The FM9 is amazing for effects-only use

[TubeStack]

For anyone thinking about it: the FM9 is INSANELY GREAT for effects-only use with a tube amp, especially using the 4cm method.

- top-level effects in every category, including the drives (which I actually like better than Helix drives, counter to what often gets said in forums)
- modulations are great, too: Phase 90 and Uni-Vibe are the best I've ever heard from a multi-effects unit
- delays are fantastic, love the DM-2 and 2290 especially
- the wahs and pitch stuff are killer, as well as noise gate, tuner, and looper

That's mainly what I use it for ^^^ - plus a few other things like tremolo, octavia, and clean boost - all of which is only scratching the surface. And to have it all available with Fractal's remarkable level of control over the switches is just .

Also, the buffers/converters are amazing, with zero tone suck. It actually sounds better than just plugging straight in to the amp, with the same low-noise circuit as the AXIII and FX8. The FM9 can be seen as a follow-up to the FX8 but with amp models added, in a way.

It seems to me like Fractal underplays/undersells the greatness of their effects, as there's an emphasis on the amp models and a general "you need to use the amp models, too" vibe in the forum and their manuals. But as a multi-effects unit the FM9 is truly extraordinary. VERY happy with mine for this purpose.

I made a pedalboardplanner mockup of what I would need to recreate even the simple things I'm using the FM9 for and it was about 17 pedals + a wah, amp channel switch, and one or two pedal switchers and didn't even fit on a giant PT Classic Pro. Put it all in an order on Long & McQuade and it came to $4k+.

 

[Desertdweller]

The FM9 also sounds a bit better than the FM3 in 4CM as well. I think they put in better converters because it’s really top notch.

 

[sleewell]

i want one so bad.

 

[fretworn]

My 1st fractal axe2 was all about fx … in one box.

Went to the amps shortly thereafter.

 

[DrewJD82]

Strongly agreed. When I had the Hot Rod Deluxe I was having a blast running stuff directly into the amp. If I could actually use this Deluxe Reverb in an apartment I’d be doing the same thing!

I wasn’t fond of the drives for a while until I started playing with the Tone page of them. Dropping the mids out of most of them is what made me really start digging them. There’s a lot of shaping that can go on there that I think gets ignored.

 

[Orvillain]

Fractal effects are top notch. I'm surprised they've not gotten into releasing single pedals tbh, because people would defo buy them.

 

[jellodog]

The FM9 also sounds a bit better than the FM3 in 4CM as well. I think they put in better converters because it’s really top notch.

Cliff has said elsewhere (IIRC) that it's the quality of the audio components and path around the converters that are just as important.

It's my understanding that the AF3 and FM9 are similar in that regard.

 

[TubeStack]

The FM9 also sounds a bit better than the FM3 in 4CM as well. I think they put in better converters because it’s really top notch.

Yes, here's what Cliff has said:

FM9:

Yes, 4CM should work great. The FM9 uses the same "flagship" analog processing as the Axe-Fx III which evolved from the FX8. The FX8 was the best analog path I'd ever designed but the product, unfortunately, did not sell well. I took that design, tweaked it a bit and used it in the Axe-Fx III.

FM3:

The FM3 is not really geared towards amp integration. It's primarily intended to be a standalone solution with a single fx loop. For amp integration or multiple loops we recommend the FM9 and Axe-Fx III.

 

[Orvillain]

The Axe III sounds brilliant when directly in front of my valve amps using output 3, and in 4-cable-method as well. Genuinely, love the thing.

 

[Baba]

Strongly agreed. When I had the Hot Rod Deluxe I was having a blast running stuff directly into the amp. If I could actually use this Deluxe Reverb in an apartment I’d be doing the same thing!

I wasn’t fond of the drives for a while until I started playing with the Tone page of them. Dropping the mids out of most of them is what made me really start digging them. There’s a lot of shaping that can go on there that I think gets ignored.

Glad to read this, because, (unrelated), my drives on my Stomp XL (going into my HRD), have sounded a big congested in the midrange, so I dropped the mids a little, and enjoy it more now.

 

[JT]

Still TrueTM

 

[TubeStack]

I wasn’t fond of the drives for a while until I started playing with the Tone page of them. Dropping the mids out of most of them is what made me really start digging them. There’s a lot of shaping that can go on there that I think gets ignored.

Yes, I do the same, ie, lowering the mids/upper-mids, sometimes.

Although, I would say if that’s needed it’s more because of the nature of the original pedal and the Fractal models are just being accurate, rather than anything to do with Fractal drives themselves.

I do love having that extra EQ control of the drives, for sure.

 

[jellodog]

On the subject of FAS drives: Y'all know I only play pushed cleans to crunch, so you gainier guys might not be interested...

But that new Hot Cake drive into the Bandmaster with just a touch of Gain Enhancer is really nice.

That's been my jam over the last few days with the YA Bassman 4x10 IRs.

I had a real Hot Cake once, which I didn't really like much with my Vox AC10, so I sold it years ago. Discovering that I liked the FAS version was quite a surprise, for sure! Probably says more about the AC10 than the Hot Cake.

 

[DrewJD82]

Yes, I do the same, ie, lowering the mids/upper-mids, sometimes.

Although, I would say if that’s needed it’s more because of the nature of the original pedal and the Fractal models are just being accurate, rather than anything to do with Fractal drives themselves.

I do love having that extra EQ control of the drives, for sure.

Mids follow me around everywhere but I won’t speculate on why I think that is because it’ll derail the thread with our most common forum arguement. I’d be willing to bet I’d run into the same situation with the drives (or amps) on any modeler. That’s why the Mesa 5-band gets in 98% of my presets….and why I can rarely get something scooped enough.

 

[JT]

Mids follow me around everywhere but I won’t speculate on why I think that is because it’ll derail the thread with our most common forum arguement. I’d be willing to bet I’d run into the same situation with the drives (or amps) on any modeler. That’s why the Mesa 5-band gets in 98% of my presets….and why I can rarely get something scooped enough.

 

[Baba]

Mids follow me around everywhere but I won’t speculate on why I think that is because it’ll derail the thread with our most common forum arguement. I’d be willing to bet I’d run into the same situation with the drives (or amps) on any modeler. That’s why the Mesa 5-band gets in 98% of my presets….and why I can rarely get something scooped enough.

Copied and pasted from a DM with an esteemed member here:

Me: "My fingers always seem to have a few db's of that 750-900hz extra "mud", no matter what I'm using, modeling, analog, whatever. I hate it. "

 

[TubeStack]

Mids follow me around everywhere but I won’t speculate on why I think that is because it’ll derail the thread with our most common forum arguement. I

 

[la szum]

Mids follow me around everywhere but I won’t speculate on why I think that is because it’ll derail the thread with our most common forum arguement. I’d be willing to bet I’d run into the same situation with the drives (or amps) on any modeler. That’s why the Mesa 5-band gets in 98% of my presets….and why I can rarely get something scooped enough.

1988 James Hetfield called and wants his "tone" back.

 

[DrewJD82]

1988 James Hetfield called and wants his "tone" back.

Totally random, but this was the group text between me and my two best friends this morning after someone walked in my building who looks EXACTLY like a pudgy Hetfield.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Does the FM9 have amp channel switching for physical amps?