VP4 with 5150iii 50 watt

T-Bone70

Member
Hello all… New VP4 user here. I’m running my VP4 to an EVH 50 watt (6L6) head and two 2x12 EVH cabs. I am wondering if most of you would use the VP4 just in the FX loop post or would you use 4CM? If I use 4CM can I enable all the factory presets so they play in 4CM or are a lot of the presets useless?

Thanks!
 
It really depends on your musical style and your preference for effects. Try Pre. Try post.

As for factory presets, many of the ones not designated as POST FX can also work for Post FX, but be on guard against presets that contain "obvious" pre-FX like drive and wah.
 
@ Pima1234…Just changed the VP4 to 4CM and changed my favorite presets to 4CM. WOW. Will start building some new presets tomorrow. Thank you, sir.
Awesome! Glad to hear it. FAS have a serious winner here with the VP4.

I was really sad to hear that FX8 was actually their worst selling product, because it's completely amazing, and I would still love an updated version of that. But, the VP4 fills a great opening in the market. I'm hoping it continues to sell well.
 
Agree. I’m an “amp guy” and this is where the VP4 shines. If I build out my music room a bit more or make a new one, I’d consider an Axe FX 3 through my studio monitors but I will always want a tube amp to blast through. Going to order a Soldano slo-30 with an oversized Mesa cab and maybe pair it with the 5150 for some stereo sounds. Neighbors going to love it!!
 
Hello all… New VP4 user here. I’m running my VP4 to an EVH 50 watt (6L6) head and two 2x12 EVH cabs. I am wondering if most of you would use the VP4 just in the FX loop post or would you use 4CM? If I use 4CM can I enable all the factory presets so they play in 4CM or are a lot of the presets useless?

Thanks!
Hey there!

I edited all the factory presets and configured them to work in 4CM. I saved the presets in a file that you can get for free from my site, here:

https://www.zenrigs.com/store/VP4-Factory-Presets-adapted-for-4CM-FREE-p718614001
 
Let's be honest. The correct answer is to get another 50w head and another VP4. Run one VP4 pre and the other post in stereo. Dual detune and dual delays in stereo... chefs kiss

😀
Star Wars Disney Plus GIF by Disney+
 
Let's be honest. The correct answer is to get another 50w head and another VP4. Run one VP4 pre and the other post in stereo. Dual detune and dual delays in stereo... chefs kiss

😀

The thing is, the VP4 is the one Fractal product that seems like the feature set wasn't thought through. "Just buy another $700 pedal" is a pretty crappy thing to say when the designers could have "just added" a single additional output jack, which would have solved the issue much more elegantly by giving users mono pre AND stereo post effects at the same time.

As it is now, the VP4 is a device that always shuts out a huge portion of its capabilities from the user no matter how it's set. You can EITHER use it for mono pre and mono post effects and lose Fractal's awesome stereo effects, OR you can use it for stereo post effects and lose all the awesome pre-effects it has available.

I'm not spending another $700 to buy a second instance of the pedal that by the way will necessitate twice the programming and twice the room on my board just because it seems like the designers practically went out of their way to not add one more output jack that feels like it should have obviously been there. It certainly looks like there's room on the chassis for it. It was the first thing I looked for when the pedal was announced, and honestly it was the first time I've been disappointed by a Fractal product. It seems like one of those weird oversights with gear that players haven't seen since the early 2000's or something.

It's a shame too, because aside from that, the VP4 is excellent in every other way, and I love Fractal's effects, workflow ecosystem, and user interface.

Having said all that, I don't think there's a better multi-effect pedal out there for a mono rig. But to taunt us with all those excellent stereo post effects at the cost of no longer being able to utilize all those awesome pre-effects just doesn't feel good.
 
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The thing is, the VP4 is the one Fractal product that seems like the feature set wasn't thought through. "Just buy another $700 pedal" is a pretty crappy thing to say when the designers could have "just added" a single additional output jack, which would have solved the issue much more elegantly by giving users mono pre AND stereo post effects at the same time.

As it is now, the VP4 is a device that always shuts out a huge portion of its capabilities from the user no matter how it's set. You can EITHER use it for mono pre and mono post effects and lose Fractal's awesome stereo effects, OR you can use it for stereo post effects and lose all the awesome pre-effects it has available.

I'm not spending another $700 to buy a second instance of the pedal that by the way will necessitate twice the programming and twice the room on my board just because it seems like the designers practically went out of their way to not add one more output jack that feels like it should have obviously been there. It certainly looks like there's room on the chassis for it. It was the first thing I looked for when the pedal was announced, and honestly it was the first time I've been disappointed by a Fractal product. It seems like one of those weird oversights with gear that players haven't seen since the early 2000's or something.

It's a shame too, because aside from that, the VP4 is excellent in every other way, and I love Fractal's effects, workflow ecosystem, and user interface.

Having said all that, I don't think there's a better multi-effect pedal out there for a mono rig. But to taunt us with all those excellent stereo post effects at the cost of no longer being able to utilize all those awesome pre-effects just doesn't feel good.

For starters, I happen to know the VP4 was very well thought through. I know you don't want to hear this but you're in a very small minority of folks running stereo amps. I don't think it'd just be a matter of adding another jack - that's be a very awkward implementation that would have some strange documentation and configuration. To me, the logical implementation would be a pair of stereo ins and outs. I'm sure it was considered.

As you are probably aware, the FM3 has the IO you need to do 5CM for mono pre and stereo post effects.
 
The VP4 is phenomenal at what it's designed to do.

I do understand where @GreatGreen is coming from though. Being able to use mono effects pre and stereo effects post would be absolutely awesome. @hippietim is right that adding a single output jack might be awkward though. A pair of jacks, one send, one return, would be a simpler implementation. I think.

VP4 wasn't designed for use with mono pre + stereo post effects. Although I agree it would have been even better if it had, I also accept that Fractal made that choice and it's theirs to make. It means if you want mono effects pre and stereo effects post you need to find a work around. The FM3 and FM9 only have one pitch block. For certain use cases that requires a work around too.

Maybe the next gen full floor unit will incorporate "all the things" 🫠 Until then the best we can do is pick the best unit for our particular needs and implement workarounds as needed. 🤷🏾‍♂️
 
For starters, I happen to know the VP4 was very well thought through. I know you don't want to hear this but you're in a very small minority of folks running stereo amps. I don't think it'd just be a matter of adding another jack - that's be a very awkward implementation that would have some strange documentation and configuration. To me, the logical implementation would be a pair of stereo ins and outs. I'm sure it was considered.

As you are probably aware, the FM3 has the IO you need to do 5CM for mono pre and stereo post effects.

If nobody uses stereo rigs, why is the default mode for the VP4 itself a pair of stereo ins and outs?

Also, do you think having an additional Output jack (or you know what, let's just say a devoted Send/Return loop like @Deadpool_25 mentioned because that would seamlessly allow purely stereo operation as well, so two jacks) would be less awkward than asking the user to choose to either run in Stereo or 4CM mode, then asking them to read up on how to change modes, and then asking the user to always remember, per patch, what mode the VP4 is in?

Or do you think it would be less awkward to have enough Ins and Outs that... everything just works all the time with no extra setup necessary?

Again, it's not that I don't think the VP4 isn't great, it is. It's definitely a Best In Class product. But it does bother me that mono pre / stereo post effects aren't available when it seems like 95% of the infrastructure (software and hardware) required to unlock the "full capability" of the pedal is already right there, minus a jack or two.


edit - you know, I'm not just complaining for complaining's sake. I've been on the Fractal Train since 2008 and I'm talking about this stuff in good faith. Fractal is one of my favorite companies in the industry and has been for years. Because of that, I feel I owe the company my honest feedback. However, in the spirit of arguing in good faith, I will say that one potential hangup I could see with my own argument is that if and when an additional dedicated mono Loop was activated on the grid, the VP4 would have to be told which side of the stereo signal to send through the loop Send output, which would mean having to configure the Loop Send to forward the Left, Right, or L+R signal, so that would take some extra configuration, and extra configuration is what I was trying to avoid with my suggestions. Still, that seems like something that could be done by just selecting a "Loop" graphic on the grid, hitting Edit, and selecting which side to forward to the Send output jack. Still seems simpler than having to reconfigure the function of the entire pedal to either Stereo or 4CM though.


Ultimately, the product is what it is, and it's a great product. I hope the feedback is helpful though.
 
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Let me ask for advice on this.... I bought a Soldano Astro 20. I also ordered a Mesa 2X12 cab. I plan to put the Mesa cab between my two EVH (2x12) cabs and run the Soldano to that. Is there any way for me to run the VP4 to the two EVH cabs (wet) and keep the Soldano dry? Maybe just any ABY splitter between VP4 and both heads??
 
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