Anyone there?

northern_fox said:
For me, yes and no - fractal bass content is even slimmer pickings than neural, and the form factor is a drawback for me (fm9 biggg). However, there are some very specific things I am currently frustrated with on the QC and it's only serving me as a live tool at the moment. And there's only one amp on it I actually like (GK800). I have a real 400+ and the fractal model is much closer to it, and I think it was closer to the SVT CL I had too. I just wish there were at least like a few more options for bass pedals. Dialing in a parallax-y tone takes 3 rows min and careful phase balancing :(
Click to expand...

I've been struggling with the FM9 since I got it to be honest, in terms of getting a modern metal tone akin to what I get from the Parallax plugin. When you say 3 rows are you referring to what's being done in preset 103 ("Leon's Djent Bass FM9")? I can't find a youtube video explaining exactly what is going on but it looks like it's trying to split the signal to only distort the high and mid range, leaving the lows clean like in Parallax. Problem is it just sounds so washed out weak to me.

Do you have any tips for dialing in bass tone on the Fractal? I'm tempted to just get a Darkglass pedal like the Infinity for my bass needs and stick to the FM9 for guitar.
 
_TheAbsurd_ said:
I've been struggling with the FM9 since I got it to be honest, in terms of getting a modern metal tone akin to what I get from the Parallax plugin. When you say 3 rows are you referring to what's being done in preset 103 ("Leon's Djent Bass FM9")? I can't find a youtube video explaining exactly what is going on but it looks like it's trying to split the signal to only distort the high and mid range, leaving the lows clean like in Parallax. Problem is it just sounds so washed out weak to me.

Do you have any tips for dialing in bass tone on the Fractal? I'm tempted to just get a Darkglass pedal like the Infinity for my bass needs and stick to the FM9 for guitar.
Click to expand...

Like that one yes, only that seems to be a bit heavy on processing IMHO. I'll usually split one clean path, one low passed compressed path, and one distortion / drive path and blend them into one amp (or bypass the amp with the low end). It's just kind of a pain getting the phasing to be correct - you have to play with inverting phase and /or using a bypassed drive block on the clean path to get it right. Leon's preset would be good in a mix I think, but I can't imagine playing that at band volume.

See the attached preset and sound clip. This was either my dingwall or spector (I can't remember which the DI is from) with probably newish strings, so take that into account. Adjust accordingly
 

Attachments

  • parallaxe_example.zip
    906 KB · Views: 8
  • parallaxe.fasBundle
    32.6 KB · Views: 8
Hello fellow ‘duallists’!

Have played guitar my whole life, but have recently been recruited into a cover band where somehow I ended up on bass..

Played the FM3 for bass for over a year and overall thought it sounded really good - Out 1 w/cabs to FOH and Out 2 straight to a combo behind me.

But I recently made the switch to QC as it was giving me more options for bass. Mainly using captures of Mesa Bass amps, Mark Bass, GK800. Some of the preamp captures are also excellent. So far so good, but jury’s still out.

And I still have an Axe-Fx III in the studio don’t worry! ;-)
 
Yes bass player here. I have my Axe fx II mk 2 since the beginning. Really like it. Mainly use it for guitar. For bass recordings I prefer to go direct and use plugins for amp modeling and fx. Since one year I use the Brainworx Ampeg B15N. To be honest I think it sounds better than the Axe fx bass and cab models. It’s also more easy to get a good tone.

I haven’t tried third party IR’s. Any suggestions for IR’s that work well with the Axe fx II models? I prefer fusion and funk tones. So no muddy cabs.
 
Joce said:
Hello fellow ‘duallists’!

Have played guitar my whole life, but have recently been recruited into a cover band where somehow I ended up on bass..

Played the FM3 for bass for over a year and overall thought it sounded really good - Out 1 w/cabs to FOH and Out 2 straight to a combo behind me.

But I recently made the switch to QC as it was giving me more options for bass. Mainly using captures of Mesa Bass amps, Mark Bass, GK800. Some of the preamp captures are also excellent. So far so good, but jury’s still out.

And I still have an Axe-Fx III in the studio don’t worry! ;-)
Click to expand...

I'm back to using the QC live. It just works and I can use what I like more easily via capturing (I still have an axe III also). I do prefer the fractal bass amp models, but the size of the FM9 just isn't worth it for me and the FM3 was too DSP limited. The captures stand up to the axe models pretty damn spot on anyways except for some minor very hard to notice differences. Plus frankly I just don't like being limited to what bass stuff is in the box.
 
FM3 is more than sufficient for bass. I can get any bass tone just by using the SV bass and Blackglass drive block. The Cure, GNR, Nirvana/grunge, Metallica, Flea, Tim commerford, Tool and hip-hop. I don't have the best bass, I'm using a gibson junior bass but it has humbuckers and a coil-tap which you need to really tone shape your bass tone. With regards to DSP, for guitar tones I agree that we often hit the limit but for bass it should not unless you are doing some crazy setup. The key is to only use the Blackglass drive block (instead of the other drives), which gives a beautiful character to the overall bass sound.
 
_TheAbsurd_ said:
I've been struggling with the FM9 since I got it to be honest, in terms of getting a modern metal tone akin to what I get from the Parallax plugin. When you say 3 rows are you referring to what's being done in preset 103 ("Leon's Djent Bass FM9")? I can't find a youtube video explaining exactly what is going on but it looks like it's trying to split the signal to only distort the high and mid range, leaving the lows clean like in Parallax. Problem is it just sounds so washed out weak to me.

Do you have any tips for dialing in bass tone on the Fractal? I'm tempted to just get a Darkglass pedal like the Infinity for my bass needs and stick to the FM9 for guitar.
Click to expand...
FM9 is overkill for bass. You should be able to get a solid metal or djent sound from your FM9 or FM3.
 
postrockrocks said:
FM3 is more than sufficient for bass. I can get any bass tone just by using the SV bass and Blackglass drive block. The Cure, GNR, Nirvana/grunge, Metallica, Flea, Tim commerford, Tool and hip-hop. I don't have the best bass, I'm using a gibson junior bass but it has humbuckers and a coil-tap which you need to really tone shape your bass tone. With regards to DSP, for guitar tones I agree that we often hit the limit but for bass it should not unless you are doing some crazy setup. The key is to only use the Blackglass drive block (instead of the other drives), which gives a beautiful character to the overall bass sound.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I should be more clear - it's not that there's not enough DSP, it's that the block numbers are pretty limited as is the fx loop situation if you're using a real power amp + foh. I use a lot of PEQ and only one cab also means no EQ matching is possible. I was able to get decent bass tones from it but it always felt like I was compromising somewhere either in terms of fx/tone or routing. I also play guitar and prefer to use one device for both, and the QC just suits what I do a lot better for something of that form factor. I like to go with what I 'like' rather than finding what works as a workaround or alternative.

If the toneX pedal comes out I might end up with an FM3 + that though.
 
Last edited:
Maybe you can check the manual again and learn to use the Send and Return blocks which can allow you to chain more effects blocks. FM3 can also output to FOH AND guitar/bass amp.
Leave the complicated set up to your guitarist. A bassist's rig is simple.
 
postrockrocks said:
Maybe you can check the manual again and learn to use the Send and Return blocks which can allow you to chain more effects blocks. FM3 can also output to FOH AND guitar/bass amp.
Leave the complicated set up to your guitarist. A bassist's rig is simple.
Click to expand...

"a bassist's rig is simple" :rolleyes:

spoken like a truly clueless guitarist. Modern bass rigs are absolutely as complex and often more so as most guitar rigs. And, in any case, who are you to tell me what my rig should look like?

Further, I've been using fractal since 2015 - "learning to use fx loops" is not something I struggle with. Spare me the patronization.
 
northern_fox said:
I'm back to using the QC live. It just works and I can use what I like more easily via capturing (I still have an axe III also). I do prefer the fractal bass amp models, but the size of the FM9 just isn't worth it for me and the FM3 was too DSP limited. The captures stand up to the axe models pretty damn spot on anyways except for some minor very hard to notice differences. Plus frankly I just don't like being limited to what bass stuff is in the box.
Click to expand...
A couple years ago, I was torn between getting the Quad Cortex or the FM9. Last month I got my invitation to purchase the FM9 Turbo and went with it, figuring that if I didn't like it I could flip it, and then go for the QC instead. Though it may be overkill, so far I'm really liking the FM9 and will be keeping it. I've always used the SVT bass rigs as my benchmark and feel that those are totally up to snuff on the FM9, with an assist from @dr bonkers for some of his 3rd party cab IRs (the Mesa Boogie® 8X10 RoadReady™ among others, is an excellent tone flavor). IMO, the cab IR is a key ingredient in getting much of the sonic essence of a rig. Though FAS doesn't have many bass amp tone stacks to choose from, the cab IR can get you much of the way there which helps alleviate the issue of variety, even though I'm perfectly happy with a good Ampeg tone.

True, I've had to digest the fact that FAS is not too interested in expanding the bass selections. In this department the QC is clearly head-and-shoulders above what FAS delivers. Still, I've been following the progress of the QC on this and other forums and didn't feel 100% comfortable with it for various reasons...too slow in maturing to initial expectations. Much of what lives in Fractal devices is based on a long track record of sussing things out, and IMHO they've got much of it right. That Fractal is local shop also helps with confidence if I ever need service.

I'm approaching the FM9 Turbo for performance using one or two "kitchen sink" presets, which wouldn't be possible with the FM3, and using a mixture of Scene, Channel, and individual custom "per preset" switches. Bass instrument changes and tunings require adjustments to level and EQ via switching, as well as scene changes for fundamental amp tone changes (via amp/cab Channels). I have a Drive block set to 4 channels, with a switch that scrolls through 4 settings (Klone Chiron, currently) to take me from clean to full-blown heavy distortion. I do wish there was a SansAmp BDDI model as I've never bonded with the Darkglass B7k, much as I've tried. Tuner is set for pass-thru while playing and full bypass quiet tuning (switch press-hold).

Anyhoo, I've no regrets with the FM9 Turbo. It's a luxury pedal for bass, no doubt, but knowing that I can have all my critical functions and effects needs accommodated on one unit (even though the bass amp models/drives/cabs are limited), programmed the way I prefer with almost no limitations, is something that is quite valuable to me. Currently, I'm working on a cello sound based on the shared preset that's been on the forum recently.

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...some-free-irs-and-a-sloppy-rush-cover.191451/

Amazed at how realistic this sounds.
 
dr bonkers said:
@Bodde A lot of people really like my cab files. @jimfist and @austinbuddy can speak to them impartially.
Click to expand...

So can I!

It wasn’t a lack of bass amp models in the AxeFX for me, it was the right IR for what I was going for. I grabbed Dr. Bonkers cab pack and some other Ampeg 8x10 IR’s and got where I needed to be. I also snagged AB’s bass amp presets because I love his organization.

I’ve posted this a lot over the years, but I use this bass tone on everything from early 90’s hard rock/metal, to modern stuff. I honestly can’t even remember what bass amp I’m using in it, or if it’s just a DI, but it’s blended with a JCM800 feeding an Ampeg 8x10 IR. This is pretty much my ideal bass tone. The Spector is doing some heavy lifting as well, that’s pretty much what that bass sounds like unplugged, minus the dirt.



And for a cleaner bass tone- (Note, I’m a guitar player that loves playing bass and this was taking a bite bigger than I could chew)


I can’t remember what I used on “Happy?”, but for some reason I’m thinking it was a Mesa preset from Austin’s bass pack.
 
dr bonkers said:
@Bodde A lot of people really like my cab files. @jimfist and @austinbuddy can speak to them impartially.
Click to expand...
Whoa! You've got a lot there - any suggestions for modern metal type tone from your packs to start with?

jimfist said:
A couple years ago, I was torn between getting the Quad Cortex or the FM9. Last month I got my invitation to purchase the FM9 Turbo and went with it, figuring that if I didn't like it I could flip it, and then go for the QC instead. Though it may be overkill, so far I'm really liking the FM9 and will be keeping it. I've always used the SVT bass rigs as my benchmark and feel that those are totally up to snuff on the FM9, with an assist from @dr bonkers for some of his 3rd party cab IRs (the Mesa Boogie® 8X10 RoadReady™ among others, is an excellent tone flavor). IMO, the cab IR is a key ingredient in getting much of the sonic essence of a rig. Though FAS doesn't have many bass amp tone stacks to choose from, the cab IR can get you much of the way there which helps alleviate the issue of variety, even though I'm perfectly happy with a good Ampeg tone.

True, I've had to digest the fact that FAS is not too interested in expanding the bass selections. In this department the QC is clearly head-and-shoulders above what FAS delivers. Still, I've been following the progress of the QC on this and other forums and didn't feel 100% comfortable with it for various reasons...too slow in maturing to initial expectations. Much of what lives in Fractal devices is based on a long track record of sussing things out, and IMHO they've got much of it right. That Fractal is local shop also helps with confidence if I ever need service.

I'm approaching the FM9 Turbo for performance using one or two "kitchen sink" presets, which wouldn't be possible with the FM3, and using a mixture of Scene, Channel, and individual custom "per preset" switches. Bass instrument changes and tunings require adjustments to level and EQ via switching, as well as scene changes for fundamental amp tone changes (via amp/cab Channels). I have a Drive block set to 4 channels, with a switch that scrolls through 4 settings (Klone Chiron, currently) to take me from clean to full-blown heavy distortion. I do wish there was a SansAmp BDDI model as I've never bonded with the Darkglass B7k, much as I've tried. Tuner is set for pass-thru while playing and full bypass quiet tuning (switch press-hold).

Anyhoo, I've no regrets with the FM9 Turbo. It's a luxury pedal for bass, no doubt, but knowing that I can have all my critical functions and effects needs accommodated on one unit (even though the bass amp models/drives/cabs are limited), programmed the way I prefer with almost no limitations, is something that is quite valuable to me. Currently, I'm working on a cello sound based on the shared preset that's been on the forum recently.

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...some-free-irs-and-a-sloppy-rush-cover.191451/

Amazed at how realistic this sounds.
Click to expand...

The axe models are really good, and absolutely on par with the real SVT / 400, both of which I owned and currently own. I really liked the turbo, but at the end of the day, it's just too big for my personal preference on the floor. I like small boards but gave it a shot anyway and my guess was correct. I love all the lights and techy look of it, but the size and weight just bother me a little too much especially since I rarely need more than 3 buttons (but do want the DSP). As for the QC - it's great but it's also not as bass oriented as you'd expect it to be being owned by doug. I think the helix still has the most bass options. However, the fact that I can use captures of my bass gear is the selling point for me. If it weren't for that single fact, I'd be using the FM3 or axe III with my tiny midi controller.
 
RevDrucifer said:
It wasn’t a lack of bass amp models in the AxeFX for me, it was the right IR for what I was going for. I grabbed Dr. Bonkers cab pack and some other Ampeg 8x10 IR’s and got where I needed to be. I also snagged AB’s bass amp presets because I love his organization.

I’ve posted this a lot over the years, but I use this bass tone on everything from early 90’s hard rock/metal, to modern stuff. I honestly can’t even remember what bass amp I’m using in it, or if it’s just a DI, but it’s blended with a JCM800 feeding an Ampeg 8x10 IR. This is pretty much my ideal bass tone. The Spector is doing some heavy lifting as well, that’s pretty much what that bass sounds like unplugged, minus the dirt.
Click to expand...

This sounds awesome! I think I might have AB presets from a few years ago actually, I'll have to look
 
northern_fox said:
"a bassist's rig is simple" :rolleyes:

spoken like a truly clueless guitarist. Modern bass rigs are absolutely as complex and often more so as most guitar rigs. And, in any case, who are you to tell me what my rig should look like?

Further, I've been using fractal since 2015 - "learning to use fx loops" is not something I struggle with. Spare me the patronization.
Click to expand...
You've said you've used fractal systems for many years and still find it limiting but currently you are using qc which is an inferior system.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom