PART 2 HERE - ruclips.net/video/4AxVQZPscYM/видео.html When I'm not cultivating a single eyebrow I make music and you can listen to it here - ragdollrock.bandcamp.com/track/skies-limit
Nevermind... I went to your main bandcamp page and I was able to listen. Guitars on "Skies Limit" sound great! 🤟🏼 I guess they're recorded with a Fractal?
I hope fender send you out two of the new FRFR-12 powered cabinets keen to hear your opinion on a stereo setup with axefx3 as I’m looking on upgrading mine to something better than the two headrush 112 that I have for my axefx3
I'm glad you did some clean sounds. Most people who do these videos just show the distortions that the modelers can do. I can't wait until you show the different modulations, Reverb and delays more.
It's the iFractal... User interface over customization. This will appeal to everyone who hates deep diving into menus and loves Fender and Fender licensed amps.
not a bad first swing into the modeling market. I am glad that Fender saw the landscape and decided it was best to get with the times instead of remaining stagnant. Smart move I think.
Yeah, yet had Mustang V pedal boards just like this board today. It actually sounded really good so I'm excited to hear what this new one sounds like !
@@AuntAlnico4 Fender models always sound good, except the Mustang LT's, don't know what they were thinking there? But their pedals and modeling FX are pretty solid. Digital amps have their place, but no matter how good the models are, they are still 'MODELS', NOT AMPS! And if you watch a side by side next to the actual tube amp/cab its trying to emulate, you will see it falls short compared to an actual tube amp. Louis aka; The Tone King and Phillip McKnight pointed this shortcoming of Fender Digital modeling compared to the Fender real deal tube amps. It doesn't mean digital amps are bad or anything, it just proves that they're different.
Like every video you drop, this one has content that matters to players. I had already written this off as a NO...but after watching (and hearing) you demonstrate the flexibility of the signal chain, the ability to move and choose the mics on the speakers, and the overall excellence (IMO) of the UI I'm reconsidering. Frankly, as an old guy who plays in the worship band at my church I can see this unit working great for me. I've been on Fractal for 3yrs and love my FM3. But I can see where this could really shorten my build time on presets. Plus, I love Fender amps. And as you said they seem to have done a great job with them. I'll be watching to see what Fender does around support. Thank you for another great vid. Worth every minute.
Not sure if my brain is fooling me but I didn’t hear a single sound that was bad or needed a ton of tweaking!!! I’m getting this for sure. Great tones to my ears without looking at a schematic to change diodes and tubes. 😂 I’m loving it! Great review my friend!!!
It's the same price as a Fractal FM-9, Neural DSP Quad Cortex or Line 6 Helix ($1699). If it was half that price I could _maybe_ see myself trying one out just for shits and giggles, but I'd much rather spend my money on companies that do modelling as their main business, and have done so succesfully for many years, instead of buying a modeller produced by a corporate conglomerate that are known to cancel products within a year or two of the release just because it didn't reach some anticipated sales figure (i.e didn't earn them enough money to satisfy the shareholders). If you haven't tried any of the other modellers I mentioned, I recommend that you do a comparison between them and the Tone Master Pro at your local music store before you decide to buy it. That's what I would have done at least.
@@nj1255 You have some good points. But my thinking is if you do it right the first time, you don’t have to continually upgrade and improve. And I agree about companies dropping products (Presonus) has to be one of the worse about launching a product and in a year it’s no longer in production. Fender hasn’t given me that vibe…yet. I have three of the tone master amps and love them.
@@jeffmaestro My only concern with the Fender is that it's not clear how long they will support it with firmware updates. Fractal and Line 6 especially have long track records of supporting their products. That said, I thought the models sounded fantastic.
@@reverb508Yes, I agree with you. However, I think fender took their time with this and will support it. No way to know for sure but I’m liking what I hear so far. Plus as a Stoic I live for today. I’m 58. I’ll probably be dead and the tone master will still be here. Lol.
@@reverb508 it was made to last, I read that there would be more options in the cab, soldano soon and rectification of evh;, it is more powerful than the fx3 axis, satriani plays with it live. have you seen satriani play with fractal? Steve va? petrucci? They have their amps and they don't even play with them. I tested TMP for 10 minutes, it's fantastic, it sounds immediately. I bought a fr12, it's the best frfr cab (I've had several). I'm selling my fx3 axis for tmp (sorry fractal) this afternoon I lost 3 hours to make 2 presets, now I have to buy the dynacab (meh). I had the fx1 axis, the 2 and the 3, it will be the last (we will see for 4),soon out of stock.
The Tone Master Pro is much more friendly and for cleans and Fender tones will have the market once they get going and continue firmware updates. Being a songwriter and contemporary jazz artist I dislike modelers until now. If Fender does it right they will make bank. Great job Fender!
You're comments on firmware updates for me is the reason I'll go for the FM9, for smaller gigs, additionally if one has the Axe Fx3 they can capture amps and pedals to create presets that can then be downloaded to the FM9.
It’s awesome, but the one thing missing is the ability to capture and share captures. I have some old classic amps and pedals that do not come in the unit, that I want to add in. That’s the one feature holding it back from passing the Quad Cortex. If they add that in, I would buy one in a second.
I like this , Nice size , interface , user friendly and sounds good , Fractal , Helix , Quad are all exceptional but there’s always room for competitors , thanks Leon
Sounds decent - at least through laptop speakers... and the UI looks great - it appears you don't really need a computer interface to get deep into editing. Using the foot switches as rotary knobs is brilliant (hopefully they're durable). I am a bit surprised at the $1700 USD price. For some reason I was expecting it to be less expensive, or at least to undercut the FM3.
Agreed. Sounds are merely decent imho (all seem to tend towards being dark/very dark), and those combination knob/dials seem like a big potential liability … imagine trying to get them replaced … lol. The pretty look/interface (and several loops?) seem like its standout features … I honestly can’t see this lasting long (especially not with the Tonex around), unless Fender makes it sound a lot better, pretty quickly … The sounds are not top-dollar, which is what they’re charging … Ongoing support from Fender?!?! I see this tanking, and Fender cutting and running …
The UI and the footswitch setup really impressed me. The tones... well, just don't sell your Fractal, and I don't plan to sell my Helix. But I very much enjoyed the demo.
I have an Axe FX III. It’s been fantastic. There’s nothing wrong with these tones at all. And dang that interface and form factor slays. If it said Fractal FM4 in the corner instead of Fender, everybody would be preaching game over, everywhere. All of these modelers need tweaking and time to learn the nuances. Adding IR’s is key. Fender will add to this over time I’m sure. But LT was hammering sounds out of this that were studio worthy already. You can see he was inspired. As an unofficial/official Fractal spokesman you can only go so far in your praise I would imagine. But you can’t say that Headrush didn’t change the game with touchscreens, that Fender hasnt developed an awesome one, and that Fractal now has their work cut out for them if they want to stay top dog. If Fender priced this a couple hundred lower, they could score major market share immediately. And start building a base of their own if they were forward looking enough.
I don't yet have a modeller floor unit (or any other modeller!). I must say that I'm tempted by this. I'm not worried about not having a rabbit hole to tweak amps - that's for people with too much time on their hands! But the price is fairly steep - when the time comes, let's see what happens.
FM3 user here. Love the layout, and really not too knob-heavy. Didn't hear one bad tone! I appreciate Leon sticking to rhythm give us the tone landscape. My knock on the FM3 is they tend to be lopsided with metal-ish presets etc and not a ton of edge of satisfactory break-up choices or tones like the Black Keys. Dig metal tones but like more rock n roll options. Still NOT selling my FM3!
Thanks for watching. The UI and workflow in this is really well thought out. I'll be interested to see how the effects and modelling develop over time.
One thing I noticed with this unit is that the amp models sound like they have more girth than others I've heard, which makes this more realistic. If Fender can get rid of the artifacts in the high gain amps, I have the feeling this will be a very popular unit.
I'm hearing the artifacts in the clean amps too, when they start getting pushed. It's less noticeable, but it's there. And it's there in almost every demo I've seen, except for the Anderton's demo.
Interesting. QC interface, Boss GT routing, Helix like for live use. Not hearing QC/Fractal level of tones, especially on the Brit amps but will wait and see how opinions develop. I want to love it but I'm not sure. It sounds like it can sound great but will need a more post processing than some others to get there.
This seriously might pull me away from my anti modeling mentality. The UI is absolutely amazing. I love the 4 loops you can throw in and everything I've heard sounds fantastic. Also, my wife said it seems like a good price for everything that it does so that's something boys.
Pulled me away. I sold my evh head and cabinet and bought the tonemaster pro. Sounds amazing and zero learning curve. Just plug it in and start playing.
@@MG-cd7wiglad to hear you like it. I’m thinking of buying one just to use as a pedal board in front of my Vox amp for now (and dive into more features later) I sold all my pedals years ago and since getting back into guitar this year, I want pedals again. I did the math and buying the 10 pedals I used to have would cost about the same as this tone master! So I figure why not get it all rolled into one platform and have the option to edit sounds and build out set lists way easier than with analogue gear…
Thanks for your videos, Leon! You are one of the best Guitar chanels of all RUclips. You, Leo Gibson, John Nathan inspired me to start my own RUclips Chanel about Amp Modelers in Spanish. Cheers from Mexico!
I've known about this for awhile (work in UK guitar retail) Not too sure, will have to see what the next few months bring re, artists that take this on board. Great honest review @leon
Ooh, that interface is more than sexy…it’s practical! When you want to adjust the knobs on an amp it is much easier to turn the knobs that double as foot switches than using the touchscreen. Great idea!
Thanks for this Leon. The hardware looks really good, but not convinced about the sounds honestly. I don’t think fractal have anything to worry about as those units have so much more tweak ability and generally appeal to a different type of player.(like me) Once the price falls however both Helix and Headrush have a serious competitor. At the present price though I don’t think it sits well in the market place.
The touch screen on this is large and very easy to use. The Line 6 Pod Go I use is a similar size, but much less user friendly. This is somewhat pricey, but for the ease of use, I believe it's worth the money and I'll probably buy one because of informative and superb video. Your video making skills are nearly at the level of your guitar skills, which is f*cking high. Thank you.
Totally agree with your point in relation to support and evolution over the lifespan of the product That has been a major factor in keeping me on the Helix to date. 7 years old now which is an eternity in tech years especially in guitar tech years, but it has been continually and regularly updated. It's also an area where Boss have failed with the GT-1000 IMO
The price should be close to headrush prime, Helix LT and FM3 if Fender wants to have a chance. Otherwise it will be a complete failure. Now you can buy an FM9 without a waiting list.
Preconfigured chains (like the Headrush) isn't great, but everything else I think knocks it out the park. And combination button/knobs is just bonkers. LOVE the XLR outs, too.
My biggest question is about routing whether it's capable of running w/d/w with three FRFRs. Especially so with multiple wet effects in parallel with each other.
Absolutely a incredible demonstration I'm in for one it's offering everything imaginable in one unit. Buy the way your a awesome Guitarist very talented thanks!
Great demo, thank you! I’m always amazed not only by the tones you manage to get from the modelers you demo, but also by how quickly you learn to use them. Hope to see the EL34 get added to this unit as well.
I like the unit great workflow love the graphics amps + pedals. I'm really impressed by the FRFR cab that they offer with it though, as already have FM9. does all that better for me already.
Fender is known for its incredible clean tones. Glad that you took the dirt off and demoed the clean channels. My opinion, Fender should have stuck to their own tones and not try to mimic other manufacturers.😊
For me sounds between units can get close to each other across brands BUT the big thing is support over the lifetime of the hardware/software. Big names tend to abandon stuff after two or so years unlike say Fractal who support and update well past expectations.
well, I'm not getting rid of my FM9, but if i have some extra cash i'm not opposed to adding this to the collection. Looks and sounds amazing. Also, if i were a new purchaser and had the choice between this, or QC, i'd take a spin on a new product from Fender before going back to a company that still hasn't fully delivered on release day touted features nearly two years later.
Pros= - sounds goods, amps, pedals and effects - nice presets - robust construction - best screen and graphics - knobs - Fender brand (means no issues to find one, no issue for warranty, repair, no huge g66 style import prices) Cons= - no capture or .nam support - big and heavy - screen lags a little
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE EVERYTHING but the tones… they still sound cold and a touch unconvincing. They need to upgrade the algorithms so that it has more of that “real” character and behavior. Also warmth. ❤ With that said, I think it blows away the competition on everything else in my opinion. Simple, useful, powerful, slick, beautiful. Nice job Fender! ❤️🎸
@Leon Todd Hey Leon, this device is incredible! I can create amp and effects combinations I only dreamed of before. I made a 70s hard rock patch for my les paul. I used instrument series split routing. On the top I have a plexi with a close sm7b and on the bottom line a silver jubilee with the sm7b backed off a bit more. Low to moderate gain for the amps. I have them going to the DAW and panned hard L and R. I am driving it with the blues breaker. For ambience, I have the large plate reverb after each amp. This is the sound of hard rock! A plexi and a silver jub cranking, what a sound, man. For my tele, I made a blues patch with similar routing. However, the amps and effects are different. I have the Bassman on the top row and the Super Reverb on the bottom. I am driving them with my Wampler Pantheon in the loop. For ambience, I have the memory man after the Bassman and have the Super Reverb's tank at 5.5. Eric Clapton city, baby.
Holy Swiss cheese batman!! Is it me? But your demo Leon has me convinced that fender has pulled a rabbit from its hat! Love the look and layout, and maybe I'm a noob ...but it sound pretty dam good to me 😮
Love the I/O options. Couldn’t ask for more for my uses… Don’t like the preset signal chains. Tap dancing would be hard with spacing. Sounds good overall. A little $$!
Great video, and I love Fender, but what is the benefit over every version of this made by every other maker? This thing is still $1700. I have had the Fractal and LOVE it. Like you said, you wouldn't replace your Fractal. Kind of puzzling that they come out with this, this far into the game when Fractal and others have much more they have learned already.
Had a heads up on this one before it was released and then someone went and leaked it and now you’ve got your hands on one. Nice. Let’s hope fender can do fender amp models well
@@LeonToddagree, those were the tones they have done best. The Marshall tones need work IMO from what I’ve heard so hopefully that can be a firmware update sometime soon 😊
I LOVE the 40:15 to the end part of this video. EVERYONE needs to watch that. Thank god for Leon Todd who doesn’t f¥ck about and just tells it like it is 🤘🤩 I’m sticking to my Fractal FM9 as well. It may not have a pretty touch screen and requires some learning, but you also get out of the Fractal what you put in.
I think one of those things would drive me into a frenzy of confusion over what sounds I want. lol So much to choose from. I do know what I like and fully understand what is going on with these. I know people who have been using modelers for a years. A few dropped the physical amplifier completely and most have gone in ears. These are also great for singing guitarist. You don't have to worry about the amp. Set it and forget it. Turn it on and fly nightly.
Excellent video, my first impression was that I wasn't happy with the internal power supply, they tend to cause problems earlier. Even more so in Brazil where there is no technical support.
Great video.. I had a feeling you might be doing this one soon since I saw someone else do a preview of this.. It sounds great, but the price is like the price of an FM3 which I would buy personally instead.. I'd get more amps with an fm3 and more effects and better tone.. Nothing wrong with this, especially if you are interested in Fender clean tones.. Like you though, I live mostly in the high gain world.. More is more.. 😛 Great video / demo sir as always on this channel.. Oh, sorry I had to leave on your live stream a couple days ago.. I actually fell asleep as I had been really busy and worked hard so I had to go to bed and get up early for work. Have a great day my brother and be safe and well sir! Tim
Hey there Tim. Sweetwater lists this on sale today for the same price as an FM9 in the Fractal shop, $1699. Totally agreed on better value in an FM3mkII Turbo, $1099 new. Can’t tell if the folks trying to crack the market are dealing with high development cost or just trying to insert their shiny objects in next to the leaders.
Excellent review mate 🤘 Is there any chance you could do a 4CM set-up with fender TMP and a real peavey 5150 or 6505+ amp and cab with V30s and set up the usual effects to run before pre amp and delay reverb in the FX loop and mic the cab to demostrate how this sounds through a real valve head. Also the set up and addition of an expression pedal would be cool too see. The ultimate rock metal rig set up. The fender TMP looks liks a stout unit. The EVH 5150 sounded killer.. I run a 6505+ so alittle bias to that tone 🤌
I remember when modeling amps first started coming out, and Fender entered the category with the Cyber Twin. It was decent at the time. Motorized pots were cool. But I think I'm good with the XL+. I will complement Fender for working to stay relevant to the modern market, though!
Hi Leon, a great demo video as always! I watched this when you released this video a month ago, but I've refrained from commenting for a couple of reasons. One of them being tied into your comment in your closing thoughts about how it would be interesting to see if Fender is still supporting the software for this modeler. In reflection of how Fender has been with their product line over the last few decades, they seem to come out with a great product, and 4 or 5 years later, they discontinue it. What replaces it has been less than stellar IMHO. For example, The Cyber series amps. The Twin and Deluxe were very good sounding amps, and I have both of them. They were replaced with the Mustang series, which really don't sound nearly as good. The other reason I didn't comment until now is because by next year, there will be updates and tweaks to fix the little bugs in it that weren't caught prior to the release. Would I get one? More than likely, my answer would be YES. I've been a huge fan of Fender since my early teens, and that pre-dates my affinity with my ADA gear. I love the maximum versatility I can get from the least amount of gear, and I like it to have the simplest interface to get all those sounds. This seems to check all those boxes. So yes, this does seem to offer a better quality sound than their modeling amps of the past decade, and I'll definitely acquire one of these with all of the attachments and accessories, and that includes all the software updates on a dedicated laptop, just like I have with the Cyber-amps I own. Whether I take one, or three Cyber-amps to a gig, it replaces all my racks and amps that I used to use, and is a lot less fuss to set up and use. This can take that one step further for me.
Some great sounds, one of the standouts was British. I think it's great that a founding amp maker like Fender has a box. I like the touchscreen, like HeadRush. Sticking with my Kemper as it is amazing, and every time Christoph Kemper does an update and upgrade, it is new tech without being charged and pushed into buying version II, II, Core or whatever. This box looks great though, and whatever works for someone is what matters.
@Leon Todd Dear Leon, I picked up the Tonemaster Pro from a local music shop. Would you please help out with a few practical questions? Maybe even as a demo video? 1. How do we set it up for 4CM with an amp that has an FX loop? Specifically, I would I like to use the tonemaster amp heads as preamps into my Friedman Small Box and toggle between them and the amp's own preamp. 2. How to you suggest mounting it to a pedal board? I am using a pedal train and want to integrate a couple of drive pedals. Thank you in advance. Always appreciative of you and the information you share.
Glad to see this release from Fender. With their footprint in the music industry, I'd be surprised if they didn't overtake the modeling market. Their GTX series of Mustang amps sound awesome.
totally agree. It may sound good at first but never WOW like you get plugging into the real thing. The sound really grates on me after a while and just has no soul in it. The many times I've gigged with modellers its the same horrible, lifeless feeling. @@0megalul309
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PART 2 HERE - ruclips.net/video/4AxVQZPscYM/видео.html
When I'm not cultivating a single eyebrow I make music and you can listen to it here - ragdollrock.bandcamp.com/track/skies-limit
Did Fender buy Quad Cortex?
That link doesn't work for me
Nevermind... I went to your main bandcamp page and I was able to listen. Guitars on "Skies Limit" sound great! 🤟🏼
I guess they're recorded with a Fractal?
thanks for taking the time to check it out! yeah used the fractal Recto for those @@carmelodl8407
I hope fender send you out two of the new FRFR-12 powered cabinets keen to hear your opinion on a stereo setup with axefx3 as I’m looking on upgrading mine to something better than the two headrush 112 that I have for my axefx3
I'm glad you did some clean sounds. Most people who do these videos just show the distortions that the modelers can do. I can't wait until you show the different modulations, Reverb and delays more.
Best demo/feedback of this I've seen. I watched 5 other channels, you gave a positive,honest and realistic representation, thanks .
I appreciate that!
It's the iFractal... User interface over customization. This will appeal to everyone who hates deep diving into menus and loves Fender and Fender licensed amps.
not a bad first swing into the modeling market. I am glad that Fender saw the landscape and decided it was best to get with the times instead of remaining stagnant. Smart move I think.
This isn't there first swing... More like their fifth since the Mustang V series.
@@BulletsForTeeth5029 I was unaware that Fender made a standalone modeling unit before?
Yeah, yet had Mustang V pedal boards just like this board today.
It actually sounded really good so I'm excited to hear what this new one sounds like !
@@AuntAlnico4 Fender models always sound good, except the Mustang LT's, don't know what they were thinking there? But their pedals and modeling FX are pretty solid. Digital amps have their place, but no matter how good the models are, they are still 'MODELS', NOT AMPS! And if you watch a side by side next to the actual tube amp/cab its trying to emulate, you will see it falls short compared to an actual tube amp. Louis aka; The Tone King and Phillip McKnight pointed this shortcoming of Fender Digital modeling compared to the Fender real deal tube amps.
It doesn't mean digital amps are bad or anything, it just proves that they're different.
Sounds bloody good. Modelling has come a long way in the last 15 years. Good simple demo too
Like every video you drop, this one has content that matters to players. I had already written this off as a NO...but after watching (and hearing) you demonstrate the flexibility of the signal chain, the ability to move and choose the mics on the speakers, and the overall excellence (IMO) of the UI I'm reconsidering. Frankly, as an old guy who plays in the worship band at my church I can see this unit working great for me. I've been on Fractal for 3yrs and love my FM3. But I can see where this could really shorten my build time on presets. Plus, I love Fender amps. And as you said they seem to have done a great job with them. I'll be watching to see what Fender does around support. Thank you for another great vid. Worth every minute.
I appreciate that. I always try to make videos I'd personally want to watch.
Great video Leon. You have a fantastic approach that is eminently watchable!
Thanks mate, that means a lot! You are also eminently watchable:)
The great Gaz is in the house! ☺️
Nice Presentation. I was going to buy the DSP quad Cortex Neural tomorrow, and now I am going to reconsider that purchase for this one.
Thank You
Not sure if my brain is fooling me but I didn’t hear a single sound that was bad or needed a ton of tweaking!!!
I’m getting this for sure. Great tones to my ears without looking at a schematic to change diodes and tubes. 😂
I’m loving it! Great review my friend!!!
It's the same price as a Fractal FM-9, Neural DSP Quad Cortex or Line 6 Helix ($1699). If it was half that price I could _maybe_ see myself trying one out just for shits and giggles, but I'd much rather spend my money on companies that do modelling as their main business, and have done so succesfully for many years, instead of buying a modeller produced by a corporate conglomerate that are known to cancel products within a year or two of the release just because it didn't reach some anticipated sales figure (i.e didn't earn them enough money to satisfy the shareholders). If you haven't tried any of the other modellers I mentioned, I recommend that you do a comparison between them and the Tone Master Pro at your local music store before you decide to buy it. That's what I would have done at least.
@@nj1255 You have some good points. But my thinking is if you do it right the first time, you don’t have to continually upgrade and improve. And I agree about companies dropping products (Presonus) has to be one of the worse about launching a product and in a year it’s no longer in production.
Fender hasn’t given me that vibe…yet. I have three of the tone master amps and love them.
@@jeffmaestro My only concern with the Fender is that it's not clear how long they will support it with firmware updates. Fractal and Line 6 especially have long track records of supporting their products. That said, I thought the models sounded fantastic.
@@reverb508Yes, I agree with you. However, I think fender took their time with this and will support it. No way to know for sure but I’m liking what I hear so far.
Plus as a Stoic I live for today. I’m 58. I’ll probably be dead and the tone master will still be here. Lol.
@@reverb508 it was made to last, I read that there would be more options in the cab, soldano soon and rectification of evh;, it is more powerful than the fx3 axis, satriani plays with it live. have you seen satriani play with fractal? Steve va? petrucci? They have their amps and they don't even play with them. I tested TMP for 10 minutes, it's fantastic, it sounds immediately. I bought a fr12, it's the best frfr cab (I've had several). I'm selling my fx3 axis for tmp (sorry fractal) this afternoon I lost 3 hours to make 2 presets, now I have to buy the dynacab (meh). I had the fx1 axis, the 2 and the 3, it will be the last (we will see for 4),soon out of stock.
The Tone Master Pro is much more friendly and for cleans and Fender tones will have the market once they get going and continue firmware updates. Being a songwriter and contemporary jazz artist I dislike modelers until now. If Fender does it right they will make bank. Great job Fender!
You're comments on firmware updates for me is the reason I'll go for the FM9, for smaller gigs, additionally if one has the Axe Fx3 they can capture amps and pedals to create presets that can then be downloaded to the FM9.
I'm actually quite interested in their cabinets. The 10" is 500 USD compared to the Friedman ASC-10 at 1200 USD.
yeah those look pretty decent hey!
Can you please demo them
I'm genuinely impressed! I didn't even know this was coming out tbh
It’s awesome, but the one thing missing is the ability to capture and share captures. I have some old classic amps and pedals that do not come in the unit, that I want to add in. That’s the one feature holding it back from passing the Quad Cortex. If they add that in, I would buy one in a second.
Love the workflow and it sounds as good as anything else. Impressed by the artist presets. What I really want is a tweed FR-12!
Great review brother, you really do a good job covering all the aspects of the device.
Thanks so much!
Reminds me of the introduction of the fender cyber twin back in the early 2000s.
Yes. Expensive and not as good as the competition
I like this , Nice size , interface , user friendly and sounds good , Fractal , Helix , Quad are all exceptional but there’s always room for competitors , thanks Leon
I think the Fractal still edges it out for sound. And by far for flexibility. But looks like a nice and modern take on a modeling box.
My AX8 is hell to use. This is much simpler.
And my AX8 makes a noise I can't kill without cranking the noise gate, killing the sustain and tone
@@michaelwilson2497Your AX8 is old technology. You can’t compare previous generations with current generation.
Sounds decent - at least through laptop speakers... and the UI looks great - it appears you don't really need a computer interface to get deep into editing. Using the foot switches as rotary knobs is brilliant (hopefully they're durable). I am a bit surprised at the $1700 USD price. For some reason I was expecting it to be less expensive, or at least to undercut the FM3.
Agreed. Sounds are merely decent imho (all seem to tend towards being dark/very dark), and those combination knob/dials seem like a big potential liability … imagine trying to get them replaced … lol. The pretty look/interface (and several loops?) seem like its standout features … I honestly can’t see this lasting long (especially not with the Tonex around), unless Fender makes it sound a lot better, pretty quickly … The sounds are not top-dollar, which is what they’re charging … Ongoing support from Fender?!?! I see this tanking, and Fender cutting and running …
The UI and the footswitch setup really impressed me. The tones... well, just don't sell your Fractal, and I don't plan to sell my Helix. But I very much enjoyed the demo.
I have an Axe FX III. It’s been fantastic. There’s nothing wrong with these tones at all. And dang that interface and form factor slays. If it said Fractal FM4 in the corner instead of Fender, everybody would be preaching game over, everywhere. All of these modelers need tweaking and time to learn the nuances. Adding IR’s is key. Fender will add to this over time I’m sure. But LT was hammering sounds out of this that were studio worthy already. You can see he was inspired. As an unofficial/official Fractal spokesman you can only go so far in your praise I would imagine. But you can’t say that Headrush didn’t change the game with touchscreens, that Fender hasnt developed an awesome one, and that Fractal now has their work cut out for them if they want to stay top dog. If Fender priced this a couple hundred lower, they could score major market share immediately. And start building a base of their own if they were forward looking enough.
😂I know my Headrush sounds way way way better than this modern fender tone made.
My initial thoughts are that it’s more inline with what I wanted from a quad cortex…. It’s a mix between a headrush and cortex
I want
Great vid Leon, thanks. Rocking the Liam Gallagher monobrow! Fender are entering a very contested market, but more competition is always better.
I don't yet have a modeller floor unit (or any other modeller!). I must say that I'm tempted by this. I'm not worried about not having a rabbit hole to tweak amps - that's for people with too much time on their hands! But the price is fairly steep - when the time comes, let's see what happens.
I have to say im really impressed by the tone and by the user friendly management. Well done from first view. Great demo as usual
Thank you kindly!
wow those sounds are freakin nice sounding and very bright, dig the playing man you are versatile with your styles.
Much appreciated!
Great Demo Leon. I hope they eventually come out with a Little Brother/Junior model of this Tone Master Pro
When any new gear comes out… this is my first stop for a fair honest and overall the best reviews…. Appreciate your work brother…. 🙏🏻☮️🤘👍🏻👍🏻
I appreciate that! Means a lot to know it's more than just bad guitar faces and noise.
FM3 user here. Love the layout, and really not too knob-heavy. Didn't hear one bad tone! I appreciate Leon sticking to rhythm give us the tone landscape. My knock on the FM3 is they tend to be lopsided with metal-ish presets etc and not a ton of edge of satisfactory break-up choices or tones like the Black Keys. Dig metal tones but like more rock n roll options. Still NOT selling my FM3!
I have been a Fractal person now for 3 years. This thing has got my attention. Great video Leon. Thanks for the info!!!
Thanks for watching. The UI and workflow in this is really well thought out. I'll be interested to see how the effects and modelling develop over time.
Good to see new stuff. I’ll keep my QC, is not perfect but sounds great and is super easy to dial in.
One thing I noticed with this unit is that the amp models sound like they have more girth than others I've heard, which makes this more realistic. If Fender can get rid of the artifacts in the high gain amps, I have the feeling this will be a very popular unit.
I'm hearing the artifacts in the clean amps too, when they start getting pushed. It's less noticeable, but it's there. And it's there in almost every demo I've seen, except for the Anderton's demo.
Fender has been doing modeling for a while now. They started with the Cybertwin amps and then the Mustang amps and floorboard.
And it will be interesting to see what updates will do fr it, too.
@@StratsRUsyeah, its cool but I think for now I will stick with my Synergy, H9 and CabM+.
Which all sucked
Excellent review Leon! Mahalo
My pleasure!
Interesting. QC interface, Boss GT routing, Helix like for live use. Not hearing QC/Fractal level of tones, especially on the Brit amps but will wait and see how opinions develop. I want to love it but I'm not sure. It sounds like it can sound great but will need a more post processing than some others to get there.
This seriously might pull me away from my anti modeling mentality. The UI is absolutely amazing. I love the 4 loops you can throw in and everything I've heard sounds fantastic. Also, my wife said it seems like a good price for everything that it does so that's something boys.
Pulled me away. I sold my evh head and cabinet and bought the tonemaster pro. Sounds amazing and zero learning curve. Just plug it in and start playing.
@@MG-cd7wiglad to hear you like it. I’m thinking of buying one just to use as a pedal board in front of my Vox amp for now (and dive into more features later)
I sold all my pedals years ago and since getting back into guitar this year, I want pedals again. I did the math and buying the 10 pedals I used to have would cost about the same as this tone master! So I figure why not get it all rolled into one platform and have the option to edit sounds and build out set lists way easier than with analogue gear…
Thanks for your videos, Leon! You are one of the best Guitar chanels of all RUclips. You, Leo Gibson, John Nathan inspired me to start my own RUclips Chanel about Amp Modelers in Spanish. Cheers from Mexico!
That's awesome! John and Leo are legends.
Just what the world needs. Another amp modeler. Great Video as always. I still love my Atomic.
I've known about this for awhile (work in UK guitar retail)
Not too sure, will have to see what the next few months bring re, artists that take this on board.
Great honest review @leon
I have a feeling this unit is going to be like a fart in the wind to anyone who isn't a boomer
Ooh, that interface is more than sexy…it’s practical! When you want to adjust the knobs on an amp it is much easier to turn the knobs that double as foot switches than using the touchscreen. Great idea!
Yeah that's probably my favourite aspect of the UI
Thanks for this Leon. The hardware looks really good, but not convinced about the sounds honestly. I don’t think fractal have anything to worry about as those units have so much more tweak ability and generally appeal to a different type of player.(like me) Once the price falls however both Helix and Headrush have a serious competitor. At the present price though I don’t think it sits well in the market place.
Glad this has a full size plug in power cord rather than the cheap and cheesy power supply supplied with the Quad Cortex.
Big time
The touch screen on this is large and very easy to use. The Line 6 Pod Go I use is a similar size, but much less user friendly. This is somewhat pricey, but for the ease of use, I believe it's worth the money and I'll probably buy one because of informative and superb video. Your video making skills are nearly at the level of your guitar skills, which is f*cking high. Thank you.
I really appreciate that mate!
Great video mate, really balanced perspectives and great sounds going!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Best video I've seen so far on this new device.
Totally agree with your point in relation to support and evolution over the lifespan of the product
That has been a major factor in keeping me on the Helix to date.
7 years old now which is an eternity in tech years especially in guitar tech years, but it has been continually and regularly updated.
It's also an area where Boss have failed with the GT-1000 IMO
Thank you for your time.
Sounds like a great unit but the price point is a bit high I think
FM9's tonesand system + Tone Master Pro's UI = the perfect weapon of mass awesomeness
This is the modeling rig I’ve been imagining. Skeuomorphic and easy to use.
Reminds me of Amplitube or similar plugins.
The price should be close to headrush prime, Helix LT and FM3 if Fender wants to have a chance. Otherwise it will be a complete failure. Now you can buy an FM9 without a waiting list.
Preconfigured chains (like the Headrush) isn't great, but everything else I think knocks it out the park. And combination button/knobs is just bonkers. LOVE the XLR outs, too.
Yeah, bonkers expresses it. Don’t understand the wisdom in combination of foot/hand controls for so many reasons.
@@rockstarjazzcat I imagine it's for people using it just like Leon here, on a desktop, in a studio.
Not sure, but I bet it's to manage CPU load in a predictable way.
Preconfigured chains This was one of the big nonstarters for me I hated my headrush gigboard for that and sold it
idk, I wanted to like it because the UI looks phenominal, but tone-wise, NDSP, fractal, and Helix crush what I've heard between you and Ola.
Competition is good, so cool I guess, but i don't think I'm going to regret my FM9t purchase any time soon
FM9 is better.
Love the UI, to me it sounds fantastic.
Such a great demo, thanks mate!
My pleasure!
My biggest question is about routing whether it's capable of running w/d/w with three FRFRs. Especially so with multiple wet effects in parallel with each other.
Absolutely a incredible demonstration I'm in for one it's offering everything imaginable in one unit. Buy the way your a awesome Guitarist very talented thanks!
Thank you very much!
Great demo, thank you! I’m always amazed not only by the tones you manage to get from the modelers you demo, but also by how quickly you learn to use them. Hope to see the EL34 get added to this unit as well.
I appreciate that mate :)
Very nice demo. Informative and fun. Good job Leon.
Glad you enjoyed it
I like the unit great workflow love the graphics amps + pedals. I'm really impressed by the FRFR cab that they offer with it though, as already have FM9. does all that better for me already.
Man, Leon, you do great videos.
Thanks
I appreciate that!
Fender is known for its incredible clean tones. Glad that you took the dirt off and demoed the clean channels. My opinion, Fender should have stuck to their own tones and not try to mimic other manufacturers.😊
That’s sweet but what I really want is just a TM Deluxe reverb modeler pedal with cab IRs and works great with my current pedals.
Listening in my car, Leon fantastic recording quality!
Glad you enjoyed it mate!
Another excellent video Leon. Thank you!
Thanks mate. Hope life is treating you well!
For me sounds between units can get close to each other across brands BUT the big thing is support over the lifetime of the hardware/software. Big names tend to abandon stuff after two or so years unlike say Fractal who support and update well past expectations.
I really like the layout as a live performer.
Really good, fair review.
Whoa junior, the Cyber series of amp at the turn of this century were excellent modelling amp.
well, I'm not getting rid of my FM9, but if i have some extra cash i'm not opposed to adding this to the collection. Looks and sounds amazing. Also, if i were a new purchaser and had the choice between this, or QC, i'd take a spin on a new product from Fender before going back to a company that still hasn't fully delivered on release day touted features nearly two years later.
It even launched with a plate reverb!
Love the screen! Cool unit!
Good? I think it is flat-out great!
Pros=
- sounds goods, amps, pedals and effects
- nice presets
- robust construction
- best screen and graphics
- knobs
- Fender brand (means no issues to find one, no issue for warranty, repair, no huge g66 style import prices)
Cons=
- no capture or .nam support
- big and heavy
- screen lags a little
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE EVERYTHING but the tones… they still sound cold and a touch unconvincing. They need to upgrade the algorithms so that it has more of that “real” character and behavior. Also warmth. ❤ With that said, I think it blows away the competition on everything else in my opinion. Simple, useful, powerful, slick, beautiful. Nice job Fender! ❤️🎸
tones are awful, agree
Yeah the workflow on this is stellar
Well, I now must turn on the notifications, so I’m ready when that unibrow video hits. Thank you sir we’re going through this with us.
I appreciate that! :p
@Leon Todd
Hey Leon, this device is incredible! I can create amp and effects combinations I only dreamed of before.
I made a 70s hard rock patch for my les paul. I used instrument series split routing. On the top I have a plexi with a close sm7b and on the bottom line a silver jubilee with the sm7b backed off a bit more. Low to moderate gain for the amps. I have them going to the DAW and panned hard L and R. I am driving it with the blues breaker. For ambience, I have the large plate reverb after each amp. This is the sound of hard rock! A plexi and a silver jub cranking, what a sound, man.
For my tele, I made a blues patch with similar routing. However, the amps and effects are different. I have the Bassman on the top row and the Super Reverb on the bottom. I am driving them with my Wampler Pantheon in the loop. For ambience, I have the memory man after the Bassman and have the Super Reverb's tank at 5.5. Eric Clapton city, baby.
Holy Swiss cheese batman!! Is it me? But your demo Leon has me convinced that fender has pulled a rabbit from its hat! Love the look and layout, and maybe I'm a noob ...but it sound pretty dam good to me 😮
I was most interested in hearing the IIc+ model. Not sure if it can be tweaked out, but it sounded too bassy and smooth here.
Love the I/O options. Couldn’t ask for more for my uses… Don’t like the preset signal chains. Tap dancing would be hard with spacing. Sounds good overall. A little $$!
GREAT souns, and love the screen. Hated everything else. Fractal or Helix are still better though.
Great video, and I love Fender, but what is the benefit over every version of this made by every other maker? This thing is still $1700. I have had the Fractal and LOVE it. Like you said, you wouldn't replace your Fractal. Kind of puzzling that they come out with this, this far into the game when Fractal and others have much more they have learned already.
Had a heads up on this one before it was released and then someone went and leaked it and now you’ve got your hands on one. Nice. Let’s hope fender can do fender amp models well
I think the Fender and 5150 models are definitely the highlight here!
@@LeonToddagree, those were the tones they have done best. The Marshall tones need work IMO from what I’ve heard so hopefully that can be a firmware update sometime soon 😊
I LOVE the 40:15 to the end part of this video. EVERYONE needs to watch that. Thank god for Leon Todd who doesn’t f¥ck about and just tells it like it is 🤘🤩
I’m sticking to my Fractal FM9 as well. It may not have a pretty touch screen and requires some learning, but you also get out of the Fractal what you put in.
I think one of those things would drive me into a frenzy of confusion over what sounds I want. lol So much to choose from. I do know what I like and fully understand what is going on with these. I know people who have been using modelers for a years. A few dropped the physical amplifier completely and most have gone in ears. These are also great for singing guitarist. You don't have to worry about the amp. Set it and forget it. Turn it on and fly nightly.
Excellent video, my first impression was that I wasn't happy with the internal power supply, they tend to cause problems earlier. Even more so in Brazil where there is no technical support.
brasil é com S cara
Nice review Leon. A good bit of kit and looks easier to use than some other units.
Great demo
Lovely piece of kit
Great video.. I had a feeling you might be doing this one soon since I saw someone else do a preview of this.. It sounds great, but the price is like the price of an FM3 which I would buy personally instead.. I'd get more amps with an fm3 and more effects and better tone.. Nothing wrong with this, especially if you are interested in Fender clean tones.. Like you though, I live mostly in the high gain world.. More is more.. 😛 Great video / demo sir as always on this channel..
Oh, sorry I had to leave on your live stream a couple days ago.. I actually fell asleep as I had been really busy and worked hard so I had to go to bed and get up early for work.
Have a great day my brother and be safe and well sir!
Tim
Hey there Tim. Sweetwater lists this on sale today for the same price as an FM9 in the Fractal shop, $1699. Totally agreed on better value in an FM3mkII Turbo, $1099 new. Can’t tell if the folks trying to crack the market are dealing with high development cost or just trying to insert their shiny objects in next to the leaders.
@@rockstarjazzcat Yeah.. It sure seems over priced to me....
This thing is so cool! I am going to have to get onboard with this.
Damnit!!! Another friggin box of tricks.
Excellent review mate 🤘
Is there any chance you could do a 4CM set-up with fender TMP and a real peavey 5150 or 6505+ amp and cab with V30s and set up the usual effects to run before pre amp and delay reverb in the FX loop and mic the cab to demostrate how this sounds through a real valve head.
Also the set up and addition of an expression pedal would be cool too see.
The ultimate rock metal rig set up.
The fender TMP looks liks a stout unit. The EVH 5150 sounded killer..
I run a 6505+ so alittle bias to that tone 🤌
I remember when modeling amps first started coming out, and Fender entered the category with the Cyber Twin. It was decent at the time. Motorized pots were cool. But I think I'm good with the XL+. I will complement Fender for working to stay relevant to the modern market, though!
Great video and first of many which says how manny effects can be loaded in a bloc-chain
Hi Leon, a great demo video as always!
I watched this when you released this video a month ago, but I've refrained from commenting for a couple of reasons. One of them being tied into your comment in your closing thoughts about how it would be interesting to see if Fender is still supporting the software for this modeler. In reflection of how Fender has been with their product line over the last few decades, they seem to come out with a great product, and 4 or 5 years later, they discontinue it. What replaces it has been less than stellar IMHO. For example, The Cyber series amps. The Twin and Deluxe were very good sounding amps, and I have both of them. They were replaced with the Mustang series, which really don't sound nearly as good.
The other reason I didn't comment until now is because by next year, there will be updates and tweaks to fix the little bugs in it that weren't caught prior to the release.
Would I get one? More than likely, my answer would be YES. I've been a huge fan of Fender since my early teens, and that pre-dates my affinity with my ADA gear. I love the maximum versatility I can get from the least amount of gear, and I like it to have the simplest interface to get all those sounds. This seems to check all those boxes. So yes, this does seem to offer a better quality sound than their modeling amps of the past decade, and I'll definitely acquire one of these with all of the attachments and accessories, and that includes all the software updates on a dedicated laptop, just like I have with the Cyber-amps I own. Whether I take one, or three Cyber-amps to a gig, it replaces all my racks and amps that I used to use, and is a lot less fuss to set up and use. This can take that one step further for me.
Some great sounds, one of the standouts was British. I think it's great that a founding amp maker like Fender has a box. I like the touchscreen, like HeadRush. Sticking with my Kemper as it is amazing, and every time Christoph Kemper does an update and upgrade, it is new tech without being charged and pushed into buying version II, II, Core or whatever. This box looks great though, and whatever works for someone is what matters.
Amazing that Kemper continues to release new updates absolutely free hey
@Leon Todd Dear Leon, I picked up the Tonemaster Pro from a local music shop. Would you please help out with a few practical questions? Maybe even as a demo video? 1. How do we set it up for 4CM with an amp that has an FX loop? Specifically, I would I like to use the tonemaster amp heads as preamps into my Friedman Small Box and toggle between them and the amp's own preamp. 2. How to you suggest mounting it to a pedal board? I am using a pedal train and want to integrate a couple of drive pedals. Thank you in advance. Always appreciative of you and the information you share.
Excellent questions. 4CM vid will be coming soon!
Glad to see this release from Fender. With their footprint in the music industry, I'd be surprised if they didn't overtake the modeling market. Their GTX series of Mustang amps sound awesome.
they can't beat fractal, esp at 1700 usd.
The inherent harshness of their amp modelling hurts my ears
totally agree. It may sound good at first but never WOW like you get plugging into the real thing. The sound really grates on me after a while and just has no soul in it. The many times I've gigged with modellers its the same horrible, lifeless feeling. @@0megalul309