Wish Hand size Axe?

👍Hand sized Axe would be great as an ultra portable device to plug headphones into!. I've been using Strymon Iridium for this - great little box, but no drives/boosts/fx🙁
 
When the Rockman X100 came out, several companies released knock-offs. I'm assuming that they all disappeared (including the Rockman) due to low demand, low quality, or both. That was over 25 years ago. I'm sure a company could produce a belt-clip product that sounded good with flexible effects. But would anyone buy it?
 
steadystate said:
When the Rockman X100 came out, several companies released knock-offs. I'm assuming that they all disappeared (including the Rockman) due to low demand, low quality, or both. That was over 25 years ago. I'm sure a company could produce a belt-clip product that sounded good with flexible effects. But would anyone buy it?
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I had the "pocket pod" many years ago - hated it/returned it. Was surprised to see it still being sold
 
Brian May's strap mount treble booster was/is cool - would like to see more strapmount boosty thingys.
 
something this big that was even $100 less than FM3 would sell more than HX stomp ever has

5y39v0.jpg
 
Maybe I missed it but nobody mentioned the PSU? All of the more compact units have an external PSU while it's internal in the FM3. For a floor unit that is not supposed to be powered by a pedalboard PSU an internal PSU is definitely a good thing. However, internal PSUs definitely need some space in such units. Getting rid of the foot switches and using an external PSU would probably allow for a more compact unit. But the relatively large screen and larger amount of buttons still need more space than an hx stomp format provides. BOSS did something similar in the past with the GT-100 and GT-001 which have similar modeling in different form factors. Of course, I'm not comparing BOSS to fractal in terms of modeling here.

mixermang said:
something this big that was even $100 less than FM3 would sell more than HX stomp ever has

5y39v0.jpg
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I don't think so. It would sell though.
 
mixermang said:
something this big that was even $100 less than FM3 would sell more than HX stomp ever has

5y39v0.jpg
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I think you vastly underestimate the HX Stomp sales. A big part of that is that it costs less than half the price of the FM3 (at least in EU). But that's ok, I don't see a need for Fractal to chase that market. They can instead provide a high end option for a pedalboard friendly modeler.

I would buy a "FM0", especially if it came with FM9 DSP. In its current form the FM3 is a chunkier box than I would like considering I don't use its footswitches at all (I use the XSonic Airstep wirelessly). While the FM0 in your photoshopped pic is still about 1.5x the size of the HX Stomp, it would still be a much more pedalboard or desk friendly size.
 
nanowhisker said:
Maybe I missed it but nobody mentioned the PSU? All of the more compact units have an external PSU while it's internal in the FM3. For a floor unit that is not supposed to be powered by a pedalboard PSU an internal PSU is definitely a good thing. However, internal PSUs definitely need some space in such units. Getting rid of the foot switches and using an external PSU would probably allow for a more compact unit. But the relatively large screen and larger amount of buttons still need more space than an hx stomp format provides. BOSS did something similar in the past with the GT-100 and GT-001 which have similar modeling in different form factors. Of course, I'm not comparing BOSS to fractal in terms of modeling here.
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I don't think moving the PSU to external would help much as like you said, most of the dimensions are still determined by the front panel and I/O jacks. But I'm all for an external PSU if it would mean being able to fit say FM9 DSP into the unit. I don't know what the FM3 power draw is but being able to power it from a pedal power supply or powerbank like you can do with the Quad Cortex would be a cool thing too and would simplify using it on a pedalboard.
 
steadystate said:
When the Rockman X100 came out, several companies released knock-offs. I'm assuming that they all disappeared (including the Rockman) due to low demand, low quality, or both. That was over 25 years ago. I'm sure a company could produce a belt-clip product that sounded good with flexible effects. But would anyone buy it?
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I think, absolutely.
My back up 'rig' is a Mooer Fried Mien pedal. 2 Channels....tiny.
It sounds very good for what it is. I've often though....hmmm could I gig with this? (I am a singer who plays rhythm guitar, and maybe 2 leads a night)....and the answer is - yes I could. The only thing that holds me back - I own a FM3, so there's no way I'm NOT taking it. If there was a Fractal that small (one amp is fine)....I'd likely be gigging with that.

There is something to be said for selling 'modular' products. Look at companies like Neural DSP. They release a new 'Architype' plug in and people go nuts. I've tried them, they all sound similar. But people love to buy them because it's not 'that' expensive to buy a 'new amp'.
 
FusionFanatic said:
You mean to say the FM3 still isn’t small enough to travel with? I’m confused 🤔
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It's still a chunky box. "Throw in a suitcase" rather than "throw it in a messenger bag" size. The Quad Cortex, which happens to be about the same size as FM3 without switches and less tall, is more of a "throw it in a messenger bag" level portable. My 100W BluGuitar amp is "throw it in a side pocket of a gigbag" level of portability!

For me the future of modelers is modular. When at home I currently use the FM3 on my desk, then have a CME WIDI Master dongle hooked to its MIDI port and on the floor have the compact, wireless XSonic Airstep MIDI controller. Depending on what I need, I can hook up the Airstep Lite for 5 more switches or I can just use a single Airstep if I am fine with 4 scenes + tap tempo/tuner. It's a very convenient setup.

I'd love to see Fractal offer that sort of ecosystem: A modeler "brain" with a display and bunch of knobs, no footswitches, not a rack unit! They could then sell accesory hardware for it: A Fractal-approved poweramp for hooking up to guitar cabs, floor controllers in multiple sizes, an I/O box to extend the number of inputs and outputs if you need more than on the "brain" device itself...
 
FusionFanatic said:
You mean to say the FM3 still isn’t small enough to travel with? I’m confused 🤔
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I was thinking belt clip and battery power, but that could also be used as a floor pedal with external power. Definitely not a fractal product. It would need low-power components and algorithms based on efficiency. Something along the lines of the Rockman paradigm, but digital with far better tone and effects, programmability, and low-profile rudimentary hand / foot control.
 
laxu said:
It's still a chunky box. "Throw in a suitcase" rather than "throw it in a messenger bag" size. The Quad Cortex, which happens to be about the same size as FM3 without switches and less tall, is more of a "throw it in a messenger bag" level portable. My 100W BluGuitar amp is "throw it in a side pocket of a gigbag" level of portability!

For me the future of modelers is modular. When at home I currently use the FM3 on my desk, then have a CME WIDI Master dongle hooked to its MIDI port and on the floor have the compact, wireless XSonic Airstep MIDI controller. Depending on what I need, I can hook up the Airstep Lite for 5 more switches or I can just use a single Airstep if I am fine with 4 scenes + tap tempo/tuner. It's a very convenient setup.

I'd love to see Fractal offer that sort of ecosystem: A modeler "brain" with a display and bunch of knobs, no footswitches, not a rack unit! They could then sell accesory hardware for it: A Fractal-approved poweramp for hooking up to guitar cabs, floor controllers in multiple sizes, an I/O box to extend the number of inputs and outputs if you need more than on the "brain" device itself...
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That sounds like a very interesting idea.
A master CPU unit that could be attached to a Rack component, a Foot Controller Component etc.
A whole new dimension, what if there were two different units, one just for Amp and one just for effects modeling that could be Arturo each other and or to the components above.
Yeah you could just leave everything at your rehearsal room and just carry the main unit with you and when you back home, just put ur back in your desk etc.
But that would be to big to handle for a small company, years and years of development, testing etc.
But that sounds awesome because everyone could put a unit together that would fit perfect the personal needs.
(My Axe III is perfect for me by the way, so I would like to have it exactly like that)
 
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