Fractal Audio Systems, creators of industry-leading guitar amp modeling and effects technology, announced today that a new model, the Axe-Fx II XL, will be available for sale in March 2014. The Axe-Fx II XL has the same DSP and amp modeling capabilities as the Axe-Fx II Mark II, but offers expanded memory, new I/O ports, and other upgrades detailed below.
Axe-Fx XL Features:
- Built-in FASLINK™ port for connection to MFC-101 Mark III over conventional XLR cables.
- Dedicated MIDI IN, OUT, and THRU jacks (vs. shared OUT/THRU in the Mark II).
- Two onboard PEDAL jacks (vs. one in the Mark II).
- Primary VALUE entry via optical encoder with a lifespan of 1,000,000+ rotations.
- “Secret Sauce III” instrument input features an even lower noise floor.
- 128 Mb of non-volatile Super-FLASH memory allows for storage of up to 512 presets and 512 user cabinets with copious reserves for future expansion.
- Double-capacity preset size allows for expanded functionality including X/Y switching on more blocks and more instances of effects.
- Built-in backup firmware allows recovery in the event of complications during update.
- Backward compatibility with Axe-Fx II Mark I/II presets via Axe-Edit software.
Pricing and Availability
The Axe-Fx II XL began shipping in March 2014 at the direct price of $2499.95. ($2999.95 list).
The Axe-Fx II XL is offered in our online store alongside the Axe-Fx II Mark II. Our distributors will also offer both versions.