Fractal Audio Systems AM4 - Amp Modeler

[Boudoir Guitar]

In use, I'm okay with the hold-amp-switch, then tap switch for desired channel. Ideally they'd implement an option for pressing the amp switch to toggle between channel A and channel B in effect mode, but this works well enough I don't THINK I'd necessarily need an external pedal to make it work in a live/jam setting.

My pretty average size 9 socked feet are...JUST barely wide enough, at their widest point, to allow for hitting two buttons at a time. It's not something I can do quickly. Thankfully, I've got no really reason to need to do it with the mini tuner and access to channels from hold-button.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Mine arrived 2 days earlier than UPS forecast which was a nice surprise.

Spent 10 hours with it 2 of them re-amping tracks.

Big surprise were the clean and edge of breakup tones, especially with a Jazz box.

The UI is a lot easier on unit than either the Ax8, ultra or 2 were.
Actually it’s like an updated FX8 in that respect.

Anyways haven’t had that much fun with since when I first played an Ultra.

https://on.soundcloud.com/y5hPvVO0vGpGBAg0qc

 

[Los-D]

clean and edge of breakup tones

+1

With both my Strat and LP, the clean tones impressed me the most (compared to other modelers / plugins).

 

[iaresee]

Big surprise were the clean and edge of breakup tones, especially with a Jazz box.

Have you not played any of the Gen 3-based using (III, FM9, FM3) up until now?

 

[R590]

AM4 Faux Nocturne Block - I basically just used diffusion on my Faux Halo block to get in the neighborhood of the Keeley Nocturne Pedal.

Some rough parameters to pedal knob mappings:

AM4 parameter | Keeley Nocturne knob
Master Feedback => Decay
Tone => High cut
HPF => Low cut
Master Time => Pre-delay
LFO 1 Mod Depth => Modulation

Here's with Master Feedback set to 200%:

I randomly watched Terminator a couple of weeks ago for the first time in ages. Great movie and great delay!

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Have you not played any of the Gen 3-based using (III, FM9, FM3) up until now?

I have not. I felt the need to go back to amps after like a decade+ of using the stuff.

 

[Cactusprick]

AM4 Faux Nocturne Block - I basically just used diffusion on my Faux Halo block to get in the neighborhood of the Keeley Nocturne Pedal.

Some rough parameters to pedal knob mappings:

AM4 parameter | Keeley Nocturne knob
Master Feedback => Decay
Tone => High cut
HPF => Low cut
Master Time => Pre-delay
LFO 1 Mod Depth => Modulation

Here's with Master Feedback set to 200%:

 

[Cactusprick]

I resuscitated fucken dying Santa myself. Just ordered AM4. Life is beautiful.

 

[Orvillain]

I have not. I felt the need to go back to amps after like a decade+ of using the stuff.

Somehow Ed, I'd always thought you had an Axe3 !! Weird. Anyway, yeah... Axe3/FM9/FM3/AM4 .... the amp modelling is genuinely top tits. I hope you enjoy the new unit!

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Somehow Ed, I'd always thought you had an Axe3 !! Weird. Anyway, yeah... Axe3/FM9/FM3/AM4 .... the amp modelling is genuinely top tits. I hope you enjoy the new unit!

Nuh, never went past the 2mk2.
At the same time I had at one point 2 ultras, the 2 and the fx8.
Plus a bunch of the Fractal/Atmuc Reactirs.
I think I had 6 of those.
A lot of it had to do with the constant “it now washes whiter” from the fan base.

Plus I got bored of modeling at the same time as getting bored with the MkV and 2 Lone Stars I used at that time as well. Lol

Also really like that I didn’t need to read manual for this using on device editing.
And the editor is also a lot more fx8 than axefx which I like.

God thing I’m no fx junkie otherwise I’d be jonesing for a vp4 lol.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

 

[Electric I]

Question : can you have cab but no power amp on one output and power amp + cab on the other?

If so, per preset or globally?

Had a look at the manual and it doesn’t seem clear.

P.s. absolutely loving.the AM4. One of, if not the best, gear purchases I’ve ever made.

 

[EOengineer]

Question : can you have cab but no power amp on one output and power amp + cab on the other?

If so, per preset or globally?

Had a look at the manual and it doesn’t seem clear.

P.s. absolutely loving.the AM4. One of, if not, the best gear purchases I’ve ever made.

No. The split outs give you the full amp model with poweramp. One side has the IR applied, the other does not.

 

[iaresee]

I have not. I felt the need to go back to amps after like a decade+ of using the stuff.

Well, I'm curious to read what you think having been away for so long and having been so deep into the previous generations of the hardware.

 

[Electric I]

No. The split outs give you the full amp model with poweramp. One side has the IR applied, the other does not.

Thank you.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

(And yeah, I just made a car reference).

Better than a "modelers are like fake boobs" reference.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Well, I'm curious to read what you think having been away for so long and having been so deep into the previous generations of the hardware.

Right I feel like a dumb ass of not having checked out the III when it came out.
lol

 

[paisleywookiee]

Right I feel like a dumb ass of not having checked out the III when it came out.
lol

It's not like you didn't have anything cool to play, in the meantime.

 

[Dez]

I live in London. Fucking shit hole of a city. Every time I leave it, a little piece of my soul is restored, and I want to come back less and less.

I feel the same with every city, to be honest.

 

[Desertdweller]

In use, I'm okay with the hold-amp-switch, then tap switch for desired channel. Ideally they'd implement an option for pressing the amp switch to toggle between channel A and channel B in effect mode, but this works well enough I don't THINK I'd necessarily need an external pedal to make it work in a live/jam setting.

This is a design flaw I’m surprised they didn’t iron out between the VP4 release and the AM4. Having to hold to bank up, or having to hit two buttons, hit a button for scenes or effects, wait 2 seconds, then be able to select the scene or effect is problematic at best in a live performance. There should be a fifth button - to switch between presets/effects or presets/scenes.

This is why I racked my VP4 and I use another MIDI controller to control it.