FX8 (legacy)

FX8: in the owner's manual

• Not yet available.

FX8: about this wiki page

• The FX8 shares this wiki with the Axe-Fx II (XL). Because many of the FX8's effects are the same as in the Axe-Fx II. Content will be added to this page as it becomes available.

FX8: hi-res pictures

• High-res picture of the front
• High-res picture of the rear
• Announcement (high resolution PDF)

FX8: dimensions and weight

• Width: 16.00, Depth: 10.26", Front Height: 1.86", Rear Height: 3.07", Total Height Including Handle: 3.96". source
• Weight

FX8: official product information

• The FX8 is a new multi-effects pedalboard designed to deliver Fractal’s signature quality without compromise in an effects-only floor unit. FX8 runs up to eight simultaneous effects using the state-of-the-art algorithms made famous in the Axe-Fx II line of processors. It features a rugged steel chassis with aircraft aluminum end panels, convenient top handle, eleven quiet, durable solid state footswitches with no mechanical contacts to fail, 27 LEDs in three colors, five knobs beneath a bright display, Humbuster™ outputs to eliminate hum due to ground loops (when used with Humbuster™ cables), dual TRS relays for amp switching, two switch/expression pedal jacks, USB, MIDI and more. The unit is designed for unity gain and offers true bypass. Above all, it features an extremely high quality signal path to deliver ultra-low noise and pristine sound quality. In other words, “no tone suck!”
• Onboard preset memories let you create 128 totally different pedalboards. Every effect in every preset can be run in series or parallel. Using the optional “four cable” setup, you can place each effect “PRE” (between guitar and amp, where pedals go) or “POST” (in the amp’s send/return loop, where rack effects are typically placed).
• Use Stompbox Mode on the FX8 for traditional effect “tap dance” switching, or leverage the eight SCENES in each preset to engage pre-defined effect groups from a single switch. Many effects also offer “XY” switching, which gives them two completely different sound settings: imagine dialing in a single drive pedal with both “Overdrive” and “Fuzz” channels, or a reverb with foot-selectable “spring” and “hall” sounds.
• The fantastically flexible modifier system enables easy real-time sound changes. You can plug two expression pedals (like the forthcoming Fractal EV-1!) into the onboard jacks to control Wah, Whammy, Volume, or virtually anything else, and utilize MIDI or onboard controllers for automated dynamic effects. A precision tuner, two global equalizers and a dedicated, global 4-minute stereo Looper are also built-in.
• FX8-EDIT, a full-featured software editor, is also included free. In the tradition of all Fractal Audio Systems products, the FX8 is fully compatible with Fractal-Bot for preset sharing, easy backup and restore, plus firmware updates as new features are added.

FX8: official list of features

• FX8 is an advanced multi-effects processor, perfect for guitar, bass, and other instruments.
• “Built Like a Tank” with a powder-coated steel chassis and aircraft aluminum end panels.
• Eleven quiet, durable solid state footswitches with no mechanical contacts to fail. 27 LEDs!
• Two onboard TRS RELAYS to control your amp’s channel or effect switching.
• Two onboard PEDAL jacks to connect footswitches or expression pedals.
• FX8 can control or respond to other MIDI gear in your rig with MIDI IN and OUT/THRU ports.
• Easy-to-use with a 160×80px display, 6 buttons, 5 knobs, and minimal menu diving.
• 128 PRESETS allow you to create 128 completely different pedalboards.
• Up to eight simultaneous effects per preset, with state-of-the-art “Fractal-quality” algorithms.
• Each effect can be configured as desired: Pre/Post, Series/Parallel.
• “Stompbox Mode” provides traditional ON/OFF switching, plus XY switching (with press & hold).
• “XY” gives many effects two completely different sets of settings for maximum sonic flexibility.
• Eight SCENES/preset allow you to load effect ON/OFF and X/Y “combos” (plus relays and MIDI.)
• “Modifiers” allow real-time control of many parameters via MIDI, pedals, or controllers.
• Designed for UNITY GAIN (both PRE and POST) and featuring TRUE BYPASS.
• High quality converters deliver ultra-low noise and pristine audio. No tone suck!
• Humbuster outputs help defeat ground hum (when used with Humbuster™ Cables).
• Built-in global IN and OUT VOLUME (pedal-assignable) & dual global 10-band Graphic EQ.
• Every preset includes a built-in dedicated global 4-MINUTE LOOPER (8m in mono)
• USB for connection to a Mac or PC for easy editing, backup/restore, and firmware updates.
• FX8-Edit, a free editor/librarian, gives user-friendly access to all sound settings.
• And more! Upgradeable firmware means the FX8 will get updates and new features.

FX8: effects

• The FX8 provides these effects: Chorus², Compressor², Delay², Drive², Stereo Enhancer, Filter², Flanger², Formant, Gate, GEQ², Megatap Delay, Multi Delay, PEQ², Phaser², Pitch, Reverb², Ring Modulator, Rotary Cabinet, Trem/Pan, Volume, Wah². And Looper. Plus new blocks for sending MIDI and manually controlling the onboard RELAYS.

FX8: FX8-Edit, the software editor

FX8: quotes from Fractal Audio

• 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
• Tuner? Of course. 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
• The footswitches are not freely assigned. In "Stompbox" mode, they toggle the effect on/off, in Scene change they select the appropriate scene, and in preset/bank change, they select the appropriate preset. 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

FX8: videos

• Larry Mitchell
• Larry Mitchell
• Cooper Carter

FX8: FX8-Edit

• FX8-Edit is the free software editor for Fractal Audio's FX8 multi-effects pedalboard.
• Available for Windows and Mac.