Fractal Talk

[AlbertA]

Anyone messed with the new pitch updates? That was one of the few things I thought needed some TLC on the AxeFX. Might be time to fire it up.

Axe-Fx III Firmware 29.01 Public Beta #2 (Beta 4)

It was previously called Fast and Smooth. The names were changed to Notes and Chords to try to clear up the usage. Apparently it didn't work. If you are playing notes and chords then set the tracking to Chords. Why don't you just try the firmware first though? The new pitch shifting is...

forum.fractalaudio.com

Thread 'Digitech Drop or FAS Virtual Capo'

Tuesday at 4:23 AM

Howdy all,IF i want to use a 440 Std and drop it down to drop C is the Fractal VC any good or is it best to go with the Digitech Drop ?
or is it best to get an Axe and tune it to Drop C

Thanks all

• Stone
• Replies: 42
• Forum: Pedals & Effects

 

[Mikael Dez]

New VP4 Beta is out - my favorite highlight is the future Cab-Lab support:

The VP4 V3.00 Public Beta 4 is now available for download:

VP4 Firmware V3.00 Public Beta 4

This beta firmware continues to be part of a major release, and as such we strongly urge you to back up your system settings as well as your presets before installing this firmware.

The supporting VP4-Edit can be found here:

VERSION 3.0 Beta 4 | August 29, 2025

UPDATES & NEW FEATURES

Improved shifting in the Pitch block. To get the best performance, review the following:

• Custom Shifter, Fixed Shift types, Octave Polygen types, Virtual Capo, and Whammy types offer a
  Pitch Tracking control which selects between Notes, Chords, and Off.
• Chords – greater stability for intricate chords, at the cost of increased latency.
• OFF can be used to emulate vintage shifters with no tracking intelligence.
• Tracking Adjust (in Expert Edit) lets you fine-tune the trade-off between stability and latency.
• For other Pitch block types, tracking is set internally to required values and cannot be adjusted.

• Send Scene Sync Ch – choose OFF, a specific channel (1–16), or OMNI.
• Send Scene Sync CC – choose which CC# (1–127) will be sent.
• On the receiving unit, you must set SETUP > MIDI > Scene Select to this same CC# setting.

Each time you change scenes, the VP4 sends the chosen CC number on the chosen channel. The value of the CC equals the scene number minus one (Scene 1 = 0, Scene 2 = 1, etc.). This works with scene changes from footswitches, Scene Mode, incoming MIDI, or the editor. It does not send a Scene CC message when you change presets. (By default, presets load whichever scene was selected when you last saved them.)

ADDITIONAL UPDATES & FIXES

• New SPDIF In Level setting under SETUP > Audio allows you to trim the level of incoming SPDIF signals.
• In the Drive block, the Level setting is no longer reset when changing Mode.
• Fixed an issue that could cause a crash when using IR Player > Expert Edit.
• The IR Player block should now consistently show channel names.
• Fixed an issue loading preset “Z4” after using press-and-hold to wrap from preset “A1”.

Added support for compatibility with a future version of Cab-Lab.

 

[AlbertA]

Well that rolled down fast to the VP4 from the Axe-Fx III. That's one of the advantages of using the same TI DSP core I imagine.

 

[Mikael Dez]

Well that rolled down fast to the VP4 from the Axe-Fx III. That's one of the advantages of using the same TI DSP core I imagine.

Getting the VP4 was one of my favorite investments lol

 

[GTR37]

New VP4 Beta is out - my favorite highlight is the future Cab-Lab support:

The VP4 V3.00 Public Beta 4 is now available for download:

VP4 Firmware V3.00 Public Beta 4

This beta firmware continues to be part of a major release, and as such we strongly urge you to back up your system settings as well as your presets before installing this firmware.

The supporting VP4-Edit can be found here:

VERSION 3.0 Beta 4 | August 29, 2025

UPDATES & NEW FEATURES

Improved shifting in the Pitch block. To get the best performance, review the following:

• Custom Shifter, Fixed Shift types, Octave Polygen types, Virtual Capo, and Whammy types offer a
  Pitch Tracking control which selects between Notes, Chords, and Off.
• Chords – greater stability for intricate chords, at the cost of increased latency.
• OFF can be used to emulate vintage shifters with no tracking intelligence.
• Tracking Adjust (in Expert Edit) lets you fine-tune the trade-off between stability and latency.
• For other Pitch block types, tracking is set internally to required values and cannot be adjusted.
• Send Scene Sync Ch – choose OFF, a specific channel (1–16), or OMNI.
• Send Scene Sync CC – choose which CC# (1–127) will be sent.
• On the receiving unit, you must set SETUP > MIDI > Scene Select to this same CC# setting.

Each time you change scenes, the VP4 sends the chosen CC number on the chosen channel. The value of the CC equals the scene number minus one (Scene 1 = 0, Scene 2 = 1, etc.). This works with scene changes from footswitches, Scene Mode, incoming MIDI, or the editor. It does not send a Scene CC message when you change presets. (By default, presets load whichever scene was selected when you last saved them.)

ADDITIONAL UPDATES & FIXES

• New SPDIF In Level setting under SETUP > Audio allows you to trim the level of incoming SPDIF signals.
• In the Drive block, the Level setting is no longer reset when changing Mode.
• Fixed an issue that could cause a crash when using IR Player > Expert Edit.
• The IR Player block should now consistently show channel names.
• Fixed an issue loading preset “Z4” after using press-and-hold to wrap from preset “A1”.

Added support for compatibility with a future version of Cab-Lab.

Last one is interesting so I wonder are the considering adding cab lab to VP4
It also make me wonder another product like VP4 Virtual amps maybe ?

 

[FuzzyAce]

It also make me wonder another product like VP4 Virtual amps maybe ?

VA4 is my wish for sure. I think it'll happen in some shape or form, just when is the big question.

 

[Mikael Dez]

Last one is interesting so I wonder are the considering adding cab lab to VP4
It also make me wonder another product like VP4 Virtual amps maybe ?

They are adding cab lab integration to the VP4 - but nothing has been stated about virtual amps (and I doubt they’re thinking about that tbh, wouldn’t that hurt the FM line?)

 

[Mikael Dez]

The VP4 can already use DynaCab pack IRs that are mixed using Cab Lab - it just doesn’t integrate with the software for live auditioning like you can with the other devices, it’s a little clunky at the moment (until I’m assuming they update Cab Lab)

 

[FuzzyAce]

I know it's been mentioned many times, probably in this thread, and probably by me a few times lol... but is there any hope of a FAS native style software in the near future? That would make me very, very happy.

 

[Whizzinby]

I know it's been mentioned many times, probably in this thread, and probably by me a few times lol... but is there any hope of a FAS native style software in the near future? That would make me very, very happy.

 

[deathbyguitar]

I know it's been mentioned many times, probably in this thread, and probably by me a few times lol... but is there any hope of a FAS native style software in the near future? That would make me very, very happy.

Probably not.

 

[AlbertA]

I know it's been mentioned many times, probably in this thread, and probably by me a few times lol... but is there any hope of a FAS native style software in the near future? That would make me very, very happy.

Never say never, but people have been asking for that for more than a decade so most likely not.

 

[Richard_G]

Yeah, I remember getting my hopes up for an 'Axe-PC' back in 2010 or so, thanks to forum speculation...

 

[deathbyguitar]

I could see them doing a VA4 in order to get their amp modeling to market at a lower price than the FM3. Plus Fractal tends to reuse existing chassis designs for other products so my money is on a VA4 that looks near identical to the VP4 side-by-side.

 

[Mikael Dez]

I could see them doing a VA4 in order to get their amp modeling to market at a lower price than the FM3. Plus Fractal tends to reuse existing chassis designs for other products so my money is on a VA4 that looks near identical to the VP4 side-by-side.

At this point I’m only interested in either a fully analog preamp pedal or a digital modeler that has SPDIF out - if anything it just tames my OCD. I’d get a VA4 if they release it

 

[Elf]

At this point I’m only interested in either a fully analog preamp pedal or a digital modeler that has SPDIF out - if anything it just tames my OCD. I’d get a VA4 if they release it

Same, I would buy a VP4 or similar at that price range if it had amp modeling an digital outputs.

 

[makeitstop]

UPDATES & NEW FEATURES

Improved shifting in the Pitch block. To get the best performance, review the following:

• Custom Shifter, Fixed Shift types, Octave Polygen types, Virtual Capo, and Whammy types offer a
  Pitch Tracking control which selects between Notes, Chords, and Off.
• Chords – greater stability for intricate chords, at the cost of increased latency.
• OFF can be used to emulate vintage shifters with no tracking intelligence.
• Tracking Adjust (in Expert Edit) lets you fine-tune the trade-off between stability and latency.
• For other Pitch block types, tracking is set internally to required values and cannot be adjusted.
• Send Scene Sync Ch – choose OFF, a specific channel (1–16), or OMNI.
• Send Scene Sync CC – choose which CC# (1–127) will be sent.
• On the receiving unit, you must set SETUP > MIDI > Scene Select to this same CC# setting.

I hope they release a beta with this for the FM9 soon.

 

[GTR37]

I could see them doing a VA4 in order to get their amp modeling to market at a lower price than the FM3. Plus Fractal tends to reuse existing chassis designs for other products so my money is on a VA4 that looks near identical to the VP4 side-by-side.

If they just had amps Dyna cabs and a small ambience section some like verb echo combo block I would make that my main rig

 

[Mikael Dez]

This is pure speculation out of my ass but for a grand you can get an FM3, and the only way I can see them pushing out a VA4 is if they discontinue the FM3 or even the FM line entirely. I just don’t think it makes a lot of sense business wise to have two products so close together in pricing and functionality. The VP4 stands on its own mostly for those integrating it into their pedalboard and real amp setups, it’s not really competing that much with the FM3.

Maybe there is a VA4 coming, and maybe it’s in the next gen of Fractal products? Idk.

 

[Mongillo19]

This is pure speculation out of my ass but for a grand you can get an FM3, and the only way I can see them pushing out a VA4 is if they discontinue the FM3 or even the FM line entirely. I just don’t think it makes a lot of sense business wise to have two products so close together in pricing and functionality. The VP4 stands on its own mostly for those integrating it into their pedalboard and real amp setups, it’s not really competing that much with the FM3.

Maybe there is a VA4 coming, and maybe it’s in the next gen of Fractal products? Idk.

Yeah I was thinking the same. But amp in box pedals certainly have gained popularity. If someone has a pedalboard and just wants the fractal amps, they can save $300-400 and get the VA4 vs the FM3