Fractal FX8 users question

Moltisanti · June 2016

it looks like they found a cheaper way of making the casing to me, and the 18db pad thing is irrelevant to me.

John_P · June 2016

menamestom said:

A few questions:- How much does the FX8 work out at delivered to the UK? Does the AX8 do everything the FX8 does, i.e. Is the only advantage of the FX8 over the AX8 the cost? Does anybody have an FX8 around the Manchester area that wouldn't mind me try it out?

I've had both, imo the ax8 is a little easier to use and more flexible. Effects are the same and I prefer having the loop block. Turning off the power amp models means amps can effectively be used as drive pedals so less chance of running low on cpu.

The only area I can see the fx8 being more useful is if you want to use the amp switch relays but I use midi for changing amp channels.

kjdowd · June 2016

John_P;1100861" said:
menamestom said:

A few questions:- How much does the FX8 work out at delivered to the UK? Does the AX8 do everything the FX8 does, i.e. Is the only advantage of the FX8 over the AX8 the cost? Does anybody have an FX8 around the Manchester area that wouldn't mind me try it out?

I've had both, imo the ax8 is a little easier to use and more flexible. Effects are the same and I prefer having the loop block. Turning off the power amp models means amps can effectively be used as drive pedals so less chance of running low on cpu. The only area I can see the fx8 being more useful is if you want to use the amp switch relays but I use midi for changing amp channels.

I'm on the list for an ax8 and think I might give it a go. If the 4cm is straightforward enough then it'd be a no brainier over the fx8 (like you I didn't use amp channel switching on the fx8).

Wazmeister · June 2016

Im on the list for an AX8 and FX8 !

octatonic · June 2016

Wazmeister said:

Im on the list for an AX8 and FX8 !

I thought you had an FX8?

Wazmeister · June 2016

Mk ii maybe

octatonic · June 2016

Wazmeister said:

Mk ii maybe

Ah.

I'm staying put with my Mark 1.

It does everything I need.

Wazmeister · June 2016

Yep, I might too mate... Disappointed with the 'new' spec and the MK 1 looks better

Cabicular · June 2016

They are being a bit twattish over at the Fractal forum about it

Hi we've just devalued your unit within a year of bringing it out... doesn't it look cool

everyone love us

no?

well you all don't understand our business model

John_P · June 2016

Very odd move. The software updates have made huge changes to the original fx8 compared to this, if they had just switched to manufacturing the new model and not said anything I bet a lot of people wouldn't notice.

welshboyo · June 2016

Cabicular;1101645" said:
They are being a bit twattish over at the Fractal forum about itHi we've just devalued your unit within a year of bringing it out... doesn't it look cooleveryone love usno?

well you all don't understand our business model

Well said mate, they are being very twattish about it all, I've obviously riled a few especially the Chris bloke who does the tutorials by not being all gushing about Cliff...

My opinion obviously on a lot of it, but a lot of it must ring true with a lot of people

octatonic · June 2016

Chris is a bit of a twonk.

He's a self appointed hall monitor for the forum.

If this was school he'd have been given an atomic wedgie by now.

kjdowd · June 2016

The whole fx8 vs ax8 concept and pricing is a bit weird, commercially. It would make much better sense if the fx8 had 2 fx DSPs, but on paper the ax8 currently gives you a lot more for the money.

Moltisanti · June 2016

they do tend to get sandy manginas over there pretty easily - the only fact that matters to me is that the FX8 MkI will still get firmware updates

johnonguitar · June 2016

Fractal = temperamental huffy owner, weird cultish fanboy users

Kemper = never hear a word from them, their users have an air of superiority

Line 6 = don't seem like dicks, users aren't dicks either

DavusPG · June 2016

I was also incredibly underwhelmed by the all singing and dancing Mk2, but couldn't be arsed to say anything as I knew there'd be a backlash. I I'll have to check out hat you said @Welshboyo

I also think it's a pretty cheap move to release a Mk2 when we've only had one proper update to the firmware on Mk1.

That said, from a selfish point of view, all I care about is that it sounds the bollocks and does what I need it to. It's been very satisfying to flog my entire pedal board and I can't say I miss any of them. Plus it means I can concentrate on buying more guitars!

I am impressed with the Firmware updates so far though, they seem to listen to what people want and they have been improvements.

Wazmeister · June 2016

Well, my AX8 name has come up on the list ?!

Ive no idea how it would work, if at all, with my amp set up. Never used FRFR. Maybe ill start a thread for some advice...

Wazmeister · June 2016

John_P said:

menamestom said:

A few questions:- How much does the FX8 work out at delivered to the UK? Does the AX8 do everything the FX8 does, i.e. Is the only advantage of the FX8 over the AX8 the cost? Does anybody have an FX8 around the Manchester area that wouldn't mind me try it out?

I've had both, imo the ax8 is a little easier to use and more flexible. Effects are the same and I prefer having the loop block. Turning off the power amp models means amps can effectively be used as drive pedals so less chance of running low on cpu.
The only area I can see the fx8 being more useful is if you want to use the amp switch relays but I use midi for changing amp channels.

@John_P did the AX8 work well with real amps for you then mate ? I do like the idea of the knobs to tweak OD sounds...

John_P · June 2016

Wazmeister said:

John_P said:

menamestom said:

A few questions:- How much does the FX8 work out at delivered to the UK? Does the AX8 do everything the FX8 does, i.e. Is the only advantage of the FX8 over the AX8 the cost? Does anybody have an FX8 around the Manchester area that wouldn't mind me try it out?

I've had both, imo the ax8 is a little easier to use and more flexible. Effects are the same and I prefer having the loop block. Turning off the power amp models means amps can effectively be used as drive pedals so less chance of running low on cpu.
The only area I can see the fx8 being more useful is if you want to use the amp switch relays but I use midi for changing amp channels.

@John_P did the AX8 work well with real amps for you then mate ? I do like the idea of the knobs to tweak OD sounds...

I've used the ax8 with the evh 5153 a couple of times and done a ton of gigs through a fender twin, either micing the amp or di'ing direct from the ax8 to the pa with the twin as a monitor. Sounds good every way I've used it.

Some people have reported they can hear a tiny bit of noise compared to the fx8, I can't. It's very clean imo.

It doesn't have the amp channel relays. I use midi so that's not an issue.

The fx loop block is a slightly different way of working with 4cm but very easy.

All the fx seem the same as the fx8 to me but I have found that I use amp models with drive blocks or instead of drives, so hit any of the cpu headroom limits less often.

That also means I can make even quicker changes to the eq etc as I don't have to switch to the effect I want to edit, press edit and then adjust the knobs - the basic tone knobs are already there.

I'm not sure where the fx8 is up to with fw updates but the recent bigger screen names and assignable footswitches are cool. The grid layout of blocks also allows more options of routing effects than the fx8.

If I was you, I'd get it and then sell the one of them after you compare them.

DefaultM · June 2016

I find very little point in going on the Fractal forum.

If you ask a question you barely get any decent answers, but if you make a generic post like "OMG genius Cliff" you'll get 50,000 likes and 150 replies of everyone just agreeing with you.

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