db technologies flexsys fm12; any Axe Fx users ?

lauke-lux

Fractal Fanatic
Hello everybody. Has anybody on this forum yet used this coaxial floor monitor : db technologies flexsys fm12 ?
I actually sell my Traynor K4 because it is a bit too heavy to run down the stairs every weekend and also the dimensions unfortunately don't make it easier to handle the beast (but FGS it does blast...).
The Flexsys looks like a good match for the price; and as I cannot afford much more than their price it even more looks like a good match; so if nobody really had a BAD experience with them I'll likely give these a try. Looking forward to read from anybody that used this product.
Cheers,
 
I just saw your post about the FM 12, I was looking up some info on these myself. Did you get one? If so, what did you think?
 
Hi guys,

I have a db Flexsys fm12 now for about one week for testing purpose in my rehearsal room.
1) By far the loudest 12" active coax wedge I ever heard
2) Tons of bass, very clean sound, maybe a little bit too much bass (maybe caused by the bass reflex hole - it's important not to drive the input too hard, otherwise the wedge vibrations start to be audible in a bad way.
3) db bought RCF a few years ago, the salesman told me, they use the same components like the RCF NX-12 which costs about more than twice the price of the flexsys. He also told me, that they found no sonic difference in A/B comparison.
4) I didn't try the dsp-onboard-eq-settings, yet.

For this price, it's a real bargain, but I suggest to test the LD Systems Mon12 a Coax, it's sounding a little more "dry" - but IMHO more than a guitar cab.

Hope, this helped you a bit,

Cheers,
Andy from Red Bull Country
 
Hi guys,

I have a db Flexsys fm12 now for about one week for testing purpose in my rehearsal room.
1) By far the loudest 12" active coax wedge I ever heard
2) Tons of bass, very clean sound, maybe a little bit too much bass (maybe caused by the bass reflex hole - it's important not to drive the input too hard, otherwise the wedge vibrations start to be audible in a bad way.
3) db bought RCF a few years ago, the salesman told me, they use the same components like the RCF NX-12 which costs about more than twice the price of the flexsys. He also told me, that they found no sonic difference in A/B comparison.
4) I didn't try the dsp-onboard-eq-settings, yet.

For this price, it's a real bargain, but I suggest to test the LD Systems Mon12 a Coax, it's sounding a little more "dry" - but IMHO more than a guitar cab.

Hope, this helped you a bit,

Cheers,
Andy from Red Bull Country


I have a flexsys fm10. Good speaker, WAY too much base, have been really struggling to dial it out. My main live amp sounds I use are Vox and Plexi. Have to definitely add eq blocks before the effects loop. And I specifically got the 10inch version to avoid bass issues :)

Here is my issue: with my volume on the flexsys turned about a a quarter up I get a hiss. Sort of annoying actually, when my volume pedal is placed all the way down or axe not connected, still the same hiss, so I know it's coming from the monitor.

Do you have that on your fm12? This is my first wedge so I have nothing to compare it to. At home I play through Yamaha ns10m and an Alesys power amp, and at the same volume no hiss everything is quite.

Also you just pointed my attention to the bass reflex hole, isn't it just to put on a stand? And if it really is a bass reflex hole, can I use cover it up to fix he bass issue?
 
Last edited:
Have you tried to push the ground-lift button on the backside of your AXE-FX? I had to do this on mine to to get rid of the "hiss". In my case it helped from the start. The digital Class-D Poweramps seem to be a little sensitive. I have the 12" because i play much high-gain stuff, so IMHO the 12" feels better for me (more "balls") I also think, that the flexsys have too much bass. But I take it as personal monitor just for my guitars without any other signals in the path, so I will use the para & grafic eq's to fit 'em.

IMHO it's still the best sounding coax-monitor in the price-range under € 1000,- and it's worth, working with it. By the way, the bass reflex hole is on the front side of the speaker, the other hole is a mount for stan-usage (like mentioned in the manual ;-))

Cheers,
Andy from Red Bull Country
 
Have you tried to push the ground-lift button on the backside of your AXE-FX? I had to do this on mine to to get rid of the "hiss". In my case it helped from the start. The digital Class-D Poweramps seem to be a little sensitive. I have the 12" because i play much high-gain stuff, so IMHO the 12" feels better for me (more "balls") I also think, that the flexsys have too much bass. But I take it as personal monitor just for my guitars without any other signals in the path, so I will use the para & grafic eq's to fit 'em.

IMHO it's still the best sounding coax-monitor in the price-range under € 1000,- and it's worth, working with it. By the way, the bass reflex hole is on the front side of the speaker, the other hole is a mount for stan-usage (like mentioned in the manual ;-))

Cheers,
Andy from Red Bull Country

Yes I did try the ground lift, nothing. I think it's just a natural hiss from the speaker. So you get no hiss at all at 1/4 of volume up? Maybe a got a defect somewhere....

Yes I remember now, I once took it apart because a cable was rattling in there whenever I would hit a low B. it's there if you take the the metal cover off, so the speaker itself is exposed. So any idea if covering the bass reflex hole would solve the issue? I would not want to damage the monitor in an way. Just another option to eq blocks :)
 
Last edited:
3) db bought RCF a few years ago, the salesman told me, they use the same components like the RCF NX-12 which costs about more than twice the price of the flexsys. He also told me, that they found no sonic difference in A/B comparison.

The FM12 and the NX12SMA do not share ANY components. Not the amp, the coaxial driver or the cabinet.
 
RCF and db technologies is ONE company since 1996. The electronics and amplifier modules are developed by db and the drivers are developed by RCF. A german RCF-AR-guy told that in an interview. The "cheaper" Systems like the opera and the basic series from db are china-drivers like the new mackies, but the more professional range products like the flexsys systems are of courese using RCF-Drivers. And the RCF's are using db's amplifier technology.

I don't have to be a technican, to see, that the NX and the flexsys are using different components. The nx is using a different coax-driver, has powercons, and the amp module is 100 watt (peak) stronger than the flexsys. Fact is, that the flexsys IS using RCF coax-drivers and it's own amplifer technology and the NX's electronic is developed by db.

The RCF-Drivers were IMHO the reason, why the first Mackie SRM's sounded (and still sound) so fantastic. After stopping business relationship between LOUD and RCF Mackie is using cheap chinese drivers (like the basic/opera db's) which makes them sound awful.

It's not my intention to bash RCF-Products (and a FIAT is not a Ferrari, allthough they belong the same company ;-)) But after listening and comparing 12" active wedges in the category 'till € 1000,- ($ 1200,-for the US) I found, that the flexsys is the best sounding coax you can get for the money. From sound and construction, the flexsys is a professional peace of gear, if it's relieable, I will see after a few gig's ;-)

Cheers,

Andy from Red Bull Country
 
Pimping the Flexsys FM12

Yeah, still happy with it. And even happier after "pimping it".

A good friend of mine and me measured the frequenzy resonse of the Flexsys, and created a correction curve by using 2 PEQ-Blocks. After the correction the Flexsys sounded 100 % better than without it.
We did the Axe-Fest Germany 2013 in Leipzig and created a workshop "Pimp my FRFR" and took my Flexsys as a "testee" after setting the correction PEQ-Blocks everybody got their eyes WIDE OPEN.

In the german Forum there are at least 10 people, who bought this little monster after reading my review including the frequenzy correction in the peq block.

db Technologies Flexsys 12 Coax-Monitor Intensiv-Test - Seite 8

So, if you have it at home, take a look at the pics here. Those show the settings for the 2 PEQ-Blocks. If you follow them and activate them, I bet, your eyes will open as just as wide as the little japanese
anime comic figures everybody knows from television ;-)

Have Fun with it.

Andy from Red Bull Country
axefx.de - The german Axe-Fx Community
 
Thanks a lot, the link worked for me. Never knew there was a German forum; subscribed immediately. t0aj15, maybe PM funkstation777 so he sends you the images with the PEQ settings. Vielen Dank !
 
Back
Top Bottom