FM3 longevity

M

malcolm86

Member
Hi,

I am thinking about selling my AxeFx 2 XL and MFC101 mk3 to get something more compact and easier to travel with.

I am thinking a FM3 Mkii Turbo would give me everything I need.

I have been following the development of the FM3 since it was released in 2019 so it’s the old question of do you think the FM3 mkii turbo will get many more years of updates or will it be replaced by another similar sized device anytime soon ? I know the answer is tech moves on and buy and play gear in the here and now, but was just curious as i will be going from a legacy Axe2 XL.

Many thanks
Neil
 
You already know the answer ;)
You're still using the AxeFx 2 XL (released in 2014) and it sounds amazing, right?

With the FM3 it'll be the same.
In my opinion it sounds stellar and it's very "mature".
Regarding updates... it will follow it's family members (FM9 / AXE) so no need to worry about it
 
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You said it's all you need, so no worries ;)

If I was in your situation, I'd expect a new gen some 18 to 28 months from now (just a feeling, not based on calculations).

And indeed, it is very mature and affordable in the USA.

At the current pace that might be just a handful of updates left, but they tend to be considerable.
 
I ran an Axe 2 rig for many years. Went back to tube amps and pedals for the hell of it only to realize the Fractal saved me a lot of time and money. Grabbed the FM3 MK2. Im telling you as a former Axe 2 guy don’t stay on the fence. Get one. If you’re worried about only a few more updates then get the FM9. The amp modeling is on a new level and has been for some time. For me the FM3 is plenty of power and if we only get one more update I wouldn’t stress it. If you end up with the FM3 let us know what you think. It’s grab and go and sounds 👌🏽
 
I sold my precious Fm3 MK2 T a few days ago. Additionally, I sold one of my guitars which was very hard to find.

Now I will go with Fm9 MK2 T. The FM3 is light, convenient, and gave me exactly what I wanted, but I keep thinking about it every night and now there's no turning back! :fire: ;)

I couldn't resist the temptation to experience the new content included in the new firmware, including spring reverb and plate reverb, better sound, and some amp modeling (bug fixes) that I was very interested in.:D
 
Personally, I would see how the most recent update gets implemented on the FM3 and make a decision after that happens. I think that will be pretty telling of the FM3's future. I'm sure they will support it for a while still, but it looks like there are some CPU limitations currently making it difficult to run the latest modeling algorithms that the III and FM9 run.
 
Cliff mentioned that the new spring reverb is problematic, because it's very dsp-heavy. There has been no talk about any other new features being a problem. That doesn't mean that it or other improvements aren't coming to the FM3. The compromises made on the FM3 are well documented on the wiki, so have a look through the topics that are important to you.

The spring reverb is so demanding that it's mono only even on the Axe III and I don't think you can choose the quality so the algorithm doesn't scale like the other reverbs. It could just be an issue of being able to get it under a certain cpu threshold so you can have more than an amp, cab and spring reverb in a patch on a mk I.

This is all speculation, as is anyone else's opinion on the matter. I would wait if I were you, however, especially if spring reverb is important to you.
 
Rex said:
Of course they’ll still support it. They still support the Standard and Ultra, which were discontinued 12+ years ago. :)
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I guess I could have been more specific, support as in updates and bug fixes!

@Aleksi Thanks for the clarification. When I read Cliff's post I thought it was meaning the amp algo, now I re-read and agree its the spring reverb specifically.
 
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FAS is always improving on there platform that is a given! Longevity is really not a concern as much as options are with the given units. If your criteria is compact and easy travel the FM3 IS the ticket!
 
Rex said:
Of course they’ll still support it. They still support the Standard and Ultra, which were discontinued 12+ years ago. :)
Click to expand...

Support it in what way? They haven't had a firmware update in years and years which I think is what OP is asking?
 
I'm guessing one more FW update that will (mostly) match the updates the III and FM9 have received recently. After that, I'd be surprised if there are any more FW updates, unless they are scaled down versions that will not match the III/FM9. I'm guessing a replacement product with more processing power will happen within the next 18 months.

Doesn't mean it will be obsolete. It will be more than usable for years to come. But, value and demand will suffer if you want to sell.
 
Buy it. That is the answer.
I can give you many reasons why, but let's make this simple:
- it will sound better than your current rig
- it will be supported for years to come
- they have outstanding resale value

I'm still on the original FM3 and I don't have any need to upgrade to the Turbo (point is - the latest Fractal gear will last a long time)
 
IronSean said:
Support it in what way? They haven't had a firmware update in years and years which I think is what OP is asking?
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Yes, the OP was asking about firmware. But the post I responded to spoke of a possible loss of support, which is a broader thing that isn't going to happen. If I hadn't said something, people would be talking about loss of support. That's how rumors get started.
 
Hello First of all, sorry for my English, which is not very good. My question would be, perhaps the engineers already thought about it, but if there was the possibility of reducing the number of channels used. That is, I am referring to the ABCD channels, in the case of wanting to implement the Reverbs and the Ax Fx3 algorithms with the same quality in fm3. I think of it as one more option when it comes to lowering resources to the CPU. Especially for those of us who do not need to have 4 channels available with 4amps, 4 reverbs, 4 drives, etc. in the same presets.
 
Juano84 said:
Hello First of all, sorry for my English, which is not very good. My question would be, perhaps the engineers already thought about it, but if there was the possibility of reducing the number of channels used. That is, I am referring to the ABCD channels, in the case of wanting to implement the Reverbs and the Ax Fx3 algorithms with the same quality in fm3. I think of it as one more option when it comes to lowering resources to the CPU. Especially for those of us who do not need to have 4 channels available with 4amps, 4 reverbs, 4 drives, etc. in the same presets.
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i think the channels ABCD take up MEMORY while the algorithms for the effects need PROCESSING power to run.
 
Current FM3 and AFX2 guy, and I'll sum it up like this, my AFX2 is used with tube gear for FX/Cab Sim/Tube Power Amp Sim, while my FM3 is used alone for it's Amp Modeling and FX (i.e. the Amp Modeling is much improved over the AFX2, and this is coming from a confirmed tube snob LOL!).

The FM3 can do a lot, but it's not as strong as the AFX2 CPU-wise, though the FM3's FX are much better in many cases. That said, the FM3 can do quite a bit if you're careful (and possibly extend it with external gear), but if you're using lots of FX do consider the FM9 as well.

This non-turbo FM3 preset has a UA OX Stomp in the FX Loop for Cab/Room Sims and Reverb, which saves considerable CPU.

 
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Thanks for all the advice. I think I will wait to see what gets included in the next firmware updates for the FM3.

I would go FM9 mkii turbo but it’s like £2000 here in the UK, although the Axe2 setup would pay for a good chunk towards that….
 
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