Fractal Audio and amp profiling

O

Olli_A

Member
Hi, first time poster. I heard rumours on TGP about Fractal having an impending patent on some amp profiling technique or something. Wanted to come straight to the source and ask if there is any information about such? Maybe if there's already been discussion about this you could point me to the thread? Google didn't help me.

I've been trying to decide between getting an FM3 or Quad Cortex and even though this might not affect that decision in any way, I'm still very curious if Fractal has such plans for the future.

Thanks!
 
The Axe III already has the capability to do Tone Matching. The FM3 does not. There has been talk about new technology, but if it followed the same path it would be in the Axe III only.

On the QC side - Good luck with a set date. It's gone from Nov 2020 to now April 2020 at Sweetwater.
 
Other than vague hints from Cliff, no, there is no information about this. So, I wouldn't base your purchase decision on the assumption that Fractal Audio will offer profiling. Unless you have an amp that you want to profile because it isn't modeled, IMHO profiling isn't very useful.
 
jlynnb1 said:
profiling....most overhyped feature in guitar technology
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Over cool you mean ? If this function will be added in the axe one day we ll see if you’re not happy then . For now the problem is that the kemper sound too much digital to me, but if this fonction will be add one day I won’t say no
 
Frankly, I don't really get the hype around profiling...

After all, from what I understand, it's just taking a snapshot of an amp and cab at certain settings. Why not just set the amps that are included in the AF3 to this position. Plenty of IRs available. I saw the appeal, when the Kemper came out, because that way one could play amps that one would never be able to afford in real life, but there are around 270 amps in the AF3 (and FM3 of course), that one can mod by exchanging the tone stacks, add saturation switches (Jose mods), virtually change power tubes, add Bias Tremolo, ... the list goes on and on.

I will say though, that I am pretty amazed by the waves that the QC managed to create. Somehow I get the feeling, they invested more in marketing than in development of the unit.

That being said: I'll be the last to complain if the AF3 gets even more bells and whistles.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Thanks for replies! Just to clarify, I asked out of general curiosity rather than this affecting my choice about FM3 or QC. Like bshaw92 said, even if such feature appears in future for Fractal, it likely won't make it to FM3.
 
Wolfliver said:
I will say though, that I am pretty amazed by the waves that the QC managed to create. Somehow I get the feeling, they invested more in marketing than in development of the unit.
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Ola remarks on their aggressive marketing strategy in his video on the QC. Can't say it's not working, as evidenced from amount of people coming into this forum singing the praises of a unit that hasn't even been released yet!
 
GlennO said:
Unless you have an amp that you want to profile because it isn't modeled, IMHO profiling isn't very useful.
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I think profiling could be very useful and creative, if developed in some way.
Think about morphing many amp. Or say you want the low end of a dual recto and the high chime of AC30. The model can only mix the output. The modeling could (and I restate: it depends on HOW it works!) let us blend the character and behaviour/feel...
So I find it somehow useful. The circuit modeling is also very interesting, the pinnacle of analogue eletric guitar sound. I like both approach and I'd love to play with them. :)
 
Gavin said:
Ola remarks on their aggressive marketing strategy in his video on the QC. Can't say it's not working, as evidenced from amount of people coming into this forum singing the praises of a unit that hasn't even been released yet!
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Hope you weren't referring to me:) I have yet to sing any song in eithers favor, as I have yet to own either product!
 
ozzyslant said:
Hope you weren't referring to me:) I have yet to sing any song in eithers favor, as I have yet to own either product!
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Not you specifically but there have been a lot of people posting about how great the QC is, based from paid for (and therefore biased) YouTube videos. It very much reminds me of when that BIAS FX plugin was released and all these guys were promoting that.
 
Smilzo said:
Or say you want the low end of a dual recto and the high chime of AC30
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That's what Fractal does with their "FAS" models. Look at the FAS model descriptions in the Wiki; They're all hybrids and several have grafted sections from multiple amps. Currently we, as users, can't mix and match, but it'd be possible if we were given an interface. We can change where the tone-stack sits and the tubes and rectifier types, capacitor values, etc which isn't possible in a profiler unless you're willing to have the original amp's circuitry modified.
 
Wolfliver said:
I will say though, that I am pretty amazed by the waves that the QC managed to create. Somehow I get the feeling, they invested more in marketing than in development of the unit.

That being said: I'll be the last to complain if the AF3 gets even more bells and whistles.

Just my 2 cents.
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The unit is amazingly well designed and a breath of fresh air in the current floor modeler market, but a lot of the hype is due to that company's history of delivering INSANELY GOOD guitar plugins. They have by far the best sounding (especially out of the box) computer plugins in the market, so people are really looking forward to a physical unit with the same sounds.

Their secret sauce is how good of a job Nolly did with their IRs apparently, everything in their plugins sounds immense and sweet right out of the box.
 
Gavin said:
Not you specifically but there have been a lot of people posting about how great the QC is, based from paid for (and therefore biased) YouTube videos. It very much reminds me of when that BIAS FX plugin was released and all these guys were promoting that.
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you can try their plugins by yourself, models are going to be more or less in the ballpark. The plugins sound REALLY good, I understand and share the excitement, and that as the owner of an Axe 3. Just the form factor makes it instantly my favorite modeler in the market if it sounds as good as the plugins and I have no doubt it will.
 
ozzyslant said:
Hi, first time poster. I heard rumours on TGP about Fractal having an impending patent on some amp profiling technique or something. Wanted to come straight to the source and ask if there is any information about such? Maybe if there's already been discussion about this you could point me to the thread? Google didn't help me.

I've been trying to decide between getting an FM3 or Quad Cortex and even though this might not affect that decision in any way, I'm still very curious if Fractal has such plans for the future.

Thanks!
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You might want to read https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/kemper-user-here-who-just-got-an-fm3-blown-away.169739/, which is from someone who just got their Fractal FM3 after having a Kemper.
 
I am not really interested in profiling. I would love to have an option where the axe “profiles”(. Or mimics or whatever you want to call it) an effect. I sometimes hear a guitar sound with an effect and would love to be able to have the axe do that for me. I am not really skilled enough to do that myself.
 
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