FRFR best choice?

Thanks for the hint. For other curious onlookers, apparently it's called the ASC-12, there's also a 10" version coming, and the only info about it is what X-Mann has posted on Facebook from NAMM. Can't wait for pricing and availability. This is what I've been waiting for - FRFR in a traditional, classy cab form (not a wedge and not a black box).
 
There are fellas on here with a far more important opinions than mine...but..

I love my Xitone passives.

Have a good day,
Tri-
 
unix-guy said:
I play passive Xitone wedges with a Matrix power amp. I played my own rig through both my cabs and a pair of CLR cabs side by side at an Axe Fx event hosted by Mission, where I also heard the Gemini II and the AccuGroove cabs.

All sounded great and all but they all have slightly different sounds and prices.

Xitone cabs are built like tanks! @MicFarlow is great with customer service and also does a lot of custom builds.

The downside to almost all the options listed its that they are smallish companies and unless you find a local user to let you try them, you won't be able to just go to a music shop and try them.
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Can you use one passive wedge with your Matrix stereo rack amp if you want to have a smaller rigs at gigs where space is an issue?
 
Hard to go wrong with any that you mentioned. They are all excellent. I have the Friedman, 2 CLR's and 2 active XiTones. I keep the Friedman at my rehearsal space. It sounds amazing but is heavy and awkward to carry so I leave it there. I keep my 2 CLR's at home to create presets on and practice with. All my presets seem to translate to the PA systems we've played with minimal to no adjustment at all on the board from soundguys. I gig with the 2 XiTone's. Can't say enough good things about them. They are light, sound amazing and they are built like tanks. The LineX coating on them is just awesome. For what it's worth my buddy just did a shootout in his studio with all the big names. I let him borrow one of my XiTone's and CLR's and he had other friends let him borrow a Friedman, Mission and Matrix. The XiTone won the shootout.
 
bishop5150 said:
Hard to go wrong with any that you mentioned. They are all excellent. I have the Friedman, 2 CLR's and 2 active XiTones. I keep the Friedman at my rehearsal space. It sounds amazing but is heavy and awkward to carry so I leave it there. I keep my 2 CLR's at home to create presets on and practice with. All my presets seem to translate to the PA systems we've played with minimal to no adjustment at all on the board from soundguys. I gig with the 2 XiTone's. Can't say enough good things about them. They are light, sound amazing and they are built like tanks. The LineX coating on them is just awesome. For what it's worth my buddy just did a shootout in his studio with all the big names. I let him borrow one of my XiTone's and CLR's and he had other friends let him borrow a Friedman, Mission and Matrix. The XiTone won the shootout.
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I am thinking about picking up an active xitone wedge.........You stated that you make your Fractal presets on your CLR but have you ever tried to make them using the Xitone and how well did that translate to a PA system.
 
Here are my two cents. Because the Axe-Fx and AX8 are so flexible, I've never met a major name FRFR that I couldn't dial in to sound sufficiently good to gig with. As long as the speaker has sufficient output and a reasonably wide response, It will be OK. I've similarly seen the biggest names on Fractal's artist roster sound great with an Axe-Fx into a weird off-brand PA speakers that I would call "average quality" -- but again -- the tones are tweaked and the use of those same speakers is consistent. The challenge generally comes when you need to switch systems, or when you start comparing different options side-by-side, giving yourself a case of indecision-itis. My solution is to dial in my presets on high end studio monitors in a treated room. I trust that, and let the sound guys worry about the rest, using an FRFR for my own monitor (pointed right at me).

Though, given all of the above, I am still ridiculously spoiled by the 2x12 FR Meyer wedges that Metallica got me hooked on. Maybe I should sell my car and buy a pair.
 
That's a good point Matt, I think you can make anything sound good, I don't get all the chasing for FRFR speakers.. almost like since the axe is so good what else can we mess with constantly?
 
roflo said:
I am thinking about picking up an active xitone wedge.........You stated that you make your Fractal presets on your CLR but have you ever tried to make them using the Xitone and how well did that translate to a PA system.
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Before I got the CLR's I created my presets on the XiTone's with similar great results. I think the CLR's are slightly more flat which makes them ideal for creating presets on but IMO the XiTone's have a slightly more cab like punch to them which makes them ideal for using live for onstage monitoring as well as creating presets.
 
Admin M@ said:
Here are my two cents. Because the Axe-Fx and AX8 are so flexible, I've never met a major name FRFR that I couldn't dial in to sound sufficiently good to gig with. As long as the speaker has sufficient output and a reasonably wide response, It will be OK. I've similarly seen the biggest names on Fractal's artist roster sound great with an Axe-Fx into a weird off-brand PA speakers that I would call "average quality" -- but again -- the tones are tweaked and the use of those same speakers is consistent. The challenge generally comes when you need to switch systems, or when you start comparing different options side-by-side, giving yourself a case of indecision-itis. My solution is to dial in my presets on high end studio monitors in a treated room. I trust that, and let the sound guys worry about the rest, using an FRFR for my own monitor (pointed right at me).

Though, given all of the above, I am still ridiculously spoiled by the 2x12 FR Meyer wedges that Metallica got me hooked on. Maybe I should sell my car and buy a pair.
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I use a QSC K10 and I randomly get "squealing" feedback (not the good kind) in some higher gain settings. I don't appear to be clipping and my high gain tones are really mid-gain. Could it be the speaker can't handle the input levels? Would a CLR or Xitone work better? Help, I've tried everything!
 
DXR10 for me. I struggle to see how any cover band would be so loud that it wouldn't be able to cut it. I can get some beautiful feedback out of it too :)

Can carry with one hand and act as a front of house speaker for an acoustic duo gig if necessary.Has enough inputs that I can run a monitor mix through it as well with enough low end to run bass and kick through as well.

Loud enough that your ears'll be ringing when you get home from a gig and turn the car engine off.....
 
gkinbkk said:
DXR10 for me. I struggle to see how any cover band would be so loud that it wouldn't be able to cut it. I can get some beautiful feedback out of it too :)

Can carry with one hand and act as a front of house speaker for an acoustic duo gig if necessary.Has enough inputs that I can run a monitor mix through it as well with enough low end to run bass and kick through as well.

Loud enough that your ears'll be ringing when you get home from a gig and turn the car engine off.....
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Absolutely agree with all of this. I use one or sometimes two DXR10's and they are definitely louder than I could ever imagine anyone needing in a cover band.
 
gkinbkk said:
DXR10 for me. I struggle to see how any cover band would be so loud that it wouldn't be able to cut it. I can get some beautiful feedback out of it too :)

Can carry with one hand and act as a front of house speaker for an acoustic duo gig if necessary.Has enough inputs that I can run a monitor mix through it as well with enough low end to run bass and kick through as well.

Loud enough that your ears'll be ringing when you get home from a gig and turn the car engine off.....
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This! I use 2 DXR10's in stereo. Bliss!
 
How does the DRX10 compare with the Matrix FR stuff?

I'm in the UK and it might be easier for me to try one of them
 
I have used QSC K10's for 5-6 years and they do the job really well (I am of course not really objective I guess) ! I also have no doubt that the CLR's are great though I have only tried them twice!

Jens
 
Bruce Cisterna said:
I use a QSC K10 and I randomly get "squealing" feedback (not the good kind) in some higher gain settings. I don't appear to be clipping and my high gain tones are really mid-gain. Could it be the speaker can't handle the input levels? Would a CLR or Xitone work better? Help, I've tried everything!
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Could be tweeter squeal which is a fairly common symptom with FRFR, and to quote the man himself from another thread that quoted him:

The high-pitched feedback is pickup squeal and is caused by electromagnetic feedback from the speaker to your pickups. FRFR tends to exacerbate this since you have a tweeter feeding back high freqs. A noise gate can help but the best solution is to move away from the speaker. For guitar I recommend setting the Attack time very short (less than 10ms) and the Release time to 100-200ms. Ratio 2-3:1 and Threshold to taste.
http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-ii-discussion/80613-noise-gate-choke.html

- Cliff: Squeals come from two places typically: pickups and preamp tubes. The Axe-Fx can't do anything about microphonic pickups.

What you are getting is likely magnetic feedback. This is an issue unique to FRFR amplification. The tweeter creates a magnetic feedback loop with the pickups. The closer you get to the speaker the more feedback until the point it squeals. The only solution is to move away from the speaker or turn down the gain/volume.
http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-ii-discussion/76362-feedback-issues-can-you-have-look-see.html
 
Do yourself a favor everyone, definitely check out the New Xitone Open back FRFR cab with built-in Matrix Power Amp.

I have CLR's, and also a Power Station w/ Mesa Cab which I was alternating use of depending on the application/band. (I love the real cab feel)

Xitone just shipped me a Open back FRFR cab ( the one Michael Britt helped tune) and I can't unplug it! It kicks some serious butt. That open back cab fills the room so well, and feels just like it should, yet has so much clarity when needed, you can run a acoustic through it. It really does the job VERY well. I can't imagine not using it, for me. The Line-X coating on the cab is PERFECT. I love that. All cabs should be like that. Plus, Mic at XItone is a great guy and gives great customer service. I highly recommend.

I hope to do a more in depth review with pics/video soon. I normally don't do reviews, but I like it that much...

Good luck!
 
Tried a bunch of speakers, Friedman , rcf nx 10/12 etc ..
Yamaha is the best for the bucks . DSR112 first and DXR12/10 second choice .
Can t go wrong ...
All my presets are create on very good studio monitors in studio room .
 
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