Will 10 be the last AX8 firmware ever?

axelat

Member
First of all I love my AX8 and use it day by day and I am looking forward to the release of the FM3 but I am a little disappointed that there were no new firmware updated for the AX8 for the last 18 month and probably there will be no more. The AX8 is still a great unit but it would have been nice to see that fractal put some work in this well sold unit. :-(
 
First of all, AX8/FX3/FX2 are the greatest products I ever saw and Cliff is an amazing person.

It seems that Cliff is to busy developing fx3 firmware, but somewhere in fx2/fx3 firmware threads, he said that he had an idea on how to unify some firmware files between fx2 and fx3. If that true - fx2 may receive some more updates which should bring new modeling algorithms from the latest Ares firmware to fx2. We should hope that this idea would work and also applies to ax8 too, but in fact, ax8 has to low power to handle the same amount of blocks with the new algorithms, so at this point, It will be a tradeoff between the number of active blocks (which already relatively low) and sound modeling quality.

Anyway, I think there are only two ways to receive an update for ax8 units:
  • the case where Cliff invents a new algorithm that will have the same good sound modeling quality and reduced computation power usage (as it was with UltraRES technology relative to cabinet emulation)
  • the case where Cliff makes firmware which can handle less amount of active blocks at the same time (I will be happy with this because of my signal chain in most cases is drive?->amp->cab->reverb, but I pretty sure that Cliff will not choose this way)

I understand all difficulties during the development process because I am a developer too, but I'm feeling a little sadness because ax8 should be floor clone of ax2 and it was listed as legacy device noticeably later than fx2, but it still has no ARES firmware.

Anyway, thanks to Cliff for all that you already have done for us.
 
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Cliff also is on a ROLL with his eCliffanys these days so I honestly don't mind if he continues along that path - it's incredible progress and I won't want him to stop right now!

Yes the AX8 may take a backseat but it also means that he is finding better and more efficient algorithms and ways of doing things which will only translate to better things for us ALL in the long run

So let him be, let him run wild and go crazy with his incredible progress run, and we'll likely get better updates (if any, as the AX8 IS a legacy product) in the long run!

Also keep in mind we are not entitled to any updates and the AX8 is amazing as is, but I personally do feel at least one final update as a send off would be nice :) but I'm willing to wait if it means more goodies! ;)
 
I agree with rr, the AX8 should be floor clone of AX2........fingers crossed.....throw us a bone Cliff ?. ;)
 
It can’t be a full clone for CPU reasons which were known from day 1.

If it can be updated it will. The FM3 is taking priority right now I’m pretty sure.

The AX8 sounds better now than when it was released. It still sounds good today. It still sounds good after the FM3 is released. “Not being updated” doesn’t change that.

It was updated consistently free for 3 years - that’s a lot of bones. People use the AX8 daily all over the world. New YouTube vids are put up all the time with people saying “amazing AX8 tone I need that preset.”

The constant need for “new things” make us lose sight of what we already have.
 
It would be great to have ARES across the platform, has to be IMO.
I would be in favour of a "function reduced", or optimized version for AX8 if it needed resources....way to much stuff not utilized by me, and I am sure others.

Rather have the higher tone resolution which ultimately IS the juice. I realize this may not be easy ( I just put my flame suit on )

It could be an optional upgrade ??? by the user ??
 
If there's an upgrade in the future I welcome it!

But if not I'm okay with that too I love it just the way it is.
At this point I would say it's probably not going to happen, keep in mind just a guess on my part.
 
That would be cool if there was an AX8 update. I'd love to see one. It's a shame watching all this great new digital amp technology go obsolete so quick for something better. I recently built Fender Deluxe and Fender Blackface tube amps from Mojotone. What a real treat. Both sound fantastic. Funny that the old tube technology has never gone out of fashion and still sound good to this day. All this digital junk will end up in a landfill someday.
 
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That would be cool if there was an AX8 update. I'd love to see one. It's a shame watching all this great new digital amp technology go obsolete so quick for something better. I recently built Fender Deluxe and Fender Blackface tube amps from Mojotone. What a real treat. Both sound fantastic. Funny that the old tube technology has never gone out of fashion and still sound good to this day. All this digital junk will end up in a landfill someday.

You can send me your digital junk anyday! I'll happily accept! :D
 
If the ax8 could route the metronome to a separate output and not mix it in with the main outs, i wouldn't bother upgrading.

(at least for a while. ;-)
 
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