EV ZLX 12p my two cents

Since day one that I got my axe fx I've been to broke to buy any kind of live amping system so I just used my good ol Marshall 4x12 stereo cab and Rocktron Velocity 300 stereo power amp. It sounded ok but not what I expected and certainly not what I wanted.. I finally managed to scrape $600 together and decided I would spend it on some kind of amping system for stage reference because I send everything to FOH....

I spent hours and days surfing the threads on here reading and listening to comparisons and believed the majority of folks who kept saying that the QSC K systems were one of the best respectfully. The keyboard player in one of the bands I play in uses the K12's for his Nord system so I went over to his place and spent a few hours with it and it did indeed sound much better then anything else I'd been using.

So with Presidents' Day sales going on at my local GC I went early today and had them pull down a K12, JBL, Harbinger and an Ev ZLX 12P..........I literally spent 6 hours in that store ABing back and forth between them all...I was down to two and those were the QSC K12 and the Ev ZLX 12P.......heres what I found...

Keep in mind I am not a sound engineer so all of the technical data doesn't really mean allot to me...I do however have a BFA in performance and have had allot of ear training.....so with that being said I understand that the genre of music someone plays I think makes allot of difference in which system would be best for them.....I play everything from jazz fusion to funk to rock and blues so this is my genres inwhich I made my choices from....my patches were built in my home studio through Mackey studio monitors....I found the K12's had a bit more of a high end shrill and that was the same thing I found when test driving my keyboard players as well....I think that through some time spent tweeking patches and EQing as well as understanding that when playing with a band that the high end could be tamed a good bit.....I also found that the Ev's had a bit more darker low end to it and also with a bit of tweeking and EQing that as well could be tamed....

So with all of that being said I ended up getting the Ev's simply because I could get two for the same price as one QSC...now I'm not a huge fan of running stereo rigs but that is an option but being able to travel with a powered PA system is an added plus as well as being able to leave one in my home studio and one ready to go to a gig....

Keep in mind that I was on a budget and have not had access to all of the high end gear such as Xitone which was what I truly wanted but wasn't willing to spend the money without trying it out as well as the other high end monitors and wedges that allot of guys are using.

I think the Ev's had the most bang for my buck in the end, now I will follow up on this thread in a few weeks after I've had a chance to road test it with some of the bands I play after the newness and novelty wears off some.....Oh please keep in mind that I am using these strictly for the stage and that because what I was hearing coming from FOH was different then the stage so with the Ev's my stage sound is closer to what is coming from FOH and most importantly it matched my sound when building the patchs with my Mackeys in my studio...even the guys at GC mentioned that it sounded like a good FOH mix from a standard guitar rig...

I paid $339 each for the Ev's at GC which I have no affiliation to either company other then being an end user as a consumer......
 
Yea I was fairly impressed and that's why I wrote the review because there's allot of chatter about high end gear on here but very few threads about affordable gear....I may trade up some day but for now these are as good as I can get for less then $500.... I only bought two because the sale price was right and didn't want to wish I had gotten two down the road after the sale was over...
 
I've been using mine for over a month - still very pleased, and not wanting for more. They are loud, rich, and do a good job of reproducing what I hear through a good set of headphones. Plenty of whump, and wide dispersion (no beaming). Do yourself a favor and pick up some covers - mine are already getting dinged just from moving them to and from studio and practice space.
 
Are you using them as a wedge or standing it up like a pa speaker?

I am thinking that for rehearsals I would stand it up as it has better dispersion so the rest of the band can hear me better and for live I'd use it as a wedge because the rest of the band will get my signal through their stage monitors.....

I spent about three hours last night tweeking patches and adjusting some EQ levels but nothing extreme....
I did notice though that after setting patches for running one, I plugged the second in and ran in stereo and it did sound a bit different...like I stated above I'm not into running in stereo to much but that was something that I did notice...

I do know that those things are Damn loud..... I set the volume levels on the Ev to unity and was playing with my axe output at just under 1/4 then later bumped output to half and yea man it had a very gonadaly extreme presence to it.......One other thing, I found that at that half volume my clean signal was breaking a bit but after adjusting the DSP settings a bit it cleaned up nicely....I don't think you would actually ever really need that volume level but some may......

One big thing I'd like to share and wonder if anybody else who are running these have noticed as well....
I started out making the connections with normal 1/4" cables and seemed to have some noise but after switching to xlr cables the noise was gone....has anyone else had that issue ?
 
Hi Richy4F -
I've used them as both wedges and upright. I think you should try both, and see what works best for your rehearsal space. Mine space is small, so It doesn't seem to matter much how I set the wedge. Either way it fills the room, offering clarity I could never get with a beaming tube rig... no matter how big I went, or how I pointed the cabs. Setting the input gain to the EVs is critical to ensuing there is no input clipping - if that's not done right I would imagine they would sound like hell. In a thread below somewhere (search on EV zlx 12P), I passed along some information from EV about the different music settings (Live, voice, Music etc...) and the different location settings. The flattest response seems to be with the speaker set to "live" and "pole" as I recall - I set it and forgot it... like I'm supposed to do, Ha! I think this setting has me dialing in my patches just a little bright, but not much. And yes, using a mic cable to pass the signal is nearly silent. I've got some patches that I use for high gain breaks in songs where the whole band goes silent... with the help of a noise gate, and even with single coils, I am now the quietest guy in the space. Its unbelievable. Total silence... like, I think there is something wrong with my rig, until I cross the threshold again, and bam! Too cool.
What a Hoot, as they say in these parts.
Steve
 
I started out making the connections with normal 1/4" cables and seemed to have some noise but after switching to xlr cables the noise was gone....has anyone else had that issue ?

Regardless of which monitor you leverage, balanced XLR cables with proper shielding are typically cleaner when running between a modeler and reference speaker IME anyways. What 1/4" cables were you using, instrument or speaker?
 
Instrument...didn't think about using a speaker cable which should have been common sence though.....I thought about using balanced 1/4" (tip, ring, sleeve) but since I have tons of xlr sitting around the studio I just plugged two of those in and that's where I heard the difference.....I always use xlr when playing live when going to FOH on output 2 from axe because most of the snakes the bands use have more xlr then 1/4" inputs anyways.......
 
I've had a pair for over a year now..... and I absolutely love them!!! I convinced our church to spring for a set of the EV ZLX15p's for FOH and my patches translated perfectly! I still find myself tinkering around with the settings on the ZLX just because I can't decide which I like better. I have mine setup in my music room on poles, but find that setting the ZLX at "Live" & "Monitor" with the Sub crossover set at 100hz translates the best for me. The only setting I tinker with is changing "Monitor" to "Pole", but when I do... I feel like too much boominess creeps back in to my patches. I know that I can change that with EQ on my patches, but the "Monitor" setting seems to translate better to other venues that I play at. You definitely can not beat them for the price. I got my pair for $650 and that included the stands for free(promotion that MF was running at the time). I have used XLR cables from day one with mine and have had no noise issues. I did read and can validate that if you are having any "white noise" issues with them, if you will roll back the master volume to -2 on each speaker....the white noise will go away. I have had my master set like that from day one, and set the input volume to noon on each speaker.......they sound incredible!!! And you are correct.....they can run you out of the house with volume if you don't watch it. I used to run my Axe II volume at noon as well to make patches.....only got mild noise complaints from the neighbors, lol.
 
Just ordered a EV ZLX-12p. Excited. Never really got the hang of using my Matrix GT800fx and my 212 cab (cheap cab, but good WGS speakers), so it's about time to try going FRFR.
 
Instrument cables are for instrument level signals and speaker cables are for speaker level signals and you should should never mix the application.
Instrument cables are shielded to reduce interference, speaker cables are not shielded because the signal level (normally) overwhelms any interference.
 
Had two rehearsals with my band this week, and on tuesday the first time with the Axe-FX and ZLX-12P. Couldn't be any happier, really. Play mostly clean guitars and the Deluxe Reverb preset I've made is by far the most exciting clean sounds I've had in a very long time. And the best part is that it sounds great no matter how you set the volume. Such a joy to get the sounds you want without killing the rest of the band.
Haven't tried any other monitor, but for the price I'm pretty sure the ZLX-series is a killer.

Now I want another one for a stereo setup.
 
Hi all,
i think you guys can help me out here. I've got a EV ZLX 12p as well (set to 'Live' and 'Monitor') but unfortunately what i hear, say, at home volume doesn't translate at all at higher volume. No matter what preset I use (clean or crunch/dist) it just sounds completely different…..BAD! All I hear is L O U D!!! No definition, no creamy smooth crunch/dist just a LOUD sound! I've tried to keep the Master VOL to unity and the Axe at about 11o'clock but find myself in need for extra +3DB which makes it even worst. I'm really not happy and any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
...what i hear, say, at home volume doesn't translate at all at higher volume. No matter what preset I use (clean or crunch/dist) it just sounds completely different…..BAD! All I hear is L O U D!!! No definition, no creamy smooth crunch/dist just a LOUD sound!
That's the age-old story: bedroom tone doesn't translate to live tone. If you dial it in to sound good at home, it'll have way too much high- and low-end when you crank it up. Dial in your sound at live volume, with a band or backing track behind you. Problem solved!
 
That's the age-old story: bedroom tone doesn't translate to live tone. If you dial it in to sound good at home, it'll have way too much high- and low-end when you crank it up. Dial in your sound at live volume, with a band or backing track behind you. Problem solved!


I got this mate, really. It was a big shock when I found out....the hard way!
Unfortunately we don't really rehearse... it's a 'jam' band we all rock up and play at the given gig. There's no time to 'Dial in your sound at live volume'. I do however appreciate your input but can you be a little more specific...something like do this, dial in that, try lower this settings etc. At least I can start preparing at home before the live show.
 
Rehearsal, gig, jam...the important is that volume is LOUD!
Mainly is a EQ thing, you have 2 options:
1. If you play loud not often you can adjust global EQ (Global menu, OUT1 page), this changes the EQ of all presets and you can revert this when you play at home. You have 10 bands and the gain parameter.
2. If you play live frequently you may find boring to change constantly global EQ, in this case is more practical set 2 sets of your main presets: one for home untouched and other for play loud (add a Graphic EQ block in 10 band configuration to tame highs and lows in each preset).

This is the Global EQ settings used by Devin Townsend, can give you an idea:Axe-ii-Global-eq.jpg
The procedure: put a loud backing track and play, you have 10 bands, tweak them until you find a nice tone and adjust the overall volume with the gain parameter at the right side of the page
 
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Rehearsal, gig, jam...the important is that volume is LOUD!
Mainly is a EQ thing, you have 2 options:
1. If you play loud not often you can adjust global EQ (Global menu, OUT1 page), this changes the EQ of all presets and you can revert this when you play at home. You have 10 bands and the gain parameter.
2. If you play live frequently you may find boring to change constantly global EQ, in this case is more practical set 2 sets of your main presets: one for home untouched and other for play loud (add a Graphic EQ block in 10 band configuration to tame highs and lows in each preset).

This is the Global EQ settings used by Devin Townsend, can give you an idea:View attachment 31786
The procedure: put a loud backing track and play, you have 10 bands, tweak them until you find a nice tone and adjust the overall volume with the gain parameter at the right side of the page


Muchas gracias Etolkien,
I like that...and will definitely give it a try. It's not that I want to play loud, actually its the opposite! I'd like to reduce the volume. I used my Axe-fx straight into FOH and when I started with this band i could only rely on the on stage monitors. That didn't work very well so I decided to have a dedicated 'monitor/cab' (EV ZLX12p) only for me. The problem is that to hear anything a need to keep it very loud....which is the problem.
Your approach is definitely something I will try. Do you also own an EV? You may also have some good advise for that.
 
Ehmmm...try to dial this EQ and you may find the volume problem solved.
The frequency you want to hear on guitar are the mids, shave lows and highs, surely those frequencies are disturbing you, the result will be a more focused sound and you will hear yourself better.
Bedroom VS gig levels is not only related on volume but with the context: when you play at home you play alone and sound "hifi" is not a concern. When you play with some folks you have to find your place in the mix: bass and kickdrum have his place in lows, ride and crash earns high side, guitar and vocals have the mid zone. Find your own place, otherwise loudness wars will begin!

Yes, I have a ZLX12P, but I play alone at home with CDs, my settings will not translate well to you, but I put them anyway: Live, Monitor, treble: -7db, Bass: 0db, sub: off, master volume: -15db and the physical knob (input level) at 11 o'clock.

I dial my presets with headphones (this practice is not popular here, but is made out of necessity, my baby sleeps at night that is when I have the time to dial ).
I put the monitor lying on the floor but is not pointing at me, I flip the monitor so I see the back and the speaker is pointing the wall.
Yes, I hate the laser beam of tweeters!
 
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Ehmmm...try to dial this EQ and you may find the volume problem solved.
The frequency you want to hear on guitar are the mids, shave lows and highs, surely those frequencies are disturbing you, the result will be a more focused sound.
Bedroom VS gig levels is not only related on volume but with the context: when you play at home you play alone and sound "hifi" is not a concern. When you play with some folks you have to find your place in the mix: bass and kickdrum have his place in lows, ride and crash earns high side, guitar and vocals have the mid zone. Find your own place, otherwise loudness wars will begin!

Yes, I have a ZLX12P, but I play alone at home with CDs, my settings will not translate well to you, but I put them anyway: Live, Monitor, treble: -7db, Bass: 0db, sub: off, master volume: -15db and the physical knob (input level) at 11 o'clock.

I dial my presets with headphones (this practice is not popular here, but is made out of necessity, my baby sleeps at night that is when I have the time to dial ), this may eb the reason I need to shave highs with I play with the monitor.
I put the monitor lying on the floor but is not pointing at me, I flip the monitor so I see the back and the speaker is pointing the wall.
Yes, I hate the laser beam of tweeters!


Thanks hips mate, very much appreciated!
To be honest it sounds a lot like me. Headphone to dial my preset...out of necessity as well. Living in a unit doesn't allow high volume! Very interesting the - 6db treble and I will try to lower the bass as well. One more question if you don't mind. Are u playing live with the Ev? If so, how do you use it? Monitor/backline? And what are the settings for live use? Won't be the same but gives me an idea where I stand.
 
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