Fractal FM9: my seat of the pants review

[Sascha Franck]

It is challenging to figure out the logic of pricing in different territories though.

One factor being greed isn't all too unlikely, though.
Fwiw, a Helix Floor is €1.559 right now at Thomann. Around the same price as Sweetwater but without the backpack.
Germany is really quite special at times. There's been times when Engl amps were cheaper in the USA, all things customs and taxes factored in. In fact, at one point in time, you could've bought an Engl over there and have it shipped here, add customs and taxes - and end up with a little less than the german street price. It's also, once the USD gets more expensive compared to the Euro, it's instantly reflected in all prices, in case it's getting cheaper, it'll however take months for that to be reflected.

 

[Foxmeister]

One factor being greed isn't all too unlikely, though.

It could be, but it seems unlikely to me.

Perhaps I'm too trusting though, and it is a "German" thing - I see you could buy a white Kemper toaster from Andertons and save €150 on the Thomann price!

 

[Sascha Franck]

Perhaps I'm too trusting though, and it is a "German" thing - I see you could buy a white Kemper toaster from Andertons and save €150 on the Thomann price!

Prices of pretty much everything over here are insane these days. And partially *way* beyond what could be justified by higer transport costs and/or inflation. Just because I went to the supermarket earlier, take a plain green salad cucumber. Coming from Spain (yeah, kinda idiotic to have them travel that far, but it's just an example). You can get 2 of them in Spain for around €1. Here one is going for €1.90 - and somewhere else they're at almost €3 already. That simply can't be justified by higher transportation costs anymore.
And by now it seems to have massively reached the musical instrument market, too.
And btw, until 1-2 years ago (even before Brexit), as a german you only bought at Andertons in case things weren't available over here (such as my Amplifirebox), otherwise prices weren't even remotely competitive. Pretty much upside down today.

 

[DrewJD82]

I can't remember who has been saying it, was it you, @jellodog, @Fireproof? But we want @FractalAudio to donate an empty FM9 shell so we can make a YouTube channel of the FM9 just smashing stuff to show the durability of it. Screw all these FM9 VS. Helix/QC/Nux tone clips, we want a cage match!

 

[TubeStack]

I can't remember who has been saying it, was it you, @jellodog, @Fireproof? But we want @FractalAudio to donate an empty FM9 shell so we can make a YouTube channel of the FM9 just smashing stuff to show the durability of it. Screw all these FM9 VS. Helix/QC/Nux tone clips, we want a cage match!

That was me. Except with a real FM9, not empty.

Could be a YouTube series where each week we smash a different piece of gear to bits with the FM9 on a table.

Like, I'll lay down the new H90 on the table and then just destroy it by repeatedly hammering down the FM9 onto it. The next week, the Quad Cortex, week after that Stomp... with nice, slow-motion video of all the bits of plastic and circuit board flying into the air.

High production quality all throughout, Rhett Shull style…

 

[DrewJD82]

That was me. Except with a real FM9, not empty.

Could be a YouTube series where each week we smash a different piece of gear to bits with the FM9 on a table.

Like, I'll lay down the new H90 on the table and then just destroy it by repeatedly hammering down the FM9 onto it. The next week, the Quad Cortex, week after that Stomp... with nice, slow-motion video of all the bits of plastic and circuit board flying into the air.

High production quality all throughout, Rhett Shull style…

YES!!!!

Come on, Cliff! You know you want to see it, too!

 

[Sascha Franck]

I can't remember who has been saying it, was it you, @jellodog, @Fireproof? But we want @FractalAudio to donate an empty FM9 shell so we can make a YouTube channel of the FM9 just smashing stuff to show the durability of it. Screw all these FM9 VS. Helix/QC/Nux tone clips, we want a cage match!

Ah, reminds me of the "G-System vs. heavy vehicles" videos.

 

[Cactusprick]

not wanting to sound cliché but since having FM3 I have zero interest in buying a new modeler (fingers crossed behind my back).

Tone's all in there. I just need to overcome my laziness and know where to look. It amazes me how much stuff are packed in there every time I turn it on. Everything is so seamless and works 100%. Any future firmware update would be a cherry on top.

UNLESS in the future, Line6 comes up with a smaller foot print dual amp Helix.

oh.. also capture capability would be nice.

and oh... touch screen wouldn't hurt to already nice Helix UI. lol

But not sure what I am trying to achieve with another modeler. It's just FOMO.

 

[luckymethod]

Well s**t, Jello. You're right. I thought the wood plank I had it on was flat, and it's snot. I put it on my daughter's dance floor (which I sometimes use) and it was flat as f**k. All good! Editing first post.

it probably just has small feet so small curvature affects it. Can you replace the feet with taller ones? That should solve it even on old floors.

 

[paisleywookiee]

it probably just has small feet so small curvature affects it. Can you replace the feet with taller ones? That should solve it even on old floors.

I’m probably just going to leave it, since on a regular surface it’s good to go, no wobble. It’s just the one surface on my shelf it wobbles.

 

[Frodebro]

Pretty sure it can be rigged to use the preamp from the FM9 with the power amp of the OR15 though too, which would be slick as f**k.

In a 4CM configuration you can run the physical amps internal preamp, you can run amp models in its place, or you can run the preamp in parallel with a model. It’s actually pretty easy to do.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Yeah it’s definitely not the FM9. I put it on a glass top vintage desk (over 200 years old, real cork sniffery stuff ) and it’s totally fine. I’m just relieved my OCD can focus on something else!

(And yes, the plastic is staying on until my shields come in, not because I’m going to flip it)

 

[Desertdweller]

I wobble on flat surfaces, so maybe I'm the problem?

I think your daughter has you listening to too much Taylor Swift

 

[paisleywookiee]

I think your daughter has you listening to too much Taylor Swift

They actually have moved on to either classic rock or, in the case of my older daughter, Ed Sheeran.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I think your daughter has you listening to too much Taylor Swift

Never enough Taylor Swift