Getting the amp/cab itch. Matrix?

Deadpool_25

Deadpool_25

Fractal Fanatic
I've been thinking about getting an amp and cab and looking at the GT1000FX and (2)NL12 combo on Matrix's website. Seems like folks have had some good results? I like everything from jazz to metal so versatility is important. Only play at home but like to crank it up a bit sometimes.

I have also been checking out the upcoming FR12 active FRFR's they're working on. Interesting, but maybe I'd like a non-FRFR cab better.

I understand there's no "correct" answer to cab sims on or off with a real cab but it seems like the NL12s are neutral enough to handle IR sims better than say, some other options I've been considering like Port City, Mesa, Orange, etc. (all in 2x12 form)? And maybe having a pair of 1x12s separated by a few feet would be more interesting?
 
What are you currently using? If you are only playing at home then a 1x12 speaker cab should be all you need. Robin at Matrix told me that a 2x12 will only add directional focus, which you don't need for home playing. Now having a 1x12 pair means you can run stereo, which is much more interesting for home use.
 
Most of the "cab sims on" users with the NL series I think tend to play at lower volumes where they don't cloudy the tone. I think the majority use them without but at the end of the day there is no right or wrong, only what sounds good to you. Certainly for stereo use, a couple of speakers with some distance between them will give you a deeper stereo field than two speakers in the same enclosure and also give you some flexibility in being a more portable rig if you need (just using one speaker).
 
I have a GT1000FX and (2) NL212. Cab sims off for me, but I crank it. I thought I might want to move to FRFR but it sounds so good right now there's no need.

One very important thing I will mention though (and you can find this by searching around here) is that with cab sims off it helps to bring the Global EQ down a bit at 8k and a bit more at 16k to take care of a little fizz.

I can't say enough good things about Matrix. I emailed a question and after a quick reply answer they even called me the next day to make sure everything was good. Kind of blew my mind, especially after I had been dealing with Comcast for over a week about something trivial and getting nowhere.
 
I'm currently using a pair of Yamaha HS7s. They're good and pretty loud but there's something visceral about having an amp in the room with you (that old cliché). I cleaned out my storage and found my Peavey Vypyr Tube 60. Plugged in and cranked up and remembered why I bought it lol.
 
I've had the GT800FX and NL212 since the cab first came out (couple years??) and love it. It's more like playing through a regular amp, pick an amp in the Axe and play, no tweaking, searching through hundreds of IR's etc. The sound does get better the further you stand back but it sounds really good everywhere. I'm running it in stereo and it sounds huge. The downside is when I go to record, still have to do the IR rabbit hole thing. The newer firmware versions really make this setup shine, couldn't be happier.
 
I had the NL212 ..... great cab - super light and stereo/mono switchable.

However I decided I wanted to go the FRFR route and as Lightningboy says when you crank up the volume with cab sims on it lost a bit of definition - so I sent it back and swapped it for a FR212 - which is FRFR and handles anything you throw at it albeit in mono.

Without cab sims on the NL12 or NL212 cabs are pretty hard to dislike (especially when transporting them!)
 
Yes ..... ironically though I only plan to use a couple of cab IRs (no matter what amp model used) in a live set to keep some sort of continuity - but at least I have the choice to change them around whenever the notion takes me.
 
Deadpool_25 said:
Jettster,
Are you using a single NL212? Or two in stereo?
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I'm using a single cab in stereo, really can't say enough about this setup. I don't really do the super heavy death metal thing but for cleans to what I consider heavy (Prog, Shred) and anything in between it's been great. Never use cab sims and global EQ is flat. I know several others are using a global EQ. It's definitely a little brighter and has more frequency response through the range than a typical guitar cab. If anything I sometimes cut in the amp block below 60hz and above 8-10k. It's total freedom to just pick an amp and play.
 
I'm really looking for the feel of having the amp(s) in the room so I was juuuust about to pull the trigger on the NL12 deal. Then I thought about the fact that I like playing along to backing tracks too. So now I'm wondering if it might be better to go with an FRFR solution for that. Or I could go with the NL12 (1 or 2) and just play the backing tracks through the Yamaha HS7s....?

Ugh. Too many options.
 
mmpete said:
Hey Deadpool_25 - how do you find them. Are they living up to the dream ?
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Hi mmpete,

I thought I'd updated this....oops.

So I ended up returning the NL12s. Not because they sounded bad (they didn't at all; they sound very good), but because they sounded...different. Different than what I was accustomed to and, in hindsight, looking for.

First, understand my perspective. I'm very inexperienced when it comes to amps and even just playing guitar in general. I'm an at-home player only and l love sitting down in front of a good amp, plugging in and noodling. I'd rather noodle than tweak.

Okay, so the NL12s are plenty loud and cover quite a bit of of the sonic spectrum--more than traditional cabs. What I found was that, like others have mentioned, I needed to run the NL12s with cab sims off. More so as I turned up a bit. At lower volumes it was usually pretty nice even with cabs on. As I turned up though, it sounded a bit muddy. With cabs off, I thought it sounded much better. Crisper. But I thought it also lacked some warmth, especially with cleaner tones. Honestly I'd bet that warmth could be dialed in by someone more experienced.

I returned them and grabbed a Mesa 2x12 Rectifier cab and am loving it. With cab sims off, I can load a preset and it sounds just like I am sitting in front of a real amp. I can load up a random amp "head" and just have a blast. And it's plenty loud. Easily giggable I'm sure.

Bottom line: the NL12 cabs are, I think, excellent. However, without additional tweaking, I preferred the sound of the Mesa cab with its V30's. YMMV.
 
Another note. I dialed in the speaker parameters for my Mesa cab and there's a very noticeable difference from where it was. It sounds even better now. This makes me even more convinced the NL12s would have sounded much closer to what I wanted if I'd dialed in appropriate settings for it.
 
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