So finally got my FM3 (general questions about the appearance, online preset libs, output mapping, etc)

Aram Avagyan

Aram Avagyan

Member
You might remember me ranting about not being able to shop from FAS from overseas territories recently. So I bought it lightly used on Ebay instead.

APPEARANCE:
3 things Ive noticed, there was no manual or documentation of any kind with the unit except for the QC tag and the seller assured it had been so when he got it, is that right? Then theres this little cut on the side which he had no explanation for (see pic). And finally, the Home button feels less clicky and can feel stuck at times. It did get stuck once early on, now its ok but definitely feels different than all the other buttons. The seller said the buttons need to break in but I feel like he's bs-ing me, is this something I should be more concerned about?

OUTPUT MAPPING:
Ive tried a variation of the FOH+Personal FRFR Monitor setup as shown in the manual (pic 2). I dont have an XLR cable for the main Output yet, so Im using a TRS cable from the middle out 2 (FX Send) to connect it to my Focusrite interface to monitor it through my studio monitors or the headphone output on the interface, but it doesnt transfer any sound. I did copy output 1 to output 2 as told by the manual and still nothing. Should I also edit/add something (a mapped output to Out 2/FX Send for example) in the signal chain for it to work or am I fundamentally not getting something here? Please guide me how to do it since I cant figure out from the manual so far.

ONLINE PRESET LIBS:
I know about Axechange, but Id like to be able to try out more specific tones of certain bands and I could only find general tones that cover multiple bands or the more specific ones Ive found were for AX8/AFX2 only. Are there any other online repos/libs where I can find free/user-made presets before diving into the bottomless pit of preset editing myself? Currently interested in getting Bleed From Within's tone, I know its Neural/QC, but its interesting to see how well other vendor's tones can be emulated on the FM3, and its a damn good tone either way.

GROUNDING:
I have a lot of noise/interference in my signal since our circuits are not grounded (a widespread issue here) and it also picks up stuff from the PC and all the devices nearby (eg moving the mouse or even scrolling the wheel con produce very distinct interference patterns). What do you do to combat this? The noise floor is so high that just gating it out kills too much of the signal. Im having my guitar's wiring fixed and shielded by a tech now and will also try running individual grounding wires from the FM3's and PC's case to a concrete nail hammered into the wall of our apartment building to see if it makes a difference. What else would you recommend. I have no idea how people get their home recording setups so clean from noise, Ive always had this issue with all my previous processors, especially on very high gain presets. Some presets are workable, but the more mid-heavy "djenty" ones turn into a paper mush soon as I get my hand close to the strings. This is all factory presets btw.

Overall Im happy with the purchase, some of the stock presets are the best Ive ever heard, I just hope I can resolve these issues.

Thanks,
Cheers
 

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chris said:
be sure to turn Out 2 knob up if you're using Out 2.
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I had, no difference.
Does the unit always output from these ports on the physical level or should I route it in the software for it to work?
Cause thats my only guess left as to why it doesnt work.
1673821666008.png
 
There’s no documentation supplied, all the manuals are online as they get updated with major firmware releases. Sounds like you should get up to speed on the basics (how blocks and the grid work, I/O config, etc) using them or the great YouTube videos available. If you want to get more expertise get Cooper Carters training course.
 
blaggers said:
There’s no documentation supplied, all the manuals are online as they get updated with major firmware releases. Sounds like you should get up to speed on the basics (how blocks and the grid work, I/O config, etc) using them or the great YouTube videos available. If you want to get more expertise get Cooper Carters training course.
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Yeah Im in the process of reading the manuals its just that it didnt work they way it was described in the setup options and it didnt mention anything about blocks.
 
Output 2 are Humbusters outputs, so need to use specific trs->ts humbuster cables, not regular trs-trs ones. The problem could lie there
 
Aram Avagyan said:
APPEARANCE:
3 things Ive noticed, there was no manual or documentation of any kind with the unit except for the QC tag and the seller assured it had been so when he got it, is that right?
Click to expand...

Manuals are pdf's now. Pretty much a universal thing. Printed manuals are expensive and especially in the case of this kind of product, can be obsolesced almost immediately. A pdf that the maker maintains and updates is a living document.

Aram Avagyan said:
Then theres this little cut on the side which he had no explanation for (see pic).
Click to expand...

Obviously that's not factory. That's a battle scar. Used is used.

Aram Avagyan said:
And finally, the Home button feels less clicky and can feel stuck at times. It did get stuck once early on, now its ok but definitely feels different than all the other buttons. The seller said the buttons need to break in but I feel like he's bs-ing me, is this something I should be more concerned about?
Click to expand...

Yeah that's a big ol steaming pile right there. If it works, it works. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Might have gotten some beer or sex related body fluids in there. Just keep clicking it.
 
USMC_Trev said:
Manuals are pdf's now. Pretty much a universal thing. Printed manuals are expensive and especially in the case of this kind of product, can be obsolesced almost immediately. A pdf that the maker maintains and updates is a living document.
Click to expand...
Yeah I guessed so, just wanted to make sure, good move.

USMC_Trev said:
Obviously that's not factory. That's a battle scar. Used is used.
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The stickers and QC tag are still on though, idk how he used it so little not to even remove them yet managed to damage the chassis.

USMC_Trev said:
Yeah that's a big ol steaming pile right there. If it works, it works. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Might have gotten some beer or sex related body fluids in there. Just keep clicking it.
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Would you advise spraying some WD40 on it or even disassembling the unit to see whats up?
 
As for the damage on the side, I won't worry too much, that piece is just a piece of plastic to protect the actual chassis, so no need to worry.

The home button could be a bigger concern. Before opening yourself, I'd think about sending it to support
 
Regarding the sticky button. There may be some drink spill which after evaporating has turned into goo and needs to be cleaned.Hopefully the switch itself is intact. if you decide to open the unit here are couple of pictures of the button:
#8
 
Ok so I tried connecting again after I got my guitar back and it does send an output through the FX Send port but its very low volume to the point where I have to crank it all the way up on my audio interface, which makes playing anything back on it painfully inconvenient. Im guessing its because its an instrument level output going into a line level input? Is there a way to mitigate this without changing cables?

Also, theres still the grounding/EMI issue that affects all of my electronics. The guitar tech advised me to run ferrite magnets around my cables and then theres the option to run individual grounding wires from the chassis of all the important devices like my PC, audio card, FM3, etc to a nail hammered from the outside into the wall of the building. Would that work? Do I have to nail it strictly from the outside?
 
ezellohar said:
As for the damage on the side, I won't worry too much, that piece is just a piece of plastic to protect the actual chassis, so no need to worry.

The home button could be a bigger concern. Before opening yourself, I'd think about sending it to support
Click to expand...
He bought it used, so would have to pay to get it fixed...
 
Output 2 is set up for unity gain, not line level, so you'll have to run the OUT 2 knob higher on that one. It's unity gain with the input when the OUT 2 knob is all the way up. You can also boost the level on the grid by turning up the Level in the Out 2 block if needed. IIRC it's about 18 dB lower than Output 1.
 
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