Coming Soon

I wouldn't imagine they'd release the xl only to announce something to replace it a couple of months later....but what do I know? lol
 
rodzimguitar68 said:
We know about the XL, the expression pedal, and this effects only floor device.....unless the XL, was not included in the 6.
Click to expand...

"active development" probably doesn't include something already released. so that means there's (probably) 4 others (or more!) waiting to dominate the guitar (or other!) industry.
 
FractalAudio said:
The six are in addition to those you know about.
Click to expand...

2e1.gif
 
AndyTNBD said:
Is that really true? Most people I've seen have one or two tube amps still. Even some solid-state amps still lurking. To me, modellers are just another option... they're not the panacea you've been looking for.
Click to expand...

id say its definitely true. Most of the guys around here are all Axe, with that camp being further divided into the FRFR or power amp cab camps. The amount that go 4cm into an amp is much smaller. And yes, some still own an amp, but many will admit to it being for sentimental reasons or for when it's actually not feasible to use the Axe rig. (small jams, gigs etc...or to just plug in a play without firing up the big rig)

for me personally, it is the panacea. it feels and sounds better than any amp i've ever played, and i've played and owned some of the best. the ONLY time i ever miss an amp is when i am down the rabbit hoel of options and and amps and miss the simplicity of plugging into a good pedalboard and a great amp and having THAT sound. Yes, one can do the same with the Axe...but overtime I fire up Edit or hear clips from someone using an amp I don't, its hard to resist experimenting....
 
FractalAudio said:
It doesn't have the vocoder or quad chorus. I think everything else is there. It has two instances of many effects (the ones where you'd want more than one).
Click to expand...

So does that mean it has the drive blocks as well?

More importantly ... when will we be able to sign-up for an invite to purchase list?
 
  • Like
Reactions: ALE
Praying for a mini Axe FX (with amp/cab modelling) on the floor. Don't care if it can only handle 5 amp models and 5 cabs, as long as we can pick which ones to load at any given time...
 
jlynnb1 said:
id say its definitely true. Most of the guys around here are all Axe, with that camp being further divided into the FRFR or power amp cab camps. The amount that go 4cm into an amp is much smaller. And yes, some still own an amp, but many will admit to it being for sentimental reasons or for when it's actually not feasible to use the Axe rig. (small jams, gigs etc...or to just plug in a play without firing up the big rig)

for me personally, it is the panacea. it feels and sounds better than any amp i've ever played, and i've played and owned some of the best. the ONLY time i ever miss an amp is when i am down the rabbit hoel of options and and amps and miss the simplicity of plugging into a good pedalboard and a great amp and having THAT sound. Yes, one can do the same with the Axe...but overtime I fire up Edit or hear clips from someone using an amp I don't, its hard to resist experimenting....
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, I do think it is good. Maybe if I had a decent poweramp and dialed in my presets I would feel similar. But right now I can only really look at it as a really really dope recording device. Live is this big mystery to me right now, and I don't quite know how or whether I am even going to approach doing it. An amp and some pedals is just much simpler it seems.

Think I'm done recording real amps though.
 
Ugh. If this only could act as a full mini MFC I would be on it in heartbeat. Or even faster since you'd have bestilled my beating heart.
 
When it comes to the FX8 i have two dreams. But before I start dreaming, let`s assume some points this unit should can handle:

Multi-FX for real Amp Players / 4CM: No serious Player like to feed Power Chord & 4 Audio-cables to and from his Amp. The T.C. G-System handles this issue with the possibility to break out the processor unit from the MIDI foot controller. Result: Only one cable to the foot unit and shorter audio cables (higher audio quality) to and from the Amp. I think, this should can do the FX8 also! ONE cable to your feet!

Secondly we know the FW8 can act as MIDI foot controller and handle also Scenes, like Matt stated. I hope, not just "inhouse", but also for external devices – the Axe-Fx II.

So what could be the benefit of the FX8 for us – the Axe-Fx II & MFC-101 Players? The hope for an EXPANSION for the MFC (yeah, this is the reason the CAT port on MKI units named EXPANSION!) died – I believe - with FW 2 for the MFC as result to fasten up switching response (IMHO).

Now – the FX8 could be the Extension some of us (YEK?! ;) ) are waiting for so long. 8 more switches to handle scenes beside 17 IAs for only FX control – that`s the goal. But how to connect? Beside the Cable from the MFC to the Axe-Fx another MIDI cable fromt the FX8 to the Axe-Fx Midi in? Whats with powering up the FX8? Third cable on the floor for powering up just the FX8? Meh …

And who is willing to spent the money for the FX8, only to get 8 additional SCENES or IA Switches? Power User running out of CPU on their Axe-Fx`es, so we like to have the additional FX Power of the FX8 also in our setup, right?

Yes, I know, the FX8 is developed not for Axe-Fx Players in the first line, but wouldn`t it make sense when thinking cross-selling? Or up-selling for FX8 Owners to an Axe-Fx?

So let`s start dreaming: The FX8 should be in fact a TWO-UNIT solution! Similiar like the G-system do: A break out box doin` all the analog (& digital) connections.With additional Rack-ears it should be fit in 1HE 19" Rack!

Dream 1 – My "realistic" dream:
FX8-MFC101-AXEFXII.png

(open image with right click in new window for fullsize!)
​

FX8 for 4CM / real AMP players:

  • Programming, processing and controlling is done in the floor unit.
  • The RJ45 EXPANSION feed power, MIDI and 8 Audio channels digital (stereo in/out ONE and stereo in/out TWO = 8 channels).
  • The FX8 Break Out Box handles the analog I/Os, Power, S/PDIF (=in/out ONE, like on the Axe-Fx)
  • (MIDI in/out/thru perhaps also in the break out Box…)

FX8 for Axe-Fx II XL & MFC-101 MKIII players:

  • On the FX8 and the FX8 Break out Box the FASLINK and EXPANSION/RJ45 connections echo their MIDI input/output to eachother. This means: ONE Cable from the Rack to the floor. MFC-101 and FX8 are connected via short XLR cable (FASLINK).
  • MFC handle 17IAs; FX8 8 SCENES. Communication is bi-directional.
  • Both Units will be powered thru the Axe-Fx OR the FX8 break out box.
  • Via S/PDIF connection the Axe-Fx Out1 Signal feeds into the FX8 or vice versa. So, the FX8 can be used as PRE or POST Axe-Fx II-Amp Sim FX Processor without extra AD/DA conversions.


Dream 2 – My "dreaming the dream" dream:
FX8-MFC101-AXEFXII_v2.png

(open image with right click in new window for fullsize!)
​

Let`s entlarge the technique also for Axe-Fx MKI & MKII and MFC-101 MKI & MKII player:

  • Instead of FASLINK Adapters, the FX8 & FX8 break out box supports a second EXPANSION/RJ45 port. This port is a up/down LINK from the EXPANSION port, linking all the MIDI communication (and power).
Let`s go on further and think the "impossible":

  • The Axe-Fx II (and also the FX8 boxes) can also handle all 8 digital audio channels via EXPANSION. (Refering to Audinate )
  • A new "FX8 LOOP"-Block (digital FX Loop OUT2/IN2) in the Axe-Fx echo the signal path to and from digital IN/OUT2 of the FX8.

So, two digital routings where thinkable:
AXe-FxII%2BFX8_LOOPS_v2.PNG

(open image with right click in new window for fullsize!)

​

Dreaming the future:
Let`s think UAD extension cards: The more you plug into your computer, the more processing power can handle more plugins on the same surface (DAW). The surface could be probobly a Axe-Fx III, the plugin`s in DAW world are the Blocks in Fractal world and the UAD extension cards are ... hmmm, this:


  • Let`s put the CPU processing out of the FX8, into (my dreamed) FX8 Break Out Box! Erase all the connections, but for the EXPANSION and LINK ports (and maybe Power). Ready is the FAS CPU Expansion for the upcoming Axe-Fx generation ;)
  • Instead of a FX8 Editor and Axe-Edit we`ll see a FAS Editor: When opened, the Editor checks, which units are connected (Axe-Fx III standalone, FX8 standalone, Axe-Fx III + FX8, Axe-Fx III + FAS CPU Expansion box, etc.... the "FAS Editor" will scale the Matrix to the correct size: 4x12 (Axe-Fx), 4x8 (FX8, 4x16 (FX8 + FAS CPU Expansion box), 4x20 (Axe-Fx + FAS CPU Expansion box), etc... Different background colors will show you where one unit ends and the next starts ...

So, in conclusion: Let`s think FAS world modular and scalable... this is my dream ... ( hello Supertramp ... )
 
Last edited:
Morphosis said:
Multi-FX for real Amp Players / 4CM: No serious Player like to feed Power Chord & 4 Audio-cables to and from his Amp.
Click to expand...

Completely disagree.

Just visit the following board builder sites and see how many pro players feed Power Chord & 4 Audio-cables to and from their amps.

1. LA sound design L.A. Sound Design
2. TrailerTrash Home | Trailer Trash Pedal Boards: Custom Pedalboards
3. Vertex Vertex Effects | Custom Effects Pedals and System Design
4. Pete Cornish Effects Pedal Board Systems

The idea is to lose the rack -- period.

a well designed board with a good quality custom built snake solves that problem.
 
Last edited:
Well, I actually hope that this won’t happen (and I would be seriously surprised if it did). Adding a break-out box to the Fx8 means that you’re now having to build two cases which will both add bulk and weight and the only benefit is a small portion of existing Axe Fx 2 owners which FAS has stated is not the target market for the Fx8.

If what you need is more processing power and willing to deal with additional hardware it would be much easier to add say a Strymon Timeline if you’re a delay junkie, Strymon Mobius if you’re a modulation junkie or a tray of drive pedals if you’re a drive junkie, or even another Axe Fx 2 or Ultra for additional effects.

My guess is that the Fx8 is also not going to be brilliant as a controller for the Axe Fx 2. It simply has to few buttons. Sure, you can argue that in a simple case you don’t need that many buttons, which is true. And in that case you also don’t need an Axe Fx 2 in combination with a Fx 8 in the first place. Get yourself a smaller midi controller if you need something smaller and simpler than the MFC-101.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom