Presets MASTER THREAD - AustinBuddy 1000+ LIVEGOLD TonePack for Cygnus X2

Third party presets and packs for Fractal Audio products

austinbuddy

Fractal Fanatic
Vendor
As of February 2023, all three LiveGold Banks have been updated to firmware 6.01 and are now available to existing customers in your "My Downloads" area of your account after login.


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(Original Post)

Hi Everyone!

Worked on this special TonePack for the FM3 for a loooong time. And it's SO worth it.

It's like a new & improved successor to the old AX8/Axe-Fx II 1000+ Dream Rigs, but with elements of the 1400+ Naked Amps for Axe-Fx III too.

I call it the "Live Gold" TonePack - because I approached these presets to make them all sound like a real amp in the room.

To do that, I used an Atomic NEO CLR about -10 to 12 feet away from me, cranked up to stage volume/LOUD. So I dialed in what I would want to hear on stage.

My beta testers tell me these are the best sounding presets I ever made! I humbly agree!

I'll post a video tutorial walking through all the design and details very soon. Expect a few well-known Fractal friends I shared Banks 1 and 2 with will soon make some demo videos, which we'll post here once done.

If you have an FM3, you are gonna LOVE this. It will open your FM3 up, promise. Each preset covers at least four sounds (with single coil options too in many) from clean to low to rhythm to high/lead, hitting almost every guitar amp model in the FM3 (but not bass).

The download zip file includes:

Bank 1 - the "Marshall style" bank. It includes presets of models based on amps by Marshall, Friedman, Splawn, Hook, Bogner and others.

Bank 2 - presets based on Fenders, Vox and Vintage Amps, Class-A Amps, and Boutique amps.

Bank 3 covers the modern and prog. metal amps. As a nice bonus, the great Mark Holcomb of Periphery collaborated with me in my studio here helped me dial in a few 5150 amp model presets using his PRS guitars.

Plus the zip download includes a README Release notes, a preset list, and a new FM3-only Master layout as well as an FM3+FC-6 OMG9 master layout, so you can set up the amp controllers -- you will want to access the CS2 AMP BOOST switch ALL THE TIME, it sounds so good!


What's more, there is also an Axe-Fx III version too now, and FM3 buyers get access to these same three banks of presets for the Axe-Fx III, and vice-versa.


Here's a video that explains much about the concepts behind the LiveGold TonePack, the preset layouts, but you get four scenes 1-4 dialed in for humbuckers, plus scenes 5-8 allow for single coil use. All presets have a drive 2 block, delay and reverb, and many have other effects as well. (Note: I've removed the wah block from all presets in the latest version of the Tonepack).


You can buy this TonePack now in the shop at www.austinbuddy.com.




Live-Gold-Tonepack-1-3d.jpg

Thanks everyone for your patience, you will be very happy with these presets and their comprehensive design! We'll use this thread for TonePack comments and updates, etc.

Here's a new video by Burg (Australia's mighty Brett Kingman) on the new TonePack - be sure to check out the Mark Holcomb (Periphery) presets coming in Bank 3 Brett used at the 7:00 mark to craft a little modern music!






Here's another little demo of the modern amps in Bank 3 from Rob:




Here's a video demo from Rick Webster, showing how he pulled three amps he loves into one killer preset - his "Dream rig"




Adding to thread: here is the introductory tutorial video about what's in it and how to set up the FM3, etc. Other videos like tone demos will be posted on my YouTube channel as completed.





Here's a second tutorial video showing how you can copy and paste an amp&cab/scene from one preset into your own preset to make your own "Dream rig."



Here's a third video explaining the the wah block and how to make one for a toe-down = OFF, or a heel back (spring loaded) = OFF wah block using a pedal and External Controller 1.

 
Last edited:
Oder no.7633... Just got Banks 1 & 2....Bank 3 is expected in summer.
Currently using OM9 with FC6..some bulky pedal..I am contemplating
using FM3 with two external foot switches connecting to Pedal 1&2,but
still have concern about my Live Gold presets will work properly...
Anyway,today is my FM3's birthday.

IMG_0327.JPG
 
These are definitely the best presets that @austinbuddy has ever put out, and he's put out some killers. I had a chance to open these up in a 1000-seat auditorium. These presets delivered goosebump-level satisfaction. And I could even get on with amps I normally don't care for. Definitely check out what he's done with the amp boost and those drives. There are some supremely greazy and chewy sounds in there.

Some personal favorites:

- AFT and FAS Class A for humbuckers;

- Brown Vibrolux absolutely loves a Telecaster — especially the bridge pickup.
 
Hi Austin. Congrats on this fine release. For axe fx3 users, are we able to upload the entire bank straight into axe fx3 w/o any conversion process ? Sorry for the noob question. :)
 
Hi Austin. Congrats on this fine release. For axe fx3 users, are we able to upload the entire bank straight into axe fx3 w/o any conversion process ? Sorry for the noob question. :)
When finished, there will be separate banks of presets just for the Axe-Fx III. So no conversion will be needed.
 
When finished, there will be separate banks of presets just for the Axe-Fx III. So no conversion will be needed.

Thanks Rex! So I’ll be able to import these FM3 presets (as a bank ) straight into AF3 without any conversion needed? Sorry for asking it again :)
 
I am back from the cabin tomorrow and will purchase ASAP! Outdoor gigs the next two weekends, so just in time! Thanks so much for all your hard work!
 
Oder no.7633... Just got Banks 1 & 2....Bank 3 is expected in summer.
Currently using OM9 with FC6..some bulky pedal..I am contemplating
using FM3 with two external foot switches connecting to Pedal 1&2,but
still have concern about my Live Gold presets will work properly...
Anyway,today is my FM3's birthday.

View attachment 69641
The Live Gold presets will work great if you level your own presets correctly too - let us know what issues you may encounter.
 
Hi Austin. Congrats on this fine release. For axe fx3 users, are we able to upload the entire bank straight into axe fx3 w/o any conversion process ? Sorry for the noob question. :)
So one reason there isn’t an Axe-Fx III Live Gold version available yet is because my beta tester team discovered this week that the presets from an FM3 imported into an Axe-Fx III do NOT sound the same as on the FM3/as originally designed. We aren’t sure why, could be lots of things. We are looking into it.
I had a similar experience with Dream Rigs for AX8 did not sound the same on Mark IIs. So I will be going through all the presets on the AxeFx III and tweaking them to sound like I designed on the FM3, after I finish the FM3 Bank 3 first.

Once I am happy with Axe-Fx III presets, will release that too later this summer. Remember , when you buy you get access to BOTH versions in account downloads once they be come available.
 
So one reason there isn’t an Axe-Fx III Live Gold version available yet is because my beta tester team discovered this week that the presets from an FM3 imported into an Axe-Fx III do NOT sound the same as on the FM3/as originally designed. We aren’t sure why, could be lots of things. We are looking into it.
I had a similar experience with Dream Rigs for AX8 did not sound the same on Mark IIs. So I will be going through all the presets on the AxeFx III and tweaking them to sound like I designed on the FM3, after I finish the FM3 Bank 3 first.

Once I am happy with Axe-Fx III presets, will release that too later this summer. Remember , when you buy you get access to BOTH versions in account downloads once they be come available.
That being said, I bought it last night anyway just to have something to play with while I’m off for a few days and loaded them into my AF3. They sound freakin amazing. There were a few that I could kinda see where there might be a tweak necessary, but overall I don’t think I ever would have known they weren’t sounding as intended or weren’t finalized. Granted this was just me and headphones, so I’m not sure what they’ll be like at rehearsal, but there was tons of greats sounds in there.
 
Some personal favorites:

- AFT and FAS Class A for humbuckers;

Can you be more specific? I don't see those in the list in the Axe Manage Browser when I load these banks up. I found "Brwn Vibrolux FM3" though.
 
JUST FOR YOU AXE-FX III USERS... :cool:

So, I did some audio detective work today comparing the FM3 presets with the Axe-Fx III ones, trying to figure out the differences. This information may be useful to you if you want to try and use the LIVE GOLD FM3 version presets on your Axe-Fx III until I get the Axe-Fx III version done in 3-4 weeks (hopefully!).

First, because of the greater CPU power, the Axe-Fx III is using Ultra Res and has better Cab Block processing power than the FM3 does. So the bottom end is bit bigger when you use the FM3 LIVE GOLD version on an Axe-Fx III. (You may need to use that BASS CUT "CS6" footswitch for each presets/scene as an alternative).

Second, overall, the LIVE GOLD FM3 presets are less compressed sounding than the identical LIVE GOLD Axe-Fx III preset. If that's something you want to do in your FM3 (add compression), just go to the Amp Block "Dynamics" page on your FM3. Cleans will usually have a compressor value already -- just double that. If there is no value (zero), then input 0.25 there. You'll hear it on your FM3 - it makes the amp a little less bright sounding. You may or may not like it, but that is what you can do. You can't dial it out of the Axe-Fx III, it's baked in the firmware I'm pretty sure.

Third, some low-medium gain LIVE GOLD Axe-Fx III preset scenes will have noticeably a little less gain than the FM3 version, even though the numerical amp gain values are the same. Just nudge that up on the Axe-Fx III version, add around 0.5 to 1.0 to the gain knob, depending on where you are already on the amp's gain spectrum.

Last, If you really want the Axe-Fx III version to sound JUST like the FM3 LIVE GOLD version, in addition to the above changes, then make this tweak your global EQ Out 1/2 that you use on your Axe-Fx III (maybe Out2 going to your stage FRFR).

Remember this change affects the sound of ALL your presets you'l play, although it doesn't change their individual values! This brings out the mids more the on LIVE GOLD presets on the Axe-Fx II to sound more like the FM3 versions. Some FRFRs love this setting actually/will sound better. But don't do this on the FM3's Global Output EQs though - not needed there!

Hope that helps. If you Axe-Fx III users can't wait for that LIVE GOLD version, you can choose to go ahead and buy the FM3 version now, then IMPORT into your Axe-FX III using Axe-Edit III's Preset Manager tool (FractalBot will NOT work for this), and the above will guide you if you find a preset needs something extra like the FM3 version you like has - you now have the tools.

You may of course like them as they sound without touching them on the Axe-Fx III -- but many presets don't sound exactly the way I did them on the FM3 as the result of the above issues.

Hope that makes sense, and remember -- eventually all customers who buy the LIVE GOLD TonePack will get access to both an FM3 and Axe-Fx III version of the LIVE GOLD Tonepack in their account downloads once all the work is done.

Now - I'm going to continue working on Bank 3 for the FM3, and get as down and dirty video tutorial out!

Cheers everyone!


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Oh man - try them all!

My guy, I love you, but NO. :)

The AX8 pack just overwhelmed me with options and I spent more time analyzing and choosing instead of playing so now I picked dozen or so that really interested me and I’ll mess with them for a while.

I’m in love with what I’ve heard so far. Thanks a million. You really help bring out the value in this state of the art equipment I’m not qualified to configure.
 
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