possible newbie

R

riceprF

New Member
Recent retiree going digital, and of course considering Fractal. Thinking FM3 or 9. Just home wanking and recording. I have been told you can't tell much from the audio in YouTube videos due to compression. Is there a place to check out .wav or .aiff samples? I know it won't tell me about feel or how I will sound, but I'm just trying to make the best decision I can. I have tried a Kemper and it sounds really good, but I would like more dynamics and touch sensitivity. I think I would like modeling over captures/profiles. Thanks much in advance.

mainly clean/crunch/fusion with occasional manic chugging. Strat, McCartys, Vela as guitars. 68 BMR with a 15" JBL D and Mesa 5:25+ 1x12 are what I use
 
No substitute for trying one, honestly. If you're in the SF Bay Area, you could try mine.
 
If only just wanked at home I don't think I could do much better in the bang for the buck department than an FM3. It's definitely going to be top of the class in the feel you mention along with sound.
 
Musikron said:
If only just wanked at home I don't think I could do much better in the bang for the buck department than an FM3. It's definitely going to be top of the class in the feel you mention along with sound.
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Yeah, but as a computational scientist I've always tried to overdo just in case. But Axe is a bit much. I suppose one could order a 3 and flip if it was constraining
 
I have the Axe3, the FM9, the FM3, had the Axe2, the AX8........ There is nothing better. The FM3 will be fine for you but only 3 buttons. I fly with my M9 after years of flying with the Axe3. The FM9 might be a happy middle ground. My good friend and touring musician has the Kemper but says my FM9 sounds better haha. He spent years learning the Kemper and it's what he knows so he aint gonna change. I would be the same. Once You learn the the Fractal way you will be a Fractalite for life!
 
riceprF said:
Number of buttons is fine, gigging days are done :) Its lookin like I may be assimilated.
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If you’re cool with 3 switches then the FM3 is really good especially since the new update. Easier than ever to get good tones. Just when we think FAS modeling is super close to the real deal, they turn it up a notch and get it closer. If you do think you’ll want more switches then the FM9 would be the best choice. Otherwise you’ll be happy with the FM3. Undoubtedly the best gear I have ever bought. If mine died or went awol I’d order a new one immediately. It is the center of my guitar world.
 
Hi Riceprf,
My only regret with fractal products was not getting into them sooner. The YouTube thing comes from everyone’s pre & post processes, guitars, & monitoring senarios being different, ie; nobody sounds exactly like “my” setup. This means that you may get a preset from someone that sounds great on YouTube, but may be disappointing with your own gear.
Having said that, you will find the fractal products the pinnacle of digital modeling, backed by a company obsessed with perfection. I’ve also tried various other modelers, however (now that I’ve tasted the fractal offerings), I know that was wasted time. Personally, I am constantly amazed at the realism these units give. The sort of realism that leads you to play for hours when you just meant to sit down for fifteen minutes.

Also - get the best one you can afford. You’ll think of the money once.

Thanks
Pauly

riceprF said:
Recent retiree going digital, and of course considering Fractal. Thinking FM3 or 9. Just home wanking and recording. I have been told you can't tell much from the audio in YouTube videos due to compression. Is there a place to check out .wav or .aiff samples? I know it won't tell me about feel or how I will sound, but I'm just trying to make the best decision I can. I have tried a Kemper and it sounds really good, but I would like more dynamics and touch sensitivity. I think I would like modeling over captures/profiles. Thanks much in advance.

mainly clean/crunch/fusion with occasional manic chugging. Strat, McCartys, Vela as guitars. 68 BMR with a 15" JBL D and Mesa 5:25+ 1x12 are what I use
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riceprF said:
this sounds like what I'm looking for. Using phones or LM305s


The sort of realism that leads you to play for hours when you just meant to sit down for fifteen minutes.
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If you make the jump, don’t do it with low quality phones or speakers. Plenty of speaker and phone threads here to look through. These make great headphone amps but only as good as the phones.
 
You can add external switches that act the same as the 3 existing switches- so you are NOT limited to 3 switches. killer unit.
 
For what it's worth, I've also got a Mesa 5:25+ which is my favourite and by far the most flexible of any of my amps. I haven't switched it on since moving to an FM3 and now FM9.
You'll be right at home with the Lone Star model in the Fractal. There are hundreds of other models to choose from and if you have a guitar tone in your head, the Fractal will enable you to bring it to reality.
The FM3 is likely to be sufficient for home use - it's the most compact and you can add extra footswiches easily and cheaply. Adding a simple midi foot controller is another option that opens things up. However, the three onboard switches provide a lot of functionality on their own.
Apart from the fantastic sound quality, the level of control in the Fractal units is off the chart once you start getting to grips with modifiers.
If you are new to Fractal, I'd highly recommend the Cooper Carter Masterclass course - it helped me immensely, and I've been using digital modellers since the Line6 Pod2 was first launched.
As has been mentioned already, it is crucial to get a decent monitoring system. Depending on your needs, that could be headphones, monitor speakers, FRFR cabs or power amp and speakers. There are plenty of recommendations on the forum for whichever format you choose.
I've recently moved up to an FM9 Turbo and the more I use it, the harder it becomes to use any of my other gear because there are things I can do with the Fractal that I just can't do with anything else.
 
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