Introduction; Quick Overview - Fractal Audio FX8 Owner's Manual

1 : INTRODUCTION

The FX8 is an advanced multi-effects pedalboard processor, perfect for guitar, bass, and other instruments.
It is built "like a tank" with a steel chassis and aircraft aluminum end panels. The unit features eleven quiet,
durable, solid-state footswitches with no mechanical contacts to fail, plus 27 LEDs in three colors. The easy-
to-use interface includes a bright display, six buttons, and five knobs.
The FX8 was designed first and foremost for the best possible sound quality, with converters that deliver
pristine audio, ultra-low noise levels, and no "tone suck. " It uses a powerful processor to run the same high-
quality effect algorithms that have made our Axe-Fx processor so successful. Its Humbuster™ outputs help
defeat ground hum (when used with Humbuster™ Cables). It also features upgradeable firmware so we can
deliver updates with exciting new features.
We hope you find the FX8 easy to use and this manual easy to read. The most important sections are those
which introduce the concepts behind how the unit works. If nothing else, be sure to review this section, plus
Section 2 : Hardware Overview,
5 : Creating Presets

QUICK OVERVIEW

The FX8 contains 128 different presets
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arranged in 16 lettered banks.
Each preset is like a whole new pedalboard,
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with up to eight effect blocks (Wah,
Drive, or Phaser, for instance).
Most blocks offer X/Y switching for twice as
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many sounds from the same eight blocks.
Each preset also contains eight scenes.
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Think of a scene as a preset within a
preset. Scenes eliminate "tap dancing"
by turning multiple effects on or off
at a single tap. . . and much more!
Two TRS relays can switch your amplifier
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and can be controlled by the onboard
footswitches or programmed per-scene.
 The FX8 features buffered true bypass
with analog relays to switch all processing
completely out of the signal path.
Section 3 : Setup Guide,
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Section 4 : The Relays
Setting levels is easy, with soft switches to
increase headroom and automatic unity gain.
Onboard jacks for two external
footswitches or expression pedals make
it easy to control sound functions.
The FX8 has built in looper, a tuner, and
a dedicated tap tempo footswitch.
MIDI and USB also provide powerful
options for control, editing, and more.
FX8-EDIT, a free software editor, makes
it possible to edit presets, effects, and
more when connected to a Mac or PC.
And much more! Please take the time to
familiarize yourself with this manual.
Should you need any assistance with the FX8,
http://www .fractalaudio .com
please visit
1 : IntroductIon
and Section