Playing footsie with FX
How to do it all with just three footswitches
The FM3 might only have three physical footswitches but it supports a series of ‘Layouts’ which are basically presets that bring in different functions for the footswitches. A Layout actually defines roles for 12 accessible footswitches – a press and hold on the left or right switches can take you to the next set of three footswitches in the 12. The first three factory Layouts place Presets, Scenes or Effects across the switches and a press and hold on the central switch will take you to the Master Layout where the three switches let you choose between those three Layouts. One way of working might be to select a preset between songs in the set and then make your changes during the song by switching Scenes or by switching effects individually.
The upshot of this is that you can use scenes to turn multiple effects on and off and much more, although you can also have the more conventional option of assigning individual effects to footswitches in a preset. Okay, there might only be three footswitches, but Fractal have built loads of functionality into them, making them multi-tasking with fully‑customisable tap and hold functions for each, so there’s loads of flexibility in how you use them, plus there’s the option of adding up to 24 additional footswitches via Fractal’s FC controllers if desired.
The FM3 isnothing if not versatile; the inclusion of a headphone output makes it ideal for some silent practice, perhaps taking advantage of the onboard looper, while the onboard 4x4 USB audio interface cements its potential as a comprehensive guitar recording toolkit. Furthermore, a rugged build quality makes it ideal for stage work either as an easily transportable ‘fly rig’ to run a fully-processed signal into the PA or, leaving the amps and cab IRS out of the equation, as a source of quality effects to complement your amp, either standalone or integrated into your pedalboard. If you are lucky enough to own an Axe-fx III, and have cash to spare, the FM3 provides a viable gigging option for leaving the rackmount at home. For everyone else, it represents the most cost-effective way to get some of that Fractal mojo.
Trevor Curwen