Are Fractal's efforts well directed?

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never understand love for touch screens - really low priority on my wishlist (actually doesn't even make my wishlist lol). Imo, Fractal does a better job than most in terms of listening to customers' wishes and granting them. Having said that, I don't think it's realistic to buy any product with the expectation that a feature you need / must have will be added within a certain timeframe in response to customer request.
 
Why would you ever put a touchscreen on something that sits on the floor? It’s not a smartphone.

I’m 6’2” and don’t want to be all bent over and be swiping my finger across the screen in hopes of getting the value/parameter right. 🤷‍♂️

This always seems to be a request from people who didn’t grow up with big nice knurled knobs. :p
 
sprint said:
I don't think it's realistic to buy any product with the expectation that a feature you need / must have will be added within a certain timeframe in response to customer request.
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It happens all the time in professional contexts.

It ain't exactly cheap, though.
 
Yeah - I really don't care for touchscreens either unless the unit is 4U to give space for a complete UI.

An official iPad wired / wifi / bluetooth connected editor that could be mounted on a mic stand would be pretty cool though.
 
It seems that you only use the pedalboard to play live, what luck. I spend many more hours searching for a sound than playing live.

Having a large touch screen makes work much easier and on top of that I don't need a computer.
 
Dont need a touch screen. The way it works already is great, but Im open to whatever innovations if it isnt too goofy. Id love the form factor for the flagship to go back to 2u.

I do think its funny people think the fm9 is too big. I used to lug 2 pedalboards, 4 cabs, 2 amps, 4 guitars to every show 😅
 
I wish Fractal put more effort into improving the onboard UI. Axe-Edit is great, the sounds are great. Using it from the front panel is a decidedly mediocre experience that could be improved by a lot of small things in multiple places without changing anything on the hardware itself.

I would like to see better support for MIDI knob controllers. This could be transformative for programming with a combination of Axe-Edit and physical controls or just make the onboard editing experience nicer. The current "hook external controller to modifiers" system is not working well for this.

I would also like to see more bass-centric effects, amps and cabs because the options available are pretty miserable compared to the excess provided for guitarists.

I'd like to see Fractal do something with that USB-A port on the FM3. Just let us power something with it at least.
 
Thread summary: someone thinks the design is old.

Valid opinion. Not much to discuss.

The “well directed” part is referring to things he wants that haven’t happened yet. Not everything can be added as quickly as people want.
 
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Hmm . . . I've gotten used to the on-unit control format. While it takes me a few minutes longer to create a "from scratch" preset I can edit pretty much anything I want from the front panel now with no problems. I've just forced myself to use mostly the front panel for a couple of years because I'm too lazy too lug in the Mac.
 
Disconnector said:
Hmm . . . I've gotten used to the on-unit control format. While it takes me a few minutes longer to create a "from scratch" preset I can edit pretty much anything I want from the front panel now with no problems. I've just forced myself to use mostly the front panel for a couple of years because I'm too lazy too lug in the Mac.
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This sounds familiar. I was always too lazy to plug in my computer so I just got used to the front panel. I am quicker to find what I want and adjust things with the front panel at this point vs axe edit.
 
Bruce Sokolovic said:
You think the FM9 is somehow underpowered? You feel the design of it is somehow dated? Maybe you can argue for a touchscreen. Personally I dont need one but understand users needs are all different.
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I think Axe Edit is basically your touch screen (I know it's not touch, but it serves the purpose of ease of use).

That may not help you live (unless you bring a laptop along), but who's changing things at the unit while playing live? My guess is no one.
 
For me the front panel of the Axe-FX III took getting used to, but for most things I love it! It really is a quick and easy way to set up tones. I think the only really big caveat is that Speaker Impedance Curves are not in alphabetical order. I like to have the computer open in order to work with Block Libraries and to pick SICs, but those are the only big things. I mean, the encoder knobs are sooo great. And having a performance screen helps so much. I get around on the front panel very quickly.
 
To OP, have you tried to Tone Match your Darkglass Alpha Omega? Also, perhaps you can tell us (or even better show us) what you like about it and maybe we can all help out to get you the tone you like using what is currently available within the Axe. This is a great community for that.

Are Fractal's effort well directed? I can't answer that because I'm not part of the company and do not and cannot know what happens within it. From the perspective of what we get in terms of firmware release content, I am quite satisfied with being given free updates and bug fixes. Are there things I wish were included? Yes, but I also like the challenge of finding my sound with what is available as well as allowing myself to be inspired by what I am unfamiliar with.

The tone part is a personal journey that I consider different than the functionality of the unit. I am enjoying the ride with regards to both points. Whatever comes next for Fractal, I will try to support because what I have received from my investment in them is greater than anything that may or may not be in either this unit or the next gen.

At the end of the day, I just want to be musically expressive and the Axe FX III allows me to do that, whether it is with my guitars, bass, or keyboard running through it. So in that way, Fractal's efforts are well directed for my needs, of which everyone may differ on.
 
siin82 said:
I think Axe Edit is basically your touch screen (I know it's not touch, but it serves the purpose of ease of use).

That may not help you live (unless you bring a laptop along), but who's changing things at the unit while playing live? My guess is no one.
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I needed to tweak my delay mix at my gig on the fm9. With no manual and little experience using the screen and knobs, I was able to get it done with a little effort. Really not the big deal it’s made out to be.
 
My $0.02 is that I almost always use the editor on my mac when creating or extensively editing presets on my FM3 or AxeFX III. I can and sometimes do use the device's front-panel controls for that purpose as well. I was in NY last month and helped a friend program his FM3 before a performance that night. We didn't have a laptop handy, but I know my way around the device well enough to program it directly. My point is that whatever it's equipped with - touchscreen / bluetooth / whatever - I need to know how to program it DIRECTLY because it will inevitably be necessary. Case in point: had a gig on Friday last week, and had to revise the set list on my Mastermind MMGT16. I can do that much more easily on my laptop, but it's also manageable from the pedal itself.

As far as desire for bass amps / bass-centric effects: that would be a nice addition. I play bass and Warr guitar occasionally, and might enjoy having a broader range of options for tone shaping in that space. But most of the amps and effects can be tweaked to make them sound awesome for bass.

Finally: touchscreen... I don't want a touchscreen on a device that will be on the floor. Including a touchscreen on the AxeFX III (or some future iteration) might be handy on certain occasions, but I would rather have Bluetooth connectivity and an iOS editor. My iPhone already has a fantastic touch screen. I don't need Fractal to implement one.

Fractal does amazing stuff. I have been a FAS user for quite a while now, and continue to be astonished by the capabilities of their gear.
 
Disconnector said:
Hmm . . . I've gotten used to the on-unit control format. While it takes me a few minutes longer to create a "from scratch" preset I can edit pretty much anything I want from the front panel now with no problems. I've just forced myself to use mostly the front panel for a couple of years because I'm too lazy too lug in the Mac.
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That's how I roll. I've never actually used the editor to make/adjust presets, everything has been on the device (FM3, FM9T).
 
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