Scenes and channels
Two different axes, and the pair that makes one Fractal preset replace a dozen.
03 · 8 min
A scene is a snapshot of the whole preset. A channel is a variation inside one block, four per block. They are different axes, and using both is the whole technique.
Two different things
A scene stores which blocks are bypassed and which channel each block is on. Eight per preset, always present, and you cannot add or delete them. A channel is a preset within a block — up to four per block, A to D, each with fully independent settings.
So one Drive block can hold a clean boost on A, a screamer on B, a distortion on C and a fuzz on D. A scene decides which is live. Helix has snapshots, which correspond to scenes, and nothing at all corresponding to channels.
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 channels →