Commit to just FM3? Or manage both AF3 and FM3?

M

Matt007

Inspired
I’m sure this discussion has come up on many different threads.

Very happy AF3 user here. My invite has come up for the FM3 and I’m trying to think through how/when I would use each.

Ideally I’d prefer to have just one unit, which would cut down on a lot of redundancy.

The AF3 wins on everything for me except portability and that’s an important one. I typically need to set up and break down pretty quickly before and after rehearsals and a 3U rack certainly makes that harder.

But for studio work in home, the AF3 is so great.

I “think” I could get by with the FM3 as I don’t use tons of CPU and I typically have per song presets with just a Scene 1/2 toggle for the solo. But I might also miss the AF3 because we it just works so well.

Curious what others have done. Are you managing multiple presets on each? Did you make the switch to the FM3? Pass on the FM3? Still thinking about it?

Thanks. All good options to have! By the way, I have an FC6 so that is a given in either setup.
 
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Matt007 said:
I’m sure this discussion has come up on many different threads.

Very happy AF3 user here. My invite has come up for the FM3 and I’m trying to think through how/when I would use each.

Ideally I’d prefer to have just one unit, which would cut down on a lot of redundancy.

The AF3 wins on everything for me except portability and that’s an important one. I typically need to set up and break down pretty quickly before and after rehearsals and a 3U rack certainly makes that harder.

But for studio work in home, the AF3 is so great.

I “think” I could get by with the FM3 as I don’t use tons of CPU and I typically have per song presets with just a Scene 1/2 toggle for the solo. But I might also miss the AF3 because we it just works so well.

Curious what others have done. Are you managing multiple presets on each? Did you make the switch to the AF3? Pass on the FM3? Still thinking about it?

Thanks. All good options to have!
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I vote pass on the FM3. Only because I'm in line waiting for one...…..:D Sorry, can't bring anything to the table except maybe a little humor. Good luck whatever way you decide. The AF3 is a tremendous unit. If you do enough work in the studio I'm sure you could justify having both.
 
I'm in a similar boat, except I already bought my FM3. I wrote up a review and comparison of sorts here. I'm still struggling with justifying the purchase. Right now I'm just telling myself I bought it because I wanted a new toy. My Axe 3 + FC6 is perfect in every way, except, as you note, the portability. It's funny; it's infinitely more portable than a tube amp and a pedalboard, but I've grown so used to it that I'm always looking to make it easier lol!!

I don't know. It's pretty cool - but severely limited in terms of power. I have a few days left of my 14-day return period. I'll probably keep it, to be honest, but it's hard to justify.
 
you can move presets from the Axe3 to the FM3, but just have to readjust for the smaller grid, and of course less CPU and blocks that aren't on the FM3 at all.

it really depends what you do with the axe's full power. it's great to keep the axe at home and gig with the fm3, so that's not a trivial benefit. it's also nice to have a backup, or to just keep one packed up for gigging regularly, and the other for practice or rehearsals.

if the $ isn't an issue, i'd get both.
 
chris said:
it's great to keep the axe at home and gig with the fm3, so that's not a trivial benefit. it's also nice to have a backup, or to just keep one packed up for gigging regularly, and the other for practice or rehearsals.

if the $ isn't an issue, i'd get both.
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100% this. I guess this puts into words my rationale a bit better than I could. For the time being, I have both out and on at home - but I think, in time, as I'm more and more confident that I don't need to alter my presets any more, I'll end up just leaving the FM3 in the gig bag and have the Axe set up in my studio permanently.

The only thing I'm on the fence about is adding my FC6 to the mix. I know it'd be everything I needed with it, but there, again; I got the FM3 to be my all-in-one. I hate adding more stuff to my modelers lol!
 
I have both.

The compatibility - to me - made it a no brainer. I have a bank on the AXIII that has the exact same presets I use on the FM3. I have a few presets on the AXIII that are monsters the FM3 can't handle, but really, for the main part, I use the same presets and it's great to have a portable backup unit that's not a degrade.
 
I own the Axe III and also joined the FM3 waitlist recently, so I aim at having both. The reason is quite simple - I want to keep 'the big brotha' at my home studio at all times and use FM3+FC6 live. With the Axe II + MFC combo in the past, I'd carry it to rehearsals or gigs and then back home at all times and that became too troublesome. I also want to downsize my live rig as much as possible, and having just one pedalboard seems like a good idea.
Oh, and it'll basically be modular - I can use the board to control the AF3 when needed or work on my presets at home and then just import it to the FM3. Looking forward to it!
 
If you do a lot of gigging, I’d seriously consider the FM3 (especially if it’s bars and clubs). Back when I was playing tons of gigs as a drummer, I’d have my nice home kit and my cheaper gigging drums that basically lived in their cases. I’d just have to pack my cymbals and snare.

I guess on the flip side, if you don’t mind just plugging the Axe 3 (assuming it lives in a road case) for home play, then there’s no real benefit. But if you have a studio setup, it could be nice to have it live there.
 
I currently have both and doing the evaluation. My setup/teardowns have never been faster - I have the III and a wireless in the 3U rack, and a FC12 and 2 EVs in a pedalboard. Cables fit in back of rack - 3 XLRs and I am set to go (straight to PA).

I had been gigging with no real backup (well, my old Crate PowerBlock is always in the van) and thought the FM3 would be perfect for both a real backup and for little gigs or open mic nights or practices.

As I spend time moving presets I have realized how much I tend to "kitchen sink" my presets with the "just in case" mentality....the same reason I had gotten the FC12. Options are good if things go off of script or whatever. But after using the rig for a few months I have toned down those needs so this is kinda like getting a new computer and starting from a clean slate.

Luckily I had banked the $ from when I sold my AX8 last year, so in my mind it was no big deal to purchase. And music is my only real hobby these days so I plan on keeping both either way...the FM3 is so much easier to move around the house to jam when you unexpectedly find all your kids moving back in the house due to a global pandemic. :)
 
There is of course less CPU. If you absolutely need a ton of blocks to create a specific sound then you will be limited there. But many people fill up the Axe cpu in every preset even if they don’t use those extra blocks. It’s hard sometimes to see the space available and not put more things, just leaving it at 50% or whatever.

The FM3 is more than capable of creating great amp and cab tones and then adding other blocks needed. Again, 8 delay type blocks in the same preset may not be possible, but you may not need to do that, just as an example. It really comes down to what you actually need on all at once to create a tone.
 
Matt007 said:
Good to hear. Are you finding the preset sync’ing process fairly seamless, or finding the CPU limiting on the FM3?
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It was pretty smooth for the most part. I noticed that all my delay levels transferred over at 0% so had to go through my presets and fix that.
I only had 3-4 presets that were hitting CPU limits and I just needed to delete some empty blocks and adjust some reverb settings to make them work.
 
I have both an AF3 and a FM3. If I could only own one it would be the AF3. While the FM3 is more portable and less expensive, the AF3 has much more CPU power available, which I use and need, and gets the latest firmware goodies first. The FM3 is a great tool though; I’ll use it when a gig calls for it and for noodling on the couch. The AF3 is the work horse though and will get all of the studio and most gig work.
 
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