Fractal Audio Systems VP4 - Virtual Pedalboard

[Blix]

From G66:

Expected to start shipping in Europe & UK in November. Please email waitlist@g66.eu (or uk-waitlist@g66.eu for UK customers) to sign up for the waitlist. The price will be about EUR 850 / GBP 700 incl. VAT.

That's a good bit less than I feared, not bad!

 

[Orvillain]

Compared to HX Stomp or Helix LT? Not quite as much.

Those are bargains too for their price point.

 

[Orvillain]

I will be getting one for sure. But then, I knew that back in August!

<ducks>

 

[holoholo]

So we now know soon is soon and few weeks is 9 weeks.

 

[likitlikeyoulikeit]

I will be getting one for sure. But then, I knew that back in August!

<ducks>

 

[Orvillain]

So we now know soon is soon and few weeks is 9 weeks.

Neural still not able to deliver to a 'soon' deadline then

 

[JiveTurkey]

Neural still not able to deliver to a 'soon' deadline then

9 weeks years

 

[Orvillain]

Seriously, I can see me using this in a ton of ways:

- QC loop
- Helix loop
- GigRig loop
- With the Recto, JVM, VH4
- connected up as an insert effect with my RME audio interface and use it with plugins

 

[Mongillo19]

All roads lead to the QC

 

[Orvillain]

I'm gonna do some feckin' around with the hold/freeze/sustain type stuff in the delay and reverb blocks on the Axe3. See if I'm happy with them versus the Meris.

 

[ispunk]

Pfft. Wake me up when the VP4 Mk II Turbo ships

 

[dbagchee]

They are going to sell a boatload of these.

 

[laxu]

I am interested to see what this will do to the high end pedal market.

Looking at TOP, there are some lamenting the lack of analog dry-through, just like there were for the Eventide H90. But I think those are the minority.

I could see the VP4 eating the sales of the big Strymon, Meris, Eventide and Chase Bliss pedals. Chase Bliss probably lives in bleep-bloop-land enough to stay relevant on the market, but Strymon is more meat and potatoes. Even as a big Strymon fan, I don't see who would buy a Timeline MX over the VP4.

 

[JiveTurkey]

WWGD

 

[banned]

I have a GREAT idea for this! What do you guys think?

Level 2... Unlock 1 more block -> $129
Level 3... Unlock 4 more blocks -> $169 (requires Level 2)

Hmmm.. on second thought. NO.

You're management material for sure ... try applying at Kemper, I hear they're hiring.

 

[aivoryuk]

I may get one of I can hear it not noisy when used with a tube amp. also would like to see a IR player block added which has been hinted at

 

[Jarick]

Hot damn that’s a great value for that product. I’m really excited to see how people build boards around this.

Congrats @FractalAudio on the product launch!

 

[FractalAudio]

I am interested to see what this will do to the high end pedal market.

Looking at TOP, there are some lamenting the lack of analog dry-through, just like there were for the Eventide H90. But I think those are the minority.

I could see the VP4 eating the sales of the big Strymon, Meris, Eventide and Chase Bliss pedals. Chase Bliss probably lives in bleep-bloop-land enough to stay relevant on the market, but Strymon is more meat and potatoes. Even as a big Strymon fan, I don't see who would buy a Timeline MX over the VP4.

We considered analog dry-through early in the design phase but it just causes more problems than it's worth. If it were a dedicated delay or reverb device then it would make sense but once you add drives and wahs and EQs it makes things too confusing for the average user.

 

[Orvillain]

Looking at TOP, there are some lamenting the lack of analog dry-through, just like there were for the Eventide H90. But I think those are the minority.

I believe that there is quite a bit of processing capability that you lose if you go ADT. Like auto-swell type stuff, and preamp processing of your dry signal. I guess you could make it switchable, but would complicate the circuit topology is my guess? I dunno. Not an expert in that area.

I could see the VP4 eating the sales of the big Strymon, Meris, Eventide and Chase Bliss pedals. Chase Bliss probably lives in bleep-bloop-land enough to stay relevant on the market, but Strymon is more meat and potatoes. Even as a big Strymon fan, I don't see who would buy a Timeline MX over the VP4.

Chase Bliss will be fine. They have a hardcore following and as you say, the bleepers and bloopers will keep them going!

I don't quite know how Strymon are going to really tackle this. The VP4 is sooooooo much more impressive to me than the BigSky MX. A Timeline MX aint gonna cut the mustard. But again, Strymon has a very strong following too. They're be alright.

Eventide I've gone round the houses with a few times. Their AD/DA and noise floor performance is significantly poor enough for me to probably not bother with another Hwhatever pedal.

Meris?? Well.... I'm a fangurl enough that I'll probably keep my MercuryX, might keep my LVX... depends.

Really what I want to see from Fractal next is more glitchy/granular/fuck-shit-up effects. I think they've basically nailed the bread and butter drives, mods, delays, and reverbs... and I think they've nailed the P&W U2 or post-rock type landscape effects too.

 

[laxu]

We considered analog dry-through early in the design phase but it just causes more problems than it's worth. If it were a dedicated delay or reverb device then it would make sense but once you add drives and wahs and EQs it makes things too confusing for the average user.

Other than having to toggle it in and out with some "if user has these blocks, no analog dry-through for you" logic, what sort of problems would analog dry-through cause in a design like this?