What's up with this, is it for real? :(

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Is what for real? A grumpy old chucklehead with a vendetta made a video full of lies and half-truths? Yes, that's for real.
That's Tony's style. He's been around forever, and any time he gets mad at a product or company, he writes a very long, trying to be convincing, review. I remember when he got mad at Mesa and trashed the Triaxis, after he raved about it for years.
I bought my first Fractal Audio AXE FXII XL+. I hated it, so I bought an AXE FX XL+. I hated it too, so I bought an AXE FX3. Yep hated it too so I bought an AXE FX3. You guessed it. I hate it. Now I'm on the WAITING LIST, (remember Fractal has no customers), for an AXE FX3 MKII.
 
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I didn’t sit through all of this. Figured he’d sum up in the last 20 min so that’s where I started. How insulting. So let me get this straight. Being I’ve played tube amps my whole life and am approaching 50, fractal somehow missed the mark by making the unit complex, like if it has more than 4 knobs I can’t wrap my head around it? And also, the insinuation no one can afford 2k bucks until they’re my age, as if it’s a life altering amount of money? How disconnected can one person be? Professional level gear CAN be complex. It took some learning, but I can still actually LEARN with my stone aged brain
 
So let me get this straight. Being I’ve played tube amps my whole life and am approaching 50, fractal somehow missed the mark by making the unit complex, like if it has more than 4 knobs I can’t wrap my head around it? And also, the insinuation no one can afford 2k bucks until they’re my age, as if it’s a life altering amount of money?
Given the price of the higher-end tube amps, the Axe FX III is really not that expensive. Street price on a new Bogner XTC and matching 4x12 cabinet is in the $4500 range, so the AFX3 + FC-12 + a good powered monitor seems competitive.

As for complexity a new high-end tube amp front panel looks like this:

wpsyupczuecasw3qp5zp.jpg
 
I tend to make gear purchase choices by doing my own research, and that doesn't include so called 'expert' reviews on Youtube. In fact the internet is the last place I'll look for advice!
After talking to many professional musicians and studio pro's, I was introduced to the AxeFxIII.
I bought one and soon realized it was the best piece of professional gear I've ever purchased (in over 35 years), not only for it's tonal and routing abilities/agility, but for such excellent support and ongoing firmware upgrades and Cliff's personal passion for his products and his customers.
I believe the AxeFxIII is sold at a fair price, so much so that I purchased another one.

I couldn't watch that whole video, not because I'm a 'Fanboy'; but because the narrative was so far from the truth.
Frankly that guy can only hold my attention for as long as I have, to study the personality of a cockroach.
 
Given the price of the higher-end tube amps, the Axe FX III is really not that expensive. Street price on a new Bogner XTC and matching 4x12 cabinet is in the $4500 range, so the AFX3 + FC-12 + a good powered monitor seems competitive.

As for complexity a new high-end tube amp front panel looks like this:

wpsyupczuecasw3qp5zp.jpg
My mesa MKV has about as many toggles and knobs. Hell if I know what to do with it, I’m apparently too old!
 
I have a line 6 Amplifi 150 I use to teach which is switched with an app and plays Bluetooth backing tracks. The amp Is around 450 bucks. Did line 6 miss the mark because some tube amp players cant figure out how to operate a cellphone? In all fairness, you dont have to be 50 and have an adult job or be well off for that. I’ve met broke ass 20 year olds that are complete ****ing morons, too.
New company slogan.
Fractal Audio: if you’re a complete ****ing moron, buy the OTHER guys product.
 
I quite enjoyed the bits I saw (in a guilty pleasure way), but "chucklehead" is immensely kind, "wanker" a bit harsh because most of us are whether we admit it or not, so I think "giant bell-end" would be my (UK) English turn of phrase.

He has missed the point entirely.

A smaller business is leading, and big businesses are following in the guitar amp modelling world. The big businesses can lead on great price, because they don't need to make a living out of "flagship" products. Fractal only makes flagship models, and leads on what many of us might actually need, but don't have yet, and that tends to be a huge sonic advantage. It works for a lot of us.

Tapping PCBAs or individual components with a wooden chopstick and talking loudly with a northern British accent about how cheaply you might be able to buy those components is at best bizarre. The criticism of Axe FX II stitch welding vs. Axe FX III pop rivets (Come on... countersunk blind rivets were state of the art some time back, and still look awesome to me, even lost in the back of a 19" rack) ignores the fact that no-one had a failure of a guitar amp chassis since Marshall figured out aluminium is a bit soft compared to steel back in the mid 60s.

Cliff, ignore it, and keep doing what you are doing! The silent (and buying) majority know that Fractal products are different in a good way, and because of that, they cannot be the cheapest. They work better, and they sound better. Not much else matters.

Liam
 
I stumbled across this vid of couple of days ago, it was too long so I had to scroll through it.
Very disturbing.
I remember Cliff referring to him as a 'chucklehead' during the Axe-Fx II days and I thought to myself there must really be a reason for this, because I find Cliff to be very tolerant, even to questions that seem a bit dumb. He doesn't go around calling us names.
Yeah, he never even bothered to do a sonic head-to-head with the units, just this weird opening up and picking through the components. I think the first thing for the vast majority is "how does it sound?" rather than just looking at the innards. Would he do this when comparing two guitars?
It's too complicated? No, pick something with a non-MV, such as one of the Fenders, pick a matching cab from the Legacy bank, adjust Dr/B/M/T and that's it. If you like, go back later and find the similar cabs from one of larger IR banks and really 'home-in' on the sound with the different mics, etc..
And now he's critical of Suhr, I didn't know that and I can't believe it!! I think John Suhr makes great gear and he's similar to Cliff in that he's always trying to improve things and build them very well with quality components..
I just don't think it's a fair way to treat a couple of decent companies and I hope people looking at that vid make their own minds up.
I'm not sure exactly what his game is, but it's not nice, especially when both companies have brought so much musical happiness into their customers' lives.,
Cliff and John Suhr have dedicated their lives to their companies, put in a ton of work, and it's disappointing to see a nobody trying to smear them, whilst not bothering to give them a proper right to reply or discussion. I'm afraid it's a sign of the times.
I just wish there was more justice in this world.
 
I stumbled across this vid of couple of days ago, it was too long so I had to scroll through it.
Very disturbing.
I remember Cliff referring to him as a 'chucklehead' during the Axe-Fx II days and I thought to myself there must really be a reason for this, because I find Cliff to be very tolerant, even to questions that seem a bit dumb. He doesn't go around calling us names.
Yeah, he never even bothered to do a sonic head-to-head with the units, just this weird opening up and picking through the components. I think the first thing for the vast majority is "how does it sound?" rather than just looking at the innards. Would he do this when comparing two guitars?
It's too complicated? No, pick something with a non-MV, such as one of the Fenders, pick a matching cab from the Legacy bank, adjust Dr/B/M/T and that's it. If you like, go back later and find the similar cabs from one of larger IR banks and really 'home-in' on the sound with the different mics, etc..
And now he's critical of Suhr, I didn't know that and I can't believe it!! I think John Suhr makes great gear and he's similar to Cliff in that he's always trying to improve things and build them very well with quality components..
I just don't think it's a fair way to treat a couple of decent companies and I hope people looking at that vid make their own minds up.
I'm not sure exactly what his game is, but it's not nice, especially when both companies have brought so much musical happiness into their customers' lives.,
Cliff and John Suhr have dedicated their lives to their companies, put in a ton of work, and it's disappointing to see a nobody trying to smear them, whilst not bothering to give them a proper right to reply or discussion. I'm afraid it's a sign of the times.
I just wish there was more justice in this world.
John Suhr is one of the "good ones" in this industry. He's honest and builds a high quality product. Tony's M.O. is to try to extort manufacturers into paying him or giving him free gear in exchange for a positive review. Tony probably tried to pull the same sh*t with John and, like me, John told him to pound sand. So now Tony is retaliating.
 
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