Just got the Friedman ASC-12 and...

Ahhh don't say that mate! I don't need any encouragement!! I won't be able to tell my wife! It reminds me of a post I read on a guitar forum - the guy said that you should always buy all your guitars in the same color, that way the wife won't notice. That cracked me up. Maybe my wife won't notice that suddenly I've got TWO of those new speakers??? My credit card will unfortunately.

It's going to happen though, I know :laughing:
:D I hear ya. I just use the chart. Always follow the chart. ;)
EDFC7F6F-5E79-44DA-B514-22A110034EAD.jpeg
 
I'm in same boat except with an ASM12 #2 already planted seed which was probably a mistake!

How did I almost miss that MOST AWESOME FLOWCHART!!!!!!!
 
Last edited:
Since I started this thread I guess I should update it. I sold the Friedman. I could not get that bright wide open spank that I get from other cabs. I could not get over dullness/darkness whatever it's called. Back to hunting I guess.

I sold mine for the exact same reason. I now have a DXR10 and it’s much better sounding IMHO.
 
I sold mine for the exact same reason. I now have a DXR10 and it’s much better sounding IMHO.
Can you expand on better sounding because I'm all ears pun intended heh... I love my ASM12 but I'm always open to hear why people like the CLR or DXR etc more....
 
Can you expand on better sounding because I'm all ears pun intended heh... I love my ASM12 but I'm always open to hear why people like the CLR or DXR etc more....
Well I hate to use the cliche’ “blanket over the speaker”, but that’s how it really sounded with my XL+. The DXR10 I’m using with the Axe3 is clear and articulate. I am wondering how the new ASM 10sounds. Wonder if 10” Speaker makes a difference.
 
Well I hate to use the cliche’ “blanket over the speaker”, but that’s how it really sounded with my XL+. The DXR10 I’m using with the Axe3 is clear and articulate. I am wondering how the new ASM 10sounds. Wonder if 10” Speaker makes a difference.
Thanks Interesting, now I'm going to have to pay attention to this. I wonder if the grill Friedman uses led to this as this is not the first time I've heard that statement. Now I am going to pull the grills off and see if there is a difference. I haven't noticed this myself but going to test it out none the less.
 
I've not had this experience with the ASC12. To my ears it is anything but dull or lacking in highs. When I compare it the CLRs, The CLRS sound hyped in the highs and lows, especially at stage volume. YMMV.
 
Isn't that Fletcher Munson? I dont get hyped anything out of the CLR personally. IMHO YMMV.

My guess: It is when you either: have adjusted the EQ of your preset to compensate for the non-flat response of the ASM-12 (by boosting the highs and lows) and then ran that preset through the flat response CLR (revealing the boosted highs and lows as EQ'ed by the preset) or your ears have adjusted to a mid-heavy tone, thereby accepting it as flat (making the CLR sound scooped).
 
I've not had this experience with the ASC12. To my ears it is anything but dull or lacking in highs. When I compare it the CLRs, The CLRS sound hyped in the highs and lows, especially at stage volume. YMMV.
Highs and lows will always sound hyped at higher volumes regardless of cab
 
Highs and lows will always sound hyped at higher volumes regardless of cab

Yes, this is true. I just find the CLR much more hyped at volume than the ASC. Everyone's ears are different and that's why it's good there are different options out there.
I love the CLRs for program music and in the studio, but I just prefer the ASC in a live setting if I'm using FR monitoring.
 
Would love to hear a recent post with FX3 (Firmware 11x) and the CLR and ASC.
IMO, with the countless YT vids I've heard (omg, too much drop D),....

I'm going to guess that the Friedman ASC with 'guitar cab-like construction' would sound a tad more realistic...however!......the CLR does 'consistently' sound good in 'most' YT vids..in a clear way (pun intended) Unfortunately, most stores do not stock FRFR's and it's prohibitive to buy and try, then return, as it expensive to ship and return. So many people are stuck relying on YT vids to get a good representation. I'm getting FX3 next week and at this point my choices are narrowed to above mentioned (ASC and CLR-with waiting list).

Lastly, after driving my wife insane with me crankin YT up to hear 50 or so demos on FRFR stuff, the main thing I'm seeing for at least 70% of these vids are poor recordings. Maybe a 121 backed up about 4 feet? Or similar? Brett Kingman did a great job on a CLR a ways back.
 
I found there are 2 camps when it comes to "FRFR" speakers. Those who like the hifi sound, ala CLR, and those who like more traditional sound, ala ASC. It comes down to different strokes, that's all, one IS NOT better than the other. I personally hated the CLR, it was too "clean" sounding, gave me absolutely no real guitar playing thrill. The ASC on the other hand, sounded like I was playing through an actual guitar cab, it gave me that something I like when I'm playing. That being said, and the whole "does it translate", well, I've been through the DXR10, ASM-12, CLR Neo, Xitone, Matrix FR10, Powercab+, ELX12P, and the ASM-10, and when I'd run my Friedman preset through any of them, the tone stack adjustment never changed. I really don't think the difference is as drastic as some tend to think. I think it comes down to what type of sound and feel you want from your speaker. Anyway, good luck and hopefully you don't need to drop as much cash as I did to find your thing.
 
Would love to hear a recent post with FX3 (Firmware 11x) and the CLR and ASC.
IMO, with the countless YT vids I've heard (omg, too much drop D),....

I'm going to guess that the Friedman ASC with 'guitar cab-like construction' would sound a tad more realistic...however!......the CLR does 'consistently' sound good in 'most' YT vids..in a clear way (pun intended) Unfortunately, most stores do not stock FRFR's and it's prohibitive to buy and try, then return, as it expensive to ship and return. So many people are stuck relying on YT vids to get a good representation. I'm getting FX3 next week and at this point my choices are narrowed to above mentioned (ASC and CLR-with waiting list).

Lastly, after driving my wife insane with me crankin YT up to hear 50 or so demos on FRFR stuff, the main thing I'm seeing for at least 70% of these vids are poor recordings. Maybe a 121 backed up about 4 feet? Or similar? Brett Kingman did a great job on a CLR a ways back.

I have the ASC-10, and I've just ordered a Xitone powered wedge. I'll post a comparison once the Xitone arrives. The ASC-10 does sound very 'guitar cab-like', but (IMHO) wasn't a super accurate representation of the output of the Axe. I spent the better part of a year building presets on the ASC-10 and then tried to record some parts for a friend's album, and I was surprised by how different everything sounded on a pair of Adam studio monitors. Then I hooked the Axe up to the studio monitors and started going through the factory presets. I just thought everything sounded much better through studio monitors, hence the move to a more 'hifi' FRFR setup.
 
Interesting. I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on the Friedman ASC-12. Reason is, I have a Small Box head with a 1x12 Friedman matching cab and it's probably the best clean/dirty amp I have owned in my long journey of tone searching.

Without getting too deep, there are hundreds of hand built boutique and vintage amps that are gonna blow my socks off, but with my limited purchases (maybe 35+ or so amps in my lifetime) the SB combo sounds great. Currently, my pared down arsenal are just two amps....the SB head, 2 cabs, 1x12 and 2x12 Friedman's and a hand-wired deluxe 64 custom Fender. I've owned 3 or 4 Deluxes and this one almost drove me to tears it sounded so good when I got it recently.... So the power-cab I get needs to sound real close to my SB, but also pretty close to my Deluxe. I'm hoping with FX3, real close. Nothing beats the glorious real shit, but if dialed in correctly with a decent FRFR cab, ?? I heard a good things about the ASC10 just today, and the Xitone, from my YT searches was my 3rd choice....hah!

One more thing....I think good studio monitors will always sound very good in a non band/performance setting. Heck, when I play my SB mic'd with 121 and then out of my 824's it sounds pretty damn good. That's my bedroom/home studio sound. My monitors are louder than SB mic'd cab, as my amp is right next to my recording s/u....then I adjust monitors to taste. I'll track this way and it sounds pretty damn good.....okay off on a tangent!

Lastly, ASC-10 vs ASC-12 for live performance? Which sounds more amp like and mixes well with band?
 
It's all really subjective. You just have to try everything you can get your hands on until you land on what works for you. The forum goes back at least ten years, and you can read glowing reviews of one cab or another then find the reviewer selling it a year later to get something else, rinse and repeat. I do it, too. Based on what you've said, I'd try the ASC-12. There are guys here who gig with them and say they love them.
 
Back
Top Bottom