Fractal Audio Systems AM4 - Amp Modeler

[banned]

Everything is hooked up and ready to go :) Looks like plane or spaceship stuff in the dark with all of the lights haha. Final picture i think lol.

AM4 and VP4 connected together and hooked into the AXE-FX 3 turbo MKII OUTPUT / INPUT 4 and can be moved around anywhere in the AXE-FX 3 signal path.

Boss vg-800 and Boss gm-800 connected via serial cable together with a Boss gk-5 pickup on my Kiesel Tim Miller M6 guitar and the output from the gm-800 goes into INPUT 2 of AXE-FX 3 and the output from normal guitar jack to the input of AXE-FX 3. These 2 Boss units with the gk-5 hex pickup gives me tons of guitar synth options and different tuning options without the need of actually tuning my guitar and virtual guitars and even extra amps / effects if i want them.

Then I have a Empress Effects ZOIA for more crazy effects in OUTPUT 3 / INPUT 3 that can be moved around anywhere in the AXE-FX 3 signal path.

NOTE: AM4 and VP4 is safe on top of AXE-FX 3. The edges hang off just a little but they're sturdy and besides I use the editors a lot anyway and sit in front of my computer most times.

View attachment 55602

They should gone with a blue color. Would have looked nicer - I think.

 

[bucephalus]

Well despite being very happy with my Synergy rig. I’ve gone on the UK waitlist for one of these.
I can’t imagine this being limiting unless I was doing Adam Wiltzie Stars of the Lid ambient stuff.
Remember the days when we had an amp a cab and a couple of pedals
Anyway my opinion won’t change any minds I’m just looking forward to trying Fractal for the first time. I’m sure if I don’t like it it’ll have good resale value.

Exactly this, at the price even if you only used the amp and cab block and then external pedals it's still frightening good value for the number and quality of the amps

 

[laxu]

If it indeed has a lot of juice, could it be because they’re planning to upgrade it to whatever amp modeling the AxeFX 4: The Quest for Peace gets?

I think a possible development could be NAM support.

 

[banned]

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...m-happy-axe-fx-iii-owner.216991/#post-2730145

I'm gonna guess this one - https://www.ti.com/product/DRA718

So is the AM4 more powerful than the FM3 and about equal to the FM9?

 

[Stratzrus]

I truly need no more gear, and I already have an FM9T, but I'm very close to ordering an AM4 anyway. I have no valid excuse other than the fact that I enjoy playing with musical gear.

For me, I think the FM9 and AM4 would make the perfect pair of modelers to have, providing a wide variety of options from bedroom to the big stage.

I'm going to sell off my other Fractal gear except the FX8 (gotta keep it because of the relays) and the FC-12.

With the AM4 I can go lightweight and with the FM9 and FC-12 with a pair of expression pedals I can't imagine a situation those two pieces of gear together couldn't handle. Something like this (I forget who posted it)...

From lightweight to "go big or go home" just the FM9 and AM4 will cover all of my needs for the foreseeable future.

 

[laxu]

So is the AM4 more powerful than the FM3 and about equal to the FM9?

FM3 and FM9 use Analog Devices DSPs, so architecture is not directly comparable. They have more cores, but half the clock speed of the TI chip used in the AM4.

I always thought Fractal would use Analog Devices for their floor modelers going forward, but it seems TI now offers viable options for those too. That should help with the development of their next gen because they no longer have to port anything, just optimize it.

 

[2112]

Everything is hooked up and ready to go :) Looks like plane or spaceship stuff in the dark with all of the lights haha. Final picture i think lol.

AM4 and VP4 connected together and hooked into the AXE-FX 3 turbo MKII OUTPUT / INPUT 4 and can be moved around anywhere in the AXE-FX 3 signal path.

Boss vg-800 and Boss gm-800 connected via serial cable together with a Boss gk-5 pickup on my Kiesel Tim Miller M6 guitar and the output from the gm-800 goes into INPUT 2 of AXE-FX 3 and the output from normal guitar jack to the input of AXE-FX 3. These 2 Boss units with the gk-5 hex pickup gives me tons of guitar synth options and different tuning options without the need of actually tuning my guitar and virtual guitars and even extra amps / effects if i want them.

Then I have a Empress Effects ZOIA for more crazy effects in OUTPUT 3 / INPUT 3 that can be moved around anywhere in the AXE-FX 3 signal path.

NOTE: AM4 and VP4 is safe on top of AXE-FX 3. The edges hang off just a little but they're sturdy and besides I use the editors a lot anyway and sit in front of my computer most times.

View attachment 55602

Unreal rig. The Gudetama sticker brings it together

 

[LP59]

I always thought Fractal would use Analog Devices for their floor modelers going forward, but it seems TI now offers viable options for those too. That should help with the development of their next gen because they no longer have to port anything, just optimize it.

This is extremely important. AM4 development is greatly streamlined compared to FM3/9.

 

[iaresee]

For me, I think the FM9 and AM4 would make the perfect pair of modelers to have, providing a wide variety of options from bedroom to the big stage.

I'm going to sell off my other Fractal gear except the FX8 (gotta keep it because of the relays) and the FC-12.

With the AM4 I can go lightweight and with the FM9 and FC-12 with a pair of expression pedals I can't imagine a situation those two pieces of gear together couldn't handle. Something like this (I forget who posted it)...

From lightweight to "go big or go home" just the FM9 and AM4 will cover all of my needs for the foreseeable future.

This is my picture of my gear

 

[GTR37]

FM3 and FM9 use Analog Devices DSPs, so architecture is not directly comparable. They have more cores, but half the clock speed of the TI chip used in the AM4.

I always thought Fractal would use Analog Devices for their floor modelers going forward, but it seems TI now offers viable options for those too. That should help with the development of their next gen because they no longer have to port anything, just optimize it.

Well technically those TI chips came out about 9 or 10 years ago now so getting them at lower cost is likely possible and the fact that they have newer more robust chips out likely helps
I suspect based on the game boy. AXE 4 will be 2 TI running double the CPU than the current keystone
Similar to the Line6 Sharc in stadium that Cliff guessed one chip would likely be about the power of the full OG Helix or a bit more

 

[GTR37]

So is the AM4 more powerful than the FM3 and about equal to the FM9?

Shhhhhhh
You will make them raise the price

 

[laxu]

Well technically those TI chips came out about 9 or 10 years ago now so getting them at lower cost is likely possible and the fact that they have newer more robust chips out likely helps
I suspect based on the game boy. AXE 4 will be 2 TI running double the CPU than the current keystone
Similar to the Line6 Sharc in stadium that Cliff guessed one chip would likely be about the power of the full OG Helix or a bit more

I don't think that particular variant of it existed for that long, or else it would have likely gone into the FM3/FM9. Cost is of course a big factor.

Axe-Fx IV will likely move to the C77x (Axe-Fx 3 is C66), which is the next gen chip.

 

[AlbertA]

So is the AM4 more powerful than the FM3 and about equal to the FM9?

Maybe? I haven’t compared cache sizes, RAM speed etc. the SHARC+ also have FIR accelerators so that can offload IR convolution as well

 

[GTR37]

I don't think that particular variant of it existed for that long, or else it would have likely gone into the FM3/FM9. Cost is of course a big factor.

Axe-Fx IV will likely move to the C77x (Axe-Fx 3 is C66), which is the next gen chip.

I think Axe3 came out in 2018
So in development at least a year or 2 prior and in the proto stages they must have known the CPU requirement and what they planned to use
So it’s been a bit

 

[AlbertA]

FM3 and FM9 use Analog Devices DSPs, so architecture is not directly comparable. They have more cores, but half the clock speed of the TI chip used in the AM4.

Right one DSP with dual SHARC+ core at 500Mhz for the FM3 turbo and two of those DSPs for the FM9 turbo (so 2+2 SHARC+ cores at 500MHz)

I always thought Fractal would use Analog Devices for their floor modelers going forward,

Since the VP4 got released it seemed to suggest trying to consolidate on TI instead.

but it seems TI now offers viable options for those too. That should help with the development of their next gen because they no longer have to port anything, just optimize it.

Indeed

 

[AlbertA]

Well technically those TI chips came out about 9 or 10 years ago now so getting them at lower cost is likely possible and the fact that they have newer more robust chips out likely helps

It’s not just the DSP it’s a full on SoC - the ones used in VP4 and AM4 probably got announced probably around 2020 - then it takes time to take them to full production

I suspect based on the game boy. AXE 4 will be 2 TI running double the CPU than the current keystone
Similar to the Line6 Sharc in stadium that Cliff guessed one chip would likely be about the power of the full OG Helix or a bit more

My speculation: https://thegearforum.com/threads/next-gen-fractal-speculation-thread.9071/page-3#post-374965

 

[holoholo]

Not sure if this has been asked earlier. If AM4 is Axe III level modeling, where in the hierarchy does it get firmware updates? Lock step-ish with Axe III? Or trickled down later like how the FM3 is the baby of the group?

 

[Mongillo19]

Not sure if this has been asked earlier. If AM4 is Axe III level modeling, where in the hierarchy does it get firmware updates? Lock step-ish with Axe III? Or trickled down later like how the FM3 is the baby of the group?

Good question! How has the VP4 been in the effects category? I feel like it's comparable to the III?

 

[AlbertA]

Not sure if this has been asked earlier. If AM4 is Axe III level modeling, where in the hierarchy does it get firmware updates? Lock step-ish with Axe III? Or trickled down later like how the FM3 is the baby of the group?

Judging by the speed of VP4 updates right after a FW update of the Axe-FX 3 - I’d say it will trickle down fast.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I think a possible development could be NAM support.