First Fractal! What should I know going in?

Killstring

Killstring

Member
Hey all! I have an FM3 on the way: it's my first Fractal anything. What should I know going in?

That's the low-context version: here's the long one. My most recent rig was:
  • Boss SD-1
  • Fryette Deliverance (Synergy SYN-1 Module)
  • Two Notes CAB M+
  • Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail Deluxe
  • Meris Mercury 7
I used an Orange Rocker 15 before that. HX Stomp, Walrus ACS1, Strymon Iridium... buncha stuff, haha.

So what should I know heading in?

- - -​

More info for those who find additional context useful

Styles:
  • Cinematic composing (think Two Steps From Hell, video games)
  • Singer-songwriter stuff (somewhere in the Counting Crows/Death Cab for Cutie space)
  • Industrial heavy low-tuned stuff (Channeling my inner Mick Gordon)
  • Ska-punk (Goldfinger's current 3-guitar lineup is a good benchmark)
  • Ambient soundscapes (file this under soundtrack composing, really. Just very guitar-based, lotta volume swells, that vibe)
  • Percussive acoustic (Imagine Kaki King, if she was far less technically proficient)
  • ...etc.

Instruments:
  • Ibanez Acoustic-Electric that I intend to process partially through the Axefx (it has three pickups, I'mma route the piezo through the FM3, then record the contact pickup, internal microphone, and also mic it up separately)
  • LTD Eclipse 1000 Evertune. A Jazz/JB Les Paul in standard tuning
  • Ibanez Axiom Something something. 25.5"-27.5" Baritone multiscale tuned to B standard, Fishman Moderns
  • Custom DOOD Craft 28.5"-30" baritone multiscale tuned to F# standard/Drop E. Seymour Duncan Pegasus/Sentient.
  • Fender Standard Jaguar Bass. P/J pickups, great joy
...whew! That's a small novel. Anyway, hi! Excited to get started on this journey!
 
1. Have a great monitoring system. There’s no point to creating amazing sounds if the speakers are tinny or boomy.

2. Read the Manual and learn how to build presets. Leon Todd’s videos are great and so is Cooper Carter’s class. (Doing a search on the forums will bring you to them)

3. Enjoy! Playing my guitars through Fractal is the single best purchase I’ve ever made for tone.
 
Goes without saying, but RTFM. It's a fantastic resource. Unfortunately, you'll need to read the FM3 manual, the FC manual, and the Blocks Guide to get the full picture.

Also check out the Axe Fx wiki. The search function is basically trash here, but try it first anyway. Regardless, never hesitate to ask questions; we want to help and want you to love the FM3 :)
 
Last edited:
The search function is basically trash here, but try it first anyway.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I was kinda nervous about making a newbie post, but I genuinely couldn't find much searching the forums.

As far as saying goodbye to pedals, well... I pretty much sold my old rig to dive in here, so the FM3 is going to really have some room to show its worth in that regard. I know that even before the amps were at the current (Cygnus, I think) level, the effects were considered top-notch in Fractal stuff.

Honestly, I'm stoked to try those Cloud Reverbs.
 
I definitely second the manual and also Yek's amp guide... there are some really great jumping off points in those documents for how to dial the amps and you'll get a feel for it once you set up a few.

Make good backups, the firmware moves fast (which is awesome!) but sometimes you may want to roll back.

I highly recommend color-coding your IRs you like so they're easy to find when you're auditioning new amps out.

It's very tempting to get lost in the search for 'the perfect IR' and also get stuck thinking that choosing a particular IR based on your real life experience with that cabinet is always the best way to go. In other words, experiment with things without letting your eyes trick you, because you might find a really great sound/combination in something you never thought you'd try before. There is so much potential in the box already that you don't need to rush out and get a bunch of extra add-ons either, though there are some great tools out there. I'd recommend really getting used to the unit and how everything works with the built-in stuff without tossing a bunch of additional variables in the mix out of the gate.

edit: since I see you also plan to use bass with it, give the US 400 bass amp model a try. I spent a lot of time with dialing in bass tones and that one was immediately satisfying with minor tweaks for me.
 
grandinq said:
1. Have a great monitoring system. There’s no point to creating amazing sounds if the speakers are tinny or boomy.

2. Read the Manual and learn how to build presets. Leon Todd’s videos are great and so is Cooper Carter’s class. (Doing a search on the forums will bring you to them)

3. Enjoy! Playing my guitars through Fractal is the single best purchase I’ve ever made for tone.
Click to expand...

Heavy emphasis on point 1. It may be the most discussed and relevant issue here---whether FRFR, Monitors, or Headphones.
 
Yeah, I've been doing headphones for a while - living situation necessitates it - and I'm in the process of supplementing my Audio Technica M50Xs with some Sennheiser 650's (Massdrop 6xx, but it's the same product). So I'll have a closed back and open back solution.
 
Killstring said:
Yeah, I've been doing headphones for a while - living situation necessitates it - and I'm in the process of supplementing my Audio Technica M50Xs with some Sennheiser 650's (Massdrop 6xx, but it's the same product). So I'll have a closed back and open back solution.
Click to expand...

Lots of Headphone EQ correction threads up in the hood here----in case you find they are needed. Not everyone does.
 
I am VERY new to the modeler world, and have only owned a couple of pedals and amps in my life, but here is what I have found works for me to dial in my system (although it is FXIII, it will apply to your FM3 as well).

1. I initially tried literally every factory preset, and kept a spreadsheet of the ones I liked. Probably took me about 8-10 hours to go through them all but I feel it was well worth it. Once I had about 30 that I really liked, I went back through those in more detail and narrowed it down to about 4.

2. Once I had found my go to presets, I started tweaking them. I think one of the best things to do with a preset is, start with the basics. What I mean by this is, bypass everything except the amp block to start with. Get that amp block singing the way you want it to sing, knowing that it does not have any of your effects. Just the amp tone you are looking for. Next of course is the cabinet(s) you want to employ! One of the things I have the most fun with is, finding two cabs I like and then panning them, one to the left and the other to the right (thanks Cooper Carter)!! From here of course, add in other blocks one by one individually with no other block active while you are working on that particular one. Of course in the end, we want them to work together, but by dialing in what you want from that block first will, I believe, make the path of combining them a much more intuitive and rewarding process.

3. Like nearly everyone has said, read the manuals, but like most of us, you will not be able to memorize it, so keep it handy for future reference! Cooper Carter does his "Fractal Friday" posts on this forum (free) which are great summaries of features people want to use, but from the manual alone, are often not able to unlock the potential of said features. I did the Cooper Carter Master Class as well and I am very glad I did! Well spent money IMO, but get to know your FM3 a bit first as he does not start from scratch for you (you have to know the basics first)!!! As also mentioned here, Leon Todd's videos are very informative!

Hope you have as great a time with your FAS product as I have! This stuff is by far, the coolest musical equipment I have ever purchased!! Deeper than space and cooler than the north pole!!!
 
Whatever your goals with or without a headphone, I'm sure you won't be disappointed! I used Line 6 helix for years and I found it excellent, after 1 month with AXE3 I sold everything and I have no regrets, the FAS team is dynamic and constantly offers very interesting updates ! Here we love Fridays lol
 
Moondog Wily said:
I am VERY new to the modeler world, and have only owned a couple of pedals and amps in my life, but here is what I have found works for me to dial in my system (although it is FXIII, it will apply to your FM3 as well).

1. I initially tried literally every factory preset, and kept a spreadsheet of the ones I liked. Probably took me about 8-10 hours to go through them all but I feel it was well worth it. Once I had about 30 that I really liked, I went back through those in more detail and narrowed it down to about 4.

2. Once I had found my go to presets, I started tweaking them. I think one of the best things to do with a preset is, start with the basics. What I mean by this is, bypass everything except the amp block to start with. Get that amp block singing the way you want it to sing, knowing that it does not have any of your effects. Just the amp tone you are looking for. Next of course is the cabinet(s) you want to employ! One of the things I have the most fun with is, finding two cabs I like and then panning them, one to the left and the other to the right (thanks Cooper Carter)!! From here of course, add in other blocks one by one individually with no other block active while you are working on that particular one. Of course in the end, we want them to work together, but by dialing in what you want from that block first will, I believe, make the path of combining them a much more intuitive and rewarding process.

3. Like nearly everyone has said, read the manuals, but like most of us, you will not be able to memorize it, so keep it handy for future reference! Cooper Carter does his "Fractal Friday" posts on this forum (free) which are great summaries of features people want to use, but from the manual alone, are often not able to unlock the potential of said features. I did the Cooper Carter Master Class as well and I am very glad I did! Well spent money IMO, but get to know your FM3 a bit first as he does not start from scratch for you (you have to know the basics first)!!! As also mentioned here, Leon Todd's videos are very informative!

Hope you have as great a time with your FAS product as I have! This stuff is by far, the coolest musical equipment I have ever purchased!! Deeper than space and cooler than the north pole!!!
Click to expand...
With Fractal and PRS everything sounds my friend!😄
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom