🔥Introducing ICONS - Amp Modeling + FX - Plugins & Standalone

[Admin M@]

My only question is how to control the wah?

You can use any MIDI controller hooked up to your computer. We're also looking to add Auto-Engage.

 

[sprint]

Maybe I just have sensitive ears in that sense - I have always found that tones are very noticeably different depending on what I'm using as an interface, especially if I'm using their respective headphone outputs too

I don't mean to question your ears (I wish I had better hearing), but if you are hearing material differences I'd look into whether or not your are calibrated correctly through your interface - it can be a bit elusive to get it correct (many rely on published specs which can often be wrong ...). This is why I think the calibration tool that Fractal's built into this ICONs product is a major deal as it guides the user to having a precisely correct/accurate input signal - every other plugin I've tried/owned/investigated did not have this which imo, renders most plugins approximations only for the average user who's not going to go thru the whole interface calibrations / measurement exercise.

 

[Admin M@]

Most interfaces have very crappy instrument inputs, so no surprise here. Some have wrong impedance, most are noisy and don’t have enough headroom. And quite often instrument inputs are slapped on mic preamps and distort.

I REALLY try to stress the importance of a high-Z low noise input in the ICONS Owner's Manual, but of course by the time some people get that far, they might already be plugged in through something like a $14 MonkeyBranes Gitmodio.

At the same time, I have been shocked during testing to find that the Instrument inputs on some rather expensive interfaces were... not so great in terms of noise and headroom.

 

[KFF]

We're also looking to add Auto-Engage.

No looking necessary!

 

[RiffDuck]

I don't mean to question your ears (I wish I had better hearing), but if you are hearing material differences I'd look into whether or not your are calibrated correctly through you interface - it can be a bit elusive to get it correct (many rely on published specs which can often be wrong ...). This is why I think the calibration tool that Fractal's built into this ICONs product is a major deal as it guides the user to having a precisely correct/accurate input signal - every other plugin I've tried/owned/investigated did not have this which imo, renders most plugins approximations only for the average user who's not going to go thru the whole interface calibrations / measurement exercise.

Oh I don't personally care, I love the way everything sounds through my interface of choice, I just don't want other people to freak out when they're expecting the plugins to sound identical to the FAS hardware using their super cheap interface, like @Admin M@ just mentioned above.

I've given up on "perfect" tone rabbit holes, they are paths to madness

 

[KFF]

...a $14 MonkeyBranes Gitmodio.

 

[sprint]

As I recall, those Roland interfaces are very noisy, I couldn’t use them for guitar at all. Focusrites are hit and miss, very different across generations and models, also some don’t have nearly enough headroom.

Not my experience at all with Roland OctaCapture and/or FocusRite 18i20. Wrt to headroom, imo, too many recomment the "crank the input to a hair shy of clipping" thing because they are overly obsessed with noise floor only to create themselves far more headroom trouble than the noise floor trouble ever will be - user error.

 

[sprint]

Oh I don't personally care, I love the way everything sounds through my interface of choice, I just don't want other people to freak out when they're expecting the plugins to sound identical to the FAS hardware using their super cheap interface, like @Admin M@ just mentioned above.

I've given up on "perfect" tone rabbit holes, they are paths to madness

I was referring to middle of the road interfaces above - wrt the super cheap stuff - ya, all bets are off on those.

 

[RiffDuck]

super cheap stuff - ya, all bets are off on those.

Funny enough, I'm going to be primarily using these plugins through my favorite little $150 UA Volt 1 and I can guarantee they're still gonna sound siiick

 

[KFF]

Funny enough, I'm going to be primarily using these plugins through my favorite little $150 UA Volt 1 and I can guarantee they're still gonna sound siiick

Let us know how the calibrating goes.

I'm fairly certain with their Apollos and their Amp plugs... they recommend turning the gain all the way down. Even then a lot of people complain its too hot.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

No demo at launch. I think this is why so many people have questions.

I think you may need glasses or hearing aids because the main page had a demo at launch, also Leon put one out etc.

 

[RiffDuck]

Let us know how the calibrating goes.

I'm fairly certain with their Apollos and their Amp plugs... they recommend turning the gain all the way down. Even then a lot of people complain its too hot.

Won't be able to hear anyone over all the shredding I'll be doing through my SD Blackouts into a ... Fender amp

Fingers crossed for some high gain soon lol

 

[KFF]

I think you may need glasses or hearing aids because the main page had a demo at launch, also Leon put one out etc.

 

[vangrieg]

Wrt to headroom, imo, too many recomment the "crank the input to a hair shy of clipping" thing

I don’t think I ever owned an interface where I could move that gain knob even a hair above zero, most clip like crazy even at minimum settings.

Noise is a big issue with high gain of course, where you have to crank up the gate which has its own downsides. But in order to even get where it matters, the input must be able to handle the pickups. Which most interfaces, cheap and expensive, just can’t do.

I have been shocked during testing to find that the Instrument inputs on some rather expensive interfaces were... not so great in terms of noise and headroom.

I guess for manufacturers instrument inputs are an afterthought most of the time. It appears they just slap resistors to mic inputs and call it a day, or something of this sort, so you get tons of noise and clipping.

by the time some people get that far, they might already be plugged in through something like a $14 MonkeyBranes Gitmodio.

That’s a very unfortunate state of affairs - it’s hard to find a proper interface review where instrument inputs are even talked about in any depth, let alone critically analyzed. And specs very often omit critical information.

 

[KFF]

That’s a very unfortunate state of affairs - it’s hard to find a proper interface review where instrument inputs are even talked about in any depth, let alone critically analyzed. And specs very often omit critical information.

I own five UA interfaces. I (shamefully?) have plugged into the DI's exactly ZERO times! Not a once.

I Fractal (RND for bass) and s/pdif.

 

[vangrieg]

I (shamefully?) have plugged into the DI's exactly ZERO times!

Maybe that's a good thing you didn't.

I just checked Volt specs:

Dynamic range (A-weighted!) is 111 dB
Maximum input level is 12.5 dBu

I'm not sure what you can play through this input, maybe a vintage strat. Which would be a good fit for the Fender collection in ICON, though

 

[RiffDuck]

I'm not sure what you can play through this input

Lotta E minor and A harmonic minor

 

[sprint]

But in order to even get where it matters, the input must be able to handle the pickups. Which most interfaces, cheap and expensive, just can’t do.

I've heard this, but again not my experience - I'm sitting here as I write this with my hottest guitar (Carvin DC 127, C22B bridge Pup (13+k - moderately hot)) plugged into the 18i20 4th gen's instrument input 1 - Gain @ 10, hard strums >> no clipping (+some room to manoeuvre). I suppose there are some fringe super hot pickups out there that are unmanageable, but not the norm.

 

[KFF]

Maybe that's a good thing you didn't.

I just checked Volt specs:

Dynamic range (A-weighted!) is 111 dB
Maximum input level is 12.5 dBu

I'm not sure what you can play through this input, maybe a vintage strat. Which would be a good fit for the Fender collection in ICON, though

I bought a Volt 876 to run my modular and synth setup through (other four are Apollos).

They say the 876 is a new Gen... so presumably has better (claimed, at least) specs. I only un-boxed and powered on to make sure all was well from shipping. Quickly played with the remote-controlled Pres from Console. Pretty slick actually.

Will test them out (and Apollos) in a few months.

I see the wiki has slots reserved for info on some third-party interfaces. I'm sure UA will be on the list somewhere.

 

[KFF]

Lotta E minor and A harmonic minor

D minor, or GTFO!

Saddest of ALL keys!