Long time Fractal guy here. Is "III" miles beyond the "II"?

You will regret each day you hesitate.
Go iii :)
Thanks
Pauly

romanianreaper said:
Hello all! I am a huge Fractal fan and have been using the Axe-Fx II since probably around 2011 or so. Love the tones so much that I haven't owned another amp since. I've done so many recordings and the awesome black box never lets me down. I've been on the forum here for years and know a bunch of folks so figured I'd check in and ask a few questions.

Obviously like others, I'm completely intrigued and excited about the "III" coming out. No doubt it sounds amazing and is a step up on so many levels. I wanted to ask when compared to the older unit, is there a significant difference in tones and the overall sounds or is it a subtle change? I guess I'm wondering if an upgrade to the "III" would be more of an advantage with more options such as IRs, cabs, pedals, possibilities, etc., as well as in/out choices, or that you hear it immediately before you even touch a preset?

I have no doubt I'll get one of these down the road but since I'm loving my "II" still, I was so curious about the differences. Anyway, appreciate any insight! Thanks!
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Appreciate all of the replies!! One other thing I'll add is that other than a few IRs I bought years ago, I have pretty much stuck with the same IRs built into the "II" for years so I'm sure that part alone will be a big upgrade for me.
 
Speaking personally and not as a Fractal employee, I would unequivocally say that the III is miles beyond the II.

Three quick reasons:

1. Greater CPU
2. Improved sound and features
3. Great expectations for future firmware.
 
loveme2times said:
Speaking of 3....
How much better is the III gonna get before the 4 comes out?
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Personally I do t hear it in the demos but we all know feel is an important factor.
Hardly anyone listens to my music and I don’t play live so I don’t think it’s worth upgrading for myself . However if Fractal were to release an audio interface version (like the UAD but with a built in Axe fx only controllable from Axe edit) I’d be all over it.
Strangely the 3u rack space puts me off also as I just custom built a 2u on my desk :/
 
Soundwise - No. It's better, but not miles.
Featurewise - Yes.

The difference between them will only increase with time, so it's best to get the 3 to be future proof.
But 2 is not any worse than it has ever been.
 
Agree with those who note some auditory 'improvement' (to me it is almost like fidelity or openness) but right now it is all about the features in terms of the big ticket.

The cab block and new cab library is probably closest thing to a game changer in terms of tonal options, IMHO. I can't help but wonder if that is really what the few folks who seem to think there is a large gap between the two are hearing. Having four cabs to mix in real time (and potentially 8 I guess if you used two of the cab blocks) is just huge and adding 1000+ more cabs that are organized to be mixed off the bat cannot be overstated as a huge upgrade. The new cab library is also IMHO, better than a lot of the legacy stuff in terms of variety which trended to the too dark/warm for me.

Of course the insane power, extended I/O, and new UI are already worth the price of admission.

But all that said, I kept my II and could easily stay with it as my 'final' gear solution without any significant regret if I did not have the $$ for a III. Nothing will change the amazingness of the II even if this is the end of the line for new development.

I'd say upgrade at your leisure if you are happy with the II and do not need the new features; it is well worth the price but I would not buy it on credit or anything if I had a II.
 
I think you have to ask yourself if there is anything that you miss in the II that is worth the extra money for you. Keep in in mind that you also might have to replace your MFC for a FC and that you will loose money selling the II and the MFC. How much do you really need or use the extra features of the III? That's up to you.
 
For me it has always been about how well can it do the cleans. IMO, the Fender sounds are much better, very realistic! Everything else sounds great as well.
 
Definitely better, and perhaps not well heard on formats like Youtube; great dynamics, harmonic distortion, massive cleans, great crunch, great I/O, just many steps ahead of the II for sure. Still like the II, but it's sold and gone, and I'm playing the III. :)

FAS has been all hammer and tongs fixing bugs and improving capabilities. Really want an FC, but they will arrive when ready, as will future continuous improvements. :cool:
 
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Here's my current list of advantages (in no particular order):
  • Fender cleans are fuller on the top strings - so you get more meat to the tone without distortion
  • Marshalls are more "alive" - the post attack bloom is noticeably better
  • Great new display
  • Nice on-device interface
  • Multiple input and output options and can be used all over the grid
  • Tri-chorus
  • Multi-tap delay can do quad-chorus on steroids
  • Better pitch block for polyphonic stuff like virtual capo/drop tuning
  • more instances of quite a few block types
  • multiple channels per block vs. just X/Y (for most block types there are 4 channels)
  • Cab block supports mixing in the block so you don't have to use a separate tool (up to 4 IRs at once)
  • Meters view for the layout - this is very helpful!
  • Tuner feature on a lot of the pages of the interface without explicitly going to the tuner
  • Tuner is even nicer than previous models
 
I guess it's like anything.
For example.. Eddie VanHalen 5150 amp...became 5150"2", then 6505, then 5150"3"...etc.

We're all tone chasers. And our tastes are always evolving

It only makes sense to chase it, and get on board as early as possible so that you get a full life out of the unit.
 
I love the sound of my Fender Blues Jr but wasn’t thrilled with the XL+ model of it (good but not great). I love the AxeIII model of the Blues Jr. It’s truly miles ahead. One of these days I’ll actually move off the model and explore others.:p
 
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