Breakdown: Leon Todd's FM9 Live Tone Tour & FREE Preset Welcome to another Tuesday Tone Tip with Leon Todd, presented by G66. In today's tutorial, we're taking a deep dive into Leon Todd's live rig and the FM9 preset he's been using on tour with Australia's premiere cabaret and circus, Bernie Dieter's Club Kabarett. With an impressive run of 54 shows in Sydney, Leon is here to share his experience and offer a free preset for your own rig. Let's get started! 1. The Live Rig Two main guitars: PRS DGT (2020): Stock configuration except for the knobs with coil tap, three-way switch, and moon inlays. Rublassie LT Edition: Stainless steel frets, carbon fiber monocoque, fixed bridge, six-way switch, Porter pickups, and Luminlay dots. FM9 MK I - the new MK II has larger displays 2. Core Sounds and Presets Cab: LT TV Mix 7, Low cut at 80 Hz and high cut at 5,500 Hz Amp Settings: Brit 800 Mod Settings: Gain 6.0 Bass 6.0 Mid 6.5 Treble 5.0 Presence 2.7 Depth 3.6 Master Volume 3.0 Level -8.8 dB CC Boost: Engaged Brit 800 2203 Low: Settings: Gain 7.0 Bass 7.0 Mid 6.0 Treble 5.0 Presence 3.0 Depth 7.0 Master Volume 10.0 Level -12.0 dB 5153 Amp: Settings: Gain 4.0 Bass 7.0 Mid 6.0 Treble 6.0 Presence 9.5 Depth 7.0 Master Volume 2.5 Level -6.0 dB 3. Scene Setup Each scene in Leon's preset is meticulously crafted for different song sections and tones. He uses tap or hold functions to get to each scene: Scene 1: Chunk Amp: Brit 800 Mod Reverb: Large Room, 20% Mix Dual Detune: Voice 1: Detune 9.0 cents, Delay 3.0 ms, Level 100%, Pan -100 Voice 2: Detune -9.0 cents, Delay 11.0 ms, Level 100%, Pan 100 Mix: 30%, Level: 3.0 dB Usage: Provides a chunky, driven sound suitable for rhythm parts. Leon uses this for his main rhythm tone, which gives a thick and powerful sound perfect for rock and heavier styles. Scene 2: Lead Wah: Crybaby type with a maximum frequency of 1,800 Hz Drive: Valve Screamer VS9: Drive 0, Tone 6, Level 10 Amp: Brit 800 Mod Effects after Cab: Aurora Delay: Stock settings, mix up to 25% Reverb: Large Room, 20% Mix Dual Detune (see Scene 1) Boost: Post scene boost of 4 dB in the output block scene Level menu Usage: Enhanced for lead sections with additional gain and delay. The added boost and delay give solos more presence and sustain. Scene 3: Trem Effects in front of Amp: Reverb: Tube Spring, Time 2.52 sec, Size 50.0, Mix 25% Bias Tremolo: Rate 5.000 Hz, Depth 70.0%, LFO Type Triangle, Mix 50.0% Amp: Brit 800 2203 Low Effects after Cab: Reverb and Pitch (see Scene 1) Usage: Clean sound with vintage tremolo and reverb for atmospheric parts. This scene is ideal for creating a shimmering, old-school tremolo effect. Scene 4: Crush Amp: 5153 100W Stealth Red Rev and Pitch see Scene 1 Usage: Chunky tones with a modern, aggressive edge. This scene is used for high-gain rhythm parts that require a tight, chime-like quality. Scene 5: Lush Volume Block in front of Amp for swell (Expression Pedal) Amp: Brit 800 2203 Low Effects after Cab: Aurora Delay: Stock Settings, mix up to 25% Stratocumulus Reverb: Time 20.00 sec, Size 75.0, Pre-Delay 77.0 ms, Echo Mix 50.0%, Mix 50.0%, Level 3.0 dB Pitch see Scene 1 Usage: Lush ambient sounds, ideal for creating atmospheric layers. This scene is perfect for ambient, swelling sounds that fill the space. Scene 6: Chungus Amp: 5153 100W Stealth Red Effects after Cab: 2290 Panning Delay: Mix 30% Reverb and Pitch see Scene 1 Usage: Rhythmic sections requiring spatial delay effects. The panning delay creates a wide, immersive soundstage. Scene 7: Clean Amp: Brit 800 2203 Low Same as Scene 3 without Reverb and Trem in front of Amp; Phaser in front of Amp engaged. Effects: Phaser: Stripe 90, Rate 0.649 Hz, Depth 10.0, Feedback -33.3%, Manual 5.0, Min Frequency 154.0 Hz, Max Frequency 5647.0 Hz, Mix 50.0%, Level 0.0 dB Usage: Clean sound with a phaser effect, offering a rich, modulated clean tone. Scene 8: Lush Plus Same as Scene 5 with a Drive in front of the Amp. Fuzz Face in front of Amp: Drive 9, Tone 2.5, Level 5 Amp: Brit 800 2203 Low Effects: Aurora Delay: Stock settings Stratocumulus Reverb (see Scene 5) Pitch (see Scene 1) Usage: Enhanced lush ambient tones with additional fuzz for extra texture. This scene combines the ambient qualities of Scene 6 with the aggressive fuzz of Scene 7 for a rich, dynamic sound. Practical Tips Experiment with High Cuts: Leon suggests experimenting with high cuts between 5 kHz and 8 kHz depending on your setup and room acoustics. Volume Swells: Utilize the volume pedal for dramatic swells, especially with the Stratocumulus Reverb for lush ambient sounds. Tap and Hold Switches: Use Tap or Hold functions to get the most out of your Foot Controller Scene Levels: Adjust scene levels between 3 dB and 6 dB to suit different song dynamics and band contexts. Conclusion Leon Todd's FM9 preset offers a versatile and powerful setup for live performances. By sharing his detailed settings and practical tips, Leon encourages you to experiment and customize the preset to your own tastes and needs. Download the preset in the description and start exploring the sonic possibilities with your FM9. Additional Resources For more information and resources, check out the following: Fractal Audio Wiki Leon Todd's Free Preset in the description If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to leave a comment below. Happy playing! Note: Ensure to customize the settings based on your gear and playing environment for optimal results.
Killer tones again Legend. Thank you so much for all the videos you have made. I couldn't have gotten to where I'm at on my axe3 without you. Good luck on your next shows. Looking forward to seeing some footage
Leon theses are GREAT!! Have big a big influence on us! And it sounds GREAT!! I am about to sell my Helix and order a FM9! The only thing; I'll just miss the Helix Expression Voiume/Wah Pedal. How do you use that Expression Pedal I see on your Rig? Thanks, Dave ion NY
Is this compatible with axe III? I assumed that it would import everything that was compatible. But when I import, it shows as blank to the preset number assigned. Am I doing something wrong?
@@G66eu I got this up and running on my FM3T - sounds excellent🙂!... I had to drop Vol/Pan, but the rest fit in. CPU is at 75% with Economy reverbs, and 80% with Normal reverbs. I used the Small Spring instead of the Tube Spring (I discovered a new parameter called Boiiiiiing!).
@@G66eu yeah all up to date, just had it a couple weeks bought from yourself! (Ivor Bond)! Got it now, just imported it and moved blocks! Only scene not working is Chunk, 1st one, but rest are working and sound amazing, thanks 🤘🤘