So.....

[FractalAudio]

I could tell you some sh*t about the shenanigans that the company I believe DI is referring to tried to pull with us but I'm tired of all the social media nonsense.

I just design products and algorithms and write code these days. Social media has really soured me on, well, everything. I'm happy to answer questions about our products but the sleazy marketing crap and other nonsense that happens on social media has really taken a lot of the joy out of customer interaction.

 

[Orvillain]

I could tell you some sh*t about the shenanigans that the company I believe DI is referring to tried to pull with us but I'm tired of all the social media nonsense.

I just design products and algorithms and write code these days. Social media has really soured me on, well, everything. I'm happy to answer questions about our products but the sleazy marketing crap and other nonsense that happens on social media has really taken a lot of the joy out of customer interaction.

Cliff, do you fancy doing your 'ask me anything' thread?

 

[jellodog]

Cliff, do you fancy doing your 'ask me anything' thread?

I would love to see that. I appreciate that Cliff doesn't really do "interviews" as such; but I've been hoping for this too. As a geek, (non audio) developer and an end user of his products, I'm always fascinated by the thoughts and personalities that go into building such a product. Building something like that is obviously a special pursuit and not for the faint-hearted.

 

[Orvillain]

After all, Be#®!%&e®'s

Funnily enough, I was just looking at analog synths. They're REALLY killing it right now, and despite their reputation, I find it hard to dislike the direction they're going in. Bringing back some of the juciest analog designs, at regular people prices..... I can't say I'm not considering buying one or two. The MonoPoly looks proper sexy.

 

[Gearzilla]

I'm happy to answer questions about our products

Located the answer in the wiki.

 

[Digital Igloo]

What are the top 3 things about Helix that make your tits angry?

Spoke about it here, but my top three are footprint, weight, and lack of touchscreen. There are also a ton of things we're not able to do from a UI/UX standpoint because of how our GUI engine works; for example, even though a block appears semitransparent when bypassed, we just swap it out for a different opaque asset with the transparency (and dim gray path line) baked in; no two .bmp files can overlap in any way. Oh, and BOSS has always done this right—there should absolutely be a fixed set of factory presets, even if they suck. Otherwise, you can't ever improve or expand upon them when users restore from a backup after updating the firmware. We thought people would always want those spaces for user preset locations and that was a mistake. Then we could've put the Templates at the end of the Factory setlist so people might actually see and use them.

And a lot of tiny stupid things like who cares if a floppy disk icon represents antiquated tech? Everyone recognizes it as a save icon. Some Line 6ers complained so we silked "SAVE" on the save button instead, and it's the only left cluster button with text. Blech.

I'm sure Ben, Sam, Igor, and Brandon have completely different lists of little things that drive them nuts. Mine mostly deal with design because that's my wheelhouse.

 

[Digital Igloo]

Funnily enough, I was just looking at analog synths. They're REALLY killing it right now, and despite their reputation, I find it hard to dislike the direction they're going in. Bringing back some of the juciest analog designs, at regular people prices..... I can't say I'm not considering buying one or two. The MonoPoly looks proper sexy.

Except Be#®!%&e® didn't make the MonoPoly sexy; Korg did.

 

[the-trooper]

footprint, weight, and lack of touchscreen

Why, what's wrong with footprint? It is what it is, you can't have 12 switches without the size and weight. It's not some huge monstrosity, and I think the number of switches is just right.
As for touchscreen, no thanks. Try operating a smartphone with sweaty fingers.

there should absolutely be a fixed set of factory presets, even if they suck. Otherwise, you can't ever improve or expand upon them when users restore from a backup after updating the firmware.

God, no. Just uncheck factory presets when doing restore from backup and new factory presets stay untouched.
I know, I know, users are idiots who can't read release notes, not to mention user manual, but not everything must be idiot proof.
That's why there's THE ORIGINAL OFFICIAL FACEBOOK GROUP

 

[jellodog]

[...] but my top three are footprint, weight [...]

Helix footprint & weight for me, definitely. I'd appreciate something Helix-like features and power but with a slightly smaller footprint.

Which is perhaps an odd thing for me to state, because my FM9 isn't much smaller in width, but it is by just a hair and a lot less deep. I would have chosen an FM7 though, if such a thing has existed. I am enjoying the extra footswitches for the looper, though.

 

[Digital Igloo]

Why, what's wrong with footprint? It is what it is, you can't have 12 switches without the size and weight. It's not some huge monstrosity, and I think the number of switches is just right.
As for touchscreen, no thanks. Try operating a smartphone with sweaty fingers.

Our touchscreen Helix design still had plenty of knobs. It even had a dedicated row of tonestack pots with a button to toggle between Amp A and Amp B, before we realized the DSP could accommodate four amps—A, B, C, and D—so that quickly got clunky and we instead embraced the encoders below the LCD.

God, no. Just uncheck factory presets when doing restore from backup and new factory presets stay untouched. I know, I know, users are idiots who can't read release notes, not to mention user manual, but not everything must be idiot proof.

Doesn't need to be idiot-proof, but no one uses all 1024 preset locations, and even if someone did, they can always back up to their computer. We would've preferred to know everyone's hearing factory presets that utilize our newest models, effects, and cabs.

 

[Stone]

Footprint aint no issue for me
for my needs a touchscreeen is useless but i get that it could be very useful for others, Hi-Res OLED screen and scribble strips would be nice
maybe next gen, sell Exp pedals separate
Very powerful CPU for DSP +, a lot more memory maybe make it expandable

 

[the-trooper]

still had plenty of knobs

All is forgiven.

but no one uses all 1024 preset locations

Yeah, that's true. Still think it's nice to let users overwrite them if they want.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I did LOL when I read your original post "why does everything on this forum seem to be about FAS?", given that you seemed to have spent more time than anyone in the FAS updates thread.

He's "Fractal-curious."

 

[jellodog]

He's "Fractal-curious."

I mean, Stone hasn't been shy of saying pretty much that elsewhere!

He's making some great sounding recordings with his Helix, though

 

[Digital Igloo]

Still think it's nice to let users overwrite them if they want.

Yeah, there's also the subconscious "I want this thing empty!" nagging in the back of one's head. It's definitely one of those things that helps us look better but doesn't necessarily help your average user.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Seriously though, @Stone you seem like a cool dude, and it's nice to know there's at least one other player here who's invested in becoming a better player. (NOT saying no one else is; Him and @Lopp are the only 2 I'm aware of that are actively doing so.)

 

[Stone]

I mean, Stone hasn't been shy of saying pretty much that, elsewhere!

He's making some great sounding recordings with his Helix, though

Def no Secret i Love FAS products, i mean really whats not to love from such a great company
Profiling is not for me so that leaves out Kemper and you know who
Boss is good but not for me
Headrush, ok but not what i need (I need a desktop editor) and I do like Updates like Fractal and Line 6 does

So only 2 companies checks the boxes for me

 

[TSJMajesty]

Boss is good but not for me

I've had lots of Boss pedals, and up until my last few years using stompboxes, I liked 'em. But if that video of Nita Strauss is any indication, that floor unit she has sounds like absolute ass!

I am SO glad I picked Fractal when I was searching, cuz I basically didn't know dick about any of them. Back then!

 

[JiveTurkey]

I've had lots of Boss pedals, and up until my last few years using stompboxes, I liked 'em. But if that video of Nita Strauss is any indication, that floor unit she has sounds like absolute ass!

I am SO glad I picked Fractal when I was searching, cuz I basically didn't know dick about any of them. Back then!

Boss is fine if you stick your head in the sand and pretend like it 's 2010. FX are stellar and fidelity and response of the 1000 is awesome, imo. Problem is they do things the Boss and they somehow think that people don't want amps that are really table stakes in a modeler 15 years ago, let alone in 2023. No 5150? What in the actual F and the world's sh!ttiest "Recto" model?

 

[ragingplatypi]

So…
Is it time to rumble yet?