I have to disagree here. You can have four different delay settings that you can switch between within a preset, but you can't have 4 different delays or amps or whatever running at once. Saying that it can do 4 delays in a preset is about the same as saying that it's half as powerful as an Axe-Fx III. You need a GIANT ASTERISK AFTER THAT STATEMENT lol
Fractal Audio Systems AM4 - Amp Modeler
- Thread starter BROCKSTAR
- Start date
![[Nathan]](/data/avatars/m/0/613.jpg?1726885163){kind=avatar}
[Nathan]
Shredder
- Messages
- 1,071
You can drive this car across America on one tank of petrol*
*that needs to be refilled at the gas station
- Messages
- 10,016
Yes, absolutely this.
It is one delay in one preset, with that one delay having 1 of 4 algorithms that can be loaded and selected. Describing it as 4 delays in one preset is disingenous, because it heavily implies you can use all 4 delays at once if you wanted to; which is not the case.
GTR37
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,841
No but in most cases it still exceeds what the competition does and it has use cases
You can have a fender deluxe and a Klon
Or a Plexi/ Screamer or An Archon/ horizon drive
I don’t see anything there that I would call misleading if people do a bit of research (not you) into what they are buying there would be no surprised
Fractal is also the only one and I know of that can do this
With channels even with the entry AM4
There is nothing disengenious there in my option it works as advertised
[Nathan]
Shredder
- Messages
- 1,071
I advocate that a person should do their research but cmon. Saying you can have 4 amps in a preset implies it’s using quad amps at a time. Not one amp slot with 4 alternates which can only be used one at a time.
Fractal is amazing and I’ll sing its praises all day long, but if this rhetoric was used by Kemper or qc they’d get shredded for the technicality
- Messages
- 10,016
Let's just be clear that it isn't Fractal who are describing it this way. It is over eager fans who want to paint the AM4 in a certain light.
I do agree it is an exceptionally impressive product. But let's stick to the facts.
That's how Fractal are describing it. Users should follow suit.
[Nathan]
Shredder
- Messages
- 1,071
Yeah, nothing wrong with their wording, all of this makes sense
Boudoir Guitar
Rock Star
- Messages
- 5,176
Areas where AM4 utterly destroys Stomp -- like, just obliterates it. And I like Helix, but:
(1). reverbs. All of them. Honestly, a VP4 is almost worth its price as a reverb pedal.
(2). rotary. Helix rotary options are all abysmal.
Other effects I can see some people getting nitpicks about one over the other, but man, the reverbs in Fractal are just SOOOOOOO good and extensive, and the rotary effects in Helix are just SOOOOOO bad that there's no comparison.
If you're trying to use these devices as something kind of like "a UA amp pedal, but with lots of options instead of just one amp" and the UA Dream is one you want to be able to cover the AM4 kills because its spring reverb and tremolos are SO. GOOD. And amp channels let's you cover variety of black panel, tweed and/or brown panel all in one preset:
block 1 drive; block 2 spring reverb; block 3 tremolo; block 4 amp.
Enigmatic for your Dumble goodness in one preset -- you've got enough room to add in your fave Robben Ford slap delay to make it realer.
Lion: For straight Hendrix fun you can do Fuzz, Wah, Vibe, Amp. Or Fuzz,
(2) given the limited nature of the foot switch configuration and there only being 4 scenes - the idea you propose is effectively like setting up different presets with those amp/drive combinations.
There are times when Stomp wins (if you want a delay or verb both in front of and after the amp in one patch).
(1). reverbs. All of them. Honestly, a VP4 is almost worth its price as a reverb pedal.
(2). rotary. Helix rotary options are all abysmal.
Other effects I can see some people getting nitpicks about one over the other, but man, the reverbs in Fractal are just SOOOOOOO good and extensive, and the rotary effects in Helix are just SOOOOOO bad that there's no comparison.
If you're trying to use these devices as something kind of like "a UA amp pedal, but with lots of options instead of just one amp" and the UA Dream is one you want to be able to cover the AM4 kills because its spring reverb and tremolos are SO. GOOD. And amp channels let's you cover variety of black panel, tweed and/or brown panel all in one preset:
block 1 drive; block 2 spring reverb; block 3 tremolo; block 4 amp.
Enigmatic for your Dumble goodness in one preset -- you've got enough room to add in your fave Robben Ford slap delay to make it realer.
Lion: For straight Hendrix fun you can do Fuzz, Wah, Vibe, Amp. Or Fuzz,
(1) with delays/cerbs/etc. trails are very different with channels than with “4 delays”
(2) given the limited nature of the foot switch configuration and there only being 4 scenes - the idea you propose is effectively like setting up different presets with those amp/drive combinations.
There are times when Stomp wins (if you want a delay or verb both in front of and after the amp in one patch).
JiveTurkey
Goatlord
- Messages
- 22,320
I love the Stadium. Full stop. I've gotten some solid replacements dug up in all the other effects categories for the most part. But the rotaries are an absolute abomination.
- Messages
- 10,016
Y'see, mod effects generally don't bother me too much. I rarely use them, so I don't really care about the quality beyond "can this do swooshy swoosh into the front end of my amp?"
On the last TNBD album, there's a bit where I used the pattern tremolo on the Strymon Mobius, with a specific glitchy pattern, inspired by that Audioslave song; Shadow on the Sun I think it is.
The Helix has a similar pattern tremolo, but only 8 programmable steps. Any time I used to play it live, I definitely felt the difference in the rhythm and how it interacted with the rest of the song. I used to just tolerate it for the sake of floor space.
That's kind of the problem with multi's really. If you have a particular preference for a certain effect type, or pedal, or implementation.... you're kinda shit outta luck. I'm like that with the Boss RV-5 modulate mode. There just isn't a reverb in any of these multi's - Fractal included - that sound as good as it. And it's a bloody algorithm written in the early 2000's.
Even the modern day Boss reverbs that have modulate modes, sound like complete shit next to the RV-5.
On the last TNBD album, there's a bit where I used the pattern tremolo on the Strymon Mobius, with a specific glitchy pattern, inspired by that Audioslave song; Shadow on the Sun I think it is.
The Helix has a similar pattern tremolo, but only 8 programmable steps. Any time I used to play it live, I definitely felt the difference in the rhythm and how it interacted with the rest of the song. I used to just tolerate it for the sake of floor space.
That's kind of the problem with multi's really. If you have a particular preference for a certain effect type, or pedal, or implementation.... you're kinda shit outta luck. I'm like that with the Boss RV-5 modulate mode. There just isn't a reverb in any of these multi's - Fractal included - that sound as good as it. And it's a bloody algorithm written in the early 2000's.
Even the modern day Boss reverbs that have modulate modes, sound like complete shit next to the RV-5.
JiveTurkey
Goatlord
- Messages
- 22,320
It totally makes sense if it's a standalone pedal with some special/specific sound/algo. The problem is if you can get what you want out by just dropping in the block at default settings in the chain of another multi-fx box; you should be able to do the same thingelsewhere in the same general manner provided it's basic stuff.
We give Boss grief around here but I will say they do have some excellent effects. The dual pitch is great for the greasy stuff, you are always shining up the RV5, the Boss rotary is excellent as well as a lot of their delays.
We give Boss grief around here but I will say they do have some excellent effects. The dual pitch is great for the greasy stuff, you are always shining up the RV5, the Boss rotary is excellent as well as a lot of their delays.
JiveTurkey
Goatlord
- Messages
- 22,320
To keep on topic; I will end up with an AM4 next year most assuredly.
I agree about the rotaries. They could use some improvement.
EOengineer
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,128
JiveTurkey
Goatlord
- Messages
- 22,320
The couple of threads I dug up on them I had to do a double take and look at the oddball workarounds and routing/tweaks required vs. just dropping in a Boss or Fractal rotary block dead stock into a series signal chain.
laxu
Rock Star
- Messages
- 8,325
For sure. The flipside is that the multifx unit allows for a lot of convenience that you don't get with pedals. Routing, switching is massively easier.
Like my Strymon pedalboard does just about all the fx I want, in the way I want, with mostly all parameters on their own knobs. But it is significantly more effort to program all the switching for it via MIDI.
yeky83
Roadie
- Messages
- 992
- Messages
- 10,016
Indeed. And extra noise and all the rest of it too.
- Messages
- 10,016
It always makes me laugh when I think about the time some absolute weapon on Facebook told me that the audience wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a spring reverb and a hall reverb.
JiveTurkey
Goatlord
- Messages
- 22,320
With the reverbs; I am verrrrrrrrrry lucky I am a know nothing about them. I just find something in the list of availables that sits right with my ears and adjust the mix value. It's definitely a bit more difficult with the Stadium but I do find myself grabbing some combinations in the factory presets that sound nice to my ears and adding those to favorites then tweaking there.
Similar threads
