Help! I'm a newbie and my used FM3 sounds like trash

[Rex]

I've a pretty good understanding of the general concept of resonance in physics and engineering, but I kinda have no clue as to what that means exactly in this context.

Objects and enclosed spaces have resonances that fall in the audio spectrum. When those resonances are excited by a signal, you can hear them if the damping is sufficiently low.

 

[Leo Meszi]

I really feel the pain of OP as I struggle with the same feelings. I was soooo satisfied with my AX8 where I could program a useable preset in 2-3 minutes. FM3 is somehow different, requires much more attention to details. Dynacabs somehow helped a lot, but I still prefer the sound of my "old" ax8 sounds.

 

[mr_fender]

Make sure you're not clipping the input. Record a DI via USB and zoom way in on the waveform and look for flat tops on the peaks.

 

[GitGuy513]

Record a raw DI guitar track via USB along with your sample recording and post them both along with the preset you used. People can then try reamping your guitar's raw tone through their units to see if it sounds any different.

This is such a good suggestion. It would be hard to deny any results. Thanks @mr_fender

 

[Anton Karelin]

I really feel the pain of OP as I struggle with the same feelings. I was soooo satisfied with my AX8 where I could program a useable preset in 2-3 minutes. FM3 is somehow different, requires much more attention to details. Dynacabs somehow helped a lot, but I still prefer the sound of my "old" ax8 sounds.

I also sometimes think that Axe-Fx II sounded better and simpler than my FM3

 

[Eman7422]

I had ax8 which was great but the FM3 is light years better IMHO

 

[Will Chen]

I really feel the pain of OP as I struggle with the same feelings. I was soooo satisfied with my AX8 where I could program a useable preset in 2-3 minutes. FM3 is somehow different, requires much more attention to details. Dynacabs somehow helped a lot, but I still prefer the sound of my "old" ax8 sounds.

I think it's the high end. Now, it's been a while...but listen to some old tracks and based on my memory the high end was "smoothed out" in the AX8 presenting a more idealized sound which you have to manually do in the FM3 by cutting the highs back (easiest in cab block) some if you want the same type of tone. On the flip side...IMHO with each generation of devices (and not just Fractal here) I think the biggest improvements are in the high end spectrum with the ability to sound bright reducing harsh/brittle side effects. With the FM3, I found once I stopped trying to sound like the AX8 (and how I had my Stomp dialed to match that) that I got even better sounds than before as I relaxed on trying to "contain" the highs so much as I just didn't need to.

 

[Anton Karelin]

It seems that I'm almost there! A month ago I wanted to sell FM3. But after some time of studying the details of the Fractal amplifier and cab, I get a good sound! I'm sure I can get an even better sound with Fractal. I keep experimenting with the sound to improve it.
Thanks to Leon Todd, Marco Fanton and Bernd Kiltz for the information!
When I am sure that my sound has really become good and the way I want, I will share recommendations in this topic.

 

[621]

It seems that I'm almost there! A month ago I wanted to sell FM3. But after some time of studying the details of the Fractal amplifier and cab, I get a good sound! I'm sure I can get an even better sound with Fractal. I keep experimenting with the sound to improve it.
Thanks to Leon Todd, Marco Fanton and Bernd Kiltz for the information!
When I am sure that my sound has really become good and the way I want, I will share recommendations in this topic.

i'm interested, please share your findings or preset bro

 

[Joel.Brown333]

I listened to your clips. This sounds like what I went through when I first got the FM3, which is the IRs didn't sound good without some serious tweaking. There's a ton of IRs in there and eventually you will find one you like. In the meantime, this is what helped me, and I ended up liking it better.

 

[Stratman68]

You know I don't mean this as a dig but 99% of times I hear title like your the music is metal or very hi gain chugging. Quite the coincidence.
Cooper carter played for hours with factory presets playing high gain stuff, chug chug stuff. Sounded great for what it was. Funny how that works. Good old 70's and 80's rock was great crunch stuff. Loved it.

 

[Dutch]

The posted tones didn't sound horrible to me. What is the problem? Sounds like trash is not a clear definition. And what is the objective? How do you want them to sound?

I agree the the AX8 is simpler and was easier to get running. I've been working my FM3 for 4 months now getting 80 presets to sound good. I'm still not there. But going back to the AX8 is a world of difference. Somehow the ante got upped. More detail so harder to get just right.

I resorted to using the same IR in all my presets because that's still the #1 thing in going FRFR. You have to find the one that is you and that's a BIG JOB! Just yesterday I think I found my holy grail in the new Ownhammer Rock Box M25B (boomer crunch IR) so I have to go through all 80 presets again.... Still run the low pass at 6500 and high pass at 90. That helps a lot for IEMs. Those usually go pretty bright.