FM3 with a Tube Amp

Geronimo

Geronimo

Member
I've been using my FX8 for the past 5 years and it works great! Best multi-effects I've ever owned! I'm seriously thinking of upgrading to an FM3. I plan on using it 2 ways. Of course I want to use it at home with all the amp sims to record music. I mainly want to use it in a live setting with my Marshall JCM 800 2205 50-Watt amp. I've tried other multi-effects processors in the past with amp and cab sims and it's always colored my live tone.

I'm not sure if this has been addressed here or not, but here's my question. Can I use the FM3 without all the cab & amp sims with effects only without it coloring my tone? I want to use it exactly like my FX8 for a live setting. I want to keep the tone of my amp when I’m in BYPASS mode.

If my amp fails for whatever reason I always have back up and will use the amp and cab sims.
 
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Geronimo said:
I've been using my FX8 for the past 5 years and it works great! Best multi-effects I've ever owned! I'm seriously thinking of upgrading to an FM3. I plan on using it 2 ways. Of course I want to use it at home with all the amp sims to record music. I mainly want to use it in a live setting with my Marshall JCM 800 2205 50-Watt amp. I've tried other multi-effects processors in the past with amp and cab sims and it's always colored my live tone.

I'm not sure if this has been addressed here or not, but here's my question. Can I use the FM3 without all the cab & amp sims with effects only without it coloring my tone? I want to use it exactly like my FX8 for a live setting. I want to keep the tone of my amp.

If my amp fails for whatever reason I always have back up and will use the amp and cab sims.
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Yes. this has been possible since the standard and ultra in 2007. many pros and non-pros do this with a real amp. check the owner's manual as it shows you exactly how to set this up.
 
chris said:
most would say no. there's always a small percentage of people who will say anything colors anything.
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chris said:
Yes. this has been possible since the standard and ultra in 2007. many pros and non-pros do this with a real amp. check the owner's manual as it shows you exactly how to set this up.
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Thanks! I just looked at the owner's manual and there'a section that talks about using it as an effects processor only. I think I might make the switch!
 
Geronimo said:
Thanks for you answer, but my main question is will the FM3 color the tone of my amp if I create patches without the Amp and Cab blocks?
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I'm not sure what your question is.

If you put an EQ block in your FM3 patch, it will color your tone — just like a real EQ pedal. Because that's what EQ is for.

Most dirt pedals have built-in EQ, and that will color your tone, for the same reason.

In fact, traditional pedalboards are full of pedals that color your tone. If you didn't want the color, you wouldn't have the pedal.
 
Of course the effects will color the tone...

He’s asking if the FM3 in four cable method with an amp will color the tone when all blocks are bypassed. The FX8 was specifically designed to reduce coloring the tone. There has been no indication that the FM3 has also been designed to minimize “tone suck”, or to reduce added hiss, when used with an amp.

I occasionally used the AX8 with an amp. It definitely colored the tone and added some hiss in comparison to the FX8. Since the FM3 does not have the same circuitry used by the FX8 for low noise I expect the FM3 to “color” the amp tone to some degree. Whether it’s less than the AX8 is unknown. Of course once the drummer kicks in nobody can tell the difference anyway.
 
Rex said:
I'm not sure what your question is.

If you put an EQ block in your FM3 patch, it will color your tone — just like a real EQ pedal. Because that's what EQ is for.

Most dirt pedals have built-in EQ, and that will color your tone, for the same reason.

In fact, traditional pedalboards are full of pedals that color your tone. If you didn't want the color, you wouldn't have the pedal.
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I'm aware that traditional pedals color your tone. I'm talking about when I have no pedal blocks activated, just a dry signal with no EQ's. Just a straight dry signal when I'm playing a riff with no effects needed. Everything bypassed. When I'm playing a riff with no effects I want it to sound as if I'm plugging straight in the amp from my guitar.

I've tried other multi-effects processors in the past when I've bypassed everything. Not using cab or amp blocks and no effects. I've noticed that the unit changes the base tone of my rig pretty substantially.
 
ethomas1013 said:
Of course the effects will color the tone...

He’s asking if the FM3 in four cable method with an amp will color the tone when all blocks are bypassed.
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That's not what he asked, though. He asked about coloration when he's using it "with effects only."

Geronimo said:
Can I use the FM3 without all the cab & amp sims with effects only without it coloring my tone?
Click to expand...
 
Geronimo said:
I'm aware that traditional pedals color your tone. I'm talking about when I have no pedal blocks activated, just a dry signal with no EQ's. Just a straight dry signal when I'm playing a riff with no effects needed.
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In that case, it'll sound just like your amp.
 
chris said:
most would say no. there's always a small percentage of people who will say anything colors anything.
Click to expand...

Is the question "does the unit color your tone when it's in bypass mode?"
That one is always YMMV. With my setup at home I can do a 100% blind A/B
listening test to see if I can hear enough to bother me.

I set things up with a switch and ask my wife to do the switching. Only she knows
if the test starts on A or B. She randomly goes back and forth until I find a good riff
to focus on. Then I cue her to switch back and forth while I listen really hard.

In the gear I've tried in the past year or so, only the Eventide H9 was easily (relatively speaking)
noticeable. My wife couldn't hear anything. Obviously the unit works just fine for Larry Mitchell
and many, many others.

That's why it's always YMMV.

Hopefully @Geronimo can find a way to audition an FM3.
Plus, if you buy one and find it doesn't work out you're sure to get back
your investment by selling. (leave the plastic over the screens until you decide!)
 
I owned an FX8 when they first came out. It was advertised like this...
"The unit is designed for unity gain and offers true bypass. Above all, it features an extremely high quality signal path to deliver ultra-low noise and pristine sound quality. In other words, “no tone suck!"
Click to expand...

... and it's true IMO.

Later on I bought an AX8 and compared head to head at the time, because AX8 wasn't described this way. I wanted to use it with my amps sometimes, fx only just like my FX8. I told myself if I could hear the difference in the form of any discernible "tone suck", I'd just keep the FX8.

I heard no notable difference other than maybe a tiny (really tiny) bit more noise at stupid high levels. So I kept the AX8, it's great and I'm guessing FM3 will be too.

Note, unlike FX8 there's no automatic unity gain, so you'll have to set output volume knob appropriately.
 
Old thread, but I briefly plugged my FM3 straight into the amp this morning for a quick test at low volumes. Later today when everyone is up I'll crank it up a bit.

I did not notice any coloration, such as added hiss or reduced high end, but there was quite a bit of hum. I switched to a humbuster cable and was immediately amazed at how quiet the unit is with the humbuster cable. I'm also using the Noise Reducer mode in the input block noise gate. Really happy with the results.

I was also quite pleased with the amount of effects I could put in the chain without an amp, cab, or reverb block.I have 12 effects blocks in my test preset, not counting the input/output, and send/return blocks. You can't fit in everything, but I think most everyone will be pleased with the amount of effects that can get into a preset. If you need more, well, that's what the AxeFX III is for.

I was getting the itch to start accumulating some effects to build a pedalboard while we were waiting for the release of the FM3. That itch has been scratched. The FM3 is going to work as a pedalboard replacement for me for those times when I use an amp.

I haven't tried 4-cable method yet. Maybe later today.
 
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