Fractal Audio Systems AM4 - Amp Modeler

[PhilA]

I've just had my email and now deciding whether to bite the bullet. Currently running helix LT which would have to be sold to part fund this one. Dilemmas...

My option to buy has arrived and I’ve Confirmed

 

[JiveTurkey]

These Recto blocks ain't gonna make themselves, @JiveTurkey

Guess I better get an AM4! Gotta wait till next year technically for "write-off purposes"

 

[GTR37]

These Recto blocks ain't gonna make themselves, @JiveTurkey

I’ll bet the magic is mostly in the JT industries IR

 

[JiveTurkey]

I’ll bet the magic is mostly in the JT industries IR

I use the 5153 dynacab in that preset! I kicked the JT IR to the curb in both of my modelers!

 

[Richard_G]

I've just had my email and now deciding whether to bite the bullet. Currently running helix LT which would have to be sold to part fund this one. Dilemmas...

Don’t tell anyone - as it’s frowned upon around here - but I sold my HX Stomp to partially fund my AM4…

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

My option to buy has arrived and I’ve Confirmed

Well I’m anticipating that invoice so it ships lol

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

TL; DR

• TI SoC - 66AK2G12ABY100 KeyStone II Multicore
  
  • 1 Arm Cortex-A15 @1GHz
  • 1 C66x DSP @1GHz
• 512 MB DDR3 RAM
• 64 MB + 48MB NOR Flash
• Cirrus Logic CS4272-CZZ Codec - A/D + DAC

Gut shots

View attachment 56084View attachment 56093
View attachment 56085View attachment 56086

TI SoC - 66AK2G12ABY100 KeyStone II Multicore

• 1 Arm Cortex-A15 @1GHz
• 1 C66x DSP @1GHz

View attachment 56092

512 MB DDR RAM - 2 Micron MT41K128M16JT-125:K
View attachment 56091

64 MB NOR Flash - 2 Winbond W25Q256JVEQ
View attachment 56089

Another 48MB of NOR FLASH - 3 Winbond W25Q128JV
128KB EEPROM - Microchip 25LC1024

View attachment 56090

CODEC (DAC - A/D) - Cirrus Logic CS4272-CZZ

View attachment 56087

Digital Transceiver (for S/PDIF) - AKM AK4118AEQ
View attachment 56088

A notable difference between this and FM3 is no vents and seemingly no fan either. Yet...the little I've used mine it seems to kick off a lot less heat than the FM3 did?

Is there any chance this processor was chosen as much for thermal performance than outright number crunching capacity, and maybe the reason that this thing is allegedly pushing FM9 levels of processing but even scaled down to fixed four blocks and only one instance of Reverb/Delay, etc.,still can't do pitch, etc., is also based on thermal calculations more so than "this brain just can't do enough math quick enough for that"?

 

[Los-D]

FYI, hooked up the AM4 to my M-vave Chocolate BT MIDI controller (non-Plus version) via a 1/8" to 1/4" TRS cable from Amazon using the video below (for NC but works for AM4). Working well (still have to figure out how I'm going to set it up).

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Don’t tell anyone - as it’s frowned upon around here - but I sold my HX Stomp to partially fund my AM4…

If you weren't using the effects loop of the Stomp, or ever using more than 3-effects + amp/cab... I'd say that was a perfectly reasonable choice.

There are the "never sell" folks and then there are the rest of us in the "why not sell - if I desperately need one I can buy another without losing more than about $25 in the whole process."

 

[deathbyguitar]

TL; DR

• TI SoC - 66AK2G12ABY100 KeyStone II Multicore
  
  • 1 Arm Cortex-A15 @1GHz
  • 1 C66x DSP @1GHz
• 512 MB DDR3 RAM
• 64 MB + 48MB NOR Flash
• Cirrus Logic CS4272-CZZ Codec - A/D + DAC

Gut shots

View attachment 56084View attachment 56093
View attachment 56085View attachment 56086

TI SoC - 66AK2G12ABY100 KeyStone II Multicore

• 1 Arm Cortex-A15 @1GHz
• 1 C66x DSP @1GHz

View attachment 56092

512 MB DDR RAM - 2 Micron MT41K128M16JT-125:K
View attachment 56091

64 MB NOR Flash - 2 Winbond W25Q256JVEQ
View attachment 56089

Another 48MB of NOR FLASH - 3 Winbond W25Q128JV
128KB EEPROM - Microchip 25LC1024

View attachment 56090

CODEC (DAC - A/D) - Cirrus Logic CS4272-CZZ

View attachment 56087

Digital Transceiver (for S/PDIF) - AKM AK4118AEQ
View attachment 56088

Thanks for posting this. I live for this kind of stuff,

 

[Richard_G]

If you weren't using the effects loop of the Stomp, or ever using more than 3-effects + amp/cab... I'd say that was a perfectly reasonable choice.

There are the "never sell" folks and then there are the rest of us in the "why not sell - if I desperately need one I can buy another without losing more than about $25 in the whole process."

For me the Stomp was only a backup and/or extra grab-and-go solution anyway. Great little unit, though!

Bought it used - it made me able to buy Helix Native with the hardware owner’s discount - sold it for more than I bought it for.

So I can’t complain, having been able to enjoy the Stomp for a while and effectively getting Helix Native almost for free in the process.

 

[AlbertA]

A notable difference between this and FM3 is no vents and seemingly no fan either. Yet...the little I've used mine it seems to kick off a lot less heat than the FM3 did?

Oh yeah? Interesting - I don't have an FM3 so can't compare. I guess it makes sense, there's more I/O, screens, fas-link etc that it needs to drive - it's more than just the DSP/SoC.

Is there any chance this processor was chosen as much for thermal performance than outright number crunching capacity, and maybe the reason that this thing is allegedly pushing FM9 levels of processing but even scaled down to fixed four blocks and only one instance of Reverb/Delay, etc.,still can't do pitch, etc., is also based on thermal calculations more so than "this brain just can't do enough math quick enough for that"?

Its obviously it's part of the equation when designing the product though but I would have a hard time believing that would be the primary design criteria.

Based on the data sheet, the memory controller for the 66AK2G12 is half the bus-width and lower rate than the one in the standalone TMS320C6672 DSP. The memory controller its also shared between the ARM Cortex A15 and the C66x so that's extra contention as well. SRAM configuration is different too - it all contributes to performance. So it's not a completely straightforward "It can do everything that 1 core of a standard Axe-Fx III can do".

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Oh yeah? Interesting - I don't have an FM3 so can't compare. I guess it makes sense, there's more I/O, screens, fas-link etc that it needs to drive - it's more than just the DSP/SoC.


Its obviously it's part of the equation when designing the product though but I would have a hard time believing that would be the primary design criteria.

Based on the data sheet, the memory controller for the 66AK2G12 is half the bus-width and lower rate and the one in the standalone TMS320C6672 DSP. The memory controller its also shared between the ARM Context A15 and the C66x so that's extra contention as well. SRAM configuration is different too - it all contributes to performance. So it's not a completely straightforward "It can do everything that 1 core of a standard Axe-Fx III can do".

Side panels have big regions of perforations; fan on bottom panel with perforations in the panel where the fan is. Also, internal power supply:

FM3 gut shots

I think @LaXu was asking for these? You can see I still haven't shielded my input jack...though I've stepped far away from last summers conspiracy mindedness to think I might just send it back to Fractal to have that work done. Otherwise it's pretty straightforward.

www.thegearpage.net

 

[techjsteele]

Mine arrived about 30 minutes ago. Initial impressions are definitely positive and I was pleasantly surprised by the stock presets. Next step will be to tweak some amp model settings and test it with my pedalboards, but I expect the results of those tests to be positive as well.

I finally had some time to test it out with my mono-wired pedalboard and it honestly surpassed my expectations. I did not hear any noticeable signal degradation (both at the AM4 input and using the AM4 insert loop) and my pedals sounded very clear and alive. Per the AM4 manual, since I was using the insert loop in mono, I used some TS to TRS cables in the insert loop to ensure I had sound in both left and right channels.

At some point in the future, I plan to build a stereo-wired pedalboard and try it out with the AM4.

 

[iaresee]

Oh yeah? Interesting - I don't have an FM3 so can't compare. I guess it makes sense, there's more I/O, screens, fas-link etc that it needs to drive - it's more than just the DSP/SoC.

Power supply and all AC to DC conversion is outside the unit with the AM4.

 

[Fractal M@]

I was pleasantly surprised by the stock presets

Thank you! Presets mostly by yours truly, with a serious assist from Brett "Burgs" Kingman, plus some great in-person cameraderie with Austin Buddy, and of course there are the "signature" banks at the end. Next I'm thinking about converting the "Gift of Tone" amps/cabs for the AM4.

 

[Fractal M@]

I'd argue that the number of people using "Bypass" is going to be like 0.1%; where the number of people that would use A<->B is at least in the 1-5% range.

It wasn’t a matter of “either/or.” Bypass came for free. Toggle was a question of finding time to design and implement a system where a single on/off footswitch could be used for various permutations of four channels without breaking the many other things tied to channels — meanwhile preserving the simple usability that defines the AM4. We may yet come back to it.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

Thank you! Presets mostly by yours truly, with a serious assist from Brett "Burgs" Kingman, plus some great in-person cameraderie with Austin Buddy, and of course there are the "signature" banks at the end. Next I'm thinking about converting the "Gift of Tone" amps/cabs for the AM4.

Yes please

Need any help with anything, you know how to get a hold of me!

 

[GTR37]

Yes please

Need any help with anything, you know how to get a hold of me!

You are going to have to change your name to Blockstar. Soon

 

[jellodog]

CODEC (DAC - A/D) - Cirrus Logic CS4272-CZZ

View attachment 56087

Is that CS4272 the exact same part used in the previous generation Axe-Fx II, or has it been rev'd over the years?

Well I suppose if it ain't broke ...