Fractal Audio Systems VP4 - Virtual Pedalboard

[paisleywookiee]

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.

 

[Someoldqueenorother]

Genuinely though, if you really really wanted more effects.... two of these at once isn't such a bad shout. It is cost effective enough where it competes with a LOT of the mid to high end effects units, when if you do a like-for-like comparison, you're more or less in the same price point.

MercuryX + LVX = £1288 at Andertons right now.
Big Sky v1 + Timeline v1 = £869 at Andertons right now.
Big Sky MX + Timeline v1 = £1099 at Andertons right now.
Big Sky MX + Timeline MX (let's pretend it exists and is the same price!) = £1398 at Andertons (but wait for the Timeline MX to be invented!)

Add a drive pedal or multi-mod pedal to make the comparison a bit fairer, and you're looking at quite a high amount of money compared to one VP4.

HX Stomp is £519 at Andertons right now. But it is quite a different product really, with a different vision.

Boss RV500+DD500 = £738 at Andertons right now. (How many times am I gonna have to type that sentence!)
But arguably the Boss pedals don't compete with Fractal on quality or breadth of sounds. Add the MD500 and you're at £1067.

The VP is actually really well priced IMHO. I've not got a single qualm about buying one.

Absolutely agree looking at the UK prices of stuff compared to this. I really like the pricing and I like the modular element of it. £700 is pretty damn good.

 

[yek]

Watching Aaron’s demo vid and seeing that he used some clean preamp pedal in front… Makes me think that it’s a shame FAS didn’t add at least a simple fixed clean amp block in this VP4… Get your dirt from the drive pedals.

Fractal Audio Systems mystery product speculation

Few setup ideas: What are those Lehles... orthotic inserts?

thegearforum.com

 

[spawnofthesith]

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.

How much to get to OT VIII ?

 

[paisleywookiee]

Looking at TOP, there are some lamenting

 

[paisleywookiee]

Genuinely though, if you really really wanted more effects.... two of these at once isn't such a bad shout. It is cost effective enough where it competes with a LOT of the mid to high end effects units, when if you do a like-for-like comparison, you're more or less in the same price point.

MercuryX + LVX = £1288 at Andertons right now.
Big Sky v1 + Timeline v1 = £869 at Andertons right now.
Big Sky MX + Timeline v1 = £1099 at Andertons right now.
Big Sky MX + Timeline MX (let's pretend it exists and is the same price!) = £1398 at Andertons (but wait for the Timeline MX to be invented!)

Add a drive pedal or multi-mod pedal to make the comparison a bit fairer, and you're looking at quite a high amount of money compared to one VP4.

HX Stomp is £519 at Andertons right now. But it is quite a different product really, with a different vision.

Boss RV500+DD500 = £738 at Andertons right now. (How many times am I gonna have to type that sentence!)
But arguably the Boss pedals don't compete with Fractal on quality or breadth of sounds. Add the MD500 and you're at £1067.

The VP is actually really well priced IMHO. I've not got a single qualm about buying one.

Sweetwater has a Timeline/Big Sky/Mobius package for $1377, which is $678 more than the VP4 here. Strymon's gotta figure things out. As a former Strymon owner, it's good stuff, but it's not better than Fractal effects.

 

[norminal]

Is anybody that surprised?

 

[DLC86]

So, at 4:00 of his video Cordy adds a multitap delay to an empty preset and cpu goes up by 6%... that's exactly the same percentage that same block uses on my fm9 turbo!
I think we can assume this thing has the same processing power as one core of an fm3/9 turbo

 

[Baba]

Usually the complexity, cost, and availability, have been the things that have kept me away from Fractal products, and I've been snarky about their waitlists and users of their products, in the past, but, giving credit where credit is due:

This is a GREAT product. It's not for me, BUT, kudos to Cliff and the gang. It should definitely eat into the mid to higher end multi-effects pedal market, in a big way, and should definitely bring some previous "non-Fractal" users, into the fold, and eventually, exploring their other products.

I wouldn't have been surpised (or even mad), at a $799 or $899 pricetag, but at $699, it's a no brainer.

 

[laxu]

I only showed up to see who would create the official thread. @laxu ?? Really??

You aren't allowed to bitch about the UI then! Those are the rules!

Hey! I started the official Fractal Talk thread too!

 

[Orvillain]

Leon demos creating a preset from scratch here. Looks pretty intuitive to me. No more complex than a lot of other pedals out there.

Just gotta learn it, let it become second nature, take a few downers to calm yourself, and make some epic doom metal.

 

[PorcinePicker]

That's not correct. That was about "always on" blocks.

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/always-on-blocks.208716/#post-2607653

I interpreted the OP question on that thread to be a direct reference to Cliff's post here. The OP even repeats some of the language from that post....but you may be right that "always on" blocks =/= "fixed" blocks. Time will tell.

 

[DLC86]

So, at 4:00 of his video Cordy adds a multitap delay to an empty preset and cpu goes up by 6%... that's exactly the same percentage that same block uses on my fm9 turbo!
I think we can assume this thing has the same processing power as one core of an fm3/9 turbo

Comp from the Leon Todd video is the same percentage as well
Drive block seems to "weigh" roughly double instead... maybe this has higher oversampling than on the fm3/9 (like on the axe fx)?

 

[deadpool_25]

Hey! I started the official Fractal Talk thread too!

Well then you've been breaking the rules for a long time now and THE MODS HAVE DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT!!

This place sux

 

[TubeStack]

To clarify, all we know about VP4 midi is that it will send an assigned program change when you switch its own presets?

 

[TubeStack]

Or do the videos explain more; I haven’t watched them yet.

 

[Whizzinby]

 

[Elf]

This was a close call! “Don’t worry HX Stomp, you are still safe at home for now!”

 

[spawnofthesith]

This was a close call! “Don’t worry HX Stomp, you are still safe at home for now!”

I’m still within my stomp return window….


JK VP4 is too big for me. But it’s tempting at that price lol

 

[DrewJD82]

To clarify, all we know about VP4 midi is that it will send an assigned program change when you switch its own presets?

Very much hoping they extend this to Scene changes. In that instance I’d be able to slap it on a board with an expression pedal and there’s my EVH head/chugging rig ready to go.