Good review. The one point you didn't touch on is that out of all the units in the same price point aren't as easy to go through the UI. I own the Helix floor and the cortex and a fractal FM9 and the fender TMP is by far the best in it's class as far as UI and that means a lot in my opinion.
Thanks! I actually did mention this. My exact words were: "Interaction with the user is the best I've come across!" It's definitely the best UI within the pack of high-end units.
Great to see that you're back again, Frank. I really like the long, in-depth review format. I think since you have the knowledge/insight into these things, I (and hopefully others) would really like to see more videos in this style. It's great to hear demos, but to have the technical info, the ins and outs (no pun intended) explained in such detail, well, it gives us the chance to make a truly informed decision. And hell, it's just really interesting! Also, I would love to see reviews of your pedals by Sonic Drive Studio. That would be an awesome CZcams cross-over. All the best (all the boost?)!
Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, it's a lot more work and I won't be able to make more than one video a week, but I also like the format. Sonic Drive Studio sounds good, I am happy to send my stuff to people who make good content.
Thank you @@FrankFleckenstein for the content! I can only imagine the time and effort that goes into making one of these videos, so once a week would probably be impossible. I'm sure everyone who watches these videos agrees that quality over quantity wins anytime. Yeah, Sonic Drive Studio is great, and since you're both Europe based, that should be an easy enough connection to make. Anyway, thanks again, and have an excellent weekend.
That's totally fine with me. However... I A/B'd all the pedals I tried in front of two different amps with the TMP and there was no noise or hissing with the amps. They might have to adjust them in a way that this doesn't happen. Also...another glitch: When I changed to a preset that didn't have loop 1 in the grid, the noise was still there. :)
It’s a new unit it’s going to get better and better. If your a AMP guy forget it no digital copy will suffice you. I believe you’re a AMP guy nothing wrong with it. I have the TMP and dialed in to my liking so to each there own 😊 Peace out…
You're right, I love amps, but I also like digital stuff, if it's well-made and thought out. I really hope it gets better over time and I might even give this another run down the line. Peace! :)
Hi Frank, congratulations to your honest review. To check the quality of the AD and DA converters in the loops in front of the amp section, you could simply insert patch cable from send to return and listen to the noise floor and feel when switching on off the loop. Use a hi gain amp to do that, then also some vox AC 30 with lots of treble like a top boost . ;-) Greetings, Thomas😊
I failed to mention before that you are right about how common it is for companies to release digital products in an incomplete state. Fixes, patches, updates, etc. are so routine that people often do not think twice about it. In the case of Fender, I am keeping my TMP. I have confidence Fender will make it a fantastic offering, as they already have issued two firmware updates. Fender reps are communicating with customers about bugs and feature requests. This is very positive. More importantly, the TMP is easy to work with and sounds and feels very good to play. Personally, I do not need an endless library of amp and fx choices. I am happy to have a small selection of very good tones. PS I am very interested in the All You Can Boost pedal. Do you sell and ship to buyers in the United States?
It's amazing that Fender is keeping up regarding the TMP. I am not ruling out getting one again in the future. Same here...no need for an excessive library of amps, just a few handful of good ones is enough. Thanks for your interest in the AYCB. I do ship the pedal worldwide, so yes! :)
Thank you very much for that informative video. I am to receive my unit tomorrow and have plans to integrate the fx loops extensively and you got me worried a little bit. I count myself to your category 2, meaning I have played the Axe FX II for 7 years now and I am looking for a next level Plattform. I have trust, that fender is at the beginning of their road and not going to abandon their flagship all too soon. They are also the owner of my daw ( studio One) and they did great updates on that one recently, so i have hope. On the other hand I see the shortcomings of the fender Pro, after binging yt videos since its release and see the reaction of the yt scene. There seems to be a lot of criticism and rejection, which is in some parts fair, in some parts not so much, since this is a first release and it is going against systems that are well established and polished, but also they are not to be expected to jump forward giant steps all of a sudden. So the fender has a certain edge over all of them potentially because of what it can develope into. And now my thoughts on the pricepoint: what should someone like me buy at the moment, when searching for a futureproof, "flagshipstyle" modeller? Quad Cortex atm at thomann literally 1 € cheaper then the (now reduced price) TMP 1699€. I am a nit interested in Profiling, so I get a hardwareside inferior unit, with a questionable release and update policy with less I/O and UI ? Hmm , A Helix floor, which is 1580€ so around 120€ cheaper, for a 9 year old product, which is vastly underpowered, compared to the TMP, though Line6 has formidable longterm reputation, it seems, that they are waiting longer then i am willing to wait to introduce their next flagship. and then there is fractal. I have been in the fractal world for a long time now, and kind of love hate it. It is overcomplicated at times and in my case outdated in comfortfunctions (size, no scribble scripts on the mfc101, etc) and the say fm9 has half the nominal CPU power then the TMP, the UI seems fine but feels outdated when seeing the approach of fender ( and line6 and even in cases quad cortex) with a slightly less favorable I/O section and that for the funny price of 2,300€ meaning paying 600€ more ?!? I dont think so. So with all that in mind, I think the TMP is the best bet for a longterm Plattform, if maintained propperly by fender. But anyways, Thanks for the vid again And greetings from Franconia Germany
Thanks for watching the video and for your comment. If you're not interested in profiling, you should be fine with the TMP and sound-wise, you're going to like it over your AFXII, even more so because the UI is so much more pleasant. After seeing that Fender released a new firmware update on November 20th, I believe they are actually interested in making this a long-term project. There are still things that need fixing and if enough people complain, those issues will be addressed. Regarding the CPU power: I think this conversation is always taken a bit out of context. Yeah, Fender might have more CPUs and CPU power in the TMP, but it all depends on how that potential is implemented. You can have an entire server park for audio processing, but if the guy who wrote the code doesn't know what he's doing, it doesn't help very much. Greeting from the Rhineland! :)
Haha, thanks! I am very much enjoying your videos for a long time. It’s difficult to stay within one type of music, if it’s all just so good! Landau and Devy are both masters!!!
Great review, appraisal. Pros are nice. Cons can be fixed by the next update. I remember how much the Boss GT-1000 flagship improved with updates with many significant updates. The Pro is Fender's flagship and for sure is a priority. Also, you failed to recognize marketing. The Beatles used to release an album before Xmas to get an extra million in sales. I am sure Fender saw this. Plus when the updates do come, into the collective consciousness goes Fender. Getting extra time to familiarize yourself with the basic product is a good thing, the finer points are sensible to add as you go. I saw one video where a reviewer went into great detail to explain the update procedure for guitar players graduating from a tube amp to the digital domain. There will be a great number doing that, that are hardcore Fender tube amp players. Fender is more than just a name, it is THE Name in the guitar and amp industry. There wouldn't be Mesa Boogie without the Princeton. There wouldn't be a Dumble or Marshall with out the Bassman. The Vox sounds like an Aims 4x10 combo which is reminiscent of a Super Reverb which now Roland has nailed in the the Blues Cube Hot EL 84 British Modified. I asked Fender to include the Supersonic 22 amp head and Ducking Delay as on the Boss DD-200. The extra effects that come as part of the included presets as so easy to change that switching them out is easy. Tweaking is easy too. There is room for over 500 presets. I also asked Fender to include more looping time. Getting a noise-free loop is fixable with an update. The headphone output is way above average, which nobody mentions. The price, you pay for 4 years of R&D. The people who designed the Pro are not minimum wage workers. You can see the re-imagining of what a unit is. The separate Mission Engineering/Fender Expression Pedal has two outputs. One TRS for the pedal and one regular guitar cord for the toe switch. Having a separate expression pedal shows modular thinking. You can use a different expression pedal and separate foot switch. Fender and Boss make an affordable expression pedal and affordable footswitch with an LED Indicator. Fender can corner a niche market if they include all their Fender amps, guitar and bass. Good review. Hope to the the updates soon as per your cons. Then you will have to re-evaluate.
Let's see what Fender comes up with next and how long it will take them to fix some of the bugs. I am happy to re-evaluate the unit, once it's actually competitive enough to step in the ring with the big guys. ;-)
Awesome video! This was way more informative and balanced than 95% of reviews i've seen. Still will be using Helix product line since I know them and like the UI/Software, and they are also heavily road tested. For anything else I'll be sticking to board + amp + TwoNotes Captor.
Great Video Frank, completely agree about testing prior to release. Im assuming all the modelers when released suffered from issues and lack of content (amps). It all comes down to support and firmware releases etc, hopefully Fender builds a strong future for the device by continually reviewing and updating the unit based on user feedback. It has about 3 bugs based upon your testing, all of which are simple fixes (fingers crossed). The number of amps on release may be low due to the extra amount of work that goes into them, not all the modelers allow the user to zoom into the front of individual amp models and be able to adjust the controls unique to that particular amp , this is obviously extra development and will take longer to create/replicate. So fingers crossed over the coming months Fender will increase the number of amps and effects pedals. If they dont they won't succeed. Its that simple.... Thanks again 😊
Thanks for your comment. There are a few more things other than the bugs I mentioned but these were minor issues to be honest. My point was about the lack of beta testing these days. I agree with everything you wrote. 👍
Good review.., And well thought out in the description of good and bad points of this unit. Took delivery of this a few days ago and I can say you've hit the mark exactly on what the unit offers, and doesn't offer. I do not own any of the other competitors models, this being my first "Modeler" so to speak and I am taking advantage of the 30 day return policy to see if it's what I would want to use in a live setting. I would hope Fender would continue to add and update this unit and not fall short of future Amp, Cab and effects offerings...,For the price it better!! What it doesn't do for me is give me that !!!WOW!!! factor that I was hoping for like I got when I purchased The Spark 40 from Positive Grid. The price AND WOW factor still leave me amazed after owning it for close to 3 years, That being said, the next weeks ahead will tell me weather or not the hefty price tag is worth the price of rolling the Dice !
Thanks, glad you likes the review. I hear you, since I had the same thing going on during my test period. At first I was blown away by the UI and handling, but when I explored the unit and found some of its initial bugs (some of which have been fixed in the meantime via SW updates), the wow factor faded off. I also agree on the Spark. I used to work at Positive Grid and their stuff is great for the money.
The unit itself is smaller and depending on the pedalboard, you can hide the external PS below. My mini rant was about the fact that it has an external PS at all. Should be internal imo.
@@FrankFleckenstein But that would also make it impossible to use with a boards global power supply used for other pedaks, like one of those from Cioks that provides the connectivety and juice. Take my setup as an example, all pedals, wireless, preamp and poweramp just use one main chord, way more convinient than running 3-4 power cables out the back of the rack I have my stuff in. So on that behalf they got it right with the QC.
Thanks for an in depth honest review, I won’t move to fully digital yet, was kinda hoping for the Tone Master to be better than those other units, especially when it comes to fuzz, guess they need to go hybrid to get those right. It’s a shame really that everything digital/coded in recent times feels like a beta experience, to much halfbaked software gets released and the masses just accepts it, what ever it is an operation system, program, game or guitar multi fx.
Yeah, it seems like because it's something that can be fixed with a software update, there is less of a necessity to get it right the first time. Whenever this happens with cars, you'll see callback actions on a global level. Unthinkable in our industry!
I totally agree with you! it's not the right commercial choice to enter the modelers market with something which is clearly yet to be filled with new features, effects and amps, above all at such a high price! Second for Fender this is the first multifx unit, so why should people (in Europe) spend 2000 euros? on a promise for future updates? that's crazy! Also because with half the price you can have a fully working Helix LT or with few hundreds euro more a top of the line FM9. 2000 euros for what? a touch screen?! Fractal and Line6 are producers that can think to release an "incomplete" new multifx unit on the market at 2000+ euros for people to invest in, but in such case, people would be 100% sure to buy something that would not be abandoned by their producers. with Fender who could be sure of that...?
It s a keeper, mate :), I like it for being simple, and it sounds nice. You know, Quad cortex took 3 years to implement a software editor, andmany other things, so I don t really know what you are talking about, lol...Nice video, thanks.
Thanks man...I didn't say that it sounds bad at all, the opposite actually. This video was about the TMP and the current state of the competition. I am aware that Neural DSP struggled even more to ship, release and fulfill all the promises they made...but this wasn't a QC video. Glad you like it! :)
Did you hear there is a bug with the FX loops, the AUX input is turned on by default for all loops even if nothing is plugged in, you can turn off the aux manually and it will be fixed in a firmware update
Hi, Good review. I would like to see a video that will deal in depth, how to create setlists of songs and how to prepare 2 supposed performances with different songs in each performance
Tone really is in the ears and hands of the person who’s playing the unit. My personal opinion: Right now the Helix is definitely on par with TMP. We’ll see what Fender does to elevate things.
Have seen a few reviews where they put a lot of weight into the amount of 'amps' modeled. I would take 3 really good amp models over 100 average or not so average, any day all day.
Sure, it all depends on what you need personally. I am also fine with a good sounding, less is more setup. My focus was on what Fender promised in their marketing around this unit.
@@FrankFleckensteinTrue. I just bought a 5W hand wired tube amp. Threw some pedals in front of it and it's amazing. FAR better tone then this digital fizzy thing. Other then cleans I heard not one tone I liked.
@@notalkguitarampplug-insrev784 I never heard of it but wow- it's really cool. I like the nano tube though I wonder if all that heat in that small box could be an issue long term. I assume it has a PCB inside since it has presets. Is it just me, or was it breaking up a bit here (not in a great way): czcams.com/video/6nVbpMBGBMw/video.htmlsi=PWr6UzDvhiuOHPUj&t=777 Overall, this thing sounds 1,000% times better then the Fender TMP! I like it much better then the original version AmpX1. I like the new display too and how it flips open.Very trick- but tone is what matters to me and it has it. $1,990 (US) is not cheap but based on what this thing can do, you could spend more on pedals/amps. I heard the founder Thomas talking. He sounds like a visionary designer...and also a bit like Arnold Swartz...clearly German. So given the 6 buttons, I guessing you can save presets? Didn't know you could do that with Analog. Learn something everyday. Looks like there must be some digital circutry baked in there as well. Hopefully he is able to keep the noise floor low. I studied EE. When you cramp Analog and Digital and Effects, and Power all into a small area, you can pick up interferance. Do you like this more then say a Fractal FM9? It costs more. FM9 is roughly the same size but has had essentially a 10 year headstart in terms of development. Dozens of imrpovements, patch updates, software development (based on it's big brother, the AxFXIII.) It now has a Set-List feature that is really cool. You can program and pull up a patch for all sections of your song. 9 buttons worth. I also don't know how big of a Company BluGuitar is. It takes money and resources to fully develop and support a product- they way say Fractal or even Line6 does. I really loved my new FM9 Turbo. I waited a year to get it but I truly hated the UI. After a few months of fun, I sold it ($1,845.) I did not lose a dime. I was waiting for them to update the UI hardware. The PC Editor was robust at least. Does this AMPX have a PC Editor? One advantage over all other modelers is that it is also a power amp....but also digital. My best guess so far is that it is a mostly digital pedal with a small analog (power amp, nano tube.) Bottom line- this looks like a very cool Amp simulator, with effects and a tube with presets. It is pricey and will very likely need some years of development to be fully baked and reliable. If I could score one for under $1,000 it would be really cool. I scored a $300 Line6 DL4 Delay (amazing) at a local swap sale for...$10! Thanks for letting me know about this cool pedal. You have very good taste. Your playing is also excellent and I am digging on your mint green, road worn guitar. You get great tone out of that v2 PI and those pups.I noticed your clip on tuner. I just scored a Peterson StroboHD tuner- both Clip on and one for the board. Trust- it made a major and very positive difference in the accuracy of my tuning. I am never going back to anything else. Want to throw away all my new Snarks. As of today, if you could only keep and use A. One PI and B. One Modeler...which would you choose please? In case you are interested, I am taking this lesson from Sean Mann. I never heard a cover of Watchtower this good. He told me that his using Helix Native for his tone on this: czcams.com/video/acyEqcWG-54/video.html&ab_channel=SeanMann I have also been learning about Triads from Jack, after hearing him do this tasty bit: czcams.com/video/Hv1aIHwmdYQ/video.htmlsi=n4d-6z1eIJHsB9Y9&t=4 Cheers!
Ich spiele in einer Metalcore und einer Popcover Band, ich bin hin und her gerissen zwischen dem Kemper Stage, dem Fm9 und dem Tone master Pro, hast du eine Empfehlung?
According to Andertons it's the best (profit for them?) But I like this honest review, thank you. Oh, and Fender is notorious for dropping support in an eyewhimp.
Bluetooth headphone support and WiFi… cmon guys it’s 2024… these things always seem to be 12 years behind all other segments of technology. And the prices are more than double what they should be.
Hey Marco, thanks a lot. It really is a beautiful guitar, but it's a guitar that I've built myself from selected parts. It's actually for sale if you're interested. ;-)
Good review. The one point you didn't touch on is that out of all the units in the same price point aren't as easy to go through the UI. I own the Helix floor and the cortex and a fractal FM9 and the fender TMP is by far the best in it's class as far as UI and that means a lot in my opinion.
Thanks! I actually did mention this. My exact words were: "Interaction with the user is the best I've come across!" It's definitely the best UI within the pack of high-end units.
It is also the strongest unit out of the bunch, with 8 DSP cores.
welcome to the gear couch. i have not heard that in a long time! welcome back frank
Yeah, same here hahaha :)
Great to see that you're back again, Frank. I really like the long, in-depth review format. I think since you have the knowledge/insight into these things, I (and hopefully others) would really like to see more videos in this style. It's great to hear demos, but to have the technical info, the ins and outs (no pun intended) explained in such detail, well, it gives us the chance to make a truly informed decision. And hell, it's just really interesting!
Also, I would love to see reviews of your pedals by Sonic Drive Studio. That would be an awesome CZcams cross-over. All the best (all the boost?)!
Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, it's a lot more work and I won't be able to make more than one video a week, but I also like the format. Sonic Drive Studio sounds good, I am happy to send my stuff to people who make good content.
Thank you @@FrankFleckenstein for the content! I can only imagine the time and effort that goes into making one of these videos, so once a week would probably be impossible. I'm sure everyone who watches these videos agrees that quality over quantity wins anytime.
Yeah, Sonic Drive Studio is great, and since you're both Europe based, that should be an easy enough connection to make. Anyway, thanks again, and have an excellent weekend.
Loops 1 & 2 are true relay bypass, unbuffered, and before the first A/D. That's why there's no level adjustment.
That's totally fine with me. However... I A/B'd all the pedals I tried in front of two different amps with the TMP and there was no noise or hissing with the amps. They might have to adjust them in a way that this doesn't happen. Also...another glitch: When I changed to a preset that didn't have loop 1 in the grid, the noise was still there. :)
Amazing review - thorough, analytical and very honest! Looking forward to future videos.
Thanks a lot! :)
It’s a new unit it’s going to get better and better. If your a AMP guy forget it no digital copy will suffice you. I believe you’re a AMP guy nothing wrong with it. I have the TMP and dialed in to my liking so to each there own 😊 Peace out…
You're right, I love amps, but I also like digital stuff, if it's well-made and thought out. I really hope it gets better over time and I might even give this another run down the line. Peace! :)
Long time no see, Frank!
Hi Frank, congratulations to your honest review. To check the quality of the AD and DA converters in the loops in front of the amp section, you could simply insert patch cable from send to return and listen to the noise floor and feel when switching on off the loop. Use a hi gain amp to do that, then also some vox AC 30 with lots of treble like a top boost . ;-)
Greetings, Thomas😊
Hey Thomas. Yeah, I tried that but no real change unfortunately. Thanks for the tipp though. 👍
The loops in front (1 & 2) are true relay bypass and in front of the first A/D.
Hey Thomas, may Frank do a AMP-X Comparison to the Fender? I think, he is the perfect guy for it.
Well, welcome back sir... nice to see you again!
I failed to mention before that you are right about how common it is for companies to release digital products in an incomplete state. Fixes, patches, updates, etc. are so routine that people often do not think twice about it. In the case of Fender, I am keeping my TMP. I have confidence Fender will make it a fantastic offering, as they already have issued two firmware updates. Fender reps are communicating with customers about bugs and feature requests. This is very positive. More importantly, the TMP is easy to work with and sounds and feels very good to play. Personally, I do not need an endless library of amp and fx choices. I am happy to have a small selection of very good tones.
PS I am very interested in the All You Can Boost pedal. Do you sell and ship to buyers in the United States?
It's amazing that Fender is keeping up regarding the TMP. I am not ruling out getting one again in the future. Same here...no need for an excessive library of amps, just a few handful of good ones is enough.
Thanks for your interest in the AYCB. I do ship the pedal worldwide, so yes! :)
Thank you very much for that informative video. I am to receive my unit tomorrow and have plans to integrate the fx loops extensively and you got me worried a little bit. I count myself to your category 2, meaning I have played the Axe FX II for 7 years now and I am looking for a next level Plattform. I have trust, that fender is at the beginning of their road and not going to abandon their flagship all too soon. They are also the owner of my daw ( studio One) and they did great updates on that one recently, so i have hope. On the other hand I see the shortcomings of the fender Pro, after binging yt videos since its release and see the reaction of the yt scene. There seems to be a lot of criticism and rejection, which is in some parts fair, in some parts not so much, since this is a first release and it is going against systems that are well established and polished, but also they are not to be expected to jump forward giant steps all of a sudden. So the fender has a certain edge over all of them potentially because of what it can develope into. And now my thoughts on the pricepoint: what should someone like me buy at the moment, when searching for a futureproof, "flagshipstyle" modeller? Quad Cortex atm at thomann literally 1 € cheaper then the (now reduced price) TMP 1699€. I am a nit interested in Profiling, so I get a hardwareside inferior unit, with a questionable release and update policy with less I/O and UI ? Hmm , A Helix floor, which is 1580€ so around 120€ cheaper, for a 9 year old product, which is vastly underpowered, compared to the TMP, though Line6 has formidable longterm reputation, it seems, that they are waiting longer then i am willing to wait to introduce their next flagship. and then there is fractal. I have been in the fractal world for a long time now, and kind of love hate it. It is overcomplicated at times and in my case outdated in comfortfunctions (size, no scribble scripts on the mfc101, etc) and the say fm9 has half the nominal CPU power then the TMP, the UI seems fine but feels outdated when seeing the approach of fender ( and line6 and even in cases quad cortex) with a slightly less favorable I/O section and that for the funny price of 2,300€ meaning paying 600€ more ?!? I dont think so. So with all that in mind, I think the TMP is the best bet for a longterm Plattform, if maintained propperly by fender. But anyways, Thanks for the vid again And greetings from Franconia Germany
Thanks for watching the video and for your comment. If you're not interested in profiling, you should be fine with the TMP and sound-wise, you're going to like it over your AFXII, even more so because the UI is so much more pleasant. After seeing that Fender released a new firmware update on November 20th, I believe they are actually interested in making this a long-term project. There are still things that need fixing and if enough people complain, those issues will be addressed.
Regarding the CPU power: I think this conversation is always taken a bit out of context. Yeah, Fender might have more CPUs and CPU power in the TMP, but it all depends on how that potential is implemented. You can have an entire server park for audio processing, but if the guy who wrote the code doesn't know what he's doing, it doesn't help very much.
Greeting from the Rhineland! :)
Awesome playing.
Also, a Ziltoid puppet and some Landau jams in the same video? Legendary!
Haha, thanks! I am very much enjoying your videos for a long time.
It’s difficult to stay within one type of music, if it’s all just so good! Landau and Devy are both masters!!!
Great review, appraisal. Pros are nice. Cons can be fixed by the next update. I remember how much the Boss GT-1000 flagship improved with updates with many significant updates. The Pro is Fender's flagship and for sure is a priority. Also, you failed to recognize marketing. The Beatles used to release an album before Xmas to get an extra million in sales. I am sure Fender saw this. Plus when the updates do come, into the collective consciousness goes Fender. Getting extra time to familiarize yourself with the basic product is a good thing, the finer points are sensible to add as you go. I saw one video where a reviewer went into great detail to explain the update procedure for guitar players graduating from a tube amp to the digital domain. There will be a great number doing that, that are hardcore Fender tube amp players. Fender is more than just a name, it is THE Name in the guitar and amp industry. There wouldn't be Mesa Boogie without the Princeton. There wouldn't be a Dumble or Marshall with out the Bassman. The Vox sounds like an Aims 4x10 combo which is reminiscent of a Super Reverb which now Roland has nailed in the the Blues Cube Hot EL 84 British Modified. I asked Fender to include the Supersonic 22 amp head and Ducking Delay as on the Boss DD-200. The extra effects that come as part of the included presets as so easy to change that switching them out is easy. Tweaking is easy too. There is room for over 500 presets. I also asked Fender to include more looping time. Getting a noise-free loop is fixable with an update. The headphone output is way above average, which nobody mentions. The price, you pay for 4 years of R&D. The people who designed the Pro are not minimum wage workers. You can see the re-imagining of what a unit is. The separate Mission Engineering/Fender Expression Pedal has two outputs. One TRS for the pedal and one regular guitar cord for the toe switch. Having a separate expression pedal shows modular thinking. You can use a different expression pedal and separate foot switch. Fender and Boss make an affordable expression pedal and affordable footswitch with an LED Indicator. Fender can corner a niche market if they include all their Fender amps, guitar and bass. Good review. Hope to the the updates soon as per your cons. Then you will have to re-evaluate.
Let's see what Fender comes up with next and how long it will take them to fix some of the bugs. I am happy to re-evaluate the unit, once it's actually competitive enough to step in the ring with the big guys. ;-)
I am so happy to see you back on youtube ❤
Thanks, man!🤗
Welcome Back Frank 💪🏻Gran trabajo, como siempre.
Gracias, bro! :)
Fractal for me
gapless switching now on fractals
hi Frank nice to see you again best regards from Barcelona...🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
Awesome video! This was way more informative and balanced than 95% of reviews i've seen.
Still will be using Helix product line since I know them and like the UI/Software, and they are also heavily road tested. For anything else I'll be sticking to board + amp + TwoNotes Captor.
Thanks man! Yeah, Amp & TwoNotes FTW! My next video will actually be about my Captor X!
Good to see you back :)
Thanks man! :-)
Great Video Frank, completely agree about testing prior to release. Im assuming all the modelers when released suffered from issues and lack of content (amps). It all comes down to support and firmware releases etc, hopefully Fender builds a strong future for the device by continually reviewing and updating the unit based on user feedback. It has about 3 bugs based upon your testing, all of which are simple fixes (fingers crossed). The number of amps on release may be low due to the extra amount of work that goes into them, not all the modelers allow the user to zoom into the front of individual amp models and be able to adjust the controls unique to that particular amp , this is obviously extra development and will take longer to create/replicate. So fingers crossed over the coming months Fender will increase the number of amps and effects pedals. If they dont they won't succeed. Its that simple.... Thanks again 😊
Thanks for your comment. There are a few more things other than the bugs I mentioned but these were minor issues to be honest. My point was about the lack of beta testing these days. I agree with everything you wrote. 👍
he is back, the myth, the legend!
Haha, you're too kind!
Good review.., And well thought out in the description of good and bad points of this unit. Took delivery of this a few days ago and I can say you've hit the mark exactly on what the unit offers, and doesn't offer. I do not own any of the other competitors models, this being my first "Modeler" so to speak and I am taking advantage of the 30 day return policy to see if it's what I would want to use in a live setting. I would hope Fender would continue to add and update this unit and not fall short of future Amp, Cab and effects offerings...,For the price it better!! What it doesn't do for me is give me that !!!WOW!!! factor that I was hoping for like I got when I purchased The Spark 40 from Positive Grid. The price AND WOW factor still leave me amazed after owning it for close to 3 years, That being said, the next weeks ahead will tell me weather or not the hefty price tag is worth the price of rolling the Dice !
Thanks, glad you likes the review. I hear you, since I had the same thing going on during my test period. At first I was blown away by the UI and handling, but when I explored the unit and found some of its initial bugs (some of which have been fixed in the meantime via SW updates), the wow factor faded off. I also agree on the Spark. I used to work at Positive Grid and their stuff is great for the money.
Great review, thanks Frank! 👍 For now I'm keeping my FM9
Thanks man!
Shoutout to my fellow Hevy Devy fan! Love the Ziltoid puppet chilling on the couch!
Yeah, Devin really had an impact on me with every album he ever did!!!
About the touch screen, after removing the protective film, the screen responds much better to touch ;)
Yeah, I tried that actually. No change. I think it might be the thicker glass over the screen.
@@FrankFleckenstein ok :/
QC has a wall wart…not sure why people keep saying it’s smaller….without considering this point
The unit itself is smaller and depending on the pedalboard, you can hide the external PS below. My mini rant was about the fact that it has an external PS at all. Should be internal imo.
@@FrankFleckenstein But that would also make it impossible to use with a boards global power supply used for other pedaks, like one of those from Cioks that provides the connectivety and juice.
Take my setup as an example, all pedals, wireless, preamp and poweramp just use one main chord, way more convinient than running 3-4 power cables out the back of the rack I have my stuff in.
So on that behalf they got it right with the QC.
He is still alive! 😱
Yes, Sir!
Thanks for an in depth honest review, I won’t move to fully digital yet, was kinda hoping for the Tone Master to be better than those other units, especially when it comes to fuzz, guess they need to go hybrid to get those right.
It’s a shame really that everything digital/coded in recent times feels like a beta experience, to much halfbaked software gets released and the masses just accepts it, what ever it is an operation system, program, game or guitar multi fx.
Yeah, it seems like because it's something that can be fixed with a software update, there is less of a necessity to get it right the first time. Whenever this happens with cars, you'll see callback actions on a global level. Unthinkable in our industry!
I totally agree with you!
it's not the right commercial choice to enter the modelers market with something which is clearly yet to be filled with new features, effects and amps, above all at such a high price!
Second for Fender this is the first multifx unit, so why should people (in Europe) spend 2000 euros? on a promise for future updates? that's crazy! Also because with half the price you can have a fully working Helix LT or with few hundreds euro more a top of the line FM9. 2000 euros for what? a touch screen?!
Fractal and Line6 are producers that can think to release an "incomplete" new multifx unit on the market at 2000+ euros for people to invest in, but in such case, people would be 100% sure to buy something that would not be abandoned by their producers. with Fender who could be sure of that...?
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I agree with you, too! 👍
It s a keeper, mate :), I like it for being simple, and it sounds nice. You know, Quad cortex took 3 years to implement a software editor, andmany other things, so I don t really know what you are talking about, lol...Nice video, thanks.
Thanks man...I didn't say that it sounds bad at all, the opposite actually. This video was about the TMP and the current state of the competition. I am aware that Neural DSP struggled even more to ship, release and fulfill all the promises they made...but this wasn't a QC video. Glad you like it! :)
@@FrankFleckenstein No worries mate, Thanks :)
Did you hear there is a bug with the FX loops, the AUX input is turned on by default for all loops even if nothing is plugged in, you can turn off the aux manually and it will be fixed in a firmware update
Yes, I am talking about that bug in the video. I didn’t know it had to do with the Aux input.
Hi, Good review. I would like to see a video that will deal in depth, how to create setlists of songs and how to prepare 2 supposed performances with different songs in each performance
I will try to get my hand back on the TMP, once we've been through a couple of firmware updates. ;)
@@FrankFleckensteinThanks!
Great video. Do you think the tones in the TMP are better than the Helix tones ? Do you think it’s an upgrade from the Helix?
Tone really is in the ears and hands of the person who’s playing the unit. My personal opinion: Right now the Helix is definitely on par with TMP. We’ll see what Fender does to elevate things.
Marksman is a IIC+ I believe.
Yes, I saw that today actually. Couldn't correct it in time.
@@FrankFleckenstein Mine arrives today. I am pretty aware of what I am in for but still optimistic? We'll see how that goes haha :)
Let me know how you like it! :)
Have seen a few reviews where they put a lot of weight into the amount of 'amps' modeled. I would take 3 really good amp models over 100 average or not so average, any day all day.
Sure, it all depends on what you need personally. I am also fine with a good sounding, less is more setup. My focus was on what Fender promised in their marketing around this unit.
Fender has updated the touch screen sensitivity.
Yeah, saw that...good that they're working on it!!!
At the very last what setting were you using for DJENT?
I am pretty sure that was the 5150III model in there, classic gate/TS pedal in front of it. All pretty standard. :)
For what it's worth; Loop 1 and 2 are analog loops.
Yes, I read that in the manual. Doesn't mean they have to add noise to the signal. And a level adjustment would be recommendable here as well.
Loops 1 & 2 are true bypass, nothing in there except patch cables and relays.
No way to adjust the level of an unbuffered, true bypass loop (unless you add shunt potentiometers which would change the impedance in a bad way)
@SweetSpotGuitar & @redbeard9496 Again, all fine with me. But there shouldn't be additional noise from a pedal in the loop, if it's not generating it.
Hey Frank, is it a good Idea to do the first Comparison to the BluGuitar AmpX? About Sound and Feel?!
I kind of think I know who’s going to win this comparison 😅
Your playing is GREAT. The modeler not so much. UI is good- that's about it. Tone is thin, fizzy, etc. Too expensive. Your tone deserves Fractal!
Or a QC…or just a simple 1-channel amp and some good pedals! 😊
@@FrankFleckensteinTrue. I just bought a 5W hand wired tube amp. Threw some pedals in front of it and it's amazing. FAR better tone then this digital fizzy thing. Other then cleans I heard not one tone I liked.
@@MOAB-UTthat’s why I’m waiting for the Bluguitar AmpX :)
😂😂😂... Fractal fanboys just can't shut the f*** up.
@@notalkguitarampplug-insrev784 I never heard of it but wow- it's really cool. I like the nano tube though I wonder if all that heat in that small box could be an issue long term. I assume it has a PCB inside since it has presets.
Is it just me, or was it breaking up a bit here (not in a great way): czcams.com/video/6nVbpMBGBMw/video.htmlsi=PWr6UzDvhiuOHPUj&t=777
Overall, this thing sounds 1,000% times better then the Fender TMP! I like it much better then the original version AmpX1. I like the new display too and how it flips open.Very trick- but tone is what matters to me and it has it. $1,990 (US) is not cheap but based on what this thing can do, you could spend more on pedals/amps.
I heard the founder Thomas talking. He sounds like a visionary designer...and also a bit like Arnold Swartz...clearly German.
So given the 6 buttons, I guessing you can save presets? Didn't know you could do that with Analog. Learn something everyday. Looks like there must be some digital circutry baked in there as well. Hopefully he is able to keep the noise floor low. I studied EE. When you cramp Analog and Digital and Effects, and Power all into a small area, you can pick up interferance.
Do you like this more then say a Fractal FM9? It costs more. FM9 is roughly the same size but has had essentially a 10 year headstart in terms of development. Dozens of imrpovements, patch updates, software development (based on it's big brother, the AxFXIII.) It now has a Set-List feature that is really cool. You can program and pull up a patch for all sections of your song. 9 buttons worth. I also don't know how big of a Company BluGuitar is. It takes money and resources to fully develop and support a product- they way say Fractal or even Line6 does.
I really loved my new FM9 Turbo. I waited a year to get it but I truly hated the UI. After a few months of fun, I sold it ($1,845.) I did not lose a dime. I was waiting for them to update the UI hardware. The PC Editor was robust at least. Does this AMPX have a PC Editor?
One advantage over all other modelers is that it is also a power amp....but also digital. My best guess so far is that it is a mostly digital pedal with a small analog (power amp, nano tube.)
Bottom line- this looks like a very cool Amp simulator, with effects and a tube with presets. It is pricey and will very likely need some years of development to be fully baked and reliable. If I could score one for under $1,000 it would be really cool. I scored a $300 Line6 DL4 Delay (amazing) at a local swap sale for...$10!
Thanks for letting me know about this cool pedal. You have very good taste. Your playing is also excellent and I am digging on your mint green, road worn guitar. You get great tone out of that v2 PI and those pups.I noticed your clip on tuner. I just scored a Peterson StroboHD tuner- both Clip on and one for the board. Trust- it made a major and very positive difference in the accuracy of my tuning. I am never going back to anything else. Want to throw away all my new Snarks.
As of today, if you could only keep and use A. One PI and B. One Modeler...which would you choose please?
In case you are interested, I am taking this lesson from Sean Mann. I never heard a cover of Watchtower this good. He told me that his using Helix Native for his tone on this: czcams.com/video/acyEqcWG-54/video.html&ab_channel=SeanMann
I have also been learning about Triads from Jack, after hearing him do this tasty bit: czcams.com/video/Hv1aIHwmdYQ/video.htmlsi=n4d-6z1eIJHsB9Y9&t=4
Cheers!
Mate is there a chance you can share what pedals/amp you were using for that Landau preset? That sounded great!
It’s actually available in the Editor-Software if you search the platform for Landau-ish
Ha sorry! And thanks@@FrankFleckenstein
Still enjoying the Pod GO :)))).
That’s amazing! I never had a GO but I played a Pod Pro Rack for a while.
Ich spiele in einer Metalcore und einer Popcover Band, ich bin hin und her gerissen zwischen dem Kemper Stage, dem Fm9 und dem Tone master Pro, hast du eine Empfehlung?
Also wenn es um diese Teile geht…wohl entweder das FM9 zu diesem Zeitpunkt. Oder du checkst mal das Quad Cortex und sparst im
Vergleich etwas Geld. 💪
A FEW GUYS ran out of dsp in presets.
That’s interesting and also surprising to be honest. Fender claims the TMP has more CPU cores than the competition.
Would be ok for 600 bucks, 1800 is impertinence.
agree...even 1k usd would be more reasonable. I mean fenders track record of support is crap
Is that a Ziltoid in the background?
Yes Sir. 😬
@@FrankFleckenstein You're a man of culture haha!
According to Andertons it's the best (profit for them?) But I like this honest review, thank you. Oh, and Fender is notorious for dropping support in an eyewhimp.
Yeah, I really hope they don't this time. Would be a shame, since the UI is really nice and simple.
I’ve heard other peoples videos sound way better. I’ve also heard some that sound closer to your video. I don’t know how they change so drastically
The mystery of perception! My ears, your ears, their ears. 😵💫
Bluetooth headphone support and WiFi… cmon guys it’s 2024… these things always seem to be 12 years behind all other segments of technology. And the prices are more than double what they should be.
Hi, I love your hollow blue Strat. Is that a Fender?
Hey Marco, thanks a lot. It really is a beautiful guitar, but it's a guitar that I've built myself from selected parts. It's actually for sale if you're interested. ;-)
@@FrankFleckenstein No, sir, one day I'll buy a '56 style strat-ish guitar. Thank you and keep rockin'!