Will there ever be FM9 hardware in an FM3 size box?

woodslanding said:
Just because: 'why not say what you would perfectly want', even if it seems unlikely it would ever happen....

I think it's silly to duplicate all the controls of the software on front panel hardware that you have to kneel down on the floor to adjust. I don't get the pedal form factor at all for something this sophisticated. And three rack spaces is far more space than I can spare. You can't even take that on an airplane.

For my purposes, I'd like the smallest possible black box that you could plug any of the footswitch extenders into, and control from a tablet. A single-space half rack maybe? Just needs ins and outs on the box. Half the mixers I see on gigs these days work this way. It has its issues (mostly because the quality of the software becomes crucial) but it saves money in buttons and switches, and puts the control up where you can get at it without kneeling. And you don't have to build the box to be stepped on.

Have a low-power version and a high-power version, and buy the version you need independent of how many footswitches you want.

Since we're fantasizing.
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I would be extremely worried about buying a unit without an interface. There have been too many of these type of units that become paperweights once the years go by, the operating systems change, and you cannot use them anymore without finding a computer from a museum to run it.
 
Shask said:
I would be extremely worried about buying a unit without an interface. There have been too many of these type of units that become paperweights once the years go by, the operating systems change, and you cannot use them anymore without finding a computer from a museum to run it.
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That's totally legit. But, at least IME, there is some degree of "eWaste" that I'm just willing to accept. Nothing lasts forever, and at some point, it's just not worth going back as opposed to abandoning it and moving forward with something else.
 
marsonic said:
That's totally legit. But, at least IME, there is some degree of "eWaste" that I'm just willing to accept. Nothing lasts forever, and at some point, it's just not worth going back as opposed to abandoning it and moving forward with something else.
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are you proposing no USB? That doesn't make sense to me. You have to have some way to get firmware updates and communicate with the editors. USB chipsets are probably cheaper than bluetooth and less prone to RFI.
 
jzucker said:
are you proposing no USB? That doesn't make sense to me. You have to have some way to get firmware updates and communicate with the editors. USB chipsets are probably cheaper than bluetooth and less prone to RFI.
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Doesn't matter if the unit has a USB if the company stops supporting the editor, and the editor will no longer run on the current OS.

For example, look at the Nord Modular Synths. They only run on Windows 98 I think. Basically useless these days unless you keep an ancient computer around to run it.

For a guitar example, I would love for the Lexicon MPX-1 Editor to work, but I dont have a Windows machine from the 90's to run it. At least you can edit from the front panel though.

I guess your response was about something else, but I still think this is a good point to keep in mind! :)
 
marsonic said:
That's totally legit. But, at least IME, there is some degree of "eWaste" that I'm just willing to accept. Nothing lasts forever, and at some point, it's just not worth going back as opposed to abandoning it and moving forward with something else.
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Instead of building in obsolescence through, why not make it so that wont be an issue? One of my favorite things about Fractal is that everything can be tweaked from the front panel. I think the only thing you HAVE to have software for would be to load IRs. May not matter in 20 years though.
 
Shask said:
Doesn't matter if the unit has a USB if the company stops supporting the editor, and the editor will no longer run on the current OS.

For example, look at the Nord Modular Synths. They only run on Windows 98 I think. Basically useless these days unless you keep an ancient computer around to run it.

For a guitar example, I would love for the Lexicon MPX-1 Editor to work, but I dont have a Windows machine from the 90's to run it. At least you can edit from the front panel though.

I guess your response was about something else, but I still think this is a good point to keep in mind! :)
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OK, so let's get rid of the USB port so in 2040 we won't have to worry about having an editor for fractal to run on the latest version of whatever OS is popular then.
 
and by the way, you don't have to have an editor if the device can auto update the firmware from a USB stick. Of course, there may not be USB sticks in 2040 if that's what we're worried about...
 
jzucker said:
OK, so let's get rid of the USB port so in 2040 we won't have to worry about having an editor for fractal to run on the latest version of whatever OS is popular then.
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I never mentioned the USB. I said this is why I dont agree with a unit with no interface included. A "Black Box". I think all units should stand alone without requiring an editor.
 
Shask said:
I never mentioned the USB. I said this is why I dont agree with a unit with no interface included. A "Black Box". I think all units should stand alone without requiring an editor.
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i disagree with that. The miniscule user interface on things like the quad cortex is a disaster to use without a real editor. An editor on a phone, tablet or computer will always be superior.

AND

I want my money going toward what the device's strengths are. Why re-invent the wheel and introduce user experience issues with editors and navigation and touch screens and calibration with the monitor? Why have to pay extra for a monitor when I already have a great one on my phone, tablet and computer?
 
jzucker said:
i disagree with that. The miniscule user interface on things like the quad cortex is a disaster to use without a real editor. An editor on a phone, tablet or computer will always be superior.

AND

I want my money going toward what the device's strengths are. Why re-invent the wheel and introduce user experience issues with editors and navigation and touch screens and calibration with the monitor? Why have to pay extra for a monitor when I already have a great one on my phone, tablet and computer?
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Because when that phone or tablet does not support the device after 5-10 years, you will still be able to use the device without it. It is a required dongle that will render the unit useless after some time.
 
Shask said:
Because when that phone or tablet does not support the device after 5-10 years, you will still be able to use the device without it. It is a required dongle that will render the unit useless after some time.
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in 10 years, we won't be using the same modeling hardware. I'm not buying digital modeling hardware as a long-term investment. Line6, fractal and kemper have managed to have products out for close to a dozen years with no sign of apps that can't support it.
 
I do periodic sessions at a studio that uses 1-bit Sonoma systems. For the fidelity freaks, nothing else matches it. And they keep windows 95 machines running for that purpose, because it's a headless device built in 1997 that was never updated.

I don't doubt the fractal will outlast the average tablet, but still, 20 years from now I could probably track down a vintage 2024 tablet to run my fractal from. If I really don't have something better by then.
 
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