It
can be easy. It
can be PITA. It depends on what blocks are in the FX3 preset. The factory presets on the FM3 and FM9 were originally on the FX3, and get ported downward periodically to take advantage of the improvements in the firmware.
The manual, on p. 118, says:
Make sure you have a good understanding of what blocks, and parameters, are available on the FM9, then modify the preset while it’s on the FX3 to use only those,
then move the preset. The Blocks guide has a good table showing the differences.
Adjust for CPU usage before as moving a preset with major CPU overage can immediately shut down the audio and force a restart, maybe even forcing you to move to the front panel to take control. Thread starvation is a real thing, and can affect the editor’s ability to communicate. P. 105 in the manual talks about how to regain control in a worst-case scenario.
Not doing those first on the FX3 can result in the preset being mangled, with blocks being dropped if they’re not part of the FM9’s compliment of available blocks, and that can, and probably will, change the preset’s sound, and will make it a lot harder to get it working right. Adjusting on the FX3 gives you the big sandbox to work in.
If you are planning on sharing presets between the units, I think the best tactic is to initially create them on the smallest unit you have and then move them to the bigger ones. The blocks and CPU will exist and have room to run free and the success rate seems to be 100% based on my experiences.
Also, be aware that firmware differences can affect block and parameter availability. Sometimes one device’s firmware hasn’t caught up
yet, so the preset might not transfer correctly at that time. Fractal does their best to keep parity between them so pay attention to the release notes of the different devices.
And, if you are having trouble, share the original FX3 version,
and your best attempt at the converted version to the smaller sibling, and we can try to help. It’s important to show us both because asking us to convert them for you without really trying to do it yourself isn’t cool; we love helping, but doing that work for free for someone who doesn’t want to do it themselves… yeah, don’t.
Clearly and concisely explain what isn’t working and what you tried to do to work around it. That helps us avoid checking every possible problem when we know you already looked into it.
PS - it’s easy to transfer presets. Here are various ways I do it:
- Export from one machine then drop the file onto the preset info box in the editor.
- Export then import from the Presets menu.
- Export and import using the Preset Manager.
- Use Fractal-Bot to backup a bank, then use the Preset Manager to select and rearrange and store them.
- Use Fractal-Bot to backup and restore entire banks or groups of presets.
PPS - You can have multiple different editors running as long as they are connected to different units. Fractal-Bot and *Edit will be in conflict talking to the same unit, so rely on the embedded version of Fractal-Bot inside the editor to avoid that particular issue.
