Fractal Audio Systems AM4 - Amp Modeler

[Sascha Franck]

Put one of these in the loop of my Stadium and I have best of both worlds.

And you'd end up with around 8ms of latency (in case the AM4 is similar to the FM3).

 

[ian_dissonance]

Quoting Cliff:

"The idea is you put your pre effects before the unit and your post effects (should you need any) in the insert. The outputs of the AM4 are balanced and designed to be sent directly to FOH and/or monitors. If you just put your post effects after the unit you would then need a DI to go to FOH."

Sure, but what if I have a post delay that I want before the reverb in the AM4 but after the amp. I get it, it’s a limited function device. But that is an odd choice.

 

[Sedaxel]

I can still get a used FM3 over here (EU) for less than a new AM4 but I get what you're saying - it's a very attractive offering. I love that it has SPDIF - big WIN.

In Spain, the AM4 goes for 910€. Yeah, it´s not cheap. It looks great, though...

 

[FractalAudio]

Note: Whatever you put in the inserts doesn't get recorded when recording with the AM4.

"NOTE: The insert is fixed in hardware and cannot be repositioned or switched on/off. It applies only to the main outs and is not heard on USB, SPDIF, or headphones."

It IS heard in the headphones. That's a mistake in the manual.

 

[Orvillain]

Put one of these in the loop of my Stadium and I have best of both worlds.

Yeah you definitely could. But IMHO, the Stadium amp sims totally hang with the Fractal ones. The effects though? Not so much. I think Fractal on the whole has better effects. So... I think VP4 is more suitable. There again, if you didn't need total FX domination... AM4 gives you amps and effects to mess around with.

 

[FractalAudio]

Sure, but what if I have a post delay that I want before the reverb in the AM4 but after the amp. I get it, it’s a limited function device. But that is an odd choice.

Delay and reverb are essentially linear time invariant so the order doesn't matter.

 

[laxu]

@FractalAudio Any chance of Plex Delay block getting added? Even by excluding or downgrading the most demanding models? I know for many it's a favorite.

Or were the other delay blocks excluded because there's not enough DSP for that many delay lines?

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I already said so: I've been using the loops of whatever modeling units to insert things since ages, be it just a dirt pedal, a preamp (in 4CM) or even some more complexed things (sometimes even with "sub-loops". Been doing so with the GT-10, Helix Floor, HX Stomp and now the GT-1000s (and very obviously with all loopswitcher setups I was using inbetween). Every single modeler in this kinda league would allow me doing so, the AM4 is not.

You seem to be thinking of this as "Why did Fractal implement the effects loop in this strange and different way." That seems wrong to me. Fractal specifically chose NOT to include an effects loop, likely for price reasons.

 

[Orvillain]

Delay and reverb are essentially linear time invariant so the order doesn't matter.

Depends if they have soft clipping or some kind of clipping stages built in I guess ???

 

[HotRats]

You seem to be thinking of this as "Why did Fractal implement the effects loop in this strange and different way." That seems wrong to me. Fractal specifically chose NOT to include an effects loop, likely for price reasons.

I'm sure he's just saying that this product dosen't meet his needs & habits. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I'm sure he's just saying that this product dosen't meet his needs & habits. Nothing more, nothing less.

Right, but "I really wish they had been able to include an fx loop" is a different perspective than 'gawd, why did they choose to configure the effects loop in this weird way?".

 

[FractalAudio]

@FractalAudio Any chance of Plex Delay block getting added? Even by excluding or downgrading the most demanding models? I know for many it's a favorite.

Or were the other delay blocks excluded because there's not enough DSP for that many delay lines?

The choice of effects was so that you couldn't overload the processor. Running a Reverb and a Plex plus the Amp block would exceed the processor's bandwidth.

Engineering is all about tradeoffs. It's a constant juggle between price, size, features, power consumption and performance. As such, no product will be perfect for everybody. In an ideal world DSPs would use no power and have infinite clock speeds. Until then products will have to make compromises.

At some point we can revisit the effects inventory.

 

[HotRats]

Right, but "I really wish they had been able to include an fx loop" is a different perspective than 'gawd, why did they choose to configure the effects loop in this weird way?".

It's just words about a (luxury) product we might or might not buy for our own amusement or to do our job.
There's no need to analyze other's people opinions that deep.

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

I guess the only way to make everyone happy is:

VP6 / AM6

(for the turbo kitchen sink folk)

 

[laxu]

I guess the only way to make everyone happy is:

VP6 / AM6

(for the turbo kitchen sink folk)

FM4...

 

[Sascha Franck]

You seem to be thinking of this as "Why did Fractal implement the effects loop in this strange and different way." That seems wrong to me. Fractal specifically chose NOT to include an effects loop, likely for price reasons.

No, I perfectly understand the purpose of the FX loop as is.
But there could as well be an option similar to what's on the VP4, which actually allows you to decide for yourself whether you want to sacrifice stereo operation for a freely placeable insert, so you could as well go for 4CM setups or - well - just insert a dirt pedal or two.
And as far as the price reasons go, hmmmhmmm... As said, it's possible on the VP4, which is somewhat in the same price bracket.
Let alone this isn't anything esoteric but a functionality every other modeler supplies.

 

[Orvillain]

Once my cashflow is a bit better, I'll look at getting one of these for the studio. I have the Axe III, but I know from the VP4, the editing on these smaller more refined units is more to my taste on the hardware. I know the Axe III can do anything you throw at it pretty much, but sometimes I just can't be arsed with Axe Edit.

 

[iaresee]

All my Fractal amp tones, and a guitar, and the cables in one bag on my back.

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

All my Fractal amp tones, and a guitar, and the cables in one bag on my back.

View attachment 55460View attachment 55459

Ah man, that is proper awesome. Makes so much sense.

ps. Congrats to everyone at @FractalAudio on the new release btw, this is turning into a great new product line. =)

 

[banned]

The choice of effects was so that you couldn't overload the processor. Running a Reverb and a Plex plus the Amp block would exceed the processor's bandwidth.

Engineering is all about tradeoffs. It's a constant juggle between price, size, features, power consumption and performance. As such, no product will be perfect for everybody. In an ideal world DSPs would use no power and have infinite clock speeds. Until then products will have to make compromises.

At some point we can revisit the effects inventory.

Hope you can enable the Plex delay at some point