studio monitors vs FRFR...how much difference

R

randombastage

Experienced
We've all seen the debate of pro's and cons between FRFR and guitar cab/power amp.
How about those of you that have experienced the differences between a pair of FRFR powered cabs (or amp/passive cabs) and a pair of good quality studio monitors?

Before I ever got the AxeFx I sold off a pair of Roland studio monitors 6" and got a Yamaha StagePas 300 powered mixer with a pair of 2 way 8" speakers + horn. The only benefit, which I still enjoy, is the sweet spot of the Rolands was very small. You put your ears in the sweet spot and kept it there or else you didn't hear a good reproduction of your sound. With the little Yamaha PA set up the quality is probably lessened but the ability to move about the room a little bit was worth it.

So, fast forward to today, I now have the AxeFx Ultra and I'm wanting to upgrade my monitor/reproduction gear.
I'm thinking QSC K10's or a nice pair of studio monitors in the same price range ($1400). Even though I usually do sit when playing I don't want to have to be sitting in one spot to hear the good stuff. As far as quality mixing goes I'm not mixing anything other than my own original music so average demo quality will do. It isn't Pro level recording stuff going on here, just for my own entertainment, and my daughters are getting into making music so it will be the beginning of their studio set up so I'm willing to give up a small percentage of studio quality for versatility.

I also won't need to use them outside my home I have an old Atomic 112-18 for that so it will be for playing my guitar through the AxeFx, playing back music and recording my own music.

Have any of you guys made the switch from FRFR to studio monitors or the other way around and what advice would you give along those lines?
 
Honestly I do not know. Life is busy and I am lazy I guess. I have some Dynaudio monitors. So decent monitors. Mainly they are for play back of recordings. Haven;t tried them with the AXE. I use a QSC HPR 112i for the AXE. Someday I need to try the Dynaudios and compare. My gut says I have listened/learned enough of both, that I may subconsciencoulsy (sp?) make the adjustment for them.
 
I have a pair of M-Audio BX8a's and they are ok, truth be told I just use them as computer speakers. If all your going to do is play back and aren't doing any giging out I would go for the best studio monitors you can afford other wise I would look at some powered wedges. The little Verve 8mA's would be nice at double duty speakers.
 
I used to play only with monitors, but having to stay on one unique spot is quite annoying... so I changed, but for a cab.

So, I'd go FRFR against monitors, moreover you're not really into studio stuffs.
 
Pet niggle: Both studio and stage monitors are called FRFR (Full Range-Flat response). They differ in that stage monitors (which are disguised PA-speakers anyway) are made to go loud and sacrifice the flatness of the response to do so. Studio monitors are made to sound accurate and sacrifice sound level to do so.

Want great sound, never play with the band: get studio monitors.
Want to play with a band: Studio monitors will probably not push you over a drummers noise and survive for very long.

Bottom line is always get the best you can afford. Although there are bargains out there, you usually get what you pay for.
 
I use the focal cms 65 studio monitors and they are amazing, a little more than your price range 1800 a pair..but I'm sure deals are out there. The focal cms 50 are slightly less expensive.
To me they are far superior to the Adams, ext..maybe a little more expensive but I can't say enough good things about them!
 
i'm using a pair of FOH speaker (RCF art322a) and a pair of studio monitors (Tannoy Reveal).

I've been used it at the same time for rehearsal in a rock band environment (my drummer plays very very strong).

When i only use the tannoy speaker i can hear me without problem and the tone is amazing flat if i stay near. (at 1-2 meters). My drummer is located at 5 meters and he protested becouse he didn't hear me well. Now i send him a mix of my guitar across him metronome headphone (motu sound device) and that problem were solved.

I can practice without problem with the studio monitor, when i turn on the RCF i feel more power, but a lack of mids compared with tannoy.

Teoritically both solutions can produce around 100-115dB in some points of a room.
I think the key is:
-FOH can produce a lot of power in a lot of points of the room but without flat response.
-Studio monitor only works well in the nearfield. For me (subjective) in the 1 to 3 meters line sigth around. For me is enough for rehearsal (small room)

I use RCF in small gigs like PA system (Guitar, voice and bit of drum ambience), and they work very very well in this way. I only turn it on when i want a lot of sound level in the rehearsal room

I've always been thinking of doing a test about how must sound a fews studio monitor located around all the room, maybe 2 or 3 pairs. You may not use a lot of sound intensity, think about more than 110 dB is not good for your hears and this monitor can handle this sound level. You must only want tone fidelity with enough level at more points of the room as possible.
If this theory works, there would be interesting of testing a lot of cheaper nearfield monitors to build a rehearsal solution.
 
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