The Fractal Thread

Roland

The AxeFX screen tuner is very good. The FC12 only has a series of LED lines. I tend to use the screen between sets, and the FC12 if I want to check a string between songs. 

The clever thing about the tuner is that it activates when I zero my volume pedal. 

Jonathanthomas83

Roland said:

The AxeFX screen tuner is very good. The FC12 only has a series of LED lines. I tend to use the screen between sets, and the FC12 if I want to check a string between songs. 

The clever thing about the tuner is that it activates when I zero my volume pedal. 

Perfect, thank you!

That's the cool thing about fractal's use of expression pedals, isn't it, you can achieve most things. I'm still amazed that I can use the same exp pedal to freeze my reverb, whammy, wah or volume depending on what patch I'm on. Superb!

Jonathanthomas83

Any tips for either nice clean amps to use with a dirty JCM800? Or tips on best methods to clean the amp up outside of the obvious? As has been the advice on this forum recently, I'm determined to maintain the same IR across all scenes, assuming that I'd have scenes for clean, dirty, boosted dirty, saturated (using a JVM Orange for that) and possibly lead (I'm yet to gel with the JVM red for that, so experimentation continues).

I'm bloody loving it though!

Roland

@Jonathanthomas83 How clean is clean? Band Commander clean, with Fender EQ, or just cleaning up the JCM800 and keeping the Marshall EQ?

If you like the Marshall sound then I’d focus on cleaning up the JCM by reducing the preamp gain and master volume, and compensating with the block output level. You could also increase the transformer rating. 

Jonathanthomas83

Roland said:

@Jonathanthomas83 How clean is clean? Band Commander clean, with Fender EQ, or just cleaning up the JCM800 and keeping the Marshall EQ?

If you like the Marshall sound then I’d focus on cleaning up the JCM by reducing the preamp gain and master volume, and compensating with the block output level. You could also increase the transformer rating. 

This is good advice, thank you! My original recordings were a failry bright and chimey Fender Twin, but it's jarring to go from that to a JCM 800 dirt. So my solution was to perhaps try the twin with the JCM IR. But I imagine it'll sound weird and my OCD will go a bit haywire! I like the idea of cleaning up the JCM and that transformer rating idea is a good thing to try. I might settle on a mix of the two amps for clean, perhaps. Thanks, Roland.

Roland

I spent a couple of years juggling multiple amps, and matching IRs. I’ve found it much easier using one amp type, with a range of settings, and the same pair of IRs.

DavusPG

What pair of IRs do you go for?
57 & 121?
I always use a mix IR so am possibly missing out on the opportunity to dial it in a little more....

FarleyUK

DavusPG said:

What pair of IRs do you go for?
57 & 121?
I always use a mix IR so am possibly missing out on the opportunity to dial it in a little more....

Personally, I pretty exclusively use OwnHammer IRs (mostly the Marshall TV - one amp has the M25, the other the H30), and I always go for the OH3 mixes. These are 'liove' mixes designed for live use so suit me best. I *think* they're a 57 +121 mix....

firepaulmusic

I've found recently that patches behave very differently depending on the volume you use them at. I have a little hotel gig where I have to keep the volume down. My patches don't sound half as lively as when I play with my rock covers band at volume. Obvious I suppose but I'm considering having a low volume patch EQ'd brighter just for this gig...

mrkb

firepaulmusic said:

I've found recently that patches behave very differently depending on the volume you use them at. I have a little hotel gig where I have to keep the volume down. My patches don't sound half as lively as when I play with my rock covers band at volume. Obvious I suppose but I'm considering having a low volume patch EQ'd brighter just for this gig...

That’s the Fletcher Munson effect. Not as bad on modellers as it is on valve amps where turning down the volume affects both loudness and the way the amp is overdriving.

firepaulmusic

Does anyone else look at these expensive delay and reverb pedals and just think “that’s nothing that my Fractal can’t do”?

Roland

Yes, plus I can change those settings between verse and chorus

mrkb

Yep, real pedals are often more limited than the fractal versions- I can put a reverb and delay in parallel to allow a main signal solo boost without increasing the reverb, etc as the quick rearrangement of the virtual wiring. I often try new effect types/positions out to see what I like and dont without cost and waiting for new stuff to arrive. Im hooked.

Beexter

firepaulmusic said:

Does anyone else look at these expensive delay and reverb pedals and just think “that’s nothing that my Fractal can’t do”?

Yep. I picked up an FM3 a couple of months ago and the level of control and flexibility it offers is staggering, especially once you start diving into the modifiers and controllers. Absolute GAS killer for me - its only limitation is my imagination (and ability!)

Jonathanthomas83

I can't get excited about new pedal releases any more. So that speaks a lot about the journey I've been on to get to this point where I'm completely satisfied with the Fractal. The only time it'll come into question is if Fractal, for whatever silly reason, stop supporting it and don't keep up with the ingenuity that others, like Strymon, are putting out there. Right now, Fractal are ahead of the curve, and by a long way, IMO.

firepaulmusic

Used IEMs for the gig last night. 100% room vibe on the cab block made it a totally immersive experience

Jonathanthomas83

Random, I know, but I wonder if we'll ever see any of the Victory amps happen in future FW updates. I'm a fan of the Copper and Kraken and would like to play them again. Same with the Mezzabarba MZero and a Lionheart. All a bit too niche, perhaps.

firepaulmusic

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Random, I know, but I wonder if we'll ever see any of the Victory amps happen in future FW updates. I'm a fan of the Copper and Kraken and would like to play them again. Same with the Mezzabarba MZero and a Lionheart. All a bit too niche, perhaps.

I hope so too. No more niche than Morgan and that’s a Fractal favourite…

Jonathanthomas83

firepaulmusic said:

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Random, I know, but I wonder if we'll ever see any of the Victory amps happen in future FW updates. I'm a fan of the Copper and Kraken and would like to play them again. Same with the Mezzabarba MZero and a Lionheart. All a bit too niche, perhaps.

I hope so too. No more niche than Morgan and that’s a Fractal favourite…

Ironically, the Morgan was mentioned as a sufficient alternative when I suggested this on the fractal forum. Pointless mentioning anything on that forum, does my head in.

mrleon83

In case you guys haven’t seen this/aren’t on the fractal forum (you should be) , Cliff uploaded a super awesome IR, I think they’re looking at a change to the cab block in the future, it’s here but you’ll need to login … https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/conference-championships-gift-of-tone.191228/