In my two preceding FLY 3 entries, I've highlighted how this desktop wonder defied its pedigree in giving us a much needed quality tone which is arguably absent in other amps of its kind. Reiterating what I've mentioned before, the FLY 3 gives us some wonderful clean & driven tones in addition to doing well with a mild-type drive pedal in manifesting saturated dirt which is very pleasant to the ears. This segment serves to highlight what could be refined in heightening gratification (not alluding to a deficiency of any nature, of course).
What do we understand by the term 'EQ' control? It is the manipulation of frequencies in giving the user more definition of some preferred voicing at the expense of others. In this context, a single control knob that allegedly controls the equipment's overall voicing often highlights the lower frequencies at one particular end & the higher frequencies at the opposition marking. The FLY 3's EQ knob doesn't manipulate the tone as such. As one dials it in a clockwise direction, one does not hear the removal of lower frequencies & the addition of higher ones making the amp going from bassy to trebly- no such effect was observed. In fact, this knob is adhering to the manufacturer's ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) definition; that voices the tone from an American voicing, to a more British take. So a small request here would be the provision of a real EQ control or remove that 'EQ' marking altogether & retain the ISF label so as to prevent confusion. Initially, I thought it was dysfunctional as I couldn't hear the desired EQ effect.
I only discovered this upon the addition of a drive pedal to the signal chain. In a pedal-free set up, the DELAY effect was clearly heard in both clean & driven modes. Once a drive pedal is in use, the DELAY audibility was affected even with the level control maxed out. It's fair to say that players would want the DELAY function to stay true even with the introduction of external pedals in the signal route. If this could be refined- awesome!
With these in mind, it's just insufficient to reduce the FLY 3 from being an impressive little ditty.
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