Fractal ICONS Plugin

[dean701]

I’m totally happy to buy à la carte, there are so many Fractal models I can skip past, and if I eventually need them desperately enough they’re always ready to go.
It would, but how many people actually need every single amp and cab Fractal offer? If having them all is the most important thing, HW maybe makes more sense.

I’m happy to pick and choose, and anything I don’t desperately need can wait. I’d much rather this approach than a single £3000 plugin. I’m generally less interested in the cabs and FX, although they’re nice to accumulate.

Unfortunately, I don't see that happening.
If I have all of the amps in a hardware format, and only a few via VST, then I'm going to keep going back to my favorites on the hardware. There are just too many that I enjoy. The Bad Cats, the Friedmans, the Camerons, revv, Carol-ann, Morgan, Trainwrecks, Peavey, EVH...

If however this software was made like a VST copy of the AM4 with most amps covered, the meat and potatoes effects and made it $500 or so, I would be all in.

For those that don't have the hardware though, this will be a great way in

 

[MachineAgainstTheRage]

It can't be ported to the current hardware because they don't have enough memory. DynaCab HD has higher temporal and spatial resolution and uses a LOT more memory. There's also 11 mics vs. 4.

Will it be ported to cab-lab and existing dynacab packs?

 

[StarF666]

As a user of Helix Native and owner of OG Helix, Stadium XL and an AM4 I don't find the Fractal plugin, the package concept or the pricing really good. And seeing, that I don't get all the dyna cab options in the AM4 is somehow disappointing, especially because I don't really get along with the mic/cab options in the AM4. Icons is not for me but it's great to see that Fractal offers their superb modeling as a plugin and I hope this encourages L6 to further update Helix Native (with Agoura).

 

[Dez]

I think the price is about as smart as it can be. Plenty of stuff in a single $99 bundle but if you add it up; it eventually still leads to hardware sales if you're trying to get it all.

the NDSP model!

 

[JiveTurkey]

the NDSP model!

Don't hate game hate the playe...oh sorry

 

[paisleywookiee]

This is going to be good for Fractal, because it’ll get them a lot of that overseas cheddar they’ve possibly been missing, due to distribution.

 

[Dez]

Don't hate game hate the playe...oh sorry

I’ll likely buy a couple Mesa amps when they get released if only to see for myself.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Plug-in demo is NEVER going to be 1:1 with a dedicated hardware experience. If you want the cheap way in to see if you are in the ballpark of liking FAS stuff, drop the $99 on the amp bundle you would most generally like. Once it is available. Otherwsie; get the AM4.

So many arguments for both, they’re just different approaches. Having a Fractal plugin means you can work on songs and edit tones anywhere on a laptop without needing more gear with you. You can reamp instantly rather than having to do one at a time. You can integrate other plugins and fx, and easily do automation. You can save your tones to a session easily.

To be honest you can argue for this both ways. IMHO there's value in how Genome and Helix Native do it.

These plugins are exactly why I’m not fussed about it. Most of the extra stuff in those plugins is at best serviceable - useful if you’re using a modeller as a single unit to do it all. In a DAW, no chance I’m using the Helix reverbs over other stuff. Same is true for Genome - it’s fine having the built in stuff but I never use it.

Best example for me is how much more often I use amp sims from NDSP/UAD/Mercuriall/Softube over things like Amplitube or Genome. More bloated plugins need better GUI’s and have to manage space more efficiently. You usually end up getting in a mess as soon as you need to do any less conventional routing.

Of course I’m biased here, but I think the positives of a slicker more concise plugin outweigh the negatives. DAW’s are so powerful with what they can do, constraining it all to a plugin is never going to compete.

 

[Whizzinby]

This is literally the whole point of plugins inside a DAW. The need for “we need a wrapper” is so exaggerated IMO. It all goes so shit as soon as you want to mix and match various brands of plugins regardless of whether some of them are contained together. I’d much rather the plugins were kept slick and if you need to add another plugin or two, then you can.

Being able to build a chain of Fractal, UAD, Lexicon, Eventide, NDSP, Line 6 and WHATEVER ELSE YOU LIKE is so much cooler than having to do it all inside some megabloated plugin.

And if you only use a small amount of features from a plugin it’s just more waffle that gets in the way. I think Fractal have picked a pretty solid compromise here of gear that belongs together.

Fullerton doesn’t have a Tape Delay. If Marshall does but your wanting to use Fullerton, then it’s a PITA to fire up the Marshall plug just for the Tape delay, then a second instance of Fullerton to then add the reverb back from that. It’s a three plug stack, versus just having the ability to use the Tape delay in the Fullerton plug.

 

[JiveTurkey]

So many arguments for both, they’re just different approaches. Having a Fractal plugin means you can work on songs and edit tones anywhere on a laptop without needing more gear with you. You can reamp instantly rather than having to do one at a time. You can integrate other plugins and fx, and easily do automation. You can save your tones to a session easily.


These plugins are exactly why I’m not fussed about it. Most of the extra stuff in those plugins is at best serviceable - useful if you’re using a modeller as a single unit to do it all. In a DAW, no chance I’m using the Helix reverbs over other stuff. Same is true for Genome - it’s fine having the built in stuff but I never use it.

Best example for me is how much more often I use amp sims from NDSP/UAD/Mercuriall/Softube over things like Amplitube or Genome. More bloated plugins need better GUI’s and have to manage space more efficiently. You usually end up getting in a mess as soon as you need to do any less conventional routing.

Of course I’m biased here, but I think the positives of a slicker more concise plugin outweigh the negatives. DAW’s are so powerful with what they can do, constraining it all to a plugin is never going to compete.

Agree with you. I was mainly pointing towards the people wanting an FMPC all in for $299. They are still a hardware company obviously.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

then it’s a PITA to fire up the Marshall plug just for the Tape delay, then a second instance of Fullerton to then add the reverb back from that. It’s a three plug stack, versus just having the ability to use the Tape delay in the Fullerton plug.

It’s not THAT much of a PITA. You’re talking about a few seconds of work. And you can even just set up aux’s with all your favourite fx ready to go - be it from Fractal or anyone else who makes killer tape sims. You can even chain several together or do more complex panning or things that aren’t easily doable inside a single instance.

and you can even have all the windows open at once and view any parameters you want at the same time.

It’s such a solved problem

 

[laxu]

It can't be ported to the current hardware because they don't have enough memory. DynaCab HD has higher temporal and spatial resolution and uses a LOT more memory. There's also 11 mics vs. 4.

I assume this might be one of the things we'll see on next gen hardware.

Before people start comparing these to Fractal hw DynaCabs, what's the effect of "higher temporal and spatial resolution" on sound here?

 

[2dor]

FairThese plugins are exactly why I’m not fussed about it. Most of the extra stuff in those plugins is at best serviceable - useful if you’re using a modeller as a single unit to do it all. In a DAW, no chance I’m using the Helix reverbs over other stuff. Same is true for Genome - it’s fine having the built in stuff but I never use it.

Best example for me is how much more often I use amp sims from NDSP/UAD/Mercuriall/Softube over things like Amplitube or Genome. More bloated plugins need better GUI’s and have to manage space more efficiently. You usually end up getting in a mess as soon as you need to do any less conventional routing.

Of course I’m biased here, but I think the positives of a slicker more concise plugin outweigh the negatives. DAW’s are so powerful with what they can do, constraining it all to a plugin is never going to compete.

Fair enough & I get that working with NAM mostly recently; its vanilla plugin is still the one I use more than anything else.
That said, the current FAS ICONS delivery still doesn't help cut the bloat - that's the bit I'm not a fan of.
Anyway, just difficult to please everyone.

 

[AlbertA]

I assume this might be one of the things we'll see on next gen hardware.

Before people start comparing these to Fractal hw DynaCabs, what's the effect of "higher temporal and spatial resolution" on sound here?

Higher Temporal => longer IRs
Higher Spatial Resolution => finer grained positions when you move the mic around

 

[Whizzinby]

It’s not THAT much of a PITA. You’re talking about a few seconds of work. And you can even just set up aux’s with all your favourite fx ready to go - be it from Fractal or anyone else who makes killer tape sims. You can even chain several together or do more complex panning or things that aren’t easily doable inside a single instance.

and you can even have all the windows open at once and view any parameters you want at the same time.

It’s such a solved problem

I’m not saying it’s an unsolved problem, I’m saying its pointlessly tedious vs just selecting a tape delay.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Dez always taking it there

Does not pass go; does not collect $200.

 

[Dez]

Does not pass go; does not collect $200.

I’m here for a good time not a long time

 

[laxu]

This is literally the whole point of plugins inside a DAW. The need for “we need a wrapper” is so exaggerated IMO. It all goes so shit as soon as you want to mix and match various brands of plugins regardless of whether some of them are contained together. I’d much rather the plugins were kept slick and if you need to add another plugin or two, then you can.

I think at some point a container plugin starts to make sense. Like you have this huge list of Fractal packs in your plugin list and then try to find the one that had that particular amp and preset you need when you can't remember the codename of it. It would be nicer at that point to control it as a self-contained system with every amp and effect you own in a neat little list.

These don't have to be mutually exclusive either. E.g IK T-Racks 6 is a container plugin, but you can just load the individual ones separate if you prefer.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Please don't make any plug-in like the "IK Experience"

 

[Whizzinby]

Shit I did not have on my bingo card for the day…

Dude, FAS in the plugin game is just wild. This is so freaking cool.