Fractal Audio Systems VP4 - Virtual Pedalboard

[Mongillo19]

My next question is though, are the amps and cabs the same between the OG and II?

Yup!

 

[Mongillo19]

As of now I believe any iteration of the FM3 has the same amps/cabs of the Axe Fx (might be missing 1 or 2 from previous update

 

[JiveTurkey]

I will say if you have FOMO of any sort; just bite the bullet and get the III.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

I will say if you have FOMO of any sort; just bite the bullet and get the III.

Ha no money for that either way lol. Be my luck fractal FM4 would be out soon lol.

 

[ian_dissonance]

I will say if you have FOMO of any sort; just bite the bullet and get the III.

Definitely not buying any rack gear. Way too much extra shit and the redundancy cost would be ridiculous.

 

[laxu]

Do you know if the FM3 amps/cabs are the same as the FM9 / Axefx III? As in same amps/cabs and parameters etc?

There's some differences, like no bias tremolo option on FM3 in the amp block.

But like 99% the same thing afaik.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

What I'm trying to figure out is, looking at the fm3 manual it doesn't seem to have 1/4th outputs like my helix floor has? Looks like XLR outputs only? So I would have to get xlr cables to use with my JBL monitors. And the fm3 looks like 2 fx loops right? So one for my vp4 and another for my boss vg-800/gm-800 rig.... But then none for my synth stuff argh lol. I could just then use helix floor for my synth rig!

 

[JiveTurkey]

What I'm trying to figure out is, looking at the fm3 manual it doesn't seem to have 1/4th outputs like my helix floor has? Looks like XLR outputs only? So I would have to get xlr cables to use with my JBL monitors. And the fm3 looks like 2 fx loops right? So one for my vp4 and another for my boss vg-800/gm-800 rig.... But then none for my synth stuff argh lol. I could just then use helix floor for my synth rig!

It has 1/4 outs.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

It has 1/4 outs.

Oh wtf, I didn't see it on the back when googling.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

If it has Turbo after the name it has more CPU. OG FM3s don't have a headphone out. This is located right below the input jack so be sure to check that out. The Mark II have bigger display text.

From the picture I am looking the fm3 original has phones above input jack on back.

 

[laxu]

OG FM3s don't have a headphone out. This is located right below the input jack so be sure to check that out.

These were only some of the first ones on the market. Most FM3 Mk1's do have a headphone out, a great one at that.

 

[Mongillo19]

These were only some of the first ones on the market. Most FM3 Mk1's do have a headphone out, a great one at that.

I guess I'm considering the OG FM3s to be the ones first shipped. Regardless, just be wary of that if it's important to the buyer

 

[JiveTurkey]

No headphone jack crew; checking in.

 

[dk_ace]

I always thought the FM3 was still large but I guess googling the dimensions, it's only like a foot wide by 10 inch long and around 4 inches height wise etc. So not really big at all but the pictures always made it look bigger lol.

I am just wondering if the original FM3 is still worth it or the mark II which seems harder to get? And what is the differences between the two... guess I need more googling!

It’s freaking huge for a 3 button floor unit. That of course doesn’t matter for some people and some uses, but if you’re goggling dimensions it probably matters to you.

If I was gonna use it as a standalone unit, I wouldn’t care it’s not too big on its own. I wanted to use it in part of a larger rig. I pulled it out of the box and it was an instant “nope” for me. YMMV.

I’m not afraid of big devices I ultimately bought an FM9 a year or two later.

D

 

[JiveTurkey]

TBF; the Stomp has really ruined the concept of small but capable modeler for every other company.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

Man I don't know what to do lol. I don't know if i should just sit and think for a bit or try and get a fm3.

I have been happy with helix floor for 9 years and it's still not going anywhere and I have gotten a lot of great tones from it even though I'm a simple man with using just the mesa amp and litigator amp majority of the time and dual delay and ganymede reverb for ambient stuff.

I did put out a filler on my local music facebook page that I run in my area to see if anyone had a fm3 or fm9 that they can bring over for me to check out but I don't think I'll get any hits in my crappy town lol.

I am just wowed by the effects in vp4 and I must know if i'll get the same response from the amps / cabs on fm3.

 

[laxu]

It’s freaking huge for a 3 button floor unit. That of course doesn’t matter for some people and some uses, but if you’re goggling dimensions it probably matters to you.

If I was gonna use it as a standalone unit, I wouldn’t care it’s not too big on its own. I wanted to use it in part of a larger rig. I pulled it out of the box and it was an instant “nope” for me. YMMV.

Yeah that's my experience with it as well. I tried using it for a pedalboard briefly and it never was something that fits in with other stuff in a good way. It works fine as a self-contained unit, but it's "suitcase portable" rather than "backpack portable" like a HX Stomp or Hotone A2 Stomp.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

Yeah that's my experience with it as well. I tried using it for a pedalboard briefly and it never was something that fits in with other stuff in a good way. It works fine as a self-contained unit, but it's "suitcase portable" rather than "backpack portable" like a HX Stomp or Hotone A2 Stomp.

View attachment 41003

Looks good to me I am not worried about size. It'll be sitting on my desks somewhere if I do get one.

 

[dk_ace]

Man I don't know what to do lol. I don't know if i should just sit and think for a bit or try and get a fm3.

I have been happy with helix floor for 9 years and it's still not going anywhere and I have gotten a lot of great tones from it even though I'm a simple man with using just the mesa amp and litigator amp majority of the time and dual delay and ganymede reverb for ambient stuff.

I did put out a filler on my local music facebook page that I run in my area to see if anyone had a fm3 or fm9 that they can bring over for me to check out but I don't think I'll get any hits in my crappy town lol.

I am just wowed by the effects in vp4 and I must know if i'll get the same response from the amps / cabs on fm3.

I’ve been a helix floor fan for years, still have mine (mostly because I’m super lazy when it comes to selling stuff).

There are a few gems in the helix amp modeling, but the fractal is a little better and more consistently has great models IMO.

I liked the Helix for its delays and for its ease of programming and live use. Programming the Fm9 for a gig takes the same amount of time as helix so no issues for me there. The quality of effects and amps is better. The footswitching options are way more powerful. The only thing where helix has an edge for my uses still is some weird/interesting delays and the ability to easily tweak something live (touch a foot switch, turn knobs, done).

I bought an FM3 thinking I might use it live with the Helix. I’m not afraid of having a big footprint on stage, but the FM3 was just too big for my intended use at that time. I’m ultimately happier with the FM9 than with the Helix. I had external pedals with Helix to offset the places I thought it was weak. Haven’t needed that in fm9. Ymmv.

D

 

[quadgear]

Yeah that's my experience with it as well. I tried using it for a pedalboard briefly and it never was something that fits in with other stuff in a good way. It works fine as a self-contained unit, but it's "suitcase portable" rather than "backpack portable" like a HX Stomp or Hotone A2 Stomp.

View attachment 41003

The VP4 is (for me) the goldilocks sized backpack portable that's a bit bigger than the HX Stomp and smaller than the FM3.

Hoping Fractal uses the VP4 form factor for a FM modeler (with amps, cabs and effects).