So many wishes, but no improvements in User Interface, etc

Feiner-mechaniker

Feiner-mechaniker

Inspired
i love my AX 8, no doubt about it. It is a great piece of gear.
But when i look at the wishes and bugs page in this forum, i am very disappointed, that the most asked for improvements dont come.

I really hope, that we get improvements in usability, as they were asked and a lot discussed in the wishes and bugs forum. There are so many good ideas.
So please Cliff, add new / better features of the USer Interface, etc.
 
I posted this thread in the Discussions Forum because this topic needs a discussion.
Unfotunately it was moved to this Forum. I feel like this Forum is not taken care by Fractal Audio. Thats why i posted it on the other forum.

Dear Admin: this was not nice!
 
Feiner-mechaniker said:
I really hope, that we get improvements in usability, as they were asked and a lot discussed in the wishes and bugs forum. There are so many good ideas.
So please Cliff, add new / better features of the USer Interface, etc.
Click to expand...

^ this is a wish
Feiner-mechaniker said:
I feel like this Forum is not taken care by Fractal Audio.
Click to expand...
it is. Fractal Audio owns this forum and checks the wish-lists. wishes don't always become new features.
 
Just dropping in here folks.
Would be great to have connectivity with iPad to control presets. It's probably been mentioned, no?
Otherwise, carry on
 
PopLife said:
Just dropping in here folks.
Would be great to have connectivity with iPad to control presets. It's probably been mentioned, no?
Otherwise, carry on
Click to expand...
making your own thread with that topic is better than putting it in a random sort of thread.

that said check out FracPad.
 
I feel the same frustration. It seems like FAS is focused around adding new amp models (as if 200 would not be enough) and I wish there would be at least a bit of feedback that would let us know what's in the pipe and what will never make it into the firmware. However, I have to admit that I'm probably just indulged by the constant flow of FREE firmware updates.
 
I'm also more than sattisfied with the tonal qualities of the AX8. But I also posted some wishes for UI improvements. I specially appreciate the compact form factor of the AX8. But at the moment I need to use a separate MIDI controller with additional power supply and AC distributor to use the comfort of scenes and the flexibility of stomp box control (block bypass) simultaneously to an extent that makes sense. That makes my setup bulky again. There are a lot of wishes out here that woud also improve the usability of the AX8 as is for me. I'm pretty shure that FAS checks this forum regularly, unfortunately I' missing some kind of feedback. Some projects/companies collect bugs & wish from their forum in a list and add a staus (rejected, approved, under development, etc.). Something like this would be great. I understand that AX8 is not open source, but still there is a lot of contribution to the development of a FAS product in this forum that could be appraised accordingly by FAS...
 
ChristThePhone said:
I feel the same frustration. It seems like FAS is focused around adding new amp models (as if 200 would not be enough) and I wish there would be at least a bit of feedback that would let us know what's in the pipe and what will never make it into the firmware. However, I have to admit that I'm probably just indulged by the constant flow of FREE firmware updates.
Click to expand...

glombi said:
I'm also more than sattisfied with the tonal qualities of the AX8. But I also posted some wishes for UI improvements. I specially appreciate the compact form factor of the AX8. But at the moment I need to use a separate MIDI controller with additional power supply and AC distributor to use the comfort of scenes and the flexibility of stomp box control (block bypass) simultaneously to an extent that makes sense. That makes my setup bulky again. There are a lot of wishes out here that woud also improve the usability of the AX8 as is for me. I'm pretty shure that FAS checks this forum regularly, unfortunately I' missing some kind of feedback. Some projects/companies collect bugs & wish from their forum in a list and add a staus (rejected, approved, under development, etc.). Something like this would be great. I understand that AX8 is not open source, but still there is a lot of contribution to the development of a FAS product in this forum that could be appraised accordingly by FAS...
Click to expand...

You are absolutely right. I am also very satisfied with the number and quality of amps, etc.
I am so thankful, that Cliff supports us us with so many good things.
I really hope that now the focus will come to the Usability of the device!
 
chris said:
^ this is a wish

it is. Fractal Audio owns this forum and checks the wish-lists. wishes don't always become new features.
Click to expand...

No, you are right. Not all wishes can come true. But when you check the forum of wishes and bugs, its a very sad situation. You have to take the Hubble Telescope to find green solved things.
 
Guys - without any disrespect, id like to suggest that you are perhaps missing that you haven't had your units for long, and already there has been a number of updates addressing numerous issues and wishes.
Maybe - just maybe - it'd be more appropriate to appreciate the amount of work that goes into manufacturing and supporting complex devices like the axe 8 - along with a number of other products, all with their own level of complexity, with a small team of workers.
I guess what I'm suggesting is that, rather than feeling entitled to wishes being granted, you imagine if you'd bought units from another manufacturer and had one update every two years.
Anyway - once again - no disrespect, it's just easy sometimes to think we deserve more than we do.
Have a great weekend,
Thanks Pauly
 
pauly said:
Guys - without any disrespect, id like to suggest that you are perhaps missing that you haven't had your units for long, and already there has been a number of updates addressing numerous issues and wishes.
Click to expand...

Long enough to experience at least Q5, Q6, Q7 and now Q8. Tonally it was fine for me from the beginning. From this perspective I could perfectely live without any updates at all. But I was "forced" to install them nontheless in order to be able to use downloaded presets which mostly reequire the most recent FW...

pauly said:
I guess what I'm suggesting is that, rather than feeling entitled to wishes being granted, you imagine if you'd bought units from another manufacturer and had one update every two years.
Click to expand...

Fair point, it's entirely up to FAS. And really I don't feel entitled to ask for frequent updates, so I don't. But actually I bought the AX8 because it was marketed as the all-in-one floor solution for live use. But UI wise I did not percieve any major changes troughout all those updates. FAS installed a forum named "Wishes & Bugs" which implies that they are interested in those. So I feel entitled to express my wish, that if eventually there will be another update in the future, this should adress some of the numerous proposals for improvement of the UI instead of improve modelling another 0,0000x%. This would really add value to the unit and maybe help FAS to sell even more...
 
Hi again,
Yeah I understand what you mean - of course we are entitled to ask anything.
Thanks
Pauly
 
pauly said:
Guys - without any disrespect, id like to suggest that you are perhaps missing that you haven't had your units for long, and already there has been a number of updates addressing numerous issues and wishes.
Maybe - just maybe - it'd be more appropriate to appreciate the amount of work that goes into manufacturing and supporting complex devices like the axe 8 - along with a number of other products, all with their own level of complexity, with a small team of workers.
I guess what I'm suggesting is that, rather than feeling entitled to wishes being granted, you imagine if you'd bought units from another manufacturer and had one update every two years.
Anyway - once again - no disrespect, it's just easy sometimes to think we deserve more than we do.
Have a great weekend,
Thanks Pauly
Click to expand...

As i mentioned before: i am absolutely happy with the sound of my AX8! And no doubt Cliffs Team is doing a great job with firmware-Updates, etc.
But one thing is, that the usability is still lacking some major things which were mentioned in the forum.
I am not alone with this. There are many others among us, who also think like this.
Fractal Gear is great, no doubt about ist. But an AX8 is not only consisting of the Sounds and Soundquality.

One of the Major Things of such Units is the Human User Interface and the usability.
There is a rule of n design: Form follows function. If you take a look at moder cnc Machines and their HUIs, you will notice that such really complex Control Units made a big Evolution in intuitive usage.
I know what i am talking about, i sell CNC Machines for the worlds biggest machine tool manufacturer.

We were challenged to make our stuff better for quicker learning and intuitive using. When i lokk at the absolute excellent quality of the Fractal Gear i am very happy.

But see, its not only Hardware and sound. And on stage you are not using your PC to do the stuff.
It s lying on the floor in front of me. And when i need to change stuff its got to be fast done.

Cliff, if you read this: i love your Gear and so far i can see i will never buy anything else!
Your continous Firmwareupdates are the best Service i have ever seen in this business. I really appreciate it.
But is the plan to introduce some things of the wishes in future?
 
I agree to this. The AX8 is already and by far the best sounding rig, I have ever had, but there are a lot of wishes on the usability side that would make the AX8 work even better for me in live situations.
 
I think that the best way to see the whole fractal product line is more like a tone research tool than anything else. And don't get me wrong, it's brilliant and sounds spectacular. But it seems that the general usability mantra is - since there is a way of doing something any time spent making it any easier is time not spent improving tone.

I think in the long run ease of use always wins. My hope would be that Fractal makes further diversions in the product line between the Axe Fx 2 and the Ax8, including making the firmware much easier to operate on the Ax8 (but not on the Axe Fx 2). Anytime someone for instance suggest that all they want is a simplified interface where they have the original amp or pedal controls, this is met with a massive pushback - "don't take away my advanced controls" although no one I've seen has ever suggested that. Fine - for those that are on a tone research journey and enjoy listening to the difference when the transformer changes from 50 to 60Hz, let them have the flagship Axe Fx 2 with all bells and whistles and all possible controls. For us that want a simple and easy to use floor unit, make that the new Ax8. I'd even suggest making an Ax8 and an Ax8+ where the Ax8+ takes a good hard look at the Helix in terms of user interface. The current Ax8 with it's current price-point could stay as is, and the new Ax8+ could be priced at whatever price-point makes sense when adding individual screens per footswitch and a much better color screen.

We've seen with the laws of diminishing returns that the Helix is much, much closer in sound to the Axe Fx 2/Ax8. It's not inconceivable that someone else could get close. I don't think Line 6 with their consumer focus will ever really challenging Fractal Audio, but it wouldn't surprise me if we'll see someone else releasing something with closeish sound quality to the Axe Fx 2/Ax8 line but with a much better interface and more of a professional focus come along.
 
rondamato said:
To be honest, I'm nearing 60 and my eyes aren't what they use to be, but when playing live, the UI is all but useless.
Click to expand...

I'm 40 and find the screen small for using it live. When I press the footswich to select preset and the list with the eight presets appears I have to bend to see the names of them. I also found lacking that the screen have so few resolution so it's only 3 letters for switch name. I had a Kemper remote on loan and OMG, it was so much better. Or the new Helix performance mode: eight big squares with the full effect name (don't now if it's customizable)
 
I don't know anything about whether Fractal should or shouldn't be granting more wishes, but one thing is abundantly clear. As time goes by, Fractal's edge in sound quality is getting smaller and the importance of other things, like ease of use, is getting bigger.

It hurts me to say this but it's becoming increasingly difficult to overlook Fractal's disadvantage in the ease of use area compared to the competition.
 
I don't know if it matters, but I agree with the OP that this thread belongs on the discussion page since it's not a request for a specific feature.
 
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