Am I Getting This Right? FRFR vs. SS + Head

C

charlotterunner

New Member
Hi friends,

I am new to the forum, having JUST purchased an FM-9. No joke, I sold 22 pedals to make the dollars work! Yup, I was spending way too much time messing with pedals and not playing the instrument. No doubt, I just swapped one time-soak for another, but I can't wait to dive in.

So I am a home artist. I do not play out for now. I have loads of gear that I use for my own personal enjoyment, chasing tone, making riffs, and doing some recording. So other posts talking about PA and FOH issues are not 100% useful for me, I think. I'm probably not what you would consider a good player, but I'm not sure who has more fun than me. I love playing metal and hard rock - Tool, Metallica, AC/DC, Rush. One day when I grow up, I'll also try to learn some Larry Carlton solos.

I got my hands on an EV-PXM-12P, and wow, what clarity and precision, but not enough oomf for this home player. Am I right? Do I need to tweak the preset at all? Can I do so enough to get air moving from the EV? Probably not. I admit, I am new to this, and maybe a little hard work will help answer my question, but do I have the right approach to also annoy my neighbors? Is the better approach to get a SS head (SD Power Stage 200?) to go with my H&K cab (I have the H&K Grandmeister head, which is decidedly not neutral)?

I guess I want both - the punch from my rig to have fun at home, but the clarity to get the most out the amp and cabinet modeling coming out of the FM-9. Good grief, do I need both? ha ha! And thanks for your patience.

-- Paul
 
Hi,

Check out Page 95 of the Owners Manual, your Output Setting Level may need to change, I would suggest +4 dBu on the outputs you are sending to the EV-PXM-12P

Craig
 
So after pulling my lower jaw off the floor after seeing that studio layout...I'll dive into manual and see about pulling more lower end out of the EV, plus also maybe audition a SS power amp to push the cabinet. Very cool.

By the way, ∞Fractals, those dogs are undefeated!
 
Hi Paul,

I gig with EV PXM-12MP. It has tons of punch. I suspect you are used to running guitar cabs much louder than you're running the FRFR. Turn up the 12MP and it'll punch. You may also want to experiment with the Monitor Mode of the 12MP. I find that Monitor 2 is best for my taste, flatter than Monitor 1 (default).
 
Japster said:
Check out Page 95 of the Owners Manual, your Output Setting Level may need to change, I would suggest +4 dBu on the outputs you are sending to the EV-PXM-12P
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^THIS^

Definitely use +4dB.

I've had my pair of EVs running at 106dB+, keeping up with a FOH system, and they weren't turned up all the way. If that's not enough punch and oomph, then I'd reconsider the stage volume needs, because that's painfully loud and will ruin hearing quickly.

charlotterunner said:
Do I need to tweak the preset at all?
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We don't know because we haven't seen the preset.
charlotterunner said:
Can I do so enough to get air moving from the EV? Probably not.
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For home use? Oh, you'd need to stand outside the room if you turn them up. Mine were at 106dB in a club which was a much bigger room than a bedroom, and it was full of people soaking up the sound and getting their nads pumped.
charlotterunner said:
I admit, I am new to this, and maybe a little hard work will help answer my question, but do I have the right approach to also annoy my neighbors?
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That's never a good idea. In a bedroom it should be easy to hit 100dB with the EV so I suspect the problem is elsewhere.
charlotterunner said:
Is the better approach to get a SS head (SD Power Stage 200?) to go with my H&K cab (I have the H&K Grandmeister head, which is decidedly not neutral)?
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The EV has a lot more wattage than the SD but wattage doesn't directly translate to volume.

I'd recommend sharing your preset and a copy of your system settings from a backup, so we can see how the modeler is configured in addition to looking inside the preset's settings. Also, describe your connection to the EV, which port you're using on the modeler, the cable type, and anything else. Also, confirm that the OUT level on the front of the modeler is at least at 50%.
 
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Based on the varied responses, interpretation of the question suggests ambiguity. Are you looking for more volume, more dynamic response, or something else?
 
elvis said:
Hi Paul,

I gig with EV PXM-12MP. It has tons of punch. I suspect you are used to running guitar cabs much louder than you're running the FRFR. Turn up the 12MP and it'll punch. You may also want to experiment with the Monitor Mode of the 12MP. I find that Monitor 2 is best for my taste, flatter than Monitor 1 (default).
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Thanks elvis - I'll admit, I dove into the forum without doing some homework! I am comforted by you're saying that indeed the EV can yield some punch. Thanks man.
 
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