FM3 Firmware Release Version 1.06

You're not wrong, but isn't that strange logic? Basically if you shouldn't create above 80% it's not actually 80% - it's 100%.

If you still have 20% capacity, you should be able to go above it - seems mis-scaled, or mis-named (like Military Intelligence)

 
You're not wrong, but isn't that strange logic? Basically if you shouldn't create above 80% it's not actually 80% - it's 100%.

If you still have 20% capacity, you should be able to go above it - seems mis-scaled, or mis-named (like Military Intelligence)
Technically speaking, the CPU is not at 100% though. The extra % is to actually run the audio, screens, etc. I understand it may be confusing at first.
 
The added a "red zone" in the CPU meter seems pretty self explanatory as is the "WARNING" when the preset hits the zone. With the differences in fluctuating CPU usage due to processing from effect to effect, having a 100% actually reflect 100% seems to be quite impossible.

The solution for a 100% system would be for a block to be allocated the maximum CPU usage possible for that type of effect. It could create a more stable user experience at the cost of less effects possible in a preset. The way the system is now allows the users much more flexibility, allowing them to choose models or modes that require less CPU in order to add more effects to a preset.
 
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The extra % is to actually run the audio, screens, etc. I understand it may be confusing at first.
But I thought that all this housekeeping stuff was done on other chips so the CPU could concentrate on modeling. I’m sure I’ve seen that in the wiki somewhere.
 
Imo the 80% makes no sense either, same with a blank preset showing 10%.

It could easily be misunderstood so people think they only have 70% to work with, and then come to the forums complaining.

I think they could easily convert the numbers to show a 1% to 100% spread, if they wanted to.
 
1. I looked at my other preset yesterday. It is constantly oscillating between 83-85%. I've been playing it for 2 months and it never hangs like the preset I put yesterday (the one with model Friedman). This preset uses the Boutiqe 2 amp and is sound-stable at all times. So, maybe the problem lies in the Friedman HBE amplifier model code fragment?

2. It is almost impossible to track CPU usage on the FM3 screen in the Layout screen (for me). The numbers are tiny, you must kneel over the device to see what is going on there (or be young and have healthy eyes ? :D). Perhaps there are red stripes displayed there, indicating that the border has been crossed - but I am not able to see them. Maybe it would be a better idea to have the ENTIRE bar (the one for CPU USage) displayed in orange / red when the preset starts to overflow some bounds (not just its right edge, while everything else is still blue). It would be much better, especially when FM3 is on the floor and the eyes are almost 2 meters higher ;)
So you can look at FM3-Edit - but as I wrote before, problems with USB make me almost quit the editor, because I really prefer to play than restart FM3 or the computer every now and then.

3. Regarding the CPU Usage and the power reserve to operate the screen / buttons, LED - one of the advantages of the new DSP (used in FM3) was to be that it contained a separate core (ARM style core? I remember correctly?), which was dedicated to this jobe, while both cores the DSP was to be occupied only with signal processing. Then why can we not use DSP power to the level of e.g. 95% (I know that it is always worth having a headroom - but does it really have to be up to 20% of the processor power?). Scaling the CPU Usage is probably not the way to go - rather optimizing your algorithms so you can use more CPU power, have I right?

4. I am still a huge fan of Fractal and please don't take my comments as an attack. I just wish I could trust the device while using it. And still waiting for firmware fixes.

Best regards for Team from Fractal
 
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For me freezes are happening more often now and I doubt they are CPU usage related as I have an external reverb and I am never above 65% :/
 
For me freezes are happening more often now and I doubt they are CPU usage related as I have an external reverb and I am never above 65% :/
Is there any pattern to what you’re doing when it freezes? Is it on all presets or specific ones?
 
Has there been any thought about dropping a beta firmware for the sole purpose of beefing up diagnostic info and generating logging data that can be extracted following a crash/freeze? Might be even useful to build that into a new version of FM3-Edit - for those experiencing issues while connected.

It's not foolproof and it's not always easy, but then again, it's really hard to fix things that you don't know are malfunctioning.

If I had to guess, I suspect that many of my freezes are somehow related to USB communications.
Doesn't seem like that applies to everyone else, but who knows?

At the very least, that logging capability could address some common questions related to OS, last preset, was it a factory preset, was it a "new" factory preset, CPU usage, scene changes, preset changes, timing, etc.

From an "optics" standpoint, I would position this as functionality that will be included in every single beta release for every product - to make sure that new stuff can be more thoroughly tested before rolling out to everyone. (That's a nice proactive, user-centric story!) From a "reality" standpoint - I would hope to use that data to kill these crashes muy pronto.

Just my $0.02USD
 
FM3 has crashed again in a similar way (no sound, frozen AMP Friedman block, screen, buttons and led are working; only way to back of sound is a hard power reset). Preset devoid of a few blocks, CPU Usage at 71-73%. Two suspensions again and again, 5 minutes apart.

I still think this is a problem with the code responsible for some part of Friedman's modeling. (Edit: or maybe about something else - because what do I finally know how fractal algorithms work? nothing :D)

Greetings to all
 

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Then why can we not use DSP power to the level of e.g. 95% (I know that it is always worth having a headroom - but does it really have to be up to 20% of the processor power?). Scaling the CPU Usage is probably not the way to go - rather optimizing your algorithms so you can use more CPU power, have I right?

Be assured that FAS does everything to get the most out of the CPUs, including optimized algorithms. There're not reserving 15-20% CPU for nuttin.
 
The patterns definitely seem to be related or limited to one or more of the following
1.05 and 1.06
installing others presets or converting from AX3
The Freidman Amp models
USB connections
 
The patterns definitely seem to be related or limited to one or more of the following
1.05 and 1.06
installing others presets or converting from AX3
The Freidman Amp models
USB connections

Definitely not amp specific. Had it happen to me again last night with a vox. But still, it has something to do with firmware as a whole.
 
Since receiving it from Fractal on 9/10, I use my FM3 between 1-3 hours per day on average. I’ve had just 1 freeze that I’ve shared on this forum.

someone posted something above that I’d forgotten about. The day before my freeze, I foolishly tried to install a complicated AxeFX III preset but it was too CPU intensive. Then I couldn’t delete it. Once I thought it was gone, I turned off the FM3 for the day. The next day that preset was still there and I finally got rid of it by copying an <EMPTY> preset. The unit froze up a little after that but hasn’t since.
 
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