Axe-Fx III Firmware Release Notes

2.01

Added “Filter Type” to Compressor Side-chain.

Added “Auto-Swell” type to Volume block. This simulates “pinky swells” using the guitar volume knob.
Threshold sets the input power to start the volume swell. When the input power drops below the
threshold the swell circuit is reset and the volume drops to zero. Attack sets the rate at which the
volume increases.

Increased size of VU meters and added gain readout in Layout GUI.

Added ability to select the source of USB Outputs 7,8 (to computer). Inputs 2-4 can be assigned to USB
7,8.

Improved Amp block phase inverter modeling.

Fixed minor error in Amp block voltage to speaker displacement transfer function causing more
parameter shift than expected for a given Speaker Compliance setting.

2.00

Improved Amp block speaker dynamic parameter modeling. The new Speaker Compliance parameter
controls the nonlinear behavior of the virtual speaker. Existing presets will load with this parameter at
0.0 and will be unchanged tonally from the previous firmware (IOW your presets will not be altered).
Selecting a new amp model or resetting the block will set the value to 50% which is a typical value for
guitar speakers.

Improved Amp block cathode follower modeling.

Improved Looper cross-fade at start/end of loop.

Improved stability and latency of Pitch block.

Improved anti-aliasing performance of Pitch block.

Added Temperament parameter to Pitch block. When set to “Just”, pitch shifting uses just
temperament with ratios defined by the harmonic overtone series. When set to the default value of
“Equal”, equal temperament tuning is used. Just temperament can be used to give a “sweeter”
harmony, especially when followed by distortion.
Added “Virtual Capo” type to Pitch block. This is a simple one-voice pitch shift that is intended for drop-
tuning and virtual capo use and is easy to configure and use.

Changed Pitch block behavior so that when selecting Whammy or Virtual Capo types the Mix is
automatically set to 100%, otherwise 50%.

Improved algorithms in Multitap block.

Added two options to the Filter Order in the Cabinet block. “L: 6, H: 12” sets the filter slope to 6
dB/octave for the low cut and 12 dB/octave for the high cut. “L: 12, H: 6” sets the filter slope to 12
dB/octave for the low cut and 6 dB/octave for the high cut.

Changed Looper meter, CPU meter and Layout VU meter colors to cyan so that thresholds are visible to
those with red-green colorblindness.

Fixed Looper not playing when pressing Once if Trim Start is nonzero.

Fixed MIDI running status ignored if active sense messages received between status messages.

Fixed Master Resonator Time not working in Multitap Delay.

Fixed diffusion not working on delay lines 2-4 in certain types in Multitap Delay.

Various changes and fixes for FC-X controllers.

Minor tweaks and improvements to the GUI.

1.18

Fixed meters on Home->Meters sometimes getting stuck.

Fixed MIDI-Over-USB hanging when receiving certain SysEx messages intended for other products. This
occurs with some DAW software (i.e. Logic) at startup causing subsequent SysEx commands to be
ignored rendering Axe-Edit non-responsive.

Fixed certain 3rd-party MIDI SysEx messages not processed properly when SysEx messages are also being
received via USB (i.e. changing a block bypass state or channel via a MIDI foot controller while also using
Axe-Edit).

Fixed adjustments to global Noisegate Offset do not take effect until editing Input block.

Fixed booting to preset with two amp blocks does not correctly initialize.

Fixed block channel change so that muting does not occur if block is bypassed.

Fixed IR Player block allows linking to Global Blocks.

Changed range of Attack and Release parameters in Input block gate to more suitable values.

1.17

Fixed NaN when selecting “USA” amp types.

1.16

Improved Multiband Compressor block so that mid-band gain is automatically compensated for
crossover response.

Added Frequency Range parameters to Multiband Compressor block. This selects between Low and High
frequency ranges yielding more flexible crossover frequencies.

Added Crossover Slope parameter to Multiband Compressor block. Choices are 12 and 24 dB/octave.

Added FAS Boost to Amp block input boost types.

Added Output Mode to Amp block. The default value, FRFR, is the classic mode and designed for use
with monitors or recording. The SS PA + Cab mode is intended for use with a solid-state power amp and
conventional guitar cab. In this mode speaker compression modeling behaves differently relying on the
speaker for compression while still simulating the interaction with the power amp. NOTE: this mode is
not intended for use with current drive power amps, i.e. tube power amps, Class-D current feedback
amps (Quilter Tone Block), etc. NOTE: this mode CAN be used with FRFR monitors in high volume
applications where the monitor’s speakers are compressing thereby achieving a more dynamic
response.

Added 10-band, 2/3 octave types to Graphic EQ block. These types center the filter frequencies on a
narrower range best suited to finely sculpting guitar tones.

Added 10-band, 2/3 octave graphic equalizer to Drive block. The EQ can be enabled/disabled via the
Graphic EQ parameter which is also modifiable.

Added 8-band, 2/3 octave graphic equalizer to Wah block. The EQ can be enabled/disabled via the EQ
parameter which is also modifiable.

Fixed moving cabs with Axe-Edit causes corrupted empty slots.

Fixed Looper status not reported correctly via MIDI.

Fixed Looper doesn’t always start if threshold is off.

Fixed metronome turning on when executing Reset System Parameters.

Various fixes and changes for FC series foot controllers.

1.15

Added (2) IR Player blocks. These are simple versions of the Cabinet block that can be used to process
IRs for various purposes such as applying Tone Matches separate from the Tone Match block. For
example, an IR Player block can be used to apply a Tone Match of a guitar at the beginning of a chain
leaving the Tone Match block available for amp matching.

Added Output 1 Volume Increment and Output 1 Volume Decrement CC assignments. When the CC
assigned to Volume Increment/Decrement is received the scene volume for Output 1 is incremented or
decremented by 1 dB and the preset automatically saved.

Added Metronome function. To enable the metronome press the Tempo button and adjust the level for
the desired output(s). Note: the metronome levels persist across presets and are reset to OFF at power
on.

Improved Looper block:

1. Added Record Threshold parameter. When set to a value greater than -80 dB recording will not
start until the input signal exceeds the set value. The Record icon will blink when the Looper is
armed for recording and will turn solid when recording starts. The meter at the bottom of the
page can be used to help set the Threshold. Use the soft knob or main Value knob to adjust the
threshold value (or use the Record Threshold parameter on the Config page).
2. Added Trim Start and Trim End parameters to the Looper block. These parameters can be used
to adjust the start and end points of the loop. The graph on the Control page provides
visualization of the loop and the start/end points.
3. Added Quantize parameter. When set to ON the loop length is quantized to the nearest beat.
4. Added Record 2nd Press parameter. Choices are Overdub – existing behavior, second press of
Record ends loop and enters overdub; Play – second press of Record ends loop and enters play;
Stop – second press of Record ends loop.
5. Added Speed parameter. When Speed is set to HALF the virtual tape runs at half the normal
speed. The speed can be also be toggled via a MIDI CC message.
6. Improved cross-fading at the start and end of the loop.

Added Mode parameter to Tone Match block. When set to OFF-LINE the processing is adjusted to
better suit matching recorded sources such as guitar stems. When set to LIVE the processing is as
before and better suited to matching a real-time source such as the output of a guitar amp.

Added Damping Time to Sequencer. This controls the time it takes to slew from the one value to the
next.

Improved CPU usage for Synthesizer block when oscillator type is white or pink noise.
Improved Tuner.

Various GUI tweaks and improvements.

Changes/improvements to 3rd-Party MIDI device support (see AXE-FX III MIDI FOR THIRD-PARTY DEVICES
document for details).

Fixed ADSR graphs not initializing properly on preset recall.

Fixed some parameter displays dependent on Tempo, i.e. Delay Time, not updating when new Tempo is
entered.

Fixed Mixer and Multiplexer blocks shouldn’t be bypassable.

Fixed Tremolo block bug when LFO Type set to SAW DOWN.

1.14

Added MIDI CC for Looper Stop. This allows stopping recording or playback of the Looper via MIDI
automation.

Added Friedman HBE 2018 C45 amp model.

Added gain monitoring for Input Dynamics control in Amp block.

Fixed MIDI status dump not working correctly.

Fixed divide-by-zero fault if turning Master Volume to zero on JS410 amp models.

1.13

Added “Dual Chorus” type to Chorus block. This type has independent LFOs for the left and right delay
lines. Delay lines are BBD emulations.

Added “SSB Upper” and “SSB Lower” types to Ring Modulator block. These select the upper and lower
sidebands of the modulation, respectively.

Added single-sideband ring modulators to Multidelay block. These can be used to create strange and
interesting echo sounds. To defeat the modulators turn Master Ring Mod Mix to 0.

Added chorusing to individual delay lines in Multidelay block. There are four LFOs, one for each delay
line. The rate and depth of each LFO is individually adjustable. These add to the main LFOs which
modulate each delay line at the same frequency but different phases. By using short delay times the
Multidelay block can now act as four parallel choruses, each with independent rate and depth.
Added Quad-Tap Band Delay type to Multidelay block. This type has the same configuration as the
Quad-Tap delay except the filters are outside the feedback paths.

Added band highlighting to RTA block. Turn Value knob to select desired band. The frequency of the
selected band is displayed in the upper left corner.

Increased number of channels in Multiplexer block to six, one for each row.

Changed preset recall behavior if Ignore Redundant PC is on. If Ignore Redundant PC is on and the
desired scene (set via PC mapping) is different than the current scene the preset is not loaded but the
scene IS changed.

Added MIDI support for 3rd-party devices to set/get scene, channel, bypass, scene names and preset
names, control the Looper, tap tempo, etc. via System Exclusive messages. See the Axe-Fx III MIDI for
Third-Party Devices document for implementation details.

Added Preset Increment/Decrement controllers. These can be used to increment/decrement the

current preset. The Preset Start and Preset End parameters control the range of presets selected and
selection wraps at the limits. Preset mapping and offsets are ignored.

Improved Tempo accuracy for MIDI clock.

Fixed Barberpole type in Phaser block broken.

Fixed no preset loading on startup if Ignore Redundant PC is on.

Fixed Scratchpad Cab #1 not loading automatically when doing an IR capture.

Various changes and fixes for FC controllers.

1.12

Added Global Block support for Input 1 block.

Added Scene Volumes to Output block.

Improved Multidelay block. The Band Delay type has been replaced by a more flexible Quad Parallel
Delay. The Quad Parallel Delay and the Quad Series Delay now feature four delay lines in a parallel or
series configuration, respectively, as before, with the output of each delay line feeding a series
combination of a bandpass filter and a resonator. Added drive, low-cut and hi-cut filters allow further
tone sculpting. To defeat the bandpass filters set Master Q to minimum. To defeat the resonators set
Master Resonator Feedback to 0.

Improved Spring Reverb algorithm. New algorithm features improved dispersion modeling and
adjustable low and high frequency decay time ratios.
Improved knob response for fine adjustments.

Fixed Reverb GUI so that only valid parameters show on All page for selected type.

Fixed system backup hanging if on preset containing certain types of foot controller data.

Fixed engaging Tuner causes reset of External Controller values.

Fixed Ignore Redundant PC not working.

Fixed Tremolo block not updating rate when entering tempo.

1.11

Fixed Multiband Compressor and Output GUI.

Fixed Looper block Dry Level not working.

1.10

Improved Scene/Channel switching.

Added “Stereoizer” type to Enhancer block. While the Classic and Modern types rely on micro-delays
and inversions to create artificial stereo, the new Stereoizer uses multiple high-order filters to create a
realistic stereo image.

Fixed Phaser block level dropping 3 dB when effect is engaged.

1.09

Added “Effect Bypass Mode” to MIDI menu. When set to “Value” the bypass state of an effect assigned
to a CC is controlled by the CC value. When set to “Toggle” the bypass state toggles whenever the CC
message is received, regardless of the value.

Added “Default Scene” parameter to Global menu. When set to “As Saved” the scene selected when
recalling a preset is the scene that was active when the preset was saved. When set to a particular
scene value that scene will always be selected when a preset is recalled.

Added Channel parameter to modifiers. This allows applying the modifier to all channels or only a
selected channel of an effect block.

Added Tilt EQ to Amp block Input EQ types.

Added Boost Type and Boost Level to Amp block. There are seven boost types: Neutral, T808, T808
Mod, Super OD, Full OD, AC Boost and Shimmer. All boosts act as “clean boosts” replicating the oft-
used “Drive on 0, adjust Level as desired” boost technique. The boost allows boosting the amp block
without requiring a separate Drive block. The Boost Level parameter controls the amount of boost.

Added Modifier ability to Formant block Resonance parameter.

Added “Prompt on Edited Preset Change” parameter to Global Settings. When set to ON the unit will
prompt before changing presets if the current preset has been edited (and prevent you from losing your
edits). NOTE: Be sure to change this value to OFF before performing!

Added Global Blocks. There are 8 Global Blocks per effect instance. Not all effects support Global Blocks
(i.e. Mixer, RTA, etc.). There are four operations associated with a Global Block:
1. Link To Global Block: This operation links the selected effect with a Global Block. The Global
Block data is NOT loaded. Upon saving the preset the Global Block is saved. Any other presets
linked to this Global Block will load the Global Block data upon recall.
2. Load From Global Block: This operation loads data from a selected Global Block but does NOT
link the block.
3. Link To and Load From Global Block: This operation links an effect to a Global Block AND loads
data from the Global Block. Upon saving the preset the Global Block is saved. Any other presets
linked to this Global Block will load the Global Block data upon recall.
4. Unlink From Global Block. This operation disassociates the effect from any Global Blocks.

Global Block operations are accessible from the Tools page in the Layout menu.

Improved scene switching algorithm resulting in much faster, smoother scene changes.

Improved Reverb algorithms.

Changed Looper behavior:

1. Pressing Undo while recording undoes the last recorded layer, as before. Pressing Undo when
the loop is stopped now erases the loop data. Pressing Undo during playback undoes the last
recorded layer. Pressing Undo again (during playback) restores the undone layer. Subsequent
presses toggle the layer on and off.
2. Pressing Record now always starts a new layer (previously pressing Record during the first layer
stopped recording and entered playback).
3. Pressing Once while recording stops the loop.

Added Dry Level parameter to Looper Block.

Improved Input block noise gate. When the Type is set to Intelligent (default) the noise gate now
provides smart EMI filtering which reduces hum and buzz. NOTE: For best results the AC Line Frequency
parameter in the Global Settings menu should be set to match the power line frequency of your country
(i.e. 60 Hz for North America, 50 Hz for EU, etc.).

Improved Amp block output transformer modeling.

Various changes to support Axe-Edit.

Various changes to support FC-6/12 controllers.

Changed default value for Setup -> MIDI -> Program Change to ON.

Fixed Scene MIDI block not sending correct data on preset change.

Fixed cabinet names not showing up in cab picker until background tasks are finished.

Fixed wrong Preamp Bias value in Plexi 2204 model.

Fixed Pitch block LFO Tempo not being updated on tempo changes.

Fixed RTA block not updating on preset change.

Fixed noise in Looper block when pressing Undo.

Fixed Modifier Auto-Engage working erratically if Update Rate set to Slow or Medium.

Fixed MIDI PC Offset not being applied.

Fixed crash if flooding unit with MIDI data during boot.

Fixed hang if MIDI Send PC is set to OMNI.

1.08

Various changes to support Axe-Edit.

Fixed Channels not copying correctly when using Scene copy utility function.

Fixed Global data not being saved after import (restore).

Fixed Reverb hold not working for Spring types.

1.07

Fixed Pitch block not setting number of voices correctly, i.e. Whammy modes should have one voice but
two voices were audible.

Fixed Input 1 Level Meters not scaled properly when input source is USB.

Fixed minor bug in Rotary GUI.

Fixed wrong default Output Level value in Return block.

Fixed garbage data in SPDIF output buffer if no Output 1 block in layout.

Added “Update Rate” parameter to Modifiers. Values are Slow | Medium | Fast. The Update Rate
selects the rate at which the modifier updates the target parameter. For most applications a slow rate is
sufficient. Under some circumstances a slow rate may cause “zipper noise”. Increasing the rate will
reduce the noise at the expense of increased CPU usage.

1.06

Added “Solo” ability to Cab block.

Added “Plexi 2204” Amp model based on a 1981 JMP 50W Master Volume head.

Added modifier capability to Resonator block Chord and Frequency parameters.

Fixed Output block buffer stuck when bypassed causing high pitched tone.

Fixed Pitch block not initializing correctly on patch change.

Fixed Pitch block sometimes getting “stuck” on negative harmony shifts.

Fixed distortion on Crystal Echoes pitch type if Direction is set to Reverse and Shift is set to +4.

Fixed MIDI message(s) immediately following a PC message being ignored, i.e. Scene Select CC.

Fixed some minor GUI bugs.

1.05

Added ability to route block when Layout is zoomed out.

Added Input Source select to ADSR and Envelope in Control block.

Fixed MIDI bank select.

Fixed Scene Copy function not copying Amp block bypass states.

Fixed can’t select Amp type when creating a new preset if the previous preset had the Amp block
channel as anything other than ‘A’.

Fixed External Controller initial values not being applied and garbage values in any of these controllers
that are not assigned.
1.04

Fixed low-cut and high-cut filters not working in Multitap Delay block.

Fixed Amp blocks bypass states not being preserved across preset changes.

Fixed Tone Match block Smoothing parameter not working.

Fixed Quad Tape Delay missing modifier for Motor Speed (formerly labeled Tape Speed).

Fixed MIDI CC Channel changes not responding above values of 3.

Various GUI enhancements and improvements.

1.03

First public firmware release.