What would the new-gen even have that the current gen doesn’t?

R

rrhoads17

Inspired
There’s been a lot of talk about what Fractal’s next gen product will be, but I don’t really understand what could be added to the AxeIV, FM3, and FM9 next-gen that isn’t already on those units now. The only thing I can think of is capturing, but that’s not really Fractal’s cup of tea. I do wish tone match was added to the FM3 and FM9, but I don’t think that will ever happen.
 
Off the top of my head I can think of several Ax4 items. In no particular order:
  • Relay switching jacks to facilitate amp channel switching in 4cm scenarios.
  • Separated Left/Right Input and Output blocks.
  • Stereo block input option for all pitch modes (several only allow mono in the current Axefx).
  • Acoustic sim block including 12 String mode.
  • Feedbacker block equal or better than digitech Freqout.
  • Doubler block equal or better than TC mimic.
  • A Tape/Doubler block equal or better than Strymon Deco.
  • Increased CPU (yes - some can max it in some scenarios (and always will)).
  • Full user assignable CPU without block instance limits within available CPU.
  • Allow distinct modifiers attached to a given control in each and every channel.
  • Isolated virtual power amp section capability.
  • Reverse MUX block that can send input to a selectable mix of multiple output paths.
  • More Send/Return blocks.
  • Profiling capability (have not always been a fan, but Tonex convinces me it is at least .. "handy".
  • Export Tone Match to PEQ.
  • 31 Band Output EQs - on/off midi switchable.
  • Offline Patch Editing.
  • Ios editor support.
  • Separate headphone volume ctrl.
  • Customizable front panel home screen.
  • 2U Form factor.
  • Merged Midi Out/Thru option.
  • Polyphonic synth
  • ...
(There's a thread for this list somewhere (Ax4 feature list) but I can't seem to find it.)
 
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The obvious thing, which i don't often need even with my gen 1 Axe 3, is more horsepower.
I can't for instance usually have 2 amp blocks and 4 drives.
Does that bother me every day? Absolutely not.
Might i do that sometimes if i could? You betcha.

The other thing more processing power might get us is the ability to run next-gen modeling that hasn't been invented yet. I'll worry about that if and when the massively superior tech that the III can't handle shows up.
 
The most obvious thing is just more DSP across the line.

I think the sound quality of Fractal's modeling is at a point where more DSP isn't really going to improve things dramatically anymore. But more DSP can be used for more blocks. More DSP would possibly allow Fractal not necessarily partition resources like they do now (dedicated core for reverb/delay, etc...). You could maybe do things like run more than 2 amp blocks simultaneously.

A wish I posted a while back was to have something I call "global path/grid". It would be like an evolution of global blocks/dedicated cores/spill over, gapless switching and templates. It would be a mini grid of multiple blocks that the user makes in the global settings. This mini-grid gets abstracted away as a single block that the user can then place in their presets. For example, in all my presets, I want to use the same Amp, followed by the same delay and reverb with some parallel routing. I can make that path in this global settings and save it to the "global path block". Then for all my presets, I add the global path block wherever I want. It would be one block that contains that whole amp, delay, reverb path. It would be the same in whatever preset uses that global path block. And this block would be the only one that runs on it's own dedicated core so it doesn't cost that much DSP in each preset.
 
Seven2Eleven said:
The most obvious thing is just more DSP across the line.

I think the sound quality of Fractal's modeling is at a point where more DSP isn't really going to improve things dramatically anymore. But more DSP can be used for more blocks. More DSP would possibly allow Fractal not necessarily partition resources like they do now (dedicated core for reverb/delay, etc...). You could maybe do things like run more than 2 amp blocks simultaneously.

A wish I posted a while back was to have something I call "global path/grid". It would be like an evolution of global blocks/dedicated cores/spill over, gapless switching and templates. It would be a mini grid of multiple blocks that the user makes in the global settings. This mini-grid gets abstracted away as a single block that the user can then place in their presets. For example, in all my presets, I want to use the same Amp, followed by the same delay and reverb with some parallel routing. I can make that path in this global settings and save it to the "global path block". Then for all my presets, I add the global path block wherever I want. It would be one block that contains that whole amp, delay, reverb path. It would be the same in whatever preset uses that global path block. And this block would be the only one that runs on it's own dedicated core so it doesn't cost that much DSP in each preset.
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Yeah, I just think that the modeling itself is as good as it can possibly get. I don’t know how much more a new gen unit would actually improve it.
 
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rrhoads17 said:
I just think that the modeling itself is as good as it can possibly get.
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Well, tho I guess each person's opinion of "good as it can possibly get" can vary, my standard reaction to this: >>

Those exact words have been spoken here many times going back 10y at least. And consistently, every time those words have been spoken, a subsequent FW (or hw) release has followed that significantly and audibly improved the modelling according to the ears and physical amp familiarity of large numbers of users here.
 
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I'm sure there are some hardware/software improvements that can be made. Cliff has had a while since the Axe 3 launch to think about new features/improvements for a future gen. Technology never sits still.
 
Something like a Neural Amp Modeling playback block would be great. It would help bury the competition as it would allow the end user to compile unique drives/dirt pedals/preamps/amps that aren't currently nor likely ever to be included as stock FAS models. Darkglass has just done this with their new Anagram bass pedal and for many it's a total game changer ( for bassists, at least ).
 
rrhoads17 said:
There’s been a lot of talk about what Fractal’s next gen product will be, but I don’t really understand what could be added to the AxeIV, FM3, and FM9 next-gen that isn’t already on those units now. The only thing I can think of is capturing, but that’s not really Fractal’s cup of tea. I do wish tone match was added to the FM3 and FM9, but I don’t think that will ever happen.
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You're thinking about software, and you're largely correct.
Those wondering about an AXE-IV are largely thinking about hardware.
 
Dynacabs are the main area where we have seen AF3 running into hardware limits. It would be cool to have all the options for dynacabs currently in Cab Lab built into the unit.

My kitchen sink preset for the AF3 is too much for the FM9. I would jump on a more powerful floor modeler in a heartbeat.

Honestly, if I were Fractal, my next product would be a stompbox-sized modeler with the current gen technology like an FM1 or something. In the church scene, tons of people have full pedal boards with a small modeler like an HX stomp. It would be a big leap for them to switch to an all-in-one, but many would try out a small pedal for just the amp modeling. There’s a lot of market share to be poached.
 
User hardware upgrades IMO

Upgradeable non-volatile and volatile memory
Upgradeable cpu
Replaceable/modular high wear Inputs/Output parts

not firmware/software locked to be upgradeable of course

2u format would be nice

Edit : user/eco- friendly sure maybe not to the producer
 
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