Fender FR-12 compared to PXM-12. My experience so far.

I agree - the EV I have has greater detail up front sound compared to the FR12 which is great for clean sounds but it sounds boxy on dirty sounds compared to the FR12.
 
I found that the FR 10 was far too noisy for domestic use, so I sent it back.
My Laney LFR 112 is definitely less noisy, less high frequency.
It's a shame, otherwise I liked the sound and it's nice and handy.
 
Oh. I didn't post this here.

I did the noise reduction mod as detailed by @Lysander in his thread on TGF. I swapped the three TL084 opamps with OPA1604s (the 1604s require being mounted on SOIC-14 adapters).

Long story short, it made a huge difference and basically eliminated the hiss. In terms of actual parts, it was about $40 shipped from Digi-Key (three SOIC-14s and three 1604AIDR).

Technically, I found the mod quite easy. However, I do think you really want to have the appropriate tools on hand:

  • Good soldering iron with a fine point tip
  • Magnifying glass or glasses
  • Solder removal tool

On a recommendation from @aflynt I got the YIHUA desoldering tool from Amazon. That thing is a friggin' godsend. Removing the stock TL084s was insanely easy with that tool; I think it would be much more of a pain without it.

A little recap on some opamp stuff (as far as I can tell; I'm no expert):

Stock original release: 3xTL084 (noise rating of 18 nV√Hz)
Stock (alleged) Fender v2 preamps: 1x TL084 (18 nV√Hz) , 2xOPA1664 (3.3 nV√Hz)
Lysander mod 3x OPA1604 (2.5 nV√Hz)
Alternative mod 3x OPA4337 (3.0 nV√Hz)

I'm still really looking forward to the new preamp board @WKSmith is working on. :)

And because someone will get all preachy about how you shouldn't have to mod something like this, I'll say you don't need to mod it. But it was fun and it killed the bit of hiss it did have. :)
 
On the fender website, it says 3 band EQ with a “high frequency cut control.” Does anyone know what frequency gets cut? How exactly does this work? Is it like the more you turn the Cut knob clockwise, the more frequency you cut out? For example, if I keep turning the knob clockwise does the cut go from 20,000 to 10,000hz (picked random numbers here)?
 
Jipps0525 said:
On the fender website, it says 3 band EQ with a “high frequency cut control.” Does anyone know what frequency gets cut? How exactly does this work? Is it like the more you turn the Cut knob clockwise, the more frequency you cut out? For example, if I keep turning the knob clockwise does the cut go from 20,000 to 10,000hz (picked random numbers here)?
Click to expand...

Screen Shot 2023-10-17 at 1.25.57 PM.png

The cut knob reduces 3kHz and up. From no reduction with the knob counter clockwise to -12dB of reduction with the knob fully clockwise.

It is a high shelf eq that does not boost, and the knob works in reverse from the other eq knobs
 
Question apologize if this has already been stated but are you guys playing through the FR 12 with amp and cab modeling on or off?
 
Cool I thought so thanks for clarifying that for me. I really like how light they are that In itself got my attention. Now I need to sell one of my
axe fx iii ‘s. I’d really like to try these FR 12’s
 
Deadpool_25 said:
I've had the PXMs for a short time now and loved them immediately. A few days ago I bought a Fender Tone Master Pro at GC to check out alongside my FM9. Almost as an afterthought I asked if they had the FR-12 as well. They did so I grabbed that too.

My initial test was very promising and I seemed to like it as much as the PXM--maybe even a touch more in some ways. So since I had three EVs I figured the only way to be fair was to order two more FR-12s (lol; I'm crazy). I ordered them from Sweetwater on Saturday evening and they arrived today (Monday morning).

I immediately setup for some testing in stereo (not wdw yet).

View attachment 127743

Note: Take all this for what it's worth. I tested I in my space with my guitars, my FM9, and my ears. YMMV :)

So far my opinion is holding. I prefer the FR12 for guitar sounds--it just feels a bit more like a real cab. It's the fullness or resonance of the low end I think. It feels more "girthy" and it's a significant difference. The PXM fees more snappy/punchy in the low end.

I used models of a Deluxe, AC-30, JVM orange, and VH-4 and feel that both are great with both low to high gain. I do slightly prefer the FR12 when directly a/b'ing but the overall listening/playing experience is fantastic using either and I'd absolutely be happy with either setup (or even a mix).

While I prefer the FR12 for guitar sounds specifically, I think I prefer the PXMs for recorded music. Maybe? That's much closer. The PXM seems a tiny bit more detailed as a speaker, so a little more hi-fi. My impression is that the PXM is probably a bit flatter but I could be wrong. Of course neither of them is gonna be like a super hi-fi home or car audio speaker or have the detail of a great studio monitor, but both of them sound good enough for playing to backing tracks and such (I ran my iPhone through the FM9's input 2).

I like the control layout of the FR12, with individual knobs and power switch on top which makes adjustments very simple and intuitive--more guitar-like. The PXM's adjustments are low and on the side and you adjust them in a (simple) menu system. The FR12 has bass, middle, treble, and high cut. The PXM has bass, middle, and treble, and you can adjust the center point of the mid control. I didn't adjust the controls during this testing (I did a little when I tried the first one) but I think that high cut on the FR12s would be super handy.

The FR12 only has a single input. That makes it fne for a modeler but less useful as a PA speaker. The PXM has three inputs so it would be better if you want to hook up multiple devices (I need to remember to hook my synth up).

The PXM also has phantom power so you can use it for a vocal mic or something.

The PXM has waaaay more options in terms of DSP/control. Different modes, presets, etc.

The PXM is physically smaller; the FR12 is a couple lbs lighter. I find the carrying experience is a little better with the FR12. The handle is on top and feet on the bottom like a combo amp. The PXM's handle is on the side so when you set it down you either set it on its side and risk scratching it up or you tilt it while setting it down so it lands on its feet. That just feels a little more awkward.

They both can be set at a few angles (swing out legs on the FR12). The PXM is pole mountable. The FR is not.

The FR12 has a more guitar-centric aesthetic.

Ambient hiss is minimal on both.

All in all, both of these are really good with the FM9. I don't think you can go wrong with either for use as an FRFR for a modeler.
Click to expand...
did they fix the hissyness?
 
withfoam said:
Do you all leave your unit in stereo or do you sum L+R if you're just going to the one FR-12?
Click to expand...
This is kind of a generic question as it applies to any speaker.

Summing is useful if you're taking advantage of stereo effects, but it also opens a small can of worms because of phase cancelation of stereo signals. The manual covers that.

If you're not running stereo, or are willing to accept that one channel is missing, then it's not a big deal. The vast majority of the time I'm running from the Cab block which is folding to mono then through a chain of post-effects which can be adding stereo information but are usually bypassed so it's still a mono signal. The signal hits the Reverb block which is stereo which feeds Out 1. I don't care whether the reverb is a single channel or stereo because it sounds about the same in the band context. Even chorus and rotary sound good in mono.

It's easy to audition the differences in sound caused by the various summing methods and everyone has different ideas of what their sound should be, so sit down with your favorite presets, connect to a single speaker and have at it. :)
 
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