Anyone running two FM3s?

Deadpool_25

Fractal Fanatic
I love my FM3. The only thing I really wish for is that it could run two amps. Lately I've been kinda toying with the idea of getting another FM3 just for this purpose. Seems that would be very simple to setup in FM3 Edit.

I guess it's a bit crazy, but that's never stopped me from considering an idea before, soooo....
 
I have thought about it, from time to time, for the simple reason that I could be 100% content with 6 buttons total but I wouldn't want to have to manage presets between the 2 units, assuming they would be used to their full potential.
 
Yeah I wouldn’t want to really be managing full presets across two units. I envision just having a preset (maybe two) with 4 amps (using channels) that I can recall via midi. So all primary control still from one unit.
 
You could probably run one in the effects loop of the other and control the looped one via midi. This has been discussed, but I have not heard of anyone actually trying it.
 
You could probably run one in the effects loop of the other and control the looped one via midi. This has been discussed, but I have not heard of anyone actually trying it.
That’s exactly what I’m considering. I’m only kinda toying with the idea though. I’m crazy but not sure I’m quite that crazy. @Admin M@ , talk me out of this will ya?? :)
 
Two amplifiers in parallel with two different FM3 devices would certainly cause unwanted phase- and comb filter effects, especially if one FM3 is hanging in the other's effects loop and this results in different signal propagation times of the two modeled amp paths!
 
If Layouts could be switched via MIDI, this would make an FM3+FM3 rig an incredible thing. OMG6!
I think with a little work by Fractal, they could optimize the FM3 to work in tandem with another. Two FM3's would only cost about $500 more than a FM3 and FC6 together. You would have three less buttons, but you could potentially have double the number of external switches to utilize. It would be easy to organize your thoughts about this by using one FM3 for the top two rows of the grid, and the second FM3 for the bottom two rows.
 
Two amplifiers in parallel with two different FM3 devices would certainly cause unwanted phase- and comb filter effects, especially if one FM3 is hanging in the other's effects loop and this results in different signal propagation times of the two modeled amp paths!
I would assume this is due to the ADA conversion? But could Fractal add the option of aligning the phase of the main FM3 to the one in the loop?
 
Two amplifiers in parallel with two different FM3 devices would certainly cause unwanted phase- and comb filter effects, especially if one FM3 is hanging in the other's effects loop and this results in different signal propagation times of the two modeled amp paths!

Hm. Interesting point. That makes some sense I think.
 
I love my FM3. The only thing I really wish for is that it could run two amps. Lately I've been kinda toying with the idea of getting another FM3 just for this purpose. Seems that would be very simple to setup in FM3 Edit.

I guess it's a bit crazy, but that's never stopped me from considering an idea before, soooo....

Dude!!!!!!! :)
 
Two amplifiers in parallel with two different FM3 devices would certainly cause unwanted phase- and comb filter effects, especially if one FM3 is hanging in the other's effects loop and this results in different signal propagation times of the two modeled amp paths!

Phase issues are a potential issue with ANY multi-amp setup. Not sure how dealing with them
using dual FM3s would make that any more or less challenging than it already is, no??
 
I would assume this is due to the ADA conversion? But could Fractal add the option of aligning the phase of the main FM3 to the one in the loop?
They probably could, but I think it'd mean exposing some sort of clock signal for the second unit to use to sync to and also mean reworking the circuit board and back panel, or adding an additional setting to twiddle in the hardware plus additional rework in the interface, for what sort of return on investment? Would everyone be jonesin' for it and they'd sell millions, or they'd sell a couple? I suspect the later would be the case.
 
Two amplifiers in parallel with two different FM3 devices would certainly cause unwanted phase- and comb filter effects, especially if one FM3 is hanging in the other's effects loop and this results in different signal propagation times of the two modeled amp paths!
I think two separate FM3 running in parallel, one acting as a MIDI master to the other, with their outputs running into a small mixer, and that going to the FRFR and/or FOH system would be easier to put together, and easier to manage.

Use a good A/B/Y box to split the guitar signal into both of them. MIDI could be used to pass tap tempo, volume and wah pedal information to the "slave" also, which could have some really interesting uses for fading between presets between the devices or fading between pairs of amps, a huge wet/dry/wet array....

I'm wondering if it'd work any better than a single FX3 with FC-6 though, because two FM3 still have less capability and fewer features than a single FX3 and the FX3 would be a lot simpler to manage.
 
Last edited:
If you could use the buttons on the 2nd FM3 to control the first FM3, then I’d consider getting a 2nd FM3. Under normal circumstances, I’d have 8 buttons (2 FM3’s and my Moskey), and if the primary unit failed, I’d have the 2nd unit ready to go in minutes. Perfect backup rig.
 
I'm wondering if it'd work any better than a single FX3 with FC-6 though, because two FM3 still have less capability and fewer features than a single FX3 and the FX3 would be a lot simpler to manage.
Yeah an AxeFX III would be the simplest solution by far. I just want a floor unit instead of a rack unit. I’m likely just chilling with the FM3 until Fracal someday (hopefully) develops a full power floor unit.
 
What about having your guitar in surround sound with 4 amps using one FM 3 for the front left and right mains and the second FM3 for surround sound LOL. I would never leave the house!
 
If you could use the buttons on the 2nd FM3 to control the first FM3, then I’d consider getting a 2nd FM3. Under normal circumstances, I’d have 8 buttons (2 FM3’s and my Moskey), and if the primary unit failed, I’d have the 2nd unit ready to go in minutes. Perfect backup rig.
You can, just set up a MIDI block in your presets/scenes on your master unit, define the MIDI commands being sent, then connect the two with a MIDI cable. You might need to tweak in the system settings, but it should work. In both FM3 units you'd want duplicate presets from the other unit just in case one dies and you need to switch to the other, or swap them around to even out the wear and tear.

https://wiki.fractalaudio.com/wiki/index.php?title=MIDI#FM3
 
In both FM3 units you'd want duplicate presets from the other unit just in case one dies and you need to switch to the other, or swap them around to even out the wear and tear.
To expand on my above comment...

Caveat: I don't have two FM3 or any MIDI cables here, but this seems like it should work, or at least get you into the ballpark.

See page 113+ in the FM3 Owner's Manual for setting up sending MIDI PC and using the Scene MIDI block, and page 84 in the Fractal Audio Blocks Guide for more specific Scene MIDI block information. FM3-Edit doesn't let you access the MIDI settings, you'll have to do that on the unit itself. Then you can use FM3-Edit to create the blocks and fill in the data.

Assuming you want a one-to-one correspondence of the presets on the two devices:
  1. Designate one FM3 as the master, and the other as the slave.
  2. On the master, define your primary/main presets, organizing them into a bank, say in slots 0-9.
  3. Turn on sending PC messages to make it act as the master.
  4. On the slave, define your secondary presets for your secondary sounds, organizing them into a bank in blocks 0-9.
  5. Turn off sending PC messages to make it act as the slave.
  6. Connect the two units, from the master's MIDI out to the slave's MIDI in.
Test to see that changing presets and scenes work as you want. A PC (program change) message will be sent when changing presets on the master via MIDI to the slave, and the slave should immediately jump to the corresponding preset. If you have the Scene MIDI block set up in presets on the master it should let you toggle scenes on the slave by sending the appropriate CC to switch to the corresponding scene. It doesn't have to be the corresponding scene of course, but for consistency and ease of debugging and to save wear and tear on your mind it'd probably be better to begin that way.

Once they work as expected:
  1. Copy the bank from the master to the slave, but in a different range, something like 20-29.
  2. Copy the bank from the slave to the master, using the same bank range, 20-29.
If you need to swap the two units, just switch to the master block on it:
  1. On the previous slave go to the first preset in the 20-29 range, which are the dry presets copied from the old master.
  2. Turn on send PC on that unit, causing it to become the master.
  3. Move the MIDI cable to its MIDI out port.
  4. Turn off send PC on the other unit, causing it to become the slave.
  5. Move the MIDI cable to its MIDI in port.
To use the slave to replace the master in case it fails, do #1 above.

You'll have to keep track of which machine is which, so you know which bank of presets to use as primary/secondary. I'd put something visible on the master, like wrapping a nylon wire tie around the guard rail but YMMV. Naming the first preset in the two banks something significant might help make it obvious when looking at the preset list.

Personally, I think it'd be a lot easier to buy an FX3 and a FC-6 or FC-12, because it's at least as powerful as two FM3 and has four OUT blocks so you could wire it up the same way. The added work configuring two FM3 would be wearying to me.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: JD_
Back
Top Bottom