Longest time between updates for the FM3...is this it?

Willem Dafoe Smile GIF
 
To be fair, from a software engineering perspective, you generally fix bugs and make enhancements to the devices with the largest populations and then go from there. I think it depends on what percentage of their customers are on the FM3 vs others. If they were just getting the FM9 Turbo Mark II prepped, that was likely taking a lot of resources.
 
I'm on the market for a modeler, I really like the size and functionalities of FM3, I don't need more buttons but I'm waiting for a version with a better audio interface and gapless switching.
 
withfoam said:
To be fair, from a software engineering perspective, you generally fix bugs and make enhancements to the devices with the largest populations and then go from there. I think it depends on what percentage of their customers are on the FM3 vs others. If they were just getting the FM9 Turbo Mark II prepped, that was likely taking a lot of resources.
Click to expand...
We already know that the engineer working on the FM3 was on sick leave for a while. Also, they need to consider what compromises need to/should be made when porting features to the FM3.
 
withfoam said:
To be fair, from a software engineering perspective, you generally fix bugs and make enhancements to the devices with the largest populations and then go from there.
Click to expand...
not necessarily - since FM3/9 are in some ways, scaled down versions of Ax3, it would make perfect sense to implement changes on Ax3 1st regardless of # of users on each platform.
 
usersnoozer said:
If it wasn't practically possible to bring gapless to FM3, that would be one thing.

But gapless is the first feature that could possibly disincentivize someone from getting FM9 over FM3.

I doubt Fractal would intentionally withhold a feature from FM3 for business reasons (I've seen no history of this).

Just a thought.
Click to expand...
I think that people who need something smaller in order to put in a backpack, then buy other devices. FM9 MK2 looks great and has outstanding performance, but has not a portability for everyone.
 
Aleksi said:
Thanks! However, I speculate that the FM3 is on it's last legs, they will abandon the latest update because they just can't be bothered to finish it and a new, much more powerful product will be coming out S O O N and it will cost less than the FM3 and everyone will make fun of us FM3 owners.
Click to expand...
Wait a minute...
Are you the "Fractal needs to make a FM6 to compete w the Ampero" guy? LOL
 
withfoam said:
To be fair, from a software engineering perspective, you generally fix bugs and make enhancements to the devices with the largest populations and then go from there. I think it depends on what percentage of their customers are on the FM3 vs others. If they were just getting the FM9 Turbo Mark II prepped, that was likely taking a lot of resources.
Click to expand...
On Fractal's devices, the FX3 is Cliff's environment for development, so the majority of changes roll down from there. (We've occasionally seen some things start on one of the FM* units and move up.) The FM* developers then begin porting to their hardware. The hardware is different between the two units, and the FM3 is a tighter fit so it might involve some hand-coding in assembly language.

Cliff was a coding machine over the holidays and released a lot of changes, which created a backlog for the other developers. That always happened when I was a developer, from mid-November until New Years Eve not a lot of code was released because of vacations, family events and people getting sick. By mid-January everything was rolling again.

Regarding the new FM9, the displays shouldn't have affected the firmware like a different processor or increased memory would.

[45] The Axe-Fx III, FM3 and the other products in development all use the "Ares" architecture. This is a portable client-server architecture that allows easy porting of effects and models between hardware platforms. When we ported the Axe-Fx III models to the FM3 it involved nothing more than copying the file. We created the Ares architecture three years ago and all new products use it. It's a comprehensive hardware and software paradigm that allows any number of clients to communicate with a DSP server. The architecture supports multiple DSP cores. Clients can be located on the same core, a different core on the same IC, a different IC on the same board or on completely different hardware, i.e. an editor running on a PC or a foot controller. For example on the FM3 the UI is a client running on the ARM core. The Ares architecture is even processor agnostic. The Axe-Fx III uses TI DSPs while the FM3 uses Analog Devices. The Ares architecture was a huge undertaking with the ultimate goal of faster product development and easy synchronization of multiple product lines. It allows me to work on algorithms and new models and the engineers can then easily port those to the other products.
Click to expand...
 
Dickie Fredericks said:
Wait a minute...
Are you the "Fractal needs to make a FM6 to compete w the Ampero" guy? LOL
Click to expand...
This is another case of mistaken identity. However, I am very confident that Fractal has to enter the Pro-Soomer™ space to stay competitive. Whether that's with an FM6-style product or not, who's to say?
 
My name is mud said:
Ok but the real problem about this, is when you own both axe 3 and fm3, and cannot put your axe 3 presets in the fm3…… that’s something they need to fix in the future. To me, All the products need to have the firmware the same day
Click to expand...

So wouldn't the solution be to just not update your III until the equivalent update is available for the FM3? That's the same net effect as FAS releasing updates for each concurrently. Unless you think FAS should sit on updates for the III until they have the FM3/FM9 ready. Or are you wanting FAS to rearchitect and resource their engineering and testing processes to accommodate parallel development, because you can't seem to stop yourself from installing the latest, greatest on your III?
 
Last edited:
Aleksi said:
I am very confident that Fractal has to enter the Pro-Soomer™ space to stay competitive. Whether that's with an FM6-style product or not, who's to say?
Click to expand...
I suggest they're already well entrenched there with the FM units.

A "FM6-style" unit doesn't fit their methodology because it would be a one-off chassis:
[1] The entire product line was conceived years ago. The goal was to maximize the number of parts shared between products.

The footswitch PC boards do three switches each. An FM3 has one board. An FC6 has two. An FM9 has three and an FC12 has four.

All products use the same LCDs, encoders, side plates, etc., etc. This reduces cost and repair inventory. The FC6 and the FM3 are basically the same enclosure. The FC12 and FM9 are basically the same enclosure.

This isn't a huge market. Margins are thin so you have to think of ways to minimize development and product costs. Parts bin methodology is the route we took on this generation.
Click to expand...
 
boyedav said:
So wouldn't the solution be to just not update your III until the equivalent update is available for the FM3? That's the same net effect as FAS releasing updates for each concurrently. Unless you think FAS should sit on updates for the III until they have the FM3/FM9 ready. Or are you wanting FAS to rearchitect and resource their engineering and testing processes to accommodate parallel development, because you can't seem to stop yourself from installing the latest, greatest on your III?
Click to expand...
Don’t know, to me they should have the update the same day.
Whatever if they are less updates for the axe 3.
waiting 6 months to have a axe 3 preset with the most recent firmware working with an fm3 is not possible

An fm3 can be the most portable version of your axe 3 when you don’t want to bring the rack and the fc12 etc …

I still don’t get why they are different team for each products.probably the architecture is not the same… but yeah… Please synchronize all of them …
 
Last edited:
My name is mud said:
Ok but the real problem about this, is when you own both axe 3 and fm3, and cannot put your axe 3 presets in the fm3…… that’s something they need to fix in the future. To me, All the products need to have the firmware the same day
Click to expand...
I think the problems in your life must be very small. ;)
 
Rex said:
I think the problems in your life must be very small. ;)
Click to expand...
Don’t know. That’s a forum hm. Everyone say their opinion and wishes etc. I don’t think that what I say is stupid.

You play in a bar or whatever small place, you drop your axe 3 preset into your fm3 and go… you don’t have to think that your preset may not be compatible . That’s the point of view of a musician hm. And in a perfect world, having a floorboard that have the exact same power is obvious to me too.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom