The Fractal FM3 Sucks (Kind of)

[TubeStack]

Three months to master the UI isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement

Ha, I didn’t mean it took three months to learn it, that’s just how long it was before I bothered trying the editor (didn’t own a laptop or computer at the time),

I think a week would do it?

Main point was it can also work to avoid the editor at first, if you really want to learn the front panel.

 

[unix-guy]

Why is it that when someone says "it's not that hard to use" do people equate that to saying "the UI is perfect and should not have any improvements"?

These things aren't mutually exclusive!

You have purchased an incredibly capable and deep piece of professional music equipment. You need to the time in to learn it. You get out what you put in...

 

[Piing]

Indeed! The March 3, 2505 issue comes with an ergonomic, simple and intuitive wireless handheld user interface that is compatible with all modelers, and with all user's abilities.

 

[deathbyguitar]

I don't care if a modeler's interface involves punching me in the dick if it gets me the tone I'm after.

 

[LP59]

Why is it that when someone says "it's not that hard to use" do people equate that to saying "the UI is perfect and should not have any improvements"?

These things aren't mutually exclusive!

You have purchased an incredibly capable and deep piece of professional music equipment. You need to the time in to learn it. You get out what you put in...

I think the same thing sometimes, but it's possible for someone to put in the effort to learn the FM3 yet still have ideas on how to improve the UI. But a RTFM response to a wish can come across as sounding like "the UI can't be improved", or at least tone deaf to the idea that not everybody is the same when it comes to ease of use.

 

[Stratzrus]

A lot of AxeFX owners are “Unix guys”. I think you have to pass some kind of nerd test before you can buy it . So you’ll never convince them the UI can be improved, and for them, that‘s probably true. For everybody else though…

I've never seen anyone say the UI can't be improved. It's just that many of us feel that the endless carping about the UI is overblown and at this point is beating a dead horse to death.

What worked for me when I first bought my FM3 was using the computer editor exclusively until I was pretty familiar with the functions and parameters. That's half the battle. From there, it was simply a matter of learning how to access what I needed from the front panel.

A practical approach. Not rocket science only understood by "Unix guys".

I did the opposite. Used nothing but the front panel for the first three months or so that I owned it. Becomes second nature.

It does. That's why I never complained about the UI. If you use it exclusively it does become second nature.

Is it perfect? Is it impossible to improve? No one is saying that. But it is usable and after a while it's no big deal.

Three months to master the UI isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement

Carping from the sidelines seems petty and unwarranted. If you don't like the UI, fine. But endless digs seem like more than dissatisfaction with a feature.

 

[LP59]

Carping from the sidelines seems petty and unwarranted. If you don't like the UI, fine. But endless digs seem like more than dissatisfaction with a feature.

Relax. It was just a funny observation about a malapropism. It wasn't a comment about the UI at all.

 

[fiftyshadesofjay]

I don't care if a modeler's interface involves punching me in the dick if it gets me the tone I'm after.

But if you have one good sounding modeller that punches you in the dick and another good sounding modeller that gently caresses your testicles, most people would choose the latter right?

 

[Frodebro]

Why is it that when someone says "it's not that hard to use" do people equate that to saying "the UI is perfect and should not have any improvements"?

These things aren't mutually exclusive!

You have purchased an incredibly capable and deep piece of professional music equipment. You need to the time in to learn it. You get out what you put in...

Exactly. If you want to take a Twin Reverb and equip it with KT88 output tubes and a Dual Rectifier tone stack, you can do that in a Fractal.

 

[sleewell]

It's so funny to me that fractal still refuses to offer anything with better UI in 2024. It's like they want the nerds to have that to hold over normal folk in forums to talk down to them lol. It's not that hard you just have to X then y while subdividing c and holding down 7 in the 4th layer of the 3rd sub menu god anyone can do this you idiot.


Make 2 versions and see the cash pile to the moon. The one you're doing right now for the dorks. Another version that sounds the same but is easy to use like a helix.

 

[JCW308]

I use mine for all gigs with 8 scenes, tap tempo and tuner available without flipping through pages of stuff. You have to add your frequently-used settings to Performance View. That's what makes everything easy during a gig. It's super easy and makes a huge difference during gigs!

 

[mavrick102000]

Still easier than navigating the submenu system of a Marantz AVR, or better yet Yaesu/Vertex or Motorola radio systems - holy shit

 

[Frodebro]

It's so funny to me that fractal still refuses to offer anything with better UI in 2024. It's like they want the nerds to have that to hold over normal folk in forums to talk down to them lol. It's not that hard you just have to X then y while subdividing c and holding down 7 in the 4th layer of the 3rd sub menu god anyone can do this you idiot.


Make 2 versions and see the cash pile to the moon. The one you're doing right now for the dorks. Another version that sounds the same but is easy to use like a helix.

The Fisher Price version would need to have a ton of things removed in order to simplify the UI. Compare the tweakable amp parameters between the Fractal and Helix, and you can see why the Fractal UI is more complex.

 

[Achilles]

The Fisher Price version.

Why equate a possible step forward with the on-board UI immediately with a kid's toy?

 

[GTR37]

It's so funny to me that fractal still refuses to offer anything with better UI in 2024. It's like they want the nerds to have that to hold over normal folk in forums to talk down to them lol. It's not that hard you just have to X then y while subdividing c and holding down 7 in the 4th layer of the 3rd sub menu god anyone can do this you idiot.


Make 2 versions and see the cash pile to the moon. The one you're doing right now for the dorks. Another version that sounds the same but is easy to use like a helix.

And the they will I am sure in the next generation the problem is they have made design choices years ago that they are stuck with mid product cycle .
In fairness we can complain all day but the true indicator will be what the next Gen looks like, till then they continue to add quality of life improvements that they can but are limited by current hardware

 

[Whizzinby]

 

[deadpool_25]

I saw that, and I totally get what you mean. I don’t even really use anything too crazy, I think a big sky, boss delay, CE-2 and and an octave pedal would probably do me

Then why is the interface so much of an issue? Build a preset with those, put some of their controls on the performance pages, and enjoy. Should be relatively simple that way.

But yeah the onboard UI is the only thing in the Fractalverse I'd consider a LIMFAC--it definitely takes a lot of getting used to. Outside of that they are phenomenal. I'm curious what the next gen does in this area. As has been stated, it may be tough to make a super simple UI and still retain a huge feature/option set.

 

[Whizzinby]

Obviously the UI is whack. The tones are friggin epic, so you do what you have to do. (Use the editor) I forced myself to learn how to create a patch from scratch on the panel when I got mine, then never used it again, because sanity? lol Yesterday I was using it, turned off my PC and before I turned off the Axe I wanted to see what chorus I was using because I wasn’t sure if I altered this preset. I got to the chorus block and hit enter. Fucking shunt mode. Hit edit, it took me to chorus select screen and listed all choruses. Backed out and press the global knob, nothing. All I wanted was a Pepsi to see the chorus I was using.

It needs a USB/Bluetooth tablet editor.

 

[aerial7]

How much of this would be addressed if there was robust MIDI support?

(FM0 with expansive MIDI is the future I dream of....)

 

[DrewJD82]

I'm not opposed to any UI upgrades because I don't use the front panel and never needed to when I gigged.

I've spent decades learning how gear works, what combinations work and how to plug all the shit in, how to program MIDI, pedal order, etc, all that shit that takes time and experience to understand. I have no problem spending a couple months to learn how to navigate a unit that has ALL THE GEAR in a sandbox kinda way.