Hmmm… so I’m on the waitlist for the FM9 but I’m a bit torn. Do I go medium or large. I was all set to pull the trigger on the big daddy rig and grab the FX3+FC12 soon as my FM3+ FC6 and Kemper Stage sold. Well Friday night the FM3+FC6 sold. Saturday morning I see a YouTube notification with FM9 in the title and think… this some kind of a joke? Then I click on it and sure enough it’s real. I immediately proceed to sign up for the waitlist. Then later that day my Kemper Stage sells. So now I have the dough for whatever rig I want. Decisions, decisions. It’s definitely a good time to be a guitarist that’s for sure.
The FM3 was my first Fractal product and was a good introduction to FAS as a company but it just didn’t have the CPU power I required. I picked up a QC and have been really impressed with it. Plenty of CPU and great amp sounds via the capture tech (don’t kill the messenger I’m just calling it like I see it). I do have a special place in my heart though for the “Fractal sound”. Many of my favorite artists use FAS gear exclusively. In fact a great musician/producer I follow just released a preset pack for the FX3 that includes ir’s of his actual rig and utilizes the FC12 for foot-switch functionality. Its kind of the ultimate set up for my “WANTS” (maybe not needs). That’s why I had my other gear up for sale because at the end of the day as much as I’m loving the QC the ultimate modeling rig really is the FX3+FC12 setup.
Buuuuuttt… portability is still in issue with that rig. I had made my mind up that I would just drag around the rack gear deal in exchange for having the ultimate setup at my toes. Then enters the FM9 to complicate things. I’m wondering if this preset pack I’m wanting to grab will even load on the FM9 seeing as how it’s only 50% the juice of its big brother. Sounds like with the dedicated chip for verbs and delays that’s not as cut and dry as it might seem. This preset pack is heavy on the verbs and delays and also utilizes pitch blocks for many of the scenes. Its a bit of a dilemma for me… a good kind of dilemma but a dilemma none the less.
I often read about the importance of portability. Then I see FM3 pedalboards with additional stomp boxes and fancy bags. But what is so hard about carrying an AXE FX3 in a 4 HE rack and a FC12 in a soft bag?
In the last ten days I played four open airs. It was raining on all events. And although the stage was covered properly, we all know that the front of stage always will get wet ;-)
No deal with the FC12. It was wrapped in plastic foil while the AXE sat 4-5 meters behind me.
Not speaking about the danger of wet power strips!!!
I also like to adjust the AXE live using the Perform Tab feature. So my AXE is sitting on a case ( borrowed from the tech crew) like a tube head in the old days.
I would never use a Quad Cortex live. Speaking about rainy open airs. You can’t avoid
things like muddy shoes. Sometimes you need to go to the restrooms and later you hit the buttons with your feet. And then you need to adjust parameters touching those buttons with your fingers? I leave that to your imagination ;-) The QC should come with 10 liters of hand sanitizer and shoe covers ;-)
I do have a FM3. For me it is fantastic for small club gigs, rehearsals, as backup. Or when playing in an orchestra pit. And when practicing at home, it is mainly my FM3 I’m using.