FM9 - My First 60 Days

Lonely Rocker

Lonely Rocker

Member
So it's been 2 months since I got my first Fractal product. I decided to document my progress and discuss some hot button topics about the FM9 like is it really that confusing? Is it good value for the money and how do I like how it sounds? And ultimately, did it meet my expectations as a studio device?

 
OrganicZed said:
I'm glad you like it. People really overstate the magnitude of the learning curve. I suspect that many who say that Fractal gear is too confusing to learn are people who have never actually tried it.
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Thanks! As I said it's pro gear. If there was no learning curve I'd be suspicious. In the drag and drop age a menu scares people but man there is great stuff in those deep dives!
 
OrganicZed said:
I'm glad you like it. People really overstate the magnitude of the learning curve. I suspect that many who say that Fractal gear is too confusing to learn are people who have never actually tried it.
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Absolutely agree, I was using a Quad Cortex and when I decided to go Fractal a number of folks were telling me that it will be sooo difficult to learn, almost as if there was some black art involved, but no, it wasn't. I had a preset going in five minutes, one of the differences is that it is relatively easy to start programming BUT it can go seriously deep, way deeper than other units (e.g. the Quad Cortex which is pretty but shallow) and that takes time to learn. So glad I bought Cooper Carter's class!
 
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morrissey007 said:
Absolutely agree, I was using a Quad Cortex and when I decided to go Fractal a number of folks were telling me that it will be sooo difficult to learn, almost as if there was some black art involved, but no, it wasn't. I had a preest going in five minutes, one of the differences is that it is relatively easy to start programming BUT it can go seriously deep, way deeper than other units (e.g. the Quad Cortex which is pretty but shallow) and that takes time to learn. So glad I bought Cooper Carter's class!
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Guitar players can be guilty of being overly protective of gear they have purchased. And that sometimes means being critical of rival gear. Fractal is not for everyone. But those who choose to bust through the short learning curve are well rewarded. As I have recently learned 😎🤘🏽🎸
 
People are weird.

If they want to learn something they need to do some work, it won't immediately happen, there is no Vulcan mind-meld that mysteriously happens when they power on the gear. They had to learn to operate and play their guitar and amp(s) and pedals, how to connect them together, power them… it's a long list of things we learn as we go. But, no, the Fractal is too hard because they don't instantly grok it.

In school, to pass and be somewhat proficient in something, we had to study. To get a driver's license we had to study. But, again, noooo… Fractal is too hard.

It makes me want to go sit on my porch and yell at dogs. :)
 
Lonely Rocker said:
Very well said. We are definitely in an age of instant gratification. My kids comsume information in 30 second chunks. No wonder they can’t concentrate on anything longer. Anything good is definitely worth the effort. I should force them to learn the fractal 🤣🤣🤣🤣
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There have been innumerable studies on how people can be helped to learn, but the #1 thing I think that's essential is they have to TRY.

Too many people are afraid to try anything lest they break it "'cause it's 'lectronics ya know" , or fail because someone will laugh at them. Hey, in the privacy of my own house I'll try and fail multiple times and frankly not give a damn because then I'll know it. Heh… I was a self-taught programmer for my corporate life, ended up as a VP and wrote a lot of code in a bunch of languages because I tried.

I'm grumpy as a result but that's because I worked in *nix most of the time. :)
 
Greg Ferguson said:
There have been innumerable studies on how people can be helped to learn, but the #1 thing I think that's essential is they have to TRY.

Too many people are afraid to try anything lest they break it "'cause it's 'lectronics ya know" , or fail because someone will laugh at them. Hey, in the privacy of my own house I'll try and fail multiple times and frankly not give a damn because then I'll know it. Heh… I was a self-taught programmer for my corporate life, ended up as a VP and wrote a lot of code in a bunch of languages because I tried.

I'm grumpy as a result but that's because I worked in *nix most of the time. :)
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Ha!! I'm with you. Failure has been a constant ingredient in all of my "successes". Thats a hard thing to teach. Some of the biggest entrepreneurs attribute their biggest wins to their biggest failures. I'm sure Fractal put out some duds in their early days ;)
 
I've had my FM9 Turbo since November 2023 (about 2 months or less). At first my AX8 sounded better than the FM9T as I had more experience dialing in presets and knew how to use it better. Now about 2 months later I can finally say my FM9T sounds way better in comparison. I've also got it setup so I can recall the next or previous song in my setlist with just one click. Haven't even come close to using more than 70% of its CPU power in any PRESET even custom ones or ones I make.

I also find it's easier and more intuitive to use. Backing up takes on average 6 min. Booting up does take longer than the AX8 so sometimes I catch myself with my guitar in hand counting the scroll bar on it waiting for it to boot up. 1-2 min seems like eternity for me. I'm spoiled, what can I say.

Overall I've never had any issues with either the AX8 or FM9T. They both work perfectly well. Both are robust and have never failed me.

I'm glad I bought my FM9T before the shortage hit recently. The FM9T is only subpar to the AF3 of which I haven't begun to even fathom using it cpu power and I/O. I think for the price and quality and how it sounds , nothing beats the FM9T.

However , right now there is a stop in production. So the FM9T is not an option for people who near gear atm. I'm glad I have my AX8 as a perfect backup solution, although I'm willing let it find a new home for the right price. :)
 
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I've had mine just over two months and sure, I can't make it do backflips or click my fingers to get the best clean, synth, talk-box preset with a Wah, Volume and Whammy pedal all running off Extension 1 without checking out some other presets or YouTube videos. But thanks to the fabulous array of pro-level presets the unit comes with, and the excellent forum and online presence then learning has been a lot easier than when I dipped my toe in the water with the Helix 5 years ago.
 
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