My thoughts on fm3 vs other as a new owner.

M

Mike72

New Member
This is my thoghts and why I went with the FM3 instead of other brands. It´s to long but covers what I would have wanted to see when I was going to buy a modeler. Maybe this could help someone to choose.

I stopped using tube amps long ago . When you have a family and/or neighbours they are not really great. And trying to get a good low volume tone is really hard or even impossible on something like a Soldano. Started using plugins and they are Great, specially when recording. Being able to change the amp, gain, tone or even the mic-placement AFTER you recorded is just superb. The next logical step was to get at premium modeler. As a first time buying a modeler the choises are hard.

If you just google and use youtube its easy to go with Neural DSP. For me the choises were Neural DSP, Tone Master Pro and FM3.
The Tone Master may some day be great but it´s just to new and when I tried it I felt like it needs more time and updates.

So then it became FM3 vs Neural DSP and my feeling is that if you go by google/youtube the Neural DSP would win easy.
So what youtube/google said about Neural is that its:
  • more powerful (don´t care, it only matters if the others are not powerfull enough.)
  • Better display and easier to use on the unit. ( It is, by a looong way. But don´t really care becouse I connect the unit to the computer and will never build a preset on stage)
  • Easier to get a good tone. ( This is also true, but I don´t want a good tone. I wan´t a great tone.)
  • Neural DSP have a great community where they can share captured amps. (true)

So why did I choose the FM3 when most places recommend the Neural DSP.
First of I feel like I have to fight a kind of fizzy tone on the Neural DSP and it wasn´t really that easy to get a great tone( might just be that I´m getting old and high frequencies anoys me more). You can get at great tone, absolutely.
We are talking about tiny, tiny differeces that most people will not notice. The Neural DSP is great. It is. But for me the FM3 is better.

Using the FM3 edit its easy to get a great tone. Dynacab is great and there is alot of IR´s if you feel more at ease with them.
Is the FM3 more complicated? Yes, but you really should not be scared about that. The point is that it is EASIER to get a great tone(for me) than other brands.
You should really se it as something for the future, when you are ready you have more options. You don´t need to change anything under preamp, power amp, pwr tubes, power supply and so on. BUT when you are looking for that perfect tone you CAN change everything.

The thing that really pushed me to buy the FM3 is the Youtube videos from John Cordy and Leon Todd. They made me discover amps that I would never ever had played on if not for modelers. Like the Dumble and Carol-Ann that now some of my favorite amps(as a mainly high-gain player the 5150 is the best amp ever, you can not change my mind and I will think this to my dying day :))

Michael
Proud owner of a FM3 for about a month and I promise to one day read the manual....
 
Thanks for the write up, been watching videos all week trying to compare Fractal with Helix etc! I had Helix floor before but it was too much for me in the end , in my house, wanted something smaller and was looking at Helix Effects or stomp then I came across Fractal, watching tons of videos and decided to order the FM3 today, buzzing to get it now.
 
Almost exactly the same journey for me, but was down to Helix Floor and FM3. I also chose the FM3 based on people reporting it felt the best and the tones were the best of the modelers. I was coming off 30 years of 100w Marshall tube head use, and had modeler analysis paralysis, for sure. I paid Rosh for an hour of time and had him build me about 10 presets to cover all the ground for my cover band(Country and Classic Rock). I keep the FM3 on a board back by my cabs and use a 100w Harley Benton pedal power amp to drive 2 cabs and send an XLR to FOH. After using it for about 8 gigs, I wonder what I was worried about as it works and feels great. I use a Behringer FCB1010 at both mic positions and have volume and wah easily accessible.
 
joshuakoth said:
Almost exactly the same journey for me, but was down to Helix Floor and FM3. I also chose the FM3 based on people reporting it felt the best and the tones were the best of the modelers. I was coming off 30 years of 100w Marshall tube head use, and had modeler analysis paralysis, for sure. I paid Rosh for an hour of time and had him build me about 10 presets to cover all the ground for my cover band(Country and Classic Rock). I keep the FM3 on a board back by my cabs and use a 100w Harley Benton pedal power amp to drive 2 cabs and send an XLR to FOH. After using it for about 8 gigs, I wonder what I was worried about as it works and feels great. I use a Behringer FCB1010 at both mic positions and have volume and wah easily accessible.
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Sounds like quite a system mate, Did you do that with Rosh online? Was watching his beginner tutorials last night, very good! So the cabs on stage are for you to hear the FM3? As a monitor. I’ve my first gig next month, I usually play acoustic sets but this time I want to play with my new PRS and my mates are joining me with drums, bass and lead. I’m mostly clean sound but would like some chorus and dirt when I need it! My wee fender 5w champ won’t be big enough so trying to figure out how I’m going get my sound to FOH and monitor. The guys doing sound are on holiday at moment, hopefully back this weekend so can discuss with them then what is best way.
 
Indianabones said:
Sounds like quite a system mate, Did you do that with Rosh online? Was watching his beginner tutorials last night, very good! So the cabs on stage are for you to hear the FM3? As a monitor. I’ve my first gig next month, I usually play acoustic sets but this time I want to play with my new PRS and my mates are joining me with drums, bass and lead. I’m mostly clean sound but would like some chorus and dirt when I need it! My wee fender 5w champ won’t be big enough so trying to figure out how I’m going get my sound to FOH and monitor. The guys doing sound are on holiday at moment, hopefully back this weekend so can discuss with them then what is best way.
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Yes I live in Minnesota so I just paid for a virtual session via Zoom. Worked great as Zoom has a setting to increase audio quality. He made adjustments while I played and had the XLR outs going to my studio monitors and the 1/4" outs to my pedal power amp so I could hear all of it. Was a perfect kickstart. I use very small 1x10 cabs from Mojotone Lite, they are super light and small. I loaded them with 50W 4ohm speakers to maximize the output from the pedal power amp, which is 50w/side at 4ohms. I just need some air moving beside me, not ready to use in-ears or a FRFR quite yet. baby steps.
 
joshuakoth said:
Yes I live in Minnesota so I just paid for a virtual session via Zoom. Worked great as Zoom has a setting to increase audio quality. He made adjustments while I played and had the XLR outs going to my studio monitors and the 1/4" outs to my pedal power amp so I could hear all of it. Was a perfect kickstart. I use very small 1x10 cabs from Mojotone Lite, they are super light and small. I loaded them with 50W 4ohm speakers to maximize the output from the pedal power amp, which is 50w/side at 4ohms. I just need some air moving beside me, not ready to use in-ears or a FRFR quite yet. baby steps.
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Wow that sounds so cool! It’s definitely baby steps for me for sure! I’m going to do the carter course and hopefully make my own presets from scratch, fingers crossed. Yeah nice to have the air moving round you, makes all the difference, if I ever get my studio built I will be getting some good cabs !
 
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