# NGD: Fractal Audio FX8



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

__
http://instagr.am/p/BhK2bNsBFB_/

Went and picked up my new FX8 MkII after work today. I've already made up a preset with 90% of the tones I use, and I'll be making a second with one slight tweak to the reverbs and set up switching between the two.

I haven't A/B'd the traditional board sound-wise with the FX8, mostly due to the better half not feeling well. So far I've found it reasonably intuitive (easier to navigate than the HelixFX) granted I've been using the manual while I edit and move around. I've already made 8 scenes on my first preset, however committing them to memory will take a bit of time. I'll be running our set at home and fine-tuning/learning as I go. I'm really hoping to get scenes down sooner rather than later - it will be a matter of layout and knowing which one is where. The good news is that you can still operate each footswitch as a stompbox no matter what scene you're using. 

I really look forward to opening up some new possibilities with this unit. Expect to see it on our upcoming tour!


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## bigboki (Apr 16, 2015)

Happy new "thingy" day!


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

Your instagram is full of dogs and musicgear. Long story short, I am following it.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

RBlakeney said:


> Your instagram is full of dogs and musicgear. Long story short, I am following it.


Expect the odd tour poster and landmark establishment.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Congrats! 

You seldom post getting any new gear (especially recently).

The FX8 looks like endless creativity for you and will be fun to "test out" on your upcoming tour.

ENJOY!!


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

Does the floor unit do amp sounds as well, or just effects?


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Budda said:


> __
> http://instagr.am/p/BhK2bNsBFB_/
> 
> Went and picked up my new FX8 MkII after work today. *I've already made up a preset with 90% of the tones I use, and I'll be making a second with one slight tweak to the reverbs and set up switching between the two.*
> ...


Lol, 2 presets? You think that's gonna cover it?!?!?! I guarantee you once you're more comfortable with it, you're going to end up with a LOT more than that. I basically have a Preset for EVERY SONG we do, and each Preset has Snapshots/Scenes for different parts (verse, chorus, solo, bridge, outro, etc.). You'd better get ready to go down the rabbit hole


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Congrats on the new gear. Hope it works out for you on the tour dates.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

hollowbody said:


> Lol, 2 presets? You think that's gonna cover it?!?!?! I guarantee you once you're more comfortable with it, you're going to end up with a LOT more than that. I basically have a Preset for EVERY SONG we do, and each Preset has Snapshots/Scenes for different parts (verse, chorus, solo, bridge, outro, etc.). You'd better get ready to go down the rabbit hole


I don't use the banks on my strymons live, and I only technically need 1 sound in the A2 preset . Got a deep editing tool for the simple stuff haha.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

greco said:


> Congrats!
> 
> You seldom post getting any new gear (especially recently).
> 
> ...


 I don't have money for new gear, so I don't usually get new gear haha. If this works out, all my old pedals go up for grabs (and the power supply).



butterknucket said:


> Does the floor unit do amp sounds as well, or just effects?


This one is effects only. The AX8 covers amp and cab sims + effects. This will be running into the front end of my JCM800.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

Budda said:


> I don't have money for new gear, so I don't usually get new gear haha. If this works out, all my old pedals go up for grabs (and the power supply).
> 
> 
> 
> This one is effects only. The AX8 covers amp and cab sims + effects. This will be running into the front end of my JCM800.


Which Strymon do you have, if said effects are sold off?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

butterknucket said:


> Which Strymon do you have, if said effects are sold off?


a timeline and a bigsky.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Budda said:


> I don't have money for new gear, so I don't usually get new gear haha. If this works out, all my old pedals go up for grabs (and the power supply).
> 
> 
> 
> This one is effects only. The AX8 covers amp and cab sims + effects. This will be running into the front end of my JCM800.


Where's the dirt coming from? Fx8?

Want to touch. @Alex got me pumped to try one

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

adcandour said:


> Where's the dirt coming from? Fx8?


Yup. Using the OCD model right now but may mess with some things.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

That’s pretty cool.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

jdto said:


> That’s pretty cool.


Highlights include: not accidentally stepping on knobs, layout basically the same as my old board until I memorize my scenes, x/y feature.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Budda said:


> I don't use the banks on my strymons live, and I only technically need 1 sound in the A2 preset . Got a deep editing tool for the simple stuff haha.


because the banks are massively annoying to deal with? 

you've got MIDI control now and the ability all sorts of changes to happen with 1 footswitch. You'll go off the deep end soon! %h(*&


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Let's hear it!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

hollowbody said:


> because the banks are massively annoying to deal with?


No, because I would switch them by accident. How everyone hasnt jumped on the "knob lock" feature the Boss 500 series have is beyond me. Thats one thing I missed about the DD-500 haha.

We'll see when the deep end happens.

As for clips, eventually.


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## BSTheTech (Sep 30, 2015)

Budda said:


> Expect the odd tour poster and landmark establishment.


...and pics of groupies!


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## TheYanChamp (Mar 6, 2009)

You sonnavabich!

Sent from my SGH-M919V using Tapatalk


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

adcandour said:


> Where's the dirt coming from? Fx8?
> 
> Want to touch. @Alex got me pumped to try one
> 
> Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


Imo, a great bang for the buck featuring state of the art effects, stellar switching system and great looper.

Congrats Justin and trust that it worked out on the spacing between foot switches(?). The FX8 Editor using your computer is a must.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Alex said:


> Imo, a great bang for the buck featuring state of the art effects, stellar switching system and great looper.
> 
> Congrats Justin and trust that it worked out on the spacing between foot switches(?). The FX8 Editor using your computer is a must.


It's been alright editing at home but it's mostly been dialling in on the unit - I haven't hooked it up to my computer yet to use the FX-edit. I figure making sure I can make adjustments in the middle of nowhere, Utah, is good knowledge to have haha. Also I need to see if I have the right USB cable.

As for the button spacing - a little bit wider than the strymons, so hopefully no issues. The real test will be at practice tomorrow. I've re-assigned the F switches so that all I have is F1 as single scene (they're saved but not in use yet) and F3 is the tuner. The main thing for me was getting all of the sounds set up.

Speaking of which, I was bummed out when I couldn't get two reverb banks in my preset. I was talking with my brother and decided to see if turning off the looper would do it - and it did! All my live sounds are in 1 preset and it's awesome.


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## sorbz62 (Nov 15, 2011)

Has your Marshall got an fx loop?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

sorbz62 said:


> Has your Marshall got an fx loop?


Nope. Everything out front, all the time. 

I like the sound of reverb and delay in the loop, but thats not the sound of the band.


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## sorbz62 (Nov 15, 2011)

Sounds good to me. I am currently using a Suhr SL68 which doesn't have a loop and it sounds awesome with everything up front.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I try to convince @adcandour but hes not buying (it).


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Budda said:


> I try to convince @adcandour but hes not buying (it).


I gotta try it first


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## TubeStack (Jul 16, 2009)

Did you boost your Marshall with an OD or anything?

If so, what’s filling that purpose on the FX8?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

adcandour said:


> I gotta try it first


Havent we tried it a couple of times?



TubeStack said:


> Did you boost your Marshall with an OD or anything?
> 
> If so, what’s filling that purpose on the FX8?


I run my marshall clean. I use an ocd for dirt and a micro amp for a little more gain and volume. The fx8 models both of those pedals. I may need to adjust the output level of my preset as the micro amp is a 20dB boost iirc, and i run it at 75%. Really, as long as I get a big enough boost from the fx8 I'll be fine. I was supposed to have practice yesterday which was the first real test, but a member was ill.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I finally got to use it at practice. There's some tweaks to be made as far as tones go (dirt, tails, octave setting), but overall it does what I expect it to do.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Budda said:


> I don't have money for new gear, so I don't usually get new gear haha.* If this works out, all my old pedals go up for grabs (and the power supply).*
> 
> 
> .


Great "Sears" unit! I'm sure you'll find this easier once the learning curve is finished.


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## TheYanChamp (Mar 6, 2009)

Uh oh. Here we go again...

Sent from my SGH-M919V using Tapatalk


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

TheYanChamp said:


> Uh oh. Here we go again...
> 
> Sent from my SGH-M919V using Tapatalk


?


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Glad your FX8 worked out fairly quickly Budda. Nice units.


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