WhiteShadow
Active member
Was wondering if there were some Fractal guys here who could help set me in the right direction? Please see video below. Thanks!
Fractal FM3 4 Cable Method Troubleshooting
- Thread starter WhiteShadow
- Start date
MusicIsLife
Well-known member
Are you utilizing any part of the amp's preamp, or are you doing amp and all pre-effects from the FM3? If the latter, you don't need to use 4CM. Just create a single chain of blocks, and output to the amp's effects return. No need to go through the amp's preamp if the FM3 is handling that.
MusicIsLife
Well-known member
If you NEED to do 4CM, I'd suggest getting the pre stuff working first, and once you have sound there, add in the post. It'll be easier to troubleshoot if you isolate one part of the chain at a time. Keep it simple. Use the minimum chain and blocks needed until you get sound flowing, otherwise there are too many variables to troubleshoot.
I no longer have an FM3, but the FM9 should be similar. I can take a look later at the send/return blocks on mine.
I no longer have an FM3, but the FM9 should be similar. I can take a look later at the send/return blocks on mine.
WhiteShadow
Active member
Yes I’m looking to completely bypass the DSL40CR preamp. Wanting to use the amp models (with power amp modeling disengaged) as my preamp, utilize the DSL40CR power amp, then run post effects through the loop
WhiteShadow
Active member
Try
Trying to do amp and all pre effects from fm3, use dsl power amp, then use effects loop for post effects from fm3
MusicIsLife
Well-known member
Cool. You shouldn't need to use 4CM or send/return. Just guitar into FM3, and FM3 into the effects return on the amp. The only thing 4CM is giving you is adding an unwanted preamp to the chain, and some extra complexity.
WhiteShadow
Active member
Ok thats good to know.
However, I'm still kind of fuzzy on how to go about setting it up in the fm3 grid?? This stuff gets confusing real quick for me
MusicIsLife
Well-known member
I can do a screenshot later. It'll be from an FM9, but there shouldn't be any difference.
WhiteShadow
Active member
Not sure if this has anything to do with anything but I notice on Leon Todd's he got these little "I" "0" surrounding his amp block. Not sure if this makes a difference or how to do that in the FM3
WhiteShadow
Active member
Ok thanks you. and yes I think the FM3 and FM9 are basically identical. Same software basically, just the FM3 has fewer footswitches and fewer block spaces
Bash_Man
Well-known member
Then You dont need 4 cable method. You simply create your scene in on the FM3 and use the ouput from the FM3 into the Loop Return of the marshall.
WhiteShadow
Active member
So if I do this, will it automatically stick the OD and AMP in front of the power amp on the DSL then all the post effects after the power amp, or is that something I will have to do manually in the FM3? Forgive me, I'm just learning here
Bash_Man
Well-known member
You'd setup everything (excpect for cab simulation) on the FM3, this includes your amp simulation, boosts, pre-effects (wah, fuzz), and effects (loop based).. the "effects loop" in this case would be virtual in this case and setup on the FM3. I dont have an FM3 infront of me to help you out with this. still using an older FX8. But you're pretty much using the marshall only for the power section and speaker. everything else comes from the FM3
So your wiring would be:
guitar --> FM3 input (Program everything on the FM3 such as amp, overdrive, wah, effects) --> FM3 output --> Effects Return of Marshall amp.
It may actually be very helpful to try out the software the get the initial setup going. This way you get an idea of where everything is... and then do on the fly edits on the unit it self.
I hope that helps.
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MusicIsLife
Well-known member
Here's a basic preset. IN1 at the beginning, OUT1 at the end. Drive, Amp, and Delay in between. Just make sure each block is connected.
Guitar into IN1 on the FM3, then OUT1 on the FM3 into the effects return on the amp.
Guitar into IN1 on the FM3, then OUT1 on the FM3 into the effects return on the amp.
WhiteShadow
Active member
The unit did not come with the USB cable to plug into the computer, which is why I'm not using the software rn. I'll have to make a trip to walmart
WhiteShadow
Active member
Ok, before you posted this I successfully made a simple preset like this and plugged everything up the way you said.
The preset was as follows:
IN > DRV > GATE > AMP > DLY > REV > OUT
I guess my hangup is - are all these things being run before the power section or after with this setup? Wouldn't you want to stick the overdrive and amp in front (in place of the amp's own pre-amp essentially), and then have the post effect after the power amp? That's what I was trying to figure out how to do.
The way I was trying to do that was essentially:
IN > DRV > GATE > AMP > SEND <> RETURN > DLY > REV > OUT
Basically like Leon Todd has done in this image:
MusicIsLife
Well-known member
The amp and pre-effects are going to be "in front" by virtue of the order of the blocks. You don't have to run the FM3 through the Input of the amp to get that. In fact, you wouldn't want to.
Regardless of how you do it, the effects loop on the amp is going to be BEFORE the power section. Even if you were just using the amp, the send/return on the amp are after its preamp, and before the power amp. Same if you use 4CM: the post effects will still be before the power section of the amp. The amp's effects loop is before the power section, regardless of how you cable it.
If you want to do post effects AFTER the power amp, you need to run the amp's speaker output into something like a Fryettte PowerStation. If you search the forum for wet/dry/wet (W/D/W), you can find some examples of that. There are guys on here who know a ton about W/D/W.
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Bash_Man
Well-known member
does the FM3/FM9 have an effects loop like configuration within the blocks or block configuration of an amp?
I know what you posted makes complete sense of the order of Blocks, but I am just curious
Cheers
MusicIsLife
Well-known member
does the FM3/FM9 have an effects loop like configuration within the blocks or block configuration of an amp?
I know what you posted makes complete sense of the order of Blocks, but I am just curious
Cheers
I don't think so. Both the preamp and power amp are together in the Amp Block, and I don't think there's a way to insert anything in between the two parts of that block. I do my post effects after the amp or even after the cab/IR, so I guess I've never really thought about a traditional loop between the preamp and power amp of the amp block. I think that's been requested before though, but I don't think it's gotten any traction.