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There's no internal memory for a sampling of the bass cab packs.
OK. That sounds like it's not to difficult to work with. I'll have to give it a try.
That's how I got into Fractal (on guitar initially) and what really brought me over was when it came to being able to switch multiple FX and settings quickly and easily. On a traditional pedalboard you are looking at pricey and complicated switching solutions that still won't be adjusting your dials etc. IME The Fractal world really is far more powerful, better value, and they have frequent updates filled with great new features. I ended up getting an FM9 Turbo Mark II and have zero regrets, such an amazing and well thought out piece of kit.
Not having to deal with cable/power is another huge plus. It hurts a bit when I see the guitarists in my band spending 15-30 minutes trying to run down a grounding issue or mismatched cable on their boards.
Our guitarist is also a pro audio provider of tour grade gear. Not sure of the manufacturer, but the powered wedges are very high quality, big $$$$, loud and fairly flat response. We're very fortunate to have that. He uses a Midas digital rack mixer under ipad control. The bass channel is duplicated, one each for mains and monitors, so they can be EQ'd discretely.
Read the manual and start simple. Are you playing through IEMs or a traditional bass cab?
Not sure what styles of music you play, but I'd recommend maybe starting with the SV2 (Ampeg SVt) model if you're looking to use amp modeling. There some some built in bass cabs that are solid, but Dr Bonkers 810 SVT dynacab pack is great if you're looking to add more options. Note that the external cab packs have to be managed from a PC though
Oh also the new compressors are exceptional. I don't think the FM3 has them yet, just the axe FX 3. But I've been enjoying them a lot, hard to pick a favorite. The 1176 and pedal JFETs, the VCA bus compressor, new optical are all great. The new tube compressor is also super interesting, it has a very unique soft compression curve. Almost feels like a combo of a tube DI box and a compressor. For more classic bass tones w/o a ton of coloration, I don't even think an amp sim would be needed if you used the tube comp.
It's easy to get a bit swamped as a new Fractal user. Be patient and methodical. Study some simple presets to see how a signal chain is created, and resort to the manual often, especially with respect to initial setup and setting the input level to the AD/DA converters. I recommend joining the Fractal forum, too. It's become a little friendlier over the years for bassists, thankfully. Lots of really experienced and helpful users over there.
One note on this is I've noticed the flat IR drops my signal a bit. I sometimes have to boost the cab block by 6-9db to maintain unity gain. Idk if this is maybe just caused by some settings on my unit as I haven't seen anyone else ever mention it
There may be other "null" IRs lurking around the forum from all the years gone by before Fractal included it as a stock IR.,.might work better.
VP4 is phenomenal, just downsized my bass rig to it after getting a Mesa TT800 for my amp. Main sound right now is studio comp (1176) -> optical comp (la-2a) -> drive (still TBD, but liking the black glass) -> graphic EQ.
