Hello everyone,
I am a long time watcher of the forum and an infrequent poster from the Ultra days (this is a new account). I rarely participate in social things in general, but in an attempt to adjust that, I thought a few thoughts on the III would be a good place to start. I don't particularly want to review the technology or accuracy since I quite frankly don't have enough knowledge or experience to be an authority on those subjects. However, I do feel like I can push myself to express what the III provides on a certain human level.
I think that music provides us with a vehicle of expression to say what we may otherwise not be able to or when words just aren't the right way. A very large part of musical expression is tone. And as a writer may spend hours in the pursuit of the right adjective, guitar players will do the equivalent with their guitar sound. Our tone is a reflection of ourselves to a certain extent and it's important to me that the tone I hear in my head is accurately portrayed by my gear. I recognize that tone is subjective and in order for me to have a more objective goal, I need to listen to a variety of gear and learn as much as possible about it. I'm not sure how else I would be able to really help myself find what I am looking for unless I broaden my field of vision and compare and contrast what I know with the new information coming in.
That is precisely what the III allows me to do. In real life I would never be able to try the overwhelming majority of these amps, let alone in an idealistic setting (ie. cranked, with a band, etc.) but with the Axe I can sample to my heart's content a vast array amps and effects that will influence my ear. I am a very indecisive person and the III allows me to be that without any truly negative consequences. Some days I want to hear a cranked British amp, others I am attracted to more American flavored overdrive, but no matter how indecisive I am, the III follows my ear without judgment. The ability to go where ever my ears takes me tone wise is very important to me, and I do not feel compromised in any way with the III. Whether an amp is accurate or not is fairly irrelevant to me because of my lack of real world experience, I just need to feel like the tone I am playing through is appropriate for the message I am trying to convey. If the III never received more amp models or effect models, I feel like the freedom to find the tone I want with the feel I want is there, it's just up to me to know what I want, ask the right questions, and be vigilant about getting it.
Moving forward, the III's reliability, much like the Ultra's, has provided an incredible amount of relief from stress in those areas. Fractal gear is quite an expense for me, and the fact that I have never had a hardware or software problem means the world to me. As it stands, my confidence in Fractal's ability to make quality gear is pretty solid and I feel like I can trust their products based on their construction, the thought put into their products, and Cliff's ongoing support for them. The quality of the III also means I spend more time playing and writing music than fighting it like I have with quite a few household appliances.
The last point I would like to talk about is the emotional reward that the III has become. When the world's noise becomes deafening, to be able to drown it out with a beautiful guitar tone for a little while helps to stay off the ledge. Music is a powerful experience and the III is a wonderful tool to help us get there.
I look forward to my continued journey with the Axe FX III, where ever it may take me. Thank you to Fractal Audio for the wonderful products, support, and moments verging on peace.
PS: On the more gear nerd side, the next Fractal product for me will certainly be a FC-6.
I am a long time watcher of the forum and an infrequent poster from the Ultra days (this is a new account). I rarely participate in social things in general, but in an attempt to adjust that, I thought a few thoughts on the III would be a good place to start. I don't particularly want to review the technology or accuracy since I quite frankly don't have enough knowledge or experience to be an authority on those subjects. However, I do feel like I can push myself to express what the III provides on a certain human level.
I think that music provides us with a vehicle of expression to say what we may otherwise not be able to or when words just aren't the right way. A very large part of musical expression is tone. And as a writer may spend hours in the pursuit of the right adjective, guitar players will do the equivalent with their guitar sound. Our tone is a reflection of ourselves to a certain extent and it's important to me that the tone I hear in my head is accurately portrayed by my gear. I recognize that tone is subjective and in order for me to have a more objective goal, I need to listen to a variety of gear and learn as much as possible about it. I'm not sure how else I would be able to really help myself find what I am looking for unless I broaden my field of vision and compare and contrast what I know with the new information coming in.
That is precisely what the III allows me to do. In real life I would never be able to try the overwhelming majority of these amps, let alone in an idealistic setting (ie. cranked, with a band, etc.) but with the Axe I can sample to my heart's content a vast array amps and effects that will influence my ear. I am a very indecisive person and the III allows me to be that without any truly negative consequences. Some days I want to hear a cranked British amp, others I am attracted to more American flavored overdrive, but no matter how indecisive I am, the III follows my ear without judgment. The ability to go where ever my ears takes me tone wise is very important to me, and I do not feel compromised in any way with the III. Whether an amp is accurate or not is fairly irrelevant to me because of my lack of real world experience, I just need to feel like the tone I am playing through is appropriate for the message I am trying to convey. If the III never received more amp models or effect models, I feel like the freedom to find the tone I want with the feel I want is there, it's just up to me to know what I want, ask the right questions, and be vigilant about getting it.
Moving forward, the III's reliability, much like the Ultra's, has provided an incredible amount of relief from stress in those areas. Fractal gear is quite an expense for me, and the fact that I have never had a hardware or software problem means the world to me. As it stands, my confidence in Fractal's ability to make quality gear is pretty solid and I feel like I can trust their products based on their construction, the thought put into their products, and Cliff's ongoing support for them. The quality of the III also means I spend more time playing and writing music than fighting it like I have with quite a few household appliances.
The last point I would like to talk about is the emotional reward that the III has become. When the world's noise becomes deafening, to be able to drown it out with a beautiful guitar tone for a little while helps to stay off the ledge. Music is a powerful experience and the III is a wonderful tool to help us get there.
I look forward to my continued journey with the Axe FX III, where ever it may take me. Thank you to Fractal Audio for the wonderful products, support, and moments verging on peace.
PS: On the more gear nerd side, the next Fractal product for me will certainly be a FC-6.