Yeah, this is why it needs to be shorter -- FM3, even with rubber and handles removed, is more than 2U on a shelf in a rack.FM0 for me is driven by the need for a small. low profile Axe unit that can fit alongside other pedals on a single rack shelf and be controlled remotely via one of the exist FC units. I understand the non-reality of the request
The Quad Cortex gets closest to the pedalboard experience out of all modelers I've tried. But for Fractal, that's next gen stuff.I’m all for tactile control, but even something with a lot of knobs like a kemper still doesn’t really feel like using real gear, and ultimately isn’t really advantageous to using a mouse, simply because modellers have so many pages, menus, different parameters, switches, I/O etc.
Synths tend to have a lot of knobs so they can try and get close to one knob per function. Kemper is sort of like that, but so much is still within the deeper menus than the quick controls on the device. Fractal is so much about limitless possibilities, I think (unfortunately) it’s going to be impossible not to sacrifice that without using a mouse as the primary method of using it. Another thing is that the synths are designed from the group up with these limitations, and it’s all carefully constructed for the user experience. Fractal’s starting point is a sandbox of limitless control and routing options.
A totally new product made on Fractal tech with specifically chosen limitations could allow for something for faster tactile control and simplicity, but even the FM-3 is way too complex (as in, versatile/capable) to tackle that. I don’t think the existing products could just be reduced down to simple controls, it would have to be its own thing,
I don't hate it....
If that is a touch screen that is displaying Axe Edit where I can just click on blocks to open them , then tweak the encoders and save I am in
That's why I want to ditch the screen, knobs and buttons -- make it a really simple product to bring to market and maybe keep the price somewhere around $700ish?
deep parameters
The other thing though is the QC also does not have the same depth and 8 pages of parameter tweaksThe Quad Cortex gets closest to the pedalboard experience out of all modelers I've tried. But for Fractal, that's next gen stuff.
The FM3's limited switching and size were always an annoyance for me unless you use the unit as a do-it-all box. The QC, just by being less tall and having more switch/encoders with a larger screen was better because it didn't need as much paging around or the equivalent of Fractal's control row switching. Every block was one tap away. The number of encoders - even if it took some learning to mental map them to be intuitive - made it closer to having dedicated knobs for most block functions.
The number of parameters is not the issue at all. It just means there's more pages of what, 8-10 knobs on a QC? The less encoders the unit has the worst it gets, that's why the HX Stomp is something I don't like while the Helix at 6 or Fractal at 5 is decent.The other thing though is the QC also does not have the same depth and 8 pages of parameter tweaks
Its gain BMT level pres depth
Maybe a few switches like
Bright , saturation , voice
That helps it to be able to quickly display the amp controls and find what you want
Helix is like that too and probably could work like QC if they decided to do that
Oh, we’ve been vocal for years in the FAS forum and TOP that many people would pay close to FM3 money for it. For me, this is more about form factor and convenience than cost reduction (I would add a MIDI controller or FC12 regardless)I don't hate it....
But realistically how much cheaper would this be over an FM3? That's why I want to ditch the screen, knobs and buttons -- make it a really simple product to bring to market and maybe keep the price somewhere around $700ish?
There are so many great options under $700 at this point that offer so much more utility that Fractal is never going to have fun or succeed in a "let's bring in that can't/won't spend the cash required for an FM3" race.Oh, we’ve been vocal for years in the FAS forum and TOP that many people would pay close to FM3 money for it. For me, this is more about form factor and convenience than cost reduction (I would add a MIDI controller or FC12 regardless)
Is that a Fractal Pedaltraintm?
Well, that price point was just a random number...There are so many great options under $700 at this point that offer so much more utility that Fractal is never going to have fun or succeed in a "let's bring in that can't/won't spend the cash required for an FM3" race.
Deftaka fits on a shelf on top of my rack mounted 5150III Stealth and a GM800 all controlled by an FC-12
Disagree here on the Kemper, at least. The VAST majority of my fine tweaking once a patch/rig is created is in terms of reverb decay/mix; delay feedback/mix; tremolo rate/depth. Having dedicated knobs for those things is a pretty big improvement to the playing experience once a rig has been created.