Newbie setup questions

Suhrbanez

Suhrbanez

Member
Just set up my FM3 for the first time, I'm using USB through Logic, I have sound but the volume is too low, where should I be adjusting it?

I've also got a lot of latency to the point it's unplayable.

Really excited to get into the Fractal world and see what this thing can do!

Any other newbie tips that might help?
 
Suhrbanez said:
Just set up my FM3 for the first time, I'm using USB through Logic, I have sound but the volume is too low, where should I be adjusting it?

I've also got a lot of latency to the point it's unplayable.

Really excited to get into the Fractal world and see what this thing can do!

Any other newbie tips that might help?
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A few questions to help us assist you:

1. Where is it too low - for example, at the input to a channel in Logic, at the output of Logic, at the monitor speakers?

2. I suspect the latency is because you’re monitoring through logic. As starting point, why are you monitoring through Logic? For example, is it because you’re applying processing in logic that you need to hear for the recording?
 
Rumbletone said:
A few questions to help us assist you:

1. Where is it too low - for example, at the input to a channel in Logic, at the output of Logic, at the monitor speakers?

2. I suspect the latency is because you’re monitoring through logic. As starting point, why are you monitoring through Logic? For example, is it because you’re applying processing in logic that you need to hear for the recording?
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I'm not doing any other processing, this is the only way right now that I can connect the FM3 to studio monitors, by using USB, and monitoring that way. I've been using headphones to the FM3, but I primarily want to use the studio monitors.

I haven't figured out what cables I need to connect my studio monitors to my Presonus Eris E5's, a lot of conflicting stuff after looking online.

I would have preferred to not have to use the FM3 as interface, since I have to always have it on for other computer use, or needing to reach down to the floor to adjust headphone or speaker volume.

Unsure if I'm getting this wrong or am missing a better way of doing it.
 
Suhrbanez said:
I haven't figured out what cables I need to connect my studio monitors to my Presonus Eris E5's, a lot of conflicting stuff after looking online.
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XLR cables for the FM3 to the Eris E5. not sure about what you meant in what i quoted there.
 
chris said:
XLR cables for the FM3 to the Eris E5. not sure about what you meant in what i quoted there.
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Yeah I went to my local music shop and all the XLR to XLR cables were microphone cables, read a bunch of stuff that you can't use microphone cables to speakers, so I'm still not sure exactly what to use, balanced, TR, TRS? I don't know the differences lol
 
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Suhrbanez said:
Yeah I went to my local music shop and all the XLR to XLR cables were microphone cables, read a bunch of stuff that you can't use microphone cables to speakers, so I'm still not sure exactly what to use, balanced, TR, TRS? I don't know the differences lol
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Connecting a power amp's output to speakers = use speaker cables (unshielded cables).
Connecting an instrument to a power amp's input = use instrument cables (shielded cables).

In other words, any time you're routing signal OUT of a power amp, you need to use speaker cables; any time you're routing signal IN to a power amp you need to use instrument cables.

So if you think about a combo guitar amp like a Fender Twin it's: guitar > instrument cable > preamp > power amp > speaker. It's just that the preamp, power amp, and speaker are all in the same box.

With an FM3 it's: guitar > instrument cable > preamp (i.e., FM3) > instrument cable > power amp > speaker cable > speaker.

If using say a powered FRFR speaker then it's: guitar > instrument cable > preamp (i.e., FM3) > instrument cable > speaker. The power going to speaker is internal.

The RCA, TRS, and XLR inputs on the Eris E5 are all line level, so you should not use speaker cables. TRS and XLR are balanced cables. A guitar cable (TR) is an unbalanced cable. Unbalanced has two wires - a signal wire and a ground wire. TRS and XLR have two signal wires and a ground wire.
 
Suhrbanez said:
Yeah I went to my local music shop and all the XLR to XLR cables were microphone cables, read a bunch of stuff that you can't use microphone cables to speakers, so I'm still not sure exactly what to use, balanced, TR, TRS? I don't know the differences lol
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Don’t worry about that. When they say, “Don’t us CLR cables for speakers,” they’re talking about actual speakers themselves. Your Eris monitors are speakers plus a built-in amplifier. You’re connecting to the amplifier, not the speaker.

And yes, XLR cables are commonly used for microphones. They’re also used for a bunch of other stuff, including studio monitors. ;)
 
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Rex said:
Don’t worry about that. When they say, “Don’t us CLR cable’s for speakers,” they’re talking about actual speakers themselves. Your Eris monitors are speakers plus a built-in amplifier. You’re connecting to the amplifier, not the speaker.

And yes, XLR cables are commonly used for microphones. They’re also used for a bunch of other stuff, including studio monitors. ;)
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Thanks for the helpful explanation!
 
The above advice is correct. You should not use XLR cables to connect from an amplifier output to passive speakers. However it is correct to use them to connect your FM3 to "active/powered speakers/monitors" because in this case you are actually connecting the FM3 output to the input of the built in amplifier of the Eris E5. The output of the built in amplifier is internally connected to the speaker using an appropriate cable.
 
Suhrbanez said:
Yeah I went to my local music shop and all the XLR to XLR cables were microphone cables, read a bunch of stuff that you can't use microphone cables to speakers, so I'm still not sure exactly what to use, balanced, TR, TRS? I don't know the differences lol
Click to expand...

Rather than reading ‘a bunch of stuff’, I recommend reading the FM3 manual. On page 6 it clearly states that you can use XLR cables to connect from output1 to your studio monitors (as others have noted above). And if your local music shop staff doesn’t understand this, I recommend finding a new shop. :)
 
Rumbletone said:
Rather than reading ‘a bunch of stuff’, I recommend reading the FM3 manual. On page 6 it clearly states that you can use XLR cables to connect from output1 to your studio monitors (as others have noted above). And if your local music shop staff doesn’t understand this, I recommend finding a new shop. :)
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Meh, it seemed like he thought there were different types of audio XLR cables - one that connects to mics and one that connects to lines. You know, like you wouldn't want to use a DMX cable to connect to a microphone even though it would work, albeit poorly. The dudes at the music store were probably like "No, these don't connect to speakers" thinking he was talking about a passive speaker instead of an active one.
 
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