Fractal FM3 Thread , tips to rock ! ? @

AxeFX III user- My best advice is go to York Audio’s page and buy 3 cab packs that seem like they’ll cover all the ground you’ll need. Chances are, you’ll have enough IR’s from those 3 packs to last you a lifetime. I learned this after accumulating around 40,000 IR’s over the last 5 years.

I tend to approach dialing it in differently than others, but post-Cygnus, I don’t even touch the amp block until I’ve found an IR that’s 90%-95% of the way there, then I adjust the amp block to get it the rest of the way. Or if you think in terms of a Floyd Rose, you use the tuning machines to get you ’there’ and then the fine tuners to get you exactly where you need to be. I have a shitload of presets where the amp knobs are all at 12 because they didn’t require further tweaking until I have to make it fit into a mix.

And the quickest way to find an IR- put a looper block in front of the amp block, record a couple licks/riffs and then just let it loop while you sort through your IR’s. That way you’re not hearing your strings in the room and you’re not focusing on playing, just listening.
 
TheGreatGreen said:
With modeling gear, if you're going FRFR, make sure to find some IR's you really love, because with high gain sounds, the cab (IR) is the most sonically influential element in the chain. You will probably dislike the vast majority of cabs you try, only liking a handful of them. That's totally normal. Don't be afraid to blend IR's you do like.

Also, just advice in general, EQ does wonders. Don't be afraid to put EQ blocks both before and after the amp block to experiment with what you can get out of a model. The right boosts and cuts can make all the difference.
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1000% this ^^^^^^
 
My FM3 has arrived ! I spent some time with it yesterday. I really appreciate all the tips you guys have shared on here so far, they definitely helped.

So far I have used it through my computer with Yamaha HS7 monitors and sub. Its sounding good, I need more time with it but I was able to make some of my own patches that I like. For now I have started out with high gain rhythm tones to see what I can come up with.

I want to see how it stacks up to some of the good plugins out there , I have some STL and Neural stuff. Then Im gonna compare it to my Revv amps because they have two notes embedded and they are what I have been using live. I have a revv g20 and a 100pmkIII. It would be nice if this would replace at least my g20 with boss ms3 rig. Though I will say the G20 sounds great direct.

IRs where Im at now though. I found a couple I like but I bet there are other ones out there I would like more. I have not gone through all the stock ones , I did like the 5150 and the basketweave one someone on here recommended. Im gonna have to spend time going down the rabbit hole. It would be cool if I could use my two notes cabs in the fm3 but Im not sure if thats possible.

The York Audio Mesa 2x12 IRs seems to be mentioned alot on the fractal forum. Maybe thats what I will try next but it almost seems silly to pay for something unless they are really better than what comes stock. I dont mind spending time trying what comes in the unit . But if i can buy something that will sound better and save me the time of experimenting then Im game.
 
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the4thlast1 said:
IRs where Im at now though. I found a couple I like but I bet there are other ones out there I would like more.
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Whatever you do, don't ever toss the ones you "like now". It's always nice to go back and use them as a reference as
you explore the BILLIONS of IRs availale these days.

I ended up just giving up the search and settling on one I liked early on. The differences between IRs can be so subtle
that you might love IR-A first thing in the morning when your ears are fresh, and then IR-B later on when they get tired.

It's super easy to drive yourself insane with them. Think of it this way. In the real world you're going to get a cab and then
MAYBE switch out the speaker type once or twice before you're good.

Now who the hell would want to have 2,000 different speakers sitting in the next room to sift through?

Find a good one and call it a day!
 
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the4thlast1 said:
My FM3 has arrived ! I spent some time with it yesterday. I really appreciate all the tips you guys have shared on here so far, they definitely helped.

So far I have used it through my computer with Yamaha HS7 monitors and sub. Its sounding good, I need more time with it but I was able to make some of my own patches that I like. For now I have started out with high gain rhythm tones to see what I can come up with.

I want to see how it stacks up to some of the good plugins out there , I have some STL and Neural stuff. Then Im gonna compare it to my Revv amps because they have two notes embedded and they are what I have been using live. I have a revv g20 and a 100pmkIII. It would be nice if this would replace at least my g20 with boss ms3 rig. Though I will say the G20 sounds great direct.

IRs where Im at now though. I found a couple I like but I bet there are other ones out there I would like more. I have not gone through all the stock ones , I did like the 5150 and the basketweave one someone on here recommended. Im gonna have to spend time going down the rabbit hole. It would be cool if I could use my two notes cabs in the fm3 but Im not sure if thats possible.

The York Audio Mesa 2x12 IRs seems to be mentioned alot on the fractal forum. Maybe thats what I will try next but it almost seems silly to pay for something unless they are really better than what comes stock. I dont mind spending time trying what comes in the unit . But if i can buy something that will sound better and save me the time of experimenting then Im game.
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If I remember right, that York Audio Mesa 2x12 only costs $1. Or at least it was only $1 for a while.

I’m at the point now where I most likely won’t bother buying IR’s from anyone but York Audio. I think most of these IR companies just have their standard areas they mic an amp and shoot an IR, as where Justin @York will listen to everything before he captures the IR. It’s not just a point and shoot thing.

If you’re into heavy, high gain stuff, I STRONGLY recommend York Audio’s DV-77 cab pack. Holy fucking shit that cab pack is awesome. I’m even using it on some Matchless/Class-A type amps and they work just as well for that. I think it’s the Mick Thompson sig speaker, so it definitely does the heavy stuff well, but I was really surprised to find it working well across a broad range of amps. The first 12 IR’s in that pack are all outfuckingstanding.
 
@RevDrucifer ever heard of Seacow? Best kept IR secret on the planet IMO.

https://laptopguitarist.com/2019/10/14/free-cabinet-impulses-seacow-cabs/
It's some dude in Mexico with tons of gear and tons of time and all he does (it seems!) is shoot IRs.

Some seriously good stuff and he covers all the bases so no matter your style you'll find something good.

Ahhhhh, just checked his site and it looks like he got smart and decided to make some cash.
If you're interested and don't want to spend, I have a lot of his stuff I can email you to check out.

I don't need them anymore since I got the QC.
 
RevDrucifer said:
...I tend to approach dialing it in differently than others, but post-Cygnus, I don’t even touch the amp block until I’ve found an IR that’s 90%-95% of the way there, then I adjust the amp block to get it the rest of the way. Or if you think in terms of a Floyd Rose, you use the tuning machines to get you ’there’ and then the fine tuners to get you exactly where you need to be. I have a shitload of presets where the amp knobs are all at 12 because they didn’t require further tweaking until I have to make it fit into a mix...
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This obviously applies to real cabs and mics as well...but man, I really REALLY wish I would have figured this out 15 years ago! Buying amp after amp after amp, ignoring the most important factor in the big picture -- speakers, cabs, mics (in other words: post amp EQ).

Can't agree more with any of your thoughts here. Excellent analogy with the Floyd Rose too.
 
RevDrucifer is spot-on.

There are plenty of decent cabs in the Fractal boxes, but if you're a hard rock guy, it can be tough to tease them out. The YA stuff just rocks out of the gate. I bought the Mesa 4x12 and haven't thought about IRs since.
 
There seems to be lots of love for the duncan powerstage . What else do you guys like regardless of price ? Tubes or no tubes. I read over the fractal forum some guys like the Fryette lx something or other and the KSR if you want a tube power amp but other than that tubes seem to color the tone too much.
 
Ive been spending more time with the fm3. Still going direct through my daw and yamaha monitors. Im really enjoying it. I got a chance to compare it to my Revv G20 with Boss ms3 setup and Im surprised to say I like the tone of the Fractal more. I am using both the same way, direct with no cab.

Im curious to also try the Fm3 with a poweramp and cab. Comparing it to my 100 watt tube amps will be interesting. I have a 6505+ , Revv 100P and a Jcm800.
 
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Donnie B. said:
@RevDrucifer ever heard of Seacow? Best kept IR secret on the planet IMO.

https://laptopguitarist.com/2019/10/14/free-cabinet-impulses-seacow-cabs/
It's some dude in Mexico with tons of gear and tons of time and all he does (it seems!) is shoot IRs.

Some seriously good stuff and he covers all the bases so no matter your style you'll find something good.

Ahhhhh, just checked his site and it looks like he got smart and decided to make some cash.
If you're interested and don't want to spend, I have a lot of his stuff I can email you to check out.

I don't need them anymore since I got the QC.
Click to expand...

Thanks, man, but IR's are like porn for me and I had to cut myself off. You always want to check some more out in case you didn't find the best one yet! I'm pretty close to being where I want, tonally, so I'm actually getting work done in the studio instead of auditioning IR's. 😂
 
Just had a question fellow FM3 users. How do you make sure that transitions between scenes are smooth. What I mean is that sometimes there are weird glitches going from one scene to another even when I use the same amp block.

Also I would like to utilize the second tap feature for scenes. Meaning that for example you could put scene 1 and 4 on button one and scene 2 and 5 on button two, etc. So you hit button one once its scene one hit it again its scene 4. My problem is that lets say Im playing live and for a song Im only using scenes 1 and 2 ... So I hit button 1 and Im on scene 1 then I hit button 2 Im on scene 2. Ok so then I want to go back to scene 1 , here is my problem , when I try to get back to scene one if I hit button one it now goes to scene 2 not 1 . Does that make sense lol
 
the4thlast1 said:
Just had a question fellow FM3 users. How do you make sure that transitions between scenes are smooth. What I mean is that sometimes there are weird glitches going from one scene to another even when I use the same amp block.
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Been a while since I used Fractal but are you using delay and/or reverb?
Make sure all time based stuff it set for 'trails on' or 'spillover on' , etc.
 
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