National Enquirer: Fractal Fatswitch Fiasco!

Radley

Experienced
I was very happy to see the implementation of a 'Fat' switch on the new 6.0 amp models. My delight was somewhat diminished when I actually heard the effect on tone - it seems the fuller mids are boosted post distortion, instead of pre distortion (a la Mesa, Dumble, and others) - the effect is quite different, and I much prefer the sound of the mid boost before the distortion. The effect has a lot more smoothness and complexity when applied this way, imho....
 
I was very happy to see the implementation of a 'Fat' switch on the new 6.0 amp models. My delight was somewhat diminished when I actually heard the effect on tone - it seems the fuller mids are boosted post distortion, instead of pre distortion (a la Mesa, Dumble, and others) - the effect is quite different, and I much prefer the sound of the mid boost before the distortion. The effect has a lot more smoothness and complexity when applied this way, imho....

since the fat switch shifts the mid freq down, if this effects is pre or post dist is dipending upon the specific amp modeling: some amps have tone controls before and others have them post.
i really like the fat switch on the marshalls, the be and hbe and the USA models.
for mid boost before distortion there's a drive pedal that works quite well for me.
 
I was very happy to see the implementation of a 'Fat' switch on the new 6.0 amp models. My delight was somewhat diminished when I actually heard the effect on tone - it seems the fuller mids are boosted post distortion, instead of pre distortion (a la Mesa, Dumble, and others) - the effect is quite different, and I much prefer the sound of the mid boost before the distortion. The effect has a lot more smoothness and complexity when applied this way, imho....

It depends on the amp model. All the fat boost does is shift the tone stack freq down. As I said before, you can do this yourself by changing the tone stack freq. If you want this you can change the tone stack location to pre. On the mesa (one of the primary reasons for adding the fat boost), it is already pre. Alternatively there is a mid boost pedal, filter, or peq you can use.
 
If you want the Fat switch before the preamp - change the tonestack to before the preamp.

But if you do that aren't you affectively making all the other tone stack control to 'pre'?? Isn't Radley asking if only the 'fat' can affect pre but other tone stack to be where there supposed to be? (be it post, or pre)
 
I like the fat switch just like it is. I notice that it is nice on the Boogies with the tone stack before the pre like Radley mentioned, but I can get the same type of effect on other amps by putting a filter or parametric EQ before the amp and leaving the tone stack post preamp.

I've started using X/Y amp switching for my leads so that I can fine tune settings between my rhythm and lead sounds on hi-gain amps. Most of the time the fat switch is off for rythm and on for leads, but there are a few amps that I have it on for both. (Uber for one. It gives a nice growl.) I was just boosting the master volume to thicken the leads, but with v6 I find that the fat switch with a few small EQ changes gives me more control. I really had to change what I was doing with the master volume as well, as it behaves quite a bit differently than 5.07 did. In general I'm keeping it quite a bit lower than I was. I've done more re-tweaking with this firmware than with others in the past, but it's partly because I'm getting to know the Axe-FX better and rethinking my methods too. Very happy with the results so far.
 
But if you do that aren't you affectively making all the other tone stack control to 'pre'?? Isn't Radley asking if only the 'fat' can affect pre but other tone stack to be where there supposed to be? (be it post, or pre)

bass, middle and treble are always (as far as i know) all togheter pre or post: i can't remeber an amp tha has, say, bass and treble pre and middle post.
fractal states that the fat switch shifts down the middle freq: it would be the same to customize the entire tone stack, but quicker.
presence control is usually included in the feedback path, so it's separated from the tone network.
 
But if you do that aren't you affectively making all the other tone stack control to 'pre'?? Isn't Radley asking if only the 'fat' can affect pre but other tone stack to be where there supposed to be? (be it post, or pre)

There is only one tone stack, fat shifts it down. FAT shifts the center frequency of the ENTIRE tonestack down.

If you want greater control of eq in front, use a peq, filter, or graphic eq.
 
Cool! Thanks, guys! I didn't know making an eq change outside of the amp block would essentially be the same thing as adjusting the tone stack inside of the amp block (did that make sense? lol)
 
Cool! Thanks, guys! I didn't know making an eq change outside of the amp block would essentially be the same thing as adjusting the tone stack inside of the amp block (did that make sense? lol)

on some, yes. But again in depends on the amp. Some tone stacks are placed post preamp, some in the middle of the preamp gain stages.
 
There was a question mark at the end of Radley's post so taken in context I think the evaluation of his comment is way off base. Knowing how it works now that Java chimed in I think everyone can breathe a sigh of relief if that was important to them.
 
The Fat switch simply alters the tone stack treble capacitor. So the effect depends on the location of the tone stack.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jon
Back
Top Bottom