We’ve enhanced the Fractal Integration mode. Sharing the updated beta firmwares here.
We also managed to replicate an issue experienced by some users where the screen displayed was blank when in the integration mode - this should be fixed in the attached firmwares.
Enhancements
In Preset integration mode, you can scroll up/down the groups of presets using the bank up/down buttons (i.e. A+B, B+C on M6 and A+B, C+D on MC8). Pressing B+C on MC8 or D+E/E+F on MC6 will exit the page.
In Scene integration mode, selected scene will now blink. Exit button is removed. To exit the page, use B+C on MC8 or A+B/B+C on MC6. This means that there will be 6 and 8 selectable scenes on the MC6 and MC8 respectively.
If anyone does manage to give this a try, so let me know how it works for you, thanks!
I just tested the Scene integration part on my MC8, and it works great. The Fractal integration is really awesome, thanks a lot for putting all that work into it.
Two items of feedback from my testing:
There’s an inconsistency on Omniport handling:
– Expression pedals on the Omniports work as expected
– AUX switches on omniport seem to be non-functional
— Context: In my setup, I’ve programmed tap tempo, Axe-FX3 tuner, and Axe-FX Looper controls. Losing this functionality in Fractal scene integration mode is something I could imagine being a showstopper for many users with external switchers.
The (current) scene name blinking doesn’t seem to be synchronized to the tap tempo, which to me is fairly distracting when recording loops: trying to stay in time when the MC8 is blinking at a different speed is confusing my brain
Just flashed this, works great! I can even use my “bank jump” aux switch to exit scene integration. That’s awesome.
Regarding the blinking: I feel like the large [Fractal Integration] Scene select is taking up a lot of space for the (lack of) value it provides, and could potentially be replaced with the Axe-Fx Preset number and name. I did a quick mockup for this:
I know it doesn’t explicitly mention “Fractal Integration” anymore, but [preset #][scene #] should be a clear indicator that we’re not in a regular bank, and this notation would be a bit more similar to the regular bank (bank name line 2, preset name line 3).
Select scene n on the MC8
– Scene n starts blinking
Select scene n+1 on AF3
– Still scene n blinking
I assume the Fractals aren’t sending any MIDI on scene changes unless manually configured via a Scene MIDI block (Scene MIDI block - Fractal Audio Wiki); I guess the Fractal Audio footcontrollers poll the current scene every so often to update their status.
Thanks for the update. it is good to not take up a button with “exit”
I still cant really use the Fractal Integration as much as I really want to.
Right now I have the FM3 setup to send changes to the MC6 to change bank.
FM3 Button 1 tap goes to scenes bank on MC6
FM3 Button 2 tap goes to effects bank on MC6
FM3 Button 3 tap goes to presets bank on MC6
FM3 Button 3 hold goes to looper control bank on MC6
When I use fractal integration, I lost the ability for the FM3 to control which bank is displayed on the MC6. I do really like that the MC6 can read preset names and scene names though. Any way we could have it respond to the FM3 like it does in the non Fractal integration mode, and read the names and scroll through presets like it does in Fractal Integration mode?
I tried it out and it works well. Having the OmniPorts functional in integration mode is a big help. Would it be possible to show the LongName for the Aux presets somewhere when they are engaged like it does in the regular mode, though?
Thanks for the feedback. I don’t think that will be feasible in the short term unfortunately - that require too much integration for a general MIDI controller.
OK, thanks! good to know. It is still working well for my needs. I don’t really mind just having “Scene 1” etc. The Preset names are more important to me.
In this update, does activating the scenes represent any latency? Previously I manually configured everything and I had tried to have in the same switch the scene 1 pressing and double tapping had assigned a bank change and that generated a latency to access the scene.
Now I see that I can exit the fractal integretation by pressing A+B or B+C instead of having the Exit switch which was before. This does not generate latency?
That’s right, you had already helped me with that doubt in another post thank you very much! I already changed my configuration to leave a Bank only for Scenes all “press” and change bank by pressing A+B, or I think I found the answer to my question in this post hahahah, it should not generate latency either press A+B to exit the fractal integration mode :), at night I will perform my test and try to include it in my Banks.
One last question just to be sure, it is enough to have only 1 preset assigned to the fractal integration right? This does not take up a complete bank of the Mc6 right? only 1 preset because when I enter the fractal integration mode is as if it were a different bank in the Mc6 and all configured and assigned beautifully.
Since I currently have everything configured manually and to achieve something similar I have to occupy a full bank of Mc6 for scenes for example.
Theoretically I could have only in 1 bank the following:
Preset A = fractal integration scenes
Preset B = fractal integration presets 1-6
Preset C= fractal integration presets 7 - 12
Preset D = manually assigned Tuner
Preset E = manually assigned Drive
Preset = Manually assigned Reverb
And have only one Bank used for all this on the Mc6???
To achieve something similar at the moment I have to use 1 bank to have all this configured like this (but without fractal integration) plus another bank for the scenes, another bank for presets 1-6 and one more
bank for presets 7-12, a total of 4 banks in the mc6…
James, one thing I noticed with the latest firmware: when using AUX switches with a “Bank jump” functionality to get out of “Fractal integration - Scene select” mode, the blink state is not cleared.
Steps to reproduce:
Enter “Fractal integration - Scene select”
Select any scene, e.g. ‘B’
– Scene name @ ‘B’ starts blinking
Use AUX switch to jump to regular bank
– Result: Preset name @ ‘B’ is blinking
When exiting the Fractal integration with B+C, this does not occur.
Edit to add: It looks it’s not just the blink state, but the switches still send commands to switch scenes. So if an AUX switch uses “Bank jump”, the display is updated to show the bank, but the commands being sent on footswitch press are still from the Fractal integration
Another note on the 2022-02-16 build: it appears that while the MC8 is in “Fractal integration - scene select” mode, it does not allow connections from the editor. While the device appears under “Select device to connect”, clicking it does nothing
Correction: the web editor actually just hangs, but connects as soon as I hit B+C to exist Fractal integration mode
I have already tried the update with the improvements with my MC6 and the following happens
a strange behavior with the external switches I have a Dual fooswitch and I have assigned there a bank jump to my Master Layout, when I press it it shows the name of the bank but it remains static, I press any of the switches and the name of the scene where I was in fractal integration appears on the screen, only if I press A+B then it is updated and the destination bank appears.
I also noticed that with the external switches, I manually set them to activate scene 7 and 8 while I am in fractal integration “Scenes” and they work fine, but if I activate for example scene 5 it keeps blinking and when I activate scene 7 or 8 it keeps blinking scene 5, even though the scene change is done correctly.
in fractal integration “presets” only goes up to 383 as starting point, but fm3 has 511 presets… how can I access presets from 389 onwards??? with Mc6
In fractal PRESET integration, when I select preset 383 it works fine but when I select preset 384 (everything appears with the correct name in the mc6) it sends me to preset 256 of the fm3, also if I select 385 in the mc6 it sends me to call preset 257… and so on.
