Atomic Reactor Passive Wedges -- Not What I Expected

Justmc

Inspired
I don't want to bash the product , but I bought 2 and will be sending them back . Should have bought one but I was on waiting list for a while and did not want to get shut out again. Now I'll have to pay for shipping for 2 . :(

I've been using EV SX300's for a while and thought that I would like the Reactor series since it is from the same company as the Axefx which is outstanding.

I know that a lot is subjective when it comes to sound but I find my EV's to really surpass the Reactors.
At least to my ears. I know they are more expensive also , which is a factor i have to consider.

I also like the ruggedness of the EV's . I'm not sure how I appreciate the tweeter control knob on the side of the reactors ,it protrudes past the body . To me it's an accident waiting to happen especially if someone else loads my gear.

I really wanted to like them and I'm sure I could re-do my patches to make them work better to my taste .
Just letting my gut instinct guide me . Would like some feedback from others that might change my mind.
 
You say you like the EV's better, but why? Can you elaborate? You don't say why you don't like the Reactors.
 
The EV's have more bite to them . The low end is enormous and the high's appear to be crisper . The Reactors appeared to sound weaker / thinner to me. Like I said previously, sound is very subjective. What I find desirable someone else may not. Still doing a side by side comparison. So far one other set of ears has confirmed what I hear. The design and construction are also not to my liking . Just my 2 cents
 
Are your presets tweaked for the EV's or did you start from scratch with the reactors?
I've got two passive reactor wedges and they sound great to me. I've got them paired with a rocktron velocity 300.

I just came back from a tour in Iceland and since traveling with the monitors would have been expensive I relied on venue provided monitors in each case. I always had to tweak the global eq and sometimes my presets to get things to sound close to what I'm used to. Close, but not as good since soundchecks are short.

What kind of music do you play?
 
Remember that a better FRFR system does not equal a better sounding FRFR system, but one that better respects your actual signal. Maybe the reactor is just revealing flaws in your patches that you learned to compensate thru the old system, or maybe it's just not for you.

Did you A/B them at the same EXACT volume?
 
When you're a/b'ing these cabs, are you using the same patches with no tweaking? Did you use cab sims with your old setup?
 
I'm and old 80's metal guy at heart but I do play a mixed bag of styles . I play with a few cover bands that do mostly classic rock with a few metal tunes thrown in .I used the patches that I had been using for the EV's on the reactors. I tried experimenting with the tweeter control and the global eq but I always seemed to fall short on what I was hearing with the EV's . Both speakers were set up side by side being fed via a mono signal from my SLA2 power amp with the same volume level. Power amp and cabinet amp simulations "on"

I also practice at home with my PC using a pair of powered Rokit 5 monitors. They sound pretty good also. I've been able to get a rough sound on the studio monitors that I like and with a little tweaking use them with the EV's with superior results . It is possible that me ears have been coming accustomed to the coloration that the EV's have.

I'll still fool with them for a few more days hoping to come to a revelation .
 
hey dude,

You never really explained why you wanted to change in the first place.

I think if you're happy with your EVs, stick with them. They are certainly no slouch of a company. To my knowledge, Atomic and Fractal are partners; but I do not believe Cliff had any part in the development of Atomic's product, so there really isn't much reason to expect a quality carryover. Don't get me wrong, I have no opinion of Atomic's stuff myself having never tried it; but I'm not going to tell you that since it's in some way related to Fractal, that it must be as good as the Axe-FX...that's just rediculous.

Also, everyone seems to be ignoring your quality control issue. I can empathize that having a heavy cabinet with a delicate part that protrudes outward is a valid concern. All I need do is look at the condition of my Mesa 2X12s to know shit gets banged around...no matter how careful you are.
 
I just got my passive cabinets last week and really like them.
How I have been running my Axe is one of two ways
First: through some monitor speakers I have that only have a 5” speaker but this allows me to run the cab sims.

Second: through a Mesa 2x12 of coarse no cab sims.

Along comes my passive cabs some stuff almost sounded odd to me, did allot of tweaking for the new passive cabs. Part of the problem I think a least for me I was too in tune with my little monitor speakers. It’s weird and hard to put into words but I think you get the idea. Bottom line I keep the crossovers on the cabs set at 12:00 and just tweak and have been pretty happy (and getting better at it also) I find it a slightly different mindset.


Just mc
Just goes with what feels right to you, don’t try to force it. It certainly sounds like you are giving the wedges a shot. Maybe the EV’s are better suited to your taste, hell maybe I would like them better if I heard them. As you said its subjective.
 
Hey-
I just(2 weeks ago)got a couple Atomic FR/FR cabs and I've never tried running FR previously and I am astounded at how good they sound.I do think they sound way different than any traditional guitar setup I've encountered and need to be approached accordingly IMO.

Good Luck!
 
I originally tried using a couple of guitar cabinets with vintage 30's in them and was very disappointed with the sound..with or without cabinet sims.

That's when I borrowed the EV's from a friend . Like you I was astonished with how great it sounds. I have not been using my Herbert or JVM at all lately. I figured if this sounds great the Reactors must sound over the top. That's why I was a little taken back by the sound I was hearing. I'm still having an open mind and will tweak a little more before I throw in the towel. Don't get me wrong , if I just had the Reactor's I would probably be happy . I've just really fell in love with the EV's . I had inquired on the forum prior to purchasing on any EV experiences and there seemed to be none out there. A lot of people seem to be happy with there FBT's and Reactors....maybe I'm a lone wolf :lol:
 
I preferred my focal cms 65's hands down to my atomic powered cab..I just didn't gell with it all..cleans and ambient patches were good..very good but anything heavier, I just didn't like..so your not a lone wolf! :) But each to there own!! :D
 
Justmc said:
I don't want to bash the product , but I bought 2 and will be sending them back . Should have bought one but I was on waiting list for a while and did not want to get shut out again. Now I'll have to pay for shipping for 2 . :(

I've been using EV SX300's for a while and thought that I would like the Reactor series since it is from the same company as the Axefx which is outstanding.

I know that a lot is subjective when it comes to sound but I find my EV's to really surpass the Reactors.
At least to my ears. I know they are more expensive also , which is a factor i have to consider.

I also like the ruggedness of the EV's . I'm not sure how I appreciate the tweeter control knob on the side of the reactors ,it protrudes past the body . To me it's an accident waiting to happen especially if someone else loads my gear.

I really wanted to like them and I'm sure I could re-do my patches to make them work better to my taste .
Just letting my gut instinct guide me . Would like some feedback from others that might change my mind.

I hope you still can send them back if you are lucky!
 
Justmc said:
Don't get me wrong , if I just had the Reactor's I would probably be happy . I've just really fell in love with the EV's .

Well, right. Like everything else, your impressions will be relative to what you know. There will always be something better or at least that fits your tastes or needs a bit better. I tried out a Peavey IPR power amp and I'm sure I would have loved it if i wasn't already spoiled by the sound I get from my Crest CA-6.

You still haven't explained why you even tried the Atomics if you were happy with the Evs. Was it just curiosity or a more practical issue?
 
I don't own the EV's . I borrowed them from a friend. So since I had to purchase a FRFR system I figured I would go with a speaker that was affiliated with Fractal. A set of EV''s will cost a few hundred more than the Reactors . I could not get any feedback from the forum on EV's , I just assumed there must be better speaker available. It comes with the territory when chasing tone.... especially when items are not available locally to demo..
 
Justmc said:
I don't own the EV's . I borrowed them from a friend. So since I had to purchase a FRFR system I figured I would go with a speaker that was affiliated with Fractal. A set of EV''s will cost a few hundred more than the Reactors . I could not get any feedback from the forum on EV's , I just assumed there must be better speaker available. It comes with the territory when chasing tone.... especially when items are not available locally to demo..


Maybe try these settings;

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=19458
 
Justmc said:
I don't own the EV's . I borrowed them from a friend. So since I had to purchase a FRFR system I figured I would go with a speaker that was affiliated with Fractal. A set of EV''s will cost a few hundred more than the Reactors . I could not get any feedback from the forum on EV's , I just assumed there must be better speaker available. It comes with the territory when chasing tone.... especially when items are not available locally to demo..


oh ok. sorry I missed that. you've got quite the dilemma. Being a penny pincher myself, I'd try a little more with the Atomics. Guys around here seem to love 'em and if they are few hundred cheaper, that's an important consideration. How long do you have to decide?
 
Just for the record, the passive wedges are very popular. Of the many we've sold, VERY few have come back for any reason.

-TK
 
Hello Tom,

I really don't want to come off as bashing this product. :oops: I am really new to this FRFR venture. I will be experimenting over the weekend some more.

As been stated, I know these are very popular items and I'm sure I don't have something set right. I was just taken back how dramatic a difference there can be with this type of system/ speaker combination. I am very impressed with the options/ sounds that are available with a FRFR setup. I expressed concern on the forum once before when I was not happy with the sound I was getting with a guitar cabinet and was told that FRFR was the way to go.And they were right . Obviously I still have a lot to learn and experience with this newer technology.
 
Back
Top Bottom