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A few facts about my favorite quality-centric company: https://www.fractalaudio.com/ https://www.fractalaudio.com/ They build hardware-based amp/pedal modelers

A few facts about my favorite quality-centric company: https://www.fractalaudio.com/ https://www.fractalaudio.com/ They build hardware-based amp/pedal modelers (e.g. virtual pedalboards + amp) for guitars that get a very steady stream of updates. From a feel and accuracy perspective, they outcompete pretty much everyone else, even much bigger companies such as Line 6 (part of Yamaha). Pretty small company AFAIK, maybe less than 20 people or so. Most of the improvements stem from the CEO's ever-improving understanding of how to model what are very analog systems accurately. They do almost everything you shouldn't do as a startup: * mostly a hardware company * direct sales instead of going through somewhere like Sweetwater * they don't pay artists to endorse them * no subscriptions * lots of free, sometimes substantial updates to the modeling algorithms * didn't use AI to build their product quickly Quality is how they differentiate themselves in a crowded market. This isn't an edge case, either. This is how parts of the market function. Not every part of every market is trapped in a race to the bottom.

vinceguidry 1y ago
You love to see it. Nothing beats a labor of love.
intalentive 1y ago
Exception that proves the rule. If "quality" is a niche, then by definition it doesn't characterize the market.
- mattgreenrocks 1y ago
  Right. In fact, it doesn't usually characterize an entire market, more often it's just certain segments: sometimes you want McDonalds, sometimes you want a Michelin-starred restaurant. Similarly with the example: lots of guitarists are keen on NAM (Neural Amp Modeler) because it is free and runs on a PC, or one of the cheaper hardware pedals such as the ToneX. The low-end of this market is always chasing the high-end, but these cheaper options are fantastic for the sound quality they can produce and have come a long way from the L6 Pods of years ago.

vinceguidry 1y ago

You love to see it. Nothing beats a labor of love.

intalentive 1y ago

Exception that proves the rule. If "quality" is a niche, then by definition it doesn't characterize the market.

mattgreenrocks 1y ago
Right. In fact, it doesn't usually characterize an entire market, more often it's just certain segments: sometimes you want McDonalds, sometimes you want a Michelin-starred restaurant. Similarly with the example: lots of guitarists are keen on NAM (Neural Amp Modeler) because it is free and runs on a PC, or one of the cheaper hardware pedals such as the ToneX. The low-end of this market is always chasing the high-end, but these cheaper options are fantastic for the sound quality they can produce and have come a long way from the L6 Pods of years ago.