Ola, thank you for this wonderful comment… and I really enjoy watching your channel! I feel like I know you, you have such a warmth on your videos… hope to meet you in person someday tim
That’s an older Def Leppard rig in the pic. We’re currently using the AxeFx 3 for everything (amp modeling and effects) for both guitars and bass. The older rigs had Marshall JMP-1s for amp tones and the AxeFx 2 for fx. The AxeFx 3 has been amazing - A, B, and C rigs all over the world and the tones are the same wherever we are. Rock solid reliability as well.
Fractal user since 2013 and now beta tester. I still use pedals and amps too. Rhett nailed it. The argument of what is better than what is silly. Theyre all great tools and all sound great!
its not silly because many many people cannot afford a lot of gear. I have never played a tube amp in my life and if I could muster together the money for one, wouldn't I rather buy a fractal? This also trickles down to more budget friendly modellers too. So you will see more and more guitarists who will go without touching a point amp and traditional pedal board kind of setup.
This is a tremendous review of an amazing product, and Tim’s playing is, as always, fantastic. I agree with Cooper, the goal is to play more. Thank you!
I’ve been using my FM9 live all month and it’s been incredible. I toured the entire summer with just my FM3 and didn’t regret keeping the Mesa half stack at home one bit. I get almost the exact same tone that I would’ve dialed in with the amp, but it’s exactly the same every night and it’s a lot less gear to bring around.
@@TheAerovons I have owned them all and now have the FM9 and still have my FM3. They don't sound "different" per say. But the FM9 does a lot more. Their is something I feel is "different" about the sound , for the better, but so suttle I could not tell you what it is. Just my personal opinion.
Just bought a Mesa Mark V 25 and gigged with it a couple of weeks ago. Halfway up with the volume. Too loud. Ended up on 10w mode with the volume on 2-3. Sounded great. Light and has a built in load for silent/direct out. Just a couple sounds from that worked for me. Now to try and replicate it with my modeler, a Zoom G11, and see how it goes. Nice job with the video. Inspiring.
Yeah...I don't even have a price from my distributor but I expect something like $3,299.99 NZD. It's both incredibly affordable but also not...very confusing, I know.
1700 dollars for every amp you could want and every effect you can want. The ability to stack so many effects and even run multiple amps. I’d say 1700 is affordable in stead of paying for even 3 tube amps and multiple pedals of each type. You have to take big picture in.
@@adamricard9410 I think that value-for-money is different from affordable. To me affordable is an amount of money you can easily spend, you don't have to save a while for it. Depends on your income, of course.
Great overview of the latest and greatest from Fractal. As a bass player, I toured for years using a Fractal AX8. It just made things simple to emulate my Ampeg V-4b with an 8x10 cab without having to haul 400 lbs of equipment. Great to see the next level of evolution from Fractal.
Tube amp guy here but I've been playing modelers since the 2.0 version of the kidney bean. Guitarists are blessed by the number of great options available to them at the moment. I love using my amps, both mic'd and using my Captor X. I carry an HX Stomp for fly gigs and use it for both guitar and bass. Fractal, Line6, and Kemper are amazing companies in the industry and are doing a lot to drive things forward. I think the guys that will only play tube amps are missing out on some amazing tools.
Been using a stomp for a couple of years. I love it so much a bought a second one to leave at my practice space. On my main rig I use an EP and a midi controller. The midi controller allows me to do pretty much anything I can imagine.
Also, stuff like nux 300 is insane. That + harley benton guitar and for 300 eur you have: Decent guitar with active pickups and 24 frets All typical amps and effects modeled Wah, volume pedal Looper, tuner, drum machine Audio interface IR loader I use this exact setup for practice and stuff and i dont really miss anything in this context. Maybe a rehearsal space with no volume limitations, a 100w engl and a 412, but thats a different thing. Unfathomable when i started out, had a fender 10w with nothing, no reverb, no gain channel. Got a korg ax30g after a while, but yeah, things have moved on.
@@Art-zs6sl All the digital gear in that 15-25 year old bracket has some good sounds and a whole lot of bad ones. It's mostly a matter of finding the good ones, and whether or not those are useful sounds for you. If the bean didn't have any sounds that were both pleasant and useful for you, then yeah, I can see why it would suck. I have a Digitech RP-90 and try to use it only for purposes where it actually sounds good: volume, wah, pitch shifting, and one of the following at any given time: reverb/chorus/flanger/delay. Since these are at opposite ends of your typical signal chain, I basically have to choose whether to use it at the beginning or at the end of the chain. I don't find it sufficiently useful to drop another $80 for a second one, so I'm only able to fill one role or the other with it.
Everyone always says it's almost as good as my real stuff. It's almost as good as my real rig. It's a substitute. Will never be more than a substitute for your real things. It will seem faded somehow by comparison.
Bottom line based on 30 years touring experience: In a small club with a bad PA, questionable power, and a house guy who may or may not care about you/your/band/your sound, these sound just as good or better than your tube amp. In a theater/arena/stadium with a touring/trusted FOH engineer that you are paying a lot of money, no one can tell the difference between this and a tube amp in the context of a full mix. FACT
Well written, but I’ve wondered about the many small bars/taverns, that don’t have a PA, at least not for anyone but the singer(s). I suppose, if one has the $, Flat Response powered cabs of your own, would work ok. But I still wonder about having a amp, rehearsals also being questionably equipped.
As far as guitar skills at all -- amp or no amp, if Clapton didn't get his name announced or get recognized, no one would know or care. (His songs and singing of course would make a difference).
If you are a popular singer/songwriter and know how to hold a guitar, you are automatically a guitar hero, just like JM, no matter how cool your rig is. In that context a rig is just an organ to support the vocals
I know this is not the Glen Campbell crowd, but he was once a mega superstar and became such years before anyone found out he was also country music's best conventional guitar player. Because nobody in 1965 nor 2021 ever cared just so long as you got a guitar in your hands, have a great song and can sing like bloody murder. Only for a couple of years here and there has a guitar ever really mattered. So the smaller footprint your gear has the better.
Venues are usually made up of people with a wide variety of musical tastes of which guitar skills are almost an insignificant part of the mix. So, a tube amp versus a modeling amp isn't going make much difference. A great modeler will be more convenient and provide more options, volume control and effects per square foot.
dear tim...dont even know ya...but im always bragging on ya ...saying to people they would not believe all the songs u played and ur amazing guitar ability...ive just using native instruments guiar rig 6...its got really sweet stuff...pete thorn did a vid on it...i would like to see u and joe satriani get together...that would be an epic video...!!
Playing since the mid 70s, gigging most of that, still have and love ten tube amps. But I’ve been gigging Fractal Audio gear since 2011 and there really is no beating it for me. If you’re a big time artist with roadies playing in big places or a home player that can play as loud as you want, choices are wide open. But if you’ve got to gig with others, deal with quiet or silent stages, face lots of dodgy power or festival generators, then this gives you everything in an uber-portable setup. I use the Axe Fx III Turbo these days, but will get a FM9 for tight travel gigs when I can. Fractal Audio is not only the best sounding digital gear, it’s the best supported… by far. After a decade of real use, I’m still sold.
I remember people saying "oh amps are heavy" and I always said "i'm a big guy I don't mind" - but THEN I bought a 300W Randall GH300 behemoth. That thing made blisters on my hands just from going to my car to my rehearsal space. I eventually sold it and bought a Mooer GE 300 Lite. Best decision I've ever made
@@pedrosilvaproductions before I got my AX8, I had a JCM800 2x12 combo. It was heavy as all get out and I could never get it to a good volume for the small bars we play. I got the AX8, traded the JCM for a guitar and haven't missed it since.
Tim, I love your channel! I almost exclusively use my Fractal gear now. I keep a few tube amps that are special to me, but the portability, consistency, and diversity are hard to argue with when the model sounds just as good as the original gear. And then using headphones while kids sleep is just magical. When you factor cost of those capabilities it’s almost no contest.
Very clever gear, having access to different options is always a plus! I have definitely simplified my rig, dare I say the Katana 100 watt gives me just about everything I need - I know that is a very 2018 thing to say.
Many times you can get mega creative with limited options. I know I own a mustang 2 which has served me well for many many years, and the simple options it has made me do some creative manoeuvers to make it sound great. I've even modded a 2x12 set up with the board so I could gig with it and it's wonderful
@@pedrosilvaproductions u see all that matters is what makes you wanna pick up that thang and play! I have had many boards, configurations. All I ever try to do is sound the best on whatever gear I’m playing, that’s what matters. I just saw a Billy Idol tribute, no amps like one of those silent listening parties, it was great. All the guitar player had was an AX 8 and Boss dd3. Granted, AX is great, but if he didn’t know the licks, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway 🤣🤘🏾
it took me years to come around.. it started with me asking Burgs his opinion back in 2018.. he said he was totally happy using the Axe Fx live and there was no looking back for him.. so earlier this year I took the plunge with latest Axe Fx and the FC-12 running through a pair of FRFRs (currently QSC10.2 x2) on stage.. I've done a bunch of gigs with the Axe Fx and I'm totally happy with it.. my 1981 Boogie Mark II-B has been resting comfortably on the shelf enjoying a well earned retirement.
Rhett is right that volume has become an issue. However, who ever said that tube amps can only do *RIDICULOUSLY LOUD* ?... 😉 I use primarily a Laney IRT 15W tube amp and one 1x12" cab. That's it. And I'm predominantly a metalhead. As long as I can here it (cab at chest height & close to me) then that's the max volume I'm willing to produce. Anything else I'll leave to the sound guy 😎👍
I tried to go ampless with a headrush pedalboard and I gotta say. I wasn't impressed. Whether I was building bare bones rigs or going all out with IRs, compressors, gain staging, EQs, etc...I just couldn't get it to sound good. The cleaner tones are good but the higher gain tones just sound weird and digital. Or they made all of my guitars sound twangy and thin no matter what I tried to do
Will it do a Yamaha THR10 setting? I play with one at home a lot and love some of its sounds achieved at low volumes, without having to buy a whole bank of different amps will this do the trick?
No clips of an angry tube amp holding a note for as long as an artist wants repleat with a note in bloom and frequencies that turn into octaves of the original notes then back to the original note when the guitar volume is decreased? And an artist using the octaves as part of the melody in a controlled way to compleat the phrase, would like to hear your gear do that, complete control of an artistic expression of a musical phrase in the time signature of an artist expressing his or her meaning of the music they feel.
Cool. I'm a longtime Fractal user/owner/beta tester/fan, having used them as my rig centerpiece since 2007. The Fractal guys in your video are among my friends; the company and team behind the faces are all very cool guitar people. There is a negative aspect of the term modeling where people think it's an 'either/or' proposition - if you go the modeling route, you must foreswear tube amps. I've never subscribed to that and have always felt it's a falsehood on merit. These are tools, just as amps, and having to run directly to FOH for silent stages for whatever reason (mine are medical, tinnitus to be specific), it works. The Fractal units can work consistently, reliably, and scalable from the smallest room to the biggest stadium every night. Its power is fantastic, but the strength, IMHO, has always been the core tones. It's musical, it sings. I have the FM9, and it is fantastic.
so to hear the fractal in a home environment, what would you use to run the fractal through as a speaker/amp instead of me plugging into my Deville 212. Not sure if I am using the correct terminology.
I use my fm3 mostly with a clean model and some verbs and delays. The effects sound amazing, and honestly buying few strymon pedals will probably cost over $1k.. if you only use a clean/ crunch and rhythm sound for each song the fm3 is plenty enough and will blow your mind. If you need more effects and foot switches the FM9 is still a great deal, too bad they are so slow filling the orders on their waitlist.
I got an old Axe Fx II about two years ago and I love it. I use a Fender model for my super clean sounds then I use the Dirty Shirley model with varying degrees of boosts in front for my dirty sounds and it works for 90% of the gigs I do. If I need anything heavier, I just switch the DS model to the BE model and it works great!
Long-time Fractal user, going back to the AxeFx Ultra. I'm set with my AxeFx III, but I was glad to see Fractal release the FM9 because I know how useful it will be for people who regularly gig.
Dinosaur here. I still play through my Line6 AX2 modeling amp. I just use about half dozen presets and a few I built. Playing mostly in medium stage/auditorium, the amp is always too loud for the venue, so I'm really interested in scale down capability. Oh yes, Ive searched for the old Clapton live tone from Wheels of Fire: Crossroads, Spoonful, Goodbye Cream: Im So Glad et al, but never could duplicate it unless I plugged SG into a Marshall stack and turned the volume to 10. It's definitely past time to upgrade and I'd like to know more about this.
Always pleasant & informative. But ... This episode..."Affordable Amp Killer". I looked the device up...$2,300 !!!! 😂 Maybe I got the wrong item. Fractal F9???
I had my 100 watt tube amp blow up at a huge festival gig after 3 songs into a 12 song set list. After a short panic attack I thought, well there's only one way to finish the gig, I plugged into a Digitech rp pedal, dialed up a 70's Marshall amp sim into a 412 cab sim and went direct into their massive sound system. Was surprised at how good it sounded! Lol. That modeling pedal saved me that day. Now there are so many better sounding modeling pedals, so even while using real amps there's always a modeling pedal ready to go just in case. 😊
Cover band club warrior here. Touring has always been a glamorous fantasy but I weep at the thought of in-ears for my guitar. In the honky tonks I play as long as the bar staff can hear the drink orders we can be pretty loud. I am most at home when the instrument can hear its own amp. I'll be extra mindful of how blessed I am at tonight's gig.
@@joetowers4804 It's a blast, and good thing too since there's not enough money in it to support the household. I don't expect riches but I will not do it for free. I've been at it 40+ years and still love everything about it! ruclips.net/video/GXFManGK2Nc/видео.html
@@bobbyosborne2375 Welcome to my shoes! I hope you find them warm and comfortable. Playing fun songs good and loud for a tipsy audience is one of the best things we can do for our minds, bodies and spirits.
Beautiful stuff as usual. Great players and subjects. I'm 72. Been playing out since early seventies. But I gotta say, if I walked into that studio you sit in, I would walk right out again. Yeah, four or five created sounds will do, But, that room presents about 3 or 4 million sounds. Bam! I would be gone to my room with one amp and my selected sounds. Whew! Now I can relax.....
Tim, please an episode talking about and playing parts from One Desire. Thank you for that beautiful performance and hope we can see you go through some of it!
Guitarists and synth heads obsess over sound and the audience only cares if they can sing the melody and be happy doing it. I was a pro re-mixer for a few major labels and I obsessed over a snare sound for hours sometimes, I understand people doing it but sometimes you gotta know when the meal is done and move on to what's important and ultimately that is the song, or piece of music in totality. One more thing, I have a Boss GT-1 and Amplitube 5 and I have made patches on both that are more than acceptable for recording and live, you don't need to spend $1,700.00 to get a good guitar tone.
Ditto, way too much obsessing going on in the guitar dude world of gadgetry. Audience simply could not care less about your OD tone sounding 100% like a real tube amp overdrive or not. And these days, more and more listeners don't want to hear any more extended noodling guitar solos. Sort of old hat nowadays.
The whole digital vs tube war is just so stupid and an ultimate expression of the disease of ignorant fanboy-ism. They're all just tools, tools to help inspire you to play and make music. Nothing more, nothing less. Look right now in your house - how many screwdrivers do you currently own? Q.E.D.
We are very lucky to live in an age where we can play through such realistic simulations of all the classic real amps. It's amazing now and will only get better from here. Personally, at present, I use the Kemper. It's also awesome and keeps getting better with every software update. When I bought it, it was version 2 and we're currently on version 8. The support for this product has been beyond my expectations. I haven't tried the AxeFX, but, from what I've heard, it also sounds amazing.
Great video! I just got my Axe-Fx III a couple of weeks ago. I absolutely love it. I also have a Helix and an HX Stomp which I love too. I look at them like you would having different amplifiers. Even though they're modelers they sound different. On thing that wasn't addressed in the video is pedal emulation. We all have our favorite pedals but building a pedalboard can be a real headache. All pedals don't play well with each other, then there's the cable routing and power supplies and if you're like me you make all your own cables. Maybe you need a buffer and maybe you don't. I put a small board together and it took me three days. With the Axe-FX (and other modelers) these are built in so there's no problem with cables, routing and what goes where in the signal chain because if you don't like the positions you just change it with Axe-Edit. There's no extra power supply to worry about. Another thing is that all pedals don't sound good with all amplifiers. Again this is a mute point with the Axe. While you might like one emulator over the other they all work with all the amps and sound good. I think as time goes on more and more people will be switching to modelers. They're getting so good now. At present I'm running my Axe into two Quilter Steelaire amps ( similar to a Fender Twin Reverb with JBL's) so I'm getting the best of both worlds.
Love the lessons, the wonderful use of many different amps and effects, different guitars, tips and descriptions about being a pro and showing all of us how this looks and works with other pros - but WTF! The first Fractal unit came out in 2006. Yep, more presets, more models, more IRs, even more computing power - but these things - with the right approach, EQ, knowledge have been "game changers" since then; especially using with a few selected specific old-school pieces - weird pedals, speaker boxes, power amps. I watch these videos because of all of the above, and the tweaking/using/hearing all of the quality analog stuff that most of us either can't afford (for everything) and/or couldn't physically carry or use at small gig. But using one of these as a big revelation, a game changer? Purists (don't we all lean that way), big money folks (pros or just us wannabes), people with roadies might insist it's all worth it for a huge, complicated rig. But with Fractal, and many other companies that offer the same types of units now, a player with a good ear for what they want and the willingness to dive in, can get AT LEAST 90% of the exact same sound/feel through the digital stuff. True blind straight up comparisons have "fooled" thousands of people - which is it, tubes/transistors or digital? Just think it's a little funny about this eureka moment. This isn't meant to be a rag job, or criticism, just a personal observation. Given the choice with unlimited money, roomy stages, and a dedicated assistant/roadie/tech, I'd pick the roomful of stuff, because that part is cool. Pros with mad skills (like Tim) that show up with awesome boutique analog rigs are certainly no surprise. But given reality (at least my reality), playing with a guitar, a suitcase and MAYBE a speaker box is pretty efficient and can sound almost exactly the same (almost exactly). Hoping Tim works Fractal, or whatever else, into the mix of his awesome videos. One more way that someone like Tim could really rock with. As a long-time user of the digital stuff (along with my "must keep for whatever reason" pedals etc.), glad to see Tim putting his influencer stamp of approval on using the digital stuff as a valuable tool, and for some, all that's needed. Thanks, Tim, for all of it.
Good video. When the FM9 came out I was hot for one but then I saw the waiting list. So I "settled" for a Helix floor. The Fractal's presets are better than the Helix by far. The folks at Line 6 need to take lessons on factory presets. The one thing that I use however that the Fractal doesn't have is the expression pedal. I assign mine for overall volume on everything and it keeps me from having to assign another parameter and carry another pedal which is important in short setup times. I also use a half dozen presets on everything...no need to have a different amp for every song. No doubt Fractal rules but I'm still thrilled with my Helix.
Thank you Tim, this was a real down to earth simple explanation of the Fractal 9 for the working musician or home studio hobbyist, its definitely on my list , I was at a Fractal seminar /demo a few years ago and was very impressed by the tones , but out of my budget
@@Fahrenheit1407 sorry, i know it's not "cool" to not praise the huge youtubers but the guy is enough to make me close a video no matter where he pops up.
I have a couple of amazing tube amps at home, and when I am home, they’re what I play. I travel for a living, and I pack an FM3 in my carry on bag. It’s the perfect hotel room practice unit, and I record right into my DAW with it.
I've played through them all and I really feel that Fractal has the best sounds. I started with the AX8 and now I'm using that as well as the FM3. I play through FRFR monitors mainly (usually QSC K12's and K10's) and occasionally in-ears. I purchased the FM3 master course from Cooper Carter and it was very informative and helpful. Worth every penny in my opinion. I'm so happy to see the Fractal units getting attention on RUclips. I live in Maryland where it's mandatory to play PRS guitars and I've been using mine through tube amps since the mid-80's until I got the AX8. From that point on it was Fractal for live and studio playing and nothing else. I'll never go back. The units are lightweight and rugged, the sounds are consistent wherever you go, there is never a problem with volume or mic placement or anything else that comes with loud tube amps. Thanks for all your videos Tim.
@@Bridging_the_Political_Divide you can make a pretty good argument that there is a tonal difference, but I suppose it can be credited to better software with a newer units. I don't really know though. I think you could EQ both units really well if you know what you're doing.
Fun interviews, Tim. Cooper’s classes are great, and I really appreciated discovering Roslin’s RUclips channel and his generosity with wisdom during the pandemic. Cheers gentlemen! Best, Daniel
Love the DGT! My favorite guitar of all time. Everyone I've played has been fantastic. How would you run the Fractal live, if you can't run it through the PA?
What I found out: No matter what I use (Tube amps - mostly Engl or Axe-Fx III), I cannot live without guitar cabinets. All the FRFRs I have tried seem to be a non inspirational compromise to me and money was never a problem. 🙈
I've played tube amps for almost four decades and as much as I dig a good tube amp I've always known the less stage volume the better the sound. It makes it easier for the soundman to get an ideal sound for the venue. I discovered this when I switched to combos like Boogies and Fenders and other amps I used around 1987. I love the idea of just going direct in and using cab/speaker simulation.
Hmm. So, is this an amp killer, that is also affordable; or is it a killer of affordable amps?! We need to know! (My friend had an affordable amp. It could be killed with a Tube Screamer.)
Tim, you should get a Joyo American Sound pedal to demo on your channel to use it to 'go direct' to recording as well as into a clean amp or PA system and show it's versatility of covering practically every Fender tube amp out there (that you likely have). Then work on a board of $25 mini pedals that can cover all the tones a player may need. Many of your subscribers are going to be beginner and intermediate players.
Love the channel, love the playing. Guess its practical for mid-lower end weekend warriors to use for live stuff, but if i find out a big name act is charging big money for tickets, i just wanna hear the real amplifiers that made their music popular in the first place. Thats what were paying for. The real band on the real gear. Judge for yourself. Listen to metallica live on howard stern. The band performed great, the instruments sound like garbage. Poor kirk couldnt even solo with confidence. Sounded like a coverband👎 Id rather watch wee doggy country players like paisley, or stapleton. Eventhough im not crazy about country because those guys dont compromise on their sound. If the play local theyll get my money!
I'm on the FM9 waitlist - have been for months now. It's taken so long for Fractal/the distributor to pull my name out of the hat that I've built a Neural DSP rig in the meantime. By that I mean I bought two Yamaha HS8's that I'll use with the FM9. Galaxy brain. Anyway, the Soldano SLO100 plugin is really helping to tide me over until I get the greenlight.
Has Tim given the story of the Marshall Super PA behind him? Someone somewhere mentioned '67 PA - can someone give me a link to where Tim talks about this glorious amp?
As good as the presets are -for me I like things bone dry and simple. No time based effects, swirly effects (Chorus, flange, etc). Just a single amp, cab, and a boost if the amp needs it. That’s it. You don’t need a ton of effects or multiple amps and cabs running all at once to get the best tones. Just cause the unit can do it doesn’t mean you should. Just set it and forget it so you can concentrate on your playing.
Been using Boss GT-1000, which is cool for the Boss pedal effect emulations, but between your vid here and Larry Mitchell's stuff, I definitely hear a little extra something in the FM9.
as far as live, we need stage volume. the drums are loud, the monitors are usually facing back at you. I don't care how close these things sound, I'm bringing my tube amps. another thing to consider if you are playing clubs and festivals, there's the "no mans land" between the mains. that's where the people who really like your band are at. without an amp they just won't hear you correctly. a small tube amp is not that hard to transport. there's no reason for me to consider modelers. I don't record, I play for people. not buying what they're selling.
I like Tim Pearce and he plays guitar very well, my hope though is that he doesn't become a shill for the myriad overabundance of the guitar effects industry., as this will lessen his overall validity., Just saying.
Yes, I have the same concern about the bulk f the guitar gurus on RUclips. Commerce is what you'd expect basically, few humans are that altruistic to just give and not get something back in return for their life's energy and time expended. But yes there is a whole lot of "pedal pushing" going on!😃
@@badtweed2087 What it boils down to really is being my fault as I was persuaded into the purchase of 3 of the said pushed pedals being pushed I must be a pushover., Thanks for the response. : )
Tim- an unrelated shout-out. I was introducing a friend to "Soul Driver" from Springsteen's Human Touch album. I recognized your name in the liner notes from seeing you on Beato's channel a few times. After looking over your resume, I had no idea how much of your work I already had in my library. Wow!! =D
I play an "old" Line6 Pod X3 Live for about 15 years now. It was my choice because I wanted all these different sounds of all my guitar heroes sounding as close to the Original as possible when I play it - crazy somehow. Although it has not the "newest" technique, the best chip-setting and parametres anymore, I still love and use it.
Those PODs are great! I did a lot of work with the HD500. I recently picked up the POD Go for my solo gigs, wanting to simplify my stage setup and that’s worked really well so far (for both acoustic and electric)
i own a killer Kemper live rig, as well as a very cool Boss GT-1000 for acoustic and DI/no-amp shows, but i honestly play on my HD Pod Pro rack unit that's in my simple recording desk the most. it's always on and hooked up to my active reference monitors and ready to go at a moment's notice. i built about 10 sounds when i got it used/like-new for like $350 about 8 years ago. i've tried to replicate those killer blended/dual-amp presets on my other devices, but i can never get it to sound exactly right. the delays also blend into the tone of the Line6 better than anything else i've ever used. it's a great unit, and good tone never becomes obsolete.
I don’t know one single mediocre player that sounds great with High End gear but I know tons of great players with mid of the road equipment that blow my mind out. What I mean is, aren’t we wasting too much time and money on tools rather than skill ?
Bad power was just such a common thing from club to club. The Fractal (Axe-Fx II) was a huge help, and weighed about 1/100th of an old rig. Looking forward to trying the F9. Cooper's advice is the best. I found what maxes out what I do and that's mostly it. There are 100 patches I barely know about on what I use now.
Had my AxeFxII for about 9 years now. Sounds absolutely phenomenal still. Took forever (for an idiot like me) to really learn how to use it to its fullest, but it’s the best gear purchase I’ve ever made….and I’ve made quite a few.
Can you give a better close Up of this amp. It's hard to tell from your photo shots of it. I can't see the presets that well. If you could do some hands on demonstration with the amp. I happen to be a visual learner.
Thanks for the informative video. No matter how advanced the digital rigs are I can still hear the 'multi effect' flavor, for lack of a better word. I believe people are going for convenience these days, in music and everything else. But so far, convenience has failed to generate an emotional response in me, the kind my Devided by 13 BTR 23 or my Marshall JTM45 through a pair of Celestion Alnico Golds are easily able to provide. Good tube amps are living and breathing things. I like looking at them, taking care of them. That's my OCD.😎
Love this Channel! I get the utility factor for sure. When I was 15-20 yrs old I would of been all over this stuff.. but I've taken a philosophical 180 degree turn the last few years. I think we've become way too obsessed as players, with trying to sound like someone or something else. I love chasing tones but find it way more interesting doing that within the confines of my own gear and playing technique. Ultimately you end up sounding very unique and being more invested. If you know what your unique sound is and this can get you there without all the lugging around of gear etc. then I agree that can be a super useful tool as Rhett pointed out.
Tim - are you playing direct from the FM9 to your computer for this video? Are you sending to monitors in the room and if so, which ones? I'm going to get a modeler, probably fractal and trying to piece together my home practice and recording space so appreciate your input (or others as well).
Occasionally I actually watch RUclips and I end up on your channel, it's a pure bliss to listen to you both talk and play. Thank you.
Ola, thank you for this wonderful comment… and I really enjoy watching your channel! I feel like I know you, you have such a warmth on your videos… hope to meet you in person someday tim
Love this. Two great channels coming together.
An Ola/TP collab is what the world needs right now...
Yeah, I mean, I could see it in your eyes Ola.
Amen Ola your channel as well brother
Thanks for having me Tim! I could talk about this stuff all day.
Rhett ….your knowledge in this area was extremely valuable for the video, you added so much! thanks for joining in…
And you do!
That Clapton shirt hasn't aged well (sadly)...
That’s an older Def Leppard rig in the pic. We’re currently using the AxeFx 3 for everything (amp modeling and effects) for both guitars and bass. The older rigs had Marshall JMP-1s for amp tones and the AxeFx 2 for fx. The AxeFx 3 has been amazing - A, B, and C rigs all over the world and the tones are the same wherever we are. Rock solid reliability as well.
Hey thanks very much for this comment! Look forward to seeing one of your shows sometime:)
Tim...you make it all sound good but, this was extra impressive. Really great video as always!
Fractal user since 2013 and now beta tester. I still use pedals and amps too. Rhett nailed it. The argument of what is better than what is silly. Theyre all great tools and all sound great!
its not silly because many many people cannot afford a lot of gear. I have never played a tube amp in my life and if I could muster together the money for one, wouldn't I rather buy a fractal? This also trickles down to more budget friendly modellers too. So you will see more and more guitarists who will go without touching a point amp and traditional pedal board kind of setup.
Camiloooo!! What’s up brotha? Long time don’t see, hope all’s well 😊
This is a tremendous review of an amazing product, and Tim’s playing is, as always, fantastic. I agree with Cooper, the goal is to play more. Thank you!
I’ve been using my FM9 live all month and it’s been incredible. I toured the entire summer with just my FM3 and didn’t regret keeping the Mesa half stack at home one bit. I get almost the exact same tone that I would’ve dialed in with the amp, but it’s exactly the same every night and it’s a lot less gear to bring around.
I have the FM3, does the 9 sound a lot better? I love the FM3...
@@TheAerovons I have owned them all and now have the FM9 and still have my FM3. They don't sound "different" per say. But the FM9 does a lot more. Their is something I feel is "different" about the sound , for the better, but so suttle I could not tell you what it is. Just my personal opinion.
@@Stratster68 Cool thanks!
@@TheAerovons They sound exactly the same. The FM9 has more buttons and processing power. It's all about how much you want/need :D
@@TheAerovons No - it´s got the same Firmware and the same algorhythms. But you can use two amps at one time - it has the double CPU Power.
those little example interludes were lit Tim 🔥🙌
Just bought a Mesa Mark V 25 and gigged with it a couple of weeks ago. Halfway up with the volume. Too loud. Ended up on 10w mode with the volume on 2-3. Sounded great. Light and has a built in load for silent/direct out. Just a couple sounds from that worked for me. Now to try and replicate it with my modeler, a Zoom G11, and see how it goes. Nice job with the video. Inspiring.
I'm afraid the price range these things come in for most viewers does not qualify as 'affordable'.
Yeah...I don't even have a price from my distributor but I expect something like $3,299.99 NZD. It's both incredibly affordable but also not...very confusing, I know.
1700 dollars for every amp you could want and every effect you can want. The ability to stack so many effects and even run multiple amps. I’d say 1700 is affordable in stead of paying for even 3 tube amps and multiple pedals of each type.
You have to take big picture in.
@@adamricard9410 I think that value-for-money is different from affordable. To me affordable is an amount of money you can easily spend, you don't have to save a while for it. Depends on your income, of course.
Excellent summation of how modern tech can work to complement your rig. Great to see some familiar faces make a cameo!
Great overview of the latest and greatest from Fractal. As a bass player, I toured for years using a Fractal AX8. It just made things simple to emulate my Ampeg V-4b with an 8x10 cab without having to haul 400 lbs of equipment. Great to see the next level of evolution from Fractal.
I can't imagine picking up that 8x10 LMAO
Tube amp guy here but I've been playing modelers since the 2.0 version of the kidney bean. Guitarists are blessed by the number of great options available to them at the moment. I love using my amps, both mic'd and using my Captor X. I carry an HX Stomp for fly gigs and use it for both guitar and bass. Fractal, Line6, and Kemper are amazing companies in the industry and are doing a lot to drive things forward. I think the guys that will only play tube amps are missing out on some amazing tools.
Been using a stomp for a couple of years. I love it so much a bought a second one to leave at my practice space. On my main rig I use an EP and a midi controller. The midi controller allows me to do pretty much anything I can imagine.
I'm with your sentiment, but that kidney bean was always awful for me.
Also, stuff like nux 300 is insane. That + harley benton guitar and for 300 eur you have:
Decent guitar with active pickups and 24 frets
All typical amps and effects modeled
Wah, volume pedal
Looper, tuner, drum machine
Audio interface
IR loader
I use this exact setup for practice and stuff and i dont really miss anything in this context. Maybe a rehearsal space with no volume limitations, a 100w engl and a 412, but thats a different thing.
Unfathomable when i started out, had a fender 10w with nothing, no reverb, no gain channel. Got a korg ax30g after a while, but yeah, things have moved on.
@@Art-zs6sl All the digital gear in that 15-25 year old bracket has some good sounds and a whole lot of bad ones. It's mostly a matter of finding the good ones, and whether or not those are useful sounds for you. If the bean didn't have any sounds that were both pleasant and useful for you, then yeah, I can see why it would suck. I have a Digitech RP-90 and try to use it only for purposes where it actually sounds good: volume, wah, pitch shifting, and one of the following at any given time: reverb/chorus/flanger/delay. Since these are at opposite ends of your typical signal chain, I basically have to choose whether to use it at the beginning or at the end of the chain. I don't find it sufficiently useful to drop another $80 for a second one, so I'm only able to fill one role or the other with it.
Everyone always says it's almost as good as my real stuff. It's almost as good as my real rig. It's a substitute. Will never be more than a substitute for your real things. It will seem faded somehow by comparison.
Everything Tim plays is just so wonderful and creative.
Logged in to my computer, saw a new Tim Pierce video....I'm set for the next 15 minutes. Thanks Tim!!!
Hey thanks! Appreciate it
Bottom line based on 30 years touring experience: In a small club with a bad PA, questionable power, and a house guy who may or may not care about you/your/band/your sound, these sound just as good or better than your tube amp. In a theater/arena/stadium with a touring/trusted FOH engineer that you are paying a lot of money, no one can tell the difference between this and a tube amp in the context of a full mix. FACT
Well written, but I’ve wondered about the many small bars/taverns, that don’t have a PA, at least not for anyone but the singer(s).
I suppose, if one has the $,
Flat Response powered cabs of your own, would work ok.
But I still wonder about having a amp, rehearsals also being questionably equipped.
As far as guitar skills at all -- amp or no amp, if Clapton didn't get his name announced or get recognized, no one would know or care. (His songs and singing of course would make a difference).
If you are a popular singer/songwriter and know how to hold a guitar, you are automatically a guitar hero, just like JM, no matter how cool your rig is. In that context a rig is just an organ to support the vocals
I know this is not the Glen Campbell crowd, but he was once a mega superstar and became such years before anyone found out he was also country music's best conventional guitar player. Because nobody in 1965 nor 2021 ever cared just so long as you got a guitar in your hands, have a great song and can sing like bloody murder. Only for a couple of years here and there has a guitar ever really mattered. So the smaller footprint your gear has the better.
Venues are usually made up of people with a wide variety of musical tastes of which guitar skills are almost an insignificant part of the mix. So, a tube amp versus a modeling amp isn't going make much difference. A great modeler will be more convenient and provide more options, volume control and effects per square foot.
dear tim...dont even know ya...but im always bragging on ya ...saying to people they would not believe all the songs u played and ur amazing guitar ability...ive just using native instruments guiar rig 6...its got really sweet stuff...pete thorn did a vid on it...i would like to see u and joe satriani get together...that would be an epic video...!!
Sublime playing, Tim! Love your phrasing and choice of notes. More, please!
Axe-Fx makes a great church rig. Multiple players can dial in their tone and it sits in the mix so well.
I was on the wait list, but then I just went with the fm3 instead. The Cygnus profiling is next level.
Playing since the mid 70s, gigging most of that, still have and love ten tube amps. But I’ve been gigging Fractal Audio gear since 2011 and there really is no beating it for me. If you’re a big time artist with roadies playing in big places or a home player that can play as loud as you want, choices are wide open. But if you’ve got to gig with others, deal with quiet or silent stages, face lots of dodgy power or festival generators, then this gives you everything in an uber-portable setup. I use the Axe Fx III Turbo these days, but will get a FM9 for tight travel gigs when I can. Fractal Audio is not only the best sounding digital gear, it’s the best supported… by far. After a decade of real use, I’m still sold.
I remember people saying "oh amps are heavy" and I always said "i'm a big guy I don't mind" - but THEN I bought a 300W Randall GH300 behemoth. That thing made blisters on my hands just from going to my car to my rehearsal space. I eventually sold it and bought a Mooer GE 300 Lite. Best decision I've ever made
@@pedrosilvaproductions before I got my AX8, I had a JCM800 2x12 combo. It was heavy as all get out and I could never get it to a good volume for the small bars we play. I got the AX8, traded the JCM for a guitar and haven't missed it since.
By the way, I'm guessing DGT is probably the best PRS guitar. Reason of "guess" is that I've never seen it here in Tokyo/Japan.
Tim, I love your channel! I almost exclusively use my Fractal gear now. I keep a few tube amps that are special to me, but the portability, consistency, and diversity are hard to argue with when the model sounds just as good as the original gear. And then using headphones while kids sleep is just magical. When you factor cost of those capabilities it’s almost no contest.
Very clever gear, having access to different options is always a plus! I have definitely simplified my rig, dare I say the Katana 100 watt gives me just about everything I need - I know that is a very 2018 thing to say.
Whatever works 4 u!👍🏾🤘🏾
Many times you can get mega creative with limited options. I know I own a mustang 2 which has served me well for many many years, and the simple options it has made me do some creative manoeuvers to make it sound great. I've even modded a 2x12 set up with the board so I could gig with it and it's wonderful
@@pedrosilvaproductions u see all that matters is what makes you wanna pick up that thang and play! I have had many boards, configurations. All I ever try to do is sound the best on whatever gear I’m playing, that’s what matters. I just saw a Billy Idol tribute, no amps like one of those silent listening parties, it was great. All the guitar player had was an AX 8 and Boss dd3. Granted, AX is great, but if he didn’t know the licks, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway 🤣🤘🏾
it took me years to come around.. it started with me asking Burgs his opinion back in 2018.. he said he was totally happy using the Axe Fx live and there was no looking back for him.. so earlier this year I took the plunge with latest Axe Fx and the FC-12 running through a pair of FRFRs (currently QSC10.2 x2) on stage.. I've done a bunch of gigs with the Axe Fx and I'm totally happy with it.. my 1981 Boogie Mark II-B has been resting comfortably on the shelf enjoying a well earned retirement.
Hells Glockenspiel : AC/DC preset; that's hilarious.
It's also brilliant sounding. When I tried it in my AXFXIII I spent hours playing along with ACDC and ZZ Top albums
@@tonykennedy8483 Cool, it works for ZZ Top as well. Thanks for the info.
Rhett is right that volume has become an issue.
However, who ever said that tube amps can only do *RIDICULOUSLY LOUD* ?... 😉
I use primarily a Laney IRT 15W tube amp and one 1x12" cab. That's it. And I'm predominantly a metalhead.
As long as I can here it (cab at chest height & close to me) then that's the max volume I'm willing to produce. Anything else I'll leave to the sound guy 😎👍
Tim is so incredible charismatic and charming, and it is genuine too. Rock on.
The little piece Tim plays at the 5:00 minute mark on the baritone guitar with the alternate tuning is MAGICAL.
Yes! It is and would love to know what that tuning was. Does anyone have a clue? Thx
Lovely opening solo Tim. Tim.for President. Oh the Runaway solo. Still gives me goose bumps.
Tim check out the stage right amplifier by monoprice it's one of the greatest sounding amps I've ever owned.
Dude Cooper Carter gets it. Just like Frank Z used to say. "Shut up and play yer guitar"
🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
I tried to go ampless with a headrush pedalboard and I gotta say. I wasn't impressed. Whether I was building bare bones rigs or going all out with IRs, compressors, gain staging, EQs, etc...I just couldn't get it to sound good. The cleaner tones are good but the higher gain tones just sound weird and digital. Or they made all of my guitars sound twangy and thin no matter what I tried to do
The headrush is just a rebadged 11 rack. The new fractal stuff is on a whole different level. Theres really no comparison.
@ $2500 ? That's serious coin. How 'bout a BOSS ME-80 for @ $360 ?
Will it do a Yamaha THR10 setting? I play with one at home a lot and love some of its sounds achieved at low volumes, without having to buy a whole bank of different amps will this do the trick?
No clips of an angry tube amp holding a note for as long as an artist wants repleat with a note in bloom and frequencies that turn into octaves of the original notes then back to the original note when the guitar volume is decreased? And an artist using the octaves as part of the melody in a controlled way to compleat the phrase, would like to hear your gear do that, complete control of an artistic expression of a musical phrase in the time signature of an artist expressing his or her meaning of the music they feel.
As a player with what, to my wife, seems like a lot of gear. It's really the player that makes the biggest difference.
Cool. I'm a longtime Fractal user/owner/beta tester/fan, having used them as my rig centerpiece since 2007. The Fractal guys in your video are among my friends; the company and team behind the faces are all very cool guitar people. There is a negative aspect of the term modeling where people think it's an 'either/or' proposition - if you go the modeling route, you must foreswear tube amps. I've never subscribed to that and have always felt it's a falsehood on merit. These are tools, just as amps, and having to run directly to FOH for silent stages for whatever reason (mine are medical, tinnitus to be specific), it works. The Fractal units can work consistently, reliably, and scalable from the smallest room to the biggest stadium every night. Its power is fantastic, but the strength, IMHO, has always been the core tones. It's musical, it sings. I have the FM9, and it is fantastic.
Hi Scott. I have your homemade Pedal book from decades ago. Thank you for the recommendation. SOunds the best...... Fractal !
As always spot on !
so to hear the fractal in a home environment, what would you use to run the fractal through as a speaker/amp instead of me plugging into my Deville 212. Not sure if I am using the correct terminology.
@@duffy315 I use my studio monitor setup primarily but you could use a powered speaker, power amp/speaker cab, etc..
@@duffy315 I'm also curious about that Q's - I have a Deville 212 too.
I use my fm3 mostly with a clean model and some verbs and delays. The effects sound amazing, and honestly buying few strymon pedals will probably cost over $1k.. if you only use a clean/ crunch and rhythm sound for each song the fm3 is plenty enough and will blow your mind. If you need more effects and foot switches the FM9 is still a great deal, too bad they are so slow filling the orders on their waitlist.
Kinda hard to be too angry at them when everyone else is suffering from the same chip shortage though.
@@mal2ksc agree, not really their fault, they are a smaller company
Great review and never knew there were fractal gurus helping top guitarist musicians to dial in their rigs 👍
I got an old Axe Fx II about two years ago and I love it. I use a Fender model for my super clean sounds then I use the Dirty Shirley model with varying degrees of boosts in front for my dirty sounds and it works for 90% of the gigs I do. If I need anything heavier, I just switch the DS model to the BE model and it works great!
These guys deserve success just for creating a preset called "Hell's Glockenspiels".
Autobahn to Hades ?
Long-time Fractal user, going back to the AxeFx Ultra. I'm set with my AxeFx III, but I was glad to see Fractal release the FM9 because I know how useful it will be for people who regularly gig.
The Ampero Hotone also works fantastic live and direct at a fraction of the price.
Being able to have a Roland Jazz Chorus sound without hauling a 357 pound amp is pretty cool.
I have the FX 2 plus AND I DO HAVE COOPER MASTER CLASS THAT REALLY HELPS.. I really enjoyed the show
Dinosaur here. I still play through my Line6 AX2 modeling amp. I just use about half dozen presets and a few I built. Playing mostly in medium stage/auditorium, the amp is always too loud for the venue, so I'm really interested in scale down capability. Oh yes, Ive searched for the old Clapton live tone from Wheels of Fire: Crossroads, Spoonful, Goodbye Cream: Im So Glad et al, but never could duplicate it unless I plugged SG into a Marshall stack and turned the volume to 10.
It's definitely past time to upgrade and I'd like to know more about this.
check out Rhett Shull's channel he's got a video about the whole tone and how he made the preset
The smile on Tim's face when he plays something cool is just... inspiring. Thank you, Tim, for sharing the joy with us mere mortals. LOL
Always pleasant & informative. But ... This episode..."Affordable Amp Killer". I looked the device up...$2,300 !!!! 😂 Maybe I got the wrong item. Fractal F9???
FM3 is 999...FM9 is 1599...AxeFx3 is 2300......All have the same sounds,
This Video is about the FM9 :) Hope This Helps...
@@timpierceguitar Thanks Tim. In an afterthought I can see the validity as just "one" boutique or high end amp could cost mid $2,000's. Thanks!!!
I see you're working on your right hand finger style...Good for you
I had my 100 watt tube amp blow up at a huge festival gig after 3 songs into a 12 song set list. After a short panic attack I thought, well there's only one way to finish the gig, I plugged into a Digitech rp pedal, dialed up a 70's Marshall amp sim into a 412 cab sim and went direct into their massive sound system. Was surprised at how good it sounded! Lol. That modeling pedal saved me that day. Now there are so many better sounding modeling pedals, so even while using real amps there's always a modeling pedal ready to go just in case. 😊
Cover band club warrior here. Touring has always been a glamorous fantasy but I weep at the thought of in-ears for my guitar. In the honky tonks I play as long as the bar staff can hear the drink orders we can be pretty loud. I am most at home when the instrument can hear its own amp. I'll be extra mindful of how blessed I am at tonight's gig.
Having fun making music is all that matters in the end.
I'm in your shoes.
@@joetowers4804 It's a blast, and good thing too since there's not enough money in it to support the household. I don't expect riches but I will not do it for free. I've been at it 40+ years and still love everything about it! ruclips.net/video/GXFManGK2Nc/видео.html
@@bobbyosborne2375 Welcome to my shoes! I hope you find them warm and comfortable. Playing fun songs good and loud for a tipsy audience is one of the best things we can do for our minds, bodies and spirits.
@@tinman5322 true. Is your drummer a little off the rails when he plays?
Beautiful stuff as usual. Great players and subjects. I'm 72. Been playing out since early seventies. But I gotta say, if I walked into that studio you sit in, I would walk right out again. Yeah, four or five created sounds will do, But, that room presents about 3 or 4 million sounds. Bam! I would be gone to my room with one amp and my selected sounds. Whew! Now I can relax.....
Tim, please an episode talking about and playing parts from One Desire. Thank you for that beautiful performance and hope we can see you go through some of it!
Guitarists and synth heads obsess over sound and the audience only cares if they can sing the melody and be happy doing it. I was a pro re-mixer for a few major labels and I obsessed over a snare sound for hours sometimes, I understand people doing it but sometimes you gotta know when the meal is done and move on to what's important and ultimately that is the song, or piece of music in totality. One more thing, I have a Boss GT-1 and Amplitube 5 and I have made patches on both that are more than acceptable for recording and live, you don't need to spend $1,700.00 to get a good guitar tone.
Ditto, way too much obsessing going on in the guitar dude world of gadgetry. Audience simply could not care less about your OD tone sounding 100% like a real tube amp overdrive or not. And these days, more and more listeners don't want to hear any more extended noodling guitar solos. Sort of old hat nowadays.
Fantastic video! Thanks for having me on!
The whole digital vs tube war is just so stupid and an ultimate expression of the disease of ignorant fanboy-ism. They're all just tools, tools to help inspire you to play and make music. Nothing more, nothing less. Look right now in your house - how many screwdrivers do you currently own? Q.E.D.
Im always amazed by things TIM does.
"Nothing better than a tube amp pushing air behind you"
I prefer to use my organic amp to push air behind me.. but the new fart pedal comes close...
Cooper, you're spot on find what makes you happy and just play
We are very lucky to live in an age where we can play through such realistic simulations of all the classic real amps. It's amazing now and will only get better from here. Personally, at present, I use the Kemper. It's also awesome and keeps getting better with every software update. When I bought it, it was version 2 and we're currently on version 8. The support for this product has been beyond my expectations. I haven't tried the AxeFX, but, from what I've heard, it also sounds amazing.
Great video! I just got my Axe-Fx III a couple of weeks ago. I absolutely love it. I also have a Helix and an HX Stomp which I love too. I look at them like you would having different amplifiers. Even though they're modelers they sound different. On thing that wasn't addressed in the video is pedal emulation. We all have our favorite pedals but building a pedalboard can be a real headache. All pedals don't play well with each other, then there's the cable routing and power supplies and if you're like me you make all your own cables. Maybe you need a buffer and maybe you don't. I put a small board together and it took me three days. With the Axe-FX (and other modelers) these are built in so there's no problem with cables, routing and what goes where in the signal chain because if you don't like the positions you just change it with Axe-Edit. There's no extra power supply to worry about. Another thing is that all pedals don't sound good with all amplifiers. Again this is a mute point with the Axe. While you might like one emulator over the other they all work with all the amps and sound good. I think as time goes on more and more people will be switching to modelers. They're getting so good now. At present I'm running my Axe into two Quilter Steelaire amps ( similar to a Fender Twin Reverb with JBL's) so I'm getting the best of both worlds.
Love the lessons, the wonderful use of many different amps and effects, different guitars, tips and descriptions about being a pro and showing all of us how this looks and works with other pros - but WTF! The first Fractal unit came out in 2006. Yep, more presets, more models, more IRs, even more computing power - but these things - with the right approach, EQ, knowledge have been "game changers" since then; especially using with a few selected specific old-school pieces - weird pedals, speaker boxes, power amps. I watch these videos because of all of the above, and the tweaking/using/hearing all of the quality analog stuff that most of us either can't afford (for everything) and/or couldn't physically carry or use at small gig. But using one of these as a big revelation, a game changer? Purists (don't we all lean that way), big money folks (pros or just us wannabes), people with roadies might insist it's all worth it for a huge, complicated rig. But with Fractal, and many other companies that offer the same types of units now, a player with a good ear for what they want and the willingness to dive in, can get AT LEAST 90% of the exact same sound/feel through the digital stuff. True blind straight up comparisons have "fooled" thousands of people - which is it, tubes/transistors or digital? Just think it's a little funny about this eureka moment. This isn't meant to be a rag job, or criticism, just a personal observation. Given the choice with unlimited money, roomy stages, and a dedicated assistant/roadie/tech, I'd pick the roomful of stuff, because that part is cool. Pros with mad skills (like Tim) that show up with awesome boutique analog rigs are certainly no surprise. But given reality (at least my reality), playing with a guitar, a suitcase and MAYBE a speaker box is pretty efficient and can sound almost exactly the same (almost exactly). Hoping Tim works Fractal, or whatever else, into the mix of his awesome videos. One more way that someone like Tim could really rock with. As a long-time user of the digital stuff (along with my "must keep for whatever reason" pedals etc.), glad to see Tim putting his influencer stamp of approval on using the digital stuff as a valuable tool, and for some, all that's needed. Thanks, Tim, for all of it.
I'm still sticking with my Marshall amps. Although I will try this new Fractal. This was a very informative video. 👍👍
Sounds great, and I LOVE how you feel everything you do, as ir shows on your face... I want one too!
Good video. When the FM9 came out I was hot for one but then I saw the waiting list. So I "settled" for a Helix floor. The Fractal's presets are better than the Helix by far. The folks at Line 6 need to take lessons on factory presets. The one thing that I use however that the Fractal doesn't have is the expression pedal. I assign mine for overall volume on everything and it keeps me from having to assign another parameter and carry another pedal which is important in short setup times. I also use a half dozen presets on everything...no need to have a different amp for every song. No doubt Fractal rules but I'm still thrilled with my Helix.
We do offer a top-quality expression pedal. Check out the EV-1 and EV-2
Thank you Tim, this was a real down to earth simple explanation of the Fractal 9 for the working musician or home studio hobbyist, its definitely on my list , I was at a Fractal seminar /demo a few years ago and was very impressed by the tones , but out of my budget
I love you Tim but the second I saw Rhett i was out
why?
@@YTIsTakingOverMyLife I really don't care for him. At all.
@@xjimmemakesmusicx k
@@Fahrenheit1407 sorry, i know it's not "cool" to not praise the huge youtubers but the guy is enough to make me close a video no matter where he pops up.
@@xjimmemakesmusicx just seems a bit rude to comment on it. No one would have cared if you just turned the video off and didn't watch
Thank you. Greatings from Poland.
My fractal is great in the studio,they are lifeless live ,and not live friendly for me personally either.
I have a couple of amazing tube amps at home, and when I am home, they’re what I play. I travel for a living, and I pack an FM3 in my carry on bag. It’s the perfect hotel room practice unit, and I record right into my DAW with it.
Great playing. Love your dynamics.
I've played through them all and I really feel that Fractal has the best sounds. I started with the AX8 and now I'm using that as well as the FM3. I play through FRFR monitors mainly (usually QSC K12's and K10's) and occasionally in-ears. I purchased the FM3 master course from Cooper Carter and it was very informative and helpful. Worth every penny in my opinion. I'm so happy to see the Fractal units getting attention on RUclips. I live in Maryland where it's mandatory to play PRS guitars and I've been using mine through tube amps since the mid-80's until I got the AX8. From that point on it was Fractal for live and studio playing and nothing else. I'll never go back. The units are lightweight and rugged, the sounds are consistent wherever you go, there is never a problem with volume or mic placement or anything else that comes with loud tube amps. Thanks for all your videos Tim.
Tonal difference btw AX8 and FM3?
@@Bridging_the_Political_Divide you can make a pretty good argument that there is a tonal difference, but I suppose it can be credited to better software with a newer units. I don't really know though. I think you could EQ both units really well if you know what you're doing.
@@frankmccreary9050. Good thoughts, appreciate it. 👍
Fun interviews, Tim. Cooper’s classes are great, and I really appreciated discovering Roslin’s RUclips channel and his generosity with wisdom during the pandemic. Cheers gentlemen! Best, Daniel
Love the DGT! My favorite guitar of all time. Everyone I've played has been fantastic.
How would you run the Fractal live, if you can't run it through the PA?
What I found out: No matter what I use (Tube amps - mostly Engl or Axe-Fx III), I cannot live without guitar cabinets.
All the FRFRs I have tried seem to be a non inspirational compromise to me and money was never a problem. 🙈
Hey Tim, when you get tired of those killer amps...Im here......after all, you have the Fractal. 😂🤣
I've played tube amps for almost four decades and as much as I dig a good tube amp I've always known the less stage volume the better the sound. It makes it easier for the soundman to get an ideal sound for the venue. I discovered this when I switched to combos like Boogies and Fenders and other amps I used around 1987. I love the idea of just going direct in and using cab/speaker simulation.
Hmm. So, is this an amp killer, that is also affordable; or is it a killer of affordable amps?! We need to know!
(My friend had an affordable amp. It could be killed with a Tube Screamer.)
Tim, you should get a Joyo American Sound pedal to demo on your channel to use it to 'go direct' to recording as well as into a clean amp or PA system and show it's versatility of covering practically every Fender tube amp out there (that you likely have). Then work on a board of $25 mini pedals that can cover all the tones a player may need. Many of your subscribers are going to be beginner and intermediate players.
Love the channel, love the playing. Guess its practical for mid-lower end weekend warriors to use for live stuff, but if i find out a big name act is charging big money for tickets, i just wanna hear the real amplifiers that made their music popular in the first place. Thats what were paying for. The real band on the real gear. Judge for yourself. Listen to metallica live on howard stern. The band performed great, the instruments sound like garbage. Poor kirk couldnt even solo with confidence. Sounded like a coverband👎
Id rather watch wee doggy country players like paisley, or stapleton. Eventhough im not crazy about country because those guys dont compromise on their sound. If the play local theyll get my money!
I'm on the FM9 waitlist - have been for months now. It's taken so long for Fractal/the distributor to pull my name out of the hat that I've built a Neural DSP rig in the meantime. By that I mean I bought two Yamaha HS8's that I'll use with the FM9. Galaxy brain. Anyway, the Soldano SLO100 plugin is really helping to tide me over until I get the greenlight.
Has Tim given the story of the Marshall Super PA behind him? Someone somewhere mentioned '67 PA - can someone give me a link to where Tim talks about this glorious amp?
As good as the presets are -for me I like things bone dry and simple. No time based effects, swirly effects (Chorus, flange, etc). Just a single amp, cab, and a boost if the amp needs it. That’s it. You don’t need a ton of effects or multiple amps and cabs running all at once to get the best tones. Just cause the unit can do it doesn’t mean you should. Just set it and forget it so you can concentrate on your playing.
Been using Boss GT-1000, which is cool for the Boss pedal effect emulations, but between your vid here and Larry Mitchell's stuff, I definitely hear a little extra something in the FM9.
as far as live, we need stage volume. the drums are loud, the monitors are usually facing back at you. I don't care how close these things sound, I'm bringing my tube amps. another thing to consider if you are playing clubs and festivals, there's the "no mans land" between the mains. that's where the people who really like your band are at. without an amp they just won't hear you correctly. a small tube amp is not that hard to transport. there's no reason for me to consider modelers. I don't record, I play for people. not buying what they're selling.
Tim can play any style of music, what a Pro!!!
I like Tim Pearce and he plays guitar very well, my hope though is that he doesn't become a shill for the myriad overabundance of the guitar effects industry., as this will lessen his overall validity., Just saying.
Yes, I have the same concern about the bulk f the guitar gurus on RUclips. Commerce is what you'd expect basically, few humans are that altruistic to just give and not get something back in return for their life's energy and time expended. But yes there is a whole lot of "pedal pushing" going on!😃
@@badtweed2087 What it boils down to really is being my fault as I was persuaded into the purchase of 3 of the said pushed pedals being pushed I must be a pushover., Thanks for the response. : )
Tim- an unrelated shout-out. I was introducing a friend to "Soul Driver" from Springsteen's Human Touch album. I recognized your name in the liner notes from seeing you on Beato's channel a few times. After looking over your resume, I had no idea how much of your work I already had in my library. Wow!! =D
I play an "old" Line6 Pod X3 Live for about 15 years now. It was my choice because I wanted all these different sounds of all my guitar heroes sounding as close to the Original as possible when I play it - crazy somehow. Although it has not the "newest" technique, the best chip-setting and parametres anymore, I still love and use it.
Those PODs are great! I did a lot of work with the HD500. I recently picked up the POD Go for my solo gigs, wanting to simplify my stage setup and that’s worked really well so far (for both acoustic and electric)
i own a killer Kemper live rig, as well as a very cool Boss GT-1000 for acoustic and DI/no-amp shows, but i honestly play on my HD Pod Pro rack unit that's in my simple recording desk the most. it's always on and hooked up to my active reference monitors and ready to go at a moment's notice. i built about 10 sounds when i got it used/like-new for like $350 about 8 years ago. i've tried to replicate those killer blended/dual-amp presets on my other devices, but i can never get it to sound exactly right. the delays also blend into the tone of the Line6 better than anything else i've ever used. it's a great unit, and good tone never becomes obsolete.
I don’t know one single mediocre player that sounds great with High End gear but I know tons of great players with mid of the road equipment that blow my mind out. What I mean is, aren’t we wasting too much time and money on tools rather than skill ?
Tim is one of the greatest guitarists ever! Thanks for the great video.
Tim, all I can say is Thank You for talking to all of us as if we are in the midst of gathering our gear up for our next tour!
The sound is fantastic but still love my tube amps
Bad power was just such a common thing from club to club. The Fractal (Axe-Fx II) was a huge help, and weighed about 1/100th of an old rig. Looking forward to trying the F9.
Cooper's advice is the best. I found what maxes out what I do and that's mostly it. There are 100 patches I barely know about on what I use now.
When does Guitarland II come out? : )
Had my AxeFxII for about 9 years now. Sounds absolutely phenomenal still. Took forever (for an idiot like me) to really learn how to use it to its fullest, but it’s the best gear purchase I’ve ever made….and I’ve made quite a few.
Can you give a better close Up of this amp. It's hard to tell from your photo shots of it. I can't see the presets that well. If you could do some hands on demonstration with the amp. I happen to be a visual learner.
Thanks for the informative video. No matter how advanced the digital rigs are I can still hear the 'multi effect' flavor, for lack of a better word. I believe people are going for convenience these days, in music and everything else. But so far, convenience has failed to generate an emotional response in me, the kind my Devided by 13 BTR 23 or my Marshall JTM45 through a pair of Celestion Alnico Golds are easily able to provide. Good tube amps are living and breathing things. I like looking at them, taking care of them. That's my OCD.😎
Love this Channel! I get the utility factor for sure. When I was 15-20 yrs old I would of been all over this stuff.. but I've taken a philosophical 180 degree turn the last few years. I think we've become way too obsessed as players, with trying to sound like someone or something else. I love chasing tones but find it way more interesting doing that within the confines of my own gear and playing technique. Ultimately you end up sounding very unique and being more invested. If you know what your unique sound is and this can get you there without all the lugging around of gear etc. then I agree that can be a super useful tool as Rhett pointed out.
Tim - are you playing direct from the FM9 to your computer for this video? Are you sending to monitors in the room and if so, which ones? I'm going to get a modeler, probably fractal and trying to piece together my home practice and recording space so appreciate your input (or others as well).