Fractal Audio Systems mystery product speculation

[Achilles]

Hey I hate that my pedal power supply doesn't have an on/off switch!

I love the one the NanoCortex came with.
Amazingly, it not only turns off the box but also my entire rack!
Lights up red to remind me to shut it down too.

 

[GreatGreen]

Which is not mutually exclusive to modernizing a UI. Just because e.g. Fender managed to release a shite UI "in modernity" doesn't mean that any deviation from "VCR" should be met with suspicion.

That's fair. What kind of modern elements do you think would benefit Fractal's UI?

 

[GreatGreen]

Yeah but on the Axe3 using hardware only, putting together your layout takes bloody aggggeeeessssss. For something that sits on a pedalboard with a QC or HX Stomp, along with a few other pedals and a valve amplifier - potentially in 4-cable-method - I just don't think many people are looking for that kind of depth or complexity.

One parallel path would do most people. Like the original FX8.

View attachment 29881

I agree with you there. The only thing I'd say about how long it takes to make a patch like the one I made is that if you save it to a template patch, you only need to do it once. Or you could download my patch from Axe-Change and not have to do it manually at all.

But I do see your point about an effects-only product like the AX8 that's meant to sit on a board alongside other pedals not needing as much complexity. I agree that a parallel routing option would probably do fine for most people. BUT, people can be creative. You never know what might've been if the option is never presented.

 

[nicolasrivera]

*****WALL WART*****








Just needed to get that off my chest.

QuadCortex owners are going crazy!!!!

 

[mbenigni]

That's fair. What kind of modern elements do you think would benefit Fractal's UI?

I mean, there's obviously no short answer to this question. We'd have to start by asking a few questions: What product are we trying to improve? Are we talking about firmware improvements to an existing product, or hardware and firmware changes for a future product? What are our budgetary restrictions? Etc.

A very, very short answer based on my own personal preferences would be: See QC as a point of reference. It's not perfect, but in broad strokes it's mostly what I'd recommend. (I know you hate touchscreens; some folks do for whatever reason. IMO there's no way to present as much information and as much context-sensitive interactivity in such a small footprint.)

This doesn't mean that I'd dumb down an FMx to make it suit the QC UI exactly as-is. You could, for instance, present a full FM-style grid on a touchscreen rather than the QC/HX-style 4x lanes. (Some creativity would be required to devise a way for the use to select and shunt between blocks.)

I could go on and on about streamlining menus, eliminating or renaming physical controls that are ambiguous vs. other physical controls, optimizing positioning of physical controls, etc. But I've done a lot of that already - probably in this very thread.

 

[Achilles]

an effects-only product

Funny, if no hints had been dropped, no scuttlebutt, no Fractal artist teases, etc., and everyone just woke up tomorrow
to a 100% surprise announcement that FAS just introduced a 4 button multi-FX floor/desk unit to compete at the same price
point as the large box FX offerings from Keeley, Wampler, Strymon, Meris, Walrus, etc., every single Fractal fan on this board
would have to change their shorts as soon as their hyperventilating died down.



me too!

 

[mbenigni]

I love the one the NanoCortex came with.
Amazingly, it not only turns off the box but also my entire rack!
Lights up red to remind me to shut it down too.



View attachment 29882

The power supply that came with my QC is even better. On/off switch, lights, and it'll run the QC for about 20 hours... in a blackout!

 

[holoholo]

Ui again?

 

[mbenigni]

Ui again?

Considering that everyone here loves everything about the way FAS products sound already, is there really anything else to talk about?

 

[Mongillo19]

The power supply that came with my QC is even better. On/off switch, lights, and it'll run the QC for about 20 hours... in a blackout!

Do you have it on a board?

 

[yeky83]

I mean, there's obviously no short answer to this question. We'd have to start by asking a few questions: What product are we trying to improve? Are we talking about firmware improvements to an existing product, or hardware and firmware changes for a future product? What are our budgetary restrictions? Etc.

A very, very short answer based on my own personal preferences would be: See QC as a point of reference. It's not perfect, but in broad strokes it's mostly what I'd recommend. (I know you hate touchscreens; some folks do for whatever reason. IMO there's no way to present as much information and as much context-sensitive interactivity in such a small footprint.)

This doesn't mean that I'd dumb down an FMx to make it suit the QC UI exactly as-is. You could, for instance, present a full FM-style grid on a touchscreen rather than the QC/HX-style 4x lanes. (Some creativity would be required to devise a way for the use to select and shunt between blocks.)

I could go on and on about streamlining menus, eliminating or renaming physical controls that are ambiguous vs. other physical controls, optimizing positioning of physical controls, etc. But I've done a lot of that already - probably in this very thread.

AKA everyone loves Axe-Edit, make it portable. AKA FracPad but built-in.

 

[Jarick]

That's entirely possible. This could be Fractal's answer to the big box Strymons, Meris LVX & Mercury X and Eventide H90, rather than competing with the HX Effects.

And I'm all for that, it sucks that Strymon is making separate Bigsky, Timeline and Mobius MX that are overkill for most users instead of putting all those into one box as a dual algorithm pedal.

Fracfecta would be amazing.

With the new leaked pics it makes sense to have DC power. It kinda looks like pass through power?

Glad to hear there’s a loop.

Will be interested to see if they have amp and/or cab modeling.

 

[Orvillain]

Crazy, but if no hints had been dropped, no scuttlebutt, no Fractal artist teases, etc., and everyone just woke up tomorrow
to a 100% surprise announcement that FAS just introduced a 4 button multi-FX floor/desk unit to compete at the same price
point as the large box FX offerings from Keeley, Wampler, Strymon, Meris, Walrus, etc., every single Fractal fan on this board
would have to change their shorts as soon as their hyperventilating died down.



me too!

I'm rutting in it tbh, and having fun.

 

[Orvillain]

AKA FracPad but built-in.

Fractal can do way better than that IMO.

 

[mbenigni]

Do you have it on a board?

I did for a while, then took it off to make the footprint a little smaller for my desk. I'll probably be rebuilding this board with the new QC that just arrived, though:

 

[yeky83]

I did for a while, then took it off to make the footprint a little smaller for my desk. I'll probably be rebuilding this board with the new QC that just arrived, though:

Wireless MIDI & Input?

 

[Gtrsolo]

Had an FM3 then upgraded to FM9. Hope its not something in between those two... I'd probably still stick the FM9. Just love the extra footswitches.
Can't believe I went through 20 pages of this thread this morning lol. Motivated me to finally register here after lurking for the last year.

 

[deadpool_25]

Considering that everyone here loves everything about the way FAS products sound already, is there really anything else to talk about?

At this point I'd take silence.

 

[Mongillo19]

At this point I'd take silence.

At this point I'd take a product announcement

 

[timbuck3]

View attachment 29874

pretty much...maybe gen 2 of this though