How many of you use REAL cabs still?

I don't want to make settings for 3 different setups. I concentrate on one solution only and that is FRFR. Playing FRFR only also means that my presets got better and better and after a while started to fit to whatever audio systems, they even sound decent with cheap monitors. So in the long run it's awesome now...it wasn't awesome from the start.
 
I have found zero advantage to using guitar cabs with the AXE live--why do you prefer it? Occasionally for larger shows our sound guy puts a couple empty/dummy 4x12s behind me for visuals but that's it. Guitar cabs are beam-y, picky with mic positioning, heavy, bulky, etc. Just curious why you feel this way...
I think it is more of feeling the guitar and the amp. For me I love the sounds I am getting but there is something missing in a room jamming with a band and this has nothing to do with big stage or small stage. I am talking rehearsal. The CLR's sound nice, don't get me wrong but it's missing something in the feel of the amp. I've yet to try a real speaker cabinet but if it did sound different than I would be doing a setup just like many others real cab on stage and in rehearsal, FOTH IR's and recording. Maybe a mix of both for recording, who knows :)
 
Both for surely. Out1 to 2 MAckie HD1221 Actives and Out 2 to Matrix Poweramp 1000 to Orange 2X12....talk about pushin some Airs.....I like the FRFR and IR's bc of the versatility and with use of the CAB Lab and IR packs I can get ANY sound I want. LOVE IT.
 
I have found zero advantage to using guitar cabs with the AXE live--why do you prefer it? Occasionally for larger shows our sound guy puts a couple empty/dummy 4x12s behind me for visuals but that's it. Guitar cabs are beam-y, picky with mic positioning, heavy, bulky, etc. Just curious why you feel this way...

I love the sound and feel I get from a pair 4x12 cabs..
to my ears / feel, they seem to add the special sauce.. no idea why or how.. but I do notice it..
I don't like my sound spraying up into my face from FRFR or stage monitors..
I like the rest of the band in the stage monitors and ask the sound guy to keep me out of my monitor..
I like it coming from behind [wehhayyyy ! !].. old skool I guess...
plus, I like the beam.. I use it to my advantage.. I step in and out of it

EDIT: forgot to mention.
I almost never drive to a gig.. I play live almost exclusively overseas.. means I fly to gigs..
so.. I cannot take cabs with me.. and it'd be suicide to put something "exotic" on the tech rider like a pair of Matrix monitors..
you cannot just jack into any monitors and expect things to be the same..
cos I know they ain't.. done the X v Y v Z make / model tests more than once and the differences were bigger than expected..
so FRFR does not mean proper flat or completely full range… or they'd all sound the same..
however.. if my rider says 'two Marshall 4x12 cabs', that means the same thing in any language and I'll pretty much always get what I want…
keep it simple… and the chances of success are greater..
 
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I use the Mackie HD1221s and love them, I run direct into the board in stereo with channels panned a bit. Also, IRs are so important to develop the tone you are after though. Not all Irs are created equal they are like woman, when you find one that you love you tend to stick with it but occasionally need to try some new ones.
 
I play out of 4 Mesa Boogie 4*12 cabs (two front and two back) out of my sound proof music studio I built in my house. Despite this I always play with amp sims on because frankly it sounds way better!
 
I play out of 4 Mesa Boogie 4*12 cabs (two front and two back) out of my sound proof music studio I built in my house. Despite this I always play with amp sims on because frankly it sounds way better!

I leave power amp emulation on too.. cos I use a Matrix power amp..
so I let the Axe take care of the tone and the Matrix just makes it loud..
unlike cabs, a power amp is something that can and will take with me to gigs in the rack
 
I don't think it's an issue for the foh, but on stage, for me, nothing can replace the pressure, sound and feel of a good 412 cab. Or preferably, a pair of 'em. And I have tried, and I've returned to cabs.

Love jamming at low volume, even in the middle of the night, with the ir's, and recording too (except when I need feedback, and I do like my feedback), sounds absolutely great, but in a band situation, nope, doesn't work for me.


Jan
 
I have found zero advantage to using guitar cabs with the AXE live--why do you prefer it? Occasionally for larger shows our sound guy puts a couple empty/dummy 4x12s behind me for visuals but that's it. Guitar cabs are beam-y, picky with mic positioning, heavy, bulky, etc. Just curious why you feel this way...

I use a cab live because most of the time it's hard to get the sound guy to actually get a good mix in the monitor. He doesn't work for me, he works for the venue. With a cab, there is exactly zero chance I can't hear myself. I also like the sound of a cab better, and I want to hear what I want when I play live. Let's face it, sometimes sound guys don't have a clue what they are doing, or they turn things up or down to their liking, and that includes the musicians monitors.
 
I love the sound and feel I get from a pair 4x12 cabs..
to my ears / feel, they seem to add the special sauce.. no idea why or how.. but I do notice it..
I don't like my sound spraying up into my face from FRFR or stage monitors..
I like the rest of the band in the stage monitors and ask the sound guy to keep me out of my monitor..
I like it coming from behind [wehhayyyy ! !].. old skool I guess...
plus, I like the beam.. I use it to my advantage.. I step in and out of it

EDIT: forgot to mention.
I almost never drive to a gig.. I play live almost exclusively overseas.. means I fly to gigs..
so.. I cannot take cabs with me.. and it'd be suicide to put something "exotic" on the tech rider like a pair of Matrix monitors..
you cannot just jack into any monitors and expect things to be the same..
cos I know they ain't.. done the X v Y v Z make / model tests more than once and the differences were bigger than expected..
so FRFR does not mean proper flat or completely full range… or they'd all sound the same..
however.. if my rider says 'two Marshall 4x12 cabs', that means the same thing in any language and I'll pretty much always get what I want…
keep it simple… and the chances of success are greater..

Thanks for the thoughtful reply! I can understand everything you are saying and have thought the same things at one point or another. I have found that it does take time to get 'used to' a full range signal 'spraying in your face' (I like the way you put that haha)-- mostly I got used to it when I heard how much more balanced my FOH tone was. Compared to a sound 'engineer' essentially laying a mic on the floor in front of my cabs LOL, it sounds like your situ is a lot more professional.

Hey, to each their own--I get no rider, hell some of the places we play I'm lucky to not have to share a power outlet with the rest of the band!
 
Thanks for the thoughtful reply! I can understand everything you are saying and have thought the same things at one point or another. I have found that it does take time to get 'used to' a full range signal 'spraying in your face' (I like the way you put that haha)-- mostly I got used to it when I heard how much more balanced my FOH tone was. Compared to a sound 'engineer' essentially laying a mic on the floor in front of my cabs LOL, it sounds like your situ is a lot more professional.

Hey, to each their own--I get no rider, hell some of the places we play I'm lucky to not have to share a power outlet with the rest of the band!

I think all monitoring solutions, be they traditional or FRFR wedges have their respective strengths and weaknesses..
we all playing different styles of music and in different environments with different transportation capabilities or limitations..
so the principle thing is fully understanding your needs and choosing a rig that best fits it..

if I played in a pit with a theatre orchestra for example, I'd know the following:
- space in the pit is tight = small rig
- the needs of each show will be extremely different = tonal versatility [FRFR so you have access to IR cabs]
- DI would be better than mic'ing = FRFR again
- pants flapping in a hurricane of drop-C would be frowned upon
already a single or pair of active Matrix FRFR 1x12 monitors are screaming "me ! me ! ! me ! !"

contrast:
playing in a touring band, all original music, rockin' and-a rollin' [just what Clarky's do da best]
- space is no issue = big outdoor festival stages and concert halls
- the big vibe = we are rockin' and-a rollin'.. I want to sound like it, look like, I want to knock down walls and have pants flapping in the storm..
- can't take cabs on a plane = you have no idea what's going to be waiting for you down route [something that'll work, don't need top of the line, but must be ubiquitous / very easy to source]
- using your own tones throughout = this is 'my voice' so the choices are mine alone, a single cab type helps anchor my tones with some consistent voicing
- keep it simple =I speak English and Spanish [although my grandmother would issue slaps if she could hear me obliterating her mother tongue] which won't help in in Poland or Japan for example.. so.. when faced with a more traditional sound guy, how can I easily explain my needs if they're unconventional?? however.. wheel up a pair of 4x12 cabs and he'll smile and walk toward you with a pair of 57,s and some short stands.. I point at left cab and then point to the left, point at the other and point right and say 'no mono, stereo'.. which seems to work everywhere on earth..
the solution needs to be easy / trouble free / repeatable anywhere on earth..
and of course if I play in the UK, I can fit both my 1960b's in the car [funny.. "do my cabs go in this" is part of the car choosing criteria]
now the Marshall 4x12 cabs are screaming "me ! me ! ! me ! !"
 
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Just got my Axe a few days ago and I am using a Mesa 2x12 and right now. I also have a Mesa 4x12 I can use too. I see no reason to go FRFR, especially since I like the sound of both of my Mesa cabs.
 
I use cabs. I have a Mesa Recto 2x12 - standard cab that I use for a side fill, and I have a Mesa 2x12 Recto slant wedge that is the exact shape of a monitor cab. I put that at the front of bigger stages pointing at me as a guitar monitor. Its loaded with Scumnicos and sounds the balls. The slant (wedge) shaped 2x12'ss are an older Mesa product, but you can find them.

JB
 
I use cabs. I have a Mesa Recto 2x12 - standard cab that I use for a side fill, and I have a Mesa 2x12 Recto slant wedge that is the exact shape of a monitor cab. I put that at the front of bigger stages pointing at me as a guitar monitor. Its loaded with Scumnicos and sounds the balls. The slant (wedge) shaped 2x12'ss are an older Mesa product, but you can find them.

JB

You mean the the Recto slant? If you do that's the one I have and they still make them. I would like to convert mine to stereo though.
 
I've been running FRFR for years with my Axe-FX. It is great and super versatile. Even though I usually only use one IR and one or two presets, the setup works great for all kinds of gigs and environments.

I recently got a Dr Z Z Best 2x12 cabinet and a Matrix 800 power amp. This setup is awesome. I've only played a couple gigs this way but it is really fun and gives and amazing vibe and really fills the room. With my FRFR I have to rely on the PA system for filling the room (which can be a big advantage sometimes). I'm looking forward to getting a smaller cab as well for even more versatility, but it is really fun to have different options for different situations.

I think often the best FOH tones will be achieved with a great sounding IR, but the best stage and back line tones can sometimes be achieved with a guitar cab. It really depends on context and environment.
 
Can anyone post a preset of a HBE or equivalent that is set up to work great a SS power amp like a matrix and cab sim off so it will sound great with a real cab like a a marshall 2x12 or 4x12. I have gone the FRFR route (Matrix FR212 and Q12) mainly because I could never get the real cab to sound like it does when I use my valve amp set up. It was a lot thinner sounding. I had go at creating patches from scratch as typically recommended, which was better than just switching off the cab sim on a direct preset, but still not a 100% convinced and put that down to my ignorance of some of the deeper edit options for speaker in the amp and cab blocks. I have tried messing with these things but never got it to sound as big warm and thumpy as it should. I would love to try a patch by someone like Clarky who swears down by the real cab approach. I have a matrix 800 fx. The cab defo sounds better when I use the power amp of my Engl Blackmore but as as been said you loose a lot of amp sim variability which is so dependent on the power amp sim, especially with brown sound style marshalls which is what Im into.
 
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