Fractal FX8 users question

jaytmon

johnonguitar said:

Should have bought a Helix mate

Don't say that!! Haha I'm going to have to investigate now....

Wazmeister

johnonguitar said:

Should have bought a Helix mate

Yeh right

@jaytmon - Im afraid it is user error here mate... There are 100s of spaces to save settings, so why cram them all in one ???

Have a look at the Fractal Forum; loads of advice and videos there...

http://forum.fractalaudio.com

octatonic

jaytmon said:

Wazmeister said:

I have never exceeded my CPU usage at all; maybe it's because I use the scenes and settings to spread them out, I dunno

I tried to cram as much into one patch as possible that's the problem. I'm just a bit disappointed the fx8 couldn't cope with my demands! 
Havent even started trying to incorporate amp channel switching yet, probably cos I feel I'm being robbed of a couple of virtual stomp boxes...
I guess I need to rethink how I've got the whole thing set up before I give up and sell it on...!

Turn down the reverb quality.
The issue is it defaults to a rather high value.
You don't need full quality through a guitar speaker though.

Turn it down and you probably won't exceed the CPU limit.

jaytmon

Wazmeister said:

johnonguitar said:

Should have bought a Helix mate

Yeh right

@jaytmon - Im afraid it is user error here mate... There are 100s of spaces to save settings, so why cram them all in one ???

Have a look at the Fractal Forum; loads of advice and videos there...

http://forum.fractalaudio.com

@Wazmeister - I think you are right at least to a point, I've had a quick look at the fractal forum and it's obvious already that I need to rethink how to use the FX8 and I'm pretty ignorant with regards its scope. I will persist. One of my motivating factors in getting one was reading your responses on this thread - a die hard pedal fan! 

@octatonic - thanks mate, you're the second person to mention reverb quality, again something I wasn't aware of. 

@johnonguitar - the Helix has some nice looking features for sure but I'm unlikely to ever use the amp modelling which seems a waste of a whole load of ability, plus I have a feeling the sound quality may be superior on the FX8... if the Helix and the FX8 had a lovechild, now there's a thought! 

Thanks for your feedback chaps, it's inspiring me to give myself a kick up the arse and use this thing properly

handsomerik

May I ask a few questions about the FX8 to the owners here?:

-Does it have a POG like polyphonic octaver with octave up and down and if so, how well does it track?
-Does it have an FX loop to add in a favourite analog pedal? (As I understand it, it has the ability to use 4 cable method. Could I use that to stick a favourite pedal where I wanted instead of putting an amp in that loop?)
-Which tremolo options are included (since this is my main sound) opto, bias, harmonic etc?
-Does it have a shimmer reverb?

Thanks fellas

Moltisanti

i tried to make one almighty do everything patch when i got the FX8 too and having 2 delays, 2 reverbs, 2 drives, and a load of modulation hit the CPU limit. So now I tend to have 2 or 3 versions of the main board that are 90% the same, then change FX on each patch to give me everything i need with 3 patches all next to eachother. You can copy/write your original patch then edit from there. hope that makes sense

octatonic

handsomerik said:

May I ask a few questions about the FX8 to the owners here?:

-Does it have a POG like polyphonic octaver with octave up and down and if so, how well does it track?
-Does it have an FX loop to add in a favourite analog pedal? (As I understand it, it has the ability to use 4 cable method. Could I use that to stick a favourite pedal where I wanted instead of putting an amp in that loop?)
-Which tremolo options are included (since this is my main sound) opto, bias, harmonic etc?
-Does it have a shimmer reverb?

Thanks fellas

1. It does a pitch block and you can have many configurations of it.
The octave divider is one and two octaves below.
To have one up and one down you need to use Fixed Harmony and set the interval up one octave and down one octave.
You could have any other interval +/- 24 semitones.

Tracking is very good.

2. You could have a pedal in there but you couldn't switch it in and out from the FX8.
You may have some gain staging issue by doing this- you'd need to try it and see I think.

You could modify the pedal (or a loop pedal) to switch it in/out with the relays though.

3. It is a tremolo/panner- you have quite a few options with LFO but it isn't modelling multiple trem types. You have either trem or pan.

4. Sort of. It doesn't do it natively but you can kinda sludge it with reverb and pitch blocks.
I don't do this though as I use the Multi-delay's 'Plex Shift' or Pitch block 'Crystals' which both sound absolutely brilliant.

handsomerik

Thank you sir. That's very helpful.

I hope I'll get the chance to try one out soon. I don't suppose any of you fx8 owners are coming to the east Anglia meet up Aug 6th?

octatonic

handsomerik said:

Thank you sir. That's very helpful.

I hope I'll get the chance to try one out soon. I don't suppose any of you fx8 owners are coming to the east Anglia meet up Aug 6th?

I am but I am bringing a drum kit.
If there is still room for a guitar then I will bring one.
If there is room for the FX8 after that then I will bring it too.

handsomerik

I can bring a few guitars and my helix. I'd love to a/b the helix with the fx 8 if it's possible :-)

jaytmon

I feel happier now (resisted putting the Timmy on there too!):

Aidanspaghetti

Taking the plunge and buying one!
Quick question - As i work away from home a lot could i use my pod 2 purely as a preamp/headphone amp with which to practice and set up my scenes etc on the FX*?
Thanks...

Aidanspaghetti

Got sorted with the pod, just used it pre...
Have only messed around a bit but I'm guessing you have to really easy the ðrives to get them sounding good? I could have it all routed arsenals though too......?

Moltisanti

the tweaking required in getting the drives sounding their best is the biggest drawback about the FX8 for me, and one that i think puts a lot of people off at first.
Instead of each drive having an optimal setting when you select it, they seem to just retain the setting you had on the last one which means you start from scratch with each one.
After a while you get to understand how to make them sound best (e.g. ruckus, tone on full, back off the gain) but at first you can get some pretty naff sounds if you don't dial them in.
But persevere and the drives sound fantastic - remember each one is totally different and must be set as a stand-alone.

Aidanspaghetti

Cheers Molti - Ill dig into it tomorrow when im Babysitting lol

wellsyboy

Baby's gonna love that!

thomasw88

Just got an fx8 mk1. Liking it so far, wondering what pedalboards people are using as my old diago showman isn't tall enough.

thomasw88

any advice on pedal boards?  do the pedal train classic's fit with soft cases  height wise???

Moltisanti

i don't use one, ditched external wah for the auto-wah

octatonic

thomasw88 said:

any advice on pedal boards?  do the pedal train classic's fit with soft cases  height wise???

I have an old T-Rex ToneTrunk that fits the FX8 + 2 x expression pedals exactly.