I made the same move around a month ago. A few thoughts on my experience from going the AXE-FX to FM9
- I did need to change how I approached some of my more DSP-intense presets. I learned that there are likely several ways to achieve the desired tone using Fractal units. They may have slightly different flavours but the final outcome I'm still thrilled with them. So don't be afraid to try different ideas or approaches where DSP is a limiting factor. I went from my loading my Axe presets and maxing out the FM9 at 100% to now having the same preset with core tones mostly the same at ~80%.
- I found that I use the Performance pages a lot more in a live setting. It's probably that I stay on the Performance page and my eyes see it all the time so I'm more inclined to make quick changes. Unlike some I never had a problem with taking a laptop to a gig with the Axe-FX 3 to make adjustments - it was quicker and I was more comfortable using Axe-Edit. Haven't used the laptop in a live setting since then.
- If you're not familiar with the Fractal foot controllers then I'd suggest taking some time to map out how you want to design the layouts. I found my key tones (scenes) need to be always available but the great thing about the customizability is you can design these based around your workflow. In short, don't just load up a default or OFMG9 layout and stop there.
Lastly, I love how much more convenient and portable it is for transportation when you live in a big city and often rely on public transport to play out.