Virtual Capo: FM9 or FM3 and detuned guitar

Yes it is easier to not forget to turn off like with the Digitech Drop Tune. For me anyways, because I always had to have the Digitech in a weird spot to fit it. I would ALWAYS forget to turn that thing off and the fellas would gave me that look...then I would have that "Fuck me" moment. No more. Just set a dedicated button for that patch to have a visual on or off for the Pitch Block. I have a whole patch dedicated that is same, except has Pitch for whole step down.

Ha, yeah, that's EXACTLY my issue. My Drop is in a weird spot where I don't really see the light, and so I know the "fuck me" moment quite well :D

At one point I was playing with the AX8 pitch block (which, for me, was quasi-usable). I tried doing the preset copy, but then if I tweaked the original, I'd need to tweak the copy accordingly. And plus I'd need presets for D, Db, and C. It became a real PITA doing it this way.

I experimented using a Morningstar MIDI controller that had a nice scribble strip. I'd tie this to the pitch block. But I had a sync issue that I eventually gave up on troubleshooting. Worked great coming in "cold" after startup, but after switching presets things could get wonky. That was a real "fuck me" moment because suddenly I'd have no idea what tuning I was in or how to fix it (I didn't want to "waste" a switch just for the pitch block).
 
Late to the party but I've been using VC to drop my guitar down to C for playing Aretha's version of Chain of Fools. Works great in this context...I'm using a real lo-fi sounding "rig" and this enables me to really get the vibe of the original recording.
 
I have a few very dumb questions:

How are you setting the VC pitch during gigs? Do you use switches to to pitch up/down? Or do you use the "performance pad" view (or whatever it's called) and use a dial?

And as one who constantly forgets to turn off my Drop on the next song, despite it having a big red LED :mad:, do you have any visual feedback to show what you're dropped to and whether VC is enabled or not?

I'm an AX8 owner and the FM9 has me quite intrigued, particularly about being able to finally drop my Drop (I'll see myself out).
Set the Pitch block to VC and then each number is 1 semitone; so for Eb standard -1, D standard is -2, C standard is -4, B standard is -5.

Look at my previous posts in this thread to see screenshots and also a preset for my Fear Factory setup which is B standard -5:

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...r-fm3-and-detuned-guitar.183860/#post-2262261

You can turn it on and off [Pitch 1] like any block/pedal. I use red as the color since the Digitech Whammy is red:

IMG-4068.jpg
 
I have a main preset with scenes and effects set up the way I like, then make a copy of that preset with everything dropped a half step. Allows me to access the same tones and effects I'm used to simply making a quick preset change for a song in Eb. Simple for a simple mind.
 
Last edited:
i still suck at using the VC..i set it up at the beginning of the grid and still it sounds out of tune and unusable...must be user error on my part. All im looking to do is go down to Eb.
 
Set the Pitch block to VC and then each number is 1 semitone; so for Eb standard -1, D standard is -2, C standard is -4, B standard is -5.

Look at my previous posts in this thread to see screenshots and also a preset for my Fear Factory setup which is B standard -5:

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...r-fm3-and-detuned-guitar.183860/#post-2262261

You can turn it on and off [Pitch 1] like any block/pedal. I use red as the color since the Digitech Whammy is red:

Thanks for the reply! I really like the idea in your other post about keeping the initial (unpitched) attack for a few milliseconds. Very clever.

The one question I still have is how do you switch between pitches? Do have a preset/scene per tuning? Or do you manually adjust per song using the front panel knobs like you would with a pedal?

I don't like the idea of copying presets where the only difference is a -1 or -2 in the VC pitch setting, so seeing if there's a better way of doing it.

I can't wait for the FM9 to be back in stock. Looks like it addresses the few things that annoy me on the AX8.
 
i still suck at using the VC..i set it up at the beginning of the grid and still it sounds out of tune and unusable...must be user error on my part. All im looking to do is go down to Eb.
How loud are you playing? Maybe you can hear the unamplified strings? It surprised me how much of the string noise you can hear, you need to be quite loud to block it out.
 
Thanks for the reply! I really like the idea in your other post about keeping the initial (unpitched) attack for a few milliseconds. Very clever.

The one question I still have is how do you switch between pitches? Do have a preset/scene per tuning? Or do you manually adjust per song using the front panel knobs like you would with a pedal?

I don't like the idea of copying presets where the only difference is a -1 or -2 in the VC pitch setting, so seeing if there's a better way of doing it.

I can't wait for the FM9 to be back in stock. Looks like it addresses the few things that annoy me on the AX8.
I have a block, ABCD, with 4 pitches: Eb, B, C, and D (-1, -5, -4, -2). I don't ever have a need to use two tunings in the same song, but you can switch any number of ways. If you have a few pitches you used all the time I would suggest having the Pitch stomp go to Layout 7 which is "CHANNELS" and set that up to use the Pitch blocks channels instead of the defaults. Or you could overwrite Layout 8 "PRESETS EXPLORER" to be for the Pitch Block. If you have several pitches and different combinations with different sogs then I would use Layout 6 "PER-PRESET" and set up the Pitch Block for each preset with the PER-PRESET OVERRIDE function in the right bottom under LAYOUT LINKS.
 
I have a block, ABCD, with 4 pitches: Eb, B, C, and D (-1, -5, -4, -2). I don't ever have a need to use two tunings in the same song, but you can switch any number of ways. If you have a few pitches you used all the time I would suggest having the Pitch stomp go to Layout 7 which is "CHANNELS" and set that up to use the Pitch blocks channels instead of the defaults. Or you could overwrite Layout 8 "PRESETS EXPLORER" to be for the Pitch Block. If you have several pitches and different combinations with different sogs then I would use Layout 6 "PER-PRESET" and set up the Pitch Block for each preset with the PER-PRESET OVERRIDE function in the right bottom under LAYOUT LINKS.
:oops: you forgot the recalibration of the dilithium matrix
 
I have a block, ABCD, with 4 pitches: Eb, B, C, and D (-1, -5, -4, -2). I don't ever have a need to use two tunings in the same song, but you can switch any number of ways. If you have a few pitches you used all the time I would suggest having the Pitch stomp go to Layout 7 which is "CHANNELS" and set that up to use the Pitch blocks channels instead of the defaults. Or you could overwrite Layout 8 "PRESETS EXPLORER" to be for the Pitch Block. If you have several pitches and different combinations with different sogs then I would use Layout 6 "PER-PRESET" and set up the Pitch Block for each preset with the PER-PRESET OVERRIDE function in the right bottom under LAYOUT LINKS.
Thanks! Very helpful. Bookmarking this for when I get my FM9.
 
To get the best result with any pitch block, placement is key. I have tried the pitch block before and after amp and you won't have the best results there. I put the pitch block in between the amp and speaker and that is the best place to put the pitch block. Live I do dual and triple lead harmonies that are to die for using custom scales. I was never happy putting pitch block any other place. You will get artifacts any other location.
 
To get the best result with any pitch block, placement is key. I have tried the pitch block before and after amp and you won't have the best results there. I put the pitch block in between the amp and speaker and that is the best place to put the pitch block. Live I do dual and triple lead harmonies that are to die for using custom scales. I was never happy putting pitch block any other place. You will get artifacts any other location.
With Virtual Capo mode, the best place is at the start of the signal path.

For harmonies, I think most agree that between Amp and Cab is the best placement.
 
The VC works well for me but my use of it is a bit different. Wondering if anyone else uses it this way or has a way of doing this.

I am in multiple bands and some play in E and others play in Eb. Depending on the night I need to use all my patches (about 30) in E or Eb so I want to be able to set it at the beginning of the night and leave it that way throughout.

What I tried: I added a global pitch block to the beginning of every patch and added the Shift as a value in the Perform pages. At the beginning of each gig I would set that value to what I need for the night and save the preset. I hoped this would then be set for every preset I pulled up after that but it didn't work that way. When I would open up the next preset for a song the Shift didn't update the way I had hoped.

This is why I still use the DROP. I have tried a few ways to make this work but so far no luck. Does anyone have a better way of doing this? I would like to be done with the Drop pedal.
 
The VC works well for me but my use of it is a bit different. Wondering if anyone else uses it this way or has a way of doing this.

I am in multiple bands and some play in E and others play in Eb. Depending on the night I need to use all my patches (about 30) in E or Eb so I want to be able to set it at the beginning of the night and leave it that way throughout.

What I tried: I added a global pitch block to the beginning of every patch and added the Shift as a value in the Perform pages. At the beginning of each gig I would set that value to what I need for the night and save the preset. I hoped this would then be set for every preset I pulled up after that but it didn't work that way. When I would open up the next preset for a song the Shift didn't update the way I had hoped.

This is why I still use the DROP. I have tried a few ways to make this work but so far no luck. Does anyone have a better way of doing this? I would like to be done with the Drop pedal.
There are no Global blocks on the FM9... Are you talking about Axe Fx III?

If so, you will need to save 1 preset with the block in it for the others to get the updated setting.

If not, assign an External Controller to it instead. Then you can adjust the External Controller Init Value to change it globally.
 
Yes, you are correct. I was talking about the Axe Fx 3. I tried exactly that and it didn't work, however I think it is worth trying it again. Maybe a controller connected to an external pot may work as well. Thanks for the response
 
I didn't read the whole thread, so if this idea has been posted, so what. J/K. Anyway...

I'm in the middle as to whether I like the VC. For faster songs, I doubt it'd be noticeable in a mix. But for clean, arpeggiated passages, it's "ok." (And I'm on the latest FW, Axe III, btw.)

But a trick I use when messing around with, e.g., songs recorded on a 7-string, I'll use the VC for only those parts that include the 7th string, then, when it works in the song, turn it off. I can use that same workaround for songs using D standard. You obviously have to learn the song a bit differently, and it won't work everywhere, and probably not even practical for 1/2-step down tuned songs.

But would I buy a dedicated pedal? Nope.
 
The VC works well for me but my use of it is a bit different. Wondering if anyone else uses it this way or has a way of doing this.

I am in multiple bands and some play in E and others play in Eb. Depending on the night I need to use all my patches (about 30) in E or Eb so I want to be able to set it at the beginning of the night and leave it that way throughout.

What I tried: I added a global pitch block to the beginning of every patch and added the Shift as a value in the Perform pages. At the beginning of each gig I would set that value to what I need for the night and save the preset. I hoped this would then be set for every preset I pulled up after that but it didn't work that way. When I would open up the next preset for a song the Shift didn't update the way I had hoped.

This is why I still use the DROP. I have tried a few ways to make this work but so far no luck. Does anyone have a better way of doing this? I would like to be done with the Drop pedal.
I tried it again and now remember why it can't work for me. It works great when using it to change the pitch but when I set the shift to 0 to maintain the guitars pitch it causes delays to the sound and I haven't figured out how to fix this. As for the use case for having a pitch block with the shift set to 0, using the pitch block globally as I described is the use case.

Sorry to add this to the FM9 discussion but since others were talking about the this block I thought I would ask in case someone had an idea. I can move this to the Axe3 area.
 
Yes, you are correct. I was talking about the Axe Fx 3. I tried exactly that and it didn't work, however I think it is worth trying it again. Maybe a controller connected to an external pot may work as well. Thanks for the response
Are you sure you're global blocks are linked? If not, that seems like a bug because that's how they are supposed to work.
 
Yes, the global pitch block updates across the presets based on the shift parameter state I saved in the previous patch. It works great and would be a good solution until I change the shift to 0, then it introduces a delay to the output for some presets. It didn't always do it but seems to be more noticeable on clean presets. I tried again just now but it is intermittent and I will work on a determining how to make it repeatable.

In the meantime I am trying to use the Mix parameter in the block as a way to get around this.
 
Back
Top Bottom