Announcing FM9 Turbo

I have no idea what all of the math looks like, but there are 2 "technology" paths to improvement:
1. "Chip" Technology (What we're discussing, including raw processing power, board & chip design architecture, etc.)
2. Programming improvements (Refining the algorithms, which chip handles what, resource allocation & optimization improvements)

Just the generational algorithms alone are massive improvements (Quantum vs. Ares vs. Cygnus), let alone the chip tech improvements.
 
Just because an FM3 has more processing power than the AX8 or Standard or Ultra isn't directly relevant.

They are different generations and how much processing power is required to run something on one may be very different from the same thing on the FM3 (or FM9 or Axe Fx III).

Comparisons are mostly relevant within the same generation, like FM3 vs FM9.

Even then, it's not a direct comparison because each of the units takes advantage of differences in their individual architecture.

For example, the FM9 has 4 cores, and 3 of those are dedicated to running only certain parts of the processing (1 for Reverb, 1 for Delay, 1 for Amps) which makes certain presets more like 70-80% of what the Axe Fx III can do.

Yes, an FM3 can do a lot and can sound better than the previous generations, but I think the AX8 or Axe Fx Ultra could probably run "larger" presets...
I had both AX8 and the FM3. I ran out of power on the FM3 way more often than on the AX8 to your point.
 
Just wanted to chime in to say it's pretty impressive Fractal Audio was able to pull this off. I'm sure it took a lot of work to find alternate components and adapt the unit's design to accommodate them. Many companies have not been able to weather the storm. WMD, a maker of synth modules, just announced a few days ago they are closing their doors because of an inability to source electronic components. Anyway, well done.
 
Just the generational algorithms alone are massive improvements (Quantum vs. Ares vs. Cygnus), let alone the chip tech improvements.
But that still doesn't necessarily equate to performance improvements, nor to differences in the hardware architecture.

Granted that there have been performance optimizations, most of the improvements are regarding the quality/authenticity of the sound ;)
 
Do we know what's the processing power of the FM9 compared to the Axe FX III?
The FX3 Mk II is 2x faster than the FM9 and 4x faster than the FM3. But it's not as simple as that because they use their DSP cores differently, but that suffices for a simple comparison. And then there are the "Turbo" versions of the FX3 and FM9 that change the ratios a bit.

Video: Fractal Horsepower: Axe-Fx III vs FM9 vs FM3 CPUs
 
Word of warning for you all: when you get your fm9 turbo don’t have a heart attack thinking your LCD screen is defective.

I excitedly powered mine up and what do I see, a purplish line running across the entire display. Oh no, bad pixels I thought! I knew FAS would stand behind it but what a hassle with having to return it, hope I can get an exchange etc right ?


Well, turns out the red stripe was just on the plastic covering the screen.

I’m not sure if they all have it, or maybe mine was just from the last foot of the roll, but after peeling it off, crystal clear display.

So I guess I won’t be one to keep the plastic on, but sure glad it was something trivial like this right ?

7585B44E-0CE3-47B5-BCF2-3136AEB01694.jpeg6A9CB802-AD2C-465A-B6BA-B2F05EAA4FFB.jpeg
 
Just the generational algorithms alone are massive improvements (Quantum vs. Ares vs. Cygnus), let alone the chip tech improvements.
But that still doesn't necessarily equate to performance improvements, nor to differences in the hardware architecture.

Granted that there have been performance optimizations, most of the improvements are regarding the quality/authenticity of the sound ;)
I obviously explained it poorly, but what I meant above as a "massive improvement" is what you said @unix-guy, the quality/authenticity improvement of the modeling algorithms, which is what matters most to the majority of us at the end of the day... Chips are always gonna get faster (and smaller, and run cooler) over time per Moore's Law. For those that don't know -

Moore's law is the observation that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit (IC) doubles about every two years. Moore's law is an observation and projection of a historical trend. Rather than a law of physics, it is an empirical relationship linked to gains from experience in production.

That means that a few years from now, we can have Axe III Turbo power in a floor unit without cooling issues, maybe in the size of an FM3, if Fractal can beat out the pending asteroid strike and Zombie Apocalypse. :tearsofjoy:
 
Word of warning for you all: when you get your fm9 turbo don’t have a heart attack thinking your LCD screen is defective.

I excitedly powered mine up and what do I see, a purplish line running across the entire display. Oh no, bad pixels I thought! I knew FAS would stand behind it but what a hassle with having to return it, hope I can get an exchange etc right ?


Well, turns out the red stripe was just on the plastic covering the screen.

I’m not sure if they all have it, or maybe mine was just from the last foot of the roll, but after peeling it off, crystal clear display.

So I guess I won’t be one to keep the plastic on, but sure glad it was something trivial like this right ?

View attachment 106801View attachment 106802
The red line is so you know the magic smoke hasn't been released.


Until now...
 
I obviously explained it poorly, but what I meant above as a "massive improvement" is what you said @unix-guy, the quality/authenticity improvement of the modeling algorithms, which is what matters most to the majority of us at the end of the day... Chips are always gonna get faster (and smaller, and run cooler) over time per Moore's Law. For those that don't know -

Moore's law is the observation that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit (IC) doubles about every two years. Moore's law is an observation and projection of a historical trend. Rather than a law of physics, it is an empirical relationship linked to gains from experience in production.

That means that a few years from now, we can have Axe III Turbo power in a floor unit without cooling issues, maybe in the size of an FM3, if Fractal can beat out the pending asteroid strike and Zombie Apocalypse. :tearsofjoy:
Sorry, Moore's rule of thumb went into the trashcan a couple of years ago.
 
I had both AX8 and the FM3. I ran out of power on the FM3 way more often than on the AX8 to your point.
From my perspective, I must insist: My presets on the FM3 are far more complex than the stuff I got to run on the AX8 (I have both side by side).
Anyway, looking forward to the FM9, because I do not need external switches anymore, but then have in the FM3 an easy to carry option if needed, and the best backup device I can (as for today) imagine.
 
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Just curious, what was your source? Kinda hard to top the CEO of Intel as a reference, but I was more than willing to be proven wrong... 👍
CEO of Intel is a businessman, not a scientist. It is in his interest to tell you it will keep going for ages, as it affects his stock portfolio and company's bottom line. I would like to hear from a scientist, or at least an engineer....
 
CEO of Intel is a businessman, not a scientist. It is in his interest to tell you it will keep going for ages, as it affects his stock portfolio and company's bottom line. I would like to hear from a scientist, or at least an engineer....
Agreed about the CEO. They blabber and the scientists and engineers cringe.

When I was working in fabs about 25 years ago, they were working really hard to reduce the die size for higher yields, but in R&D the size of the traces were so small they were having trouble moving the electrons through them. They are at the limits and are trying to find alternate ways of moving the signal from one side of the chip to the other. I haven’t cared about it enough to follow along since then so who knows where sub-micron lithography is these days.
 
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