FRFR Solutions

Well, I just had an RIDICULOUS deal on a pair of K12s fall in my lap that I could NOT pass up. (cheap enough that even if they DO prove to be too space restrictive, which they may, I can flip them for a pair of the 8s, or an ASM12. I'll report back after I get a chance to test drive the new setup. (picking them up this weekend).
 
I need a good cab solution, but being relatively new to all of this I'm pretty lost.

I just got an axe 2weeks ago, and I've just been using my studio monitors for solo-jamtracks, studio use, and normal practicing.

Tonight a bass player friend came over and we both plugged into my axe (using separate amp routes). The combination of us turned those poor KRK8s to mud.

I've heard the CLRs sound the best, but have reliability issues. I was going to buy one tonight, but they're currently sold out.
I've heard the Xitone is pretty good and reliable (with good customer service, important to me).
I've heard the Matrix stuff is pretty good, but not as good as the above.

What I really am concerned about is volume. Can those little FRFR wedge/cabs put enough volume out for a small to medium sized club?

My main priorities are (in order)
1. sounds good with the Axe with minimal tweaking - this is important. I don't have a lot of free time, so I want to maximize actual playing time
2. reliable. I won't be gigging that much, since I do mostly studio work, but I don't want it crapping out on me in 3 months.
3. volume. Are these wedges/cabs used for performances, or are they mainly for monitoring while you go into the PA for sound?
 
Well done. You truly don't need to spend thousand$ of dollars to get the most out of the axefx. Since you mentioned "light weight" being a factor for you, know that XiTones aren't lightweight. My 212 cab is like 70lbs and other XiTones I have played are pretty heavy. However, for me I need a cab that is built like a truck. Mick's voidless super sturdy build is exceptional and is definitely the right road for me but just know that if you require light cabinetry, or a medium-duty build, Xitone may not be your cab, UNLESS YOU GET TWO SMALL CABS! Good luck man!
;)

I talked to Mick, he said he was setting up a CNC machine an that he had some 112 cabs coming out that I think were under 30lbs.Thanks for the feed back!
 
I still really love my ASM. I had used a k10 before and it just had no "oomph" or feel to it for me. I was power amp and cab for 4 years and bought the asm to size down. The thing is heavy and awkward. But it looks sweet, sounds the way a FRFR cab should and paired with my new AX8, is an extremely awesome portable solution.
 
Guys, When Running the AX8 in stereo using the Atomic cabs, I'm not hearing it in Stereo via XLR cables out to monitors. How do I fix this?
 
Dirty Shirley.

Dirty Shirley is an amp model, not a stereo effect. The amp block is mono, and there is only one amp block per preset, so you'd need to add stereo effects after it to hear a stereo image. Are you trying to achieve stereo delays, stereo reverbs? Chorus? If you post the preset then we can help you troubleshoot. I'd also recommend posting it to a new forum thread as we've hijacked this thread about FRFR solutions a bit.
 
Well, I just had an RIDICULOUS deal on a pair of K12s fall in my lap that I could NOT pass up. (cheap enough that even if they DO prove to be too space restrictive, which they may, I can flip them for a pair of the 8s, or an ASM12. I'll report back after I get a chance to test drive the new setup. (picking them up this weekend).


And what are your thoughts with the K12's?
 
And what are your thoughts with the K12's?

So, I got to A/B the Ks, although it wasn't an ideal weekend to do so. (Night 1 was backline, and the P.A. was BAD. Their homemade wedges sounded AWFUL, and it was a LOUD deck).

The short version is, the K8 (I only had one to try) sounded, as I suspected it would, "tighter". The 12s we more "open" sounding, if that makes sense. I play in front of a VERY loud drummer- honestly, after 25+ years of playing in bands and sitting in, he's probably in the top 3 loudest I've ever experienced. AND, he's up on a truss riser RIGHT behind me, so it's amplified to a decent degree. I bring all that up because I really question if the 8s are enough for what I want out of them. The 10s may be the happy medium, if I stay the QSC route. After this first run with them, I am also looking at the ASM-12, as it seems most folks that play on them say it's more "cabinet" sounding (since it's wood, and MADE to be a "guitar amp") VS. plastic, and designed as a P.A. enclosure. I have another weekend out with them next week, so I'll give it another go before I make a final decision.

Side note- I AM sold on the spoils of running stereo on stage. I hit my acoustic on my Majesty and the entire band pretty much stopped and looked at me with their jaws on the floor. Well worth the extra footprint. ;)
 
I am also looking at the ASM-12, as it seems most folks that play on them say it's more "cabinet" sounding (since it's wood, and MADE to be a "guitar amp") VS. plastic, and designed as a P.A. enclosure. I have another weekend out with them next week, so I'll give it another go before I make a final decision.

Side note- I AM sold on the spoils of running stereo on stage. I hit my acoustic on my Majesty and the entire band pretty much stopped and looked at me with their jaws on the floor. Well worth the extra footprint. ;)

Thanks for the review! I had a pair of ASM-12 before buying my K12's the reason for me unloading the ASM's was because of the weight and how awkward they were to carry not to mention the physical size of them. Not the easiest cabinet to put in a smaller vehicle. I'm very happy with the K12's as they lighter, have more inputs, separate volume controls for each input, pads and boost frequency switches not to mention they are much louder than the ASM's should I need the extra volume.
 
I'm glad to hear the discussion about weight. The K12s are 41lbs? Is that right? I was worried about the XiTones 1-12 that are arriving this week. They're 35lbs, I think. I'd like light.
 
I got a great deal on a used Yamaha DX12, so I bought it. Will update everyone once it gets here. I figure, if nothing else, I can use it as a vocal monitor.

Right now I'm looking at either getting a custom active 2x12 from Xitone, the Xitone 1x12 active wedge or waiting for the CLR to get back in stock and getting the active CLR Wedge
 
Thanks for the review! I had a pair of ASM-12 before buying my K12's the reason for me unloading the ASM's was because of the weight and how awkward they were to carry not to mention the physical size of them. Not the easiest cabinet to put in a smaller vehicle. I'm very happy with the K12's as they lighter, have more inputs, separate volume controls for each input, pads and boost frequency switches not to mention they are much louder than the ASM's should I need the extra volume.

Thanks for the insight- I actually have rehearsal tonight, so i'll be setting up the entire rig and should have a couple hours of focused play through to really get a good idea on how the 12s sound at various volumes.
 
Thanks for the review! I had a pair of ASM-12 before buying my K12's the reason for me unloading the ASM's was because of the weight and how awkward they were to carry not to mention the physical size of them. Not the easiest cabinet to put in a smaller vehicle. I'm very happy with the K12's as they lighter, have more inputs, separate volume controls for each input, pads and boost frequency switches not to mention they are much louder than the ASM's should I need the extra volume.

UPDATE (including a "major user error" addendum ;) ).

SO...I was reading through my manual a couple of nights ago, and happened on the global settings again, but for SOME reason I decided to take a second look at "power amp modeling" and mine was OFF. I THINK, with the way I am setting up, this should be ON? (Main XLRs out to FOH, balanced output 2 to in stereo to my QSC K12s). Maybe it's just in my head (placebo effect?), but after another demo of the K12s, I am much more impressed. My main goal form the beginning was to first recreate "my tone", i.e. my main amp and stomp boxes, so I could start using this thing as soon as possible with my group. (which, for the curious, is an H&K Tubemeister 18 through a partial open back wide body Mesa 1X12. FX were T.C. Flashback and Chorus, Whammy DT for shifting up to 440 from Eb for certain songs, an XOTIC Compressor, and a soul food for when I used my old Ibanez PG which was MUCH lower gain than the Majesty that's recently become my main axe of late.). Anyway- I chose, after some quick auditioning, the Corncob M50, and am using a Bludo cab from the "Boutique Cab Pack" I picked up on impulse. (see what I did, there ;) ). This sounded, so my ear, close to what I was always going after ; maybe what I HOPED my H&K sounded like lol .

in any event, and rather serendipitously, I attempted this morning to go ahead and order the open box ASM-12 from Sweetwater and it was gone. Now I am second guessing even bothering to try it (for the time being). These K12s sound REALLY good in stereo, so much so that I got lost in just PLAYING, which is what an awesome piece of hear is SUPPOSED to do, right?

For those that want to know the final outcome, I'll update after another weekend with a not (I believe) properly set up AX8. Cheers!
 
My Yamaha DXR10 is 32lbs.
I had a pair of these with a sub and sold them. They would get boxy sounding when pushed .I went and bought Friedman ASM 12 and haven't regretted it. Yes, its heavier but the sound , to me at least, is fuller , punchier, better to my ears. To me they are worth the weight. Peace.
 
I just got my XiTone 1-12 pair of active wedges yesterday! The only time I had was to connect them to my AX-8, later I'll connect to the Axe Fx II. I won't have time to play for real until tomorrow. I could only strum a few chords and play a few lines. I loved it. I've been playing in stereo since the 80s, so that's not new, but the FRFR is.
 
First let me say i just got this thing, and i have no idea what i am doing. :) Just got the AX8 2 days ago, and first night i hooked it up to my 6i6 interface and listened through my studio monitors. It sounded pretty great. But still could use some tweaking of course right out of the box.

I tried it with my CLR last night and it didn't really sound very good. I was kind of surprised. i read a thread about someone saying the same and thought it was weird, because with the Kemper the CLR sounds amazing.

Gonna try and figure it out, i can't see any reason why it wouldn't be able to sound just as good as the Kemper with the same speaker, so i must not have something right, but again i'm a noob. If anyone has any suggestions i would appreciate it.
 
Went back and re-checked all my levels and found Just one preset i liked instead of trying a whole bunch of different ones and just tried to tweak that one to my setup and it sounded much better this time. So many options on this thing it is crazy.
 
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