FM3 Direct to Guitar Amp

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Vegas Bob

Member
I have a Magic Amp Tweed DeLuxe as my main amp.

The FM3 main outputs are XLR. What’s the best method of hooking up a FM3 to my amp?

The amp is fantastic. If I run it clean with no amp break up what kind of results can I expect?

Is using this amp a good or bad idea?

What are the best options?

Thanks for any advice.
 
I'm new to this, but isn't out 2 unbalanced? Which would work better into an amp. I think. If you're just using effects, you'd not use an amp block at all and no cab block. Again, I think.
 
Correct on using Out 2.

There is no wrong answer, but things you can try are:

1 - Go direct out of Out 2 into the front input of your amp
2 - Go direct out of Out 2 into the effects loop return on your amp if it has one. This bypasses you amp‘s preamp and uses the FM3 as the amp‘s preamp
3 - Use the 4 cable method (similar to number 2 but can eliminate noise if that becomes a problem - see manual)

Note that in Setup you can choose to turn off Amp and/or Cabinet modeling. Try all the various combinations to find what works best for you. There really is no ”wrong“ way.

Good luck. Have fun!
 
I use a "humbuster" cable on Out2 to run into the input of a Blues Jr. for jam sessions. Sounds great and no noise.

Edit : my preset is effects only.
 
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Read chapter 4 in the manual to start.

You sacrifice a great deal of the flexibility of a modeler when you rely on a guitar amplifier for your volume. Regular guitar amps are designed to color the sound coming into their preamp and out of their speaker, and the modeler is designed to do that too, so your resulting sound is doubly colored, meaning that the amp in the preset you choose will not sound as it’s supposed to.

If your amp has an effects loop then insert the modeler into the loop’s return, following the directions on p.31.

If you want to only use the modeler to supply effects without amp modeling, follow p.34, plug into the preamp-in (the regular guitar input) and don’t add an amp or cab block to the preset in the modeler.

Typically we’d use a neutral power-amp into a neutral sounding speaker cabinet and rely 100% on the modeler to create the sound we want, as shown on p.28, but YMMV.

I have some really nice boutique tube combos, and love them, but don’t bother trying to use them with my Fractal units. If I need to I’ll take my pedal board and run everything as a traditional board and amp but usually I run straight into the amp. When I use my Fractal modeler I take two FRFR powered monitors and run into those and rely on the modeler to give me the sound I want.
 
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Vegas Bob said:
I have a Magic Amp Tweed DeLuxe as my main amp.
Click to expand...
Something to remember is a 5E3 Tweed Deluxe has a definite sound to it, they’re not designed for pure cleans, especially at typical stage volume, so getting a sound from it that accurately reflects what is coming out of the modeler will most likely mean turning the volume way down. In a bedroom that’d be ok, but would very likely be severely underpowered for any other use.

http://fenderguru.com/amps/deluxe-5e3/

https://wiki.fractalaudio.com/wiki/...DELUXE_TWEED_.28Fender_Tweed_Deluxe.2C_5E3.29
 
You could run it in front of the amp and simulate stomp pedals. Thats pretty much it for an amp with no effects loop.

I supposed it is theoretically possible that you could bend some preamp model and EQ around to sound good going into the front end of an amp, but I think that is a recipe for unhappiness.

Would work great as a pedal board though- lots of boosts and EQ and other goodies in there.

I do enjoy the FM3 running into the FX return of a good tube amp or in 4CM. Its like a force multiplier for an amp that you presumably already love and it gives a very authentic playing experience if you love the experience of playing a tube amp.

If you love the studio experience of playing in a different space from the amp, then the FM3 can obviously do that really well too.
 
Vegas Bob said:
I have a Magic Amp Tweed DeLuxe as my main amp.

The FM3 main outputs are XLR. What’s the best method of hooking up a FM3 to my amp?

The amp is fantastic. If I run it clean with no amp break up what kind of results can I expect?

Is using this amp a good or bad idea?

What are the best options?

Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...
Pretty easy to find an XLR to 1/4" cable to run direct to the input of your amp. Since just about every preset will default to output 1, you wont have to go in and change them all to use Output 2.
 
Since you say that the Magic Amp is your main amp, I'm gonna assume you're not planning to use the Amp Block, and like most Tweed Deluxes it doesn't have a FX loop, When I'm not playing my FM3, I have a Louis Electric 5E3 clone that I have plugged into my Motherload Elemental load box. It has a direct out with a volume control that I run it straight into my old AXE FX Mark II. I think this sounds better than creating a loop for it, and this is my "Pedals? I don't need no stinkin' pedals!" amp anyway. I just pick whatever IR's and effects I want and it sounds great. From there you run it into whatever you want.
 
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