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First gig with the FM9...

1.5K views 24 replies 13 participants last post by  Mark Brown  
#1 ·
..and it didn't go so well.
Now I know why I need to keep my tube amps.
It was an outdoor gig with no soundman. We do about 3 to 4 gigs like this a year. All sound comes off stage. Bass guy shows up with his new monster bass stack and means to move serious air. Every body is lighting it up volume wise cause we're outside and we can.
I set up my presets based on volumes that we'd have with legions and small\medium clubs where volume is more constrained. And that is the majority of our gigs. As well as a few fair gigs a year, bigger venues but a soundman. And with the FM9 it really does matter.
Strangely enough, I had my FR12 originally on a chair tilted up a bit and I can't hear it. Its litterly in my face and I can't hear it. I moved it down to the ground using the tilt back legs and I could hear it much better. But It was nearly fully cranked and the out on my FM9 is nearly cranked full. I originally set up my presets with all eq and volume on the FR12 at noon and the FM9 out about 1 oclock, which is pretty loud.
The trebles were distorting terribly, the mids were way too harsh and the bass was booming like...well a bass.
Thank gawd I could compensate somewhat on the FR12. Had trebles, mids and bass down to about 2. Volume on 9.
Still did not sound great. I admit I had the highs and mids set a little too hot and the max volume just exaggerated that terribly.
For any gigs like this I will definitely be bringing a tube amp.
I'm also going to get permission from work to Go in to the office Saturdays and Sundays when no one is there to work on my presets. Theres a couple of big rooms that would be perfect and I wouldn't have to worry about babies or any body else. The office is only a 4 minute drive from home so it will be convenient.
One question I had for anyone that might know. I set up my presets with the volume and all eq at noon on the FR12 and the out on the FM9 about 1 oclock. I was thinking that instead of fooling around with 2 levels that I'd crank one to full and control\compensate as needed the other source.
For example I'd still set the presets with the eq on the fr12 at noon but have the volume at max and control the levels from the FM9 output. Is anyone with a similar set up doing this?
 
#2 · (Edited)
I've not experienced this with the QC running through a mixer to a couple of PA speakers. I don't know if this will help but I set my master volume level (output volume knob on the QC) to max. I then use an expression pedal to control volume for the venue. When dialing things in, I use either the output level on the amp block (if it has one) or the output level on the QC's output block so I get between 87 and 90dB with the expression pedal set halfway. This way I've got lots of room to go in either direction. The fader level on the mixer is at -5dB.

For EQing, I try to EQ at gig levels. I can't remember from my FM3 days but I think Fractal has a global EQ also. I use that to adjust for each venue. My starting EQ curve rolls off the highs a little bit and leaves everything else flat.

I wouldn't use the FR12 to set your EQ as there will be times when you're using different speakers at a different venue. Use the FM9 to get the EQ curve that sounds good to you.

Good idea to borrow the workspace to EQ at gig levels. The FR12 should be more than loud enough. I suspect you weren't feeding it a hot enough signal from the FM9. Good luck!

Edit, one other thing to check. Make sure you're not sending a stereo signal to the Fender unless you're running two outputs to it (I don't even think it has dual inputs).
 
#5 ·
I'm adjusting some settings at loud volume today. I'm gonna run the FR12 like a power amp and have the volume at max. I am controlling the levels from the FM9 Out knob
I was definitely equing the highs and mids too hot.
I don't think I'm running stereo. I checked the amp blocks and the default is "Sum L+R".
As for not feeding a hot enough signal from the FM9 all my presets were set to slightly touch in the red, which is recommended. I had the out knob (level control for out 1 where the amp is) almost maxed out as well as the amp. Thats how loud the band was.
 
#4 ·
With the FR12 the Noon position is 0 Left is less and Right is more.

I set everything with the controls at noon and mostly use the cut to adjust the highs and usually have to roll some bass off.

I like your plan. Get somewhere that you can get stupid with the volume and assess your sounds. That's a really good idea.
 
#10 ·
You weren't the problem, the too loud players were the problem.

You are not fixing the problem, you are compounding it.

As someone who has given up both performing and attending live music due to tinnitis, I strongly believe you are making a mistake.

Tinnitus, once started, can only get worse.
I’ve cured my tinnitus.
 
#12 ·
I agree with the above comments. Don't try to compensate for a stupid loud live sound without PA on your FM9. Just take a tube amp. Keep your Fractal dialled in to what it does best.
 
#24 ·
Update on my progress.
It seems I did a bit of a snafu while setting up my presets. I hadn't realized that all this time I had the cut knob on my FR12 all the way on. Meaning cutting off all the high end and messing with the mids as well. This would explain the crappy sound I was getting at the first gig. It sounded like a wet blanket over everything. When I realized this a couple days ago, I turned it off, all the way to the left. Then I had to redo the eq on all my presets. But then what beautiful tones.
Today I was comparing back and forth, the blackface tones on the FM9 to the Mesa fillmore 50 and its indistinguishable. I am blown away how close this modeling is to tubes. I tried to listen as critical as I could and there is probably a touch more warmth coming from the tubes that I could probably, eventually dial in on the FM9 but in a mix you probably couldn't tell. Infact the FM9 would probably pop slightly more in the mix.
I feel kind of stupid what I did with the FR12. I was a bit worried there that this wasn't quite as good as I thought it could be but it turns out its far better than I expected.
 
#25 ·
I dont say this to be mean, but I have found that any time I cant get what I want out of that particular combination it has not been for lack of capability but for user error.

Happy you found it out and happy hunting.

That cut knob is fantastic when your dialing the volume way higher than usual. It can be handy. Best to set everything close to usage volumes with it off in my experience.

Also don't forget again. The detent (half-way) on the tone knobs is 0.