Let's see those FM3 rigs!

tubelessone said:
I'm scrolling this thread and I am not finding something I'm looking for... a flat, Temple or Holey-style board with side handles.
I don't want an incline, which is all I see on any hole-punched board I like. Reason being is, the height of the FM3 will be too tall for the Pedaltrain Classic hard case I want to put it into. I am thinking a Temple board, 22x15, but upside down lol. 22x15 is the measurements of the hard case.
If you guys have seen such a thing, let me know, or maybe I didn't see it in this thread. :)
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I use a Guitto board with handles and its own unique mounting system, it comes with a soft case and it works well for me. They come in 3 sizes
 
BBN said:
I created a 'case' for my FM3 with a plexi shield. It's 3/4" thick plexi so I can stand directly on it.
It's the ultimate drunk barrier: Beer and drunk feet do not hit my knobs or screen.
Notice the small panel on the side where I have connections for power, 1/4 in, xlr out, USB (sometimes I swap that out for a second XLR).
I built it with plywood, cover it in Duratex (textured speaker paint), and the plexi is cheap enough to order from a local shop.
I have a loom with my 1/4", XLR, Power connections. Set up literally takes less than a minute. It all fits in an Anvil style oversized briefcase.
Entire rig in one hand....it almost feels like cheating.
I love the FM3.

Every once in a while I think about drilling a couple holes in the plexi and wiring in 1 or 2 buttons to plug into the pedal jack on the FM3. So making it a FM4/5. We'll see....
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Man that build look great! So functional!! Sweet!!
 
This was a scramble, catch-as-catch-can arrangement. Stage space was very limited. If I'd had a traditional amplifier I don't know where I would have set it up and I might not have been able to reach its controls to say nothing of also needing room for a pedalboard on the ground.

I hadn't used this Ampwedge for years but it certainly came in handy here. Fortunately this cab is extremely light.

And so the new FM3/powered cab rig was timely - and compulsory in this case! But I had the obvious healthy skepticism of using the FM3 through FOH and using only a monitor/wedge for myself - even though that is a very common application of the Fractal!

It worked on all fronts in terms of FOH sound, being able to hear the guitar and squeezing into a very tight space. I may use the cab in typical backline fashion next gig but at least I know I have options.
 

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marsonic said:
What is the point of combining those? Using more of the Fractal DSP for effects? Or just for funzies?
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Mostly funzies. The ToneX is a cool product. I was going to combine it with the HX Stomp but the FM3 has better functionality/more Scenes, so I went that route. Add in the JET MCX midi controller and it's quite flexible.
 
chillybilly said:
This was a scramble, catch-as-catch-can arrangement. Stage space was very limited. If I'd had a traditional amplifier I don't know where I would have set it up and I might not have been able to reach its controls to say nothing of also needing room for a pedalboard on the ground.

I hadn't used this Ampwedge for years but it certainly came in handy here. Fortunately this cab is extremely light.

And so the new FM3/powered cab rig was timely - and compulsory in this case! But I had the obvious healthy skepticism of using the FM3 through FOH and using only a monitor/wedge for myself - even though that is a very common application of the Fractal!

It worked on all fronts in terms of FOH sound, being able to hear the guitar and squeezing into a very tight space. I may use the cab in typical backline fashion next gig but at least I know I have options.
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this is soo familiar to me - playing a restaurants/bar with tiny stages, and a drummer who's kit eats up 60% of the stage real estate, and singers who are so sensitive about 'stage volume' (OMG)...apologies for the thread derail, but your pix evoke lots of memories for me :P
 
eddyrox said:
this is soo familiar to me - playing a restaurants/bar with tiny stages, and a drummer who's kit eats up 60% of the stage real estate, and singers who are so sensitive about 'stage volume' (OMG)...apologies for the thread derail, but your pix evoke lots of memories for me :p
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No derailment noted ;)

It's a tragicomedy: the drummer uses an Octapad for the various synth drum sounds in various cover tunes: LinnDrum whipcrack beats, Simmons, handclaps, etc. In fact, he uses it in the space where one or more traditional toms would go. The Octapad is about the size of cafeteria tray, as you may know. Small, right? Saves room?

I wish. His choice of amplification for the pad is a gratuitously huge PA speaker...reaches above waist height as it sits on the floor. It's partially visible in the second photo. God knows what its power rating is but it's far beyond any need we would ever have and it if were maxed it would peel paint off the walls. While we guitarists fret about FRFRs and cabs now we have to wonder about FRFRs for drummers! I'm convinced he could get by with HeadRush 112 or even a 108. I don't know if it's what he uses because he doesn't own anything else or 'it's the way we've always done it.'

He's a quality player but he must be counted among the multitudes of drummers who simply won't give up the real thing including cymbals. At one point he had a virtual kick setup and that saved a ton of room but now we're back to the space-hogging real kick.

And, for the final irony, the rehearsal space is setup with a full Alesis e-drumkit. 6 toms, kick, snare, 4-5 e-cymbals. But it's kept there for rehearsal only (apparently) even when it would solve musical, live sound and floorspace issues.

In a band with a setlist full of songs that were originally recorded using some type of synth drum, drum machine the e-drum approach makes even more sense. I know they probably aren't fun to set up and tear down and I know that caveman drummers love pounding their skins and real cymbals but if I'm reducing my backline amp footprint to zero and my pedalboard footprint by 75% I can't be the only one making an effort.
 
chillybilly said:
No derailment noted ;)

It's a tragicomedy: the drummer uses an Octapad for the various synth drum sounds in various cover tunes: LinnDrum whipcrack beats, Simmons, handclaps, etc. In fact, he uses it in the space where one or more traditional toms would go. The Octapad is about the size of cafeteria tray, as you may know. Small, right? Saves room?

I wish. His choice of amplification for the pad is a gratuitously huge PA speaker...reaches above waist height as it sits on the floor. It's partially visible in the second photo. God knows what its power rating is but it's far beyond any need we would ever have and it if were maxed it would peel paint off the walls. While we guitarists fret about FRFRs and cabs now we have to wonder about FRFRs for drummers! I'm convinced he could get by with HeadRush 112 or even a 108. I don't know if it's what he uses because he doesn't own anything else or 'it's the way we've always done it.'

He's a quality player but he must be counted among the multitudes of drummers who simply won't give up the real thing including cymbals. At one point he had a virtual kick setup and that saved a ton of room but now we're back to the space-hogging real kick.

And, for the final irony, the rehearsal space is setup with a full Alesis e-drumkit. 6 toms, kick, snare, 4-5 e-cymbals. But it's kept there for rehearsal only (apparently) even when it would solve musical, live sound and floorspace issues.

In a band with a setlist full of songs that were originally recorded using some type of synth drum, drum machine the e-drum approach makes even more sense. I know they probably aren't fun to set up and tear down and I know that caveman drummers love pounding their skins and real cymbals but if I'm reducing my backline amp footprint to zero and my pedalboard footprint by 75% I can't be the only one making an effort.
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One of my Fraternity Bothers is a life-long drummer. When he bought his first house, one of his top priorities was to replace the drum kit he sold when he started college (because he wouldn't have room for it). And...he bought an e-Kit. This was in like 2005, IIRC. And even back then, the convenience of being able to play in headphones or run through big PA speakers with a sub pointing back at him was totally worth it.

I'm not really a drummer...I can play "that rock groove", some rudiments, and a few specific techniques that various drummers taught me over the years...and that's about it. But the modern ones sound totally fine to me in GC. Cymbal roll swells work right. Hi-hats sound odd to me unless you get one of the really nice ones (that are a bit over a grand just for the HH). But...if you need to, you can set the box to mix your kit and just send a stereo pair forward to FOH or wherever. And they're A LOT smaller while giving you basically the same size "targets" to hit.

I'll reiterate that I would in no way call myself a drummer....but eKits really have gotten good IMO.
 
chillybilly said:
No derailment noted ;)

It's a tragicomedy: the drummer uses an Octapad for the various synth drum sounds in various cover tunes: LinnDrum whipcrack beats, Simmons, handclaps, etc. In fact, he uses it in the space where one or more traditional toms would go. The Octapad is about the size of cafeteria tray, as you may know. Small, right? Saves room?

I wish. His choice of amplification for the pad is a gratuitously huge PA speaker...reaches above waist height as it sits on the floor. It's partially visible in the second photo. God knows what its power rating is but it's far beyond any need we would ever have and it if were maxed it would peel paint off the walls. While we guitarists fret about FRFRs and cabs now we have to wonder about FRFRs for drummers! I'm convinced he could get by with HeadRush 112 or even a 108. I don't know if it's what he uses because he doesn't own anything else or 'it's the way we've always done it.'

He's a quality player but he must be counted among the multitudes of drummers who simply won't give up the real thing including cymbals. At one point he had a virtual kick setup and that saved a ton of room but now we're back to the space-hogging real kick.

And, for the final irony, the rehearsal space is setup with a full Alesis e-drumkit. 6 toms, kick, snare, 4-5 e-cymbals. But it's kept there for rehearsal only (apparently) even when it would solve musical, live sound and floorspace issues.

In a band with a setlist full of songs that were originally recorded using some type of synth drum, drum machine the e-drum approach makes even more sense. I know they probably aren't fun to set up and tear down and I know that caveman drummers love pounding their skins and real cymbals but if I'm reducing my backline amp footprint to zero and my pedalboard footprint by 75% I can't be the only one making an effort.
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:tongueclosed: so (rhetorically)....no chance of initiating an IEM system?:tongueclosed:
...your recollections are soooooo true (to me) thank you for your comments - it's support like this that confirms "perhaps" it's really not me :sunglasses::sunglasses:
 
marsonic said:
One of my Fraternity Bothers is a life-long drummer. When he bought his first house, one of his top priorities was to replace the drum kit he sold when he started college (because he wouldn't have room for it). And...he bought an e-Kit. This was in like 2005, IIRC. And even back then, the convenience of being able to play in headphones or run through big PA speakers with a sub pointing back at him was totally worth it.

I'm not really a drummer...I can play "that rock groove", some rudiments, and a few specific techniques that various drummers taught me over the years...and that's about it. But the modern ones sound totally fine to me in GC. Cymbal roll swells work right. Hi-hats sound odd to me unless you get one of the really nice ones (that are a bit over a grand just for the HH). But...if you need to, you can set the box to mix your kit and just send a stereo pair forward to FOH or wherever. And they're A LOT smaller while giving you basically the same size "targets" to hit.

I'll reiterate that I would in no way call myself a drummer....but eKits really have gotten good IMO.
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another great recollection (btw my fraternity brothers would've forced the band to practice "in house" - IFC be damned :P)...
often wonder how "bad" is it nowadays to play an electronic kit instead? (smaller footprint, controllable volume, etc)
 
eddyrox said:
another great recollection (btw my fraternity brothers would've forced the band to practice "in house" - IFC be damned :p)...
often wonder how "bad" is it nowadays to play an electronic kit instead? (smaller footprint, controllable volume, etc)
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I haven't seen more than one or two on stage, but I don't go to that many live venues anymore.

Yeah....we started doing that, but it was after he graduated. People still generally didn't like having a whole band setup in a common area, and the rooms weren't big enough to store let alone set up a big drum kit.
 
So I use my FM3 as a basis for a super versatile rig using multiple tube amps. I can get Mono, Stereo, W/D, and W/D/W simply by changing Presets. I have the FC-12 and use them in the OMG-15 configuration.

Essentially, for many patches I am using the FM3 as a switcher and splitter, and also as an FX processor for the Wet effects, mainly Reverb and Delay. I have a pedalboard in front where I put various fuzzes, boosts, overdrives, a wah, and a Univibe. The beauty of this setup is, I have patches where I can switch to the Marshall only, the Super Reverb only, the Friedman only, the Friedman and Super in Stereo, W/D/W with all 3 amps, or W/D with any 2 amps. The Fryette PS-100 Line out gives me the "full" signal from the Marshall (both pre and power sections) as it comes from the Speaker Out of the Marshall. I use the Stage Bug to eliminate ground loops and correct phase issues. The only upgrade I can imagine is that I may eventually go with a FM9 or AxFX III for the additional outputs so I can run direct to my DAW without unplugging anything. As it is now, I generally record with 3 mics - one on each cabinet and that works for what I do.

I have several videos on YouTube that feature this rig and here are links to a couple so you can hear it and get a flavor of how I came to this rig:




It is super flexible and sounds absolutely huge in the room. It records pretty good, too. I need to do some more tweaking and exploration of using amp and cabinet models and that could open even more doors. But for now, it can cover almost any sound I could want. Of course, it is neither practical nor portable. But it is FUN.



Here is a photo the rig in context in my (messy) music room.

 
IMG_3595.jpeg
Been working on a hybrid setup for a while now with the FM3. Blackstar Live Logic controls scenes through MIDI CC, and scene MIDI from FM3 controls the Strymon pedals. This setup scratched my itch for a “traditional” pedalboard while my FM9 is still my “all-in-one” solution. Really enjoying the sounds and flexibility I’m getting out of this rig.
 
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