Fractal Talk

[Stratzrus]

Here's the reality of it, I am a hobbyist, I like to tinker with analog electronics, especially guitar related electronics.
While tinkering I find interesting things, among them are plenty of "eh, nobody will ever notice" things that make me MAD, I report these things on the forum with the faith that it will get the attention it deserves.

Some things are really fucked up, like a modern modeler (run by a very capable team, mind you) without a proper JCM800, to me this was completely inconceivable so I've invested (a lot) of my time to alert the attention of the company.

For example, right now I'm tinkering with the JCM800 2203 Reissue FX Loop LTSpice simulation and checking what's the maximum input level to the loop that is also free of distortion after the recovery stage at the output.

Spoiler: LTSPICE

View attachment 16320

If I ever buy the real amp I will run the same test on the real amp and if I find something particularly fucked up I will report it on the forum, or at least how to fix it yourself, or what are the optimal settings.

To me this is just as fun as playing guitar... if not more.

My NMV JCM800 Model 1959 full stack was absolutely glorious when I cranked it. Unfortunately my ears rang for a considerable amount of time after I finished playing through it.

To save my ears, and to pay rent, I eventually sold it but of all the gear I regret selling it's at the very top of the list. If the Fryette Power Station PS-100 was invented back then I would have kept it even if I had to move.

 

[jellodog]

Holy shit! This evening I stumbled upon that Fremen's Drones of Arrakis preset by accident.

What a fantastic hour of inspiring fun that was!

I had just about bought into the "I don't need no stinking presets" thing, but I would NEVER have thought to have made a preset like this.

Also, as someone that doesn't usually play with much gain, I get the MK IIC+ now. Wow. Mind changed in so many ways this evening.

This has given me a lot to think about.

EDIT: It was the IIC++

 

[Mongillo19]

Holy shit! This evening I stumbled upon that Fremen's Drones of Arrakis preset by accident.

What a fantastic hour of inspiring fun that was!

I had just about bought into the "I don't need no stinking presets" thing, but I would NEVER have thought to have made a preset like this.

Also, as someone that doesn't usually play with much gain, I get the MK IIC+ now. Wow. Mind changed in so many ways this evening.

This has given me a lot to think about.

The presets are great for ambient, synth, etc. ideas that are not your traditional!

 

[DrewJD82]

Also, as someone that doesn't usually play with much gain, I get the MK IIC+ now. Wow. Mind changed in so many ways this evening.

This has given me a lot to think about.

 

[PBGas]

I was initially going to get the new kemper player but then realized....why the hell am I getting this thing when I have never really gotten along with the Kemper stuff as it is.

So with the 100$ off, new FM3 Turbo on the way. I'd rather use something that I am already super comfortable and happy with than struggle with the other. I'm taking this one as a small backup to use for my gigs and on my tech bench at work. I already have a half decent "FRFR" monitor so this will fit in there perfectly for me.

 

[Mongillo19]

why the hell am I getting this thing when I have never really gotten along with the Kemper stuff as it is.

I thought you really enjoyed your Kemper? I could be thinking of another person or maybe the honeymoon period ended lol

 

[PBGas]

I thought you really enjoyed your Kemper? I could be thinking of another person or maybe the honeymoon period ended lol

It was a good unit. I had the stage. However, there were some things on it that I didn't like as much as I thought I would.

 

[luckymethod]

My understanding is that when something has an effect on something else down the line, Fractal prefers to do another model. Or there might be issues that whatever things don't switch fast enough, cause some pop or whatever.

Hopefully for next gen they will be able to bundle each amp and its channels/modes all into one model, to be used more like the real amp.

Could be exactly the same just hidden behind a unified UI would still be better than the current mess. Sometimes Cliff baffles me a bit with his choices in regard to ergonomics.

 

[laxu]

Could be exactly the same just hidden behind a unified UI would still be better than the current mess. Sometimes Cliff baffles me a bit with his choices in regard to ergonomics.

I'd say Fractal's approach is often "what is the fastest to develop" over "what makes for the best user experience".

The model thing is a helluva lot more complicated matter, so I understand why they are reluctant to change it for this gen. Especially when everyone else does it the same way. I do also want to see for next gen that you pick the amp, rather than a specific channel on it.

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

On the Axe you have 2 amps with 4 channels per amp. So that's 8 gapless channels per preset. Hopefully the FM9 will have gapless soon. Pretty good "work around" for the current gen products. But I get it. An embarrassment of riches is never enough.

 

[la szum]

Next person to say, "UI," gets their balls clubbed!

 

[la szum]

I forced myself into a new box, that is not my normal box last night with the FM3. I was like, "No Marshalls
tonight for you, Dave! Not even for a moment."




I spent a portion of this week working on a USA MKIV patch, with a Pitch Block assigned to a switch for
easy down-tuning a full step. I didn't move all night from that Preset. It was fucking fun. We are doing some
heavier stuff(for us) than we have in the recent past. The Edwards in drop C (thank you Virtual Capo!) with
the Mark IV was .

Already excited for next week.

 

[DrewJD82]

I forced myself into a new box, that is not my normal box last night with the FM3. I was like, "No Marshalls
tonight for you, Dave! Not even for a moment."




I spent a portion of this week working on a USA MKIV patch, with a Pitch Block assigned to a switch for
easy down-tuning a full step. I didn't move all night from that Preset. It was fucking fun. We are doing some
heavier stuff(for us) than we have in the recent past. The Edwards in drop C (thank you Virtual Capo!) with
the Mark IV was .

Already excited for next week.

I need to get back to the Mark IV. The IIC++ just completely took over and I really kinda forgot the IV exists. I haven't even tried the V models yet!

 

[la szum]

Wut?? I'd be pissed you haven't checked out the MKVs yet, Drew.... if you didn't have all that glowing tube
amp goodness in your crib right now.

 

[deadpool_25]

Next person to say, "UI," gets their balls clubbed!

UI.




What? I love golf.

 

[LScottK]

UI.




What? I love golf.

Okay, Bud . . . Spread 'em!

 

[Orvillain]

So to my shame, I only just got around to trying out the gapless functionality. It works really well. In combination with the spillover behaviour... this can potentially kill snapshots/scenes altogether. Just turn spillover on in the global settings, design your master preset layout that never changes... and bypass blocks from preset to preset... and name them correctly.

This would give me potentially 10-12 presets on my FC-12 at once (10 if I have a dedicated tap and tuner switch) - and I could start to think of our songs as "here's a collection of tones I use across all our songs" again, rather than jumping from preset to preset and having to design specific snapshots for each song; which is a lot of work and maintenance.

 

[DrewJD82]

So to my shame, I only just got around to trying out the gapless functionality. It works really well. In combination with the spillover behaviour... this can potentially kill snapshots/scenes altogether. Just turn spillover on in the global settings, design your master preset layout that never changes... and bypass blocks from preset to preset... and name them correctly.

This would give me potentially 10-12 presets on my FC-12 at once (10 if I have a dedicated tap and tuner switch) - and I could start to think of our songs as "here's a collection of tones I use across all our songs" again, rather than jumping from preset to preset and having to design specific snapshots for each song; which is a lot of work and maintenance.

Yep. As soon as I used it I started thinking of Presets and Scenes as organizational tools and not solutions to get from one sound to another.

 

[aerial7]

Next person to say, "UI," gets their balls clubbed!

agreed! besides, an informed person would say "UX" instead...iykyk....

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

UI.