FRFR aren’t they all the same?

That said, I'd love to know what Fractal would recommend as the "best" reproduction wedge monitor for stage use.
The best wedge monitor for stage use is the best wedge monitor you can afford.


Bluntly put, the most expensive powered wedges on the market don't cost much more than an Axe-FX3 and FC-12 setup, so assumably people buying a best-in-class digital amp can consider pairing it with a best-in-class cabinet, right?
The most expensive powered monitors on the market cost several times the price of an Axe-Fx plus FC-12, and most Fractal customers are not buying them. Here's an example of a pair of used and road-worn higher-end unpowered wedges...

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The best wedge monitor for stage use is the best wedge monitor you can afford.

Generally agreed - it's been my experience with PA gear that you get what you pay for. I was hoping for some guidance from Fractal that outlines WHY this is the case, and what specific characteristics drive a better experience with the equipment. The noise-to-signal ratio on the topic is fairly high, even on this forum.

The most expensive powered monitors on the market cost several times the price of an Axe-Fx plus FC-12, and most Fractal customers are not buying them. Here's an example of a pair of used and road-worn higher-end unpowered wedges...
Well, I guess you can go to that point - and that would be a good place to be if you were doing a major tour (with someone else lifting and hauling the gear).
I was thinking along the lines of the JBL VTX series, which is a bit more than the AFX3/FC-12 combo, but really no more than a high-end boutique tube head and cabinet or high-end guitar.
 
I have 2 Atomic Reactor passive FR cabs that I bought 8-10 years ago. I felt they sounded harsh paired with Matrix power amp compared to studio monitors (HS8s) so I did not use them a lot. Bout a year ago, out of curiousity, I hooked one up to an EHX 44 Magnum pedal format power amp and it sounded much better so I got a 2nd EHX 44 for the other one - still a tad harsh sounding compared to studio monitors - BUT, whatever has been going on in the Axefx3 firmware updates over the the last year, these Atomics with the EHX 44 amps (knobs at 9oclock, bright off, volume controlled at input) are sounding really good to me lately (I can get from them what I hear out of the HS8s with a bit of EQ and adjustment of the Atomic's HF knob, and, they seem to add some "closed back guitar cab mojo" on top of that which one reason I'm keeping then (they also hold up some shelving - lol). Reverbs/Delays are much more present in the Atomics. When the CLR came out and interest in these older ones faded I wondered if they were really much good but having one partly disassembled a while ago (scratchy HF pot needed attention), I was really impressed with the quality of construction so by gum I'm keeping them to avoid another GAS rabbit hole.
 
Generally agreed - it's been my experience with PA gear that you get what you pay for. I was hoping for some guidance from Fractal that outlines WHY this is the case, and what specific characteristics drive a better experience with the equipment. The noise-to-signal ratio on the topic is fairly high, even on this forum.
I can't speak for Fractal. But since your question is "Why are better speakers more expensive?", the bottom line is that the best modeler experience comes from the most accurate speakers, and accuracy costs money. Loudspeakers are an imperfect compromise. The best speakers minimize those compromises through choices in manufacturing and materials — choices that are driven by scientific and engineering expertise, which is also expensive. A deeper answer would involve discussions about speaker design and acoustic theory, which are lifelong studies in themselves.


Well, I guess you can go to that point - and that would be a good place to be if you were doing a major tour (with someone else lifting and hauling the gear).
I was thinking along the lines of the JBL VTX series, which is a bit more than the AFX3/FC-12 combo, but really no more than a high-end boutique tube head and cabinet or high-end guitar.
To be fair, your discussion centered around "the most expensive powered wedges on the market." Fractal has hosted events using Meyer powered wedges that cost $5,000 apiece. The JBLs you mentioned above are mid-priced gear. You can get very good results in that price range.
 
it's really no different than most other industries. "The Snoozmaster 3000 will give you the best nights sleep you ever had". Some customers will agree, some will say it's like sleeping on a stone slab.

I try to listen to my presets on as many speakers as possible, including studio monitors. I even listen on headphones. If you're presets sound good on a wide variety of speakers, you can assume that they'll sound good through most stage monitors and PAs (not considering the guy at the mixer). Once your presets are dialed in, you at least have a benchmark. Then you can try different FRFRs to find one that sounds "good" with your presets. Make sure you listen at different angles, not just directly in front. Also listen at different volume levels and make sure it will play at the volume you need without the sound falling apart.

Flip side, you can dial in your sound using any FRFR, if you never run through a PA or use your presets for recording, etc.

Nothing is truly flat. Certainly not at all angles, volume levels and in any room.

Doing the variety test works for me anyway.
 
The best wedge monitor for stage use is the best wedge monitor you can afford.



The most expensive powered monitors on the market cost several times the price of an Axe-Fx plus FC-12, and most Fractal customers are not buying them. Here's an example of a pair of used and road-worn higher-end unpowered wedges...

View attachment 73136

All I can say is, if you have the coin for those used Meyers, you'll never want to play anything else if you snag them... There's a reason these make an appearance at the AxeFest conventions and you see them sitting onstage in front of John Petrucci, M5, Metallica, etc.....
 
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I use speakers that cost $399 each and they sound great. I’ve used speakers that cost $2000 each and they sound great. I’ve played on $10,000 PA systems that sound horrible.
 
I play the FM3 through the effects return of my Mustang GT100
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It sounds great. Much better than it rightfully should.
Old comment but do you still use the FM3 and mustang as poweramp? Did or does it sound good compared to FRFR? Have you tried the katana in the same context?

Thanks!
 
Old comment but do you still use the FM3 and mustang as poweramp? Did or does it sound good compared to FRFR? Have you tried the katana in the same context?

Thanks!
It's a cheap combo amp that has some great amp models on it's own, all things considered. My presets translate great from it to FOH so despite the fact that it has generic guitar speakers in it that are digitally flattened; it does great. FAR better than it should, imo. I would use the Mustang over any random house PA floor monitor every day of the week.

I haven't tried the Katana combo as a monitor but I know I would not use IRs through the Kat speaker. Boss' "take what we give you and like it" approach on modeling is a huge turnoff to me. I wouldn't use a Katana anything to monitor any modeler other than maybe their own.
 
People seem to forget that great old school guitar cabs just need to sound good, accurate is irrelevant (hence cheap). BUT FR FR is all about accurate so models can sound different and your irs sound different to each other . Hi Fi speakers that are big on accurate are big in price or rubbish and this is what FR FR is.
 
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