Fractal Talk

[Mongillo19]

Then again, I seem to be one of the very few that’s ready for a IV.

A IV would be exciting from just a "oh something to spend money on" standpoint imo. Especially early on.

I just truly can't imagine what the IV will have that will make me want to drop probably close to $3000 (potentially more?) when their current line is fantastic.

I can only think of UI and some other quality of life updates like DynaCab loading like you all mentioned. Even if Cliff tossed in captures on the new line, it wouldn't move the needle enough for the needed buy in.

You don't need to spend top dollar on digital gear anymore to get high quality output.

I'll absolutely be gassing for one but their current line imo is future proof as is for what the majority of us need.

 

[Rock Chalk]

A IV would be exciting from just a "oh something to spend money on" standpoint imo. Especially early on.

I just truly can't imagine what the IV will have that will make me want to drop probably close to $3000 (potentially more?) when their current line is fantastic.

I can only think of UI and some other quality of life updates like DynaCab loading like you all mentioned. Even if Cliff tossed in captures on the new line, it wouldn't move the needle enough for the needed buy in.

You don't need to spend top dollar on digital gear anymore to get high quality output.

I'll absolutely be gassing for one but their current line imo is future proof as is for what the majority of us need.

As far as what could possibly be on the IV that we don’t have….there’s already other threads for that, so I won’t go in to it.

Yes, I will agree that the III is an amazing piece of kit, but as far as it being future proof? I will have to disagree with you there.

If the IV does come out, it’s just like the updates…..no one is forced to get one…..but let’s not kid ourselves into thinking we won’t be first in line to buy one. At least I know I will……

 

[GTR37]

A IV would be exciting from just a "oh something to spend money on" standpoint imo. Especially early on.

I just truly can't imagine what the IV will have that will make me want to drop probably close to $3000 (potentially more?) when their current line is fantastic.

I can only think of UI and some other quality of life updates like DynaCab loading like you all mentioned. Even if Cliff tossed in captures on the new line, it wouldn't move the needle enough for the needed buy in.

You don't need to spend top dollar on digital gear anymore to get high quality output.

I'll absolutely be gassing for one but their current line imo is future proof as is for what the majority of us need.

The quality in the current line is really good , I have no idea what they could do to improve the sound .

The cleans are ridiculously good and dynamic honestly pick any one of them Matchless, Lone star, MarkV, the New VX Brilliant the all have incredible dynamics and are inspiring to play .

In the Cygnus 3 I am also loving the responses of the lows , I don't know it is had anything to do with it but I always felt that a tube preamp or high gain preamp , the lows reacted in a certain way that modelling did not , now with C3 there is this clarity to the lows and not murkiness its got a lot of attack and you can hear it , if you are chugging away at Metallica or playing like muted triplets , and lets say I shift the picking angle slightly you can hear it just like I remember my tube amps doing , its really cool , so that low end attack , where you mute and play heavily syncopated patten like disturbed is finally coming through and its inspiring

 

[Achilles]

The quality in the current line is really good , I have no idea what they could do to improve the sound.

Just this morning you were commenting about the recent Firmware release 25.00 and little improvements you're hearing with EOB tones,
so there's always room for something.
Maybe hold off the next major update (26.00) until the IV hardware is ready to go?

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

There’s always room for more placebo

 

[TSJMajesty]

So I went ahead and updated my III to 25..., and...., I'm not sure. I 'think' notes sound a bit clearer, with maybe a bit more hair on them, like, a little more bite, overall. Or it could simply be confirmation bias.

 

[duzie]

So I went ahead and updated my III to 25..., and...., I'm not sure. I 'think' notes sound a bit clearer, with maybe a bit more hair on them, like, a little more bite, overall. Or it could simply be confirmation bias.

So not worse ?

 

[TSJMajesty]

So not worse ?

Definitely. I mean, I'm pretty certain that as soon as I started playing, I felt like the tones sounded better. But again, if someone had told me they updated my unit for me, but in reality they didn't, I may have said the same thing.

Just being honest as to how I perceived it. And to be fair, I haven't tried any of the new stuff; I just put one of my favorite presets on, and started playing.

Oh, I did try a few Marshall-based presets, and I definitely liked them better. (I usually don't gravitate to the Marshalls, instead preferring high-gain Mesas.)

 

[norminal]

Oh, I did try a few Marshall-based presets, and I definitely liked them better. (I usually don't gravitate to the Marshalls, instead preferring high-gain Mesas.)

IMO, nobody does Mesas better than Fractal. I even sold Mark IV because the models are just that damn good.

 

[norminal]

In case you're wondering whether the improvement/difference of the new firmware is hearable, here's a sloppy A/B comparison, plus a quick try of the new stuff.

Had a chance to listen to this through headphones today and I can definitely hear differences. The thing that really stood out to me is the new Class-A 30W Brilliant. Damn does it sound good!

 

[GTR37]

Definitely. I mean, I'm pretty certain that as soon as I started playing, I felt like the tones sounded better. But again, if someone had told me they updated my unit for me, but in reality they didn't, I may have said the same thing.

Just being honest as to how I perceived it. And to be fair, I haven't tried any of the new stuff; I just put one of my favorite presets on, and started playing.

Oh, I did try a few Marshall-based presets, and I definitely liked them better. (I usually don't gravitate to the Marshalls, instead preferring high-gain Mesas.)

a lot of the stuff can't be shown because it also in the feel of the models

Like the VH4 Ch3, the lows are very stiff , it does not have a lot of give or Sag , nor does it have a ton of gain , but it articulate as hell
Compared to my other Fav the Mesa Triple Crown Red , that one the Low end kind of has a bounce to it but still tight

overall the tone controls seems to have a lot more range on the Hi gainers, you can crank the bass and not flub or crank the treble and it does not get piercing ,

But the amps Character kind of stand out more Like mentioned above VH4 very dry and stiff
Marshall have that angry bark thing

The Feel and character reminds me more of the Real amps , where you have to fight them a bit more m where as modellers a lot of people see them as kind of a cheat code as they have a lot of compression and saturation , that when you go play a real amp you :go crap because it picks up all the little things in your picking and muting etc , I find this firmware is closer to that experience

 

[la szum]

Excited to check out the Mrak V models once this hits the FM3.

 

[Mongillo19]

Mrak

Never gets old

 

[la szum]

Harmony Central lives on!!!

 

[Stratzrus]

A IV would be exciting from just a "oh something to spend money on" standpoint imo. Especially early on.

I just truly can't imagine what the IV will have that will make me want to drop probably close to $3000 (potentially more?) when their current line is fantastic.

I wouldn't get a IV just to have the latest and greatest but I'm sure FOMO would be a motivating factor for many.

What would cause me to get a IV is if it had significant features that the III doesn't have that I felt I really needed or would use on a regular basis.

I didn't upgrade my III when the Turbo came out but I did sell my II (original not XL) when the III dropped.

Given how happy I am with the FM9 it's hard for me to imagine what the IV would have that would make me want to spend that much money on yet another modeler but as they say "Never say never".

 

[2112]

It's well worth remembering that you can do some pretty outrageous stuff with just a few of the tools already available in FASland.

 

[Rock Chalk]

Around 15 years ago, a guy from the UK who's user name was FlyAngus on one of the forums posted a bad-ass clip of him playing, and included the DI. I was bored, and got the idea of re-amping his DI through FW 25.00.....this is it.....a VH4 and a Recto blended through a couple Dyna_Cabs, with a bunch of effects thrown in for good measure. Thought it sounded kinda cool.

 

[Moondog Wily]

It's well worth remembering that you can do some pretty outrageous stuff with just a few of the tools already available in FASland.

Thanks for that! Definitely going to try to incorporate that to my kitchen sink!! You rock!!!

 

[Orvillain]

Now I'm back in London, I finally got to install the new firmware. Comparison is the thief of joy and all that, so I have no idea how it compares to previous betas, but the Diezel VH4 models and the Dual Rectifier models still sound killer, which is all that matters to me really!

 

[Foxmeister]

It works for Line6. I haven’t seen any Helix or Helix Rack owners complaining about firmware being held up due to focus on say, the HX Stomp.

I've seen a metric shit-tonne of Pod Go owners complaining that the Helix/HX units get more frequent updates than Pod Go though...

The way I see is the Fractal FM series are a different product family to the AxeFX, in much the same way that Pod Go is to Helix/HX products, and as such has a different update cadence.

Obviously, using that analogy, you could argue that the FM3 and FM9 'should" see firmware updates released simultaneously, and I do completely get why some people are irritated that they don't, but I do think Fractals commitment to firmware updates represents the industry gold standard, with Line 6 coming in second position, albeit still some distance behind in terms of frequency.