FM3 Firmware Version 2.0

[Randalljax]

I guess, if they had to change the code of some internal libraries, the result should be better performance overall, otherwise it wouldn't have much sense doing the modifications in the first place...

i think the thing we have a remember is this is not an AX3, i downloaded firmware 2.0 this weekend and most presets the modest ones are in the 70s thats wah drive amp cab comp
delay reverb (econo) Chorus
that not to say it not powerful but cpu useage definitely increases each update to me , so i can see why the team is struggling to make the decisions on what to port or not
who knows what the original platform and idea was

 

[Rublalup]

I haven’t been able to “copy scene x to y” on the unit... on the tools page I select the option, execute but nothing happens. Something I’m missing?

Can somebody pleAse confirm if it’s posible For example to copy Scene 2 of a preset to scene 1 of the same preset?

I can’t do it.

Layout>tools>copy from 2 to 1>execute... nada

I can swap, but can’t copy

 

[Anand Mahangoe]

I just did yesterday the same : scene 2 to 3 in the same preset..... all fine.... with FM Edit.....BUT I did it with the buttons in the scene menu.....”copy scene 2 to 3 “ ..... not at my gear now so don’t know for sure if it is called exactly that way....

 

[Rublalup]

I just did yesterday the same : scene 2 to 3 in the same preset..... all fine.... with FM Edit.....BUT I did it with the buttons in the scene menu.....”copy scene 2 to 3 “ ..... not at my gear now so don’t know for sure if it is called exactly that way....

I can do it on Edit but not on the unit

 

[oceanruckus]

My CPU usage went down on all my presets - currently running Pitch->Comp->Filter->FX Loop->Amp->stereo cab->Parallel loop with delay and reverb->Tremolo->Comp (studio) and MIDI in/out commands.

I was able to switch from economy to normal reverb quality. Great update, no issues for me!

 

[jclemensfl]

The debate about how much stress to put on the FM3s CPU is going to always continue.
For my money, I think it's more important to utilize any CPU room with usability improvements, not amps, drive blocks, etc.
I understand it's all subjective.
But in my mind, everything on the FM3 already sounds great. How much greater great do we need to great?
If the question is: would you rather have a 2% improvement in the sound of a drive pedal, or a Virtual Capo that is usable in a live setting, that's not even a question. No audience member will ever know the difference in the amp improvement. But they certainly will be able to tell there is something wrong with my tuning.
Just my two cents, as the very smart people at Fractal make these difficult decisions.

 

[unix-guy]

If the question is: would you rather have a 2% improvement in the sound of a drive pedal, or a Virtual Capo that is usable in a live setting, that's not even a question. No audience member will ever know the difference in the amp improvement. But they certainly will be able to tell there is something wrong with my tuning.

As I've said before, it's very easy to answer this type of question for YOU. But your workflow and use case is not the same as mine, and mine is not the same as the next person.

I don't use the Virtual Capo... I have no plan to use it. So for ME that is not a priority at all.

Also, the whole "the audience won't know" argument makes no difference to me. The audience also won't know if you're using a POD, but you don't use one, right?

The bottom line in the case (again, for me) is that I know and can hear and feel the difference and that makes a huge difference in how well I perform... Which the audience most certainly can tell. If I'm not digging what's going on or not inspired by it then my performance is not as what it could be...

 

[jclemensfl]

As I've said before, it's very easy to answer this type of question for YOU. But your workflow and use case is not the same as mine, and mine is not the same as the next person.
I don't use the Virtual Capo... I have no plan to use it. So for ME that is not a priority at all.
Also, the whole "the audience won't know" argument makes no difference to me. The audience also won't know if you're using a POD, but you don't use one, right?
The bottom line in the case (again, for me) is that I know and can hear and feel the difference and that makes a huge difference in how well I perform... Which the audience most certainly can tell. If I'm not digging what's going on or not inspired by it then my performance is not as what it could be...

Unix-Guy, you weren't digging the amps on the former versions of the FM3 firmware? Or do you just dig it more now?
Because I think it is unfair to characterize the sound as if these amp or drive block improvements are the difference between bad and good.
I would think most people would say its the difference between really, really good and really, really, really good.
Which is the point I am making. We are certainly at a place now where nearly every one of us who owns a fractal unit "digs" how it sounds.
You'll notice I very carefully said "for my money" and "I understand it's all subjective" because I know there are people out there who feel differently.
That being said, I was using the Virtual Capo as an example. There are a hundred other usability improvements that I could say the same thing about. Those very well may make the difference between a successful gig and one less-than-successful.
The same thing can not be said, for example, about the sound of the unit between FW1.06 and 2.00. Both firmwares sound great.

 

[unix-guy]

Unix-Guy, you weren't digging the amps on the former versions of the FM3 firmware? Or do you just dig it more now?
Because I think it is unfair to characterize the sound as if these amp or drive block improvements are the difference between bad and good.
I would think most people would say its the difference between really, really good and really, really, really good.
Which is the point I am making. We are certainly at a place now where nearly every one of us who owns a fractal unit "digs" how it sounds.
You'll notice I very carefully said "for my money" and "I understand it's all subjective" because I know there are people out there who feel differently.
That being said, I was using the Virtual Capo as an example. There are a hundred other usability improvements that I could say the same thing about. Those very well may make the difference between a successful gig and one less-than-successful.
The same thing can not be said, for example, about the sound of the unit between FW1.06 and 2.00. Both firmwares sound great.

Fair points...

And to be clear, I'm commenting "in general", as I'm giving input based on Axe Fx III improvements in the same areas (I'm not yet an FM3 owner).

In that regard, the Drive block improvements were, in my opinion, very big. The amp modeling seems to be continually improving even when you think it can't get better, it still does - sometimes considerably so.

I do agree that usability is important. But back to the point of my previous post, that's a different thing for everyone.

 

[TenorKeith]

I just want to know that the presets I build today and use with no problem will still be usable a year from now. I don’t want performance to diminish over time and future updates.

 

[wcfieldskx]

I just want to know that the presets I build today and use with no problem will still be usable a year from now. I don’t want performance to diminish over time and future updates.

Yeah, agree. I'm trying to leave a nice CPU buffer in my reworked presets for exactly that reason.

 

[volothamp]

Thank you very much!

 

[edo]

I have a couple questions, if you don't mind:

1. If you disconnect the USB and wait a few seconds, does the interface come back?
2. Are you running a DAW and/or FM3-Edit when this occurs?
3. Does this seem limited to a one or a couple presets (this can be difficult to discern in hindsight)?

As a followup to my previous post, I can confirm that:
1) the interface does not come back, it stays frozen
2) It happened with and without DAW, FM3 edit was open
3) It happened on 4 different presets (including a factory preset just a few seconds ago)

 

[peteri]

I just want to know that the presets I build today and use with no problem will still be usable a year from now. I don’t want performance to diminish over time and future updates.

Surely the answer is then don't upgrade the Firmware?

I often find I need to re-program presets after firmware updates, simply because it changes how the presets sound. That's fine, I like doing it. If you want things to stay the same, don't update?

I get what you mean about performance not getting worse, and I think that's clearly a bit of an issue, but I'm sure we all juggle stuff to make things fit

 

[BryantP]

Cab D30 per PM

One of the patches totally disappeared, at reload of 1.06 I suppose; I fortunately backed up juste before and recharged bank (D)

If you save in 2.00, it won't load in 1.06. Presets are not always backwards compatible, hence a full backup is recommended before upgrading your firmware.

@BryantP I believe I’m doing this right but you never know If the layout is Per-Preset, the category is Per-Preset, the function is Placeholder, and using FC PER-PRESET you set the category to Effect and the effect is Amp 1 the scribble strip reads “CFG ERR”. Using a custom label overrides the message. As far as I can tell the ERR label has no effect on the function which seems to work normally. All effects other than Amp 1 are ok.

Please try resetting the switch then re-configuring it.

 

[stdout]

Please try resetting the switch then re-configuring it.

Done. Still generates the same text “CFG ERR” for first entry in the list, i.e. ‘Amp 1’. I previously reset all layouts to the factory defaults and still saw the same behaviour. Something I notice that may be of no consequence is that the default effect that is selected is ‘Cab 1’ and that label is displayed correctly. It is only ‘Amp 1’ that produces the config error text. I’m doing all editing on-device.

 

[jclemensfl]

Surely the answer is then don't upgrade the Firmware?
I often find I need to re-program presets after firmware updates, simply because it changes how the presets sound. That's fine, I like doing it. If you want things to stay the same, don't update?
I get what you mean about performance not getting worse, and I think that's clearly a bit of an issue, but I'm sure we all juggle stuff to make things fit

I think that is definitely the answer, when the firmware only carries improvements to the amp block or some other small sound improvement. But when there are usability upgrades that impact the use of the unit in a live setting, it becomes more complicated.
I have confidence Fractal will work it out, but the company's oath that the FM3 will sound the same as the AXE3 forces their hand in some ways.
There is no doubt in my mind they're working on the CPU limitations. These guys seem to love these challenges.

 

[marshall2553]

Done. Still generates the same text “CFG ERR” for first entry in the list, i.e. ‘Amp 1’. I previously reset all layouts to the factory defaults and still saw the same behaviour. Something I notice that may be of no consequence is that the default effect that is selected is ‘Cab 1’ and that label is displayed correctly. It is only ‘Amp 1’ that produces the config error text. I’m doing all editing on-device.

I’m seeing this in the editor also.

 

[stdout]

Please try resetting the switch then re-configuring it.

I rolled the firmware back to 1.06 and don’t see the problem. Rolling forward to 2.0 reintroduces it. It’s really a nit but if the error message is the result of a library function it seems possible it may introduce problems in other parts of the code.

 

[BryantP]

I rolled the firmware back to 1.06 and don’t see the problem. Rolling forward to 2.0 reintroduces it. It’s really a nit but if the error message is the result of a library function it seems possible it may introduce problems in other parts of the code.

Can you upload your "System +FC" backup from FractalBot, please? I'll take a look.