I'm Just Curious..., How Many Here Own a Fractal, and Who Doesn't?

[mavrick102000]

No FAS currently.

Which seems odd because I started with the Standard and Ultra when they were first available - loved them. Cured a lot of GAS for quite a while.

I'd like to have one again, and I could probably get by with an FM3. But not having the AxeFX III Turbo with every possible option would bother me, just because of "options"...it's a sickness really.

The primary reason I don't have one is not wanting to have the conversation with the wife about it.

I've spent a lot of money this year - Tractor and implements.

Many, many, turbo's and guitars could have been funded with that money, but my body needs help with all of the projects we come up with and maintaining our land.

 

[Stone]

Well Now, while this forum welcomes all folks with many different platforms and of course it's the best place and not to mention the funniest place
in the end it's a conversion forum, there is so much talk of FAS products, its insidious and eventually draws people to buy a FAS products, many resist but most will succumb

 

[Iron1]

I went from my first Stomp to an Axe FX II XL+, then to a Helix Rack. My Axe had some weird issue where I had to adjust the preset volume every time I used a preset. Between that and just not liking the tones quite as much as the Helix ones, I'm happy I went to the Rack. Don't imagine I'll re-enter the Fractal world, but ya never know.

 

[laxu]

As if laxu could post such a curt reply that merely expresses his feeling about the UI without the corresponding wall of text explaining all the fucked up ways he would "improve" it.

 

[dronerstone]

Unfortunately, none. Fractal stuff is usually very expensive over here (central EU), even on the used market.

But I do know their reputation is great, and that lots of pros use them, so respect where it's due.

 

[Stone]

Unfortunately, none. Fractal stuff is usually very expensive over here (central EU), even on the used market.

But I do know their reputation is great, and that lots of pros use them, so respect where it's due.

I know Fractal is Great but so is the Helix
I always say it there is Fractal and Helix, then there is all the rest

 

[HotRats]

Don't own or owned a fractal device.

I'm an amp guy I went digital out of necessity and had great results with my helix.

Bus as soon had the opportunity I went back to tube amp in 4cm for effects and control.

When fm9 came out I've put myself in the waiting list but price in Europe was too high to justify the unit.

 

[jellodog]

Well Now, while this forum welcomes all folks with many different platforms and of course it's the best place and not to mention the funniest place
in the end it's a conversion forum, there is so much talk of FAS products, its insidious and eventually draws people to buy a FAS products, many resist but most will succumb

Found @Stone's only account.

 

[aerial7]

My FM9 has been the single best gear purchase I've ever made.

(The only thing that's even close is the Atari 800XL I got for Christmas as a kid, on which I taught myself how to program and which led to a 35+ year career...)

 

[jellodog]

i have the Axe 3,Kemper Stage and QC,but last 3 weeks I have been using QC more,i have months that i dont touch the Axe 3

What you do feel is contributing to your consistently choosing the QC over the last 3 weeks? Or is there no simple answer that?

 

[HotRats]

My FM9 has been the single best gear purchase I've ever made.

(The only thing that's even close is the Atari 800XL I got for Christmas as a kid, on which I taught myself how to program and which led to a 35+ year career...)

Loved our Atari 800!
My brother learned how to program with the Atari like you did.
I remember him programming in assembler and controlling lego motors and other stuff from the computer. He has become a really successful electronic engineer, it was in his dna I guess.

 

[OrganicZed]

I have the following:

5x EV-1
FC-6 mark I
FX8 mark II
FM9 standard
Axe-FX III mark I

The FX8 and a single EV-1 were my first hit of FAS goodness. I bought them used as a package deal. I was a tube amp guy looking for a delay pedal that had would maintain the bypassed signal integrity better than my Boss DD-20 pedal. The advertised no tone suck by design and true bypass capabilities of the FX8 were really attractive. I was very impressed by the build quality of the FX8 hardware, the tones, and the incredible flexibility. It replaced my drive pedals, wah, delay, and tube buffer. My rig was streamlined and my tones were better too.

At the same time I had also been struggling with using my tube rig for low volume playing. I was using a tube amp into a reactive load box and then feeding that into a TwoNotes CAB pedal for IR and reverb. It sounded good, but I was encountering an issue where the amp settings that sounded best through the headphone setup were different than what sounded good through the cab in the room. I had to change my amp settings each time I switched between low volume and full volume playing. It created an extra barrier to picking up the guitar and was an inspiration killer.

Shortly after getting the FX8 I realized that I was experiencing the worst of both worlds by trying to use a tube head for headphone playing. My effects were digital. My cabinet simulations were digital. I was putting my 'tube purist analog' signal through multiple rounds of A/D/A conversion. If I went all in digital then I could just dial in individual settings for headphone playing and full volume playing and then save them to separate patches. Plus, there would be only only one round of A/D/A conversion and reduced noise. Hearing the tones that Leon Todd and Mark Day were getting pushed me over the edge.

I was still skeptical since I had tried the modeling thing before with a POD 2.0 and a POD HD400. Those were fun, but were nowhere near as satisfying as playing my amps. I figured I'd use the Fractal rig for headphone playing and go 4-cable method for effects only with my tube heads. After about 5 minutes of playing factory preset 1 on the Axe-FX III I knew that this was an entirely different class of product. The way the amp models responded to my picking dynamics and guitar volume changes was just like playing through a tube rig. I played guitar for literally hours on end over the next several days.

I play my tube amps a few times a year now and play the Axe-FX nearly every day. I hang onto the analog stuff because I have the means to, but I would gladly sell off my tube and analog gear before even thinking of selling my FAS rigs. I have imbibed the Kool-Aid and am a full on fanboy.

 

[Baba]

If you're into gear enough to spend a lot of time on forums, given how low the price-of-entry into the Fractal world is these days, you've gotta have some sort of weird hang-up to NOT own a Fractal device...regardless of the UI challenges that may or may not exist, there's just...soooooooo much to explore, even for folks that don't dive too deep into the effects side of things.

Or, it could be that you are a Line 6 (or other) user, or a strictly amp and analog user . . .

Some guys (like me), don't want to explore, we want to play. I'm steeply entrenched into the Line 6 eco system at this point, and it's just not worth changing.

Not entrenched like, I own 6 different units, (just Helix and Stomp XL), but I'm just so used to the workflow, and need so little blocks to do what I do, it's just not worth learning a different system at this point, and not many mfgs make a Stomp XL equivalent, at that size and price point.

 

[sleewell]

nada

 

[Baba]

Trying to cobble together a smaller rig with the Stomp and the IR-X but it's still early days.

Same. I'm in the thinking/planning stages. It's really not necessary though, since I'm happy with my tones right now.

Still though, gear, etc. Lol.

 

[Baba]

nada

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Or, it could be that you are a Line 6 (or other) user, or a strictly amp and analog user . . .

Some guys (like me), don't want to explore, we want to play. I'm steeply entrenched into the Line 6 eco system at this point, and it's just not worth changing.

Not entrenched like, I own 6 different units, (just Helix and Stomp XL), but I'm just so used to the workflow, and need so little blocks to do what I do, it's just not worth learning a different system at this point, and not many mfgs make a Stomp XL equivalent, at that size and price point.

(And you’ve only reached Roadie status here)

 

[jellodog]

Tiiiiiiim! WTF?

 

[Baba]

(And you’ve only reached Roadie status here)

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

As the man formerly known as Watt McCo, I am fully aware! But I do think the “seasoned” gear Wh*res that have settled into comfort in checking the forums a few times a week rather than a few times a minute at this stage in their lives are in a different league. At this moment.