MrCrossroads83
Experienced
Hello everyone,
first I have to say thank you to everyone at Fractal Audio, all the beta testers and forum members for making such a great unit like the FM 3 and especially releasing Cygnus amp modeling.
But although the amp modeling is so satisfying and the effects sound so good there is one left thing missing that no one can achieve by software:
The feeling of controlling your sound by dialing it in with amp controls, seeing the amp and have that haptic feeling.
So I decided to leave the world of real tube amps completely and my Seymour Duncan Powerstage 170 will get a new housing in a custom amp headshell
The volume knob from the Powerstage and the three band EQ will get dedicated real knobs on the amps frontpanel and to really get every Cygnus goodness with that idea the amp frontpanel will get two additional knobs with expression pedal like potis so that it can be connected with the FM 3s two pedal outs.
So I can program input drive and master volume of any presets amp block to these two knobs to have this classic amplike controls, too
It will be the best of both worlds:
Digital ampmodeling goodness from Fractal Audio with classic amp feeling
The headshell will have black western tolex like my two cabs (1x12 and 2x12) have.
In the attachment you see a photo of the design I would like to have built from a company from Poland.
The chassis will be made from a bavarian amp builder.
I have not decided for the frontpanels design but it will be something inspired by the Dr. Z Maz 18 with black panel and cream knobs (my last real tube head was a Maz 18 with reverb and red tolex)
But it will not have any brand on it as I do not want to fake anything.
It is enough to have the feeling of playing a real tube amp without all the disadvantages of it.
Unfortunately I am not able to built it all by myself as I do not have these skills but I have the idea
Why am I gonna do this?
I also like the fact that the FM 3 does not provide ampnoise, tubes have not to be serviced and you always get the BEST possible sound and version of any amp model without any issued or surprises.
I got the idea of the custom amp head with the Powerstage built in after testing a Mesa Boogie F-30 combo two weeks ago.
I first wanted to buy that amp as it sounded good and the price was really good but the constant noise of that amp even in the clean channel annoyed me
I am not used to it anymore after selling my last tube amp last year.
I will upload more photos in a few weeks in August when we are back from holiday.
Crazy idea? Absolutely
But it is somehow consequent as I dialed in my sounds with real amps since I started playing electric guitar in 1995
first I have to say thank you to everyone at Fractal Audio, all the beta testers and forum members for making such a great unit like the FM 3 and especially releasing Cygnus amp modeling.
But although the amp modeling is so satisfying and the effects sound so good there is one left thing missing that no one can achieve by software:
The feeling of controlling your sound by dialing it in with amp controls, seeing the amp and have that haptic feeling.
So I decided to leave the world of real tube amps completely and my Seymour Duncan Powerstage 170 will get a new housing in a custom amp headshell
The volume knob from the Powerstage and the three band EQ will get dedicated real knobs on the amps frontpanel and to really get every Cygnus goodness with that idea the amp frontpanel will get two additional knobs with expression pedal like potis so that it can be connected with the FM 3s two pedal outs.
So I can program input drive and master volume of any presets amp block to these two knobs to have this classic amplike controls, too
It will be the best of both worlds:
Digital ampmodeling goodness from Fractal Audio with classic amp feeling
The headshell will have black western tolex like my two cabs (1x12 and 2x12) have.
In the attachment you see a photo of the design I would like to have built from a company from Poland.
The chassis will be made from a bavarian amp builder.
I have not decided for the frontpanels design but it will be something inspired by the Dr. Z Maz 18 with black panel and cream knobs (my last real tube head was a Maz 18 with reverb and red tolex)
But it will not have any brand on it as I do not want to fake anything.
It is enough to have the feeling of playing a real tube amp without all the disadvantages of it.
Unfortunately I am not able to built it all by myself as I do not have these skills but I have the idea
Why am I gonna do this?
I also like the fact that the FM 3 does not provide ampnoise, tubes have not to be serviced and you always get the BEST possible sound and version of any amp model without any issued or surprises.
I got the idea of the custom amp head with the Powerstage built in after testing a Mesa Boogie F-30 combo two weeks ago.
I first wanted to buy that amp as it sounded good and the price was really good but the constant noise of that amp even in the clean channel annoyed me
I am not used to it anymore after selling my last tube amp last year.
I will upload more photos in a few weeks in August when we are back from holiday.
Crazy idea? Absolutely
But it is somehow consequent as I dialed in my sounds with real amps since I started playing electric guitar in 1995
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