FM3 Gen 2?

Flopro

Flopro

Member
So I've been rocking the Axe FX II+ for a good 4 or so years, but carrying the gear in and out of gigs isn't helping my ageing back... I say ageing, I'm only 26 next week! But would like to keep my back intact for many more years of gigging. ;)

Been looking at the FM3 allot over the last few weeks, think it would be perfect for my uses, the FM9 although more powerful is a bit too big for my setup.

But the big question is do I jump the gun on a FM3 now or hold off on an upgraded FM3 that might have a bit more DSP? If there will indeed be an upgrade, anyone have any info? :confused:
 
Flopro said:
So I've been rocking the Axe FX II+ for a good 4 or so years, but carrying the gear in and out of gigs isn't helping my ageing back... I say ageing, I'm only 26 next week! But would like to keep my back intact for many more years of gigging. ;)

Been looking at the FM3 allot over the last few weeks, think it would be perfect for my uses, the FM9 although more powerful is a bit too big for my setup.

But the big question is do I jump the gun on a FM3 now or hold off on an upgraded FM3 that might have a bit more DSP? If there will indeed be an upgrade, anyone have any info? :confused:
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No one here will have any actual info until FAS announces a new FM3.
 
Greg Ferguson said:
If that's true then asking Fractal directly would be worth even more. Right? :)
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You're only right, but doubt I'd get an answer either! A man can dream.

On another note though, is going from an Axe FX II+ to a FM3 a jump forward or back? I've heard mixed reports!
 
Flopro said:
You're only right, but doubt I'd get an answer either! A man can dream.

On another note though, is going from an Axe FX II+ to a FM3 a jump forward or back? I've heard mixed reports!
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I think that mostly depends on your needs. The FM3 is plenty powerful for many folks here, but surely it is possible to push the limits.

Why not post a typical preset you use for gigging and get some feedback on if the FM3 could handle it? If it can work for you, then I think you'd be very pleased.
 
Flopro said:
So I've been rocking the Axe FX II+ for a good 4 or so years, but carrying the gear in and out of gigs isn't helping my ageing back... I say ageing, I'm only 26 next week! But would like to keep my back intact for many more years of gigging. ;)

Been looking at the FM3 allot over the last few weeks, think it would be perfect for my uses, the FM9 although more powerful is a bit too big for my setup.

But the big question is do I jump the gun on a FM3 now or hold off on an upgraded FM3 that might have a bit more DSP? If there will indeed be an upgrade, anyone have any info? :confused:
Click to expand...
Supply chain.
 
Hold out for the FM9 maybe. Does FAS put out performance versions of the low tier units? I think getting the 9 out is the priority and it would be a good buy, compared to the FM3 + FC6. I’m happy with the FM3, it sounds great. It is low powered though, to where I’m having to compromise and use multiple presets of the same amp block if I want fancy effects. Tough to do a kitchen sink preset, but overall it really kicks ass.
 
Flopro said:
another note though, is going from an Axe FX II+ to a FM3 a jump forward or back? I've heard mixed reports
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From algorithms aka sound accuracy perspective there are a few generations between them, so I'd say forward

From sheer power aka number of blocks in a preset it is a step back, but of you look at factory presets, only a few of them were not transferred from AF3 to FM3, mostly due to "no second amp block" difference, so looks like a baby step back for many.
 
A couple of questions and a couple of thoughts:

1. What does your current signal chain look like?

2. What are your thoughts on your current setup and sound?

A. The biggest game changer coming from the AX8 to the FM3 was the 4 channels per block. Now, instead of two different sounds, I had 4 which vastly improved my user experience and allowed me to do some things that I simply could not before. This is especially important in the Amp and Cab blocks. Having 4 amps per preset was a game changer for me. If you do not run dual amps with the Axe II, I would say this is an upgrade.

B. Sound/tone is wildly subjective, so I can't say that the FM3 will sound better than your AxeII. That said, I think the FEEL is vastly improved between the 2 generations of products. Again, this is a personal thing but I find that the amps respond more like real amps and sound more like real amps. This may or may not be a good thing for you as people have gotten used to the way their modeling amps sound and feel and may prefer them over the sound and feel of "real" amps.

C. There are more effects in the FM3 and they sound better. Improvements have been made to the Drive, Comp, and Reverb blocks among many others. Those new algorithms open up a lot of creative options. That said, if you run very simple chains, it may not matter.

At the end of the day, I think the big question for you is whether or not you can live with the CPU limitations of the FM3. If you run complex presets with lots of effects and routing, I would say you may feel the squeeze. That said, if you can run simple presets and don't mind creating individual presets for songs that may have unique effect requirements, you may find that the new sounds are worth the tradeoff.
 
Post what your favorite presets on the Axe-Fx 3 look like and we might be able to gauge if the FM3 can do it. Remember that with FM3 you can get by with less blocks as you have double the channels in each.

I feel the FM3 works fine if you are willing to compromise on reverb quality, don't need dual amps/cabs and massively complex signal chains in a single preset. Splitting your kitchen sink preset to a couple of more purpose built ones works well.

I think this is a good comparison of the units:



I don't see a FM3 Turbo or whatever happening anytime soon with the supply chain issues and they have barely got the FM9 out and that is being sold partly with its higher processing power. The FM3 needs to be priced cheaper to be the "get people to try out the Fractal system" unit since the FM9 and Axe-Fx 3 are much more expensive.
 
I think we could eventually see a FM3 and FM9 Mk II with the new larger scribble strips and maybe some other minor improvements, but DSP is probably not changing. But with the global supply chain issues I wouldn’t bet on that happening soon.
 
Flopro said:
So I've been rocking the Axe FX II+ for a good 4 or so years, but carrying the gear in and out of gigs isn't helping my ageing back... I say ageing, I'm only 26 next week! But would like to keep my back intact for many more years of gigging. ;)

Been looking at the FM3 allot over the last few weeks, think it would be perfect for my uses, the FM9 although more powerful is a bit too big for my setup.

But the big question is do I jump the gun on a FM3 now or hold off on an upgraded FM3 that might have a bit more DSP? If there will indeed be an upgrade, anyone have any info? :confused:
Click to expand...
Let me get my Crystal Ball.
 
Flopro said:
Always worth an ask ;)
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These questions always pop up... When is the Axe FX 4 coming out? When is the MK II coming out? Does it really matter. Even if Fractal announced it today, it would take 6+ months to ship it, and likely another 6-12 month waitlist. Are you willing to wait almost 2 years to get a modeler, that is a little better than what you can buy today?
 
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