FRFR Monitor choices.

N

Nathan07

New Member
Hi all.

So i'm absolutely loving playing live with my ax8 now after a half dozen gigs with it and a good amount of preset tweaking..

I've been using a friends EV ZLX12P speaker with great results. More volume & headroom onstage than I could ever possibly need and besides being a little too hifi & bass heavy...it sounds very good live.

Anyone else who is running powered monitors have some suggestions as to what sounds good/bad with the ax8 when it comes to FRFR's??

I'm needing to buy my own now and leaning towards the new QSC K10.2 or K8.2. I've heard the new K8.2 is quite powerful and has good bass response compared to the older version. It would also be very compact.

I think the QSC's are sort of the peak of my budget right now..
 
Not trying to derail your question - just thought I'd put in a plug for something that has helped me dial out some of that hifi/bass heavy sound: really clamp down on the high-low cut parameters on your cab block. Try starting with the low around 150 and the high around 4500. Adjust up or down for desired effect on the particular preset you're on.

This has really helped me get a more desirable tone and a tone that blends better wit the band.

FWIW. Sorry for the side-track.
 
Plenty of threads on FRFR in the amp forum... Seems like Alto, EV, and Yamaha are the most common PA speakers people are using
 
One thing to attend to when auditioning is speaker size and how it disperses sound. With a real cabinet I prefer a 12". With FRFR I prefer 10." Studio Monitors: 8". It has mostly to do with the mid-range imaging. Smaller speakers have more focus, larger a bit more diffuse. It also depends on the space, etc. And I'm talking personal preference for what I do: which is firm and filling, but not heavy.

Presonus Air10 and Yamaha DBX10 and DBR10 are also worth a listen if you get a chance.
 
Those are all good recommendations. If you want portability, the Matrix FR12 or FR10 are pretty good, but a little beamy. If you can stretch your budget a little, I like my Atomic CLR Neo much better than anything I have played through. Clearer, more transparent, loud. You do have to low- and high-cut to make it sound good in a mix. US price on those dropped to $999 when I bought mine. I think that's only a little more than QSC. Not sure what prices you are facing Down Under. I usually love to buy used, but any FRFR speaker with a module might be a little risky if it's been misused. They can be glitchy.
 
I originally had pair of EV ZLX12's and also liked the results. I found that on the back panel, there is a DSP setting for Live, Floor, Pole mount which changes the EQ and reduce that boom. Regardless, I ended up selling them and now use JBL EON 610s either stereo or will send L/R into both channels on a single speaker. It's a personal choice but I like the sound better than what I had with the EV ZLX.

Ultimately, if I had the choice, I would probably invest in a single Atomic CLR and keep the JBLs as part of my PA rig.
 
Thanks for all the recommendations;)

I took my ax8 rig to a store this afternoon and had a chance to demo the QSC K.2 boxes.

The 8" had a great tight low end and focused response. Maybe a touch more midrange as well.

The 10" had just a little more warmth and fatness on single notes but took a little more taming of the low end in the EQ on the back.

Both sounded great but I feel like the 10" could probably more acurately mimic a real amp on stage. I loved the 8" though. Incredibly compact but still very powerful. Could probably double as a monitor for studio use too...

Ahhhh am I any closer to a decision haha!
 
depends on the kind of music you're playing. If you're playing hardcore metal / djent you may want something different but the alto ts210a speakers sound great. I've tried a few of the boutique powered cab solutions and felt that they had too much low mids for the kind of stuff I do.
 
Appreciate the offers to sell the Atomic CLR but need to sell off unused gear to pay for it.
If the offers were intended for me, tha nks.
 
I haven't played one but I'm interested in the Mission Engineering Gemini series. The Blue Tooth capability interest me. Right now I'm using an Alto TS210. It sounds good, extremely light weight and gets the job done.
 
jzgtrguy said:
I haven't played one but I'm interested in the Mission Engineering Gemini series. The Blue Tooth capability interest me. Right now I'm using an Alto TS210. It sounds good, extremely light weight and gets the job done.
Click to expand...
I run the Mission Engineering Gemini II with the BT and it's nothing short of amazing. They're built extremely well and give you that "amp in the room" feel.
 
I'd consider buying one good purpose built FRFR cab vs. a PA cab, something from Xitone (lots of amazing custom options to fit your needs) or Atomic.

I've got a pair of Xitone powered 10's that I love to death. Lightweight (26 lbs each), loud (enough) and built like a tank.
 
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