Cliff? An Audio interface?

Guitarboy

Guitarboy

Member
Could be nice to have a FAS Audio interface with secret sauce and super top notch components.

An interface that would perfectly fit Ax8 users and could maybe used as a dongle for FAS plugins.

I can assume it would be a HUGE success.

And a mobile version too.

Not that much work for Fractal as they already have it in Axefx.
 
I think essentially anyone who has a DAW setup on their computer already owns an interface. It’s an incredibly saturated market.

Furthermore, unless you offer a range of products how do you make sure your appealing to the majority’s IO needs ? How many mic pres ? How many inputs ? Do guitar players even care about mic pre’s in many cases ?

If one already owns a II or III then surely they don’t have a need for the product either, so essentially Fractal would be developing a niche product that would appeal only to AX8 owners who don’t already own an interface, and that to me, seems like a very very small number of users
 
Guitarboy said:
Could be nice to have a FAS Audio interface with secret sauce and super top notch components.

An interface that would perfectly fit Ax8 users and could maybe used as a dongle for FAS plugins.

I can assume it would be a HUGE success.

And a mobile version too.

Not that much work for Fractal as they already have it in Axefx.
Click to expand...


I think you just described the Axe Fx II and III - Just buy one of those?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ole
I’m waiting for my AxeFXIII.

But it’s not the question, little Audio interface like Apogee does (Jam, One and duet) could be done by Fractal. Do you think a load box is really a huge market? Not as much as iOS audio interface alone!
Of course Axefx owner will not buy it, but Ax8 will, as much as all the guys who play guitar but can’t afford an AxeFX.

When bying an Audio interface I always asked myself « should go for a line 6 product as they know how to make proper guitar input ;)
 
How is an audio interface going to work with the AX8 though ?? You'd have to unplug whatever your running the AX8 into, then plug it into an interface, and then that interface is going to have to be plugged into some monitors.

Furthermore, is the interface going to have mic pre's on it or is it going to be just a line level input device ??? If someone needs to then go buy an additonal mic preamp, or, a different interface that does have good mic preamps, that hardware would also be able to use the line level AX8 inputs, making the need for a Fractal interface redundant.

Furthermore, you can now pick up an Axe II for less money than an AX8 plus a hypothetical Fractal interface cost, and the II (or III) can allow for wet and dry recording, easy reamping etc, because the II is an interface AND a modeler.

The AX8 due to its hardware design can't do those things short or running an audio output out of the DAW/interface, at instrument level, and then plugging back into the AX8. an II, XL, III all make recording much, much easier.

The AX8 simply isn't designed to be a studio tool, and regardless of who makes the interface, its not going to become on.

So essentially you've got anyone with a II or III who doesn't need one, AX8 owners won't really gain anything from one over what any other interface can do, and surely nearly anyone with the slightest interest in recording to their PC owns an interface of some sort.

Seems the market is going to be only people who don't already own an interface, or a rack mount Fractal product, and have basic needs of just recording processed audio, OR, those who are big enough Fractal fans to buy something, however limited, simply because it has a Fractal logo.


What is Fractal really going to bring to the party that Apogee, Focusrite, Presonus etc haven't already ?
 
Sorry but when Cliff just started Fractal audio, multi effects for guitars market was saturated and very conservative. But he proved that with a huge quality level people just get in.

I’m pretty sure that every guitarist who trust Fractal would be happy to switch to a Fractal Audio Interface and would be a nice entry into Fractal world.

I was about to buy the load box... while I even don’t have any tube amp anymore ;)
 
Would be cool to have a solution for folks who refuse to let go of their beloved tube amps and preamps. I still have a few myself, in addition to Axe FX 2. Egnater TOL100, Egnater IE4, Mesa Mark V, JCM800, Fender Prosonic, Rectoverb. They're all great amps, but I don't fire them up often because they peel paint off the walls at recording volumes, and generally don't sound their best when played at low volume. IE4 I do fire up sometimes, feeding it through AxeFx for cab sim and effects. Works pretty well, except something is wrong with the MIDI controller in it, so every now and then it just "loses its mind" and switches to the clean channel. But I digress.

The product I want is basically a combination of the newly released X-Load with high resolution cab simulator (and perhaps also reverb or some sort of room simulator) built in, and "secret sauce" high quality interface feeding straight into Logic. Midnight recording with a cranked Tremoverb, basically. I know this stuff is hard, and if it was anybody other than Fractal, I'd say it's impossible, but I thought digital amp simulation that _feels good to play_ was impossible, and yet here we are. I'd be willing to pay as much as I paid for my AxeFx for such a device.
 
Guitarboy said:
Sorry but when Cliff just started Fractal audio, multi effects for guitars market was saturated and very conservative. But he proved that with a huge quality level people just get in.

I’m pretty sure that every guitarist who trust Fractal would be happy to switch to a Fractal Audio Interface and would be a nice entry into Fractal world.
Click to expand...
Fractal's focus was modeling, not multi effects. The implementation was revolutionary. I doubt the same could be said for an interface.

I was about to buy the load box... while I even don’t have any tube amp anymore ;)
Click to expand...
That would seem like a big waste of money, then...
 
Guitarboy said:
I’m pretty sure that every guitarist who trust Fractal would be happy to switch to a Fractal Audio Interface
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about that. There are a lot of different form factors for interfaces. # of pre's , # and type of inputs/outputs, not to mention the mix of digital and analog I/O. It's pretty hard for any company to hit everyone's needs without having a lot of products. It really depends on your needs. I'm not sure Fractal even wants to get into that ring.
 
Cliff stated that he was able to use the Axe III's USB interface with an 8 sample buffer. Even with the fastest computer and a single track, that is impressive; even without considering it's USB.

If fractal produced a USB audio interface with that latency at a competitive price, I'd buy it. The only interface I've ever used that comes close is the MOTU PCIe-424 at 16 samples. But that is a PCIe card.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom