A question about the FM9 CAB block, and how is the "level" control routed?

1

10goo

New Member
Hello all...
I'm going to try and "layout" my query as clearly as possible, so bear with me. In an effort to better learn the FM9 as best as I'm able too, I started messing with IR's and the cab block. Here is my observation, and question. If I load 1 IR into the CAB block (1:L), and I turn the level all the way counter clockwise (-44dB), what am I hearing? The raw sound of the amp is still being "filtered" by something. The signal is still being fed through my chain. Turning the level "off" (-44dB) does not silence the sound. I still hear the effect of a speaker cabinet.
I understand that when using 2 IR's (CAB 1:L & 2:R) the level control is suppose to balance the level between the 2 IR's, AND I understand that the level is automatically normalized.
NOW THIS is not an issue of me overlooking a bypassed rout, that is still feeding a signal through the line. That is not what is happening here. If I turn the IR level all the way down (counterclockwise), the now normalized sound of my raw amp is still being filtered by "something"... IF I bypass the CAB block entirely I get that trebly unfiltered sound of my amp. But when I un-bypass the cab clock... BOOM the raw sound of the amp is being filtered by something... theoretically, at -44dB the 1 IR I'm using is suppose to be out of the signal path...right?
I'm sure that there is something obvious that I'm overlooking, but at this point, I cant see it. So if someone could please put me on the right path, I would appreciate it.
Thanks Charles
 
The IR levels are only valid in relationship to the 2nd IR (or 3rd and 4th in the Axe FX III)
The cab level is unaffected.
 
Patzag said:
Not this issue: The cab level does not change at all no matter the level of the IR. It's not a level per se, it is a relationship between IRs.
Click to expand...
k, I see - ✅ - yes, with 1 IR slot active, IR level does nothing - as designed I think
 
sprint said:
k, I see - ✅ - yes, with 1 IR slot active, IR level does nothing - as designed I think
Click to expand...
Ah.... I see. Well let me pose this situation. I loaded 2 IRs, one in each cab slot of a FM9 cab block. I then turned them both down to -44dB. Does this, in effect take the level control out of the circuit? Are we hearing the two IRs full on?
 
10goo said:
Ah.... I see. Well let me pose this situation. I loaded 2 IRs, one in each cab slot of a FM9 cab block. I then turned them both down to -44dB. Does this, in effect take the level control out of the circuit? Are we hearing the two IRs full on?
Click to expand...
As I understand it, with multiple IRs active (pan at noon), the automated balancing attempts to keep the overall cab block level the same, while the relative "mix" level of active IRs is changing with changes to an individual IR's level control. To change the overall cab level use the main level control at the very right.

Edit: From the blocks guide:

1675650979266.png

Edit: So, to answer your scenario question, with 2 IRs active, turning both down completely has no effect on IR mix or overall cab level, as the difference is 0 (as explained in the manual segment above).
 
Last edited:
Yeah the level of cab block is kept constant, so if you turn the individual cab levels all down to -40 dB, it will sound the same as if they are all at 0 dB. What matters is the difference between each of the settings when using multiple cabs. That's what determines their level relative to each other, not their actual output level. If you're only using one cab, there is no difference to be had so the level control does nothing. The actual output level of the block is determined mostly by the block's level control.

Also, keep in mind that IR's have a linear response so level does not matter with respect to frequency response. You can't drive an IR harder to make it sound different.
 
When we get into multiple panned IRs within one cab block the level changes do seem to have some impact, but what exactly happens there is beyond my knowledge (I generally stick to hard panned L/R at the same level) - maybe mr_fender or others here more knowledgable than me can explain the levels behaviour in panned IR scenarios.
 
mr_fender said:
Yeah the level of cab block is kept constant, so if you turn the individual cab levels all down to -40 dB, it will sound the same as if they are all at 0 dB. What matters is the difference between each of the settings when using multiple cabs. That's what determines their level relative to each other, not their actual output level. If you're only using one cab, there is no difference to be had so the level control does nothing. The actual output level of the block is determined mostly by the block's level control.

Also, keep in mind that IR's have a linear response so level does not matter with respect to frequency response. You can't drive an IR harder to make it sound different.
Click to expand...
The reason I started to question the whole issue, was that I was trying to mix two IR's, and I was not hearing much of a difference. I started with a fairly "center cone" 57 tone, and I was trying to blend in a Royer 212 "fuller" IR. As I turned the Royer 212 IR levels "up and down", I wasn't hearing much of a blend. I then turned both levels all the way down, and was confronted with a constant signal level...lol
I guess that I should go back and try again... armed with this info... Thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom