Fractal Talk

Frodebro said:
You mean MORE Fractals. I also have an FM3 and Axe3 MkII. I started with the FM3, but soon realized that I wanted more. The FM9 was introduced about a month after I bought the FM3, but the waiting list for the first run was the typical fifteen year wait, so I went for the rack unit. I have been perfectly happy with it, but about a year ago a friend put together a band just for having fun and playing stuff that we really like. I have been using the FM3 for that, but it’s lacking on a few features that I really like on the rack unit, so here I am…
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face crying GIF
 
SwirlyMaple said:
Welp, I sent my faulty FM9 back to Fractal today. I hope I get it or the replacement back next week, but I think it'll more likely be the week after. I don't want to admit how much I already want it back...

Pop Tv Love GIF by Schitt's Creek's Creek


I have been playing with the Helix again, and as much as I really don't want to say it (because I love my Helix and the team behind it)... Fractal's amp modeling is on another level. You dig into an amp like the Princeton, and on the Fractal, you hear all these lovely evolving interactions in the distortion that go long after your pick attack. It sounds so organic and realistic. With the Helix, it still sounds pretty good, but it seems like the realism in the models stops evolving much sooner in the sustain and decay. There's also a liveliness in the attack with Fractal that, again, feels really natural and realistic, whereas I have to fight the strings more with the Helix to get the same thing. If I recorded both I think most would have a hard time hearing these differences, but to the person playing it's apparent.
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Key And Peele Reaction GIF

This is not helping my gastrointestinals
 
JiveTurkey said:
GIF by The Jerry Springer Show
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I believed you! ;) The Line 6 crew is just so great that I want to support and be loyal to them too. I'd love for a Helix update to sauce the amp models up to Fractal-level. They're close... but it's that final ten yards that makes the Fractal reaaaally satisfying to play. It's the most I've ever enjoyed any amp modeling hardware or plugin, in terms of playing experience.
 
I will say as an always Frac curious guy. The 2 guys in my area who have the best toans imo are running fractals. One just converted from helix to frac and keeps telling me to do the same. I just need the right form factor 😫 then shut up and take my money
 
SwirlyMaple said:
Welp, I sent my faulty FM9 back to Fractal today. I hope I get it or the replacement back next week, but I think it'll more likely be the week after. I don't want to admit how much I already want it back...

Pop Tv Love GIF by Schitt's Creek's Creek


I have been playing with the Helix again, and as much as I really don't want to say it (because I love my Helix and the team behind it)... Fractal's amp modeling is on another level. You dig into an amp like the Princeton, and on the Fractal, you hear all these lovely evolving interactions in the distortion that go long after your pick attack. It sounds so organic and realistic. With the Helix, it still sounds pretty good, but it seems like the realism in the models stops evolving much sooner in the sustain and decay. There's also a liveliness in the attack with Fractal that, again, feels really natural and realistic, whereas I have to fight the strings more with the Helix to get the same thing. If I recorded both I think most would have a hard time hearing these differences, but to the person playing it's apparent.
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Does this mean you will give the tmp a college try?
 
timbuck3 said:
Does this mean you will give the tmp a college try?
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Fair question. The only thing I really wanted from the TMP was the stellar Fenders, excellent spring verb, and the possibility of next-gen modeling. From what I've heard so far, at its very best it equals Fractal; at its worst, it falls short. And I don't want to wait for months/years for the rest of the models to be built. I'd rather buy something that is chock-full of great stuff already.

So, instead, I'll sit here and cry waiting for my FM9 to come back ;) I've not seen any other reports of people having issues with them, so I think I just got unlucky. It happens with modern electronics, no matter how good the product is.
 
SwirlyMaple said:
Yep, that’s the intention (I emailed their support last night). I just received an RMA number to ship it back for “repair or replacement.”

I was hoping they’d go the Line 6 route and first send a replacement, and then have me ship the old one back, but no dice there.

I really hope I don’t get this same one back unless they are absolutely certain of the issue & fix. Since I got it, there have been periods of a couple days where it’s worked fine, and then the problem will appear out of nowhere. I was 100% convinced it was dead for good last night, but now it’s booting normally again :idk
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Did you mention that your a Member of the Fractal Gear Forum ? :LOL:
 
timbuck3 said:
swirly read this on helix with presets...cool beans

blog.line6.com

Jeff Schroeder: Ambient Sounds Pt. 2 – Attack of the Synths - Model Citizens

Schroeder shares three period-correct synth-based Helix presets inspired by Adrian Belew and other early guitar synth pioneers. Free download!
blog.line6.com
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Good stuff, thanks! I've gotten to see Jeff with the Smashing Pumpkins twice in the last few years. They've had some of the best live guitar tones I've ever heard both times, so he's clearly doing something right. My crappy phone audio doesn't do it any justice, but here's a clip from when I saw them in August this year:

 
mikah912 said:
Man, I don't like when the FM9 is lumped in with that. The "big dog" is a rack, which I just don't want any part of these days. If the Axe-FX 3 somehow existed in floorboard form, I'd pay the extra and grab it with no delay. But I don't wanna do anything modular anymore....no Axe-FX III.

The price I pay for that preference is delayed "middle child" firmware development.
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If it were very close for me between Fractal and Line 6, it would be the "little things" that pushed me to Fractal:

They're a small company here in the US, vs. a giant, to me, faceless, corporation in Japan. I live in the US, not Japan, and I always prefer giving my money to a small business.

Cliff is quite dedicated to his customers, so much so that he once answered a forum-member's post, within a half-hour, while he was at a gig setting up and having problems.

That personal touch thing seals it for me.
 
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