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2127 Views 13 Replies Latest reply: Mar 30, 2011 7:52 AM by FrugalGuitarist RSS
shockwave199 Just Startin' 171 posts since
Apr 10, 2009
Currently Being Moderated

Mar 26, 2011 9:57 PM

FW 1.22 What SOUNDS better to you?

I'm an X3L/Variax user who's keeping tabs on the progress of the 500. I've seen comments spread over multiple threads about certain amps, cabs and pres sounding better in this update.

 

In an effort to keep this useful info compiled into one thread, please comment only on what you think sounds better.

 

I find it interesting that this FW update addressed only bug fixes and nothing has been acknowledged by L6 pertaining to sound updates. And yet, awesomly so, quite a few of you have mentioned some impressive audible improvements. Fact, or placebo?

 

What sounds better to you, as you continue to dig in? And do any [many] of you concur about the same audible observations for certain amps, etc?

 

Either line6 purposefully ugraded some sounds, or got lucky and what bugs were fixed helped improve the sound as an offshoot, or they are flyin high on reports of improved sound from users, having never addressed that end of it at all.

 

In any case, thanks for any info!

 

Dan

  • silverhead Expert Line 6 User 9,592 posts since
    Apr 1, 2009
    Currently Being Moderated
    Mar 27, 2011 3:19 PM (in response to shockwave199)
    Re: FW 1.22 What SOUNDS better to you?

    shockwave199 wrote:

     

    ....

    I find it interesting that this FW update addressed only bug fixes and nothing has been acknowledged by L6 pertaining to sound updates. And yet, awesomly so, quite a few of you have mentioned some impressive audible improvements. Fact, or placebo?....

    It's fact. The most impressive audible improvements are being experienced by people who were experiencing a specific bug/problem. It didn't affect everyone - it seemed most problematic for guitars with higher-gain pickups. IF you didn't have the problem before you won't notice an improvement in that area.

     

    Other improvements were realtively minor bug fixes - no oiher significant changes to the amp models. In fact, I expect that most users may not notice much if any improvement in sound quality. But for those who were experiencing this specific problem firmware v1.22 is a HUGE improvement.

    • KozMcCharlie Just Startin' 179 posts since
      Oct 5, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      Mar 27, 2011 4:20 PM (in response to silverhead)
      Re: FW 1.22 What SOUNDS better to you?

      The update doesn't just make things better for people with the bugs, it makes just about everything sound better somehow. It's like everything got just a little more depth and realism and things became a little clearer. The amp models sound better. They don't sound different, just better. The other thing tht I'm noticing is that the effects sit better in the overall mix. The thing I noticed right away was that the delays became easier to hear. I have not tweaked any patches and this is what I hear. It was only a few minutes of updating separating a few hours of playing, so it's not like I'm just hearing what I want to hear. To sum it all up in a sentence with just a little bit of a wince, it really just sounds more HD...

      • silverhead Expert Line 6 User 9,592 posts since
        Apr 1, 2009
        Currently Being Moderated
        Mar 27, 2011 4:33 PM (in response to KozMcCharlie)
        Re: FW 1.22 What SOUNDS better to you?

        KozMcCharlie wrote:

         

        The update doesn't just make things better for people with the bugs, it makes just about everything sound better somehow. ...

        Great - glad to hear it!! (But really can't explain it)

        • KozMcCharlie Just Startin' 179 posts since
          Oct 5, 2008
          Currently Being Moderated
          Mar 27, 2011 4:53 PM (in response to silverhead)
          Re: FW 1.22 What SOUNDS better to you?

          silverhead wrote:

           

          KozMcCharlie wrote:

           

          The update doesn't just make things better for people with the bugs, it makes just about everything sound better somehow. ...

          Great - glad to hear it!! (But really can't explain it)

           

          I can't either, though I ran through the change log a few times trying to see what it could've been. The only thing I could come up with is that the gain control bug really messed with things that were larger than the whole fizzy harsh distortion, which maybe was just the tip of the iceberg, you know. O the other hand, the Fender models are vastly improved and probably noticeable to everyone.

    • Octo777 Iknowathingortwo 851 posts since
      Feb 23, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      Mar 28, 2011 5:36 AM (in response to silverhead)
      Re: FW 1.22 What SOUNDS better to you?

      silverhead wrote:

       

      It's fact. The most impressive audible improvements are being experienced by people who were experiencing a specific bug/problem. It didn't affect everyone - it seemed most problematic for guitars with higher-gain pickups. IF you didn't have the problem before you won't notice an improvement in that area.

       

      Other improvements were realtively minor bug fixes - no oiher significant changes to the amp models. In fact, I expect that most users may not notice much if any improvement in sound quality. But for those who were experiencing this specific problem firmware v1.22 is a HUGE improvement.

       

      I mean I have to agree largely with this. A lot of the issues people had been reporting I honestly can't say I had been experiencing personally and after updating to 1.22 I havent noticed any significant sound changes for the better or the worse.

       

      Granted I don't use every single amp in my day to day patches and have been largely relying on the Treadplate for my metally overdriven stuff and the Hiway 100 for my metal cleans. But that said I have been using the A-30TB for cleans as well (despite some reporting it not being possible).

       

      It's going to have some pretty massive downward turns for me to end up being unhappy with this machine.

  • gtrman100 Iknowathingortwo 479 posts since
    Jan 24, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Mar 27, 2011 4:23 PM (in response to shockwave199)
    Re: FW 1.22 What SOUNDS better to you?

    According to the change log, the biggest changes seem to be with the Blackface Deluxe and Blackface Double models, with improvements in other amp models with high gain pickups. I'm using a JTV so I'm not hearing a big difference with the other amp models, but I do hear the improvement with the Fenders.

     

    They have said that this is a bug fix release, but new features will be available soon. Check the change log to see the fixes.

  • Texxxxx Just Startin' 368 posts since
    Aug 13, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    Mar 27, 2011 6:23 PM (in response to shockwave199)
    Re: FW 1.22 What SOUNDS better to you?

    BlackFace Double by a long shot...

  • jjgimlour Just Startin' 78 posts since
    Aug 14, 2008
    Currently Being Moderated
    Mar 28, 2011 11:26 AM (in response to shockwave199)
    Re: FW 1.22 What SOUNDS better to you?

    I think on the whole every amp model sounds better, but there's a real difference to the Deluxe. It was good before but it's simply fabtastic now. For my ears it just seems to have better compression now, it's just so much tighter, it's brilliant, I haven't stopped playing with that 1 amp model since the update I love it Now if I could only have my Citrus when the new goodies come out I'll be 1 very happy customer

    • Crusty_Old_Rocker Expert Line 6 User 3,096 posts since
      Jan 24, 2007
      Currently Being Moderated
      Mar 29, 2011 8:38 PM (in response to shockwave199)
      Re: FW 1.22 What SOUNDS better to you?

      What's the point in waiting for the goodies if you can be enjoying it now and everyone will get the goodies anyhow?

       

      As for the changes, the Blackface Double now has next to nothing at the low end of the dial compared to what it used to be like.  For me the first 30 degrees of the volume control (mapped to the drive knob of the HD500) may as well not exist but from that point on it starts to work.  Some of the other models exhibit a similar characteristic now.

       

      It's no biggie on the Twin model because nothing much happens with the real amp down that end of the volume control.

       

      Cheers,

       

      Crusty

  • FrugalGuitarist Just Startin' 95 posts since
    Mar 3, 2008
    Currently Being Moderated
    Mar 30, 2011 7:52 AM (in response to shockwave199)
    Re: FW 1.22 What SOUNDS better to you?

    Nothing on the whole sounds better with the update IMHO. However, the controls definitely react differently in the lower gain registers. In some amp's this results in needing to adjust the gain knob up to get a response similiar to before the update and in other cases it provides some additional clean headroom down at the 9 o'clock and under range which wasn't there before. This wasn't any type of magic bullet which changed the overall sound of the processor.  I imagine those who didn't like it before probably still don't like it....

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