FRACTAL FM3 AMP MODELER/FX PROCESSOR €1,266
CONTACT G66 PHONE +49 461 1828 066 WEB www.fractalaudio.com
Fractal Audio’s take on amp and effects modelling has plenty of admirers but when its flagship Axe-Fx III rackmount unit is combined with one of the FC-6 or FC-12 controllers for a fully functional stage/studio rig it doesn’t come cheap. If you fancy some of that, though, the new FM3 offers a more affordable option.
It’s the company’s only all-in-one floor unit now that the AX8 and FX8 are discontinued, and offers amp modelling, effects and the ability to use IRs. While having about half of the processing power of the Axe-Fx III, it still comes with heavyduty DSP and offers the same ARES amp modelling. There’s plenty of connectivity including an effects loop, headphone output, expression pedal inputs and a FASLINK II port, which supports the connection of FC controllers for up to 24 additional footswitches. A USB connection allows computer-based editing, preset sharing and firmware updates, plus the unit can also function as a USB audio interface.
In Use
One of Fractal’s design goals with the FM3 was to create a rugged giggable unit for anyone who wanted to leave their rackmount Axe-Fx model at home – and it’s certainly solidly put together with a heavyduty steel chassis protected with tough rubber end-caps that double as non-slip feet. This unit is the same form factor and footprint as the FC-6 controller for a sideby-side fit. Any Axe-Fx III users should be familiar with the FM3 as it sports the same display and control layout and is similarly based around 512 onboard presets, which can each accommodate a range of variations.
Each preset is built from component blocks placed in a 12x4 grid and joined by virtual cables from which you can build a range of signal paths – splitting or merging them or running them in parallel. The Axe-Fx III, with its 14x6 grid, offers larger rigs, especially as it has two amp blocks as opposed to the FM3’s one, but the FM3 doesn’t really miss out on the variety of blocks. There are some things missing, such as a vocoder, but the essential stuff is all present and correct – there’s just less of it, like two Drive and two Delay blocks, instead of four each on the Axe-Fx III.
Each block has access to a range of different models: there are 269 amps while the Drive block has 43. As for cabinets, there’s every factory cab from the Axe-Fx III plus 1,024 User Cab memory locations.