FRFR - Discussion and Benefits of Running Direct to FOH Circa the end of 2011

Scott Peterson

Scott Peterson

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This was something I posted on another thread that the OP went ahead and deleted his OP, which killed the entire thread. Which was a shame because though there was some off topic debate, that was cleaned up and moderated and there was a lot of good information and discussion on that thread.


In the spirit of the good discussion from that thread, I wanted to use my post in there discussing FRFR not only as a viable alternative to using tube amps and pedals on stage; but also touch on some of the advantages of doing so. I've done like topics in the past, but felt compelled to compose this post and didn't want it lost to the nether world of the 'deleted posts' graveyard. I've updated it with interesting and colorful pictures for your reference too.


This is less a debate piece or argument starter and more a 'state of my gear' post for discussion. I'm not out to prove anything, convince anyone, nor claim any sort of superiority or anything of the sort. Just discussing my setup, what I am doing, how I am doing it and the results. There's nothing to debate here with me about what's better or worse; I'm just talking for folks that are interested in how this sort of rig works by discussing my opinions and experience with it. Nothing more, nothing less.


Addressing the topic here directly, I'm one of the weirdos that have been running FRFR for a long time, far before it was fashionable... or even in a lot of cases even acceptable practice. (*Assuming of course it even is either of those today... but I digress...)


There are very real reasons that many folks cannot get comfortable using FRFR; it's a total paradigm shift for any guitarist that have not run direct to FOH 'coming up' and paying their dues.


It's very equivalent to the guy that cannot track in a studio from the control booth, even through big studio monitors... we've all either seen it or been there.


I might have been a good candidate for FRFR since I've recorded a far bunch and have also mixed and mastered professionally (I owned a mastering company for 3 years). I've worked in studios and run live sound. I've also gigged and played guitar since I was a 13 year old kid and consider myself a guitarist first and engineer as a far second... but it is interesting to look at in retrospect.


I've said a lot of things about FRFR over the years, defining it, explaining it, defending it... blah blah blah.


Fact remains: guitarists come up with a guitar, pedals, maybe a processor and an amp. End of responsibility for their tone and expertise. Many won't even delve into the details of just those aspects of their rig; I know many insanely killer players that can't do a setup on their guitar or look baffled when their amp doesn't come on... because a fuse blew. (And I'm the guy those guys always come to on the gig when they need to troubleshoot or forgot something.... "Hey, do you have any extra picks man? I forgot mine...." and my favorite - "Hey... do you have an extra guitar strap?" (And yes, I carry extras...)).


When you run FRFR all the sudden you are responsible and need expertise in your signal path beyond the cab's speaker. You need expertise in choosing a mic, positioning it, gain staging/preamp and EQ beyond the speaker cab. With many modelers, you can create signal chains that are either too complicated or sometimes impossible to do with an analog rig. You have to understand, shape and do your adjustments before the gig.


The Axe-FX is great to mention because you can globally turn your reverb up or down, globally turn your effects up or down across all your presets and with the II you can adjust your overall gain into your presets globally. Both generations allow you to use 11-band Graphic EQ on either or both your Output 1 and/or output 2. It's pretty hip to quickly dial in a room or appease the sound guy.


That said, if you know what you are doing and how to balance your preset volume outputs (which I'll be doing a video about shortly that applies to all modelers running direct to FOH) and have proper foot controllers and expression pedals... I've never once tweaked on the gig by going into the unit menus. That's well over 300+ shows on stages from big national stages at outdoor festivals, small rooms playing acoustically, big rock clubs, small hole-in-the-wall rock clubs, casinos, etc.. Why? Am I 'super man' as noted above? No, I can confidently say I am anything but 'superman' at all.


I have used the global EQ to lighten or darken EQ upon request; but 99% of the time, it's level up on sound check..."Guitar.... great. Thank you..." and then go back to the board after sound check, EQ's are flat on my channel. After the gig, no change. Flat EQ. Literally hundreds of sound guys now... flat EQ.


Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it just might be working pretty damn good.


On stage, I carry a powered monitor. It's for 'more me' and I set it in front of me 9/10 times, most times right next to the stage monitor. I've also extensive experience with in-ears and zero stage monitors; workable but I hate working with in-ears; personal preference. If I need to carry the room from stage, my current powered monitor is more than up to the task - it peaks at 1400 watts and puts out 129db with *far* less beaming than any guitar speaker cab. I flip that beast up and let it rip. And, oh my, it can rip.


I have used my current speaker cab right next to a 50 watt Marshall 1/2 stack and it more than stood up; in fact I was at barely 1/2 up and it was more than matching the output from that 412. Jeff (the other guitarist) asked me if I have a 'magic' box. I just grinned. I just might have a magic box.


Now I post all this and if you don't agree or want to accept what I say as plain honest truth, you can just disagree or call it all hype. I don't care. I'm out there doing the thing for real. I keep getting hired to play. I do sessions for commercial jingles, the producers keep calling. I'm doing a WYCD Major market (#1 station in it's genre and demographic) radio webcast show this Thursday (acoustic, sans Axe-FX) but the point is I'm not trying to 'prove' anything or 'convince' any one of anything. I'm just another gigging joe like anyone else, nothing special. Another has-been, never-was, wanna-be hack. But I'm not talking out of my ass or blowing smoke either.


This is real. FRFR is real. It's convenient? Sure. It's powerful? Yea. When I show guys some of the things I can do with my rig, on the fly, without thinking... adding to the overall presentation of the music on stage... it's far beyond what you could ever do without the most complicated and intricate rig using analog rigs. You'd need massive back-line setups like the Edge, Joe Perry to even approach what I can do... from one box.


It's pretty cool. And it all fits in the trunk of my car; onto my micro-cart and one trip. I am setup and tore down 10 minutes each way; I can do quick turns on festival stages and have all my own tones 100% as I set them up with all my cool possibilities at the click of a switch or the push of an expression pedal. Every gig. Every room. Every stage. Acoustic or electric.


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Does that mean it's for everyone? NO. It isn't. Guys happy and dependent on that amp cranked up aimed at their ass and the backs of their knees might not dig a monitor blowing in their face instead. I've been the guy with the big tube amps and no pedals cranking a 412 on stage at my ass and the backs of my knees. And I've been the guy with a magic box, a powered monitor and a pedal board controller with some expression pedals.


I could use any sort of rig and make it work - it is one of the benefits of being an insatiable gear hound pretty much my whole life. Hand me a tube screamer and a Peavey Classic 30 and I could do pretty much any gig I'd get called for. No problem. But the rig I run now? I would not trade it for the world.


I'm having more fun, sounding better than I ever have and enjoying every time I am on stage or when the red light comes on in the studio because of the rig I run. And that doesn't have to impress, convince or be debated with anyone. I don't need anyone to agree or care; doesn't matter one bit to me.



Here's my whole rig from a recent show:


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So if you have had good results running FRFR or direct to FOH, please post up your experience, your rig and discuss your setup and how you are doing it for others to learn and share.
 
Thanks for the rundown Scott! It was actually a cool read and glad you shared it.

As a newcomer to the Axe-FX, I'd love to see people dive more into exactly what they use, why they use it, etc. Alot of times I read these types of posts and it is like "I'm using FRFR to get a better LOG of the 2MC FOH diagram ganglea" and basically things people don't understand that have used the typical head/cab setup for years.

It would be great to see more detail and explanation from users on these types of things:
- What is a great powered monitor for bedroom use or live use?
- Why is a powered monitor better than a power amp and regular monitor?
- What are the most popular powered monitors?

These are just a few examples. To be honest, and I'll just speak for myself, it is so overwhelming knowing what is the best thing for use with the Axe-FX. Since it can be used in so many different scenarios, there are endless options.

Right now I'm using my Axe-FX II with a Mosvalve MV-962 power amp into two Marshall 4x12 cabs. I'm getting a great sound but wonder what it would sound like thru a P.A., or powered monitor, or Matrix power amp, etc. I feel like I don't even know where to start. :)
 
Scott Peterson said:
...if you know what you are doing and how to balance your preset volume outputs (which I'll be doing a video about shortly that applies to all modelers running direct to FOH) and have proper foot controllers and expression pedals... I've never once tweaked on the gig by going into the unit menus.
Click to expand...

Scott:
I look forward to your video. In fact, I always look forward to your posts (and a couple other people here) as they contain some of the most valuable & usefull information for me.

I've taken the leap to FOH (Front of House) and IEM's (In Ear Monitors) in a P&W (Praise & Worship) setting. Now, the setup and sound check could never be easier. No more accidental changes to the pedals. No more having to deal with someone elses idea of where the mic sounds best or how loud the amp should be. Now it is me and my tone....

I found that I prefer not having the amp cranked at my knees. Rather, I prefer hearing myself in the mix.

You mentioned, "I've never once tweaked on the gig by going into the unit menus." I am lacking the quality monitors at home to tweak some of the settings. I am curious as to the global setting and/or parameters you find to be a constant in setting up your patches.

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge.
 
jandjrs said:
Scott:
I look forward to your video. In fact, I always look forward to your posts (and a couple other people here) as they contain some of the most valuable & usefull information for me.

I've taken the leap to FOH (Front of House) and IEM's (In Ear Monitors) in a P&W (Praise & Worship) setting. Now, the setup and sound check could never be easier. No more accidental changes to the pedals. No more having to deal with someone elses idea of where the mic sounds best or how loud the amp should be. Now it is me and my tone....

I found that I prefer not having the amp cranked at my knees. Rather, I prefer hearing myself in the mix.

You mentioned, "I've never once tweaked on the gig by going into the unit menus." I am lacking the quality monitors at home to tweak some of the settings. I am curious as to the global setting and/or parameters you find to be a constant in setting up your patches.

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge.
Click to expand...

My studio setup that I do my sound design and 'tweaking' on is far from state of the art. I have Mackie 624's (original version) coupled with a JBL 2300 Sub. Far more important though - I have a treated room. That trumps any monitors IMHO.

What I listen for is 100-105db at least and I want to hear a balanced top and bottem and detail with 'traction' in the mids. This is for any type of sound - high gain, mid-gain or clean. I want to hear it at volume too - that's key. Too many guys fall into the trap of dialing up tones at low volumes and then get tripped up once it gets cranked up. You gotta move the air; how you hear it changes drastically related to volume.

I have a switchable PEQ at the end of my signal chain on all my presets; it is a global block. I tend to Low Cut at 60Hz as a given; but sometimes I crank it to 100Hz depending on the room. Once I save that preset, it updates via being a global block to all my presets. When I play alone and just want the 'oomph' I leave that block bypassed; when in a band it is interesting that I sound like I have MORE bass once the PEQ is active and blocking the lows. It also cleans up the mix with other musicians - you can hear the kick and bass *much* better without me down there hogging frequencies.
 
Thanks a lot for this Scott, I always look forward to your input, serious or not, they are really unbiased and I like how you emphasize on the presence of subjectivity, which many people fail to grasp: "Marshall sucks, Mesa is way better!" - yeah, maybe Mesa suits your needs more than Mesa but that doesn't mean Marshall is any less (or more) "better".

I too am looking forward to those videos and would love to hear more about the questions raised by "romainianreaper".

God Bless
 
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romanianreaper said:
Thanks for the rundown Scott! It was actually a cool read and glad you shared it.

As a newcomer to the Axe-FX, I'd love to see people dive more into exactly what they use, why they use it, etc. Alot of times I read these types of posts and it is like "I'm using FRFR to get a better LOG of the 2MC FOH diagram ganglea" and basically things people don't understand that have used the typical head/cab setup for years.

It would be great to see more detail and explanation from users on these types of things:
- What is a great powered monitor for bedroom use or live use?
- Why is a powered monitor better than a power amp and regular monitor?
- What are the most popular powered monitors?

These are just a few examples. To be honest, and I'll just speak for myself, it is so overwhelming knowing what is the best thing for use with the Axe-FX. Since it can be used in so many different scenarios, there are endless options.

Right now I'm using my Axe-FX II with a Mosvalve MV-962 power amp into two Marshall 4x12 cabs. I'm getting a great sound but wonder what it would sound like thru a P.A., or powered monitor, or Matrix power amp, etc. I feel like I don't even know where to start. :)
Click to expand...

I posted this on TGP in the parallel thread running there: i'll post it here too, it speaks to at least some of your questions.

Note that any number of solutions can be considered = there is no 'best' without a lot of subjective opinion coming to the front. The term 'better' too seems to always set off nuclear wars online between battling fractions of folks that like one gear choice vs. another gear choice. As in all things, read the folks you trust and have a comfort level reading and in all things - nothing in the world can stand in for personal first hand experience.

capt mayo said:
So how do you account for the consistent sound vs. a "real" amp? I would think that acoustical variations (diff room, size of crowd, etc.) would affect any setup. I've only gone direct on a couple of occasions, so I don't really have that perspective. (I am weighing options since a new amp or "amp" is on my horizon as my tube amp is getting tired.)
Click to expand...


With a FRFR setup, you remove variables. I have my amp dialed perfectly, speakers mic'd perfectly and it's all locked in and 'spoon fed' to FOH essentially without variation. My tubes never fail, the bar's power supply doesn't suck the life out of my amp, the humidity in the room doesn't affect how my speakers react, I don't have pedalboard cables failing, etc, etc..


I leave the room to room variation up to the sound engineer; that's his job, not mine. Though....


That said as noted they almost always leave my channel strip at noon.


There are three main factors that IMHO. The first two are EQ based; the third is the 400lb gorilla - volume. First let's look at EQ, grossly simplified but generally how it is done at club gigs by house engineers in a hurry:


What the engineer at the board wants from electric guitars are the mids. That's what he wants to fit into his mix in the room. Most often what you'll see them do is cut the lows and highs with shelving. It's fast, it works and if you hear your mic'd up sound... it's small, nasal and horrible. :eek:mg :rotflmao


One of the things that accounts for most of the mud from guitar cabs is a 'runaway' bottom end. On stage, it feels great because you have 'oomph' 'balls' and move air... 'thump...thump'. But, that distracts in mixes from the kick and bass; it gets pulled in most mixes. If you ever hear a solo'd guitar track from a mix (studio too, but live mixes are more extreme often) there is zero bottom. Most times you see up to 120Hz just cut out of the guitars. I have read of national touring bands where the mix engineer cuts up to 250Hz. Not what I'd do, but it's not uncommon. To most guitarists, that's a shock to even consider. It also has to do with the room and how bass nodes and build up emphasize low end; often engineers just cut... not many good engineers are into boosting much, rather preferring to cut judiciously.


One of the other major issues is the high end; this is the one that most guitarists hear from the FOH sound engineer about at most any gig. "Guitar... can you cut some of the high end... you are killing me here...." sort of stuff. Dead rooms are the opposite; but in my experience over the years it is harder and harder to find any such thing as a dead room anymore, everything is live and hot with reflective 'industrial' ceilings and hard floors. So the engineer moves the mic off the cone, off-axis and also has you dial your highs out.


Now the lows and highs on an analog amp are integral to running your amp so you have overtones, and it sings on stage for you. The guitar/amp interaction is a huge part of that. With the sound engineer giving you instructions to roll off your highs, you will feel as if you need to turn up to get the same 'bite' you want to hear... it's the battle Royal. You turn up all night, the sound engineer hates you for doing it. He turns you down in the house mix, your friends say that they can't hear the guitar (because you are beaming and only killing folks in front of you, the rest cannot hear you) and you turn up. Sound engineers despise the game. It's played out most every 3 set night by most every guitarist.


Which brings us to the big kahuna - volume. You need to crank up your tube amp. I know, I've been a tube amp player for most of my life. Loud = good. No way around it. Most sound engineers that want to hear your singer though... hate you for it. So we have plexi-shields in front of cabs and attenuation and all sorts of tricks (aim the amp backwards or sideways, etc) to get our tone at a reasonable volume. Over the years, I've found that sound engineers have gotten worse and worse telling guitarists to turn down. It's for good reason from their standpoint; it's not very fun or good from the guitarists's standpoint.


A good modeler gives you that cranked up tone. You've done it in the box though and don't need 130db out of your speaker cab to make it sing.


Those are some of the reasons why going FRFR direct to FOH help remove a lot of the headaches and issues related to FOH tones and sound.
 
I have been using FR for 4 years now, used to be a diehard amp and cab guy. The main reason I switched over was the playing environment. Playing in a Church can be real tricky especially if it's a small one. Trying to get a good tone at a low volume from a tube amp can be a challenge on a small stage. All the issues come into play when you dealing with P&W setting acoustic drums being the biggest followed by electric guitar IMHO. The Axe was by far the best solution for this problem and once you get your head around the idea of a mic'd cab sound everything starts to make sense.

As to the type of FR solution it really boils down to what your needs are and how much you want to spend. The powered cabs are nice, convenient and less congested on stage. If you just doing a weekly gig at the same place and a fix install is there a passive cab of your choice might be a better way to go lighter less expensive and greater selection to choose from.

My current situation has me playing at home so the power amp and FBT 12m's sound fine and are plenty loud. From a price stand point are quite a bit cheeper then a powered versions.
 
I'll chime in on this because I've used direct to PA for about 9 years now, except for a short stint with a tube amp/cab and a mic in front.

Right now, my rig is ultra simple: Guitar -> AFX2 -> Out 1 stereo to PA ; Out 2 Summed mono to on stage Meyer Sound UP Junior ; Monitor send into IEMs. The stage speaker is a fall back in case IEMs fail, and so the rest of the band get get some of my sound on stage.

This set up allows me to be as soft or as loud as I want on stage. I can do "ghost" gigs where there's no guitar sound on stage at all, just in the house. Which is very useful for small church-type gigs.

I have an MFC 101 that I modded with an Ethercon connector, two Mission pedals and one recycled Wah modified as expression pedal. The whole set up is solid as a rock and apart from a glitch in a couple of presets which have not recurred since 3.02, super stable.

My EQ at the board is always flat. My sound is and has been for a long time, the subject of continuous praise. I could make the Cybertwin from Fender sound very good and did for years. The only problems I ever had with my rigs was when using a tube amp and slight changes in mic position and such resulted in issues which had to be handled by the sound man.

Since using getting the AFX in July, I've done a good 50 - 60 gigs without any significant issues.

I think FRFR to FOH is a fantastic way to go, and with the AFX2 it's absolutely genius. I don't think I'll ever go back.
 
Most of Scott's experiences mirror mine as well, and I agree with just about everything. FRFR is a different beast tho, and nothing bad about that - just different. People have to accept that and undstand it for what it is.

I'm heavily into mixing and production work as well, and the axe is one of the best things that has happened to me since. The benefits of FRFR are too numerous to mention, but you need to take the time to understand it as well. Guitar players whose knowledge dont extend out of the range of their immediate instruments will fail to recognize what it is and what it does. From an engineer or producer standpoint, the axe and FRFR is the magic needed.

I also use cabs with the axe sometimes, as well as sometimes I use tube amps or some of my old rack units and pedals, but I almost always end up missing the axe and FRFR. I've been going direct to FoH for years as well - even before the axe was invented yet. Up till the point when I got the axe I was still using some amp/cab sim analog pedals, and a vg99 and going FoH. Was never as good as this tho, but the problems I faced with these vs a loud cranked tube amp were greatly diminished. Never had the feel as a cranked tube amp, but that's not what you want for a good band mix. Try to see the big picture guys - the guitar is just one part in the big picture, and a pretty small part if you ask me - bass, drums and vocals almost always get the priority in my book, but that's me speaking from a production/engineering standpoint and not as a 'guitarist'.
 
So when you guys say "FOH" you are basically talking about the P.A. system and the sound being pumped out in front of you toward the audience, then having a cab to monitor yourself?

Also, is a powered monitor basically the same type you would use with a P.A. system or are there specific types that work better with the Axe-FX II due to having more of a "guitar cab" feel, etc.?

Sorry for the ton of questions. I'm just curious about this. I don't play in a band right now and just play in my basement so I wonder what the FRFR would do specifically for me. I currently have the two Marshall 4x12 cabs and wonder if I would miss anything if I switched.
 
One quick comment I forgot to add. I know I'm missing the ability to use cab emulations by sticking to the Marshall cabs. I'm pretty happy with the V30s in the one cab though. I always wondered if my presets would sound better using FRFR because I'd be using a specific cab with a particular tone (example Brown Sound with the type of cab Eddie used).
 
romanianreaper said:
So when you guys say "FOH" you are basically talking about the P.A. system and the sound being pumped out in front of you toward the audience, then having a cab to monitor yourself?

Also, is a powered monitor basically the same type you would use with a P.A. system or are there specific types that work better with the Axe-FX II due to having more of a "guitar cab" feel, etc.?

Sorry for the ton of questions. I'm just curious about this. I don't play in a band right now and just play in my basement so I wonder what the FRFR would do specifically for me. I currently have the two Marshall 4x12 cabs and wonder if I would miss anything if I switched.
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Yes: FOH = Front of House.

Forget the 'guitar cab' feel verbiage; that's just forum-babble that doesn't make any sense. You get cabinet thump from the Axe-FX II in spades after 3.0 now; that's where the 'cabinet' feel is from. Volume is the other component. Take away the volume, you get no thump. Take away the updated power amp modeling, you have thump but it's not as accurate. The key is knowing how to not only get it, but control it. I'll be doing more threads like this shortly that will outline my method for working this way very clearly. My way is not the only way or even the right way; but it is efficient and it works.

It also delves into the very hot topic of 'amp in the room' that sets off lots of nuclear wars on forums... but... assuming a certain level of quality output levels and accuracy from your powered speaker; you can have all the 'guitar cab' feel you need; but the tonality is working with mic models for the most part because those are essentially 'mix' tools - without a mic on your cab, you may need to add EQ at the board for cut and a tone that works in a band mix. You do not see or hear of guys cutting tracks in studios - from the highest level pro rooms down to the bedroom project studios - or on stage with reference 'flat response' mics. You choose your mic for what it does to the sound; and it is a deliberate thing. It's an important distinction and is part of the 'beyond the speaker cab' signal path I described in the OP.

Powered monitors are essentially the same as you would use with a PA - but there are widely differing levels of gear and that means some speakers sound good and do not cost a bundle, but may not be pristine and accurate and others might be very expensive but have response issues - ie. hyped forward mids due to being built with monitoring vocals and not instruments per say.

There are bad speakers, good speakers and great speakers at all price levels - with more of the bad ones falling on the lower end of the scale obviously. There are also a LOT of varying opinions and experiences out there - so don't take my opinions as gospel or accept them as fact. I just share my opinion based on first hand experience and what I believe is the truth as I see it. Nothing more or less and worth what you paid for it... zilch. Always use your own ears to form your own opinions firsthand. You may or may not agree with me in total or in part; and that's not a problem with me.

All that said, if you dig what you have going with your existing setup, then just play and don't sweat it. There is nothing wrong or right with any setup beyond inspiring you to play and perform better. If it works for you, it works. Period.
 
Thanks Scott! I might be selling a guitar soon and will have around $600 at my disposal so thinking of picking up a Matrix power amp. The other option, and not sure if it would fit in that price range, is a good FRFR speaker.
 
I am getting psyched to use my Axe live for the first time in a couple weeks. So I'm currently spending all my time dialing in my 10 tones +IA's required for the gig. I'm dialing in on my studio monitors, and my stage monitor at both practice volume and stage volume. Trying to really get the levels between presets good, and the solo boost dialed in, as well as the IA effects to be level as needed. I will have 1 rehearsal (at full PA setup in an empty warehouse, so it will be a full sound check) to insure that all settings are solid.

I will be following your threads for tips for sure. I will be running just like you, direct to FOH on output 1 and to my monitor on output 2, which will really just be the "More me" in the monitor mix.
 
romanianreaper said:
So when you guys say "FOH" you are basically talking about the P.A. system and the sound being pumped out in front of you toward the audience, then having a cab to monitor yourself?
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Front Of House means: Axe-fx > the mixing board > PA which is what the audience hears. This is probably the best case scenario for the sound person as he can control and balance your sound properly in the mix. The difficulty is, can you hear yourself playing?

You can use stage monitors or in ear monitors to better hear yourself and/or the mix if the mixing board is sending back a signal to you during this FOH setup.

The difference with no stage monitor or amp behind you is that you don't "feel" or maybe even hear yourself.
When you do use the amp or stage monitor, you are creating a less controlable environment for the sound person at the mixing board.
 
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Well that's the thing - with the axe, I turn it down (unheard of to guitarists) and still get a great sound - and the on stage monitors are just for that - MONITORING, and with the axe they sound awesome - I always like the sound of anything guitar related to be nice and loud, but it's something that you really don't need anymore with the axe. The feel of 'loud' will always have that appeal to it, but reasonable stage volume gets the job done just as well, and the sound guy AND the band are pleased and they sound good - also unheard of.

But that's from a mixing perspective - from a guitarist perspective, if it sounds good it is good - screw everything you know and learned and are told - if it sounds good to you, it is good, and that's what matters.

FRFR or amp/cab - you can get BOTH to sound great if you take a little time. A real cab does have that feel to it - those rumbling frequencies, but they are cut out in the mix. If you want that, you can get that with FRFR, but you have to spend some time with it to get it right. A good guitarist will impress with a peavy bandit amp - don't obsess over it.
 
I would like to chime in on this as well. I have been direct to FOH & using high end cans for monitoring for around 15 years now. I am in a church contemporary worship band. I have tried just about every processor for guitar & the Axe FX 2 is the clear winner. The following is my rig. Parker DF824 & Vox HDC 77 are my guitars with a Steinberger ST-2FPA as a backup in case of last minute key changes. Axe FX2, MFC-101, & two Mission Engineering expression pedals with foot switches. My cans are the Shure SRH 940's. I go out of Output 1 to Imp2 DI & direct into the snake to FOH mixer. I get my mix into the cans from an Aviom System. When I am asked to go to the front line to sing harmony vocals, I have to loose the cans & have used M-Audio IE30 in ear monitors or I have a Rolland SA-300 loaded with (2) 6.5" coaxial speakers & a 12" subwoofer. Don't really care for the IEM's, because once you loose the seal you loose the bass. The SA-300 sounds awesome. I create my patches with the Shure SRH 940's & then make some tweaks playing through the Rolland SA-300 or my Yamha Studio Monitors with a Rolland Sub. This is a tried and true setup. Like Scott, am setup in about 5 minutes & my tone is always consistent. The sound man never has to make EQ changes, & everyone comments on how excellent my tone is. I have never been an amp man so I would not miss any kind of amp on stage experience. What direct to FOH & monitoring with cans has done for me is save my hearing. The cans reduce the stage volume of the acoustic durm kit & bass cabinet. I can dial in my own mix, featuring me, at a volume that does not damage my hearing. Anyone who is on the fence about doing direct to FOH without the guitar cabinet, please give it a try. IMHO you will never go back.
 
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