Fractal FM: what’s the point of channels, with that big ass gap?

[Stone]

I’ve found gap’s definitely noticeable live especially using in ears.

Well as in all thing nothing is perfect is it ?
one platforms strength is another's weakness
have to pick one which will work best for you

 

[Orvillain]

Channels are good if you have one of their foot controllers, and you map a channel increment/change parameter to press+hold on a footswitch. So you can have single press to activate/bypass the block, and a hold to change the channel on it. Works great for effects.

 

[Will Chen]

how noticeable is this in say a mix?

It's not. The time to switch is appox 1/10th a second (EDIT: actually measuring is about half that time). This is what it sounds like:

This is switching from Jazz 120 to FAS Modern and back, just put this preset together in 5 seconds, didn't even tune my guitar. Now note that Fractal stuff switches on release, not press. So getting used to that can feel like the switching is a bit slow, but the actual gap is near nothing.

 

[Orvillain]

It's not. The time to switch is appox 1/10th a second. This is what it sounds like:

This is switching from Jazz 120 to FAS Modern and back, just put this preset together in 5 seconds, didn't even tune my guitar. Now note that Fractal stuff switches on release, not press. So getting used to that can feel like the switching is a bit slow, but the actual gap is near nothing.

Very noticeable.

 

[Will Chen]

Very noticeable.

In a mix? No way, because no one is switching on a sustained chord.

EDIT: And really, there are very few genre's where guitar is as upfront in the mix as we think it is. In most modern music the order of volume is vocals & snare/bass drum, bass, keys, guitar.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Stop sustaining chords

 

[Orvillain]

In a mix? No way, because no one is switching on a sustained chord.

Yes it is, and yes I am.

You're talking to a guy who has sold amps because of these kinds of issues. Don't presume everyone has the same threshold of tolerance that you do.

 

[Will Chen]

Yes it is, and yes I am.

You're talking to a guy who has sold amps because of these kinds of issues. Don't presume everyone has the same threshold of tolerance that you do.

You switch channels in the middle of holding chords? Huh.

 

[Orvillain]

You switch channels in the middle of holding chords? Huh.

Yes. I'm in a post-rock + post-metal band. It really isn't as uncommon as you would imply; ie - switching amp channels whilst a guitar chord is ringing out. Especially with delay and reverb going into the front of the amp.

Having anything that interupts the sonic landscape of my guitar is a big no-no. I quite often have to work around it, even on my Helix.

Have a skim through this:


And then tell me that short gaps of total silence in my rig wouldn't distract from the music and atmosphere. I'll wait.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Well as in all thing nothing is perfect is it ?
one platforms strength is another's weakness
have to pick one which will work best for you

This isn't a one platform vs the other issue. This is a "the only platform that has this feature . . . Doesn't work the way some folks need it to".

 

[TubeStack]

Yes. I'm in a post-rock + post-metal band. It really isn't as uncommon as you would imply; ie - switching amp channels whilst a guitar chord is ringing out. Especially with delay and reverb going into the front of the amp.

Having anything that interupts the sonic landscape of my guitar is a big no-no. I quite often have to work around it, even on my Helix.

There is no post-metal. There is only metal. Before, now, and ever after.

 

[DrewJD82]

Hahahah in comparison to the stuff I used to deal with with actual amps and multi-fx units playing catch-up I haven’t run into an issue when I’ve needed to switch anything, but that’s after about 20 years of dealing with stuff not being seamless and figuring out the right time to switch. In the studio it’s not an issue because I always track different tones on different tracks.

 

[Will Chen]

Yes. I'm in a post-rock + post-metal band. It really isn't as uncommon as you would imply; ie - switching amp channels whilst a guitar chord is ringing out. Especially with delay and reverb going into the front of the amp.

Having anything that interupts the sonic landscape of my guitar is a big no-no. I quite often have to work around it, even on my Helix.

Well, you have a unique use case that the vast majority of players do not. Would be interesting to hear. I've heard many bands that absolutely do some extreme switching which probably can't be executed cleanly with real amps without switches being automated, never heard a player switch with a sustained chord.

EDIT: I responded before the link. I took a brief listen but didn't hear any switching during sustained chords, maybe just missed things. I liked what I heard though so will revisit and listen to the whole thing when I get a chance.

 

[Orvillain]

never heard a player switch with a sustained chord.

Spend less time in Turkish bath-houses, and more time in rock venues.

 

[Orvillain]

There is no post-metal. There is only metal. Before, now, and ever after.

Incorrigible lies!!!

 

[ejecta]

Yes. I'm in a post-rock + post-metal band. It really isn't as uncommon as you would imply; ie - switching amp channels whilst a guitar chord is ringing out. Especially with delay and reverb going into the front of the amp.

Having anything that interupts the sonic landscape of my guitar is a big no-no. I quite often have to work around it, even on my Helix.

Have a skim through this:


And then tell me that short gaps of total silence in my rig wouldn't distract from the music and atmosphere. I'll wait.

Arguing with a groupie is useless.

 

[norminal]

How many metal sub-genres are we up to now?

∞ ?

 

[Orvillain]

Hahahah in comparison to the stuff I used to deal with with actual amps and multi-fx units playing catch-up I haven’t run into an issue when I’ve needed to switch anything, but that’s after about 20 years of dealing with stuff not being seamless and figuring out the right time to switch. In the studio it’s not an issue because I always track different tones on different tracks.

Yeah absolutely in the studio, I don't care.

For live work, I care. To a point. I can tolerate certain things, like phasers and modulation effects not being in sync, and one of our songs where I use a Mobius on the album for a pattern tremolo, I just fake it by controlling the rate of a normal tremolo using the expression pedal.

The two things I cannot stand and will almost immediately cause me to remove something from my rig and sell it:

1. Delay pitchy squirrel artifacts when tapping in a tempo.
2. Gaps of silence or latency when switching amp channels.

The original JVM for instance is TERRIBLE for channel switching. The Satriani version is much better.

 

[ejecta]

How many metal sub-genres are we up to now?

∞ ?

Alot.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Well, you have a unique use case that the vast majority of players do not.

Do you have statistics to back that up, or are you pulling it out of your ass? Come on, man. I hate when people say shit like this, when experiencing limitations on something.

“Vast majority“. “Only a few people”. WTF does that even mean?