Does the Fractal Deluxe Reverb sound broken to anyone else?

[Blix]

Using Input Trim of .500 or 1.00?

I'll defer to @FractalAudio to answer further if something is incorrect.

I'm not touching the input trim, keeping it at 1.00 aka default unity gain. I've played many Deluxe Reverbs both new and vintage, and none of them did break up with the volume at 3 (2.2 in Axe) using a standard strat.
But if Cliffs amp does, so be it... :)

 

[James Freeman]

Out of curiosity, did you try disabling the power-amp modeling?

 

[Blix]

Out of curiosity, did you try disabling the power-amp modeling?

I tried now, the tone turned flat and didn't sound like a Fender amp anymore. A tad cleaner.

 

[Achilles]

The 20 watt Soldano Astro approves of this message.

 

[Musicknurd]

No, it has other issues that people learned to dismiss as “that’s just the way they are.” In the digital world, you can have a Deluxe that doesn’t fart out when pushed hard if you want.

Not if you're UAD. They literally modeled the "mistakes" of the amp like real fucking idiots.

 

[Frodebro]

Not if you're UAD. They literally modeled the "mistakes" of the amp like real fucking idiots.

It wasn’t really a mistake, the blackface amps were Leo’s final designs before selling the company, and they were meant to be clean amps. Leo didn’t chug. It was us long haired head banging freaks that turned them up and made them distort. The Randy Smith started turning them into flamethrowers…

 

[DLC86]

Anyone who wants fender squeaky cleans on a Fractal should try out the tremolux model, that's probably my favourite amp for this kind of tones.

 

[DrewJD82]

FWIW, when I sold my DRRI a couple weeks ago the guy who bought it plugged in an ES-335 and pretty much immediately past 3 there was some breakup depending on how hard he was playing. I could imagine higher output pickups exaggerating that. If 0 = 1 for the lack of an actual 1, it'd make sense to me that it's distorting at 3 and how much would heavily depend on pickups. With single coils, you'd have to be wailing the strings pretty hard to get it to break up, but it could happen.

 

[FuzzyAce]

If you want cleaner clean, use a Twin Reverb or Super Reverb even. The beauty of the DR is that spanky clean, edge of breakup tone.

 

[metropolis_4]

For me, I’m not looking for clean here, I’m looking for the amp to sound and behave the way it should.

I can’t comment on the new updates until I get a chance to try them. I know there can be a lot of variation from amp to amp, especially with one this old, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Cliffs 65 DR breaks up a little earlier than some of the ones I’ve played.

What I’m most hoping to hear is that weird unnatural distortion gone, and I believe it will be as I did not hear it on the Normal channel before. Was that crossover distortion? What was that?

 

[jazzarian]

@FractalAudio, the official schematic is hard to read.
With the reverb knob at zero there is -27dB attenuation before the third 7025 gain stage, it also lets some high frequencies pass through.
After the third 7025 gain stage the signal goes through a 0.1u+50k HPF, then into a 220k mixer resistor into the phase inverter.
*This post is for general information, or just in case.

View attachment 22138

My ears hear a hint of distortion for a few milliseconds after hitting a single note. Same with the Twin Reverb model. They actually "modeled" this as "desirable". I never noticed a Twin or Deluxe making that sound in real life. I would have a completely different opinion of the real amps if they did exhibit this behavior.

The fix? Switch to Jazz Chorus JC-120 model. Your hollowbodies will thank you.

Yeah it's a cop-out for mediocre Fender models that Fractal should fix.

 

[Mongillo19]

My ears hear a hint of distortion for a few milliseconds after hitting a single note. Same with the Twin Reverb model. They actually "modeled" this as "desirable". I never noticed a Twin or Deluxe making that sound in real life. I would have a completely different opinion of the real amps if they did exhibit this behavior.

The fix? Switch to Jazz Chorus JC-120 model. Your hollowbodies will thank you.

Yeah it's a cop-out for mediocre Fender models that Fractal should fix.

I do think Cliff has stated one of the Fenders (can't recall which one) is his favorite amp? Or a highly regarded one. He is very insistent that the model is very accurate.

 

[jazzarian]

I do think Cliff has stated one of the Fenders (can't recall which one) is his favorite amp? Or a highly regarded one. He is very insistent that the model is very accurate.

I know. I know.

I think he actually owns the Fenders he has modeled. Perhaps somebody sold him crappy amps? Maybe he's too cheap to change tubes?

Sorry to be so glib but it seems inexplainable. I've seen George Benson with a Twin Reverb, center stage.

 

[Mongillo19]

I know. I know.

I think he actually owns the Fenders he has modeled. Perhaps somebody sold him crappy amps? Maybe he's too cheap to change tubes?

Sorry to be so glib but it seems inexplainable. I've seen George Benson with a Twin Reverb, center stage.

Oh I know! Just thought I'd relay FAS views it as correct (for whatever if it's worth ).

They are always making corrections so maybe one is in the works!

I also think the whole amp in the room vs a model is hard to compare. I have no doubt the twin reverb you heard was vastly different than the fractal model

 

[la szum]

Yeah, a Deluxe breaking up is about as smooth as what happens to your tailpipe after a night of drinking and Taco Bell.

Well, it’d be smooth if it weren’t for the combustion tank pushing it out at 50mph and a frightened anus all too familiar with hangover Fire Sauce.

Geesh! I'll never look at a Deluxe Reverb the same way.

 

[la szum]

I'm not touching the input trim, keeping it at 1.00 aka default unity gain. I've played many Deluxe Reverbs both new and vintage, and none of them did break up with the volume at 3 (2.2 in Axe) using a standard strat.
But if Cliffs amp does, so be it... :)

I find a lot of the Models in the Fractal to not have precise correspondences with the
Volume (on NMV amps) and Master Volumes of the actual amps they are modeled
on. I believe there is a reason for this that has been mentioned by Cliff. I just don't
happen to recall what it is.

 

[djd100]

I find a lot of the Models in the Fractal to not have precise correspondences with the
Volume (on NMV amps) and Master Volumes of the actual amps they are modeled
on. I believe there is a reason for this that has been mentioned by Cliff. I just don't
happen to recall what it is.

Amp knobs start at at "1" (1-10), Axe starts at "0" (0-10).

So now we need knobs that to go to 12, "it's one more itn't it" (Axe already goes to 11)?

I kid...

 

[0XI0]

I believe there is a reason for this that has been mentioned by Cliff. I just don't
happen to recall what it is.

because... the fractal hasn't fractaled that far yet. annnnnd nobody making any less money off a model that nobody making any money off of

 

[jazzarian]

Oh I know! Just thought I'd relay FAS views it as correct (for whatever if it's worth ).

They are always making corrections so maybe one is in the works!

I also think the whole amp in the room vs a model is hard to compare. I have no doubt the twin reverb you heard was vastly different than the fractal model

There's a video of Peter Bernstein playing a twin, in a band with Brad Mehldau on piano. I think the song was "Jive Coffee". Jazz guitar just doesn't sound finer.

 

[GTR37]

because... the fractal hasn't fractaled that far yet. annnnnd nobody making any less money off a model that nobody making any money off of

View attachment 22788

I used to think some of Timbuck3 posts came across as a bit odd and hard to follow, but you have really up the ante here

Well done