Only Use 1 Amp Block At A Time?

RoketRdr

Inspired
Am I understanding correctly that with the FM3 we can only use one amp block at a time? I'm a little confused by the chart that's in the Block Guide and not really understanding it.
 
But with 4 channels instead of two, right?

So does that mean I can simultaneously use 4 channels with 1 amp on each? Forgive me guys I'm new to Fractal and doing my homework and research right now to make sure what I need to buy. Here's my situation: I'm a bass player that uses the Dub Pinnick dual amp/cab tone. On stage I use a QSC power amp into my Ampeg SVT-810AV cab. So in my chain I need to use an SVT-VR amp for the lows and EVH 5150 III for the highs and distortion. But I also need to split that of for FOH but include the associated cabs. So if I'm understanding how the FM3 works I need to take 1 instrument input and create the low end chain and high end chain with amps out to my stage rig on output 2 and then do the same thing for FOH with input 1 and output 1 but add the cabs in the modelling?
 
So does that mean I can simultaneously use 4 channels with 1 amp on each? Forgive me guys I'm new to Fractal and doing my homework and research right now to make sure what I need to buy. Here's my situation: I'm a bass player that uses the Dub Pinnick dual amp/cab tone. On stage I use a QSC power amp into my Ampeg SVT-810AV cab. So in my chain I need to use an SVT-VR amp for the lows and EVH 5150 III for the highs and distortion. But I also need to split that of for FOH but include the associated cabs. So if I'm understanding how the FM3 works I need to take 1 instrument input and create the low end chain and high end chain with amps out to my stage rig on output 2 and then do the same thing for FOH with input 1 and output 1 but add the cabs in the modelling?
Channels are used one at a time. It’s so within a single preset you can access 4 different sounds, one at a time.

You could also just change presets. But it’s an option that many like to use.

Many successfully use a 2nd path/chain with no amp block for a 2nd tone or instrument. I do this for acoustic guitar.

if you absolutely need 2 simultaneous amp blocks, the FM3 won’t give you that.
 
Channels are used one at a time. It’s so within a single preset you can access 4 different sounds, one at a time.

You could also just change presets. But it’s an option that many like to use.

Many successfully use a 2nd path/chain with no amp block for a 2nd tone or instrument. I do this for acoustic guitar.

if you absolutely need 2 simultaneous amp blocks, the FM3 won’t give you that.

Thank you sir. That’s what I needed to know. I will need to go with the Axe FX III.
 
How could so many guitarists in the last decades just life with playing, recording and gigging with only ONE real amp? And would all famous records sound better with a two amp setup? 😀

What I really like on the first official fm 3 video: just hear how the modeling reacts when Keven plays the Vox AC 20 on the lower strings in the first frets area. You can really hear it breathing with kind of a sag of the power amp when he really digs in 🤩

So, go for the Axe FX 3 if you need a two amp setup but for me is it enough to have such a mindblowing realism of amp simulation in 2020 😎
 
Channels are used one at a time. It’s so within a single preset you can access 4 different sounds, one at a time.

You could also just change presets. But it’s an option that many like to use.

Many successfully use a 2nd path/chain with no amp block for a 2nd tone or instrument. I do this for acoustic guitar.

if you absolutely need 2 simultaneous amp blocks, the FM3 won’t give you that.
Does this mean you can have 4 different amps?
1 per channel?
So mesa channel 1
5150 channel 2
Marshall channel 3
Soldano channel 4?

Or Is it the same one amp with different settings on each of the 4 channels if you wanted?
Or something different again lol

Also Is there a difference in speed between changing channels as opposed to changing presets?

Cheers
 
Does this mean you can have 4 different amps?
1 per channel?
So mesa channel 1
5150 channel 2
Marshall channel 3
Soldano channel 4?

Or Is it the same one amp with different settings on each of the 4 channels if you wanted?
Or something different again lol

Also Is there a difference in speed between changing channels as opposed to changing presets?

Cheers
Completely different if you want. Check out the owners manual.
 
Completely different if you want. Check out the owners manual.
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Chris, so you mean that each channel in a single amp block be assigned to
four respective amps,if desired, as addressed above?...With no noticeable latency ?
 
Completely different if you want. Check out the owners manual.
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Chris, so you mean that each channel in a single amp block be assigned to
four respective amps,if desired, as addressed above?...With no noticeable latency ?

Yes. Since firmware 12.03 with no noticeable latency in the Axe-Fx III.

But if this is also the case for the FM3 (no noticeable latency) I don't know.

** EDIT: like unix-guy said: I don't mean latency but audio gap. **
 
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Completely different if you want. Check out the owners manual.
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Chris, so you mean that each channel in a single amp block be assigned to
four respective amps,if desired, as addressed above?...With no noticeable latency ?
Latency where?
 
Most people here know this but for the newbies, I explained channels to my GF the other day.

Just like a regular amp usually has a clean and a dirty channel, your amp block has 4 channels. Like a real amp, you can't play two channels at the same time. You can however switch between them seamlessly. The difference is that channel A can be a fender clean, channel B can be a Marshall stack, C can be a Mesa Boogie, and D can be a block letter 5150. The most common way to change channels would be through scenes. It's virtually instantaneous if not actually instant. I can't tell. If you switch presets the gap is there but split second. I for one won't have any issues with it.
 
How could so many guitarists in the last decades just life with playing, recording and gigging with only ONE real amp? And would all famous records sound better with a two amp setup? 😀

You'd be surprised how many guitarists blend amp tones live and on the albums you listen to. :) Unfortunately for me I've found my dream tone with two amps so life is always more complicated now. However, it started with a convoluted stereo tube amp setup that involved an RJM PBC and WAY too many cables, MIDI pedals and programming. Now with the Axe FX III life is MUCH easier. The FM3 is still on my list though... that portability is very appealing in itself. In the end it's really personal preference.
 
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So does that mean I can simultaneously use 4 channels with 1 amp on each? Forgive me guys I'm new to Fractal and doing my homework and research right now to make sure what I need to buy. Here's my situation: I'm a bass player that uses the Dub Pinnick dual amp/cab tone. On stage I use a QSC power amp into my Ampeg SVT-810AV cab. So in my chain I need to use an SVT-VR amp for the lows and EVH 5150 III for the highs and distortion. But I also need to split that of for FOH but include the associated cabs. So if I'm understanding how the FM3 works I need to take 1 instrument input and create the low end chain and high end chain with amps out to my stage rig on output 2 and then do the same thing for FOH with input 1 and output 1 but add the cabs in the modelling?

I haven't finished my coffee yet so I'm not going to try and understand your signal flow :)

I play bass with the FM3 from time to time. So I created a bass preset that has something that you may find interesting.

First, a quick note - the bass player in my main band often used a Fishman bass pedal that could produce an octave + fifth signal to a separate output and we'd run that into a Tech 21 Plexi pedal and later an Atomic Amplifirebox. Then he got an HX stomp and we created a single patch with a pitch block and two amp blocks to do the same thing. The reason for this is that we have usually just been a 1 guitar band and he would kick in the faux guitar during solos when the bass is pumping 8ths or something similar.

So I wanted to do the same thing with the FM3. But there's just one amp block and I use that for an SVT amp. And there's just one cab block that has a matching 8x10 IR. The solution for the Amp block in my case was to use a Tube Drive (I think I ended up with the 3-knob version). For the cab block, there's two ways I could have done this.
  1. Take advantage of the fact that the cab block is stereo and you can use two IRs. Pan the SVT hard left and Pan the Tube Drive hard right - then adjust the balance in the cab block (this happens after the IR have been applied.
  2. Use a technique that @FractalAudio shared a while back that uses a filter and a parametric EQ to do a faux cabinet. I'm guessing it's a similar approach to what something like a Palmer PDI-09 does.
The filter and EQ uses less CPU and it's already being fed a very dramatically pitch-shifted signal so it's not exactly going to sound like a real guitar anyhow.

With the faux guitar and amp mixed just enough to be heard but not dominant, the end result is actually pretty good in a live mix - obviously this isn't something you'd do if you were recording.

So the tl;dr reason I shared this, is that you may be able to do a similar thing with the FM3 to produce your sound. Run the lows through an SVT amp/cab block and then run the highs into a Tube drive with either the filter or stereo cab technique. Since you're using a 5150, I'd use the 4-knob tube drive - it has a lot of gain on tap.

How do you split your highs/lows? Crossover? Low/high pass filters? Or?
 
There's no latency and never has been. What has been there before is an audio gap. That is not latency.
This. Gotta love people using a very precise term incorrectly.

So is the audio gap between X/Y/etc changes and scenes non-existent on Axe-Fx III? Even if switching amp models? What about preset changes?
 
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