FM3 Sounds "Different" from YouTube Demos

A

Aaabii

Member
"Hello, I’ve been an FM3 owner for about a year and I’m facing a persistent issue. The presets I create by following YouTube tutorials sound nothing like the tones in the videos—I mean, they are completely different. Most of the time, the gain is too low and the tone is much bassier/muddier. Power amp and cab modeling are both enabled. I use DT 770 Pro headphones for both playing through the FM3 and watching the videos (using the FM3 as my audio interface), so the monitoring environment is identical. The guitar types are similar—often identical since I follow demos of the specific guitars I own. I’m completely stuck and open to any suggestion
 
Hey Dude!

I know what you mean. Lots of times, you hear the guitars in context with music. That changes the way, our ear recieves it.
Plus, lots of times, the creators adjust the high and low settings in the cab block suitable for their content.
And plus, youtube compresses the sound.
And plus, lots of times, there´s been a few software updates in between. Just yesterday i downloaded Leon Todds Rockman Preset. It didn´t sound right at all. Then i saw, it was a few years old. Especially the last update made drastic changes. I had so set all the levels new on my presets.

And...sometimes it´s just the player. My main presets are based on a plexi, mark 4, fas stealth and friedman (H)BE. Guess what...even though, those amps sound totally different, it always sounds like me.

Maybe you have a specific example?

Greetings from Germany
Hakan
 
The biggest difference IMHO is you will nearly always hear the sound of your unamplified strings (outside closed back isolation headphones or monitoring at fairly loud volume). In a youtube vid you are (typically) hearing just the isolated sound of the FM3. I know it seems like it shouldn't, but it has a huge impact on the tone you hear, another reason why it's important to dial in presets you want to gig at the volume you are going to use them.
 
Thank you for your replies but my "problem" is really simple actually. The guy in a particular video creates a preset , i copy them , and the result is stupidly different. The part is not played in the context of a song , i record my parts also so there is no string noise etc. Dont get me wrong i can make the unit sound good with different IR's or by turning some dials but this sort of difference makes me wonder if i am missing something.

An example :
Same settings my tone, pardon the noodling :

This is an old video i dont know if the amp model changed in the later firmware , it breaks up earlier etc.. But the same thing applies with high gain stuff and Leon Todd videos. The guy clicks an amp model strums a chord and it sounds amazing. I do the same its nowhere close.
 
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Aaabii said:
Thank you for your replies but my "problem" is really simple actually. The guy in a particular video creates a preset , i copy them , and the result is stupidly different. The part is not played in the context of a song , i record my parts also so there is no string noise etc. Dont get me wrong i can make the unit sound good with different IR's or by turning some dials but this sort of difference makes me wonder if i am missing something.

An example :
Same settings my tone, pardon the noodling :

This is an old video i dont know if the amp model changed in the later firmware , it breaks up earlier etc.. But the same thing applies with high gain stuff and Leon Todd videos. The guy clicks an amp model strums a chord and it sounds amazing. I do the same its nowhere close.
Click to expand...

Listening to the YT video and yours with studio monitors..
I'm no expert but I can hear a very similar sound base, different guitars, different touch, different reverb.
But the tone is pretty similar to my ears
 
Riccardo Ros said:
Listening to the YT video and yours with studio monitors..
I'm no expert but I can hear a very similar sound base, different guitars, different touch, different reverb.
But the tone is pretty similar to my ears
Click to expand...
The reverb mix is the biggest one that stands out to me
Use be same reverb model and turn up the mix and I think it will be a lot closer IMO
 
Are you using a strat or a semi hollow with humbuckers like in the picture?

Sean Meredith-Jones
 
If you are initially listening to the tone provider's clip on the same monitoring and in the same room you are playing on / in (which imo pretty much eliminates monitors / room as a source of difference), and you are using a confirmed exact copy of the preset/IR the tone provider used in the clip, + played on the same modeller model and/or gear, then possible reasons for perceived significant tone differences are:
  1. Hands differences (Technique / Ability).
  2. Guitar differences (Type, Model, Pups, Setup, Strings, Plectrum/Pic ...).
  3. Global settings differences (Typical culprits: Global Input Gain, Global EQ, P.A. Modelling).
  4. Tone provider added significant pre processing (ie boost before Axefx), or post processing (ie outboard EQ - Youtube publishing in itself might be considered post processing due to some added compression inherent to the YT publishing process, but I wouldn't think enough to create any "significant" difference).
  5. Firmware level difference.
  6. Monitoring level difference (ie: a louder monitoring level can interact with guitar strings / pickups differently and thus, impact overall tone compared to a quieter tone thru the same preset / gear).
  7. Audible string sound impacting tone perception as referenced here (Record yourself to eliminate this possibility).
  8. Defective / Malfunctioning gear (ie Guitar, Cables, Axefx).
To determine which of the above:
  • A - Confirm identical FW / Globals / monitoring volume level, + no significant pre or post processing with the tone provider.
  • B - If possibilities noted in A above can be eliminated based on the tone provider's responses, re-amp his clip-matching DI thru his clip-matching preset on your Axefx locally to confirm your local output sounds the same as his sample clip (it should sound pretty much identical).
  • C - If the re-amp doesn't match, check for physically defective gear (probably least likely except for maybe cables) by swapping in verified working equivalent components and redoing the re-amp test.
  • D - After working thru the testing / checking above, Guitar / hands (aka G+H) would be the only possible reason for a remaining significant tone difference between the tone provider's clip and the tone seeker's local playing experience thru the same preset. Imo, Guitar/Hands is the most likely reason in most cases, but not usually the answer tone seekers want to hear (understandable since it means either a guitar change, woodshed time, or both, and it means that the probably unrealistic hope for some sort of "magic bullet" solution is not going to materialize). Given the likelihoods of possible causes, the more arduous testing / checking in A,B,C above would be a last resort imo, with effort going more efficiently 1st toward the easy verifications (ie: Global Settings), and then mostly toward guitar / hands, but for those needing reassurance that it's not an Axefx settings or hw issue, the extensive testing / checking provides that reassurance which then frees the tone seeker to focus on Guitar/Hands.
Without assistance from the tone provider for global settings info, preset, matching DI etc, nailing down specific differences with any precision is difficult if not impossible. Having access to someone with the same gear who's tones you are targetting, and who is willing to assist with such testing, is invaluable. Chasing tone differences with someone you have no access to for help / verification is pretty much a waste of time for both the tone seeker and other users attempting to help explain those specific differences.
 
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Pickups and playing dynamics play a big role in when and how a tone breaks up with an "edge of breakup" tone like that.
 
Fretboard-Racer said:
I put my money on updates. A lot have changed since 2021.
Click to expand...
Probably, the model sounds way more distorted and easy to break to me.
Randalljax said:
The reverb mix is the biggest one that stands out to me
Use be same reverb model and turn up the mix and I think it will be a lot closer IMO
Click to expand...
Its the same model with the same mix. As i said i copied his settings.
Admin M@ said:
Also, the player in the video has great hand dynamics. That's a total art beyond many of us.
Click to expand...
Agree with that.
smj said:
Are you using a strat or a semi hollow with humbuckers like in the picture?

Sean Meredith-Jones
Click to expand...
Yes i am using a strat.
sprint said:
Not many possible reasons if you're listening to the clip thru the same monitoring you're playing an exact copy of his preset thru:
  1. YouTuber added pre or post processing.
  2. Firmware level is different.
  3. Global settings are different.
  4. Your acoustic guitar sound is impacting tone perception as mentioned above (Record yourself to eliminate this possibility).
  5. Guitar / Hands.
To determine which of the above: confirm identical FW / Globals, + no pre / post processing with the YouTuber, and re-amp his matching DI on your Axfx to confirm your local output sounds the same as the his clip. If those confirmations check out, guitar / hands is the only possible reason. Without those confirmations, it's just chasing rabbits - most likely reason in these type frequent instances imo: Guitar / Hands (not the answer folks usually want to hear, but ...)
Click to expand...
I recorded myself and using headphones, it is not about the string noise. Did not touch any global settings either.
 
The video is 4+ years old... Many, many changes during that time.

Copying settings isn't likely to get you more than in the ballpark...
 
Aaabii said:
Because i cannot check the other 2/3
Click to expand...
And that's the point - without those confirmations, the exact reason for differences can't be known - that's the reality - your best use if time going forward, if using an exact copy of his preset including IR, is to review your globals for
possible issues (ie. Global EQ ON or Input Gain <> 1)
and focus on guitar / hands using your ears as a guide.

Sorry to be a downer - but it is what it is - there's no other magical fix or setting.

Finding a tone guru that you can interact with you and who can assist you with the above type confirmations is gold.
 
sprint said:
And that's the point - without those confirmations, the exact reason for differences can't be known - that's the reality - your best use if time going forward, if using an exact copy of his preset including IR, is to review your globals for
possible issues (ie. Global EQ ON or Input Gain <> 1)
and focus on guitar / hands using your ears as a guide.

Sorry to be a downer - but it is what it is - there's no other magical fix or setting
Click to expand...
I am already well aware of the basic troubleshooting steps (input levels, IR quality, post-processing, etc.). The reason I’m starting this thread is to find out if there is something deeper or less obvious that I might be missing. I’ve seen similar cases where people fixed their tone by realizing a global setting like 'Power Amp Modeling' was accidentally disabled. I’m looking for that kind of 'hidden' fix or a specific setting that could be causing this massive discrepancy. Even with identical monitoring (DT 770 Pros) and similar guitars, my tones are significantly lower in gain and much bassier than the tutorials. I’m trying to figure out if there's a 'eureka' moment I’m missing in the system settings. Thanks anyway.
 
You could have something wrong but it’s not rare for other people’s presets to not work for other people. That’s my experience anyhow. I even bought a well regarded preset pack that sounded not so good to me. The video demos sounded great though. Think of another persons preset as a starting point. You need to adjust presets to fit you. A lot of factors are involved including all the firmware upgrades. You need good volume too. I’ve had good luck with some, like Burg’s presets seem to work for me as long as the firmware matches. I don’t buy presets anymore. Roll your own. It’s the best way.
 
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