New to Fractal

Greg Ferguson said:
… and drop a GEQ or PEQ block just in front of the OUT block to flatten the frequency response of the headphones. That can help quite a bit.
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Im already lost with this reply haha. I will have to study the manual and watch videos on youtube. I also have to mention the fact that when it comes to guitar tones , I dont really have much sense of how, why changing bass mid treble changes the sound , or even how to really find or replicate a guitar tone.
 
FadeToBlack89 said:
Im already lost with this reply haha. I will have to study the manual and watch videos on youtube. I also have to mention the fact that when it comes to guitar tones , I dont really have much sense of how, why changing bass mid treble changes the sound , or even how to really find or replicate a guitar tone.
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Open the Blocks guide and start reading through the list and you’ll be able to figure it.
 
No matter what level of playing anyone has here from the early beginners to most accomplished pros and eveyone in between, always remember first and foremost to enjoy your fractal and enjoy your playing through it. It's a blank canvas just waiting for you to make your art and make sure you enjoy it above all else. The best tip i've read here is rule 1 use your ears when deciding what you like. Try amps and speaker ir's you might not normally think of trying...there are no rules...experiment and find your sound ;)
 
FadeToBlack89 said:
Hi , thanks for taking the time to answer, Im getting mine on Monday. So Im excited and I guess I can use my studio Beats (are these good enough?). For now I only have a Kh602 for an electric and it has emg 81/85s. I also think studio monitors seem like the best option
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Studio Monitors are a good option if you don't plan on using it in a live setting. If you ever do want to use the FM3 live, you will want to get an FRFR speaker. There's quite a few options, one of the more popular ones is the Headrush one. One thing that happened to me when I first got my FM3, coming from a different modeler, is that I didn't know why I wasn't getting sound at first. The output volume knobs were all turned down and they're above the display. It's a simple thing to correct, but it's also easy to miss. You also don't need to boost the output volume very high either (I usually have mine set at 12 o'clock).
 
zosofeather said:
No matter what level of playing anyone has here from the early beginners to most accomplished pros and eveyone in between, always remember first and foremost to enjoy your fractal and enjoy your playing through it. It's a blank canvas just waiting for you to make your art and make sure you enjoy it above all else. The best tip i've read here is rule 1 use your ears when deciding what you like. Try amps and speaker ir's you might not normally think of trying...there are no rules...experiment and find your sound ;)
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Hi, thanks for answering. This is my first time with any type of modulator, all I know is the FM3 is a powerful unit. I will definitely be spending an unhealthy amount of time on it. haha.
 
scott.frank.b said:
Studio Monitors are a good option if you don't plan on using it in a live setting. If you ever do want to use the FM3 live, you will want to get an FRFR speaker. There's quite a few options, one of the more popular ones is the Headrush one. One thing that happened to me when I first got my FM3, coming from a different modeler, is that I didn't know why I wasn't getting sound at first. The output volume knobs were all turned down and they're above the display. It's a simple thing to correct, but it's also easy to miss. You also don't need to boost the output volume very high either (I usually have mine set at 12 o'clock).
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Hi thanks for answering, Studio monitors are my best option, since im not a musician per se, I just like to do covers of solos. I will most likely never ever play live in a gig. also thanks for the tip about the output volume knobs, another problem I might run into. I will be posting a follow up
 
If you have never used a modeler before, it can be overwhelming at first, because of how much you can tweak, that you run into option paralysis. The Fractal gear is so customizable that you can adjust as much or as little as you want. You can use the stock cab IRs or download new ones. You don’t even have to create any presets at first if you want. You can just play around with the factory presets.

Certain blocks or effects use up more processing power also as you’re building patches. Amp and Cab blocks use the most, followed by the high res reverbs. There’s a chart on this post that details how much CPU goes into various effects

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...pu-usage-estimates.159115/page-2#post-1903242

As a general rule of thumb, you don’t necessarily have to use the high res reverbs or IRs unless you’re recording something because of how much CPU they use.
 
scott.frank.b said:
Studio Monitors are a good option if you don't plan on using it in a live setting. If you ever do want to use the FM3 live, you will want to get an FRFR speaker. There's quite a few options, one of the more popular ones is the Headrush one. One thing that happened to me when I first got my FM3, coming from a different modeler, is that I didn't know why I wasn't getting sound at first. The output volume knobs were all turned down and they're above the display. It's a simple thing to correct, but it's also easy to miss. You also don't need to boost the output volume very high either (I usually have mine set at 12 o'clock).
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Hi , I have a question regarding output. I got my fm3 today, and as someone had mentioned it was a little underwhelming since I dont have the appropiate speaker/s. Im using beats studio but they sound very weak. Like its far away. Ive tried raising volume and playing around with the output but if I go louder it clips and sounds super bad. Is this just due to the speaker issue or do I need to adjust something to play through headphones

Thanks in advance
 
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You have a great little modeler. But it will never be better than it’s speaker output. Get some good phones or better monitors. Also read the manual on levels. Congrats on your new toy!
 
FadeToBlack89 said:
Hi , I have a question regarding output. I got my fm3 today, and as someone had mentioned it was a little underwhelming since I dont have the appropiate speaker/s. Im using beats studio but they sound very weak. Like its far away. Ive tried raising volume and playing around with the output but if I go louder it clips and sounds super bad. Is this just due to the speaker issue or do I need to adjust something to play through headphones

Thanks in advance
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You need to give us a good description of the signal path from the FM3 to your speakers. Read chapter 4, then identify and confirm which setup you are using please, including any settings specified. Correct cabling is important, triple-check that they're right.

What preset are you using to test? Have you adjusted anything in the preset?
 
Greg Ferguson said:
You need to give us a good description of the signal path from the FM3 to your speakers. Read chapter 4, then identify and confirm which setup you are using please, including any settings specified. Correct cabling is important, triple-check that they're right.

What preset are you using to test? Have you adjusted anything in the preset?
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Hey thanks for answering, I am lost and as people had mentioned there definitely is a learning curve. So far I havent played with any knobs other then volume for output 1 and in setup in fm3 edit. I tried clicking on the "out" block in fm3 edit to see if I can change the output type to headphones but had no luck. This device is beyond my abilities if I can be honest. I was using "the brown sound" (with nothing changed)and it sounded pretty good except far away.( they all do in fact). I have an xlr to trs cable(i wanted to try how it would sound in front of an amp), the usb cable connected, the headphones connected. If i am not using the xlr cable for output , is it bad if its still connected?
 
FadeToBlack89 said:
Hey thanks for answering, I am lost and as people had mentioned there definitely is a learning curve. So far I havent played with any knobs other then volume for output 1 and in setup in fm3 edit. I tried clicking on the "out" block in fm3 edit to see if I can change the output type to headphones but had no luck. This device is beyond my abilities if I can be honest. I was using "the brown sound" (with nothing changed)and it sounded pretty good except far away.( they all do in fact). I have an xlr to trs cable(i wanted to try how it would sound in front of an amp), the usb cable connected, the headphones connected. If i am not using the xlr cable for output , is it bad if its still connected?
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Don't be too hard on yourself. These units are a bit complicated. Your problem is you need a better speaker solution, and also need to learn how to setup your levels for your input and output. The manual explains what you need to do in an easy to understand fashion. It won't hurt to leave your phones plugged in while going out to speakers. Running into the front of your amp isn't going to be the best way to hear what these things will do but it will work. Keep at it, get an FRFR or an amp where you can bypass the preamp and go straight to the power section and cab, or good phones, or decent studio monitors. You'll figure it out, no worries.
 
Don’t use a “balanced” XRL/TRS cable from out 1 to the front of amp. Use output 2L with a regular “instrument” or humbuster cable. I would just start with a regular instrument cable and hope there are no ground noise issues. Turn out 2 control on top of unit fully clockwise. I would connect and slowly turn up just to make sure there are no sudden volume spikes. Presets that have a lot stereo separation/FX will not sound as good, but not terrible.

Before anything I would unplug everything first and make sure your headphones are completely plugged into the headphone jack and guitar is fully plugged into the instrument jack below the headphone jack. Turn up out 1 control until you have a good level. Unless your headphones are malfunctioning or have bad cable you should get a reasonably decent audio experience. As others have said, I would stick with this until you can get a stereo monitor system of some sort. I suppose once you get this straight you could start to mess with connecting to a DAW setup with Out 1 LR or USB. Take one thing at a time starting with the most simple and move onward. Once you get the headphones working correctly you will be astonished and get lost in playing for a few days.

Oh and read and reread the manual and block manual and the forum Wiki has loads of great info.
 
GitGuy513 said:
Don’t use a “balanced” XRL/TRS cable from out 1 to the front of amp. Use output 2L with a regular “instrument” or humbuster cable. I would just start with a regular instrument cable and hope there are no ground noise issues. Turn out 2 control on top of unit fully clockwise. I would connect and slowly turn up just to make sure there are no sudden volume spikes. Presets that have a lot stereo separation/FX will not sound as good, but not terrible.

Before anything I would unplug everything first and make sure your headphones are completely plugged into the headphone jack and guitar is fully plugged into the instrument jack below the headphone jack. Turn up out 1 control until you have a good level. Unless your headphones are malfunctioning or have bad cable you should get a reasonably decent audio experience. As others have said, I would stick with this until you can get a stereo monitor system of some sort. I suppose once you get this straight you could start to mess with connecting to a DAW setup with Out 1 LR or USB. Take one thing at a time starting with the most simple and move onward. Once you get the headphones working correctly you will be astonished and get lost in playing for a few days.

Oh and read and reread the manual and block manual and the forum Wiki has loads of great info.
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Hi, thanks for answering. I will try the other method as you mentioned. I did try to record on cubase using the fm3 as an interface and even then it sounded crappy with headphones. All of us Fractal ownwers do have the power of the sun in the palm of our hands.
 
skolacki said:
Don't be too hard on yourself. These units are a bit complicated. Your problem is you need a better speaker solution, and also need to learn how to setup your levels for your input and output. The manual explains what you need to do in an easy to understand fashion. It won't hurt to leave your phones plugged in while going out to speakers. Running into the front of your amp isn't going to be the best way to hear what these things will do but it will work. Keep at it, get an FRFR or an amp where you can bypass the preamp and go straight to the power section and cab, or good phones, or decent studio monitors. You'll figure it out, no worries.
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Hi thanks for answering, my best bet is either studio monitors or an frfr speaker, thinking of going with the 8" Headrush. or Yorkville studio monitors. both my amps dont have an option to bypass the preamp.I am going to be reading the manual over and over, I know I will learn eventually, but I really do have option paralysis, that coupled with the speaker issue. this seems beyond my league.
 
scott.frank.b said:
I would strongly recommend an FRFR cab. I have used the 12" one and the 8" one of these for a while now and they are a decent, relatively affordable way to hear the Fractal gear.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...108-2000-watt-1x8-inch-powered-guitar-cabinet
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Hi thanks for answering, Ive been looking into the 8" Headrush, seems like a possible solution and theyre relatively cheap compared the FM3 price. my wife still hasnt forgiven me for this purchase.
 
FadeToBlack89 said:
this seems beyond my league.
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Obviously I don't know you, but I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say it's not.
But one thing I'd recommend you do, before simply reading the manual over and over, is think about how you learn best. Do you like to read the textbook yourself, or would you rather have things demonstrated for you? If you'd rather see the things done, then I'd watch a video or 2 from Cooper Carter and Leon Todd, then dig into the stuff they've done with the FM3. Both guys do an amazing job, they're both easy to listen to, they don't talk too much, and they're both great players, but if it were me, I'd just choose one or the other, so as to not get completely overwhelmed, and watch everything they have on their channel that relates to Fractal stuff (unless it's specifically for one of the units you don't own), since a lot of what applies to one, applies to all 3.
 
I have no connection to this, but @TSJMajesty made me think of this. This might be something to consider. It’s not cheap and I understand you just shelled out a bunch and also know all about the wife and gear expenditures, but might be ready made for your situation. I would just get the FM3 class.
https://classes.coopercarter.com/
 
I'm also new and awaiting delivery of my FM3. This thread and subsequent responses are a great jumpstart for us new users.
Thank you all!
 
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