Fractal Talk

It seems that FAS has decided to put the FM3 and FM9 on an update schedule more similar to what Line6 does. That means they only get 2-3 release firmware updates a year. These are large updates with the few bugs. If there are significant issues they'll release another firmware to address the issue, but that won't contain much if anything related to new features. If you want the constant stream of feature updates you'll need the Axe-FX. Otherwise, expect to wait 3-4 months for the latest features and expect that the newest firmware won't have everything that is currently ported to the Axe-FX even on the day that it is released.
 
Last edited:
It seems that FAS has decided to put the FM3 and FM9 on an update schedule more similar to what Line6 does...

Not Listening Friends Tv GIF
 
🤔 💭 Hmmm... Wondering if FAS Sales team would hold an AF3 bought in the holiday sale today and ship it much later.

I'll soon be out of town for the rest of the week, so wouldn't be able to be present for delivery.

Must stop thinking about it must stop thinking about it
 
Last edited:
It seems that FAS has decided to put the FM3 and FM9 on an update schedule more similar to what Line6 does. That means they only get 2-3 release firmware updates a year. These are large updates with the few bugs. If there are significant issues they'll release another firmware to address the issue, but that won't contain much if anything related to new features. If you want the constant stream of feature updates you'll need the Axe-FX. Otherwise, expect to wait 3-4 months for the latest features and expect that the newest firmware won't have everything that is currently ported to the Axe-FX even on the day that it is released.

I wouldn't say that Cliff has decided to put the floor processors on said schedule. Probably just more of a logistical inevitability, really.

The only two options are A) The flagship gets stuff first with lots of public betas, then it trickles down to the lower-power floor units or B) ALL units wait until a lot of internal beta testing happens and all units are synced, then it's released across the SKUs.

Either scenario, lower power units will end up waiting, just as with Line 6. Cliff is just picking the road where the flagship users don't have to wait. And I'd happily be one of those flagship users except I don't want a rack and floor controller on any platform. I like one converged device.
 
I wouldn't say that Cliff has decided to put the floor processors on said schedule. Probably just more of a logistical inevitability, really.

The only two options are A) The flagship gets stuff first with lots of public betas, then it trickles down to the lower-power floor units or B) ALL units wait until a lot of internal beta testing happens and all units are synced, then it's released across the SKUs.

Either scenario, lower power units will end up waiting, just as with Line 6. Cliff is just picking the road where the flagship users don't have to wait. And I'd happily be one of those flagship users except I don't want a rack and floor controller on any platform. I like one converged device.
Line6 has it a bit easier because their whole product range uses the same processors whereas Fractal has two separate architectures so they can't port so easily. Obviously there's still challenges in making something from Helix work on half the processing power HX Stomp, but it's still less than porting between architectures.

While getting all the new stuff regularly is fun, it feels like Christmas getting a big update on the other platforms. So let's hope that Fractal has a nice firmware update waiting under the tree for y'all FM3/FM9 users!
 
Line6 has it a bit easier because their whole product range uses the same processors whereas Fractal has two separate architectures so they can't port so easily. Obviously there's still challenges in making something from Helix work on half the processing power HX Stomp, but it's still less than porting between architectures.

While getting all the new stuff regularly is fun, it feels like Christmas getting a big update on the other platforms. So let's hope that Fractal has a nice firmware update waiting under the tree for y'all FM3/FM9 users!
It’s a different team and while they collaborate and share info the FM teams are run by 2 different people
Cliff is also a workaholic and is posting beta on Sunday afternoon as he is excited to get feedback
The other product managers are likely not coding at 2am on a Saturday and have a more normal schedule
 
Sure all them goodies and Improvements are nice, but even if there would never ever be another Update I'm more than happy with what i gots right now, A few things I might use Now Like the Golden Reverb and Gapless, other than that I would not need to use all the other goodies for now, so yeah in no rush, comes out when it comes out

:beer
 
I wouldn't say that Cliff has decided to put the floor processors on said schedule. Probably just more of a logistical inevitability, really.

So you think that it is simply not logistically possible for them to release firmware updates for the FM3 and FM9 more frequently than they do currently?

While I understand that some of the feature updates put out for the Axe-FX III could take a lot of work to get them ported for the floor units, why don't they put out smaller updates with the stuff that's easier to port? For example, things like "Changed default values of Speaker Drive and Speaker Thump to better align with measurements of typical speakers." or "Fixed wrong Distortion pot taper in DS1 Distortion models." Surely those types of changes shouldn't take months to port, right?

I conclude that they have made a conscious choice to do fewer firmware updates and just roll all of those less difficult changes in with a release that ports something significant like gapless switching or new reverb algorithms.

I may be totally off base here since I'm not a programmer and have no inside knowledge.
 
Last edited:
So you think that it is simply not logistically possible for them to release firmware updates for the FM3 and FM9 more frequently than they do currently?

While I understand that some of the feature updates put out for the Axe-FX III could take a lot of work to get them ported for the floor units, why don't they put out smaller updates with the stuff that's easier to port? For example, things like "Changed default values of Speaker Drive and Speaker Thump to better align with measurements of typical speakers." or "Fixed wrong Distortion pot taper in DS1 Distortion models." Surely those types of changes shouldn't take months to port, right?

I conclude that they have made a conscious choice to do fewer firmware updates and just roll all of those less difficult changes in with a release that ports something significant like gapless switching or new reverb algorithms.

I may be totally off base here since I'm not a programmer and have no inside knowledge.

I just don't think it works in that sort of a la carte fashion that you think it might. This is much like people requesting Line 6 to put out smaller updates with just an amp model or two amp models or an effects model. Development doesn't occur in a vacuum that way and this stuff is being done in parallel with bug fixes and feature add-ons and lots of behind the scenes code that you and I are not privy to.
 
Sure all them goodies and Improvements are nice, but even if there would never ever be another Update I'm more than happy with what i gots right now, A few things I might use Now Like the Golden Reverb and Gapless, other than that I would not need to use all the other goodies for now, so yeah in no rush, comes out when it comes out

:beer
I can’t even keep track anymore
It like like the 12 days of Christmas 🎅
On the the first day of Christmas fractal gave to me gapless switching in My FM3

4 JCM800s
3 channels Steath
2 pescence tapers

And gapless switching in my FM3
 
Line6 has it a bit easier because their whole product range uses the same processors
Helix Native has entered the chat... ;)

(Yes, I know it's not hardware, and they've probably got something that translates much of the actual SHARC DSP code to x86/x64 and ARM, but you get the drift! )
 
I just don't think it works in that sort of a la carte fashion that you think it might. This is much like people requesting Line 6 to put out smaller updates with just an amp model or two amp models or an effects model. Development doesn't occur in a vacuum that way and this stuff is being done in parallel with bug fixes and feature add-ons and lots of behind the scenes code that you and I are not privy to.

That may well be the case and I'm certain that I do not have sufficient understanding of how these changes are made to know one way or the other. What I do see is that the Axe-FX III can get these types of updates rolled out in a matter of minutes on some occasions.
 
Back
Top