FM3 CPU Performance Dismistified

Douglas Costa

Inspired
I've been reading a lot of worries about Fractal's FM3 CPU Performance.

When I got mine, I was worried too, just because people talks like it's very limited.

So I decided to make a test bulding a real world rig example, and I choose David Gilmour's The Wall Live Pedalboard to replicate.

The site "https://www.gilmourish.com" have detailed Gilmour's rig along his albums, and I think The Wall is one of the most popular ones.

I choose David Gilmour because he is known for it's complex rigs, lets see if FM3 CPU Power can make it happen:

From Gilmourish Site:

"Pete Cornish pedal board and​

additional effects 1980-81 live performances​

Pedal board effects listed as in chain
Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face (BC109)
Electro Harmonix Big Muff (Ram’s Head)
MXR Phase 90
Electro Harmonix Small Stone
Electro Harmonix Electric Mistress
Pete Cornish (ST-2) Treble and Bass Boost
Cry Baby wah wah
MXR Dynacomp
(send/return for additional effects)
Pete Cornish tone pedal
Pete Cornish volume pedal
(send/return for MXR DDL)
MXR Noise Gate/Line Driver"

Additional units
MXR Digital Delay System I
2 Boss CE-2 Chorus
Conn Strobo tuners

FM3 Pedalboard Replication:
1614223041567.png

As you see, the CPU Usage is perfectly fine, and still have some CPU power to spare!

With All The Effects enabled at once (turns into a mess) CPU usage goes to 77.9%

At 85-87% it gives a Warning, but keeps runing perfectly, so we still have some power to add other effects.

Notes
:
Drive is using 2 Channels (FuzzFace and BigMuff)
Phaser is using 2 Channels (MXR Phase 90 and Electro Harmonix Small Stone)
PEQ simulates Pete Cornish ST2 (30hz Bass, 3000hz Treble +-15db)
GEQ simulates Pete Cornish Tone Pedal (couldn't find any additional info)
Rotary simulates Yamaha RA-200 revolving speaker cabinets
Delay is using Vintage Digital Type (I don't know if MXR Delay is modeled)
Reverb is is not listed, and David uses two Boss CE-2 Chorus for widening effects, if you ditch the Chorus, a Reverb and a Enhancer block can be added.

Amp Block is using Hiwatt Jumped
Cab Block is using 4x12 Starfound MIX

The preset is not fully dialed as I have to read how exactly David uses all this gear together, but I sketched 8 Scenes.

Conclusion

If Fractal Audio FM3 has plenty of power to run David Gilmour's pedalboard effects, it have enough power for the most of us.

And don't forget, Cygnus modeling for FM3 is just around the corner, a testament of it's capabilities.

Now you can stop complaining. ;)


Just my 2 cents...
 
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great post!

i think what makes many people think the FM3 has limited CPU is the Reverb block. Reverb on any system can use a lot of resources because it's a lot of delays happening at once. so it is what it is as far as CPU usage. Reducing the Quality (it defaults to the lowest, Economy) and Echo Density can save CPU.

a popular youtuber recently received an FM3 and posted a first impressions video. it was his first time using the unit. he put a Reverb block in, then put the quality up to Ultra-High and it used up a lot of CPU - around 50% if i remember right. from there, he tried to add some blocks but couldn't because the CPU was used up. many viewers took this to mean the FM3 can only load 5 - 7 blocks maximum.

this isn't true of course, but that's what happened to be shown in the video and people took it as final.

not really the fault of the video - he said it was his first time using it. and to run out of CPU by doing that is a valid first impression of course. but there is a reason he ran out of CPU, which is setting the Reverb to the maximum quality which would use up the most CPU.

so for new users, do keep in mind that the Reverb block uses a lot of CPU on its own, but it's manageable on the Economy quality setting. also, the Economy setting sounds very good already, don't let the words fool you. i recently compared Economy to Ultra High on a livestream, and though there is a difference, it is somewhat small especially in a live context. i feel the higher qualities have a smoother high-end and feel more "glued" together, but that doesn't mean Economy is a complete mess at all.
 
I always start with Ultra High and go to High, Normal, and Economy when I need to. I rarely have to go down to Economy though.
 
great post!

i think what makes many people think the FM3 has limited CPU is the Reverb block. Reverb on any system can use a lot of resources because it's a lot of delays happening at once. so it is what it is as far as CPU usage. Reducing the Quality (it defaults to the lowest, Economy) and Echo Density can save CPU.

a popular youtuber recently received an FM3 and posted a first impressions video. it was his first time using the unit. he put a Reverb block in, then put the quality up to Ultra-High and it used up a lot of CPU - around 50% if i remember right. from there, he tried to add some blocks but couldn't because the CPU was used up. many viewers took this to mean the FM3 can only load 5 - 7 blocks maximum.

this isn't true of course, but that's what happened to be shown in the video and people took it as final.

not really the fault of the video - he said it was his first time using it. and to run out of CPU by doing that is a valid first impression of course. but there is a reason he ran out of CPU, which is setting the Reverb to the maximum quality which would use up the most CPU.

so for new users, do keep in mind that the Reverb block uses a lot of CPU on its own, but it's manageable on the Economy quality setting. also, the Economy setting sounds very good already, don't let the words fool you. i recently compared Economy to Ultra High on a livestream, and though there is a difference, it is somewhat small especially in a live context. i feel the higher qualities have a smoother high-end and feel more "glued" together, but that doesn't mean Economy is a complete mess at all.
Not that my presets needs, but I have been testing Room/Air from CAB Block to be a Reverb substitute when I don't need a lot of ambience.

Room from CAB block with Mic Spacing at 100%, Floor Reflections at 50% (using headphones) gives me a AITR feel, and uses like 3% of CPU power.

Live it can be useful to just help the guitar sit better in the mix. Reverb may be too much for live, mono amplification.
 
great post!

i think what makes many people think the FM3 has limited CPU is the Reverb block. Reverb on any system can use a lot of resources because it's a lot of delays happening at once. so it is what it is as far as CPU usage. Reducing the Quality (it defaults to the lowest, Economy) and Echo Density can save CPU.

a popular youtuber recently received an FM3 and posted a first impressions video. it was his first time using the unit. he put a Reverb block in, then put the quality up to Ultra-High and it used up a lot of CPU - around 50% if i remember right. from there, he tried to add some blocks but couldn't because the CPU was used up. many viewers took this to mean the FM3 can only load 5 - 7 blocks maximum.

this isn't true of course, but that's what happened to be shown in the video and people took it as final.

not really the fault of the video - he said it was his first time using it. and to run out of CPU by doing that is a valid first impression of course. but there is a reason he ran out of CPU, which is setting the Reverb to the maximum quality which would use up the most CPU.

so for new users, do keep in mind that the Reverb block uses a lot of CPU on its own, but it's manageable on the Economy quality setting. also, the Economy setting sounds very good already, don't let the words fool you. i recently compared Economy to Ultra High on a livestream, and though there is a difference, it is somewhat small especially in a live context. i feel the higher qualities have a smoother high-end and feel more "glued" together, but that doesn't mean Economy is a complete mess at all.
Hrm... maybe the reverb block should Audi-downgrade when the CPU limit is hit for newbies? With A pref to disable it once you know the ropes...
 
I always start with Ultra High and go to High, Normal, and Economy when I need to. I rarely have to go down to Economy though.
I can hear a difference from Ultra to Economy, but Economy is already very high quality.

If we had only Economy mode and they didn't gave us the option to choose quality, nobody would now it could be better.

But Fractal's commitment is to provide us with the best possible audio quality, so they made an Ultra High Quality Reverb.

On a normal and versatile preset, we can use Ultra High Quality Reverb + 6 effect blocks + IN and OUT blocks = 9 blocks!

UHQ REVERB.png
 
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I just rarely use reverb on the FM3 at all. For jamming you don't need it, delays can give you that extra space and the natural sound of the room is often enough. If you look at most players' live boards, they rarely use reverb pedals. For recording I just add reverb in the DAW anyway, it works better that way since you can send multiple tracks to the same reverb bus and also tweak it to fit the rest of the mix.
I do use a reverb in the patches I use for practicing since I practice with headphones and it just makes things a bit less dry and fatiguing when playing for many hours. But in those cases I'm not really using a lot of other effects.
 
I can hear a difference from Ultra to Economy, but Economy is already very high quality.

If we had only Economy mode and they didn't gave us the option to choose quality, nobody would now it could be better.

But Fractal's commitment is to provide us with the best possible audio quality, so they made an Ultra High Quality Reverb.

On a normal and versatile preset, we can use Ultra High Quality Reverb, 7 blocks total.

View attachment 79143
just a thought: usually when putting a block in parallel, you want to set the mix to 100% and use the Level parameter to adjust the mix. with a mix of 20%, you're adding "80%" more dry tone to the signal.

if you change it to 100% to try, your overall level may drop, since you're taking out that additional dry tone, so just compensate with the Amp Level.
 
just a thought: usually when putting a block in parallel, you want to set the mix to 100% and use the Level parameter to adjust the mix. with a mix of 20%, you're adding "80%" more dry tone to the signal.

if you change it to 100% to try, your overall level may drop, since you're taking out that additional dry tone, so just compensate with the Amp Level.
Good observation, Chris.

This way the dry sound would still be heard through Reverb.

My bad, I made this patch only to show CPU usage and forgot to set the Mix and Level knobs. 🤦‍♂️
 
I was reading about how Gilmour setup the Yamaha RA-200 Speakers, and adjusted the Rotary to parallel position. He mixes then with the Hiwatt Cab, leaving the Rotary only for spacial effect, like on Confortably Numb's solo.

From Gilmourish site:
"The guitar signal was split out of the pedal board and fed to the amps and the Yamaha cabinets, which were combined with an Alembic F-2B preamp."
 
I'm currently trying to sell my xl+ to move to an FM3. I wouldn't say I've been 'worried' that it wouldn't be able to my presets, but its definitely nice to see this all put together so that I can know beyond any shadow of a doubt that I'll be fine. Sometimes I'll throw in some extra blocks like pitch/phaser/synth/whatever just to mess around, but all I really use is the basic drive/chorus/delay/reverb with the amp & cab. Seeing a preset with an ultra-high reverb plus all that and below 80% is pretty comforting. I think I've run out of reasons to worry about switching and now I just need to get this rig sold so I can make the switch.

Thanks.
 
I can hear a difference from Ultra to Economy, but Economy is already very high quality.

If we had only Economy mode and they didn't gave us the option to choose quality, nobody would now it could be better.

But Fractal's commitment is to provide us with the best possible audio quality, so they made an Ultra High Quality Reverb.

On a normal and versatile preset, we can use Ultra High Quality Reverb + 6 effect blocks + IN and OUT blocks = 9 blocks!

View attachment 79143
Dude, I wanted to ask a favor. Could you change the reverb to economy and lower echo density to a minimum? I'm interested in FM3, and I would like to know what variation the reverb can have between its minimum and maximum usage before deciding to buy it or or buy the AXE-FX III.

Of course, if that's not a problem for you.

Thanks
 
Could you change the reverb to economy and lower echo density to a minimum? I'm interested in FM3, and I would like to know what variation the reverb can have between its minimum and maximum usage before deciding to buy it or or buy the AXE-FX III.
There is very little to no audible difference between the reverb CPU usage settings audibly when you are playing into the FM3, even when listening critically. If you're in a band setting or mixing a guitar part into a recording I doubt you could tell either. The FM3's reverb is that good, as is the algorithm.

Also, there are ways to use delay like a reverb, which results in even more CPU savings, and again, the audible result in a band setting or with other effects running, is almost impossible to hear.

I think the documentation for the reverb block in the blocks manual and in the wiki go into this in more depth.

From my experiments there was maybe a 10% difference from the best setting to the economy setting, and, like I said, I couldn't hear a difference.
 
I think saying there is almost no difference between Economy and Ultra High is an insult to the Fractal team.
 
Any chance you could share the Gilmour preset? Looks interesting!
I can share, but you need to dial the tones properly.

Dude, I wanted to ask a favor. Could you change the reverb to economy and lower echo density to a minimum? I'm interested in FM3, and I would like to know what variation the reverb can have between its minimum and maximum usage before deciding to buy it or or buy the AXE-FX III.

Of course, if that's not a problem for you.

Thanks
I'm glad you asked.

@chris gave us a tip about lowering Echo Density, so I made an Ultra High vs Economy vs Echo Density comparison:


Reverb Ultra-High + Echo Density 8
Ultra High Echo 8.png


Reverb Ultra-High + Echo Density 4
Ultra High Echo 4.png



Reverb High + Echo Density 8
High Echo 8.png

Reverb High + Echo Density 4
High Echo 4.png


Reverb Normal + Echo Density 8
Normal Echo 8.png


Reverb Normal + Echo Density 4
Normal Echo 4.png

Reverb Economy + Echo Density 8

Economy Echo 8.png


Reverb Economy + Echo Density 4
Economy Echo 4.png








Reverb QualityEcho DensityTotal CPU Usage % (Reverb+ Effects)
Ultra-High877.7
Ultra-High466.3
High874.3
High464.7
Normal867.3
Normal461.3
Economy860.0
Economy455.3


So, we have plenty of options to adjust Reverb Quality in our presets, and the Economy Quality is already excellent.
 
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I'm currently trying to sell my xl+ to move to an FM3. I wouldn't say I've been 'worried' that it wouldn't be able to my presets, but its definitely nice to see this all put together so that I can know beyond any shadow of a doubt that I'll be fine. Sometimes I'll throw in some extra blocks like pitch/phaser/synth/whatever just to mess around, but all I really use is the basic drive/chorus/delay/reverb with the amp & cab. Seeing a preset with an ultra-high reverb plus all that and below 80% is pretty comforting. I think I've run out of reasons to worry about switching and now I just need to get this rig sold so I can make the switch.

Thanks.
My first fractal is an xl+, and then this summer I bought the FM3. As a result I haven't used the xl+ much the last few months, but this week cranked it up again, as I had obviously done a lot of programming on it, especially in the Jazz guitar genre. I was impressed with the xl+ (again), and will say that I'm keeping mine and using in addition to FM3. For now I'm tending to use xl+ for jazz guitar, some clean stuff, and for recording bass, while I'll use the FM3 for the rest.

The other thing I'm thinking about as the Cyngus (sp?) and firmware changes keep coming, is that I like having one fractal that stays the same and consistent at all times. Know sounds always available, and less programming when I just want to play and record.
 
I think saying there is almost no difference between Economy and Ultra High is an insult to the Fractal team.
I can hear a difference between all Quality modes, however in a application where Reverb will be in evidence, and not drowned in effects, Ultra-High can shine, and worths the CPU cost.
 
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