Fractal Audio Systems AM4 - Amp Modeler

[mikah912]

When my food tastes like shit, I don't ask whether it's because they added real shit to it, or just artificial tastes-like-shit flavoring (yes, I've tried them in parallel with cab block; on their own, etc.).

Any actual qualities about the rotaries that you want to specifically describe?

I'm not here as some blind Line 6 defender, but rather genuinely seeking to understand why it's so bad. Not a big rotary user, but for when I might need one down the road....I'd love to know what to look for.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I'd love to know what to look for.

NOT the one that sounds a lot different than any other rotary effect on the market.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Yeah, hard for Line 6 to compete there when they have almost no entrants in the category. Looks like the new firmware will change that. I don't expect to see an y other Mark amps before Proxy drops, but who knows? The Mark IIC is THAT tone.

As for the rotaries, I have no dogs in that fight. Are the HX ones bad because they all include the speaker cabinet?

I'd say they are competing when offering a $2k modeler, whether they like it or not

For rotary (speaking for myself); pull up any clip of the Boss Rotary or drop the FAS rotary block in your chain. Sound like an organ if played by a guitar, generally speaking. No fuss; not complicated.

 

[AlbertA]

Not exactly Halo - but around the same vibe

 

[AlbertA]

FAS Stealth Blue
I had a very nice chunk going in the span of 15 seconds.
And nice to see all the Reverbs from the Axe-Fx III and still be able to select ultra high quality

And the presets are good (not a surprise since I liked the presets in the Axe-Fx III after they where remade).

Obviously biased since I've had experience with the Axe-Fx ecosystem since 2006 - but editing for me is a breeze on this thing, I'm staying mostly in the simplified view but nice to just hit expert edit, tweak some of the parameters I'm already used to, bam! instant gratifying tone.

 

[Mongillo19]

And the presets are good (not a surprise since I liked the presets in the Axe-Fx III after they where remade).

I know I've said it a bunch but the introduction of dynacabs took the FAS sound to a new level. Since the presets for the AM are all dynacab focused, it is no surprise to me the sound killer. To be honest, I never cared for the III presets but alot of it was corrected once I swapped in a dynacab

 

[sashimi]

I get my fast ‘rotary’ sound from an ehx small clone and I love that sound. I will have to see if I can dial in a similar sound with one of the helix choruses.

Helix rotaries sound kinda jacked up. I don’t have a lot of experience with good rotary sims to compare to though.

 

[GTR37]

This is hands down my favourite FAS product to date for navigation
If this is 25% of what the next Gen brings it will be amazing

 

[GTR37]

Not exactly Halo - but around the same vibe

View attachment 56063
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You should post this Faux Halo block on AM4 preset page to get things started

 

[Mongillo19]

This is hands down my favourite FAS product to date for navigation
If this is 25% of what the next Gen brings it will be amazing

Honestly if they just simply made the screen touch screen and kept the navigation similar, it would be there imo.

Do I hope they improve more UI things for next gen? Of course! But I don't expect them to totally scrap their current UI and this is a nice middle ground

 

[Chocol8]

You can drive this car across America on one tank of petrol*







*that needs to be refilled at the gas station

American gas stations sell gas or diesel, none of that Euro petrol shit!

 

[GTR37]

Honestly if they just simply made the screen touch screen and kept the navigation similar, it would be there imo.

Do I hope they improve more UI things for next gen? Of course! But I don't expect them to totally scrap their current UI and this is a nice middle ground

I 100% think this is the step in between the FM and where they are going , I doubt there will be many surprises
Touchscreen , Bluetooth
IOS , NAM captures, a new Dyn cab engine like Cablab 4 on unit , blocks library on unit
Increased CPU so likely even lower latency

 

[Sascha Franck]

Are the HX ones bad because they all include the speaker cabinet?

Possibly that's one reason, but the algorithm is just wrong. Hear for yourself, same pattern 8 times:
Dry, HX 122 Rotary fast, HX 145 Rotary fast, Logic Rotary fast (couldn't be arsed to take out the pedalboard atm), dry again, HX 122 Rotary slow, HX 145 Rotary slow, Logic Rotary slow (HX Rotaries at default settings with drive all the way down).


To get back on topic: Would be interested to hear the FAS Leslie(s).

 

[JiveTurkey]

The baked in cab sim sounds like the cause of the problem. I don't recall Boss or FAS rotary having that tonal effect with their rotaries.

 

[mikah912]

Possibly that's one reason, but the algorithm is just wrong. Hear for yourself, same pattern 8 times:
Dry, HX 122 Rotary fast, HX 145 Rotary fast, Logic Rotary fast (couldn't be arsed to take out the pedalboard atm), dry again, HX 122 Rotary slow, HX 145 Rotary slow, Logic Rotary slow (HX Rotaries at default settings with drive all the way down).


To get back on topic: Would be interested to hear the FAS Leslie(s).

Thank you, and thanks to @JiveTurkey.

I hear it the difference clearly now between the HX ones and the Logic rotary in terms of sounding like a real organ.

The 122 is the closest, but has a jitteriness to it that gives it away (and that's completely out of control on the 145). Hope they address that soon.

I never used the Fractal ones, but I could see the disappointment if one did and switched away from Fractal to Stadium.

 

[Sascha Franck]

The baked in cab sim sounds like the cause of the problem.

It's defenitely a part of the problem, but the Logic Leslie isn't much different. And there's also quite something else that just sounds wrong in all HX rotaries, they defenitely lack of any kinda "3D-ness", so to say.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I never used the Fractal ones, but I could see the disappointment if one did and switched away from Fractal to Stadium.

If you've used ANY rotary effect, and then try the Helix ones...woof.