bleujazz3
Fractal Fanatic
Thought to add to the wealth of reviews being offered in this section...
1 month in from receiving it June 9th. Had previously owned an "entry level," friendly GUI guitar processor up until purchasing an FM3 / EV-1 & FC12.
First point of order was viewing Leon Todd's G66 YT videos for targeted learning. This occurred several days prior to ordering an FM3 and while the FM3 was in transit. Once the FM3 had arrived, it was noted that the system was set as factory layout with Presets, Scenes, & Effects as the primary access switches.
TBH, my first attempts at building a preset with 3 scenes fell flat. What had occurred was my trying to retro-engineer an EJ Clean preset, and add to that with a Marshall-style lead/fuzz tone which EJ uses for his stage rig. Didn't sound the way I needed.
Back to square one: Reviewed LT's G66 video about "Channels & Scenes / FM3 Basics." That was my "light bulb" moment where it was easier to see and understand the how's and why's of building presets, scenes and utilizing various channel blocks within scenes for a variety of settings.
2nd point of order was setting up the EV-1 with the FM3. Again, LT's G66 video about Wah Tricks & Tips made quick work of setting up a decent wah tone. (Also, check out how formants are used with wah! Nice feature that adds to the wah.)
2 weeks later, June 22nd, my after-thought-ordered FC12 arrived. UPS kindly switched my shipping location per my request to my workplace drop-off, where the FC12 was brought home that evening following a brief workshift. Although tired and in need of sleep, I could not. From 10 until 11:30 PM that evening, my FC12 was adjusted to accommodate my desired settings. Within that 90 minutes, the FC12 was set up to layout #7 (PERFORM) with minor tweaks so that other layouts can be accessed with hold switches, including the preset and looper layouts. Also a HOME button to bring me back to layout 7's first preset/scenes menu. Tap tempo, hold tuner. 4 effects bypass switches.
TBH, it has been said that the Fractal learning curve is much steeper than comparable guitar processors. I will echo these sentiments. The caveat one may wish to investigate prior to working with a Fractal unit is due diligence of viewing LT's G66 YT videos, and reading the owner's manual to some extent when necessary. The manual is helpful when you may feel overwhelmed or frustrated while trying to set up your unit. LT's videos are excellent resources for learning how to dial in phenomenal tones with less struggling involved.
Because each person's experience with Fractal will vary according to his ability, it's wise to learn how to use FM3 Edit in addition to the navigational buttons and switches on your unit itself. You'll find that the editing software is much more attuned to assist you "arrive quickly" at your choice of tone than "drive you crazy" trying to find your "destination." That being said, I personally found that the FM3 Edit software was more useful than the navigational buttons. I'd likely only use there navigational buttons for stage gigs where only minor volume, or EQ tweaks are involved. All else will likely be pre-programmed at home first.
All said, the Fractal FM3 / EV-1 / FC12 is a formidable powerhouse of guitar processing wizardry. The sound sampling quality is top notch and far superior to the "entry level" processor. Ease of use is a separate story, and varies according to how receptive one is to learning. And because this unit is designed to be upgraded in the future, it will also be part of my preferred choice of signal processing for years to come.
Ya done good, Fractal, keep up the good work!
1 month in from receiving it June 9th. Had previously owned an "entry level," friendly GUI guitar processor up until purchasing an FM3 / EV-1 & FC12.
First point of order was viewing Leon Todd's G66 YT videos for targeted learning. This occurred several days prior to ordering an FM3 and while the FM3 was in transit. Once the FM3 had arrived, it was noted that the system was set as factory layout with Presets, Scenes, & Effects as the primary access switches.
TBH, my first attempts at building a preset with 3 scenes fell flat. What had occurred was my trying to retro-engineer an EJ Clean preset, and add to that with a Marshall-style lead/fuzz tone which EJ uses for his stage rig. Didn't sound the way I needed.
Back to square one: Reviewed LT's G66 video about "Channels & Scenes / FM3 Basics." That was my "light bulb" moment where it was easier to see and understand the how's and why's of building presets, scenes and utilizing various channel blocks within scenes for a variety of settings.
2nd point of order was setting up the EV-1 with the FM3. Again, LT's G66 video about Wah Tricks & Tips made quick work of setting up a decent wah tone. (Also, check out how formants are used with wah! Nice feature that adds to the wah.)
2 weeks later, June 22nd, my after-thought-ordered FC12 arrived. UPS kindly switched my shipping location per my request to my workplace drop-off, where the FC12 was brought home that evening following a brief workshift. Although tired and in need of sleep, I could not. From 10 until 11:30 PM that evening, my FC12 was adjusted to accommodate my desired settings. Within that 90 minutes, the FC12 was set up to layout #7 (PERFORM) with minor tweaks so that other layouts can be accessed with hold switches, including the preset and looper layouts. Also a HOME button to bring me back to layout 7's first preset/scenes menu. Tap tempo, hold tuner. 4 effects bypass switches.
TBH, it has been said that the Fractal learning curve is much steeper than comparable guitar processors. I will echo these sentiments. The caveat one may wish to investigate prior to working with a Fractal unit is due diligence of viewing LT's G66 YT videos, and reading the owner's manual to some extent when necessary. The manual is helpful when you may feel overwhelmed or frustrated while trying to set up your unit. LT's videos are excellent resources for learning how to dial in phenomenal tones with less struggling involved.
Because each person's experience with Fractal will vary according to his ability, it's wise to learn how to use FM3 Edit in addition to the navigational buttons and switches on your unit itself. You'll find that the editing software is much more attuned to assist you "arrive quickly" at your choice of tone than "drive you crazy" trying to find your "destination." That being said, I personally found that the FM3 Edit software was more useful than the navigational buttons. I'd likely only use there navigational buttons for stage gigs where only minor volume, or EQ tweaks are involved. All else will likely be pre-programmed at home first.
All said, the Fractal FM3 / EV-1 / FC12 is a formidable powerhouse of guitar processing wizardry. The sound sampling quality is top notch and far superior to the "entry level" processor. Ease of use is a separate story, and varies according to how receptive one is to learning. And because this unit is designed to be upgraded in the future, it will also be part of my preferred choice of signal processing for years to come.
Ya done good, Fractal, keep up the good work!