Scenes and X/Y
Eight scenes and two variants per block — and why everything written about channels describes a different device.
03 · 8 min
A scene is a snapshot of the whole preset. X and Y are two complete settings inside one block. Both switch instantly, because nothing loads.
Two different things
A scene stores which blocks are bypassed and which variant — X or Y — each block is on. Eight scenes per preset, always present. X and Y are two complete sets of settings inside a single block, switched together at the touch of a button.
The current Fractal generation replaced X/Y with four channels. That is why so much of what is written about Fractal now does not describe your device: if it mentions channels A to D, it is about an Axe-Fx III, FM9 or FM3.
Why it matters
Nothing loads when a scene changes, so the switch is seamless and delay and reverb tails carry through. A preset change reloads the whole grid and cannot do that.
The practical rule is the same as on any modeller — one preset per song, one scene per section. What Fractal add underneath it is a second axis, so a single preset covers far more ground before you need another.
Scenes and X/Y →