Announcement: Atomic Reactor FR - UPDATED 7/27/09

the weight is right around 40 lbs. i agree about the handles- it would be nice to have 1 additional handle for those of us who want to carry it with one hand. maybe have one in the middle of the 2 that are currently on there.
 
Tom said:
FYI, I never said there wouldn't be a passive version!

At the moment, we are very focused on getting the Reactor FR to market. Once that has occurred we'll evaluate the whens, ifs and hows of a passive version. Begging and goading will not help the passives cause so please refrain if possible. It is very clear that some people would appreciate this option but as I originally said (which seemed to spark this whole thing is) 1st things 1st. I don't think that is an unreasonable position.
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Fair enough Tom.
We just wanted to know if the passive version would/could be released the same time or at a much later date.
FWIW, I'm not that interested in a passive version, I was just thinking about the others who asked for it.
I was only thinking about a passive version since I'm not that much for tubes because of the maintenance.
But then I reread your original info about why you went for tubes and I decided i'll have to rely on your expertise ;-)
G66 confirmed I'm on the waiting list so I'll wait for a sign from them.
 
Tom,

Can you shed some light on what this means for your existing Atomic Reactor
product line?

Does the FR replace them? Or are you working on getting the original 50w off
of backorder and back into production?

Thanks...
 
jb70 said:
i agree about the handles- it would be nice to have 1 additional handle for those of us who want to carry it with one hand. maybe have one in the middle of the 2 that are currently on there.
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I'm hoping that the placement of the handles were designed to allow you to set your rack on top of the cab without handle interference.
 
-<MACHINE>- said:
Regarding a separate thread...that would be a good idea. But currently this board is all about the AxeFx.

This thread being the only stray element covering the Atomic kinda limits where to put a spin off thread.

How about a new section with all things Atomic. They've joined forces so it would make sense to put an area where it can be talked about...especially now that they'll be shipping soon.
And not the Amps and Cabs section either. People will still use regular guitar cabs and other monitor solutions...so keeping it separate would also keep it cleaner.



loveshine said:
It's just the Vader (ish?) picture
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Are you referring to my avatar? If so...that's a Terminator :D
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+1

This thread is getting way to huge, a section dedicated to just Atomic would make things a lot easier than having to look through 60 pages of comments to find info. It would also keep things clean and stop repeat questions hopefully.
 
I see there is an ext speaker jack on the back. Could this be used for making IR's? Meaning, is the poweramp response as flat as the overall cabinet response and does the internal speaker(s) disable if you plug into it? I'm thinking I would rather make IR's with a flat response tube poweramp than a flat response SS one.
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I think congratulations are in order! There are a lot of complaints. It is ok to complain, but the primary objective of the system is to sound good and pretty much nobody has heard it yet.

I am excited about the product. I currently have two QSCs but found that stereo live can be a hassle and lugging two QSCs is not fun. I'll likely replace my QSCs with an Atomic FR. The biggest reason - the lighter weight! I've gotten used to the look of the QSCs and love the ability to tilt it up like a monitor. The metal grill also protects the speakers.

I too would have like some changes tot he FR's design (primarily solid state and the innate ability to tilt like a monitor). Nevertheless, I think everyone is jumping the gun! It is true that flat is flat is flat and that it should sound similar to a QSC or other FRFR system. Nevertheless, subtle differences (phase, spread, etc.) can make the difference between a good solution and a great solution. Almost nobody on the forum has actually heard the darn thing so give Tom a break until then. Once that is assessed, you can start complaining about the sound, features, or ask for an alternative product to be developed.

I look forward to hearing the Atomic FR.
 
Having an headphone plug and power on/off in front could be great for practice.
It could be done like that :

With round corners and handles inside the corners, with western tolex in black (or brown) and an optional/removable panel that you could buy for blues/jazz players available in black, brown or blond color. Of course with wheels.

Western tolex, the most beautiful IMO :
black
cowboy%20sq400.jpg

brown
Western_V7312115.jpg


if it sounds great i'm sure that even at 1000$ Tom will sell a lot, in term of image for the Axe i found this one better.
Perhaps a deluxe version in the futur.
 
^^^^Ooooh, make bad pictures go away.^^^^

I have no dog in this fight, but IMO anyone who criticizes the look and then seriously offers the above as an alternative has probably been smoking something. :?
 
You probably guess that i'm not a graphist. :lol:
(spend 20mn to do that with the GIMP i think it's enough to understand my point of view)
 
It looks great! really! i need to know how good will it be!

Now some suggestion:

...what about some special edition with a METAL grill for da brootalz?!??! :twisted: :twisted: :lol:
 
MisterE said:
We'll have to add a new section to the forum:
Pimp the Fratomic
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:lol: :lol:

I am absolutely jazzed about the way it looks right now, though. Can't wait to hear it. Thanks in advance Tom! :)
 
airbus said:
I too would have like some changes tot he FR's design (primarily solid state and the innate ability to tilt like a monitor). Nevertheless, I think everyone is jumping the gun! It is true that flat is flat is flat and that it should sound similar to a QSC or other FRFR system. Nevertheless, subtle differences (phase, spread, etc.) can make the difference between a good solution and a great solution. Almost nobody on the forum has actually heard the darn thing so give Tom a break until then. Once that is assessed, you can start complaining about the sound, features, or ask for an alternative product to be developed.

I look forward to hearing the Atomic FR.
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I'll leave the tube issue alone as Tom has addressed that well in the past, but as for the flat is flat thing....

If you have any experience in pro-level (or even worse, consumer level) live sound equipment, then you'll know without a doubt that flat is NOT flat!

The QSCs aren't flat. The FBTs aren't flat. The fratomic will not be exactly flat. The Fratomic's original design (I don't know if the production model holds to this) was to get as close to flat as possible and to do it through the design of the speakers and the enclosure. Many of the FRFR solutions out there achieve their level of flatness with the use of DSP processing. There are a number of reasons why that can be a bad idea, but the most obvious one is processing latency, which is a known issue with many of the active boxes available today.

My point is that you shouldn't assume it will sound like the FBTs or QSCs. It should actually sound quite different. If you don't have experience comparing speaker boxes, you might not hear it, but a trained ear should be able to discern a pretty significant difference. Honestly the FBT and QSC don't sound identical, so the fact that you guys are saying it should sound just like them doesn't make any real sense either.

If it looks like a cab, uses a great tube power section, and achieves relatively flat response without DSP, then they've created a really cool product that should serve a lot of people well. The pricetag comes in a little too high for me, but I'm sure it's going to be great for a lot of players.

D
 
dk_ace said:
If you have any experience in pro-level (or even worse, consumer level) live sound equipment, then you'll know without a doubt that flat is NOT flat!
D
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Yes, of course there is no such thing as absolute flat but that is the ideal. Of course no two solutions are going to sound exactly alike (as I stated in my post). Nevertheless, you are not talking about the difference between a Fender and a Marshall. High quality flat response systems will give you the same fundamental sound. Bottom line, I am hopeful that the new Atomic FR will be a good solution and look forward to hearing it.

FYI, the only reason I mentioned solid state is for maintenance and reliability. Tubes are more fragile and require more maintenance - bottom line. It isn't a deal breaker for me though.
 
Ringleader said:
jb70 said:
i agree about the handles- it would be nice to have 1 additional handle for those of us who want to carry it with one hand. maybe have one in the middle of the 2 that are currently on there.
Click to expand...
I'm hoping that the placement of the handles were designed to allow you to set your rack on top of the cab without handle interference.
Click to expand...

Im in both camps.

No point in asking for a change now - its due shipping in 4 weeks or so BUT

I want to put my rack on top. Id do with my present speaker (though my rack has rubber feet so Id maybe be able to do that with a single centre handle anyway).

However I also generally carry my kit on my own. Handles like the current ones are a pain in the ass. Ive had combos like that and always have problems.

side grip handles are better because you can get the cab higher. makes it easier to carry, though there still not great.

A centre handle is better still, but depending on weight may not be good. Theres also the "rack space" issue there.

Casters solve some of the problems. At least then you can push the cab and just lift when needed (though it still prefere side grip handles). Again this is what I have on my current cab.

I seem to recall that Tom said side handles were out because of the internal design of the cab? not too sure but I seem to recall that.

What Id like I suppose if the kind of resessed flip up handle you get on aluminium rack cases mounted top centre - and 4 casters on the bottom. Those handles dont take up too much internal space, and lie flat so you could still get you rack on top. That would give you the option to push the cab mostly, then lift either one or two handed when needed - and depending on your situation.
 
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