great to see more of the voyage, sorry about the water damage but that turnaround is crazy quick for a repair a quick tip and on the quirk: -if you hold CTRL + Click on drop down menus (e.g for amps) it Pins the menu once open, saves you an extra click =) -Footswitch : that's the caveat when using a 'hold' function for the footswitch, however you can tweak this time down to 0.25ms or up to 2seconds hold before it activates the hold function, maybe that helps, turning off the hold function of that switch will keep things snappy , external footswitches are really quick and classic feeling otherwise -Level quirks is a BUG currently in firmware 8 relating to the Killdry function, it happens only on first boot/use of said preset, once you've switched scenes back and forth it's all back to normal, should hopefully be fixed soon, you can do it oldschool and set your blocks in parallel with mix at 100% otherwise in the meantime and level to set the mix, but it's just something to be aware about for now, i use the killdry function as it will be fixed soon -no template but i'd suggest having a 'base' preset that can serve as a template, so you can just use that as a base to quickly build new presets -quick heads up on the envelope/pitch follower, make sure within the controllers tab that the envelope/pitch follower is set to INPUT 1 , otherwise it won't work as it should, for some reason it can default to Input 2 as you know i got a bunch of videos on fractal stuff, check out the 'auto freeze' preset/build if you want a fun use of the Envelope follower =) you can also use an extra footswitch for one button expression stuff, lots of fun
You are an absolute legend! Thank you so much for the tips, glad to hear the level quirks are a known issue in firmware 8 too, means that it'll likely get resolved nice and fast.
Kai, you purchased that unit used from Turkey, so we're not sure of its history. We can't do this for everyone but your video was well considered and well played, so I'd like to try to help. Please contact Fractal Audio support in the USA and we'll see what can be done.
Thank you for stopping by! I wanted to keep this video nice and level - while I’m obviously gutted at the way the situation panned out, I hope my love for the FM3 resonated regardless. I’ve sent an email over 💪
I was close to pulling the trigger on a used fm3, but the seller didn’t accept my offer. I’m glad because I think with the number of issues I’ve seen buying new just makes better sense. And by number of issues I mean about a dozen or so out of probably a few thousand. So still good, but the repairs can be quite costly. Hopefully that was the last of your issues.
i bought mine brand new in the UK. the best thing I ever bought of that type. also, the fm3 combined with my dual rectifier in 4cm as a drive + delay and reverb in the loop sounds spectacular. i ll be getting a shield for it though lol. take care
I had the Axe FX 1 Standard, Axe Fx 1 Ultra, Axe FX 2, Axe Fx 2 XL and the Axe FX III. All of them failed me several Times. My posts on the FAS forum and even my Account got deleted for posting the situations. Worst thing was with the Axe FX 2: They install such band fans, that the fan exploded basically and ripped out some parts of the PCB. I always on ANY Axe Fx installed new fans but on the II I waited of the delivery of a fitting silent fan. For me honestly, compared to the Helix that I have now almost 10 years since release, I never had a single problem and I used it daily for teaching and practicing for around 4-8 hours. I really wanted to keep the AXE FX because I like to have 3 Parallel FX like on the old Bradshaw rigs from Luke , Eddie and Landau. Also the input stage of the Helix is a different kind. Playing Fuzz and Treble Booster behaves exactly like the real deal I have but on the Axe Fx? Not even close. If you turn down the volume knob on the guitar with the Helix Mesa Mark IV Sim it is spot on like my real Mark IV Rev A. With the Axe Fx, the guitar sounds thin and brittle. No matter which input setting you choose. Just try it and roll down your pot, the Helix stays thick and juicy but nicely cleans up like any real amp does. Also latency is twice as much on the Axe Fx compared to Helix. Ah man... I wish I could grab a FM9 for all the cool routing and programming. It would make many things way easier for me but no.... I need my dynamics and I'm a heavy volume pot user.
The pitch shifting issue definitely sounds like user error to me, my 6 year old Fractal AX8 has vastly superior tracking to every other product I have ever tried (Line 6 Helix, Digitech Drop, various plugins) so I can only imagine the newer algorithms in the FM3/FM9/Axe-Fx 3 are even better
Fractal just updated the pitch shifting for better accuracy in the Axe III beta, so hopefully that comes to the FM3 soon and we’ll see. I’ve tried a few settings and not had anything as good as the Helix’s Poly Capo
@@KaiDown The Poly Capo in my HX Stomp can't settle on a pitch when notes are played lightly, it'll drift a few semitones once the input level gets low enough, which is something I have never experienced my Fractal do
Enjoying these videos. I’m interested in the fm3 most of all but I do wonder if it’s really worth it as it’s so expansive. I still love the ml Plexi and 800 as well as sgear, would it offer much more for core amp tones?? (I know the hardware nature and amazing effects are above the plugins but I’m just playing and teaching at home so……..
My situation is pretty unique in the grand scheme of things given my ML affiliation, but the Fractal for me is more about frame of reference than anything. It's where most people's gold standard of modelling and effects lie, so it's been interesting for me to dig into it. I love the quantity of high-quality amps, and the depth of the controls - that's a pairing that you just won't get elsewhere. If it's consistently fun and fresh enough to keep you excited to play music, that's really all that matters. I'm having so much fun just playing around with the unique features (like the ring mod here - that's a tone I've never played through before).
also the mini display not centered is another known issue just keep the scene names short for now it happens when the name is longer than the display max characterss
The one thing Zack Seif gets wrong and I see repeated here is when playing or arpeggiating clean chords you want to set tracking to smooth. There will still be some warble but it is a lot better. Fast is for high gain and distorted single-notes.
Thanks Tim! I’m typically playing faster parts needing the faster tracking, I only ran it through the clean here to show the warbling. I’ll have to A/B it properly against the smooth mode and see which works best for me
@@KaiDown Please give that a go and tweak the tracking. Now that there's gapless preset switching, you could even swap between fast and smooth with tweaked tracking parameters so I'm curious to see the difference. Also, while it shouldn't make a difference, change the pitch block input to Input1 instead of Block In. I know it's first in the chain, but you never know how software behaves haha. If you still have your helix you can slap that in front to compare the pitch shifters as well.
Thanks dude! I’d say outside of the splash-guard stuff, this is somewhat typical of modellers - the “.0” version of the firmware has some rare little quirks, but the hotfix that comes along after stabilises it. Had the same thing with my HX One too
I want to offer you a strong reassurance that this is a highly unusual case, This unit could have a sordid history after being purchased used. There are so many FM3s without any problems it would be almost impossible to count. The FM3, FM9, and Axe-Fx III are steadily relied on live on pro stages, tours, theaters, and studios all over the world -- not to mention homes, churches, etc,, We also have an excellent 1-year warranty with 3 years optional in the USA and included standard in the EU.
Somehow the pitch shifter of the Helix still sounds better than the newer stuff, Fractal or Neural. Kinda crazy. And yeah, i turn off the hold functions on my FM9 as well. Not my favorite for timing.
Prior to buying the FM3 I probably would've assumed that the pitch shifter was at least up to par, so I'm pretty shocked by it really. Thankfully, it's not a feature I rely on all that much (at least, not cleanly). Warbly weirdness is totally cool when you're up two octaves. Tap/Hold is a great way to maximise the functionality of the switches, but I am very glad to see the timing is restored to "down = activate" when you disable the hold function
as they said 1) purchasing the unit from Turkey used without knowing it's history it's risky you could have gotten a reconditioned one from g66.... 2) nobody says that the fractal is water proof but i think none of your gear is.... blaming fractal with that bad thumbnail and then saying what you're saying is really in bad faith i think...clickbait?
I’m not blaming Fractal here - the thumbnail is my experiences with the unit, so while it focuses on the negatives, it’s not clickbait. I never said that Fractal need to hold up the warranty on a used item, in fact I actively held my hands up to say it’s my fault for buying used. While I don’t expect gear to be waterproof, I was disappointed that my computers and pedals on the floor got damaged less than the Fractal that was up out the way. I apologise if this came across as being negative, the experience itself was a negative to me but I still like the unit a lot (and I hope I made that part clear throughout).
great to see more of the voyage, sorry about the water damage but that turnaround is crazy quick for a repair
a quick tip and on the quirk:
-if you hold CTRL + Click on drop down menus (e.g for amps) it Pins the menu once open, saves you an extra click =)
-Footswitch : that's the caveat when using a 'hold' function for the footswitch, however you can tweak this time down to 0.25ms or up to 2seconds hold before it activates the hold function, maybe that helps, turning off the hold function of that switch will keep things snappy , external footswitches are really quick and classic feeling otherwise
-Level quirks is a BUG currently in firmware 8 relating to the Killdry function, it happens only on first boot/use of said preset, once you've switched scenes back and forth it's all back to normal, should hopefully be fixed soon, you can do it oldschool and set your blocks in parallel with mix at 100% otherwise in the meantime and level to set the mix, but it's just something to be aware about for now, i use the killdry function as it will be fixed soon
-no template but i'd suggest having a 'base' preset that can serve as a template, so you can just use that as a base to quickly build new presets
-quick heads up on the envelope/pitch follower, make sure within the controllers tab that the envelope/pitch follower is set to INPUT 1 , otherwise it won't work as it should, for some reason it can default to Input 2
as you know i got a bunch of videos on fractal stuff, check out the 'auto freeze' preset/build if you want a fun use of the Envelope follower =) you can also use an extra footswitch for one button expression stuff, lots of fun
You are an absolute legend! Thank you so much for the tips, glad to hear the level quirks are a known issue in firmware 8 too, means that it'll likely get resolved nice and fast.
Kai, you purchased that unit used from Turkey, so we're not sure of its history. We can't do this for everyone but your video was well considered and well played, so I'd like to try to help. Please contact Fractal Audio support in the USA and we'll see what can be done.
Thank you for stopping by! I wanted to keep this video nice and level - while I’m obviously gutted at the way the situation panned out, I hope my love for the FM3 resonated regardless. I’ve sent an email over 💪
I was close to pulling the trigger on a used fm3, but the seller didn’t accept my offer. I’m glad because I think with the number of issues I’ve seen buying new just makes better sense. And by number of issues I mean about a dozen or so out of probably a few thousand. So still good, but the repairs can be quite costly. Hopefully that was the last of your issues.
i bought mine brand new in the UK. the best thing I ever bought of that type. also, the fm3 combined with my dual rectifier in 4cm as a drive + delay and reverb in the loop sounds spectacular. i ll be getting a shield for it though lol. take care
Very high quality video. Keep up the good work Kai.👌
Thank you so much!
Hello Kai!! Great video mate!! Whats the best way to connect fm3? Str8fwd to a PC or through an audio external card?
I got the same problem with the freezing and letter zooming and mine was brand new …
Ima try to contact fractalaudio soon since its only a month old
Seems to be software related, should be fixed in a hotfix update shortly - I wouldn’t panic about it
I had the Axe FX 1 Standard, Axe Fx 1 Ultra, Axe FX 2, Axe Fx 2 XL and the Axe FX III. All of them failed me several Times. My posts on the FAS forum and even my Account got deleted for posting the situations. Worst thing was with the Axe FX 2: They install such band fans, that the fan exploded basically and ripped out some parts of the PCB. I always on ANY Axe Fx installed new fans but on the II I waited of the delivery of a fitting silent fan. For me honestly, compared to the Helix that I have now almost 10 years since release, I never had a single problem and I used it daily for teaching and practicing for around 4-8 hours. I really wanted to keep the AXE FX because I like to have 3 Parallel FX like on the old Bradshaw rigs from Luke , Eddie and Landau.
Also the input stage of the Helix is a different kind. Playing Fuzz and Treble Booster behaves exactly like the real deal I have but on the Axe Fx? Not even close. If you turn down the volume knob on the guitar with the Helix Mesa Mark IV Sim it is spot on like my real Mark IV Rev A. With the Axe Fx, the guitar sounds thin and brittle. No matter which input setting you choose. Just try it and roll down your pot, the Helix stays thick and juicy but nicely cleans up like any real amp does. Also latency is twice as much on the Axe Fx compared to Helix.
Ah man... I wish I could grab a FM9 for all the cool routing and programming. It would make many things way easier for me but no.... I need my dynamics and I'm a heavy volume pot user.
The pitch shifting issue definitely sounds like user error to me, my 6 year old Fractal AX8 has vastly superior tracking to every other product I have ever tried (Line 6 Helix, Digitech Drop, various plugins) so I can only imagine the newer algorithms in the FM3/FM9/Axe-Fx 3 are even better
Fractal just updated the pitch shifting for better accuracy in the Axe III beta, so hopefully that comes to the FM3 soon and we’ll see. I’ve tried a few settings and not had anything as good as the Helix’s Poly Capo
@@KaiDown The Poly Capo in my HX Stomp can't settle on a pitch when notes are played lightly, it'll drift a few semitones once the input level gets low enough, which is something I have never experienced my Fractal do
Enjoying these videos. I’m interested in the fm3 most of all but I do wonder if it’s really worth it as it’s so expansive. I still love the ml Plexi and 800 as well as sgear, would it offer much more for core amp tones?? (I know the hardware nature and amazing effects are above the plugins but I’m just playing and teaching at home so……..
My situation is pretty unique in the grand scheme of things given my ML affiliation, but the Fractal for me is more about frame of reference than anything. It's where most people's gold standard of modelling and effects lie, so it's been interesting for me to dig into it. I love the quantity of high-quality amps, and the depth of the controls - that's a pairing that you just won't get elsewhere. If it's consistently fun and fresh enough to keep you excited to play music, that's really all that matters. I'm having so much fun just playing around with the unique features (like the ring mod here - that's a tone I've never played through before).
@@KaiDown good perspective 👍 it’s a shame they aren’t easier to tryout here in the Uk but in sure it will be worth it. Thanks for the content
Did you go w/ any of Balaguer's stock pups in that, or did you have them use something else?
Stock! This is the Feral set
also the mini display not centered is another known issue just keep the scene names short for now it happens when the name is longer than the display max characterss
please, share your Kai Preset and Kai Preset 2 with Cab IR
The one thing Zack Seif gets wrong and I see repeated here is when playing or arpeggiating clean chords you want to set tracking to smooth. There will still be some warble but it is a lot better. Fast is for high gain and distorted single-notes.
Thanks Tim! I’m typically playing faster parts needing the faster tracking, I only ran it through the clean here to show the warbling. I’ll have to A/B it properly against the smooth mode and see which works best for me
@@KaiDown Please give that a go and tweak the tracking.
Now that there's gapless preset switching, you could even swap between fast and smooth with tweaked tracking parameters so I'm curious to see the difference. Also, while it shouldn't make a difference, change the pitch block input to Input1 instead of Block In. I know it's first in the chain, but you never know how software behaves haha.
If you still have your helix you can slap that in front to compare the pitch shifters as well.
From what you've said here, I'd be reluctant to ever use it live. Too many things stacked against it to be reliable. Great vid gent 👍
Thanks dude! I’d say outside of the splash-guard stuff, this is somewhat typical of modellers - the “.0” version of the firmware has some rare little quirks, but the hotfix that comes along after stabilises it. Had the same thing with my HX One too
I want to offer you a strong reassurance that this is a highly unusual case, This unit could have a sordid history after being purchased used. There are so many FM3s without any problems it would be almost impossible to count. The FM3, FM9, and Axe-Fx III are steadily relied on live on pro stages, tours, theaters, and studios all over the world -- not to mention homes, churches, etc,, We also have an excellent 1-year warranty with 3 years optional in the USA and included standard in the EU.
Sell it and try another first before you buy again if u like it that much
Somehow the pitch shifter of the Helix still sounds better than the newer stuff, Fractal or Neural. Kinda crazy.
And yeah, i turn off the hold functions on my FM9 as well. Not my favorite for timing.
Prior to buying the FM3 I probably would've assumed that the pitch shifter was at least up to par, so I'm pretty shocked by it really. Thankfully, it's not a feature I rely on all that much (at least, not cleanly). Warbly weirdness is totally cool when you're up two octaves.
Tap/Hold is a great way to maximise the functionality of the switches, but I am very glad to see the timing is restored to "down = activate" when you disable the hold function
as they said 1) purchasing the unit from Turkey used without knowing it's history it's risky you could have gotten a reconditioned one from g66.... 2) nobody says that the fractal is water proof but i think none of your gear is.... blaming fractal with that bad thumbnail and then saying what you're saying is really in bad faith i think...clickbait?
I’m not blaming Fractal here - the thumbnail is my experiences with the unit, so while it focuses on the negatives, it’s not clickbait. I never said that Fractal need to hold up the warranty on a used item, in fact I actively held my hands up to say it’s my fault for buying used. While I don’t expect gear to be waterproof, I was disappointed that my computers and pedals on the floor got damaged less than the Fractal that was up out the way.
I apologise if this came across as being negative, the experience itself was a negative to me but I still like the unit a lot (and I hope I made that part clear throughout).