Fractal Audio Systems mystery product speculation

[DLC86]

Didn’t expect this at all! https://www.fractalaudio.com/

Nice try

 

[paisleywookiee]

You'd just keep the editor opened on a tablet (which many people are using anyway, be it for sheets, IEM remote controls and what not)

I guess someone does this. I've never seen a rock band with a bunch of tablets up on stage.

 

[DLC86]

Or maybe you wanted to post this @Elf ? https://www.fractalaudio.com/FM0

 

[Sascha Franck]

I guess someone does this. I've never seen a rock band with a bunch of tablets up on stage.

Well, there's plenty of "non-rock" bands as well. Apart from that, in case each modeler had remote control apps, we might start to see more tablets, regardless of the genre. Just as tablets have pretty much completely replaced paper sheets.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Well, there's plenty of "non-rock" bands as well. Apart from that, in case each modeler had remote control apps, we might start to see more tablets, regardless of the genre. Just as tablets have pretty much completely replaced paper sheets.

Ew. Regardless of genre, the last thing I want to see a live band do is fiddling with their phones/tablets. Just MHO.

 

[norminal]

Didn’t expect this at all! https://www.fractalaudio.com/

FTFY

http://www.fractalaudio.com/mini

Edit: Damn it! @DLC86 beat me to it!

 

[Sascha Franck]

Ew. Regardless of genre, the last thing I want to see a live band do is fiddling with their phones/tablets. Just MHO.

I can promise you wouldn't even notice in 90% of all cases (unless it's meant to be a part of the performance - which would be another "pro" touchscreen point).

 

[DrewJD82]

That last cover band I joined when I learned and programmed 40 songs worth of tones into the FM9 and all the ridiculous tunings/Virtual Capo crap going on, dialed it all in at home at living room volume and didn’t have to tweak a single thing during the next practice at gig volume.

Outside of people who improvise with effects live, I’m never going to wrap my head around “tweak at a gig” when it comes to anything more than an amp/model’s B/M/T.

 

[paisleywookiee]

That last cover band I joined when I learned and programmed 40 songs worth of tones into the FM9 and all the ridiculous tunings/Virtual Capo crap going on, dialed it all in at home at living room volume and didn’t have to tweak a single thing during the next practice at gig volume.

Outside of people who improvise with effects live, I’m never going to wrap my head around “tweak at a gig” when it comes to anything more than an amp/model’s B/M/T.

Valid point. Though there would be times I'd want to tweak beyond that at practice, and I don't really want to half to bring my Mac with me everywhere. I suppose an iPad in that case would be more acceptable though.

 

[[Nathan]]

In all seriousness, the very last place a delicate touch screen belongs to is a club stage floor. Not only that there's a vastly higher risk of damage, no, it's also that, unlike you're a guitar playing dog or ant or whatever, your hands aren't exactly close to that very touchscreen most of the time. In fact, they pretty much never are. You know, this is also why keyboards sit on stands. Or a marimba. They're not placed on the floor for a reason. Right: because they're supposed to be abussd by our greasy paws. With touchscreens it's no different.
So, all things considered, a touchscreen on the floor, making you look like a crawling fool should you have to deal with it inmidst a set, is what I'd call a gross solution. A tablet on a music stand however, placed discretely on the side of the stage is quite something else, namely elegant, easy to use and cost efficient.

How often have you put your foot through a helix or fractal screen on the ground? You can recess a screen to avoid these things.
Guitarists bend down to mess with pedals all the time, it just makes using the device more efficient, speed is key. And obviously desktop folk would benefit from a touch screen and encoders.

Ideally when playing a gig you’d have all your presets/scenes ready to go and crouching down to mess with settings on the fly is either a creative thing or a quick corrective thing. Both of those scenarios I’d rather use a TMP or QC with a touch screen/encoders over Fractals current setup on an FM3

Companion app requires another device to have on you (and charged), potential connection issues and somewhere to place it. I can see some scenarios where this could work well but super not ideal for punk/metal gigs. I don’t hate the thought of a companion app but it should be a mirror of what the device can already do, a bonus option like what the TMP has. When you’ve got settings hidden via the companion app only like the kemper profile player or the uafx pedals it kind of sucks

 

[mbenigni]

In all seriousness, the very last place a delicate touch screen belongs to is a club stage floor. Not only that there's a vastly higher risk of damage, no, it's also that, unlike you're a guitar playing dog or ant or whatever, your hands aren't exactly close to that very touchscreen most of the time. In fact, they pretty much never are. You know, this is also why keyboards sit on stands. Or a marimba. They're not placed on the floor for a reason. Right: because they're supposed to be abussd by our greasy paws. With touchscreens it's no different.
So, all things considered, a touchscreen on the floor, making you look like a crawling fool should you have to deal with it inmidst a set, is what I'd call a gross solution. A tablet on a music stand however, placed discretely on the side of the stage is quite something else, namely elegant, easy to use and cost efficient.

This is less an argument against touchscreens on the floor and more an argument against any controls of any kind whatsoever on the floor.

I like the idea of keeping controls on a separate (or detachable) surface, though. It's just hard to pull off effectively, which is why I've gone the desktop processor plus footcontroller route. (QC, AxeFX III, Helix Rack - even Kemper Toaster - would all fit the bill in varying degrees.)

 

[norminal]

On-board Blocks Library or GTFO!

Still can’t wrap my head around this omission. I’d gladly give up half of the 1,000,000,000,000 preset or IR slots to have this feature implemented.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Do these actually have iOS/Android editors?

For the extra functions yes. Dunno about android
Only non iOS or osx I have is windows on bootcamp when I need sequoia

 

[Orvillain]

Half of the reason I'm looking at an FM9 MKII Turbo is that I prefer to bend down to setup my patches and tweak parameters, rather than be expected to deal with a rack on stage.

In many many many ways, Helix has trained my expectations and workflows - I've been using it live since 2016 !!

 

[Orvillain]

On-board Blocks Library or GTFO!

Still can’t wrap my head around this omission. I’d gladly give up half of the 1,000,000,000,000 preset or IR slots to have this feature implemented.

ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY!!!

I'd give up every single dyna-cab slot and all but 1 IR slot to have that. I'd give up 200 of the in built amps too, and I'd throw the resonator, rotary effects, and most of the modulation effects in the bin too!!

Genuinely blows my mind that you can't save block presets on the hardware. I don't understand why. It is such a common thing.

 

[Achilles]

Seriously, can you guys stop it already?

Quick follow-up on this.

Listen, been here over a year and have had plenty of time to observe the posting habits of the active members.
When I gave @Orvillain some crap yesterday I 100% knew what sort of reply to expect back from him.

I mean, just last week I was asking the guy for VH4 pedal advice cause I know for a fact he's the Diezel guy.
Just like I know if I cause him grief it's going to result in a firm suggestion directed back at me having to do
with inserting something into myself where it's not normally expected to go.




Keep your eyes and ears open and know when and where (and with whom) you can take your occasional shots.
It's all good. The place can't be unicorns and rainbows all the time!

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Eh. Sort of. Also great for live use. "Wait a minute, ladies and gentlemen. I have to tweak the presence on this amp model I'm using! Let me get my phone......"

Point taken. However lion has presence as alt function on pedal and Anti has it as regular knob

 

[Orvillain]

Quick follow-up on this.

Listen, been here over a year and have had plenty of time to observe the posting habits of the active members.
When I gave @Orvillain some crap yesterday I 100% knew what sort of reply to expect back from him.

I mean, just last week I was asking the guy for VH4 pedal advice cause I know for a fact he's the Diezel guy.
Just like I know that if I cause him grief it's going to result in a firm suggestion directed back at me having to do
most likely with inserting something into myself where it's not normally expected to go.




Keep your eyes and ears open and know when and where (and with whom) you can take your occasional shots.
It's all good. The place can't be unicorns and rainbows all the time!

Buy a proper VH4. You slag.

 

[norminal]

ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY!!!

I'd give up every single dyna-cab slot and all but 1 IR slot to have that. I'd give up 200 of the in built amps too, and I'd throw the resonator, rotary effects, and most of the modulation effects in the bin too!!

Genuinely blows my mind that you can't save block presets on the hardware. I don't understand why. It is such a common thing.

Even the HX Stomp has the ability!

I’m not a coder, but how hard would this be to implement? The library is just ascii right? @FractalAudio ?

 

[Whizzinby]

I wouldn't like that though. I like the depth just as it is, because I do edit deeper stuff on the device. If they were to go touchscreen route, just modernize FM9-Edit a bit more, and for touchscreen, and then put that on the device.

Edit has already proven that you can take all of the depth and complexity of the platform and boil it down into an easy to use interface. Edit literally shows you how it could work on a touchscreen. When you open the amp block in Edit it goes to the basic tab which is where 90% of editing occurs. Then Fractal has the advanced tabs grouped directly underneath it. (Ideal, Poweramp, Preamp etc) These already existing tabs would be pages in the block on a touchscreen. The QC has pages on their blocks. It’s literally a single tap to get to a 2nd or 3rd page of controls. Fractal could have the main basic tab open and then pages at the top for the advanced options. The Edit software and the QC literally show how this could be achieved without sacrificing any of the depth of controls or tweakability.

If people don’t want a TS that’s one thing, but to say that FAS is too complex for a TS at all is absurd.