You can't really worry about that. New products will come and go; that's a given. Fractal doesn't just immediately drop support for an old product though. Going off of memory here, but I believe the AX8 was supported for at least one year after the FM3 launched. Then also, your old Fractal is not going to plunge in value either, just judging by past history. Go to Reverb and use the AX8 as a case study.I'd personally be really bummed about the release of a FM3 turbo. One of my biggest fears with going digital was advancements leaving my product obsolete or undesirable. I look at all the AxeFX IIs and Ultras on the GC used site and worry that I'll fall behind before I'm ready. This is one of the reasons I haven't bought an Axe3 yet. I'm sure I'm in the minority, but these are just my thoughts.
You can't really worry about that. New products will come and go; that's a given. Fractal doesn't just immediately drop support for an old product though. Going off of memory here, but I believe the AX8 was supported for at least one year after the FM3 launched. Then also, your old Fractal is not going to plunge in value either, just judging by past history. Go to Reverb and use the AX8 as a case study.
My advice for FOMO is to get on the wait list and get the latest iteration ASAP. Once you have it, then sell the old unit.
I suppose it could just be so many years over on TGP, but it is something I worry about, whether it's logical or not. But I do see your point.You can't really worry about that. New products will come and go; that's a given. Fractal doesn't just immediately drop support for an old product though. Going off of memory here, but I believe the AX8 was supported for at least one year after the FM3 launched. Then also, your old Fractal is not going to plunge in value either, just judging by past history. Go to Reverb and use the AX8 as a case study.
My advice for FOMO is to get on the wait list and get the latest iteration ASAP. Once you have it, then sell the old unit.
I find the AX8 resale value to be very interesting (still is). Back when the FM3 had an extensive wait I believe it was actually appreciating at some points as people needed their Fractal fix. There were several peeps bemoaning getting rid of it too soon because then they were left with nothing Fractal for an extensive period. I learned from watching that play out to plan my eventual upgrade a little better. The bottom's not going to fall out of the Fractal resale value overnight either.I suppose it could just be so many years over on TGP, but it is something I worry about, whether it's logical or not. But I do see your point.
Another thing to remember is that products did not used to get the kinds of free updates that they do now. We used to buy a piece of gear for exactly what it was, not what it might become. I always ask myself the same question before I buy: Would I be happy with this piece of equipment if it were never upgraded again? I understand your point about resale value, and that is certainly something to keep in mind, but if you're already thinking about what you can get for it when you sell it, you may already be mentally moving on - ready to cash in and buy the next thing. GAS is a bitch - most, if not all, of us have dealt with it. But I found, particularly with Fractal gear, that it takes a long time before I learn to use these devices to their full potential. I learned new things about the AX8 until the day I sold it and I continue to learn new things about the FM3 every day. That helps me resist the urge to try the "next best thing". The more I learn, the better I sound - and the more I sound like me. I don't see modeling getting that much better. We are already hitting diminishing returns with the sound and feel. I think the improvements moving forward will be in UI and connectivity. The FM3 will still sound great 10 years from now because it sounds great now.I suppose it could just be so many years over on TGP, but it is something I worry about, whether it's logical or not. But I do see your point.
It would not be very smart for any company to announce future updates of current products, or even future new products in most cases. This could cannibalize current sales as people wait for the next new thing. Ever heard of Osborne computers?Whatever your opinion, FAS has always been tight-lipped about future releases, and Cliff comments always say "not currently" which means at the time he posted the comment and that can change 10 minutes later right?
That would actually be pretty kick @$$ if it had FM9 DSP power and the new bigger scribble strips. Two more buttons would do most anything I need and be a fair amount smaller than the FM9.
This really would solve a lot of my issues especially if it had just a little more DSP juice. This would open up another expression pedal slot for me because I could dump my Mosky.
If you want an FM5, just add a cheap mosky dual switchDon't mean to rain on anyone's parade, but I seriously doubt Fractal would push the FM3 closer to FM9 territory in terms of footprint. It just doesn't seem to make sense. Power? Yes, but not size. The FM3 is the direct contender to, primarily, the Stomp.
The FM9 was the answer to so much clammering about needing more footswitches and power. It's more the answer to Helix.
The Yin & Yang of it, if you will, is that you have another group of folks that value the small size so I'd expect there to continue to be a very definite distinction in that regard. It just doesn't seem to make to make sense to push the two product lines closer together size-wise and I can't imagine there's any contingency to introduce a fourth product line.
You want an FM5, then I'd advise you get a hacksaw.
In the FM3 I gladly trade some buttons and screen width for a 3 row switches, simple, with no lcd screen. So we have one row of old style switch, and the screen+switch row. To remember the function, a switch page will help us. But I think a player should remember where tap tempo, song up & down is.
If you want an FM5, just add a cheap mosky dual switch
I really like this 3D printed one I got off @hippietim -- lights up all cool and everything (lights are just on or off with a switch on the side, they don't sync to anything, of course).If you want a clean look...
https://www.ottercustomdesign.com/product-page/ocd-duo-for-fractal-audio-fc-6-fc-12-fm-3
Love the Trey FM3 preset. What does the purple knob do?I really like this 3D printed one I got off @hippietim -- lights up all cool and everything (lights are just on or off with a switch on the side, they don't sync to anything, of course).
View attachment 106518
Depends on the preset. It’s assigned to external 3.Love the Trey FM3 preset. What does the purple knob do?
Most likely it would still necessitate separate firmware just because the switching stuff is different. But they might have an easier time optimizing for one platform.An FM3 using the FM9 Turbo’s chipset has some advantages. From a firmware maintenance point of view it means essentially a single firmware image can be used for both the FM3 and FM9. That’s an advantage in development time and also pushes out more value to the FM3 product line in terms of supporting the latest algorithms.
Downside is the up-front hardware development cost to make and validate the new PCB. And it will probably carry a higher BOM cost than the current FM3. It also means having two very different chipset platforms and capabilities within a similar looking product line. Ultimately it strands the non-turbo FM3 in the sense that it wouldn’t have the latest algorithms that Turbo has.
All this said, I’m guessing there won’t be an FM3 Turbo. But I’d buy one if it was made!