Fractal experts....come on in!

[aarontunes]

So, I'm in the market for a rack mounted digital preamp for my home studio. I already own an FM3 and love it. If there were a rackmounted version of the FM3 it would plenty sufficient for my needs. Alas, the only racked solution Fractal offers is the flagship AxeFX III, which is eleventy-bajillion dollars.

Here is my question:

I can get a used AxeFX II for much less. Is the sound quality the same as the III? Is the main difference memory and computing horsepower?

Correllary questions:

Other more affordable rack mounted possibilities are the Line 6 and the Kemper. Can anyone here compare and contrast?
Do you have any other rack-able suggestions?

 

[TBurst Std]

The III is heads above the II. It’s more than what you mentioned but updated algos through the FW. I have a first gen III. PM me ASAP

 

[supertruper1988]

I have a Helix Rack and the associated floor controller and I have been very happy with it for 6+ years. I often think about the AFX3 but it is indeed eleventy-bajillion dollars and I dont got that kinda cash.

I have several friends that have the Axe II and III and agree that there is a difference in the algorithms and that the Axe3 has soooo much more horsepower when you need complex stuff.

If you arent set on the Axe I would get a line 6 HX stomp or stomp XL used and try their amp models then if you feel they are worthy, upgrade to the Helix Rack.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Wow, I just learned a new word (except you misspelled it; it's "corollary").

​

 

[stratamania]

Why not just put the FM3 on a rack tray and get a foot controller such as the Fractal FC6 to control it from the stage?

I have not had a fractal now for several years, but the above seems a suitable option.

 

[mayfly]

I'm sure that the AxeFX III is better than the AxeFX II. BUT!! is the delta in performance worth it for what you want to do with it? That's the question. I suspect that it might work just fine with what you want to do.

Having said that, I personally found the whole modelling thing so unsatisfying that I eventually started a pedal company - so what do I know?

 

[aarontunes]

Why not just put the FM3 on a rack tray and get a foot controller such as the Fractal FC6 to control it from the stage?

I have not had a fractal now for several years, but the above seems a suitable option.

It's for studio use only, and the racks on my desk are angled.

 

[stratamania]

It's for studio use only, and the racks on my desk are angled.

Would it not sit in the angled racks or the desk?

 

[aarontunes]

Would it not sit in the angled racks or the desk?

If it sat in a drawer in the angled rack I would not be able to see the top of it. It could sit on the desk (as it does now) but I'm looking for a racked solution so I can get it off my desk.

 

[stratamania]

If it sat in a drawer in the angled rack I would not be able to see the top of it. It could sit on the desk (as it does now) but I'm looking for a racked solution so I can get it off my desk.

Ah, gotcha. I had the Axe FX II several years back, and it was a fine machine. A used one would not be as powerful as the current offerings or be able to run the absolute latest software, but here is a link to the latest downloads.

Axe-Fx II Downloads – Fractal Audio Systems

www.fractalaudio.com

 

[aarontunes]

BUT!! is the delta in performance worth it for what you want to do with it? That's the question.

I know for certain I will never come close to using all the FX III has to offer. I wish Fractal offered a scaled down rack version....basically the FM3 in a rack format.

Having said that, I personally found the whole modelling thing so unsatisfying that I eventually started a pedal company - so what do I know?

Pedals are definitely my preferred options for a lot of things! For songwriting/recording I've tried a bunch of different things: my real amps mic'ed, my real amps through a Captor X, VST plugins, etc. It certainly ain't perfect but the thing that works best for me most often for guitar tones is the FM3.

I think it's because I write/record with such a range of tones that I like to know I have them all contained in one place. They are quick and easy to dial up, and to me they sound just as good as any tones I've been able to get from my real amps in my little home studio, with much less work.

For something like bass, where I stay in a much narrower lane tone-wise, a single pedal solution would be great!

 

[mayfly]

For something like bass, where I stay in a much narrower lane tone-wise, a single pedal solution would be great!

Subtle. very subtle.

 

[Ozopart]

This is an old thread I know, but I thought better to resurect it than to start a new one.
I have an FM3 and it is OK, but I wish I had gone with the AXE for various reasons such as two amps at a time, rack mount, and processing power.
I would consider an AXE now but am put off by it being 7.5 years since it's initial release. I know it is dumb, but I worry that I would buy the AXE 3 and Fractal would release the AXE 4 soon after. Also, the cost!!
I would be interested to hear opinions on the AXE 3 vs. the Helix Rack in terms of the things I mentioned above, and overall quality and ease of use.

 

[ThisIsHuhWow404]

This is an old thread I know, but I thought better to resurect it than to start a new one.
I have an FM3 and it is OK, but I wish I had gone with the AXE for various reasons such as two amps at a time, rack mount, and processing power.
I would consider an AXE now but am put off by it being 7.5 years since it's initial release. I know it is dumb, but I worry that I would buy the AXE 3 and Fractal would release the AXE 4 soon after. Also, the cost!!
I would be interested to hear opinions on the AXE 3 vs. the Helix Rack in terms of the things I mentioned above, and overall quality and ease of use.

I don’t have any experience with Fractal, but I do prefer the Helix over the Neural DSP and ToneX stuff for the reason that Line 6 is a subsidiary of Yamaha, which brings about a feeling of security. Being a much bigger company, they have a lot more talent on board offering more frequent updates and patches and other general tech support. The other companies are smaller and far more niche, and if there’s a bug with the most recent software, it might take a while before it gets fixed. You frequently see Quad Cortex users complaining about how there’s a long gap of silence when they switch between presets, and it takes months before it gets fixed in a new update.

Plus a lot of the Yamaha stuff and Line 6 stuff are made to be more compatible with one another, like the Yamaha HS line of studio monitors are essentially the official monitors for the Helix. And the Line 6 Powercab is essentially Yamaha HS with a 12 inch speaker in combo amp form.

My personal preference also prefers modeling over profiling. I want the ability to tweak the amp’s EQ settings as if I have the actual amp itself.

Although, Line 6 is hosting a 10th anniversary event for the Helix in the next week or so, and a lot of people are predicting they’re announcing a Helix 2. So, if you bought the Helix rack right now, you might have that happen anyway.