Fractal Audio Systems AM4 - Amp Modeler

[paisleywookiee]

 

[paisleywookiee]

Yeah, it's a Fractal! Just preliminary futzing with presets and the AM4-Edit, and yeah it's a lot easier to navigate. Even the expert mode seems easier to deal with. Whomever did the pseudo Rockman Clean preset deserves a medal.

 

[banned]

I'm glad I got my AM4 right at the start before this backlog...love my unit and it's not going anywhere but gotta say that the interface could be much improved.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I’ve got no idea wtf Cliff is going to do for an “Axe IV”, in terms of improved amp tones. These are it for me. I mean, usability can always be improved, but the AM4 is a step in the right direction.

How are people attaching this to a board? I’ve got my Dingbat ready!

 

[iaresee]

How are people attaching this to a board?

Dual-Lok

 

[paisleywookiee]

Dual-Lok

With or without feet? If without, do I need new screws?

 

[iaresee]

With or without feet? If without, do I need new screws?

I took the feet off. Put the same screws back.

 

[Richard_G]

With the VP4, I believe Fractal’s advice was to keep the screws off if the feet were removed.

 

[Richard_G]

From the Fractal forum regarding the VP4;

 

[laxu]

Another day, another round with the FM4.

I'm back home and thus way more volume limited. I still hooked the AM4 up to my BluGuitar Amp 1 ME as poweramp -> BluGuitar Nanocab 1x12 + BluGuitar Fatcab 1x12.

Again the AM4 sounded great. Really no complaints about the tones I was getting. Would make for an awesome home rig to just run it into a little poweramp and cab.

Went through a lot of the stock presets too and many of them sound really nice.

Overall I find I have to do very little tweaking compared to many other modelers to get what I want out of it. Sure, I've been using Fractals since 2009 so that helps a ton, but I still feel like the need to tweak it less.

I haven't touched AM4-Edit for a while, so I think that's really positive thing for how well Fractal's UI works now. I tend to just hit Amp mode and tweak something there like 90% of the time, less so for other fx once I have them where I want. All I really want for editing is the ability to go back and forth between blocks with the editor screens open.

The only thing that I regularly get wrong is that I'm in the wrong footswitching mode. E.g swapped presets, think I am in scenes or effects and press the wrong footswitch and activate another preset. I need to setup MIDI for this stuff to put it back at my feet.

 

[yek]

The only thing that I regularly get wrong is that I'm in the wrong footswitching mode. E.g swapped presets, think I am in scenes or effects and press the wrong footswitch and activate another preset. I need to setup MIDI for this stuff to put it back at my feet.

The mode is indicated by the yellow color, but I'd not be against something even more distinctive.

 

[Stratzrus]

Again the AM4 sounded great. Really no complaints about the tones I was getting. Would make for an awesome home rig to just run it into a little poweramp and cab.

That's what I plan to do.

I want an AM4 to pair with my Presonus Eris 4.5 monitors. It should be a fantastic practice and recording rig.

 

[Mooselake]

Another day, another round with the FM4.

I'm back home and thus way more volume limited. I still hooked the AM4 up to my BluGuitar Amp 1 ME as poweramp -> BluGuitar Nanocab 1x12 + BluGuitar Fatcab 1x12.

Again the AM4 sounded great. Really no complaints about the tones I was getting. Would make for an awesome home rig to just run it into a little poweramp and cab.

Once summertime comes around I'll be running my AM4 though the Aux input of my now rather old THR 10c. I auditioned that setup when I first got the AM4 and it sounded pretty sweet, better than my old POD Express setup from the last couple of summers. And that's not to throw shade on the Express--for what it is it does an admirable job). The THR-10c as an FRFR has some limitations, but up in the woods a lot of that seems to be less important.

 

[ChordInversion]

I've been going into my VP4, with it feeding the AM4 by S/PDIF. I make the amp block first in the chain for the AM4, and put delay, reverb, and some modulation (like trem) after the amp. I put dirt and other kinds of modulation (and sometimes a delay) before the amp.

This is it for me. I am selling a ton of gear, and I almost never decide to do that right after buying something. Even my much-beloved Source Audio pedals may not be with me for a lot longer.

 

[Mongillo19]

I've been going into my VP4, with it feeding the AM4 by S/PDIF. I make the amp block first in the chain for the AM4, and put delay, reverb, and some modulation (like trem) after the amp. I put dirt and other kinds of modulation (and sometimes a delay) before the amp.

This is it for me. I am selling a ton of gear, and I almost never decide to do that right after buying something. Even my much-beloved Source Audio pedals may be with me for a lot longer.

 

[ChordInversion]

There's a good chance I won't. I've had those Source Audio pedals for years, and I love their combination of deep dive and simple day to day operation.

But I did tear apart the dedicated board.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Alright, I'll be that guy. I love this thing. I really, really do.

I wish it had 5 blocks. 6 tops. Just 6.

 

[FractalAudio]

Alright, I'll be that guy. I love this thing. I really, really do.

I wish it had 5 blocks. 6 tops. Just 6.

Do I hear 7?

 

[Orvillain]

Testing against my Strymons, and surprisingly for choruses and flangers, I preferred my Zelzah and Deco. They have a fatness to them that I didn't quite get from the AM4, but the Fractal modulations are certainly up there otherwise.

Similar for delays - the Fractal sound is clearer, but I enjoy the Strymon vibe. AM4 has no substitute for the Strymon Volante since there's no multitap delay. But the regular delay block with the tape + 2nd head setting can at least get in a ballpark for the El Capistan.

But being able to just twist a few knobs on the pedals is still several times faster. Maybe if Fractal adds a faster way to go between blocks when editing them they'll be on par for that.

So my hideously expensive Strymon pedalboard is not going anywhere yet. Going to the VP4 would also mean I lose the ability to run things in preposterous 7CM setups with dual amps.

I feel similar yknow. The Fractal stuff is very cool, but there's always a bit of a "flat" sound to the effects... lacking a bit of character. Obviously we could get really annoying about all of the subtleties and what not, but .... it shouldn't really be a case where I prefer a £100 reverb pedal from 2004....

 

[paisleywookiee]

Do I hear 7?

No sir. I am not a greedy man. Just 6.

It's basically your fault, if you think about it. I was going into this thinking I'd supplement with perhaps a delay and/or reverb in the insert. But the delays and reverbs are just so good, that are built-in. So now, I'm trying to figure out how to work things.

If I had even one block more, it'd probably do the trick, because then I could do OD, Amp/Cab, Modulation, Delay, Reverb. OR......I do just an external OD. I don't know. I'll figure it out.

This thing is amazing though.