FC-12 Feature Requests and Discussion

fuzzydude

Inspired
With the release of the new FM9 I was both excited at the idea of ordering one, and also disappointed with the realization that my FC-12 will probably never have new features or existing problems fixed that have been around for YEARS.

Yes, I know I can post them in the wish list, but even bugs reported there (for the FC units) aren't being addressed. So requesting new features seems like a pipe-dream.

I also know what the REAL problem is- not many people own an FC-12 therefore it doesn't get the love or updates it deserves. Those that do own it, find a way around the problems or just make changes on the rack unit. It's workable but not ideal. Not for the money paid for what could be the ultimate foot controller for the ultimate FX processor.

On day one (a year ago) my FC-12 would skip half the presets when moving through banks in "Perform 1"- a result of a poorly planned Global Bank Size settings. Today, on firmware 1.12, the issue still hasn't been fixed. Changing Global Bank Size has to be done on the rack unit which makes little sense with an expensive UI (user interface) on stage where you need it. Returning the Bank Size back to 10 means restarting the whole Axe FX III because on firmware 16.x and 1.12 on the FC-12, it still wrecks the display. I can't be the only seeing these issues?

I avoid posting because I realize I am still new to Fractal hardware (even after a year of tinkering) and I hate being the squeaky wheel. I have just been patiently waiting for any sign that the FC-12 would start getting much needed fixes and features. But now I see it's not going to happen.

I can't even bring myself to add what I think are important feature requests to the wish list. With 1024 presets (on Mk2), there should be an easier way to go from preset 1 to preset 512 without hitting the Bank +/- 50 times on stage. There should be a way to hold down the switch and rotate through with display updates to warn you when to stop. Simple UI improvements like that that I know the brilliant designers at Fractal are too busy to work on. Especially with the FM9 release.

I wanted to offer a solution. Since Fractal doesn't seem to be in the business of making foot controllers as much as FX processors or all-in-one FX processor/foot controllers, why not just open source the stand-alone foot controller portion of the Axe FX so that the community can work on what needs to be done?

I have a hard time justifying ordering the new FM9 when I've witnessed the deafening silence on FC-12 progress/updates and I suspect I'm not alone.
 
I hope I don't overstep here - but possibly engineering resources are limited and the work on the FM9 took precedence. I am certain that none of the requests are ignored. They are put in priority sequence on a production line up and handled as engineering hours are available.

I would imagine that as the FM9 was now released, and I suspect a lot of engineering time was devoted to getting this unit ready to ship, other work can now be addressed by the engineering pipeline.
 
Why would more engineering time be available after the FM9 was released? It's not completely finished because it was released and I'm sure there are tons of bugs that will need addressing first before the FC-12 gets attention because that product is hot right now.

I would argue that adding another product will stretch their engineering team even more thinly.
 
There was an update for the fc's June 21 2021 posted in the fc forum. does that seem like they are forever forgotten Because Fractal was building a new unit?
 
Remember that the FCs really have no brain. Everything you are talking about is a function of the Axe Fx III or FM3/9 firmware, not the FC firmware. Those devices are actively being updated...

So complaining about FC features is really complaining about those devices.

Yes, both the things you mentioned would be nice but for most users they aren't that important.

Also, you know that the bank increment/decrement and preset increment/decrement functions allow you to specify how much to increase or decrease by? Set some buttons to increment by 5 banks, for example, if you need to get to other presets quicker,
 
It sounds to me like you have two wish list items (both of which I agree with), but no bug reports. If you could state them without the editorializing, you might get some traction.
I guess you hit the nail on the head with what the real problem is. Any bug or obvious missing feature can be dismissed by claiming it's a feature wish.

I just want to select presets on my FC unit and can't do it easily because it came with problems. That should be fixed. Call it a wish or not, but it seems like the basic function of a foot controller.

I'm sure those who bought the FC units were thinking of the potential when they bought it, not the current issues they were having with it. It is, after all, capable of some UI tweaks to improve its usefulness.
 
Remember that the FCs really have no brain. Everything you are talking about is a function of the Axe Fx III or FM3/9 firmware, not the FC firmware. Those devices are actively being updated...
I am aware of that. I'm speaking strictly of the UI (user interface) portion.
So complaining about FC features is really complaining about those devices.

Yes, both the things you mentioned would be nice but for most users they aren't that important.
What makes it not important to use all the presets on your FC device easily? Does it make sense to tap a switch 50 times to get to a bank when you know there is an easier way?
Also, you know that the bank increment/decrement and preset increment/decrement functions allow you to specify how much to increase or decrease by? Set some buttons to increment by 5 banks, for example, if you need to get to other presets quicker,
That is a cool trick, but unnecessary if the Bank +/- simply scrolled through in a much more efficient way while not changing the other very useful switches. Adding a scroll is an easy modification that only makes the experience better. I'm really just disappointed because I can see how powerful the FC units could be, but aren't yet, and may never be.

Of course, listing out all the changes I would make on the FC-12 is not what my post was about.
 
If it weren't easy to do, or even impossible to do because of hardware limitations, I would accept it. It would seem though that the whole FX processor and foot controller combination was not well thought out if it weren't considered in the initial product design.

You are zeroing in on my complaint though. The silence on actual UI limitations and what it is even capable of is unfair. Will things be fixed? Can they be fixed? I'd rather know than keep waiting without knowing. I might have held out for FC-12v2/FM9 or bought an FC-6 in the meantime until a better solution came out.
 
Why go from preset 1 to 512 on stage? Just move all of the presets that you need quicker access to next to each other in an unused area.
I knew this would come up. I could go into explaining my specific use case, but really, if you have 1024 presets, or even 512, you shouldn't use them all? Just move the 10 presets that you use for your gig into the first bank and be happy?

It was designed for a whole bunch of presets. I bet that number will even double again in the future with another model. Maybe it's time to think about those users who actually use all those presets?

Again though, not what my post was about.
 
A feature that isn’t there isn’t a bug.
A feature that doesn’t work the way you want isn’t a bug.
Yes, that is all true. But when the FC displays incorrectly because you had to switch a Global Bank Size because the foot controller doesn't work correctly in all of its built-in modes, you start lumping in bugs and features requests together.

So this doesn't get misunderstood again, switching back to the Global Bank Size of 10 from 4, doesn't actually take effect. Disconnecting the FC and reconnecting it in an effort to get its settings again locks the first 5 switch displays with the same preset display and doesn't get corrected until I restart the Axe FX. Unless I'm the only one who has a gimpy FC, having to explain this shows how little love this FC gets.
 
you start lumping in bugs and features requests together.
This is an assumption and not true.
So this doesn't get misunderstood again, switching back to the Global Bank Size of 10 from 4, doesn't actually take effect. Disconnecting the FC and reconnecting it in an effort to get its settings again locks the first 5 switch displays with the same preset display and doesn't get corrected until I restart the Axe FX. Unless I'm the only one who has a gimpy FC, having to explain this shows how little love this FC gets.
Can you link me to the wish or bug thread for this issue?
 
My humble opinion, as a non-fc user because I needed more from a footcontroller than the f (so I bought a better one for half the price) is that he is mentioning features that one logically might expect prom a product like this in this pricerange. You get what you pay for also goes for expensive gear. A vital function missing can be considered either a bug or a wish, but either way something that should have been taken care of.
I do not see his remarks as unreasonable and he is not offensive but very reasonable.
Of course ppl start mentioning workarounds, but the fact that you need a workaround says enough. I had an mfc-101 (still do) and that scrolled through banks quickly when holding bank up or down. The new and improved version apparently can’t. With 1000 presets one can in all fairness call that a vital oversight that needs fixing.
 
My humble opinion, as a non-fc user because I needed more from a footcontroller than the f (so I bought a better one for half the price) is that he is mentioning features that one logically might expect prom a product like this in this pricerange. You get what you pay for also goes for expensive gear. A vital function missing can be considered either a bug or a wish, but either way something that should have been taken care of.
I do not see his remarks as unreasonable and he is not offensive but very reasonable.
Of course ppl start mentioning workarounds, but the fact that you need a workaround says enough. I had an mfc-101 (still do) and that scrolled through banks quickly when holding bank up or down. The new and improved version apparently can’t. With 1000 presets one can in all fairness call that a vital oversight that needs fixing.
Agreed, these improvements would be great. But they are not bugs, and not “bugs being ignored.”

For the “hold to change banks quicker” improvement, how would it work if you had Bank Up on the tap function, and something else on the Hold function?
 
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