After band practice I'm going back to Matrix amp and regular cab! FRFR not for me!

Tremonti

Tremonti

Fractal Fanatic
CLR was awesome at home and I know I could probably get it better with tweaking in live atmosphere, BUT. I just like moving more air I guess?? Sounded great cranked at home and I know I could get it there, just easier for me to keep what I have.

I don't wanna knock the CLR though....it is amazing. Its just different sound and FRFR isn't something I want I guess?? I'm content with my current rig.
 
jimnov said:
That's what I love about the Axe Fx...

Have it your way, like at booger king!

Amp simulation On or Off, FRFR or guitar cab?

FOH, Back line, both?

What more could you possibly ask for?

JN
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Agreed....lots to like and no way is better or worse...just preference.
 
It took me about 3 months of using an FRFR setup before I finally got it dialed in to my band. At the end of the day though, I only use CLRs as monitors, not a room fill.

I'm lucky that my band rehearses with our monitor PA rig, so everyone always has their own monitor and thier own mix so I don't need to fill the room.

I just recently moved to IEMs so now my CLRs only have the Axe FX in them for live interaction instead of the whole mix.
 
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Severed said:
It took me about 3 months of using an FRFR setup before I finally got it dialed in to my band. At the end of the day though, I only use CLRs as monitors, not a room fill.

I'm lucky that my band rehearses with our monitor PA rig, so everyone always has their own monitor and their own mix so I don't need to fill the room.

I just recently moved to IEMs so now my CLRs only have the Axe FX in them for live interaction instead of the whole mix.
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That's just it...I need more room fill and I don't have 3 months to get up and going with FRFR because we gig so much.
 
I'm going back and forth, I started with mesa 50/50, then FRFR Alto TS115, then I bought Dual Rectifier, and now I'm looking for a new FRFR setup :D All options are great. I've used IEM back in the day but I missed the air moving and the feel. I have pretty much all possible options to use with AXE FX so it's great to change sometimes.
 
Guess me coming from a 1600 watt Matrix power amp into a oversized ported 2x12 with 400 watt speakers was a tall order for CLR to fill. Kind of drastic difference in live situation handling.

I feel bad as I really thought I had turned the corner....running back to old girlfriend with rig I guess!!
 
When I first got rolling with the CLR, I A/B'ed my cab rig and CLR rig so I could dial in the CLR rig.

I needed more low mids for the CLR to sound the same as my cab rig.

I still like both rigs. The Cabs are like old friends that have gone to battle with me many times so I have a soft spot for them :)

I still really like the CLR's too but have really gone away from pushing the low mids too much... I swear :)
 
This makes me happy to hear just to help my indecisiveness. I was very close to purchasing the CLR and going FRFR. Instead though I ended up picking up a Retro Channel off ebay to try out.
 
Keg8605 said:
This makes me happy to hear just to help my indecisiveness. I was very close to purchasing the CLR and going FRFR. Instead though I ended up picking up a Retro Channel off ebay to try out.
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I want to re-iterate that I found the CLR amazing...I just don't have the time now to spend getting 50 patches up to snuff, nor do I have the money to keep both. If I was able to keep both...I would. When I can afford both in the future, I will probably give it a real try. Now I just need my tried and true.

Again...mad props to Tom King and the CLR.....anyone thinking of switching that can afford to keep existing rig and do the CLR....you will probably get it worked out. The high fidelity of FRFR is just too hard for me to tweak the high end out now without spending many live rehearsals and annoying my band with tweak after tweak. SOMEDAY!
 
I wasn't saying it wasn't good or anything. Just more so how hard the transition to FRFR can be sometimes for cab people. For me we use in ears so I get that nice direct sound through the ears and still have a trad. cab sound for the stage and rest of the band and at practice. Its kind of nice to have both.
 
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I have had QSC K12s two years and they sound shit at band level - the worst buy ever. If you go over that "magical" db level all crunchier sounding chords begins fart and some kind of plastic resonance and odd distortion is really audible. Soloing is just fine but chords ... no way. I just wonder, Tremonti, did you find out CLRs to have a similar effect? I'm considering to buy CLRs (those cubes for back line) or oversized Bogner 212 cab & Matrix GM50. Would still like to trust on FRFR for back line but I'm not sure...
 
Alarto said:
I have had QSC K12s two years and they sound shit at band level - the worst buy ever. If you go over that "magical" db level all crunchier sounding chords begins fart and some kind of plastic resonance and odd distortion is really audible. Soloing is just fine but chords ... no way. I just wonder, Tremonti, did you find out CLRs to have a similar effect? I'm considering to buy CLRs (those cubes for back line) or oversized Bogner 212 cab & Matrix GM50. Would still like to trust on FRFR for back line but I'm not sure...
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No....it just required tweaking that I don't have time for now with busy gigging and 2 young kids. Doesn't sound plastic or farty at all. CLR is amazing...just not right time for me to convert to FRFR period.
 
why do you "feel bad" ?
FRFR is not for everyone and I think it has a very "specific" target user.
I have a CLR Neo and I really like it (I run in backline position even in my house) I like it a lot and I think it's great that I would get to hear exactly what the audience
is hearing through a monitor , cause lets not kid ourselves it is still a Monitor, no matter how good we perceive it to be.
but when I go back to my Mesa Mark IV-2X12 recto cab the notes bounce off of the fretboard easier and there is a fullness/roundness
to the notes that is just not there with a solid state FRFR monitor.
I really like my AxeFX through the CLR
I love it through my mark IV recto cab :)
 
I just say then I'm out... for a coffee ;) And I'm not talking about recording situations. Having a nice monitor sound of your playing is so much different than what you expect to hear from your backline or fill the room with band rehearsals!
 
Hey Tremonti, thanks for sharing your experience man. I've not yet heard the CLR, but I SO remember the first time I tried ditching my guitar cab for FRFR in a band practice. That feeling when you know it just ain't gonna work is a real shot to the bollocks. Now that was years ago with an Ultra and a QSC HPR. Even though I've been happy on cabs ever since, I know the Axe and the IRs have improved a lot, and now the CLR is regarded as maybe the best monitor ever. So I've been in this state of perpetual temptation to try FR again and order a CLR. More recently I've been reading your CLR posts and I knew you were a Matrix amp\cab guy like me... so your experience here carries a lot of weight with me.

Good news is you won't lose a bundle on resale if you have to sell the CLR. (I took a big hit on my old QSC :))
 
kmanick said:
why do you "feel bad" ? FRFR is not for everyone and I think it has a very "specific" target user. I have a CLR Neo and I really like it (I run in backline position even in my house) I like it a lot and I think it's great that I would get to hear exactly what the audience is hearing through a monitor , cause lets not kid ourselves it is still a Monitor, no matter how good we perceive it to be. but when I go back to my Mesa Mark IV-2X12 recto cab the notes bounce off of the fretboard easier and there is a fullness/roundness to the notes that is just not there with a solid state FRFR monitor. I really like my AxeFX through the CLR I love it through my mark IV recto cab :)
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Because my initial reaction was that I was in love with the CLR cabinet. But it turns out that it's not for me. My initial post were glowing so in favor of the CLR cabinet or more aptly FRFR, that I feel dumb now.
 
Tremonti said:
My initial post were glowing so in favor of the CLR cabinet or more aptly FRFR, that I feel dumb now.
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That's ok man, we have all been there! Beware, I'll probably do the same when I get home and tryout the Retro Channel which should be here today haha. I don't think I've had anything as long as the axe honeymoon phase with gear.
 
Tremonti said:
Because my initial reaction was that I was in love with the CLR cabinet. But it turns out that it's not for me. My initial post were glowing so in favor of the CLR cabinet or more aptly FRFR, that I feel dumb now.
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You know I kind of go through the same thing. If I don't use a real amp for an extended period of time my ears get very used to the sound of FRFR, it just sounds "right" to me . I love it.
Then I'll fire up a real amp->cab and I really hear/feel quite a difference. I like running them together as a W/D/W thing (I have 2 FRFR wedges).
If I was gigging I'd put output 1 to FOH and use output 2 on stage with my mark IV-2X12.
I just find I prefer the response from a tube amp/guitar cab over any of the FRFR wedges I've tried (and I've tried a bunch).
 
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