“Our most compact all-in-one unit ever”: Fractal goes up against IK Multimedia and Line 6 with the AM4 – its most affordable and user-friendly amp modeler to date

Fractal has moved to shake up the miniature amp modeler market with the launch of the AM4 – its most compact all-in-one rig solution to date.

Though the Neural DSP Quad Cortex, Fender Tone Master Pro, and Line 6 Helix have been the biggest players in the amp modeling industry over the past few years, there’s been a noticeable and aggressive shift towards smaller, pedalboard-friendly units in that same time.

Indeed, many companies have responded to player desires to keep rigs as small but as powerful as possible, with the Line 6 HX Stomp, Neural DSP Nano Cortex, Kemper Profiler Player, and IK Multimedia TONEX all proving to be huge hits with players.

That’s not to mention the more affordable crop of similarly sized modelers from the likes of Hotone, Mooer, Harley Benton and Donner.

The point is, portable amp modelers is where it’s at right now, and Fractal – an early innovator in the space and widely considered to be among the gold standard in the amp modeling game – has gotten in on the action.

Introducing the AM4 Amp Modeler! - YouTube

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Fractal already has a compact amp modeler on its books in the form of the FM3, but the AM4 is something entirely different, billed as an alternative for those looking for pro sound with less complexity by offering a new user interface “inspired by traditional amps and pedals”.

User experience is the biggest criteria when it comes to differentiating modelers nowadays, and the AM4 looks to have made great strides in that regard.

Calling back to the effects-only VP4, it offers four configurable footswitches, four universal parameter knobs, and a smattering of other controls to navigate menus, presets and more.

Usability aside, the AM4 is effectively the same super-powerful amp modeler as found elsewhere in Fractal’s ranks, but in a highly compact format. It’s built on the same tech as the Axe-Fx III, leveraging the company’s latest Cygnus X-2 amp modeling – as well as DynaCab speaker sims and UltraRes user cabs – for its tones.

This, Fractal says, delivers authentic tube amp tone and feel like no other. It’s a phrase that’s baked into the fabric of the amp modeling world, but with Fractal it rings especially true.

Not only that, the company stresses these are models, not captures. They aren’t single sonic snapshots of an amp – they are adjustable models that promise to respond and behave in the same way a tube amp would.

In all, you get more than 240 amp models, more than 45 classic and modern DynaCabs, and over 325 effects that run the spectrum from overdrive and reverb, to tremolo and delay and beyond. Like the amps, these are powered by Axe-Fx III algorithms.

There’s space for 104 presets, as well as a new Amp switching mode that offers seamless ‘gapless’ switching between up to four channels per amp block.

“The AM4 is a compact powerhouse,” Fractal writes. “It’s perfect on a pedalboard, sits neatly on a studio desk, fits in a backpack with room for expression pedals, or slips into an overhead bag as your grab-and-go fly rig. It’s our most compact all-in-one unit ever.

“Built on the same uncompromising technology as the Axe-Fx III, it delivers the tone, feel, and authentic controls of real tube amps – from vintage classics to modern monsters, from sparkling cleans to elusive edge-of-breakup tones, to molten leads – and everything in between.”

As for price, the AM4 is available in the US for $699. For context, the FM3 – the closest Fractal unit – is $1,099, while the arena-grade FM9 is $1,799.

In terms of the competition, the Line 6 HX Stomp is also $699, while the TONEX sits in at the $429 mark.

In other words, the AM4 is pretty competitive in its chosen corner of the market, and with Fractal’s product ecosystem now becoming more accessible than ever, it could prove to be a popular entry point for those looking to join the Fractal ranks.

Visit Fractal to find out more.