Fractal ICONS Plugin

[KFF]

I own an FX III, FM9, FM3 and an AM4.

Now I would have to buy everything again from scratch? And they aren't interchangeable? I've been dreaming of just being able to control the hardware from my DAW(s) through AAX, VST... iLok away... fine by me. Now this? Tantalizingly (frustratingly) close, but... foot meet brake, for me. I'll just watch how it evolves.

If this is the start of the Next Gen (IV)... great. Would be nice to see a Studio Rack (SR-0?). DSP inside. Give the option to run Native, or offload to DSP... a la Avid and Universal Audio.

Happy/sad day for me. I have synths older than my Fractal units that have plugins to control from within DAWs.

Congrats to Fractal anyway. When a Vox pack, or Studio Effects (pres, eqs, comps, verbs, delays...) pack shows up... I'll give it a go.

Or send me an invoice for a hybrid rack today.

 

[PorcinePicker]

I did not expect to see this!

I always understood the real problem to be reverse engineering by black hat companies rather than piracy. Not a concern anymore?

 

[nicolasrivera]

I did not expect to see this!

I always understood the real problem to be reverse engineering by black hat companies rather than piracy. Not a concern anymore?

Its always a concern, ILOK has proven to be no challenge.

 

[BenIfin]

Absolutely BRILLIANT move by Fractal.

I totally understand the pricing structure-relative to hardware ..... but if you will [eventually] want some Marshalls, Vox's and Fenders etc.... it could still only end up being US $300 or so - pretty good really all things considered.

 

[TSJMajesty]

not even Petrucci;

What? Where?

 

[luckymethod]

This is our "pseudo-skeuomorphic" approach that we are using for new products. There are hints of skeuomorphism but not fully skeuomorphic. Your brain sees enough visual cues to understand the lineage of the amp but without the clutter of a full skeuomorphic implementation.

Very appropriate, good approach

 

[MirrorProfiles]

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

How often is it where you have no idea what amp you need, and that there’s a chance you need either a Fender Champ or an ENGL savage?

So long as the packs are combined enough (e.g. all fender amps together) I think it’s fine. In some ways, it’s arguably better than the long random list of amps in AxeFX where there isn’t really any method to how they’re sorted and the only thing you can go off to find what you need is to read them. I see the different packs as almost like sub folders so you don’t have a Bogner Uberschall getting in the way of your Vox’s or a Dumble getting in the way of your Marshall’s.

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.

I can’t think of a single person that I have seen or know that’s used the T Racks container plugin. It absolutely sucks ass to look at your mixer window and just see the name of a container, and then you have to open it to see what’s inside. And when you need another plugin in between, you have container->plugin->container. It gives you way less information than just having separate plugins like how they were intended. Slate VMR realised this and listened to the demand - VMR got more and more bloated as time went on, the gain staging between modules was a nightmare, automation sucked, you’d have to scroll around and expand views to see what you need; you have to open the plugin to see what’s actually inside.

You get like a handful of small benefits by having a container, and in return you get a landslide of bullshit that makes things worse. Way better to just open several plugins and do your routing in your DAW. Having it all in a container is a fetish that doesn’t serve much practical use in real situations.

 

[paisleywookiee]

How often is it where you have no idea what amp you need, and that there’s a chance you need either a Fender Champ or an ENGL savage?

So long as the packs are combined enough (e.g. all fender amps together) I think it’s fine. In some ways, it’s arguably better than the long random list of amps in AxeFX where there isn’t really any method to how they’re sorted and the only thing you can go off to find what you need is to read them. I see the different packs as almost like sub folders so you don’t have a Bogner Uberschall getting in the way of your Vox’s or a Dumble getting in the way of your Marshall’s.


I can’t think of a single person that I have seen or know that’s used the T Racks container plugin. It absolutely sucks ass to look at your mixer window and just see the name of a container, and then you have to open it to see what’s inside. And when you need another plugin in between, you have container->plugin->container. It gives you way less information than just having separate plugins like how they were intended. Slate VMR realised this and listened to the demand - VMR got more and more bloated as time went on, the gain staging between modules was a nightmare, automation sucked, you’d have to scroll around and expand views to see what you need; you have to open the plugin to see what’s actually inside.

You get like a handful of small benefits by having a container, and in return you get a landslide of bullshit that makes things worse. Way better to just open several plugins and do your routing in your DAW. Having it all in a container is a fetish that doesn’t serve much practical use in real situations.

Do we even know yet if the additional packs don’t just add to the existing shell?

 

[CorrosiveMatter]

after @FractalAudio posted there was something new coming and all the folks sold all their hardware thinking it was the AxeFX IV.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Is there going to be a demo version, and if not, why not?

I’m fine with the price being what it is, happy with iLok protection, but the lack of demo is asking a lot from potential clients. I want to be able to make sure the plugin runs well on my rig and that there are no deal breaking usability issues. It’s not so much about needing to hear the plugin as much as being happy that it works how I need it to.

As a reminder:

There are no returns, refunds, or exchanges on digital downloads.

Demo is a must, really (even if you have to demo the entire suite). I spend a significant amount a year on plugins and I never buy anything without demoing first. Usually I buy well before the trial period is up once I know what I’m in for. Occasionally trials have helped me avoid a load of trouble. They’re so commonplace that it comes across as very odd not to have them. I hope it’s just a temporary thing.

 

[Elf]

Is there going to be a demo version, and if not, why not?

I would hope so!

 

[Mongillo19]

after @FractalAudio posted there was something new coming and all the folks sold all their hardware thinking it was the AxeFX IV.

Cliff also said it wasn't the axe fx IV

 

[BROCKSTAR]

Cliff also said it wasn't the axe fx IV

 

[CorrosiveMatter]

Cliff also said it wasn't the axe fx IV

Yea but I saw so much hardware for sale, I don't think a lot of people came back to see that, they hit the panic button and wanted to sell before the current hardware was "obsolete".

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Cliff also said it wasn't the axe fx IV

I read that post as sarcasm towards the previous thread that I always assumed was mostly sarcasm itself.

 

[Mongillo19]

I read that post as sarcasm towards the previous thread that I always assumed was mostly sarcasm itself.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Srsly, you need to double check the forum where you are posting! Rules of this one:

(1) nothing ever means what it says.
(2). Budgets smudgets.
(3). Kitchens are meant for amp storage. THATS why you go for the open plan living.
(4). Everyone else needs to lighten up, but the guy obviously having an aneurism while typing the message to tell everyone else to lighten up is totally fine.

 

[Dez]

Is there going to be a demo version, and if not, why not?

I’m fine with the price being what it is, happy with iLok protection, but the lack of demo is asking a lot from potential clients. I want to be able to make sure the plugin runs well on my rig and that there are no deal breaking usability issues. It’s not so much about needing to hear the plugin as much as being happy that it works how I need it to.

As a reminder:

There are no returns, refunds, or exchanges on digital downloads.

Demo is a must, really (even if you have to demo the entire suite). I spend a significant amount a year on plugins and I never buy anything without demoing first. Usually I buy well before the trial period is up once I know what I’m in for. Occasionally trials have helped me avoid a load of trouble. They’re so commonplace that it comes across as very odd not to have them. I hope it’s just a temporary thing.

I agree - I’d like to be able to demo this before I drop money. You can do that with the competition.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

Also look at the awesome collection of microphones not available in other fractal hardwares either!

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Also look at the awesome collection of microphones not available in other fractal hardwares either!

View attachment 59008

AxeFx III Mark II+ - the memory upgrade.