Fractal Audio perpetual wait list

  • I briefly owned a Fractal FM3 before switching to Kemper. Just an interesting observation that their key offering products are always on backorder (took me a year+ to get my FM3 from the waitlist), while I can easily buy a Kemper Stage or a Strymon Iridium, etc. Not to hate on the competition, but it seems kinda strange. Guitar gear supply chains and manufacturing is really fascinating.

  • To be fair, there have been a backlog previously with the Stage and Kabinet but they have been possibly more temporary...


    It must be difficult for companies that are relatively small to determine the volumes to produce for such high cost items.

  • To be fair, there have been a backlog previously with the Stage and Kabinet but they have been possibly more temporary...


    It must be difficult for companies that are relatively small to determine the volumes to produce for such high cost items.

    True, but yet some companies do it well, like Strymon. Overall, fractal reminds me of the (pre-Covid) boutique donut shop down the street that always runs out by noon. Surely there are enough donut resources for you to make more. ?

  • True, but yet some companies do it well, like Strymon. Overall, fractal reminds me of the (pre-Covid) boutique donut shop down the street that always runs out by noon. Surely there are enough donut resources for you to make more. ?

    Yeah, but I've talked to Strymon and they've admitted they have difficulty maintaining stock because each piece is hand built. That's one reason they only sell direct.


    In Fractal Audio's case, they have a very popular and in-demand product that, like Strymon, isn't mass produced. I don't really think it's fair to compare the availability of the Kemper to either the FM3 or Axe-Fx III. The Kemper's been on the market for 9 years, and thus has much greater market saturation, whereas the FM3 is new and the Axe-Fx III is still relatively new.

  • Yeah, but I've talked to Strymon and they've admitted they have difficulty maintaining stock because each piece is hand built. That's one reason they only sell direct.


    In Fractal Audio's case, they have a very popular and in-demand product that, like Strymon, isn't mass produced. I don't really think it's fair to compare the availability of the Kemper to either the FM3 or Axe-Fx III. The Kemper's been on the market for 9 years, and thus has much greater market saturation, whereas the FM3 is new and the Axe-Fx III is still relatively new.

    There's a very important reason why the AxeFX III is 'new' by comparison. The KPA has been on the market for 9 years while Fractal has released three versions of the AxeFX in roughly that same time frame. The unit that was cutting-edge when the KPA debuted is ancient history.

    The FM3 is a study in how NOT to announce products. Whatever the problems, they announced that unit WAY too soon.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • There's a very important reason why the AxeFX III is 'new' by comparison. The KPA has been on the market for 9 years while Fractal has released three versions of the AxeFX in roughly that same time frame.

    And each one has turned out to be a fairly major upgrade.

    The unit that was cutting-edge when the KPA debuted is ancient history.

    The Axe-Fx II is still very much in demand.

  • Well, you also have to figure that the Stage costs $700 more than the FM3, which is going to influence demand.

    True, but you'll need a $500 FC6 to give it ccomparable foot switching abilities. And since they're forever on backorder, the cheapest you can find them on reverb is around $1400. I've seen them as high as $2000. ?

  • True, but you'll need a $500 FC6 to give it ccomparable foot switching abilities. And since they're forever on backorder, the cheapest you can find them on reverb is around $1400. I've seen them as high as $2000. ?

    That's true, though I've seen quite a few posts from players on TGP whose primary interest relates more to the quality of the tones and/or effects vs. the foot switching capabilities. Obviously, there are those who place equal importance on the latter.

  • I am also happy with what I have bought.


    I look at this slightly differently - the Axe units are really good units and many on this forum will support that as they own them as well.


    No company is perfect but I have also been so impressed with Kemper on overall quality, stock, release dates, engagement etc. Yes we can point to issues with release date on the editor, temporary low stock of the Stage but in general I think its been excellent.


    Lets keep the addage that we are not a toxic fan base and show we don;t have to demo how good the KPA is by knocking the competitors....well a little bit is ok :)

  • Hmm? I can buy (and have bought) Strymon products from many retailers. And usually the products are on stock.

    After checking, that does seem to be the case now; however, not too long ago, you had to call the online distributor in order to purchase the Iridium, for example. While the product was often listed as in stock, you couldn't simply add it to your cart. A note was added to listings asking interested customers to call in order to purchase. This is what you'd see:


    https://www.crescendomusicdari…R-Cab-Pedal-x44268117.htm

    https://midwoodguitarstudio.com/strymon-iridium-amp-ir-cab/

    https://www.rogueguitarshop.co…te-magnetic-echo-machine#


    At the time, there was a lot of speculation as to why customers had to call online distributors to place an order, which ultimately lead me to contact Strymon directly. The representative I spoke with at the time said they're a small company and, because they didn't mass produce their products, required distributors to place orders with them directly, as they come in, so they can keep up with demand.

  • And the one that doesn't have the toxic fanbase

    I own an Axe-Fx III and Kemper, and while most members here are well mannered, I've been engaged in debates on this forum regarding the Axe-Fx III that are far more toxic than anything I've been privy to on the FAS forum. Moreover, I've never been attacked on that forum for espousing my love of the Kemper.

  • I’m glad I ended up picking the one with the upgrade plan that didn’t require buying something new every few years.

    AX8 aside, it's not exactly every few years, but in the case of Fractal Audio, they release firmware updates at a breathtaking pace, and many of those updates aren't simply bug fixes; they often incorporate great, new features. To me, it honestly feels like their modelers are constantly being upgraded throughout the entire life cycle. That's the way it was with the Axe-Fx II, and the Axe-Fx III has continued that tradition. I don't think it would be an exaggeration or unfair to say they run circles around virtually every other amp sim developer in that regard.


    Having said that, no one's putting a gun to anyone's head to upgrade the hardware. In fact, the Axe-Fx II and AX8 are still very much in demand.

  • I own an Axe-Fx III and Kemper, and while most members here are well mannered, I've been engaged in debates on this forum regarding the Axe-Fx III that are far more toxic than anything I've been privy to on the FAS forum. Moreover, I've never been attacked on that forum for espousing my love of the Kemper.

    And the one that doesn't have the toxic fanbase and the owner who's a complete jerk.

    I think it varies from person to person. I've been attacked on forums for having opposing views regarding the 2 units we're talking about. I've totally been attacked by a Fractal user for saying I love my Kemper and preferred the tones I get out of it. So it really can go either way on these forums and it isnt exclusive to any fanbase. But I've also experienced people being really cool and sharing insight and knowledge. I've seen both extremely toxic people, and really great people, on both sides of the fence.


    I think the experiences vary so much from person to person. I don't think either the Kemper or Fractal fanbase is more toxic than the other. But I do think their fanbases are really passionate and sometimes individuals can take that a little far. But it's coming from a place of support for what they believe in so, it isn't all bad in my opinion.


    Idk why I posted this lol. I'm not saying anything negative about you or implying anything negative. I guess I'm just saying that there's a lot of good and bad on both sides.


    But of course, you're entitled to your opinion and we can disagree and still be cool :)