Fractal Audio Systems mystery product speculation

[laxu]

Hopefully it has a display. Just a preset number will do.

I'd even take the Source Audio "change preset button + 4 LEDS == 4 or 8 presets" system. It works very well.

I'd really love other pedal makers to take cues from those new Walrus Audio pedals. That little display is exactly what would make many digital pedals more convenient to work with.

 

[Piing]

Mañana

 

[paisleywookiee]

Will it take time away from next gen fm work?

Yes, but by the time you’re ready to buy (5 minutes before the heat death of the universe), they’ll be back to working on next gen stuff.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Will it take time away from next gen fm work?

I would imagine this is probably somewhat related -- gives them a chance to try out some new UI approaches.

 

[Joshual-L]

Since Cliff said the FX8 didn't sell well I expect this to be much smaller if it really is an FX only unit, something roughly the size of a Strymon or Plethora X5.
It will be called FX3, FX4 or FX5.

PS: and if this is the case it also means it will have a different UI than that of current fractal devices.

PPS: Andy Wood basically violated his NDA with Fractal so he will be sued now.

I’m sure it was made on purpose…
You know fractal teasing. One word here, one word there, soon etc lol.

 

[nicolasrivera]

Hopefully it has a display. Just a preset number will do.

And do Captures in 5 minutes or less!

 

[Whizzinby]

Fractal has the FX quality to make a killer H90/HXFX/BigSky/Timeline, my only concern would be the form factor and control scheme. Those devices are sleek(er) and have relatively straight forward controls. If they hid the deep parameters in Edit, and just had the basic Mix, Decay, Tone, Speed & Modulation knobs etc. on the actual pedal itself, that would be great. I’d slap a small form factor FAS HXFX in the loop of my JC in a heartbeat.

If it’s using the FM chassis or the FM faceplate controls, not so much…

 

[Orvillain]

Well I just held my Meris MercuryX up to the Axe3. You couldn't fit the Axe3 screen on a Meris sized pedal, along with the knobs, and additional footswitches. So if it has a screen, it is going to be much smaller than what is on the Axe3. Which is perfectly fine. The one on the Meris big box pedals works very well once you get your head around the pages.

I reckon this will be a HX Stomp or HX Effects competitor; without any amp modelling. Just effects only. The FX8 concept but revisited and modernized, hopefully work instant gratification workflow.

 

[the swede]

“All the way to the left”

So the mystery pedal is last (probably)

That supports both an effects only unit as well as the possibility of an amp pedal.

 

[Achilles]

If it's FX only then K.I.S.S.

We've all spent years messing with FX boxes that didn't have tiny screens in them and everyone did fine.
I personally think the new Walrus pedal displays are a joke.
You can get better graphics on a $8.99 Walmart calculator than what those have.

A full blown guitar rig in a box needs a display. A chorus/delay/reverb/load box doesn't imo.
Banks of well lit LEDs should be all you need to keep your place.

Both the Tonex and DD-200 have simplistic screens that really do nothing but take up premium real estate
on the top of the box and add cost.

imo

Nano has 25 capture slots that you navigate with two small banks of 5 LEDs.
First five denote the bank and the second which of the 5 captures you're on within that bank.

Tonex's 9 or 10 digit screen would display the number 1 thru 25 and then whatever corny name you've assigned it,
taking up 5x more space and 10x more cost.

 

[Mongillo19]

“All the way to the left”

So the mystery pedal is last (probably)

That supports both an effects only unit as well as the possibility of an amp pedal.

I hope it includes pre effects as well. Fractal has killer delay reverb mod but I'd love for the whole package

 

[Rock Chalk]

Looks like Andy pretty much gave it away......"so you'll have my delay settings and chorus....but I'm an amp guy...you figure it out"

 

[Achilles]

If it's not, why is he using the Friedman preamp pedal

And his Gearbox!

 

[Orvillain]

I need the announcement to come tomorrow, because if it is going to be a reason to send my QC back, tomorrow is the last day I can do that!! @FractalAudio no pressure

 

[saarangnarayan]

I need the announcement to come tomorrow,

Andy Wood did say “later this month” and tomorrow is the last day of September [insert Billie Joe Armstrong joke here], so there is a chance…

 

[Achilles]

Is this anybody here? This is f-ing hilarious!!

But.... on a serious note, how cool would it be if a the new product announcement came along with links
to Sweetwater, Andertons, etc.
FAS decides for this new SKU only they're going to go with limited dealer distribution......











Son, step away from the crack pipe.............

 

[namathan_zirwir]

weird thing is they said "there is a good chance" they wont have a waitlist. Hasn't pretty much every hardware release they have ever done, had a waitlist?

 

[Mongillo19]

weird thing is they said "there is a good chance" they wont have a waitlist. Hasn't pretty much every hardware release they have ever done, had a waitlist?

More reason to think it's FX only. As cool as it would be, I don't think it would sell the same quantity as their amp modeling units

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I hope it includes pre effects as well. Fractal has killer delay reverb mod but I'd love for the whole package

I hope it includes pre effects as well. Fractal has killer delay reverb mod but I'd love for the whole package

I would think part of the approach to bringing the price and size below “why not just use an FM3?” is streamlining the I/O.

 

[Mongillo19]

I would think part of the approach to bringing the price and size below “why not just use an FM3?” is streamlining the I/O.

If it's effects only (pre and post), it won't even have the same use as the FM3