NGD: Fractal FM3

[laxu]

I'm still having a hard time setting up a good Death Metal tone on the FM3 with my Vader Cab. I'm using a Ritter gba280 watt power amp and using a Caparison Horus with a Black Winter pickup. I am creating a preset at loud stage volume but no matter what I do I can't get rid of this sharp, harsh high end. I am currently using the Angle Severe 2. I keep separate presets for recordings and I am very happy with those, but once I create a preset for my cab I can't get anything to sound good.

It's pretty impossible to give suggestions without a clip.

It should sound good with not much more than having cab sims disabled (or just no cab block in the preset) and using an amp model you like. Not every amp model is going to play nicely for your preference so just roll through them until you find something you like. Try adding a parametric EQ before the Out block to try to find where the offending frequencies are happening.

 

[Breeding The Spawn]

It's pretty impossible to give suggestions without a clip.

It should sound good with not much more than having cab sims disabled (or just no cab block in the preset) and using an amp model you like. Not every amp model is going to play nicely for your preference so just roll through them until you find something you like. Try adding a parametric EQ before the Out block to try to find where the offending frequencies are happening.

I understand, I'll see if I can do a video soon describing it better. I find it so weird why I am having such a hard time, I don't know if it's the speakers in my cab, the fm3, the black winter pickup which I still kinda hate.

 

[MASS DEFECT]

I'm still having a hard time setting up a good Death Metal tone on the FM3 with my Vader Cab. I'm using a Ritter gba280 watt power amp and using a Caparison Horus with a Black Winter pickup. I am creating a preset at loud stage volume but no matter what I do I can't get rid of this sharp, harsh high end. I am currently using the Angle Severe 2. I keep separate presets for recordings and I am very happy with those, but once I create a preset for my cab I can't get anything to sound good.

What speakers are in your Vader Cab? Legend V12s?

 

[LCW]

I'm still having a hard time setting up a good Death Metal tone on the FM3 with my Vader Cab. I'm using a Ritter gba280 watt power amp and using a Caparison Horus with a Black Winter pickup. I am creating a preset at loud stage volume but no matter what I do I can't get rid of this sharp, harsh high end. I am currently using the Angle Severe 2. I keep separate presets for recordings and I am very happy with those, but once I create a preset for my cab I can't get anything to sound good.

Have you tried tweaking the high cut in the 'Input EQ' section of the amp block? I found that to help get rid of some high frequency fizz... at least I think so...

 

[LCW]

And along the lines of what Deadpool is saying, since you're running power amp and cab, you could/should have power amp modeling on (unless your power amp is very 'colored' vs neutral). The amp block has a 'Speaker' section where you can select different cab responses (impedance curves really). And you can do some high cut there as well.

And also make sure in the Output Mode, you don't have FRFR enabled. I found having FRFR enabled makes a real cab sound weird. But alternatively, running IRs into studio monitors, having 'SS pwr and cab' enabled doesn't seem to make much difference in the sound coming out of the monitors. I have dual outputs, one to amp/cab and one (cab block/IR enabled) to my studio monitors.

 

[budda]

I understand, I'll see if I can do a video soon describing it better. I find it so weird why I am having such a hard time, I don't know if it's the speakers in my cab, the fm3, the black winter pickup which I still kinda hate.

Read the last part of the last sentence. I think we found the problem.

 

[Deadpool_25]

Read the last part of the last sentence. I think we found the problem.

Yeah but that can't be it. Pickups don't have any effect on frequency response. Glenn Fricker said so.

 

[Deadpool_25]

As for me, I kinda gave up on getting a SS power amp. If I happen to find one, cool. But I really love the look of the head(s) and cab(s) lol. It’s the best of both worlds. I can play modeler through the heads. I can play modeler through the monitors. I can play through the heads using the modeler as effects only. I can ply through the heads with real pedals. It’s great. I have any setup that suits my mood.

And I can basically do all the same stuff with my combo amp(s) if I want to go portable.

Hmmm…tell me why I keep buying shit again… /facepalm

Ha. Looking back at this post I guess I hadn't given up. I ended up with a Powerstage 700 and absolutely love it. Seriously considering going down to just a single EVH head. With the 700 that gives me three channels of power for when I want to get crazy with w/d/w.

 

[laxu]

And also make sure in the Output Mode, you don't have FRFR enabled. I found having FRFR enabled makes a real cab sound weird. But alternatively, running IRs into studio monitors, having 'SS pwr and cab' enabled doesn't seem to make much difference in the sound coming out of the monitors. I have dual outputs, one to amp/cab and one (cab block/IR enabled) to my studio monitors.

View attachment 119117

"The default value, “FRFR”, is designed for use while using “Full Range/Flat Response” monitors, or while recording. The “Solid State Power Amp + Cab” (“SS PWR AMP + CAB”) mode is intended for use while using a solid-state power amp and conventional guitar cab. In this mode speaker compression modeling behaves differently, relying on the speaker for compression while still simulating the interaction with the power amp.

NOTE: The SS PA + Cab Mode is NOT intended for use with “current drive” power amps, i.e. tube power amps, Class-D current feedback amps, etc. This mode CAN be used, however, with FRFR monitors in high volume applications where the monitor’s speakers are compressing, thereby achieving a more dynamic response."

So whether you should be using this setting heavily depends on the type of poweramp you have. Mine have been either tube or Class D solid-state so I've never found it to be an improvement.

 

[Deadpool_25]

"The default value, “FRFR”, is designed for use while using “Full Range/Flat Response” monitors, or while recording. The “Solid State Power Amp + Cab” (“SS PWR AMP + CAB”) mode is intended for use while using a solid-state power amp and conventional guitar cab. In this mode speaker compression modeling behaves differently, relying on the speaker for compression while still simulating the interaction with the power amp.

NOTE: The SS PA + Cab Mode is NOT intended for use with “current drive” power amps, i.e. tube power amps, Class-D current feedback amps, etc. This mode CAN be used, however, with FRFR monitors in high volume applications where the monitor’s speakers are compressing, thereby achieving a more dynamic response."

So whether you should be using this setting heavily depends on the type of poweramp you have. Mine have been either tube or Class D solid-state so I've never found it to be an improvement.

All true. However I'd say you can also try pretty much anything. You never know what you'll prefer. Like using cab modeling through a real cab. Intuitively that should not work well and most of my experiences confirm that it usually doesn't for me. Some people actually like it that way though and that's fine. And then I tried it in a situation where I was actually trying to make it work and I found that I kinda could.

A lot of times doing things in a way other than how they're intended can end up working well, or can be made to work well (or at least well enough). At least IME.