodjulator diode connected to the rambus extractor. That could definitely affect the feel. All Mark I owners should sell their units and buy XL+s.
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oh, oh, how much is the comodjulator diode/rambus extractor upgrade for my Mark I???
 
FractalAudio said:
The Mark II and XL/XL+ have an extra comodjulator diode connected to the rambus extractor. That could definitely affect the feel. All Mark I owners should sell their units and buy XL+s.
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Nah, I've just put a Flux capacitor on my MK1 and now I can get tones from the past and the future.
 
The Mk1 case doesn't have vents so you need to open the lid to change out the air once in a while. That and try plugging them into the same power outlet.
 
FractalAudio said:
The Mark II and XL/XL+ have an extra comodjulator diode connected to the rambus extractor. That could definitely affect the feel. All Mark I owners should sell their units and buy XL+s.
Click to expand...

Everyone knows that the Mark II, XL and XL+ have 12AX7 tubes on the mainboard :)
 
My Mark I has a quiet fan and sounds virtually identical to my XL+. But it is a vintage Mark I with NOS firmware 18.04. I think the firmware is Mullard, not sure. But it makes a huge difference. :)
 
Yep , brands definitely sound different , it virtually depends on what cliff had on hand at the time !!:)
 
FractalAudio said:
The Mark II and XL/XL+ have an extra comodjulator diode connected to the rambus extractor. That could definitely affect the feel. All Mark I owners should sell their units and buy XL+s.
Click to expand...

I know Cliff is being sarcastic but I respect that he's honest and not trying to make a quick buck. Also, he probably doesn't want people to replace their MK I's and then complain that they wasted a ton of money and don't hear a difference.

Regarding the OP, there hasn't been a test with 2 MK II's or digital reamped recordings through USB to compare Dry and Processed levels and frequencies, so for all we know the MK II is defective or not setup correctly.

Also, for people that can hear or feel a difference, Are you playing with yourself (No pun intended haha) or in a band or mix? Playing with yourself isn't a realistic test. If you can feel a difference playing in a band, then get your drummer bigger sticks and tell him to hit harder. If it sounds different, then you must be too loud and drowning out the rest of your band. Maybe I've played in too loud of bands or bad sounding venues bc I can never clearly hear myself especially if I'm putting on a good performance and moving around the stage/practice room. I've never had the luxury to use in ear monitors but I would think they can't replicate the amp in room feel/sound and would sound very different and dry being that close to your ear drums.

One of my favorite stories was from a car mechanic who had a customer who would always bring in her super old beat up car to get repaired for every little noise it made. He kept telling her she was wasting her money and it would be cheaper to get a new car bc her's was falling apart but she kept insisting on repairing the car's noises. One day he found the solution to rid her car of all the noises she was hearing. He sat her down in the car and had her start it. She said she could still hear the faint noises. He then reached over and turned on the car stereo and turned up the volume. He told her he noticed it was dead, so he replaced it free of charge. He told her to make sure to always listen to music when driving and she'll never hear the noises again and she only needs to bring the car in for repairs if the noises are louder than the stereo with the volume up more than half way. ;)
 
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