Quad Cortex or Fractal FM3?

[Shoeless_jose]

I vote FM3. I have full size Helix which I like but still sometimes feel the lure of the Fractal. Either unit is too much functionality for me but I know I'd be hard pressed to switch without losing money and Helix scratches most of my itches anyway.

 

[baptizedinblood]

Just got a QC recently, upgraded from an Axe FX 2 (the FIRST model). So far, I really like the simplicity of the interface on the QC. There's a lot to be said for something that lets you plug in and dial a killer tone within minutes. A lot less fussing around than on my Fractal device for sure. With that being said, I'm still waitlisted for the FM9 and will be ordering it as soon as my name comes up for the new Turbo. Probably going to keep both. I really like the QC so far, but it's definitely a very 'young' device as others have stated. Will be fun to see how it grows with future updates. Anyone else in a similar situation as me? Curious to hear others takes on it. I think the top modelers (Fractal, Kemper, QC) are all pretty much at the same level at this point tbh.

 

[ShredmasterD]

After buying Archetype Petrucci from Neural and not being satisfied at all with the massive artifact content and basically being unusable for crunch tones without massive noise gate reliance, along with the slow delivery of promised features for the QC from Neural, I bought a FM-3 rather than a QC. It sounds great. I like it better than my Kemper. Sounds ‘warmer’ to my ear. This is only my 2 cents and experience. One thing about the fm 3 is it’s kinda funky to navigate and set up until you get familiar with it, but no more so than a Kemper, which is also too me , not completely intuitive to use until it’s learned but I do think the FM-3 is easier.

 

[laxu]

Just got a QC recently, upgraded from an Axe FX 2 (the FIRST model). So far, I really like the simplicity of the interface on the QC. There's a lot to be said for something that lets you plug in and dial a killer tone within minutes. A lot less fussing around than on my Fractal device for sure. With that being said, I'm still waitlisted for the FM9 and will be ordering it as soon as my name comes up for the new Turbo. Probably going to keep both. I really like the QC so far, but it's definitely a very 'young' device as others have stated. Will be fun to see how it grows with future updates. Anyone else in a similar situation as me? Curious to hear others takes on it. I think the top modelers (Fractal, Kemper, QC) are all pretty much at the same level at this point tbh.

The way I see it, the device that puts you into "making music" mode instead of "tweaking tones" mode is the right device.

I have a love/hate relationship with Fractal. I don't like their hardware much but really like what their software can do and all its capabilities. I'm just begrudgingly sticking with their products until the next gen as I know them inside out and am happy with the sounds they produce.

I'm currently contemplating if I want to sell or keep my FM3. I have an Axe-Fx 3 so don't really have a need to own both, but at the same time I could probably just replace my pedalboard with the FM3.

 

[baptizedinblood]

The way I see it, the device that puts you into "making music" mode instead of "tweaking tones" mode is the right device.

I have a love/hate relationship with Fractal. I don't like their hardware much but really like what their software can do and all its capabilities. I'm just begrudgingly sticking with their products until the next gen as I know them inside out and am happy with the sounds they produce.

I'm currently contemplating if I want to sell or keep my FM3. I have an Axe-Fx 3 so don't really have a need to own both, but at the same time I could probably just replace my pedalboard with the FM3.

Agreed, I have spent so many hours chasing my tail on my Axe-FX 2 trying to get it "just right" that I am starting to prefer the simplicity of something like the QC. And let's face it, these aren't real amps, if you want *real* amp tone, buy a real amp.

If I was in your position, I'd just sell it all once you can get your hands on an FM9. Best of both worlds IMO.

 

[budda]

Agreed, I have spent so many hours chasing my tail on my Axe-FX 2 trying to get it "just right" that I am starting to prefer the simplicity of something like the QC. And let's face it, these aren't real amps, if you want *real* amp tone, buy a real amp.

If I was in your position, I'd just sell it all once you can get your hands on an FM9. Best of both worlds IMO.

The interesting part is that you'd know exactly how to get what you want out of a fractal device due to your time spent on the II.

I get real amp tone out of my iii btw

 

[baptizedinblood]

The interesting part is that you'd know exactly how to get what you want out of a fractal device due to your time spent on the II.

I get real amp tone out of my

True, but even with a good tone I still keep chasing the dragon. I'll likely grab the FM9 Turbo when my name comes up. Fractal is fantastic at what they do, I'm just not always in the mood to dial and tweak.

For recording purposes, yeah you can get a real amp tone, but that 'amp in room' feel is nearly impossible to get 100% even with a poweramp+fractal+cab outside of a recording setting. I've tried it all. Caved and bought a Morgan MVP23 to satisfy that real tube feel

 

[MatrixClaw]

True, but even with a good tone I still keep chasing the dragon. I'll likely grab the FM9 Turbo when my name comes up. Fractal is fantastic at what they do, I'm just not always in the mood to dial and tweak.

For recording purposes, yeah you can get a real amp tone, but that 'amp in room' feel is nearly impossible to get 100% even with a poweramp+fractal+cab outside of a recording setting. I've tried it all. Caved and bought a Morgan MVP23 to satisfy that real tube feel

I've felt the same about every version of the Fractal line, until I got the FM3. The FM3 is super easy to dial in. The I and II I'd spend endless hours tweaking. The 3, I just pull up an amp model, set the EQ controls like I normally would on an amp and that's it.

 

[Paul Gilbert]

Man just get an PODxt Pro/axefx ultra, 3rd party IRs, Behringer midi controller and call it a day. No one would hear the difference unless you’re looking at it like… “hey thats the best tone ever what gear are you using? What?? It would be better if you used….”

Fm3

 

[AEZM]

Man just get an PODxt Pro/axefx ultra, 3rd party IRs, Behringer midi controller and call it a day. No one would hear the difference

Yes, I learned the hard way (loss of a lot of money) and countless tests of each part of my gear, to finally realize that the truth is that we only need perhaps 1% of what we have believed all our lives.

* It is also largely the fault of the big companies, which with their misleading advertisements, make us believe things that are not, and add to that the disinformation in the forums, a dangerous combination. XD

 

[Der JD]

I've tweaked my life away on Axe Fx, FM3, Kemper, real amps with load boxes, and numerous plugins (including several Neural plugins that I own) for the last 10 years. I'm a natural born tweaker. I enjoy it but it does get frustrating at times and keeps me from what I really should be doing- practicing and tracking!

We're getting to the point now in which the modeling from the big players is good, really good, both hardware and software. With the same IR most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Which brings me to my point- the IMPULSE RESPONSE! This is hardly news to a lot of us but if we're strictly talking about the quality of tone between these major players, at least 90% of it is the IR. A good IR makes a bad amp model sound good. Use the same IR with several different amp models, most will sound VERY similar.

For tweakers like me, spend more time on finding and/or creating the IR that gets you where you want tonewise vs. screwing with advanced amp parameters or spending tons of extra money on a unit that gives you an amp model that sounds 1% better.

 

[AEZM]

We're getting to the point now in which the modeling from the big players is good, really good

It was always good, what happens is that most of us knew absolutely nothing about production and mixing, and we just thought that buying guitar X and Amp Y was the answer to everything, until over the years we realized how wrong we were.

Just realize how many years ago Joey Sturgis was getting professional tones, with a simple POD XT and Pod Farm on the daw, when at that time ignorant people talking shit about line 6, saying it was crap, a toy only for beginners, but no something to take seriously, and then they realized that line 6 was not the problem, but they who were unable to obtain good results, with their limited knowledge and limited production skills.