Have you found “your” amp in the FM3?

[Will Schut]

You’re absolutely right Gregg, it’s follower and not envelope. My bad there……😳

And now I’ve added an extra g to your name……
First signs of…. (I’m way over 50 🥴)

 

[Greg Ferguson]

Loud sound is perceived very differently to quieter sound. When your volume is high, you will perceive less lows, so the patch will sound brighter.

Our ears are mid-sensitive at low volume, which is why people too often boost the lows and highs of their presets, to make them more appealing to them at that volume level, similar to how a loudness control on a stereo works. Once the volume is 85-90 dB our brain perceives the lows, mids, and highs as fairly flat and the adjusted preset EQ then has too much low and high emphasis.

See Fletcher-Munson for more information.

 

[Simon Godden]

At low volume we hear more mids, which I think can be a better description.

I've always struggled to know if I read the FM curve correctly.

It's my understanding for instance that at 60 phons, we perceive 1Khz to have a SPL of 60dB, but we perceive 100Hz to have a SPL of around 78dB, which means perceiving 18dB more 100Hz.

At 80 phons, we perceive 1Khz to have a SPL of 80dB, but we perceive 100Hz to have a SPL of around 92dB, which means perceiving 12dB more 100Hz, not as large a difference.

So the louder we get, the less difference we perceive between low and mid frequencies. This fits with my subjective experience.

So, assuming we agree that 100Hz is in the "lows", I think I was right in saying at lower volumes you perceive more lows.

But I am really happy to be corrected. I am not a sound engineer, and as I say I've always struggled to know if I read the FM curve correctly.

 

[Chromatizm]

Wonder if anyone else experiences this?

+ Many
Always
All the time

 

[unix-guy]

I've always struggled to know if I read the FM curve correctly.

It's my understanding for instance that at 60 phons, we perceive 1Khz to have a SPL of 60dB, but we perceive 100Hz to have a SPL of around 78dB, which means perceiving 18dB more 100Hz.

At 80 phons, we perceive 1Khz to have a SPL of 80dB, but we perceive 100Hz to have a SPL of around 92dB, which means perceiving 12dB more 100Hz, not as large a difference.

So the louder we get, the less difference we perceive between low and mid frequencies. This fits with my subjective experience.

So, assuming we agree that 100Hz is in the "lows", I think I was right in saying at lower volumes you perceive more lows.

But I am really happy to be corrected. I am not a sound engineer, and as I say I've always struggled to know if I read the FM curve correctly.

No... Check the links in the wiki that @Greg Ferguson posted.

I think the way to interpret the graph is that it requires more SPL in low / high frequencies to hear equivalent perceived volume.

 

[ucnick]

The '64 BFSR is my preeminent go-to amp for nearly everything. I use the AB preset from his Gold Pack, did some tweaks and it is my overall fave. The FAS Wreck is an up and comer, though...

 

[GuitarJedi]

I have a Boogie MKIV and bought a Friedman BE-50 deluxe a year before FM3, and after going thru a carousel of amps….I come back home….although really dig XTC and 5153….but still flirt with the others….from time to time….

 

[Jipps0525]

Here's factory preset #0, modified with the pitch follower, not "envelope".

Right-click the Amp > Ideal > Mid > Modifier to see what it's doing. You'll need to tweak it to your taste.
View attachment 111099
View attachment 111098

i downloaded your attachment but in my factory preset 000, my amp block doesnt have that modifier attached at all.

 

[Fizz]

Marsonic beat me to it. 😀

Right click on the mid control (or use the modifier soft switch on the device), pick the pitch envelope, and adjust the limits and the curve for the effect you want.

Thanks! Is there a tutorial on this somewhere that really goes into detail?

 

[Greg Ferguson]

i downloaded your attachment but in my factory preset 000, my amp block doesnt have that modifier attached at all.

The factory preset doesn’t have it. I added it.

 

[Greg Ferguson]

Thanks! Is there a tutorial on this somewhere that really goes into detail?

The manual does, using the front-panel. See Section 9.

 

[adrian-caulfield]

When I first started using my FM3 I loaded up two amp models only; the Solo100 Lead and the Solo100 Rythm. I came from using a Soldano Avenger and a Soldano Astroverb in the analog realm. It's safe to say that these are the only two models I use on the whole device and the reason why I bought it (to take my sound wherever I went easily). The models ended up sounding so amazing and so close to the real amps (in some ways better) that I sold both of the real amps. I am a single channel amp fanatic and the FM3 has allowed me to take my two dream sounds that I can make work for anything on tour. I use scene controllers to affect gain levels for the Solo100 Rythm preset for when I do session work or perform live but am never switching mid song, I just use the volume controls on my guitar to affect gain levels mid song.
I know this isn't how most people use their Fractal gear and that it definitely can do SO much more but honestly for me, I just wanted the best modelling out there and I have the easiest load in ever now and can take my signature sound everywhere I go.

 

[Chromatizm]

Thanks! Is there a tutorial on this somewhere that really goes into detail?

 

[Shelladelic]

ODS 100 and 59 Bassguy

 

[Simon Godden]

No... Check the links in the wiki that @Greg Ferguson posted.

I think the way to interpret the graph is that it requires more SPL in low / high frequencies to hear equivalent perceived volume.

I did suspect I had it wrong all this time. I finally went to watch some YT videos by mixing engineers, and realised I was interpreting the graph in reverse.

Every day is a school day. Now perhaps my attempts to get a loud sound I like might go a bit better.......

 

[TubeStack]

OP here.

I highly recommend checking out the new PVH 6160 Block Crunch model - it's amazing!

Quite similar to my Mesa Electra Dyne but a little brighter with more high mids. Similar addictive spongy feel. It's replaced the BE100 v3 and SLO as my favourite, love it.

 

[unix-guy]

I did suspect I had it wrong all this time. I finally went to watch some YT videos by mixing engineers, and realised I was interpreting the graph in reverse.

Every day is a school day. Now perhaps my attempts to get a loud sound I like might go a bit better.......

Always more to learn!

 

[frankencat]

Coool! I didn’t know we could do this on the FM3. Thanks again Leon!

 

[skolacki]

My #1 was the AC20 but I’ve been playing the SV20 since the FM3 update. It’s a really good model. My favorite Plexi out of all of them.

 

[Randall Smith]

The amp I use the most is the carr rambler. I like the clean on it, and it takes pedals well. I don’t normally like class-a amps, but I get along with this one.

I love hearing what people have found.