Solved: FM3 sounded muffled until I positioned my studio monitors appropriately

O

Orlando Flores

Member
I want to love this thing coming from an AXE FX 2, but everything sounds so muffled which was not the case with the 2. I’ve had it for over a year now and always find myself trying to tweak something and it just never sounds right compared to the Axe 2, so end up just playing on an old modler amp I have.

Started with Yamaha HS8 and it blew my speaker not even going half way on the output, so that was costly. Went and bought a pair of Adam’s A7X and purchased the Austin Buddy presets, and besides a heavily tweaked Fryette model I can manage to make Decent, all of my presets (Austin Buddy’s and 5.3 presets) sounds like a big blanket over them and nothing like the sounds you hear all over SoundCloud and YouTube.

Have tried 2 different guitars and using Mogami brand cables all around.

Did the research and there is no padding or anything going on, but just wondering if any other options? I heard the Austin Buddy’s were supposed to sound good from the get go, and just not happening for me, so any help would be appreciated.
 
How loud is the system when you're playing? 90 dB-ish? Anything below that and your ears aren't going to hear the sound correctly. Volume is also needed to get the guitar to react to the air being moved by the speakers.

Austin Buddy's packs are great. The factory presets for the FM3 are freshly adjusted for the current firmware and also sound great, but again, with either, a reasonably loud volume is needed.

What version of the FM3 firmware are you running? How are the speakers connected to the FM3?

My FM3, without any special adjustments, sounds awesome through my cabinets, so I know it's very capable of putting out amazing sounds.
 
Check your global output EQs and make sure they're not cutting out your highs by accident. If in doubt, reload the latest firmware and do a complete reset of all the system settings.
 
Well The output on my FM3 never reaches past noon. I’d say the farthest I ever go is 11 o’clock. The volume on the Admas is cranked up all the way since I’m using the sound of the fm3 to crank the volume as needed. Adam’s levels on the back are all set to flat
 
mr_fender said:
Check your global output EQs and make sure they're not cutting out your highs by accident. If in doubt, reload the latest firmware and do a complete reset of all the system settings.
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Yeah I’ve done the reset firmware and same results as previously. Same with re loading the Austin Buddy presets after new firmware.
 
Orlando Flores said:
Well The output on my FM3 never reaches past noon. I’d say the farthest I ever go is 11 o’clock. The volume on the Admas is cranked up all the way since I’m using the sound of the fm3 to crank the volume as needed. Adam’s levels on the back are all set to flat
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That sounds like it would be incredibly loud. Studio monitors aren’t meant for too much volume. I keep my A5x at 12 o clock or lower and my FM3 can’t go much past 11 o clock and it’s too loud for the room.

Does recorded music sound ok through your speakers?
 
I’m not sure if they’re blown but this is like brand new and was happening with the Yamahas too. Music such as MP3 sound great through them
 
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Yeah if recorded music sounds good they're likely just fine. Something has to be set weird in the FM3.

Maybe try using different outputs on the FM3? How does it sound through headphones?
 
That’s weird you can’t get good tones after a year and already experienced with FAS. Is your global eq flat?
 
Orlando Flores said:
I want to love this thing coming from an AXE FX 2, but everything sounds so muffled which was not the case with the 2. I’ve had it for over a year now and always find myself trying to tweak something and it just never sounds right compared to the Axe 2, so end up just playing on an old modler amp I have.

Started with Yamaha HS8 and it blew my speaker not even going half way on the output, so that was costly. Went and bought a pair of Adam’s A7X and purchased the Austin Buddy presets, and besides a heavily tweaked Fryette model I can manage to make Decent, all of my presets (Austin Buddy’s and 5.3 presets) sounds like a big blanket over them and nothing like the sounds you hear all over SoundCloud and YouTube.

Have tried 2 different guitars and using Mogami brand cables all around.

Did the research and there is no padding or anything going on, but just wondering if any other options? I heard the Austin Buddy’s were supposed to sound good from the get go, and just not happening for me, so any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Create your own preset with just amp/cab and post it here along with a clip (+DI if possible) and description of guitar, pickups, and your detailed thoughts on the tone you're getting w that preset vs what you'd like to get - these things are essestial to get help on tone imo.
 
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Orlando Flores said:
Started with Yamaha HS8 and it blew my speaker not even going half way on the output, so that was costly.
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The FM3 (or any other normal signal source) cannot be directly blamed for blowing a speaker. Unless perhaps if you use the Synth block with a sine wave constantly sweeping from 0 Hz to 20,000 Hz at insane volume. But that would be user injudiciousness, and it would probably damage your hearing before blowing the speaker. They must have been defective or subject to very loud volume, beyond its limits, for a extended period of time.

Did you always switched them ON after all the other equipment and OFF before the other equipment?

skolacki said:
That’s weird you can’t get good tones after a year and already experienced with FAS. Is your global eq flat?
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Strange indeed. Unless it is defective, there must be something at the global settings or some external issue. The FM3 core tone is a step forward from the Axe-FX II
 
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FM3 sounds definitely better than FXII. You have a problem somewhere. At least some of the factory presets should sound good to start with. If that is not the case, something's wrong.
 
If you always run your monitors cranked then sooner or later you’ll put a hot signal in there and blow the speakers. Why not run your monitors half way and then turn the volume up a bit on your FM3 instead. Not a fix for whatever makes it muffled, but protection for your monitors at least. You want to be in a position where cranking the FM3 will get to a volume that won’t destroy your monitors or ears if it’s accidentally cranked. I still prefer the sound of my FM3 / Kemper through headphones vs monitors. I suspect it’s a volume thing - lower volume on headphones still fills your ears, where lower volume with monitors sounds thin. I need to experiment with monitors more but have never liked them. Maybe my T5v are not a good match.
 
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