Fractal AM4 Is Finally In Stock — And V2.00 Firmware Makes It Worth the Wait

The Fractal Audio AM4 went on general sale at shop.fractalaudio.com on March 30, 2026, and as of this week it is actually in stock in meaningful quantities for the first time since launch. If you have been on the waitlist or watching for availability, this is the window. It has also been running V2.00 firmware since March 20, and that update is substantive enough to warrant a close look.

What V2.00 Actually Changes

The most important line in the V2.00 release notes is this: the AM4 is now current with Axe-Fx III firmware 32.02. That is not a minor version increment. Fractal's ongoing modeling improvements — the aliasing reduction work, the accuracy refinements on power amp sag behavior, the low-end tightening in the amp block — are now present in the AM4. If you have spent time with an Axe-Fx III recently and wondered whether the compact AM4 would ever catch up, it has.

The modeling accuracy improvements are most audible on amps with complex EQ interactions. High-gain voicings that previously had a slightly smeared low-mid response now have a more defined character under the pick. The difference is not dramatic on the first listen, but if you are doing frequency-specific work — running a tight block and trying to keep the fundamental clear below the 200 Hz range — the refinement matters.

The Swedish Metal Drive

V2.00 adds one new pedal model: a drive based on the Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal. If you are not familiar with the HM-2, it is the pedal behind the "Stockholm Chainsaw" sound — the scooped, mid-cut, all-controls-at-max tone that defined Swedish death metal in the early 1990s. Dismember, Entombed, At the Gates.

The Fractal implementation is worth checking even if that specific application is not your use case. The HM-2 circuit has unusual low-end response characteristics that make it useful as a texture layer at lower gain settings. With gain below noon and the level pushed, it adds a particular kind of grit that sits differently in a mix than a standard silicon fuzz or diode clipper. Fractal has also noted that the new 1S2473 diode type from the HM-2 model is now available in the expert Diode Type selector for custom drive block configurations — a useful addition for anyone doing signal-chain-level tone design.

Gate Block Improvement

The Input Gate and Gate block now allow Attack times down to 0.1 ms. The previous minimum was around 1 ms, which was fast but produced a faint click artifact at the gate open point on some palm mute patterns at high BPM. The 0.1 ms floor eliminates that artifact in practice. For low-tuned, high-tempo work, this is a quality-of-life improvement that most people will not think about until they have it and then cannot imagine going back.

SPDIF Input Mode

A new SPDIF Input Mode option determines how incoming SPDIF signals are handled by the AM4. The AM4 can now act as a SPDIF clock source or follow an external clock, which matters for studio setups where you are routing the AM4 into an interface alongside other digital gear. If you are running the AM4 purely analog this does not apply, but for anyone integrating it into a rack or recording setup, the clock flexibility removes a potential source of digital jitter.

Who Should Care

The AM4 is Fractal's answer to a simple question: what if you could have Axe-Fx III tone quality in a compact format at a lower price point? At $699, it sits below the FM3 while using the same core modeling algorithms. The tradeoff is fewer simultaneous effects blocks and a simpler I/O set. For players who do not need the routing complexity of the FM3 but want Fractal's modeling accuracy on a pedalboard, the AM4 is the right tool.

V2.00 removes the last legitimate argument against it: that it was behind the flagship on modeling quality. It is now current. If you can get one this week, it is worth pulling the trigger.

Dig Deeper on Fader & Knob

• Our Fractal AM4 preset building guide walks through the signal chain from input to output, including how to configure the gate block for tight, low-tuned tone.
• The new Swedish Metal Drive model pairs well with the approaches in our HM-2 chainsaw tone recipe for players chasing that Stockholm sound.
• Comparing the AM4 to the QC Mini or Helix HX Stomp? Our compact modeler comparison breaks down the real-world tradeoffs.
• Browse all our Fractal tone recipes for ready-to-load preset frameworks.