I Gotta Wonder About Fractal's, er, "Perception"

[[Nathan]]

The combo of touch screen and encoders seems to be the best of both worlds imo. You’ve got a screen to easily tap on things as well as drag and drop stuff around. When it comes to turning knobs you need some kind of knob. QC and TMP and some of the cheaper units are doing things this way and it just feels right

Everything is contextual but all things considered the fm3/9 and vp4 could definitely benefit from a touch screen even if it’s for tapping to focus and dragging items, it’s just more intuitive.

 

[Mikael Dez]

Please go and research how many devices in the music tech industry were released in 2024, and then separate them into two pools - ones with a touchscreen, and ones without.

Then realise that touchscreens are actually the outlier, and by and large, people don't want or need them.

I like the QC touchscreen

 

[timbuck3]

I'm one. Once I tweaked a handful of factory presets to my liking, I rarely edit anything, and just play. But I also don't gig or record.

If one has a compulsion to "see what all these other things do," might wanna think hard before getting a Fractal modeler.

But even if you are a "tweaker", there are plenty of great videos to make it easy to learn and do.

I get it… i think most just would desl with whats in the unit modeled. Fractal has like what 200-300 smps.. i mean most could find 10 amps in there just as they are without any deep diving that fit their needs.
I wish the tmp was released with like 100 fender amps

 

[timbuck3]

no modeler needed?

x.com

x.com

 

[Orvillain]

I like the QC touchscreen

I think it is okay. But it isn't the reason to buy one. In fact, with the QC, it doesn't really have a single stand out reason to buy. Like with the Helix, you can point at the sheer amount of stuff you get. With the Axe FX III the amp modelling is seriously seriously good now.

But the QC is just a bit beige in most respects. I do like it, but I'm going to sell it. The touchscreen really isn't enough to justify keeping it.

it’s just more intuitive.

I'm genuinely not trying to be contrarian for the sake of it, but I just don't see it that way. I think it is okay, but to me it is a minor plus. Not a major one.

If it were so intuitive, why did people spend a few years bitching that they didn't have an editor? Why would you even need one?

Because using a computer, with a mouse and keyboard, is still the pinnacle of control.

 

[laxu]

If it were so intuitive, why did people spend a few years bitching that they didn't have an editor? Why would you even need one?

It wasn't that it needed it, it was more that it was promised and then it took what, like 2 years to release one? I feel like a lot of QC advertised features were like that. Now they are spending a lot of work on the plugin support just because they advertised it, rather than because you need it.

Because using a computer, with a mouse and keyboard, is still the pinnacle of control.

Real knobs > virtual knobs. And no modeler on the market supports using e.g MIDI controllers to have virtual knobs with the editor in a sensible way.

I hate having to put my pick down or holding it awkwardly to operate a mouse, or typing in numbers on a computer editor because the exact value is not easy to input. Looking at you, Fractal delay/reverb time controls.

Yeah, first world issues for sure, but I'd rather tap stuff on a touchscreen and turn real knobs. It's not "grab a knob on an amp or pedal" level fun, but it's more fun than painstakingly moving a cursor on an onboard UI or using a mouse/keyboard.

Editors have their place for backups, content management, working across multiple presets, configuring footswitching and so on. But I don't like them as the primary means of working with this editing sounds.

 

[Rock Chalk]

I hate having to put my pick down or holding it awkwardly to operate a mouse, or typing in numbers on a computer editor because the exact value is not easy to input. Looking at you, Fractal delay/reverb time controls.

If you're going to be doing some deep diving with the Fractal, why not use the looper and put down the guitar?

 

[Orvillain]

The "MUHHH TURRRRCCCHHHCREEEAAAMMM!" crowd's favourite guitar:

 

[Sascha Franck]

I still can't understand how some people are so obsessed with touch screens, like this is the most important feature, on anything that is supposed to be used on the floor on a gig.

I'm not obsessed by on unit touch screens at all. But then give me a decent mobile OS editor.

 

[Sascha Franck]

no modeler needed?

x.com

x.com

Wrong audio or guitar turned down to zero. Defenitely no modeler needed in that case.

 

[ejecta]

The touchscreen really isn't enough to justify keeping it.

Or even for buying one in the first place. I think the touch screen is fine on the QC and it and the Helix are definitely a better UI design experience than others. That said while UI is important to me what is more important is the tone and mostly the feel when it comes to digital. If that’s not at least in the ballpark of a real amp then it’s all hard pass for me.

Cool thing is you can definitely get in the ballpark these days with units with great UI’s and ones that don’t. Just use what works for you.

 

[Mikael Dez]

I think it is okay. But it isn't the reason to buy one. In fact, with the QC, it doesn't really have a single stand out reason to buy.

Here’s something that I love about the QC:
View attachment 38604

Add that to the touchscreen, clean UI, rotary knobs - it wins for me. No reason to have modeling wars over it though, everyone has their own wants and needs.

 

[Frodebro]

But the QC is just a bit beige in most respects. I do like it, but I'm going to sell it. The touchscreen really isn't enough to justify keeping it.

Touchscreens on modelers are kinda like cup holders in cars.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Touchscreens on modelers are kinda like cup holders in cars.

Why? At some point you're going to need a cup holder in a car but you don't need a touchscreen. You might want a touchscreen or it could be a nice to have feature but it's not a essential. At some point a cup holder in a car is an essential item if you plan on driving any distance in it.

 

[duzie]

Why? At some point you're going to need a cup holder in a car but you don't need a touchscreen. You might want a touchscreen or it could be a nice to have feature but it's not an essential. At some point a cup holder in a car is an essential item if you plan on driving any distance in it.

My vehicle has a cup holder and a touchscreen

 

[Frodebro]

Why? At some point you're going to need a cup holder in a car but you don't need a touchscreen. You might want a touchscreen or it could be a nice to have feature but it's not a essential. At some point a cup holder in a car is an essential item if you plan on driving any distance in it.

You just perfectly explained why.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

My vehicle has a cup holder and a touchscreen

Mine too. I hate having a touch screen in the car. The BMW system I had in my last car was much better. Using a touchscreen while you drive sucks.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

You just perfectly explained why.

I don't get your point? Why is a touchscreen like a cup holder in a car? You don't need a touchscreen, there's others ways to operate a modeller. You can't substitute a cup holder in a car for anything else though.

 

[DrewJD82]

I managed to figure out how to add a 2nd input + the shunts to connect it to the main chain from the front panel when I was about 5 margaritas deep. AMA

 

[ian_dissonance]

If I’m sitting at a desk I can’t imagine a reason I’d want to touch my modeler. Shit, I’m annoyed that some of the global hardware functions aren’t accessible from HX Edit.