Fro
Experienced
I have a show coming up at the end of December where I know for a fact that my guitar will not be going through the PA. It’s a house system, and they only allow vocals and kick drum in the PA. So whatever I bring to play through is what the audience will hear. I wanted a good way to compare everything I have so I can decide what is best to use.
This was done completely for my own benefit, but I thought this might be useful to others, so I’m posting it. There is no science involved here. I’m probably doing this all wrong. I put each speaker one by one in the same spot in the room. On the other side of the room I have a Behringer ECM8000 RTA mic and an AKG C3000B. Both are running through a Presonus StudiLive with everything set flat, and then into my Zoom H4N. The 2 mics are panned hard left and right.
I used the looper in the Axe Fx to play the same riff over and over. All of the passive speakers are powered with the same amp, an ART SLA-2. Most of my real cabs have Greenback type speakers. Anything using FRFR is using a cab sim with a Greenback cab mix. The amp sim is a JCM 800.
If I have time, I would be happy to do this properly, and in a larger room if necessary. Please let me know anything I can do to make this a more apples to apples comparison.
For point of reference, the Marshall 2x12 with the M75’s is my main “real” cab. Anything I’ve ever created in the Axe Fx usually ends up sounding like this cab. This is what I’ve been using when I’ve needed to take more of a backline approach. I’ve been playing though IEM’s for the past 6 months, and I really love my sound through my Westone ES5’s. This has been an interesting transition back to the amp on stage scenario.
I know that FRFR is not going to sound like a cab in a room, but more like a recorded sound with a mic on a cab. Compatring real cabs to FRFR isn’t really apples to apples. In this case I’m not so much concerned that the approach to the sounds is identical, or that it’s a complete apples to apples comparison. I’m just trying to figure out what is going to sound best for the audience. Again, I will not be going through a PA, so direct to FOH is not an option. The audience won’t know if it’s a real cab or FRFR. All they care about is if it sounds good or not.
The direct Axe Fx recording is just for a reference. I cranked the room knob in the cab block just to try to put it in a similar space as the rest of the recordings. I normally leave this all the way down.
I welcome all feedback. I freely admit that I have no idea what I’m doing, so I could use the advice. This is all a learning process for me. And no, your ears are not deceiving you. You do actually hear the sound change a few times as a walk in front of the mics. Like I said, not very scientific.
Here are the recordings.
Axe Fx II JCM 800 direct with a Greenback cab mix.
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-axe-fx-direct[/soundcloud]
EAW VRM12
FBT Verve 12ma
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-fbt-verve[/soundcloud]
Fender 1x12 Closed Cabinet with a V30. I was to lazy to put in a Greenback.
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-fender-1x12-with[/soundcloud]
Lopoline 1x12 Small Cab with a Scumback M75.
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-fender-1x12-with[/soundcloud]
Marshall 2x12 Jubilee cab with Scumback M75’s. This is my favorite “real” cab.
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-marshall-2x12[/soundcloud]
Marshall 4x12 Basketweave with Greenbacks
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backl-ine-test-marshall-4x12[/soundcloud]
QSC K10
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-qsc-k10[/soundcloud]
QSC K12
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-qsc-k12[/soundcloud]
RCF NX12-sma
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-rcf-nx12sma[/soundcloud]
Yorkville U15P – This is my main PA when the PA isn’t provided by the venue.
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-yorkville-u15p[/soundcloud]
This was done completely for my own benefit, but I thought this might be useful to others, so I’m posting it. There is no science involved here. I’m probably doing this all wrong. I put each speaker one by one in the same spot in the room. On the other side of the room I have a Behringer ECM8000 RTA mic and an AKG C3000B. Both are running through a Presonus StudiLive with everything set flat, and then into my Zoom H4N. The 2 mics are panned hard left and right.
I used the looper in the Axe Fx to play the same riff over and over. All of the passive speakers are powered with the same amp, an ART SLA-2. Most of my real cabs have Greenback type speakers. Anything using FRFR is using a cab sim with a Greenback cab mix. The amp sim is a JCM 800.
If I have time, I would be happy to do this properly, and in a larger room if necessary. Please let me know anything I can do to make this a more apples to apples comparison.
For point of reference, the Marshall 2x12 with the M75’s is my main “real” cab. Anything I’ve ever created in the Axe Fx usually ends up sounding like this cab. This is what I’ve been using when I’ve needed to take more of a backline approach. I’ve been playing though IEM’s for the past 6 months, and I really love my sound through my Westone ES5’s. This has been an interesting transition back to the amp on stage scenario.
I know that FRFR is not going to sound like a cab in a room, but more like a recorded sound with a mic on a cab. Compatring real cabs to FRFR isn’t really apples to apples. In this case I’m not so much concerned that the approach to the sounds is identical, or that it’s a complete apples to apples comparison. I’m just trying to figure out what is going to sound best for the audience. Again, I will not be going through a PA, so direct to FOH is not an option. The audience won’t know if it’s a real cab or FRFR. All they care about is if it sounds good or not.
The direct Axe Fx recording is just for a reference. I cranked the room knob in the cab block just to try to put it in a similar space as the rest of the recordings. I normally leave this all the way down.
I welcome all feedback. I freely admit that I have no idea what I’m doing, so I could use the advice. This is all a learning process for me. And no, your ears are not deceiving you. You do actually hear the sound change a few times as a walk in front of the mics. Like I said, not very scientific.
Here are the recordings.
Axe Fx II JCM 800 direct with a Greenback cab mix.
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-axe-fx-direct[/soundcloud]
EAW VRM12
FBT Verve 12ma
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-fbt-verve[/soundcloud]
Fender 1x12 Closed Cabinet with a V30. I was to lazy to put in a Greenback.
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-fender-1x12-with[/soundcloud]
Lopoline 1x12 Small Cab with a Scumback M75.
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-fender-1x12-with[/soundcloud]
Marshall 2x12 Jubilee cab with Scumback M75’s. This is my favorite “real” cab.
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-marshall-2x12[/soundcloud]
Marshall 4x12 Basketweave with Greenbacks
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backl-ine-test-marshall-4x12[/soundcloud]
QSC K10
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-qsc-k10[/soundcloud]
QSC K12
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-qsc-k12[/soundcloud]
RCF NX12-sma
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-rcf-nx12sma[/soundcloud]
Yorkville U15P – This is my main PA when the PA isn’t provided by the venue.
[soundcloud] http://soundcloud.com/fromas/backline-test-yorkville-u15p[/soundcloud]
