Advice on FRFR and amp+cab

[Michielnijboer]

I'm using my FM3 with an FRFR speaker, the Dynacord AXM12a. Perhaps not so well known, but it's probably one of the better FRFR monitors you can actually get, at least in Europe. Still, whenever I'm playing at home I feel that I'm missing something (as I did when I used my Yamaha DXR10 with my AX8). A few months ago, I got an Atomic Reactor 50/50 tube power amp with JJ 6L6s. I run into a 112 cab with a Celestion Vintage 30 (also tested it with other cabs). I connect the Atomic to OUT2 with the OUT2 block between AMP and CAB. The thing is... it sounds very thin. I can fix this to a large extent by tweaking the Out 2 EQ on the Fractal though. Whenever I play the OUT 1 on the FRFR monitor afterwards, it sounds dark and "more hifi than guitar cab" like in comparison. When I combine both at the same time, I'm pretty much in heaven. They go together really well and the Dynacord seems to add what the Atomic is missing and vice versa. But... I don't really want to lug around both an FRFR monitor and a 19"tube amp with cab for weekly rehearsals and gigs (when I also use IEM). And perhaps more importantly, I'd like to keep my OUT2 free of any EQ and treat it as much as possible as OUT1 b/c in many cases I use OUT1 for FOH and connect my Dynacord to OUT2 (to be able to adjust the monitoring volume only).

So ... it feels like a bit of a dilemma. I'm wondering if it would help to replace the Atomic with a SD Powerstage 170. Would that be more neutral than the Atomic? It would be more compact for sure... When you do use a PS170, do you treat it the same as a tube power amp + cab, i.e. put the OUT2 between AMP and CAB? For me the drawback of that is that most presets have effects after the CAB block and , as I mentioned, I often connect my FRFR to OUT2 as well.

I'm not that experienced yet and it gets quite complicated when I dive into videos and forum discussions about amp settings etc. Some advice of experienced users would be really appreciated!

 

[ducmike]

Are you running out 2 in series (ie; same line as your 1? Maybe not the best place for your out to the real amp/cab

I build out 1 and 2 for FRFR, and out 4 to my power amp real cab. But, I put my cab block right before out 1, out 2 right above or below 1, and 4 on the line below tapped on the last block before the cab. Sounds great with my SD PS170 and a 1x12 with a Celestion cream alnico.


I’m not a fractal , but works great, and I leaned that from the AB Naked 1400 presets.

 

[Michielnijboer]

Are you running out 2 in series (ie; same line as your 1? Maybe not the best place for your out to the real amp/cab

I build out 1 and 2 for FRFR, and out 4 to my power amp real cab. But, I put my cab block right before out 1, out 2 right above or below 1, and 4 on the line below tapped on the last block before the cab. Sounds great with my SD PS170 and a 1x12 with a Celestion cream alnico.


I’m not a fractal , but works great, and I leaned that from the AB Naked 1400 presets.

Thanks! I do also run OUT2 before the CAB block (no OUT4 on FM3). I just got a SD Powerstage 170 and have to say it sounds great when playing simultaneous with the FRFR speaker. The Atomic has more punch or attack perhaps, but after a while I get used to the SD and am quite happy with it. I think maybe when I used the Atomic with my AX8 I wasn’t running the OUT2 on 100%. Could be why I didn’t sound as great as it could.