Axe Fx III vs FM3 - Feel?

R

Random Hero

Inspired
I’m curious - do these units feel any different to play? Obviously the Axe has significantly more processing power plus it has the variable input.

Any influence on feel?
 
The FM3 player may feel back pain if he tweaks the unit at the floor too much. He may also feel a sense of incompleteness if he grasps for the additional features and capacity of the Axe-FX III. But if he is happy with what the FM3 offers, he will feel satisfaction for having saved some money and for the portability. ;)

Besides that, the same preset at both units will deliver identical results (except the pitch shift). Any difference in feel would be 100% psychological and subjective
 
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There are many differences in nuances, but basically, it's the same. I recommend you read the wiki to find out most of the differences and decide is it critical for you.

In my opinion, the most noticeable difference is block count, processor limit, and pitch block quality.
 
There is a big difference in the fuzz pedals. The Axe-FX 3 has some kind of variable input impedance if you put the drive as the first block. Other than that, you’ll be hard pressed to find differences in the modeling.

The Mark II version of the Axe FX 3 can support full res IRs, which are great for “amp in the room” tones with headphones or recording. FM3 doesn’t have enough memory to store those.
 
i think it's the same when i just play guitar.

if i'm actively looking specifically for a difference, i'm sure to find it, as with anything else.
 
I thought I could feel a difference in the response of input 1 between my FM3 and III, which seemed to go away with the FM9. I chopped it up to the secret sauce variable impedance magic. If it was anything, it was super subtle. But I could’ve swore it felt stiffer, and the volume knob didn’t react as well on the FM3.
 
The difference in feel is due to the input dynamics in the Amp Block in the Axe III which is lacking in the FM3 as well as the variable input gain & AD scaling the Axe III has which the FM3 lacks. The FM3 has an input pad which is the AD scaling, but it's not 0-100, it's just several set points along the range.

It'd be impossible to make the FM3 feel exactly like the Axe III with identical blocks, but you can get 99% there. There are a few other missing parameters in the FM3 (not listed in the Wiki), but you may never come across them depending on which blocks you use. I can't think of them all off-hand.
 
Jambi said:
I thought I could feel a difference in the response of input 1 between my FM3 and III, which seemed to go away with the FM9. I chopped it up to the secret sauce variable impedance magic. If it was anything, it was super subtle. But I could’ve swore it felt stiffer, and the volume knob didn’t react as well on the FM3.
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You felt the FM3 was stiffer?
 
Random Hero said:
You felt the FM3 was stiffer?
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Not in a way that the amps felt stiffer. I’m a way that the input felt less dynamic and squishy. Keep in mind, if this was something I was actually experiencing without confirmation bias, it was super negligible. The FM3 is a phenomenal piece of gear.
 
Jambi said:
Not in a way that the amps felt stiffer. I’m a way that the input felt less dynamic and squishy. Keep in mind, if this was something I was actually experiencing without confirmation bias, it was super negligible. The FM3 is a phenomenal piece of gear.
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I only picked up on that because I feel like it’s a little stiffer than I remember the Axe III being!
 
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