New Fractal FM9 floor unit - looks good!

firepaulmusic

Brilliant, this is what I've been waiting for!

andyg_prs

Questions.....

I constantly rebound between 'real amps / pedals' and modellers.  I used a Kemper for ages in a Prog rock / metal band and it was great for that.

I have an AX8 and I use it for an Americana band - lovely and consistent.....sometimes, particularly for smaller gigs where I'm using a powered speaker (original DXR10) I could use that old weird 'under a blanket' phrase for the sound.  But that sounds like an eq thing and what I'm really talking about is just that the AX8 feels like it's missing something.

But it's super convenient.  I can control the volume via expression pedal to the audience......and volume via the 2nd output and another expression pedal for my own wedge.....

And of course when I have to jump from a soaring lead to a clean tone with tremolo, it's a synch....

For my originals and recently deceased rock covers band, I use(d) my Engl Ironball with pedalboard and a CaptorX.  I definitely find presenting an XLR to FoH more consistent for sound.  Also, bizarrely, perhaps due to some of the really great 'enhancer' functions on the CaptorX, I actually prefer the sound of my Engl via the CaptorX / powered speaker now than through my guitar cab.

Anyhoo....I had been thinking of getting an Ironball SE with built in IRs (and midi controlled delay, noisegate etc).....still tempted..around £1,000 new.

Then there's the FM9....around £2,000 new.

So, what's the question?  If I don't always get the sounds I want from the AX8.....will it be the same for the FM9?  Some people are just better at constructing sounds......

Or is the FM9 that much better that I'm going to bridge that gap of the 'fullness' of sound that I (imagine?) I get from my Engl, and the practicality of the AX8?

One day I'll learn to write better posts

Ah, here's an actual question.  The main thing I loved about the Kemper was the morph pedal....I had a bit more mids and volume and delay on a single expression pedal.......even though you can assign multiple things to a controller with the AX8, it was a pain in the butt, and it never worked quite as well as the Kemper morph feature.........is that any easier / better with the FM9?

Oo, and another question.  Years back, I had an OR15 into one cab......lovely mids....and then I'd use a volume pedal to mix in the right amount of low end and 'ugly' of a 6505+ into another cab.  Has anyone tried having two amp  models at the same time with the FM9, and could you use an expression pedal to play with the mix of them on the fly?

Cheers,
Andy

sweepy

I’m a total valve fanboy, admittedly with serious amps, Two Rock, Friedman, Selmer etc but the FM9 with the latest firmware has almost nailed that interaction of a good valve amp, its incredibly close, so it’s a case of balancing the benefits and usability these days. 

Roland

andyg_prs said:

The main thing I loved about the Kemper was the morph pedal....I had a bit more mids and volume and delay on a single expression pedal.......even though you can assign multiple things to a controller with the AX8, it was a pain in the butt, and it never worked quite as well as the Kemper morph feature.........is that any easier / better with the FM9?

Oo, and another question.  Years back, I had an OR15 into one cab......lovely mids....and then I'd use a volume pedal to mix in the right amount of low end and 'ugly' of a 6505+ into another cab.  Has anyone tried having two amp  models at the same time with the FM9, and could you use an expression pedal to play with the mix of them on the fly?

@clarky used to (probably still does) do this with his AxeFX. The trick was to use a concave curve when translating pedal movement to volume, otherwise you get a volume hump mid-way.

andyg_prs

Roland said:

andyg_prs said:

The main thing I loved about the Kemper was the morph pedal....I had a bit more mids and volume and delay on a single expression pedal.......even though you can assign multiple things to a controller with the AX8, it was a pain in the butt, and it never worked quite as well as the Kemper morph feature.........is that any easier / better with the FM9?

Oo, and another question.  Years back, I had an OR15 into one cab......lovely mids....and then I'd use a volume pedal to mix in the right amount of low end and 'ugly' of a 6505+ into another cab.  Has anyone tried having two amp  models at the same time with the FM9, and could you use an expression pedal to play with the mix of them on the fly?

@clarky used to (probably still does) do this with his AxeFX. The trick was to use a concave curve when translating pedal movement to volume, otherwise you get a volume hump mid-way.

It's more the ease of use.  On Kemper you assign the expression pedal......and have your settings on heel down....then you move to toe down, make whatever changes, save it....and it morphs between the two sets of settings.

On my old line 6 DL4, before it broke you did the same, plugged in an expression pedal heel down, went toe down, changed whatever you wanted, saved....and then it would morph between the two.

No editing software even needed.

Axe-edit for AX8.....I'll get this wrong as it's been ages.....go into each block, assign to a controller, set the controller as the foot pedal, set the start and end parameters.....check what's going on as it's not as simple as 1 to 100....and save.......then go and find the other block, assign that parameter to the same controller......and you can't just change the tone or volume.....so you have to then have a special setting to turn the boost or eq block on or off as soon as you move from heel position....and on and on.....it's about as far from user friendly as you could imagine.....

And once it's all done.....trying to understand what is actually set up in a patch or changing when you use the expression pedal is complicated.  E.g. you wouldn't see your delay mix increasing unless you had selected the delay block in Axe-edit.....but if you are in there.....you can't see the other parameters you've assigned changing.  On the Kemper or DL4 the LEDs on each 'object' simply light up / move around the dial as you wiggle the pedal.

Anyhoo - the question is......is this any easier on the FM9 / whatever editing software they provide?

Bats_

I’ve been eyeing an FM9 for a while. 

Are they only available direct? I don’t see them on any of the usual guitar shop websites. 

What’s the warranty situation?

CHRISB50

Yes. They’re only available via G66. 

Tells you about their warranty on the website. 

https://uk-shop.g66.eu/Service/Service/

It’s 3 year. 

Nerine

Pound for pound the best modelling solution available, IMO.