Fractal Talk

[Whizzinby]

What is fracpad? I see people mention it from time to time

I think it’s a third party Fractal editor. From what little research I’ve done you have to get some Bluetooth dongles or something to make it work. Ive considered trying it but I’ll just wait for an official solution.

But that is seemingly exactly what is needed. I don’t even care if it’s Bluetooth, I’d take a tethered tablet editor. AxeEdit on a tablet would be dope.

 

[TubeStack]

What is fracpad? I see people mention it from time to time

I think it’s an iPad/tablet app for Fractal devices created by a user/fan, ie. not Fractal. Don’t know if it’s been updated in a while though?

 

[Will Chen]

Moving forward it’s touchscreen or GTFO.

Honestly...when I was younger I made a point of learning every physical interface of the modelers I had right up through the Axe 8.

Now...I'm never and I mean never going to edit from the device. Even if there was a touch screen, I'm just too old to be sitting on the floor hunched over. I'd love Bluetooth and a phone based editor, guess we can kinda hack that together today but would be nice if it was official.

 

[Whizzinby]

Honestly...when I was younger I made a point of learning every physical interface of the modelers I had right up through the Axe 8.

Now...I'm never and I mean never going to edit from the device. Even if there was a touch screen, I'm just too old to be sitting on the floor hunched over. I'd love Bluetooth and a phone based editor, guess we can kinda hack that together today but would be nice if it was official.

Funny thing is when the Cortex Control finally got released and I demoed it, it took me about three minutes to realize that I’d never use it over the device UI. It’s actually easier and faster to edit from the device than fumbling around with a mouse. And it wasn’t that the editor was flawed, it’s a mirror of the device essentially. It’s just way more efficient to use the touchscreen.

Eventually I think all these devices are going to have to meet users where they want. On device touchscreen, tablet editor, pc editor. I think in future generations leaving one of these out will be a flaw. Tones will become a commodity, workflow will be a key decider.

 

[Achilles]

Quick sidebar: FM3 w/headphones in excellent shape for $800.

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[OrganicZed]

Fractal needs to make a tablet version of AxeEdit. That’s the “easiest” addition they could do with this generation of hardware that would truly move the needle.

Moving forward it’s touchscreen or GTFO.

I’ll be surprised if the next gen has a touch screen. Cliff has stated that he hates them. He also doesn’t like the idea of on device Wi-Fi capabilities. The market forces would have to be pretty strong to force Cliff to go against his own preferences.

 

[Whizzinby]

I’ll be surprised if the next gen has a touch screen. Cliff has stated that he hates them. He also doesn’t like the idea of on device Wi-Fi capabilities. The market forces would have to be pretty strong to force Cliff to go against his own preferences.

That’s kind of a shame. The Fractal tones with the QC form factor/UI/wireless, would truly be a game over device. Nothing could beat it. I can’t even imagine what it would take to top that.

Honestly, I’d worry about trying to compete in the future without those features.

 

[Mongillo19]

That’s kind of a shame. The Fractal tones with the QC form factor/UI/wireless, would truly be a game over device. Nothing could beat that.

Honestly, I’d worry about trying to compete in the future without those features.

Unpopular opinion but touchscreens are overrated and I feel like prone to error?

I never had a great experience with the QC one. I'm all for improving the UI but I could do without a touchscreen

 

[Whizzinby]

Unpopular opinion but touchscreens are overrated and I feel like prone to error?

I never had a great experience with the QC one. I'm all for improving the UI but I could do without a touchscreen

Whats more prone to error, the Fractal front plate or the QC touchscreen?

 

[fretworn]

I’m an old guy who occasionally sits in front of his DAW. Having AxeEdit on the laptop works perfectly for me.

Just spun up a killer telecaster preset on the brownface with two killer reverbs and four awesome delays. Crazy low mix modulation everywhere.

In stereo w/ the monitors … whoa

 

[Mongillo19]

Whats more prone to error, the Fractal front plate or the QC touchscreen?

Definitely the QC touchscreen honestly imo

And by error I mean dead screen or an error of that manner

 

[laxu]

I think it’s a third party Fractal editor. From what little research I’ve done you have to get some Bluetooth dongles or something to make it work. Ive considered trying it but I’ll just wait for an official solution.

But that is seemingly exactly what is needed. I don’t even care if it’s Bluetooth, I’d take a tethered tablet editor. AxeEdit on a tablet would be dope.

You can use it over USB as well, but might need dongles for an iPad or Android tablet to connect it all since USB-B to USC-C/Lightning is not a common cable. Bluetooth was very flaky on it when I last tried it, but I should give it another spin.

It has some good ideas, just lacks a lot of polish. I really hope Fractal works with its developer to make an official tablet version Axe-Edit. Or work with the dev for a next gen product.

When it works, I think it's good but it's not a magic bullet or anything - you still have the lack of physical feedback on a tablet. Touchscreen + real knobs is the way - tap to select, knob to adjust.

 

[Stratzrus]

Even if there was a touch screen, I'm just too old to be sitting on the floor hunched over.

Me too.

I don't know about the rest of you but I'm not looking to make adjustments in the middle of a set other than minor tone or volume changes and performance mode is fine for that. I greatly prefer knobs to touchscreens.

 

[Orvillain]

Unpopular opinion but touchscreens are overrated and I feel like prone to error?

I never had a great experience with the QC one. I'm all for improving the UI but I could do without a touchscreen

Same. I found the touchscreen on the QC really frustrating to use.

 

[Achilles]

Touchscreen + real knobs is the way - tap to select, knob to adjust.

Once you've spent enough time doing it this way it's hard to go backwards imo.

 

[Orvillain]

Definitely the QC touchscreen honestly imo

And by error I mean dead screen or an error of that manner

Again, agreed. Since the Axe sits on top of my amp, I don't have to hunch down to tweak things. I can just reach over. Actually, I'm contemplating exchanging the Helix Floor for a Helix Rack too. Partly for this reason, but also partly so I can have a Helix+AxeIII super-rack combo.

 

[la szum]

There's a Factory Preset that does that, and it is EVH based. Check out Preset #33 Brown Sound
Scene 3. Then you can hear how it sounds in EVH land. That Brit Brown Amp Model is too.

My bad, @Stone . I whiffed on the Preset name and number. It is Factory Preset #329 "Eruption"
and Scene 5 is virtual capo'd down to Eb.

 

[Stone]

My bad, @Stone . I whiffed on the Preset name and number. It is Factory Preset #329 "Eruption"
and Scene 5 is virtual capo'd down to Eb.

Ahh Thanks Dave I did check it out its Nice, But we have a Winner for VH1 1959 Treble, Brit Brown close second though

 

[la szum]

Are you off the clock today or something?



I was referring to the Virtual Capo talk. Not any Amp talk.

 

[Stone]

Are you off the clock today or something?



I was referring to the Virtual Capo talk. Not any Amp talk.

Ahh Yes My bad Dave long week at work sigh and we did talk about a Brit Brown amp somewhere
But yes I did try virtual capo and Ill stick to Manual though