Firmware

The information on this page supplements the official manuals.

Fractal Audio products firmware downloads

• Download firmware updates.
• Older firmware versions.

Firmware release notes

• Axe-Fx II.
• FX8.
• AX8.
• MFC-101.

Firmware update guide

• Axe-Fx II:
  • Firmware update guide. Including troubleshooting tips.
  • Tutorial.
  • Always disconnect the MFC-101 when updating the firmware on the Axe-Fx II.
  • If the Axe-Fx II sounds bad after an update, try reinstalling the firmware, or perform a system reset.
• FX8:
  • The firmware includes a firmware update guide.
• AX8:
  • The firmware includes a firmware update guide.

Updating firmware with Fractal-Bot

• Fractal provides a dedicated utility for transferring updates to the Axe-Fx II, AX8, FX8 and MFC-101. See Fractal-Bot.

Boot recovery

• Built-in backup firmware in the Axe-Fx II XL, FX8 and AX8 allows recovery in the event of complications during update. Read the Firmware Update Guide (included with the firmware or available here) for more information, or contact Support.
• More about Boot Recovery.

Updating presets after a firmware update

• Updated firmware may cause changes in your presets. Read the firmware release notes and verify your presets.

Firmware: more information

• The Axe-Fx firmware is coded in C and assembly. source
• Cliff: "The Axe-Fx II can be reprogrammed at least 100,000 times." source
• "Most DSP compilers include library functions for common signal processing functions. However every library I've seen makes the same mistakes in several important and oft-used functions. I can't disclose what functions and what those mistakes are but because of this we use our own hand-coded assembly functions for our own libraries. The results are measurable and audible especially when dealing with the special requirements of amp modeling. I should add that these libraries are low-level functions like FFT() and such. You're not going to find a library that implements a Tube Screamer or even something more granular like a diode clipping circuit. That all has to be developed in-house." source

Updating the MFC-101

• See MFC-101.