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AXE-FX VERSUS ULTRA
Why something exists that really doesn’t exist!
PASSIONATE ABOUT INVENTING
 If any proof were needed that Fractal Audio is not simply driven by the desire to make money, here it is: even before the first Axe-Fx is delivered in Europe, Fractal Audio presents the ULTRA. As the name suggests, an ultra-version of the Axe-Fx, the cutting edge but sharpened, if you like.
Great news, but with one small catch: more exact questioning reveals that in reality there is little chance of the ULTRA reaching Europe this year other than in very small numbers – based on what we know at the moment we’d estimate around 20-30 units by the end of the year. So, hardly any, but, as we mentioned last week, a small few of them are expected to arrive in August. This would be a horror scenario for the marketing department of any 'normal' company, and no other supplier in the world would even mention it – even if the device was ready and sitting in the drawer. Here at G66 we have to get used to this new and unusual situation: on the one hand explaining the Ultra and on the other proclaiming that it actually isn’t available. We are trying to manage this balancing act as best we can and intend to look at its features in a bit more detail. STANDARD OR ULTRA?
At present the question isn’t hard to answer, seeing as the Ultra is rather less available than we’d all like. The price is also around 30% more than that of the Axe-Fx (appr. €1849.-). The Ultra’s processor is 20% more powerful (600 MHz as opposed to 500 MHz) and is practically still a prototype, meaning that Analog Devices is not yet capable of producing them in large numbers. THE TIP OF THE PINNACLE
As far as we can see, Fractal Audio is at the very pinnacle of technological development in the field of guitar amp simulation. Now the Ultra, representing the tip of this pinnacle, is a preview of what will perhaps be routine in ten years time. It’s the ultimate 'as good as it gets' device. At the moment, anyway.
By no means does everyone need an Ultra. Even after six moths of intensive Axe-Fx experience, many users still have the feeling they’ve only just scratched the surface of its possibilities.
TECHNICAL DETAILS - ULTRA:
The Axe-Fx ULTRA has all the great sound and features of the Axe-Fx plus faster DSP plus more memory:
(2) Synthesizer Blocks
(1) 40-tap MegaTap Delay
(1) 16-band Vocoder
(1) Stereo Diffuser w/ modulation
(2) Stereo Expander / Gates
(1) Pitch Corrector
(2) 10-Tap Delays
(2) 10-Tap Rhythm-Tap Delays (tap rhythm in directly or enter pattern)
(2) Multiband Compressors
(1) Ring Modulator
(2) Stereo Crossovers
(2) Quad-Series Delays
(2) Quad Choruses
(2) Four-band Resonators
(1) Additional Pitch Block
(2) Additional 8-band Graphic Equalizers
(2) Additonal 5-band Parametric Equalizers
Pitch Blocks have custom scales and aribitray custom shifter maps.
Faster pitch detection You will also find a detailed feature comparison on Wikipedia.
WHO NEEDS THE ULTRA? Anyone wishing to use his Axe-Fx as (the only) signal processor in a PA will be happy to have the crossovers, multiband compressors and the extra equalizers.
The looper and the extra multi-delays are an interesting plus for some uses.
Those fans of crazy effects will soon get to like the extended pitch-shifter functions, the vocoder and the synthesizers.
The Ultra is mainly aimed at studios, which can never have enough effects, because of the wide range of styles they need to accommodate. On top of this, studios can spread the costs over a large number of users relatively easily.
CONCLUSION
We’d advise all those interested in an ULTRA to first get their names on the Axe-Fx waiting list, as the wait for an ULTRA could turn out to be very long indeed (the end of the year…, next year…). Keeping in mind that a used Axe-Fx will command a very high price, it should be no problem to change to the ULTRA when they finally find their way to Europe.
Interested parties can simultaneously have their names on both the Axe-Fx and ULTRA waiting lists, but the latter is rather theoretical at the moment. Nevertheless, should more ULTRAs than expected arrive, they will go to the next people on that list. Of course, we will inform each customer the minute his Axe-Fx is ready.
Cliff Chase on the
Axe-Fx User Forum
WHAT DOES CLIFF SAY ABOUT THE ULTRA?
„The Ultra is not a replacement for the regular Axe-Fx. The only difference is that it has a faster processor with more memory. All the algorithms will be identical. The extra memory allows for some new effects that the regular version doesn't have the memory to run. [...] „The Ultra will be very expensive since the processor costs four times as much as the regular version and will be targeted at studios. [...] „For the vast majority of users the standard Axe-Fx will be the product of choice."  AND ABOUT ATOMIC?
„I met with Tom from Atomic last week and we put the Axe-Fx through the 112-50 and it rattled the foundation".
„Two of those in a stereo rig would be insane. If you consider what a stereo tube power amp and 2 1x12 cabs would cost it's a good deal."
„The 112-50 doesn't sound like a 1x12. It's much bigger and fatter sounding."  SECOND ENCOUNTER
Jochen only had the Axe-Fx for a couple of days and in Countdown 7 he put a medley online. The device has recently returned from Gitarre & Bass (where they were testing it) and now here is a new recording by Jochen.
SECOND SOUNDFILES COLLECTION
Here is Jochen’s second collection of soundfiles made with the Axe-Fx, packed into a medley, with his comments on the various sounds and settings.
„Yesterday and today I made a few more recordings with the Axe-Fx and, although I thought things couldn’t get any better, I’m even more enthusiastic about it than I was before. It’s simply amazing how versatile it is and how convincing it sounds.
 Medley #3:
0:00 – 0:30 -- Track 1.
It starts with my ES 345 and the two Dumble amp models from the Axe-Fx. I own an old Kitty Hawk Standard and tried to “rebuild” it digitally as that’s the closest I’ve ever been to a real Dumble. There are only two tracks on the recording; one is the rhythm guitar, played through the Axe-Fx’s clean Dumble model. The other track is the solo guitar, here still clean, played through the same model but a little louder in the mix. It’s great how dynamically the Axe-Fx reacts and how directly it “hangs” on the guitar. The sound differences that come from changes in pickup selection and picking strength are also reproduced, just like in a first-class tube amp.
0:30 – 0:52 -- Track 2
This is a backing from the Aussensaiter (German musicians’ website). Here I tried to get as close as possible to my Matchless DC30. The similarity is striking – everything I have come to expect from my Matchless is there. The guitar is my Warmoth Strat with VanZandt pickups.
0:52 – 2:05 -- Track 3
Moving on now with a really old backing track from the Les Paul Forum. Here I took a Plexi model from the Axe-Fx and the guitar is an ’81 Tokai Strat with a rosewood fingerboard.
2:05 – 2:27 -- Track 2
No change to the Axe-Fx setting, it’s still the same sound, just variations in picking attack and pickup selection. I love the slightly “hairy” tone when the strings are struck a little harder – that’s exactly the same with the Matchless. Pure dynamics!
2:27 – 3:00 -- Track 1
As right at the beginning, the ES 345 with the Dumble model again. The sound is lovely and warm and just about on the verge of breaking up. The tonal definition remains completely.
3:00 – 4:12 -- Track 3
Here I selected a Marshall 800 and the guitar is the Warmoth Strat (one piece maple neck).
4:12 – 5:34 -- Track 4
Playing to an Aussensaiter backing track again. It’s the ES 345 again, but this time with a Marshall model and a few extra spoonfuls of gain, delay, reverb and wah.
5:34 – 6:46 -- Track 3
The third part of Track 3 – now with my Korina Explorer Replica and the Axe-Fx’s Soldano model.
6:46 – 7:25 -- Track 1
Closing the circle is the ES 345 with the Dumble model again, but this time it’s the Axe-Fx’s Dumble Overdrive channel. Sings nicely doesn’t it?"
we've noticed ...
that our customers received last week’s bad news about the delivery delay with great understanding. Many thanks to you for that.
that everyone involved is doing their utmost to ensure the earliest possible delivery date.
that Europe’s Axe-Fxs are being built right now.
that last weeks delivery forecast for mid July is still valid.
that G66.eu is now also reachable by clicking G66.com.
that the Axe-Fx is still being compared with simple modelers in the €500 price class, which is simply wrong. Not to mention unfair.
that we sometimes make the same mistake and solemnly vow to amend our shameful ways in the future.
that the Axe-Fx is in a totally different league and should therefore be compared with the top guitar processors in the highest price class.
that many of those who have tested it say “there’s no comparison”.
that there is now an Axe-Fx Community site 'Wiki', with information and explanations.
that this 'Wiki' site contains (editable) tips, advice, description, FAQs and other useful user information about both the Axe-Fx and the Ultra.
EXPLANATION OF 'SOUND 16' FROM COUNTDOWN 13
Cliff Chase recorded directly to the Axe-Fx ULTRA with no post-processing of any kind other than conversion to mp3. Cliff: „Two synth voices, one sawtooth, one triangle. One voice is shifted a fifth. ADSR's are modulating the filters. Ping-pong delay and reverb added."
Sound #16:
EXPLANATION OF 'PICTURE 8' FROM COUNTDOWN 13
The picture shows the 500 MHz processor in the Axe-Fx, from Analog Devices, the world’s most renowned producer of DSP processors. Below it is a report from the Analog Devices website about the Axe-Fx/Fractal Audio.
 Fractal Audio's Real-time Guitar Pre-amp Is Routable and Programmable with TigerSHARC®
Mother Nature is the perfect designer, composing complex real-world patterns like those found in snowflakes, clouds and networks of rivers. These naturally occurring, irregular designs are called "fractals," repeating patterns that can possess nearly infinite detail. These patterns cannot be explained by classical geometry, and they are easily found in nature.
 Fractal Audio Systems, a designer and manufacturer of guitar pre-amp and audio processing equipment, is also a firm believer in the complexity of Mother Nature. The proprietary natural-processing algorithms that replicate patterns occurring in nature is both the main reason for Fractal Audio's unique sound and the origin of the company's name. Using their unique and proprietary algorithms, Fractal Audio Systems is able to achieve smooth, "analog" sound from an all-digital device.
When Fractal Audio was designing its Axe-Fx™ guitar pre-amp and effects processor, the company wanted to provide effects that sound as they were originally intended and with utmost quality. To do so, Fractal Audio needed a DSP with enough raw computing power and floating-point performance to process their complex algorithms.
Fractal Audio chose an Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) ADSP-TS203S TigerSHARC® processor — a 500 MHz chip with 4Mb of on-chip DRAM. Fractal Audio president Cliff Chase says that the unparalleled performance of the TigerSHARC processor has enabled the Axe-FX to simulate traditional analog effects and tube amplifiers with a high level of realism and sound quality.
Stockroom of Effects
Fractal Audio's Axe-Fx is a fully routable, fully programmable, real-time guitar pre-amp and multi-effects processor. Its advanced processing algorithms and unprecedented computing power offer not only the sound, but also the feel of a real tube amp, accurately simulating the dynamic frequency response of an overdriven tube amplifier. Along with this is a virtual studio full of classic and modern audio effects including reverb, chorus, flanger, phaser, rotary simulator, pitch shifter, and many, many more (see box). All the effects use the company's proprietary "natural" algorithms, which achieve an "organic" sound not found in other products.
 Working on the principle of an "effects inventory" (a virtual stockroom of effects), effects are placed on a routing grid where they are connected to other effects and controllers, and then edited and mixed down. The Axe-Fx allows for extensive programming of each of its effects parameters, which can also be controlled in real-time (through an expression pedal/footswitch or a MIDI). The device's huge internal memory allows for the storage of 384 patches.
The key to the Axe-Fx's unique sound is the company's proprietary natural processing algorithms (as previously mentioned), which replicate patterns that occur in nature. "In order to bring ultimate realism and sound quality to the Axe-FX processor, large amounts of floating-point DSP horsepower is necessary," said Chase. "The TigerSHARC line of processors offered the best combination of price and performance in terms of MFLOPS (Million-Floating Point Operations Per Second) per dollar."
Superior Floating-Point Performance
Fractal's Chase just can't say enough about the superior floating-point performance and price/performance of TigerSHARC for modeling the intricacies of a tube power amplifier in his market. "Accurately modeling the dynamic behavior of a tube-amp requires an immense amount of computational power. We achieved our goals at a price point supported by the musical instrument market because of the TigerSHARC's industry-leading floating-point performance per dollar," said Chase.
The ADSP-TS203S TigerSHARC processor is an ultra high-performance, static super-scalar processor optimized for large signal processing tasks. It combines very wide memory widths with dual computation blocks, supporting floating-point (IEEE 32-bit and extended precision 40-bit) and fixed-point (8-, 16-, 32- and 64-bit) processing. Operating at 500 MHz, the ADSP-TS203S processor's core has a 2.0 ns instruction cycle time.
Using its single-instruction, multiple-data (SIMD) features, the ADSP-TS203S processor can perform four billion 40-bit MACs or one billion, 80-bit MACs per second. The processor's dual compute blocks can execute computations independently or together as a SIMD engine. The architecture balances extraordinary compute capacity with large memory and I/O bandwidth realizing the highest levels of sustained performance.
 For musical effects like reverb and delay, Fractal Audio needed large amounts of both on-chip and off-chip memory. "High-quality reverb requires large amounts of internal and external memory for sample delay lines," said Chase. "The large quantity of embedded DRAM on the TigerSHARC and the flexible SDRAM interface made this very easy to implement." The ADSP-TS203S TigerSHARC processor comes with 4Mb of on- chip DRAM memory. The processor also comes with an external port that provides an interface to an off-chip SDRAM controller and standard SDRAM memory.
For tools, Fractal Audio leveraged ADI's CROSSCORE software and hardware development tools, including the HPPCI-ICE high-performance PCI-based in-circuit emulator and VisualDSP++ Integrated Development and Debugging Environment (IDDE).
The emulator provides state-of-the-art emulation for ADI's JTAG DSPs. It offers code download at speeds of up to 2.2 MB/second, allowing applications to be tested in a fraction of the time by gathering data samples 10 times faster than before. VisualDSP++ lets programmers develop and debug an application. The environment includes an easy to use assembler, which is based on an algebraic syntax, an archiver (librarian/library builder), a linker, a loader, a cycle-accurate instruction-level simulator, a C/C++ compiler, and a C/C++ runtime library that includes DSP and mathematical functions. "The VisualDSP++ tools and the emulator ease the development effort and the integrated environment enhances productivity," said Chase.
Fractal Audio's innovative "research oriented" approach to modeling the signal chain of the traditional guitar amplifier will continue to become more sophisticated and will perhaps even converge on the infinite resolution of the real world. And with newer, faster versions of ADI's TigerSHARC processors on board, future effects processors from Fractal Audio may just give Mother Nature a run for her money.
WILL BE THIS COMING THURSDAY 28th JUNE 10 PM.
countdown #20 countdown #19 countdown #18 countdown #17 countdown #16 countdown #15 countdown #14
countdown #13 countdown #12 countdown #11 Here it is! countdown#10 countdown #9 countdown #8
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