Seems I'm done with FRs, recommendations

+2 on the EV PXM 12...I used one upside down behind the lead singers mic and it provided monitoring for a 5 piece rock band no problem

In fact the band wanted to bring me out of retirement to provide sound for them because the said it was the best stage sound they had ever had.
Super wide soundstage and throws well to!
 
Under_Pressure said:
So,
I've been in the Journey of FRFRs and there's always an issue. Funny enough, tone never has been the main issue, I can make it sound any FR I've owned the way I like. I currently have a Fender FR-12, FR10, and a Friedman ASC-10. The 3 sound different, but with EQ changes I can make any of them to sound good or similar.

Well, if they all sound good where is the problem then? The problem is directionality. They all sound great at home, but at rehearsals or gigs they are too directional.
If I leave them flat on the floor, the tone I hear freaking sucks and they get lost in the mix. If I angle it like a monitor, they sound good, BUT no one else in the band hear me clearly. Very often in rehearsals, the durmmer or other guys ask me to turn Up, while I find I'm pretty loud actually. I know I am shooting high dB, is just the sound is so focussed that it gets lost in the room.

My last ground breaking moment was last rehearsal, we have a new rhythm player, guy came with a freaking Blues Jr. (small 15W tube amp) the guy literally ate me for breakfast. Amp just sitting on the floor was so freaking loud I had to ask him to turn down a bit. I recorded the rehearsal with my Tascam and just confirmed the same thing, guy pops, I'm getting lost. I could turn up more my FR, but I don't want to, I know I'm really blasting! I've been playing for 30 years.

So i've been really thinking in switching to some sort of hybrid system like Fryette PS2 + real cab. It's just 2 things that make doubt, 1 is weight an portability, and the other is getting stuck with 1 sound, I like to switch sounds in my presets, sometimes I use an AC30, then a Plexi, then a Fender, etc. And that's the main reason I've been using an FR. I'm afraid of getting stuck with 1 type of sound if I switch to a real cab, well, that's the way I played my whole life, but to me defeats what I like most from a modeller, versatility.

Recommendations? Thanks
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Coax wedge, like the Yamaha DHR12M or EV PXM. Much better dispersion on all three axes. Flatter response, more headroom, and more powerful than the Fender powered cabs.
 
I use FRFR cabs a lot. For larger stages, I have two Laney FR 212s
And they're loud. A few weeks ago, we played a gig where my fellow musicians politely asked me if I could play a little quieter. Just like in the good old days. 😂

For small stages, or when we use In Ear, my two EV Everse 8 are sufficient.
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Of all the full-range solutions I've tested over the past 10 years, I always refer to real-world group practice scenarios, such as rehearsals or concerts.
For me, the best solution was the CLR Wedge NEO, but I sold them a bit too quickly... they were difficult to transport and a real constraint for rehearsals. Today, I'm satisfied with the Barefaced; they are, despite everything, more directional, and the rear opening contributes to sound dispersion.
The EV PXM 12 also has very good user feedback.
 
2204JCM said:
A closed back speaker cab is much more directional than a typi
Jim Amsden said:
Guitar speakers are pretty directional too. Another difference with that Blues Junior is the open back cabinet. That pushes sound everywhere.
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Yes, I’ve been playing for 30 years and I remember very well how it is, and I know I can mostly fix the problem with a traditional cab.
A 12” speaker has more dispersion than a horn, that’s the main difference. In a tradicional cab all the freq are being spread by a 12” (or 10) speaker. In a FRFR the treble is sent to the compression driver with a horn, the angle of this driver+horn is much narrower than a 12” speaker, that’s the main reason why it’s focused. A real cab is no perfect either, but is better ime, even if it’s closed back.
 
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Just get a blues jr./princeton/drri. go to the board if there is one via xlr. go output2 to the blues jr. for your monitoring.
 
The Barefaced AVD cabinet is amazing at distributing audio all around. It's like the big selling point of their cabs. At gig volume with a band, I have no issues with everyone hearing me (when not mic'd) vs another more traditional cab that is piercing for those sitting right in front of it, and a huge sonic difference when off axis.
 
Under_Pressure said:
In a FRFR the treble is sent to the compression driver with a horn, the angle of this driver+horn is much narrower than a 12” speaker, that’s the main reason while it’s focused.
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It depends on the particular FRFR. The EV PXM12MP and the RedSound and several others use coaxial tweeters, mounted into the woofers, resulting in a very spread pattern, much wider than a typical guitar speaker. The trade-off is that the sound is covering more space so the cabinet has to be turned up for the equivalent volume.

EV's speakers are basically small, wide-angle, PA cabs/floor-monitors and can get very loud and remain easy to hear off-axis, and with those I didn't need a FOH feed in normal size rooms. The RedSound ELIS.8, though they don't have the same power, are plenty powerful behind me for my own monitoring and with my FOH feed the room can hear whatever I'm doing without problem.
 
I'm going to wait for the Wampler Pedalhead and use that with a couple of Egnater 1x12 cabs or whatever cab of choice. I'd rather hear my tone through traditional cab over FR. So many variables with FR that I'd rather avoid.
 
I think my feelings of gigging with the FR-12 can be summed up as: I like it, but I don't.

However, my feelings of gigging with a real guitar amp can also be summed up as: I like it, but I don't. o_O

With the types of venues I get to play there is no perfect solution. I've stuck with FRFR for now as it gives me the most control. And it's easy to load in.

In regards to getting stuck with one sound by using a real cab - In a live situation that may not be a bad thing. I've seen Leon Todd and others talk about it. Even when using IR's he recommends using one cab for a live preset to help homogenize everything. The idea is that it makes amp changes less jarring to the audience, and the sound guys life a little easier since everything is going through a common filter. Just gotta find a cab/speaker that covers the most ground for you. For me it would probably be an open back greenback cab.
 
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