Bug? CPU warning = crash

H

h1pst3r88

Member
Hi folks, new FM3 owner -- loving this thing!

I've had a couple of occasion in the past couple of days where I got a CPU warning on the FM3 (while connected via FM3 Edit) and the hardware froze. The only thing that reset things was a power cycle.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks!

-Chris
 
Delete a block or 2. This is normal behavior. Or if you’re using something like the Plex, some modes use more cpu than others within the same block. The FM3 will run plenty but it does have limits.
 
skolacki said:
Delete a block or 2. This is normal behavior. Or if you’re using something like the Plex, some modes use more cpu than others within the same block. The FM3 will run plenty but it does have limits.
Click to expand...
Full disclosure I was "editing" some presets meant for III but what is confusing me is that sometimes I get the warning on Edit when not on actual FM3 and visa versa. There are times I get the warning at 80-85% and even get cut out. Then I can use say a Cooper Carter preset that's around 80 some percent BUT if I build something similar I get the warning. Just curious sometimes.
I turned everything off yesterday and walked away for awhile, came back and had no "freeze". Hopefully I was just driving it crazy trying to pair down a bunch of Simeon Harris AxeFXIII presets.
Do you know if there is a way to see the (%) each block in the chain is taking up? BTW, I appreciate getting answers from the Forum from people that have a lot more time to deep dive than I do...it helps.
 
stephenclark1 said:
Full disclosure I was "editing" some presets meant for III but what is confusing me is that sometimes I get the warning on Edit when not on actual FM3 and visa versa. There are times I get the warning at 80-85% and even get cut out. Then I can use say a Cooper Carter preset that's around 80 some percent BUT if I build something similar I get the warning. Just curious sometimes.
I turned everything off yesterday and walked away for awhile, came back and had no "freeze". Hopefully I was just driving it crazy trying to pair down a bunch of Simeon Harris AxeFXIII presets.
Do you know if there is a way to see the (%) each block in the chain is taking up? BTW, I appreciate getting answers from the Forum from people that have a lot more time to deep dive than I do...it helps.
Click to expand...

I saw a chart somewhere that gave approx cpu usage for blocks. Somewhere in here probably. Or on the wiki. Maybe out of date with all the updates recently. I stay below 80 and it’s happy. If I do want some fancy stuff in a preset I’ll have a couple copies of a preset, then I can dump effects I don’t use much and put something like the plex with its higher usage modes in its place. It all depends on what effects you want to run. Some settings cause blocks to use more cpu. If you start turning up the room level in the cab block the cpu goes up for example.
 
Disregard my statement on dialing up the room level using more cpu. Apparently my brain malfunctioned on that one.
 
stephenclark1 said:
Full disclosure I was "editing" some presets meant for III but what is confusing me is that sometimes I get the warning on Edit when not on actual FM3 and visa versa. There are times I get the warning at 80-85% and even get cut out. Then I can use say a Cooper Carter preset that's around 80 some percent BUT if I build something similar I get the warning. Just curious sometimes.
I turned everything off yesterday and walked away for awhile, came back and had no "freeze". Hopefully I was just driving it crazy trying to pair down a bunch of Simeon Harris AxeFXIII presets.
Do you know if there is a way to see the (%) each block in the chain is taking up? BTW, I appreciate getting answers from the Forum from people that have a lot more time to deep dive than I do...it helps.
Click to expand...
What preset are you trying to convert? I’ll take a look at it and see if I looks like it can be converted.

Loading FX3 presets into the FM3 is the wrong way to go about creating an FM3 version. You have to have sufficient CPU and grid size and the complete compliment of FX3 blocks available otherwise all sorts of things can go wrong:
  • At a minimum, you have to be able to hear what the preset is supposed to sound like when running on the FX3 so you can adjust the preset to fit into the FM3. I will have the preset running on my FX3 and use the snapshot tool to let me jump back and forth from my tweaked version and the original. Without that you’re shooting in the dark.
  • If the preset uses the complete FX3 grid, either horizontally or vertically, the preset will be truncated and any blocks that exceed the FM3’s limits will be moved to the topmost-left blocks when it’s loaded. Placing them where they belong to get the preset working again will require moving blocks and reconnecting them without a hint what block went where if multiple blocks moved.
  • If the preset uses blocks that don’t exist on the FM3, they’ll be silently discarded and there is no indication where they were. Unless you have a good idea how the preset is supposed to sound and how to duplicate it using the FM3 blocks you won’t be able to recreate the sound.
  • The FX3 has approximately 4x the power of the FM3. A preset that runs at 50% on the FX3 will probably lock up the FM3 and do what you are seeing. The architecture of the units is designed to try to keep the sound working and will sacrifice interface responsiveness when pushed too hard. You can end up with a preset that immediately locks up the FM3 that way. See p. 102 in the manual for how to deal with it.
  • Sometimes FX3 presets are so complex that I have to tear them apart into individual scenes, after carefully analyzing which blocks are in use in each scene. Even then, even if the FM3 has all the needed blocks, a scene might not fit into the FM3 CPU-wise because the preset is too big. It’s that 4x difference in action.
I have an FX3 and have successfully converted some pretty complex presets to run on my FM9 and FM3 but it takes a lot of careful rearranging and throwing away some sounds because the limitations get in the way. The problem is getting more difficult because we’re seeing people take advantage of the CPU of the FX3 Turbo when making presets that an FX3 Mk II can’t run without flashing warnings.

There’s really no good way to convert FX3 presets to FM3 without an FX3. You need the features of the bigger machine.
 
Last edited:
Greg Ferguson said:
What preset are you trying to convert? I’ll take a look at it and see if I looks like it can be converted.

Loading FX3 presets into the FM3 is the wrong way to go about creating an FM3 version. You have to have sufficient CPU and grid size and the complete compliment of FX3 blocks available otherwise all sorts of things can go wrong:
  • At a minimum, you have to be able to hear what the preset is supposed to sound like when running on the FX3 so you can adjust the preset to fit into the FM3. I will have the preset running on my FX3 and use the snapshot tool to let me jump back and forth from my tweaked version and the original. Without that you’re shooting in the dark.
  • If the preset uses the complete FX3 grid, either horizontally or vertically, the preset will be truncated and any blocks that exceed the FM3’s limits will be moved to the topmost-left blocks when it’s loaded. Placing them where they belong to get the preset working again will require moving blocks and reconnecting them without a hint what block went where if multiple blocks moved.
  • If the preset uses blocks that don’t exist on the FM3, they’ll be silently discarded and there is no indication where they were. Unless you have a good idea how the preset is supposed to sound and how to duplicate it using the FM3 blocks you won’t be able to recreate the sound.
  • The FX3 has approximately 4x the power of the FM3. A preset that runs at 50% on the FX3 will probably lock up the FM3 and do what you are seeing. The architecture of the units is designed to try to keep the sound working and will sacrifice interface responsiveness when pushed too hard. You can end up with a preset that immediately locks up the FM3 that way. See p. 102 in the manual for how to deal with it.
  • Sometimes FX3 presets are so complex that I have to tear them apart into individual scenes, after carefully analyzing which blocks are in use in each scene. Even then, even if the FM3 has all the needed blocks, a scene might not fit into the FM3 CPU-wise because the preset is too big. It’s that 4x difference in action.
I have an FX3 and have successfully converted some pretty complex presets to run on my FM9 and FM3 but it takes a lot of careful rearranging and throwing away some sounds because the limitations get in the way. The problem is getting more difficult because we’re seeing people take advantage of the CPU of the FX3 Turbo when making presets that an FX3 Mk II can’t run without flashing warnings.

There’s really no good way to convert FX3 presets to FM3 without an FX3. You need the features of the bigger machine.
Click to expand...
First thing - most comprehensive help to any question I've ever asked on the Forum! I've recently been working on Simeon Harris presets that Leon Todd recommended and they are some that are very complicated and beyond "editing" to FM3. Your second bullet point is exactly what I run into BUT I kind of take it as a challenge. I've been messing with effects chains since the early 80's so I kind of know where to put most of the stuff. As far as deleting blocks I usually start with checking Reverb quality, usually discard VolPan first and Compressor. I do get confused as to why I get "Warning" on Edit but not machine and visa versa...and drop out when it says 80% sometimes but not other times.
I have successfully converted a lot of presets but some are just beyond FM3. I do a lot of "block" stealing and try them out on the FM3 with just Input, Amp, Cab, stolen block, output...just to see how they sound and work. The "block" saving feature is great for some of us that don't have the time to deep dive into knob turning.
My biggest problem is I paid $1600 for one of the first headphone version of the FM3 and now I could barely get $1000 for it if that. I know if I step up to the AXEFXIIITurbo within six months...New from FAS the AxeFX IV!! My lovely wife watches Cooper Carter and Leon Todd and asks "why didn't you just get the AxeFXIII since it can sit on your desk, still hook to FC-6 w/two EV-1's..." She also knows if FAS had been around in 1990 we would've never gotten married and I'd be sitting in a one bedroom twisting knobs all day! The only thing I "HATE" about FAS is they haven't come up with a "TIME" feature that would make real world stop so I could just do this all day! I do appreciate your feedback it is helpful!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom