Versions check
BIOS VERSION
Check your BIOS (ROM) version by holding down the 'B' button while turning on the amp. The 'B' and the 'D' buttons will blink. The number of times the 'B' blinks indicates the release number, and the number of times 'C' blinks indicates the sub-release. Currently known releases are 1.00 and 1.02.The BIOS cannot be upgraded by the end user.
FIRMWARE VERSION
Check your firmware version by holding down the 'C' button while turning on the amp. The 'B' and the 'C' buttons will blink. The number of times the 'B' blinks indicates the release number, and the number of times 'C' blinks indicates the sub-release. Currently known releases are 1.0 and 1.1.The firmware can be upgraded. Line6Monkey software takes care of that.
So what's the diff between v1.00 and v1.10?
Here's what used to be in a post to the support forum, so thoughtfully obliterated by L***6.Replies: 6 - Last Post: Oct 24, 2007 2:18 PM by: spaceatl ============================================================================== From: spaceatl Flextone III Firmware Differences and other Goodies (Long Post) Posted: Oct 24, 2007 8:27 AM I put this together sometime ago and sent it to Line 6 and ask them review it in case they might be able to locate the document I refer to below or if some of this was incorrect. I know they are quite busy with the new product releases they just rolled out and are probably getting ready for Winter Namm. So here is what I found with references to Flextone firmware differences (1.00 vs 1.10), the compressor (1.10 means SmartFX like a Spider in one control) and Flextones locking up on a firmware upgrade and how that can be remedied. I think this is very reliable information. I just can't definitively state that all of it is correct...Please keep in mind that the member TigerBill is the author of TweakWizard...He was a very respected member of the old board. BTW-There is a plethora of good information on the Flex III on the old board... ************************************************************************* Apparently there is a file called Updater readme.txt that contains info about the 1.10 changes...That would be the old firmware updater prior to the Monkey... Here is the version 1.10 list of Updates as posted by Line 6...This is when the update was in BETA but seems to have most of the information. http://line6.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=5&t=001217 Hey Everybody. My name is Darrell, and I'm the Flextone III product manager. I have news about the update package we are working on as reported by Flexboy. A couple of notes before I dive in to the update: First of all, I'd like to publicly thank Flexboy for soliciting and collecting all the feedback that has driven the specification of this update. Flexboy - I appreciate your vigor and transparency. Secondly I am very much appreciative to all of you who took time to communicate your Flextone III issues and real world feedback. Armed with your honest and useful response, I have co-coordinated on your behalf our Sound Design, Engineering and Test groups to work on this release. We are currently beta testing the firmware update and completing/testing the multi-platform updater application. We are a couple of months behind the schedule I proposed to Line 6 in the Fall, however we will be publicly releasing this free update in the near future. I must apologize for communicating my intention to release the update before the end of February. We will not be able to release the update this week. We are in the process of thoroughly testing both the update and the updater application. This process will most likely take an additional couple of weeks to insure that you all have smooth experiences updating your Flextones. I am unable to commit to a specific date at this time. The project is adhoc, and utilizing resources where available - around established and scheduled projects here at Line 6. I apologize for creating an expectation for a date. Please be patient with us as we test the heck out of this to insure an excellent tonal/ installation experience. As before here’s what to expect: First the update includes 3 updated amp models: 1 - The Diamond Plate model had a small tweak to improve the authenticity of the bottom end. 2 - The JCM2000 TSL model was replaced with a JCM2000 DSL on the Classic Gain - Crunch channel with the Deep switch in and the Tone Shift switch out. In addition the front end was driven with a Prescription Electronics Germ pedal, (moded for a flat tonality). The Germ gives it this incredible extra kick to the crunch, and opens up the top end. The rig belongs to Matt Scanell from Vertical Horizon. It is his studio rig, for which he takes out a duplicate set live. 3 - The JCM800 model was replaced as well. We found an 80's mint 100W JCM800 with a simple Bogner mod for high gain. The amp sounds incredible. The mod adds gain and tonality to the first 4 gain stages. I hope you guys love this new model as much as we do. The cabinets are completely re-voiced. We spent a lot of time listening and further tweaking the cabs to get the bottom end under control, and to open up the top end as much as appropriate to the original cabinet. The Direct outputs are much improved. We re-shot our convolutions here at the studio with some Neve 1073's, 33609's and a Apogee PSX100. The added authenticity, clarity and tone that this world class front end, (Mic preamps/compressors/A-D) provides is simply incredible. The U-Vibe and Rotary models are improved; The Uni-Vibe got its lumpiness back, and the Rotary had its bottom end cleaned up. We re-leveled the amp models with a new technique that we came up with for HD 147 that helps the clean models to better match the RMS level of the higher gain models. At the end of the day, it means you'll have a much easier time matching the levels of your lead and clean channels. Finally we moved the compressor pre channel volume. In the current revision of software it is post channel volume. Moving it pre channel volume will allow you to adjust the level of the channel after the compressor has done it work. This should allow for even more gain availability to clean channels, and a more intuitive interface overall. The update will be packaged in the cross platform updater. Flextone III owners, will need only a MIDI interface and about 10 minutes to complete the update. Please don’t flood our Tech support guys with further questions about when the update will be available. I will report to the forum as soon as new information is available. I know that some of you would like to be a part of the beta process for this update. I am unable to offer a public beta at this time simply because the updater application is still under test. We have a number of committed testers and players beating this thing up on your behalf here. Stay tuned for more information. Thanks again for your input and passion for this amplifier. All the best, Darrell ************************************************************************* This one TigerBill explains where the compressor was changed from post to pre http://line6.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=5&t=001833 I know I will be flamed..... But this is NOT the purpose of a compressor.... Remember: You got a new control: Vol min This allows you to make the Vol pedal act as a stomp boost ( pedal full opened = not boosted=vol min position, pedal full shut down = boosted ) Want a Volume boost ?? => Volume set POST Want a Drive boost ?? => volume set PRE You just need to save your tone as the boosted one ( Chann volume boosted if vol POST, Drive boosted if Vol PRE ) This is more flexible than the old Comp Gain, because as the Comp was POST, your boost was a Vol boost ONLY... Now , you can have EITHER the Vol boost OR the Drive one, and more, you keep a control of your boost with the pedal. It could already be done with the old version, but it was uneasy live because you could not set the non boosted at a preset level, you had to find the good min level each time. The Vol min makes this automatic preset possible. Conclusion: I think the replacement of the Comp Gain with the Vol Min is a GREAT improvement... Of course, you need to re-tweak your old tones to fit the new boosting way... ************************************************************************************ Here TigerBill figures out that the compressor is a threshold with automatic gain compesator... http://line6.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=5&t=001740 ********************************************************************** This next post shows the need to download the firmware first then run the MD5 checker prior to doing the burn...Also shows how to bring a potentially locked Flex III back to life again...Apparently holding A on power up is a safe mode that allows for midi communication...So the steps are Power up holding A, Flash the Firmware via prechecked file and then pwoer up holding A and D....TigerBill mentions many times the reverting to 1.00 then back to 1.10 is sometimes needed to solve this... http://line6.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=5&t=001824 ********************************************************************** There is a thread where GeorgeVW mentions that the FirmwareUpdater has been pulled because it can fail 10% of time mandating a hardware change...Do you think that since we are about 3 years past that perhaps there is a new bug in Monkey that is doing the same thing...Perhaps FlexIII users should user an older version or FlexIIIupdater.exe which seems to have been released as an emergency fix... http://line6.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=5&t=001565 ********************************************************************** Another TigerBill post that quotes the Updater Readme.txt http://line6.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=5&t=003023 In case you can't get to it: Updater Readme.txt <<< WHAT'S NEW >>> The 1.10 update includes 4 updated amp models: - The Diamond Plate and Treadplate models had a small tweak to improve the authenticity of the bottom end. - The JCM2000 TSL model was replaced with a JCM2000 DSL on the Classic Gain - Crunch channel with the Deep switch in and the Tone Shift switch out. In addition the front end was driven with a Prescription Electronics Germ pedal. The Germ gives it this incredible extra kick to the crunch, and opens up the top end. The rig belongs to Matt Scanell from Vertical Horizon. It is his studio rig, for which he takes out a duplicate set live. - The JCM800 model was replaced as well. We found an 80's mint 100W JCM800 with a simple Bogner mod for high gain. The amp sounds incredible. The mod adds gain and tonality to the first 4 gain stages. I hope you guys love this new model as much as we do. Additionally we re-worked the channel volume response to help the clean models better match the RMS level of the higher gain models. The cabinets are completely re-voiced. We spent a lot of time listening and further tweaking the cabs to get the bottom end under control, and to open up the top end as much as appropriate to the original cabinet. The Direct outputs are much improved. We re-shot our convolutions here at the studio with some Neve 1073's, 33609's and an Apogee PSX100. The added authenticity, clarity and tone that this world class front end provides is simply incredible. The U-Vibe and Rotary models are improved; The Uni-Vibe got its lumpiness back, and the Rotary had its bottom end cleaned up (from HD147). Finally we moved the compressor pre channel volume. In the original 1.0 revision, it is post channel volume. Moving it pre channel volume will allow you to adjust the level of the channel after the compressor has done it work. This should allow for even more gain availability to clean channels, and a more intuitive interface overall. PS: in the v1.0, you have a Gain setting for the Compressor, and NO vol min setting In the v1.1, it's the reverse.. ============================================================================== From: geodavjenk Re: Flextone III Firmware Differences and other Goodies (Long Post) Posted: Oct 24, 2007 9:47 AM in response to: spaceatl Thanks spaceatl. A lot of good information that will take a while to digest. ============================================================================== From: TweakFreak Re: Flextone III Firmware Differences and other Goodies (Long Post) Posted: Oct 24, 2007 1:54 PM in response to: geodavjenk Ditto that! It will take some time to read all that historic material. Thanks Space. ============================================================================== From: spaceatl Re: Flextone III Firmware Differences and other Goodies (Long Post) Posted: Oct 24, 2007 2:18 PM in response to: TweakFreak You're welcome guys. I hope this will shed some light. It certainly brought back some memories reading TigerBill's posts... ============================================================================== From: mak1965 Re: Flextone III Firmware Differences and other Goodies (Long Post) Posted: Oct 24, 2007 9:58 AM in response to: spaceatl SORRY to sound stoopid,,, but I am believing that there is a new firmware update out now or soon??? Please let me know! Thanks ============================================================================== From: spaceatl Re: Flextone III Firmware Differences and other Goodies (Long Post) Posted: Oct 24, 2007 10:10 AM in response to: mak1965 The current version is over 3 years old. There are 2 version of Firmware at this time (1.00 and 1.10). This post is a recollection of the differences between them. ============================================================================== From: s0c9 Re: Flextone III Firmware Differences and other Goodies (Long Post) Posted: Oct 24, 2007 10:45 AM in response to: mak1965 we'd LIKE for there to be a NEW firmware version out soon, but we're not holding our breath... There's been no inkling or hints on this from L6, tho' rumors abounded about a possible Flex4 prior to the release of the new "tube" Spider. We eagerly await such an event :)
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