Fractal Talk

[DrewJD82]

I'm in the same situation with the Tone King Imperial Preamp.

Should I get a VP4 to use with it? Should I use my FM9 with it? If I'm using the FM9 what's the point of using the TKIP?

The beauty of the TKIP is it's simplicity and portability. Adding anything detracts from that.

I sold my FM3 because I thought having the FM3, FM9, and AxeFX III (plus a FX8 and Ultra) was ridiculous redundancy but the FM3 by itself is more than enough for my Jazz and R&B gigs. Would I miss the Fractal effects if I gigged with just the TKIP?

I keep saying to myself "Must resist the urge to build a pedalboard!"

I'm using my FM9 in 4CM with an amp now but eventually it'll be replaced by the VP4 since I'm not using any amps in the FM9 and that's a LOT of real estate that can given up for the VP4 and a couple expression pedals. That said, I do dig the fact that if the amp takes a shit live, I can just run with the FM9 and a class-D amp to power a cab, or just go direct. I DO appreciate the backup option built-in to the rig as it is now, but man that's a fairly hefty board.

 

[DrewJD82]

I haven't mentioned this!

The answer is: not much. I bought it because Trey is using it for some effects so I've been using it mainly for those: Growler, Frequency Shifter, Reverse Delay.

I had it in a drawer and there was space on this and well...more is more, right?

It might stay. It might go. Was thinking a fun weird pedal might be cool in this spot? I'll use it as the guest pedal spot.

Those really are killer pedals. Definitely not a bad one for any guitarist to have just kicking around because everything sounds great in it, it's easy to use and they're cheap. I originally got it JUST for the Reverse Delay and was impressed at how well everything else sounded in it. I was going to replace the one I had but now I'm just going to snag an HXOne.

 

[iaresee]

now I'm just going to snag an HXOne

Be warned: the HX One should be the amazing successor of the M5 but I had one and sold it on. Noisy. AF. Like unusably noisy.

@James Freeman and I have bitched about it over here: https://thegearforum.com/threads/hx-one-noisy.6044/

Which sucks because it's smaller and lighter and has more fun goodies in it.

 

[- ★ - BROCKSTAR - ★ -]

Be warned: the HX One should be the amazing successor of the M5 but I had one and sold it on. Noisy. AF. Like unusably noisy.

@James Freeman and I have bitched about it over here: https://thegearforum.com/threads/hx-one-noisy.6044/

Which sucks because it's smaller and lighter and has more fun goodies in it.

Dang really? I was hoping to get a hxone some day as well because i miss some of the line 6 things like shuffling looper, some weirder delays etc.

 

[Tenebris]

So, I trust my ears but I don't entirely trust that I'm not missing something before it gets to them. After A/Bing them pretty substantially over a few days I prefer running the FM3 through an old Crown A/B power amp into a guitar cab instead of a Mesa Fifty/Fifty. Cab modeling turned off in both, power amp modeling turned off when using the Mesa.

Nothing against the Mesa, it's a great power amp, but it feels like the slight gain in tube feel/dynamics is not worth the loss of differentiation between amp models with power amp modeling turned off. And when I leave power amp modeling on through the Mesa everything just sounds overprocessed and compressed.

This doesn't sound bananas to anyone, right? I'm not missing some trick in using a tube power amp with a Fractal?

 

[Mongillo19]

So, I trust my ears but I don't entirely trust that I'm not missing something before it gets to them. After A/Bing them pretty substantially over a few days I prefer running the FM3 through an old Crown A/B power amp into a guitar cab instead of a Mesa Fifty/Fifty. Cab modeling turned off in both, power amp modeling turned off when using the Mesa.

Nothing against the Mesa, it's a great power amp, but it feels like the slight gain in tube feel/dynamics is not worth the loss of differentiation between amp models with power amp modeling turned off. And when I leave power amp modeling on through the Mesa everything just sounds overprocessed and compressed.

This doesn't sound bananas to anyone, right? I'm not missing some trick in using a tube power amp with a Fractal?

I think Cliff at Fractal is a fan of Crown Power Amps

 

[TSJMajesty]

So, I trust my ears but I don't entirely trust that I'm not missing something before it gets to them. After A/Bing them pretty substantially over a few days I prefer running the FM3 through an old Crown A/B power amp into a guitar cab instead of a Mesa Fifty/Fifty. Cab modeling turned off in both, power amp modeling turned off when using the Mesa.

Nothing against the Mesa, it's a great power amp, but it feels like the slight gain in tube feel/dynamics is not worth the loss of differentiation between amp models with power amp modeling turned off. And when I leave power amp modeling on through the Mesa everything just sounds overprocessed and compressed.

This doesn't sound bananas to anyone, right? I'm not missing some trick in using a tube power amp with a Fractal?

Sounds about right. I've run my Axe III thru all 3 of my stereo Mesa power amps (20/20, 50/50. & 2:90). and I don't like them. When I do want to use the 2:90, I just add in the Tri-Axis, and only use the III for effects. Which in that case, it sounds stellar!