FX8 (legacy)

The information on this page supplements the official manuals.

About the FX8

The FX8 provides effects for the gigging musician who uses his own amp(s) and cabinet(s), including specific "no tone suck" support for 4CM (4 Cable Method). It provides dedicated relays for amp channel switching and other amp functions.

Specifications

• Made in the USA source
• Dimensions: 16.35" x 3.96" x 10"" / 415.29mm x 100.6mm x 254mm
• Weight: 11.5 lbs/ 5.2 kg
• Fractal Audio's proprietary Solid State Switches, no mechanical contacts
• 160x80 dot matrix LCD
• USB 2.0 Type B
• Sample rate: 48 kHz (fixed)
• Impedance: 1 Megohm (depending on Input Impedance setting)
• Built-in switchable AC power supply.

"As soon as you put a power supply inside a product you are required by law to have a safety ground from the chassis to the third wire of the power cable. This can cause a ground loop. The GSP 1101 uses an internal supply and would be subject to ground loops depending upon the application. In the old days products only used 2-wire power cables and if a conductor shorted to the chassis it wouldn't necessarily blow a fuse and you could get electrocuted. Connecting the chassis to ground ensures that the circuit breaker will trip in the event that one of the power conductors shorts to the chassis. A wall-wart isolates the power supply outside the chassis inside a plastic housing which means that there is no requirement for the chassis to be connected to earth ground. The downsides of wall-warts are well known though. In certain applications (i.e. Hi-Fi) you can use a double-insulated power supply with no chassis safety ground but that is not permitted for "professional installations". With products that use internal power supplies if you encounter a ground loop you then need to either use isolation transformers or "cheater plugs" (which are dangerous). The FX-8 eliminates the need for these by using a simple, inexpensive cable. Some products have dedicated ground lift switches but you are required to have at least one switch grounded and if you don't you are inviting disaster (blown output drivers, etc.)." source

More specifications in the Owner's Manual.

Differences between original FX8 and Mark II

"In comparison to the original FX8, the Mark II has a black bezel and end caps plus an improved silkscreen design -- the #1 footswitch is now in the lower left, and "F" labels are used for the three programable switches. In addition, a new option allows the pad on the instrument input to be set at a maximum of 18dB (vs, 12dB previously) making the unit more suitable with ultra-high output guitars and basses. Finally, outputs have an even lower noise floor! All FX8 presets are fully cross-compatible between the original and Mark II models. Footswitch assignments stay in their original physical positions instead of following the numbers. FX8-Edit automatically detects which model is connected and adjusts itself accordingly." source

"The two units, FX8 and FX8 Mark II require different firmware. Two key differences explain why: (1) The extra input pad needs to be settable on one unit and not the other. (2) The footswitches are numbered differently based on customer feedback. Therefore, it is extremely important that the decision about which firmware to install not be ambiguous. Customers not familiar with the product history should have an easy time of it. Sure, we could have called it the FX8-B (or anything else) but the terminology "Mark II" is one we've used before for similar changes, so this is a consistent naming increment, and we wanted it to stand out on." source

"The Mark II has lower noise output buffers. The reduction in noise is around 3-4 dB IIRC. Whether or not that is audible with your particular amp is not known." source

Presets can be transferred between both models, using FX8-Edit. Preset switch locations will automatically be renumbered.

Mounting the FX8

You can remove the rubber feet to mount it on a pedalboard with Velcro. BUT: do not use the same screws again, use substitute screws. You need M3.5 x 6mm flat head screws. source

Where to find these substitute screws in Europe.

Quotes from Fractal Audio about the FX8

• "This product is aimed at the person who doesn't want to use modeling. It is specifically designed for use with an amp. The I/O architecture was designed to integrate with tube amps." source
• "Just effects. Specifically designed for 4CM with dedicated pre- and post- paths. Up to 8 simultaneous effects. Any number assignable pre/post. Any combination of series or parallel routing. Two expression pedal inputs, four relay outputs. USB for remote editing with free FX8-Edit software. Silent Switch technology from the MFC Mark III. True Bypass. Etc., etc. Don't drop it on your foot." source
• "Amp channel switching? Yes." source
• "Anything new that's not in the Axe-Fx II? True bypass and relay outputs. Longer Looper time. Other than that it's most of the fx from the Axe-Fx II in a floor package." source And: It doesn't have the vocoder or quad chorus. It has two instances of many effects (the ones where you'd want more than one). source
• "Note that each relay jack is TRS so there are two relays per jack so you get four relay outputs." source
• "You don't have to use TRS. With a mono cable obviously you'll only get one relay output." source
• "Internal, universal power supply." source
• "Will it respond to Program Change and CC commands? Yes, and it supports SCENES too." source
• "The FX-8 is not a substitute for the MFC. It cannot function as a dedicated MIDI controller for the Axe-Fx. It will send basic MIDI commands but it is not intended to be a MIDI controller." source
• "It can't do the two-way comms that the Axe-Fx II uses. It can operate as a BASIC midi controller but it's not nearly as capable as an MFC. If all you need is PC, CC and expression then, yes, it can do that." source
• "I believe that the number one feature of this product is "No Tone Suck". The noise floor is amazingly low, you can't tell when the unit is engaged versus bypassed. The analog signal path design is pristine. We used these new Analog Devices premium op-amps which cost about 10x what other manufacturers typically use and the results are worth it." source
• "No fan." source
• "You can select whether True Bypass bypasses both the pre (before amp) and post (amp's loop) paths or just the pre path. Honestly though the noise floor is so low that you'd be hard pressed to tell whether it was true bypass or DSP bypass. The signal still goes through a buffer but bypasses the converters. I guess technically it should be called "Buffered True Bypass". The buffer has an extremely low self-noise." source
• "The FX8 has 128 different presets (patch); each preset has 8 scenes:
  • Preset - up to 8 unique effects, configured in any desired Pre/Post configuration (4/4, 2/6, etc.)
  • Scene - each scene saves the following effect states: On/Off, X/Y (when available).
• Spillover can be configured for both Preset transitions and Scene transitions.
• Each footswitch controls the On/Off and X/Y state of the corresponding effect. More transitions can be controlled through the use of Presets and Scenes.
• The Looper settings are stored with each Preset, but the audio is not.
• The FX8 groups the effects in the Pre (before the amp) Loop and Post (Effects Loop) Loop. There is a Pre/Post setting that is saved with each preset. Simply changing your Pre/Post setting to 8/0 will put all of your effects in the Pre loop." source
• "There are two Scene Controllers that can be attached to modifiers. You can use one of the scene controllers to change the value of your Reverb hold from off to on, and back." source
• "There are 12 external controllers." source
• "Like the Axe-FX, there is a CPU meter, and you do have to be aware of your utilization." source
• "Bypassing the front end does work like other products and will reduce the added noise since it bypasses the converters and associated electronics. However the FX-8 is so quiet that any added noise is virtually imperceptible. The self-noise of the FX-8 is less than the self-noise of a typical electric guitar so the guitar itself becomes the dominant noise source. This was a challenging design point and I spent a lot of time figuring out how to make an A/D system that could meet that requirement. So, while you can bypass the front end (if you want to be a purist), it's not really necessary as the unit is so quiet anyways." source
• "Where effects are common to both units, you can export them from the Axe-FX, and import them into the FX8." source
• "Scene changes can set relay states and send MIDI without using effect blocks." source
• "You have 8 scenes per preset. Scenes do not necessarily change any effect unless you want. Additionally, you can use the relay block with X/Y settings allowing for two separate "On" states for the given relay. X/Y can be changed on any block using scenes or "stomp box" mode. If your amp requires a single relay output to transition to all three "On" states (Tip to Sleeve, Ring to Sleeve, and Both) then you will need to use scenes. Otherwise, either option will work for you, and it will be a matter of preference." source
• "No Amp or Cabinet simulation. Just effects (up to 8 at a time)." source
• "There are two methods for triggering the relay outputs: (2) Tie them to scene changes (2) Use a relay block in the grid - ties the block to a particular footswitch. Because they both rely on software to drive the relay(s), some CPU utilization is required (albeit a very small amount). However, if you do not wish to use scenes to drive the relay(s), then you have to tie the change to a foot switch. This consumes real estate in the grid as it also consumes a footswitch to drive the relay." source
• "There are 8 scenes per preset, corresponding to the 8 effect footswitches. When in STICKY SCENES are turned on, stepping on the SCENE/PRESET footswitch puts you in SCENE mode. Once in SCENE mode, each of the numbered footswitches will change to the active scene. Once you wish to return to STOMPBOX mode, step on the SCENE/PRESET footswitch again." source
• "USB is for configuration and MIDI only." source
• "The FX8 uses the standard USB MIDI drivers. No additional drivers are required." source
• "No driver is required. FX8 is fully class compliant." source
• "The Pedal inputs are not configured to handle two switches." source
• "The FX-8 was specifically designed to be a "Pro" unit. No BS, no whacky effects. What you get is straightforward, extremely high-quality effects and circuit design. The money is in the circuitry. It's very difficult to design something that is sonically transparent. To do so requires expensive parts. The I/O in/out of the converters is all balanced design which most consumer products don't use. This almost doubles the number of components needed (and hence the cost) but results in lower noise and distortion. The converters themselves are Cirrus Logic's "flagship" converters (= $$$$$). Our philosophy with the FX-8 and upcoming AX8 is no-frills, just absolute best sound quality in a convenient floor unit." source
• "Are the outputs buffered for long cable runs? Yes." source
• "Both the AX8 and FX-8 are made in the USA." source
• "The AX8 is not "way more powerful" than the FX-8. The AX8 has one additional DSP that is DEDICATED to amp modeling. If you don't use the amp modeling the AX8 has the same power as the FX-8. The AX8 will not work as well as the FX-8 in 4CM. It is not designed for that. It will do 4CM, as will most digital processors but the FX-8 is the only processor of which I'm aware that is truly optimized for 4CM. That optimization requires a lot of expensive circuitry. The op-amps used are very expensive and there's dozens of them just to support the 4CM stuff. Add to that relays for true bypass, metal film capacitors, etc., etc., and you end up with an expensive design. The FX-8 and AX8 are built on the same code base. There is a single folder that is used to build the common elements for both products. Enhancements to one automatically enhance the other. All this work we've been doing for the AX8 will improve the FX-8. The AX8 will be much more popular than the FX-8. That should be obvious. Most people want the amp modeling. If you don't care about the amp modeling then the FX-8 is the better product and the whole reason for having two different products."
• "The AX8 and FX-8 use the same converters (CS4272-CZZ) and op-amps. The circuit design in the FX-8 is necessarily much more complex to support true-bypass switching (without pops and clicks) and to optimize the outputs for use in 4CM." source
• "As soon as you put a power supply inside a product you are required by law to have a safety ground from the chassis to the third wire of the power cable. This can cause a ground loop. The GSP 1101 uses an internal supply and would be subject to ground loops depending upon the application. In the old days products only used 2-wire power cables and if a conductor shorted to the chassis it wouldn't necessarily blow a fuse and you could get electrocuted. Connecting the chassis to ground ensures that the circuit breaker will trip in the event that one of the power conductors shorts to the chassis. A wall-wart isolates the power supply outside the chassis inside a plastic housing which means that there is no requirement for the chassis to be connected to earth ground. The downsides of wall-warts are well known though. In certain applications (i.e. Hi-Fi) you can use a double-insulated power supply with no chassis safety ground but that is not permitted for "professional installations". With products that use internal power supplies if you encounter a ground loop you then need to either use isolation transformers or "cheater plugs" (which are dangerous). The FX-8 eliminates the need for these by using a simple, inexpensive cable. Some products have dedicated ground lift switches but you are required to have at least one switch grounded and if you don't you are inviting disaster (blown output drivers, etc.)." source
• "The FX8 was not designed for use with Global Blocks, and there are no plans to add them." source
• "The XL+ does not offer True Bypass, nor does it offer additional relay outputs for amp channel switching. So, we are back to the statement that the FX8 has additional circuitry optimized for 4CM. The True Bypass can be applied to the Pre stage, Post stage, or Both. Giving more flexibility when using 4CM." source