cab vs. frfr speakers loudness

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eharv4808

Member
Hello everyone. I am completely new to the axe fx 2 and have alot to learn. Im 31 years old and havent really played much for the last 5 years and decided I wanted to pick the guitar back up because it was honestly my life a few years back and I missed it. I learned about the axe fx 2 and was blown away that things have changed so much and had to have one! I bought mine and at the moment im playing through headphones because im saving money for some active PA speakers but my question....is something like 2 alto ts115a speakers gonna be as loud as a 4 12 cab with the matrix? Its way cheaper going the pa speaker route and for some reason im really turned on because its out of the norm compared to what we have had for so long. Any help?
 
hey eharv4808!

Welcome! In my experience, I've tried everything from Marshall cabs to passive PA speakers to active speakers - and the pair of Active PA/FRFR speakers I use now are more than loud enough, we play loud typical bar rock and roll...and these are louder than the 4x12 I previously used, and my speakers are smaller, lighter, and wayyyy better sounding. try a bunch of options to find your sound, that's what I did! I initially was holding off on the FRFR solution because I couldn't let go of having a guitar cab......when I finally did, it was the best move I made....
 
dukemcrae said:
hey eharv4808!

Welcome! In my experience, I've tried everything from Marshall cabs to passive PA speakers to active speakers - and the pair of Active PA/FRFR speakers I use now are more than loud enough, we play loud typical bar rock and roll...and these are louder than the 4x12 I previously used, and my speakers are smaller, lighter, and wayyyy better sounding. try a bunch of options to find your sound, that's what I did! I initially was holding off on the FRFR solution because I couldn't let go of having a guitar cab......when I finally did, it was the best move I made....
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It doesn't take long does it... :lol
 
PA speakers will generally be louder than a 4x12. Its what there designed to do - and a 4x12 will havndle around 240w for most speraker types, where as an active PA could bt a lot more than that.

I will say though, that you pay for quality. A decent loaded 4x12 plus the Matrix will be a quality, a pair of Altos not as much. Nothing wrong with them for the money - but they are what they are. PA speakers can cost a LOT for very good ones, you just have to look around. A decent wedge like the CLRs or a powered FR cab like the Matrix Q12as (or again the CLRs) will cost more than the Altos - but there better.

Ultimatley you have to be happy - which means trying them. Find what works for you first, then you'll know how much you need to spend to be happy. Spending less and making do will make you unhappy longer term and ultimately cost more. You may find you dnt gell with FRFR, as many have - or you may find your much prefer it over traditional cabs, again as many have. Find the way you want to work before even looking fo the final solution - then audition the options.
 
I would also add that your sound coverage is going to be vastly different with an FR solution and there is nothing like a stereo field when your standing in it :D . As to the volume, anything over 110 dB is going to make your ears ring after a short wile so a pair of Altos should get you there in a hurry. A 412 cab has a cool factor but they are heavy, bulky and beam like a laser sound wise.
 
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Sound pressure level is just part of the equation. Two powered PA speakers like the Alto's should get loud for a back line rig.

If you are reading the forum about cab's vs. PA monitors it can get confusing.

For some folks that have gigged many years with a conventional guitar rig, they just prefer the power amp -> guitar cab for the AxeFx because they are used to the way that sounds during a show.

I personally like both setups. No guitar cab and FR speakers only or a power amp and guitar cab. Both of those setups sound stellar to me. Most of the time it's really what the gig is or how lazy I feel as to which I go with.
 
eharv4808 said:
Hello everyone. I am completely new to the axe fx 2 and have alot to learn. Im 31 years old and havent really played much for the last 5 years and decided I wanted to pick the guitar back up because it was honestly my life a few years back and I missed it. I learned about the axe fx 2 and was blown away that things have changed so much and had to have one! I bought mine and at the moment im playing through headphones because im saving money for some active PA speakers but my question....is something like 2 alto ts115a speakers gonna be as loud as a 4 12 cab with the matrix? Its way cheaper going the pa speaker route and for some reason im really turned on because its out of the norm compared to what we have had for so long. Any help?
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Played a 4x10 combo on stage forever. After making the jump to the Axe, was able to play the original powered Atomic cab. Less than impressed, especially in headroom and ability to get feedback from it. Seemed at close range the tweeter liked to squeal more than give me glorious feedback.
With that experience, I was nervous that a FR solution might not be to my liking.
I really respect Scott Peterson's opinions here on the board, and decided to give the RCF NX12 SMA a go after reading his, and others, reviews here on the forum.
Ended up being a great choice! Great natural tone and feedback, ridiculous amount of clarity and headroom, and very lightweight compared to my 4x10!
We play medium size stages that are usually 3-5ft above main floor. Even with my 4x10, it's function is mainly for me to hear on stage vs something blasting the audience at head level. I'd rather let the FOH system do it's job. I've found the best solution for me is to put the wedge up near the MFC controller, facing me. That way, the volume doesn't have to be crazy on stage, and I get awesome interaction between guitar and speaker for feedback.

Works great!


Sent from my iPhone
 
Thank you guy for the help. Cleared things up alot for me. Now I guess I have to make the decision of buy 2 alto ts115a's or one mackie 1221 and save money for another one later. 2
 
eharv4808 said:
Thank you guy for the help. Cleared things up alot for me. Now I guess I have to make the decision of buy 2 alto ts115a's or one mackie 1221 and save money for another one later. 2
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You can't even get an Atomic CLR now, but you should get on the waiting list just in case. If you're at the point of getting a Mackie 1221, you're $200 from a CLR. The CLR is an amazing piece of gear and thought of by many as the absolute best FRFR solution for anything like reasonable $. I've tried many things cheaper and RCF NX12 and NX10 which are great and about the same $. The CLR is absolutely better than the rest and I don't question the quality of my FRFR at all now.

I get that there are reasons to go cheaper and you can get really good sound from many solutions, but you have to work harder. If you're already contemplating $800, I highly advise going to 1k and getting a CLR. It's astounding how good patches sound through it as well as music in general. I'm on the list for 2 more to use for PA cause they smoke my current powered PA speakers (Mackies and RCF).
 
What do you guys think of Atomic powered cab FR? Is it reliable and how do think it sounds with Axe FX II? There is a change for me to get one used, but i don't have a change to test it first. So if you guys have some experience with this cab, i would like to hear it. You can also recommend other powered cabs too, if you know one. Thanks.
 
i used two atomic powered wedges for a while. they're ok. they're not "flat", by any means and i had to use the global eq to try and compensate for the excess of upper mids. they're also pretty darn heavy. they're quite enjoyable to play through, but if you want to be confident that what you're hearing onstage is similar to what's coming out of the pa, then they might not be the best choice.
 
DropTheSun said:
What do you guys think of Atomic powered cab FR? Is it reliable and how do think it sounds with Axe FX II? There is a change for me to get one used, but i don't have a change to test it first. So if you guys have some experience with this cab, i would like to hear it. You can also recommend other powered cabs too, if you know one. Thanks.
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I havent heard of them but im still new to this. I will check them out for sure if you say they are that great. My issue is there is no music stores where I live so I have to buy just from the inputs I get from here so I wanna make sure I make the right decision.
 
simeon said:
i used two atomic powered wedges for a while. they're ok. they're not "flat", by any means and i had to use the global eq to try and compensate for the excess of upper mids. they're also pretty darn heavy. they're quite enjoyable to play through, but if you want to be confident that what you're hearing onstage is similar to what's coming out of the pa, then they might not be the best choice.
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Thanks for the help.
Is Atomic wedge same as the cab version? So, it sounded good, but wasn't flat response?
 
DropTheSun said:
What do you guys think of Atomic powered cab FR? Is it reliable and how do think it sounds with Axe FX II? There is a change for me to get one used, but i don't have a change to test it first. So if you guys have some experience with this cab, i would like to hear it. You can also recommend other powered cabs too, if you know one. Thanks.
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you're not referring to the CLR are you??
 
jlynnb1 said:
you're not referring to the CLR are you??
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he said "Atomic" in his original post, not CLR, so i think he's referring to the original

Atomic-1-lg.jpg
 
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