Axe FXiii and FM9 together?

Chriscwt1

Chriscwt1

Inspired
Hi,

I am wrestling with the following and would appreciate some advice.

I have an Axe FXiii, which I love, I am based in the UK but am booked to play some gigs in Mexico at the end of the year. Taking the Axe isn't really an option, so I am thinking of buying an FM9 which I can take as carry on and use more or less the same presets as the Axe. So far so good, but this obviously leaves me with the two units, which made me wonder if there is any potential to use them together. Has anyone tried this? Is there any benefit, or is it just overkill?
 
Personally, I think it would be overkill, at least for solo use.

I'm sure there would be some in a professional environment who may find it useful though, maybe running more than one instrument through them.
Or most likely, one or other as a backup unit.
 
An FC12 is the same size as an FM9, so what you're saying is that you can't bring one 3-space rack and a cable. Are you sure that's really true?

You'll probably find uses for an FM9 back home if you go that way, as a backup for your III if nothing else. But if you'd rather not spend the money, maybe think on just sticking with what you have.
 
Flying from the UK to Mexico and with internal flights between the gigs, I want to keep baggage to a minimum and don't fancy checking in an Axe FXiii to find it 'missing' at the other end. Anyway, that wasn't really the point of the post was it? I was asking about the potential of using both together.
 
I know lots of people here have both units and use them either as a backup or for different venues. I am just curious as to whether anyone has sought to link them together and use both at once.
 
I use them both. It just adds more options. With the Axe III, some presets were getting a bit too close to CPU overload.
Enter the FM9 where I can put two extra drive blocks, compression, EQ (filters, PEQ, Graphic EQ) into the Axe III then come out of the Axe III back into send and receive of the FM9. Add some time-domain effects that are only used occasionally, then back to The Axe III to complete and out to the amps.
Works great, gives LOTS of options.

Does everyone need it... no, of course not. But, more is more.
 
I usually use a two amp system with the Axe III and then occasionally insert another amp in the FM9. Works fine, but it just starts getting complicated to switch back and forth.

I just use the FM9 like a pedalboard. Lots of different options that change with different presets.
 
Chriscwt1 said:
Hi,

I am wrestling with the following and would appreciate some advice.

I have an Axe FXiii, which I love, I am based in the UK but am booked to play some gigs in Mexico at the end of the year. Taking the Axe isn't really an option, so I am thinking of buying an FM9 which I can take as carry on and use more or less the same presets as the Axe. So far so good, but this obviously leaves me with the two units, which made me wonder if there is any potential to use them together. Has anyone tried this? Is there any benefit, or is it just overkill?
Click to expand...

Did this when the FM9 first came out.

The biggest issue faced when doing it is that one can't use FASLINK between FM9 and FX3, so they can't share buttons or control pedals that way.

I had an FC6 for the FX3 and the FM9 used its own switches. The FM9 and FX3 were connected via SPDIF and MIDI, with a couple helper ExpressionIO boxen to provide common switches and pedals for the two. Through careful choice of MIDI CC #s in the CS MIDI settings, it gave me 12 CS switches that I could share between the two, though. There was a fair bit of discovery involved in the process of setting it all up, but I did build a preset pair for four amp blocks, to test the theory.

As the FM9 firmware improved, around FW3 or so, I found that I could do all of what I needed in just the FM9. I do occasionally kinda miss the ability to record MIDI CC and play it back when reamping. The only thing I really miss every day is the dual modifier sources on the FX3. Years back, in my early FX3 days, genius dude @Bakerman came up with a twisted use of a stopped LFO (back before dual modifier sources were a thing on the FX3) which gets me through for the one thing I do that really needs it, though.
 
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The FX3 stopped being necessary when I cracked the code on getting good, lush chorusing sounds. I had thought "more voices" => "lush" and built multi-block chorusing configs up chasing that, but never quite getting there. Close, but "mush" instead of "lush". Missed it by that much.... :D

Once I realized the sound I wanted came from lowering the mix a little instead of piling on more voices, a single block could "git 'er dun", and the extra firepower of the FX3 fell into disuse.

Recently, I discovered the secret to the dreamy, lush chorusing I sought for certain short passages (usually representing 'dream', 'inner thought', or similar in the song lyrics). Chorus + Delay or Pitch Detune + Delay - via the Pitch block or MultDly block is the key to the lush, dreamy chorusing I sought....
 
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Well that's a good point but what prompted my enquiry in the first place is that I have seen multiple contributors mention that they have both units, yet I don't recall ever seeing a discussion of linking them together, rather than simply using them as alternatives.
 
It has also suddenly occurred to me that I will no longer have the large screen on the FC12 which tells me which song I am playing when using the 'setlist' mode. Can someone please tell me how the FM9 displays the 'current' song in 'setlist' mode. I know the FM9 Screen replicates the Axe screen and displays the current preset/scene, but how do you know which song? A picture would be amazing if anyone has time. A pretty stupid question, I know, but also a relatively simple one.

Many thanks.
 
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