Fender Tone Master Pro: Episode IV - A New Hope

The other post Max made said it’d be better for customers to think of January as the starting month rather than the actual purchase date, which moves the update to around July.

A 2 month delay isn’t nearly as alarming to me as the people who had no problem signing up here to talk shit while defending the TMP being some of the same ones bawling their eyes out. If they like the thing that much, is 60 days going to change all that?

I mean, I shit on some Fractal users for crying, but holy fuck.
 
The other post Max made said it’d be better for customers to think of January as the starting month rather than the actual purchase date, which moves the update to around July.

A 2 month delay isn’t nearly as alarming to me as the people who had no problem signing up here to talk shit while defending the TMP being some of the same ones bawling their eyes out. If they like the thing that much, is 60 days going to change all that?

I mean, I shit on some Fractal users for crying, but holy fuck.
"But but but I don't think the updates you released were updates! Where's the update you promised me at six months with all the shit I'm hoping for?"
 
Some of those whining obviously have never owned an 80’s or 90’s era modeler. Firmware updates? WTF are those? If a device had a bug, you lived with it and the features it shipped with.
 

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A 2 month delay isn’t nearly as alarming to me as the people who had no problem signing up here to talk shit while defending the TMP being some of the same ones bawling their eyes out. If they like the thing that much, is 60 days going to change all that?

I mean, I shit on some Fractal users for crying, but holy fuck.

I signed up here, I like my TMP, I've certainly written some shit, but I don't give a fuck about updates. It's really something I don't understand. It's like all the nonsense about modeler accuracy: guys trying to compare things under conditions that have nothing to do with their normal playing conditions. I think it's also an effect of frenetic frequenting the Internet.

I think the 99% of TMP is there. Update and discussions exist to activate our Pavlovian hormonal reflexes of good customers.
 
Sorry, to my ears, the TMP does not sound like the amps. Not to say there aren't some good sounds in it, there are.
To my ears though, it does not sound, "right".
 
I signed up here, I like my TMP, I've certainly written some shit, but I don't give a fuck about updates. It's really something I don't understand. It's like all the nonsense about modeler accuracy: guys trying to compare things under conditions that have nothing to do with their normal playing conditions. I think it's also an effect of frenetic frequenting the Internet.

I think the 99% of TMP is there. Update and discussions exist to activate our Pavlovian hormonal reflexes of good customers.

I don’t think I’ve seen ya slingin’ any mud? Definitely didn’t have you in mind when I made that post, as I don’t believe you were cryin’ about waiting two more months for the update.

The accuracy part, while I only care about it to a certain point, there seems to be 2 different groups that care about it a lot- those just curious in seeing what the digital world can truly offer and want to hold it to the claims and those who are looking for a 1:1 recreation of their existing rig.
 
Sorry, to my ears, the TMP does not sound like the amps. Not to say there aren't some good sounds in it, there are.
To my ears though, it does not sound, "right".
+1 to this - I only really dive more into the accuracy thing IF something sounds like its wrong. Then it requires some work to understand why it might not be working as its expected (maybe its user error). I'm yet to hear anything from the TMP that sounds as good as basically all of the competition (which can fare well in A/B tests). If the user isn't able to get the model sounding like the real thing, then thats a dealbreaker for me. For TMP to be so far off is kind of interesting to me, because I don't understand how that can happen in 2024 when the bar is so high.
 
The other post Max made said it’d be better for customers to think of January as the starting month rather than the actual purchase date, which moves the update to around July.

A 2 month delay isn’t nearly as alarming to me as the people who had no problem signing up here to talk shit while defending the TMP being some of the same ones bawling their eyes out. If they like the thing that much, is 60 days going to change all that?

I mean, I shit on some Fractal users for crying, but holy fuck.

60 days won't change much, but Fender had an important job when they released the TMP, to turn around their reputation for abandoning digital products, so when it came out they promised it would have frequent updates with new features. I think that's why a lot of people are watching them closely, to see if they will keep their word.
 
I don’t think I’ve seen ya slingin’ any mud? Definitely didn’t have you in mind when I made that post, as I don’t believe you were cryin’ about waiting two more months for the update.

The accuracy part, while I only care about it to a certain point, there seems to be 2 different groups that care about it a lot- those just curious in seeing what the digital world can truly offer and want to hold it to the claims and those who are looking for a 1:1 recreation of their existing rig.
I didn't feel targeted, no problem. Indeed, these are things I'm very far from thinking.

About accuracy, I think these people need to look at profilers. Personally, I'm looking for functional equivalence. And I realised that, for me, "frequency" equivalence does not necessarily imply functional equivalence. Everyone needs to find the device that allows to make his best.
 
60 days won't change much, but Fender had an important job when they released the TMP, to turn around their reputation for abandoning digital products, so when it came out they promised it would have frequent updates with new features. I think that's why a lot of people are watching them closely, to see if they will keep their word.

Sure, but I can’t in any way see how it’s logical for people to start up with “Just what I expected! Abandonware!” before the first update even hits. If a year or two pass and they haven’t done shit, sure, have at it. Especially considering that the reason why it’s delayed is because they pushed out other updates before it.

And one can argue “They shouldn’t have had to push those updates/bug fixes out, it should have shipped that way”, but you’re preaching to the choir and about 3 years too late, as this was my entire gripe with the QC and how I didn’t want to see it become the standard to release incomplete products at full prices.
 
About accuracy, I think these people need to look at profilers. Personally, I'm looking for functional equivalence. And I realised that, for me, "frequency" equivalence does not necessarily imply functional equivalence. Everyone needs to find the device that allows to make his best.
I used to assume that profiling/capturing was optimal in this context, but modellers can actually handle certain complex interactions in a preferable way to what capturing can (where it can only take a snapshot under specific conditions). Being able to adjust all of the amps controls (and cabinet etc) separately, while preserving accuracy is a big appeal of modelling. There are enough modellers that have demonstrated that they can sound at least as accurate as profilers when comparing to the real thing.
 
I have nothing against the TMP or its developers. I know I like to poke fun at it, but let’s be clear here…

If Cliff himself hadn’t pointed out the lack of SIC usage, and YouTubers hadn’t pointed out the lack of accuracy in their A/B comparisons of the EVH model, those issues would have never seen the light, nor would Fender had been pressured into addressing them. In their eyes, the TMP would have been a total success, save for typical bug fixes and planned addition of models and features.

For me, this shows either a lack of due diligence on their part, naivety, or just an attitude that it was “good enough.” Sounds harsh, but for a product that they are still to this day, touting as “the best sounding, most powerful and easiest to use guitar processor ever,” it’s a fair critique.

Now add all these issues to the slow development process and you’re naturally going to have unhappy customers, albeit those who live in this gear bubble. I highly doubt the average guy walking into Guitar Center, who doesn’t live in our gear forum bubble, gives a single shit about speaker impedance curves.

Alas, like I always say, use what inspires you to play guitar and create. I just hope, for the benefit of the people who obsess over every detail of these devices, that they deliver what they promised. Perhaps in the future, they could send someone like @GuitarJon a test unit to put through its paces before releasing to the public.
 
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