FM3 Firmware Version 8.00

Just wanted to say Thank You to the FAS team. I finally got a chance to use Version 8.00 last night at stage volume. It's hard to describe the difference in sound but for the first time I truly feel I had that analogue tube amp tone that I've been trying to get for decades and couldn't - even from real tube amps. Like when you hear an amp on a recording and say, "Yeah, that's the sound I want to get". Now I feel I finally have that.

I think Fractal has just equaled or bettered a real tube amp.
 
MrPond said:
Mh, I still hear something when I switch scenes or presets.
Updated to 8.0, redialed one of my presets and copied it to a new slot - saved the original preset, as well.
Spillover/gapless is on.

I hear something 'gaplike', i thought there is nothing to hear when I switch scenes/presets.
When I play my 7.0 preset (with scene controllers), there is nothing to hear when I change amp sounds for example.

Edit: The preset switch is also visible. Presets are running around 63% CPU.
Gap is audible/visible if I switch between identical (copied) presets, as well.

Example 1

View attachment 139803

Example 2

View attachment 139804

View attachment 139805

When I save two factory presets, it works.
If I switch between my presets (saved again and again and again ... under 8.0), it doesn't work.
I think my preset(s) are broken - or - there is something in my presets which breaks the gapless function.
@Admin M@ @rglr Possible bug report with broken presets?

Two example presets are attached, they are identical (both are saved under 8.0, one is copied).
Example screenshots are made when I just switch between those two.
Click to expand...

Quoting myself ... no one has this issue / can replicate it?
Gapless was the one thing I was excited about, and it didn't work :(
Did the whole upgrade process again (updated firmware, upgraded all presets, ...) and there is a slight pop when switching some scenes and there is an audible and visible gap when I switch between my presets.
 
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I don't know if this is a bug or not but I noticed that I can't copy a channel from one output block to another. I have two outputs, Output 1 and Output 2. Output 1 has the scene levels setup like I want and I thought I could just copy the channel over to Output 2 but no dice. Then I figured I would just save it to a preset, still doesn't work. It seems you can't copy any settings from Output 1 to Output 2. You also cannot copy the whole block. Kind of weird but no biggie.

BTW is it me or does it seem like the volume fluctuates from scene to scene? I know about the kill dry issue and I do have that as well, but I feel like when I am setting up scenes and get them where I want them, I go back and the volume has changed. Again, weird and could totally be my imagination :)
 
WOW! WOW! WOW! Oh... and thank you Cliff and the FAS team/ beta testers. Seriously, how much better can things get ? And I'm sure IF they can, Cliff & Co will/ are already in the process of discovering it. In a nutshell, if there were never any more 'improvements'/ firmware updates I'd be more than happy with my FM3 and FM9. Top work, folks!!!
 
My first firmware update in Fractal land, having bought my FM3 MkII Turbo earlier this year. Excited to take this for a spin right away!

I did do the amp resets via FM3 Edit, and noticed that apart from the obvious resets of parameters that I had changed myself, like the Speaker Impedance Curve and Output/Input EQ pages, I didn't see any changes in the parameters in other pages, when compared to a non-reset copy of the same preset. The amps in this preset are the Super Reverb, the Euro Blue and Euro Red, and the USA MK IV Lead Bright.

Did none of the advanced parameter defaults change for those amps? I just want to make sure I'm doing the amp resetting right and nothing's escaped my attention here.
 
They were already changed when you loaded the preset. FW 8 updates the affected parameters automatically when an older preset is loaded. All you have to do is save the preset to make them stick. That's what the Upgrade All Presets utility does.
 
ZoonDog said:
I am anxious to upgrade to 8.0 for the new amp algorithms and gapless which would really help me in live performance, however, with the killdry issue am I opening myself up to some heartache? Sounds like an easy work around by just switching scenes once you boot, but I have several gigs coming up so I am trying to access risk reward. I use a preset per tune sometimes 2 so gapless is important. Anybody gigging 8.0? If so, any advice? I am tempted to go for it...but am cautious by nature...lol
Click to expand...

Just don’t use the killdry. Everything else works great. I’m sure a fix is on the way.
 
skolacki said:
Just don’t use the killdry. Everything else works great. I’m sure a fix is on the way.
Click to expand...
Kill-Dry is only needed if you want to use the Global Reverb & Delay Mix parameters, otherwise it doesn't do anything mandatory for running FX in parallel, i.e. don't use it until it's fixed.
 
mr_fender said:
They were already changed when you loaded the preset. FW 8 updates the affected parameters automatically when an older preset is loaded. All you have to do is save the preset to make them stick. That's what the Upgrade All Presets utility does.
Click to expand...
You have me confused. Amplifiers do not need to be reset via Reset amp block?
 
Per AdminM@, the new values affected by the new FW are automatically updated when the preset is loaded. The FW release notes state that existing presets are NOT altered, but I believe that means that they are not automatically changed and saved. You have to save the preset after it is loaded in order to make the changes permanent.

I don't believe that this extends to ALL of the amp block's advanced parameters, but only the ones that were reworked in this new FW. If you want to make sure that ALL of your amp block's parameters have been reset to the current defaults, then yes you can do a hard or soft reset of the amp block.
 
mr_fender said:
The FW release notes state that existing presets are NOT altered, but I believe that means that they are not automatically changed and saved. You have to save the preset after it is loaded in order to make the changes permanent.
Click to expand...
That statement comes from the Gapless Switching section of the release notes, and it only applies to gapless switching.

Here's what the release notes say about the new Cygnus X-3 amp modeling:

The Release Notes said:
Nearly all amps have been “remastered” using new measurement techniques and analytical methods.
  • Existing presets are NOT altered. A hard or soft reset will load the updated values.
Click to expand...
So yes, it appears you have to reset the Amp block to get the full Cygnus X-3 experience.
 
AdminM@'s own quote:

1715478757714.png


I agree it does seem somewhat at odds with the wording of the release notes. The Axe III's FW 25.0 release notes specifically stated that the values are automatically updated when the preset is loaded, while the FM3's FW 8.0 notes do not.

@Admin M@ , can we get some official clarification on this?
 
Awesome... got the new firmware installed and not it pulling the not connecting to anything garbage. Super frustrating. Usually when it wont connect to FM3 Edit it will at least show up in Fractal Bot. Nope, not this time. :mad:
 
MrPond said:
Quoting myself ... no one has this issue / can replicate it?
Gapless was the one thing I was excited about, and it didn't work :(
Did the whole upgrade process again (updated firmware, upgraded all presets, ...) and there is a slight pop when switching some scenes and there is an audible and visible gap when I switch between my presets.
Click to expand...
Recording via SPDIF into Studio One with the FM3 as the Clock Source, I see a 0.02 second gap when switching presets. I see no gap whatsoever when switching scenes. In ether case, I do not experience any popping sounds but that could be dependent on the effects in your preset.

Now, stop isolating the track and zooming in to analyze the audio for gaps. Listen to it in the context of a mix. Certainly a pop needs to be resolved and maybe it’s because there are ambient FX in the preset that are causing the issue (someone who knows more about this than me would have to chime in on that). Maybe 0.02 seconds when switching presets is unacceptable to you for your application, but to me, and for most people, it’s probably not a problem.

Maybe posting the preset that gives you a pop when switching scenes will help someone from FAS to confirm whether it’s a problem, or whether it works as expected depending on the FX in the preset.
 
Paul Bradshaw said:
yeah , same thing here, only issue i've had so far

since we do all our sound changes with the laptop/midi, it's a bit more dangerous😄 but the work around is easy at least, once everything's up and running
Click to expand...
Another odd one last night at a gig, preset with delay (not using killy dry) had the same issue, could only hear the wet signal of the delay

Jumped scenes and it kicked in back to normal, seems to be random at the minute though, didn't have issues with this certain preset at my last gig or practise.
 
I know I've probably missed something obvious and I've went back and reviewed the release notes and can't see to see anything... But I have updated my FM3 to Version 8.00 and I have updated my FM3 Edit 1.06.09.

When I go to the Amp block on FM3 Edit it does not correspond with the amp block I have selected in the FM3. I went to my preset and it is suggesting I have the new Brit 800 2203 in channel a and b and the stealth in C etc.... but on my axe fx it shows the JS410 (as it should be).

Even when I try selecting something and changing it on the FM3 edit, its clear that it has loaded a totally different amp?

I've done all the steps like upgrading my presets... turned spillover to all etc...

What am I missing here?

Thanks for the help
 
rusty_gill said:
I know I've probably missed something obvious and I've went back and reviewed the release notes and can't see to see anything... But I have updated my FM3 to Version 8.00 and I have updated my FM3 Edit 1.06.09.

When I go to the Amp block on FM3 Edit it does not correspond with the amp block I have selected in the FM3. I went to my preset and it is suggesting I have the new Brit 800 2203 in channel a and b and the stealth in C etc.... but on my axe fx it shows the JS410 (as it should be).

Even when I try selecting something and changing it on the FM3 edit, its clear that it has loaded a totally different amp?

I've done all the steps like upgrading my presets... turned spillover to all etc...

What am I missing here?

Thanks for the help
Click to expand...
Refresh After New Firmware in FM3-Edit...
 
ethomas1013 said:
Recording via SPDIF into Studio One with the FM3 as the Clock Source, I see a 0.02 second gap when switching presets. I see no gap whatsoever when switching scenes. In ether case, I do not experience any popping sounds but that could be dependent on the effects in your preset.

Now, stop isolating the track and zooming in to analyze the audio for gaps. Listen to it in the context of a mix. Certainly a pop needs to be resolved and maybe it’s because there are ambient FX in the preset that are causing the issue (someone who knows more about this than me would have to chime in on that). Maybe 0.02 seconds when switching presets is unacceptable to you for your application, but to me, and for most people, it’s probably not a problem.

Maybe posting the preset that gives you a pop when switching scenes will help someone from FAS to confirm whether it’s a problem, or whether it works as expected depending on the FX in the preset.
Click to expand...

All factory presets I tested don't have any gaps, bad my custom presets do.
I embedded the screenshots to have proof - in my initial post, you can see that I first heard the gap and then recorded it, not the other way around.
I think it's fair to post a preset which can't handle gapless preset changes.
 
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