trouble letting go...

A

accuser

Member
Anyone else have trouble letting go of their traditional pedal boards?

Today I decided to plug in two of my boards and for some odd reason I decided to compare it to the fm3... I quickly came to the conclusion that the FM3 is a superior platform.

So I started thinking - I should sell my other pedals. But as soon as I started thinking about which to sell I immediately realized that I didn't want to part with most of them. I barely use my pedals, but the thought of parting with them is so difficult.

I've got one board that I will always keep because it pairs so well with my tube amp, my others can go direct to board or into an amp. Quite frankly, they are redundant but different. Even then, I still have a hard time letting go!

anyone else have this issue?
 
Actually, I've been using an FM9 Turbo and miss my pedals. So I bought an FM3 and I'm using it on a board with a few of my favorite overdrive pedals. I'm only using the FM3 for Amps, cabs and modulation. It sounds great and I can tweak my drives on the fly when necessary.
 
I know! but the fm3 is such a complete and compact package. Once I got familiar with how to program the foot switches - I don't even need other pedals. The only pedal I feel I am missing from the FM3 is a Ram's Head. Everything else is awesome!

But then again, I start messing with specialty pedals and I'm like... damn. I could build a preset that does the same thing, but it's just not the same. Something about immediately having knobs to turn (even if I don't turn them) just feels so good. I dunno how to explain it, but it's the "creativity" of being able to adjust without menu diving.
 
Half the fun of playing is trying different gear, playing with different gear, etc.... even though a Fractal can technically do everything, you lose that fun of playing with different toys.

I always switch around from my Fractal stuff, to my tube amps, to my pedals, to my old school rack effects, etc....
 
accuser said:
Anyone else have trouble letting go of their traditional pedal boards?

Today I decided to plug in two of my boards and for some odd reason I decided to compare it to the fm3... I quickly came to the conclusion that the FM3 is a superior platform.

So I started thinking - I should sell my other pedals. But as soon as I started thinking about which to sell I immediately realized that I didn't want to part with most of them. I barely use my pedals, but the thought of parting with them is so difficult.

I've got one board that I will always keep because it pairs so well with my tube amp, my others can go direct to board or into an amp. Quite frankly, they are redundant but different. Even then, I still have a hard time letting go!

anyone else have this issue?
Click to expand...
I just pondered the same thing so I plugged them both in and did a comparison and discovered that they sounded different enough to keep them both. Another thought is that in the unlikely event that your FM3 needs to be serviced at least you would still have your pedalboard until the FM3 was repaired and returned.
 
IMG_3046.jpeg
I picked up the IR-D to see what all the fuss was about. I put this board together from stray pedals and it sounds great, but everything except for the amp can be replaced by the FM3 with infinitely more capability and a much smaller footprint. I was able to get really close to the IR-D tone with the Fractal Dirty Shirley model. But no I’m not letting go of anything including tube amps. If it sounds great keep it!
 
Last edited:
I feel this...

After getting an FM3 I barely touch my old gear anymore. over a decade of collecting pedals and a half dozen tube amps sitting in my storage room neglected. I've listed most of my pedals with the exception of a 5 or 6 that i occasional hook up for fun. I also sold 4 amps, one of which I swore i would never sell (Orange Rocker 30 Combo) and I don't miss anything. I'll be keeping my two prized tube heads, a single cab, and a single combo. EVERYTHING ELSE MUST GO!!! haha. Well I might have a speaker addiction now... but buying a new speaker every few months is a heck of a lot cheaper then experimenting with amps and cabs.

"The weight of material possession weighs heavy on my mental man".

I've actually been feeling a lot better selling off gear. Not to mention I have a savings account for the first time in a while haha. The FM3 has actually saved me a pile of money. Life before Fractal had me losing tons of money buying, selling, and testing gear.

It was hard at first but now it's fun pairing my collection down to only the best pieces. I've still got a mountain of gear up for sale, but I'm feeling good with the dozen or so things I've soo so far.

Honestly if I see an FM9 on the used market locally I'm going to grab it. I think the FM9 is perfect for what I need. The 3 is great, but the 9 would be perfection.
 
accuser said:
Anyone else have trouble letting go of their traditional pedal boards?

Today I decided to plug in two of my boards and for some odd reason I decided to compare it to the fm3... I quickly came to the conclusion that the FM3 is a superior platform.

So I started thinking - I should sell my other pedals. But as soon as I started thinking about which to sell I immediately realized that I didn't want to part with most of them. I barely use my pedals, but the thought of parting with them is so difficult.

I've got one board that I will always keep because it pairs so well with my tube amp, my others can go direct to board or into an amp. Quite frankly, they are redundant but different. Even then, I still have a hard time letting go!

anyone else have this issue?
Click to expand...
Most of us have gone through some version of what you’re experiencing. We no longer need the various pieces of gear we’ve accumulated over the years.

You no longer need most of that, either. But don’t sell anything until you’re ready to sell it. You’ll know when that is. ;)
 
For me one of the best parts about these all in one units is not having to deal with pedals. No noise, clutter, board, power supply, failing patch cables, inflexible routing, GAS urges to buy the latest $300 knockoff overdrive, etc. I can just plug in, dial in the sound for the part or pull up a preset, and hit record. Saves me so much time, aggravation, and money.
 
Last edited:
My thoughts on the topic from eight years and many firmwares ago...

Rex said:
These days, when I go into a music shop, I stroll right past the amps and pedals. Oh, I might glance over and see what they've got...

"Hmmm, there's a nice old AC-30. Already got one. Plus a couple of boutique clones."

"Ooh, a Trainwreck! You never see Trainwrecks in stores! I have four."


It's a wonderfully liberating experience.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
i've still got pedals/pedalboards and thinned the herd per say to two tube amps (a vox ac10 + my vht deliverance 60)

i hardly ever plug into my pedalboard/amp setup, but when i do i'm reminded why i've still got it, it's instant gratification as it were, and there's certain things/functionality on pedals that are quicker and more intuitive or more unique/possible than on the fm3 (e.g the hold function on the Boss DD-6, self oscillation on the strymon volante, looping with the volante and getting a tape vibe speed settings/degradation)
there might be times when that small pedalboard with say a looper is a better match for some sessions also (much quicker to setup tones, experiment etc..)

what the FM3 has done however is make me play a lot more guitar, try out different tones, it's what i use with the band, and has stopped me spending money on pedals and even amps as 'i don't need/or will use them' , looking at other guitars on the other hand is tough :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom