Introduce a ‘coloured’ active speaker

andyp13

Power User
i have a good stereo out sound to front of house and usually use IEM’s so all is good. However I am doing a few gigs with another band soon and although I will be going into the FOH (in stereo) I will also need a monitor. I normally use a matrix GT800 and a Q12 but I won’t have access to these on this occasion. I do however have a RCF TT08a and although very good it’s incredibly coloured - it is very bassy and middy with very little top end. What would be the best way to get this to sound more like what’s going out front?
I’m going main L&R into the PA so would I be best putting a speaker cab and graphic into output 2 (only on the left out though as the right out of output 2 is feeding a vocal harmoniser and I bypass all effects for this.... can this be done? Is it the best method?
 
Don't you have any stomp box eq lying around, like the MXR KFK or PEQ10? That would work faster and easier than changing settings in your presets.
 
I can't believe that the TT08 is very coloured, I suspect your other options are the ones that are less flat than the RCF. That's even a step up from the NX-x-SMA series which are pretty flat... maybe the HF driver in your TT08 is broken?
 
I can't believe that the TT08 is very coloured, I suspect your other options are the ones that are less flat than the RCF. That's even a step up from the NX-x-SMA series which are pretty flat... maybe the HF driver in your TT08 is broken?

I did wonder that myself, I find the top end really nice and warm but the bottom end is really bassy... and it’s the bass that needs drastically cutting...when I compare it with the Q12 the RCF is just all bottom, the Q12 is nowhere near in the bass end and goes much higher in frequency also.
 
Have you tried taking it off the floor and see if that cuts the bass? Just asking because I had a cab that was always too bassy until I stuck it on a chair
 
Have you tried taking it off the floor and see if that cuts the bass? Just asking because I had a cab that was always too bassy until I stuck it on a chair

Hi yes I put it on a stand but it made very little difference - it’s just all flabby bottom end with very little definition..... really coloured compared to the Q12 and FOH
 
I had the RCF...I found it to not work for me ( for an AXE). I like the set for over all mix, but not the AXE. I ended up trying out the QSC K 12.2. These have a good amount of bass response but they really are nice for a powered monitor - if you can't go speaker/power amp. I have tried straight FOH with sound putting me through monitors but always felt that lacking.
I have some Xitone cabs and they are cool. I like the CLRs too, but still the QSC just seems to have much of the power and oomph I need. Everything else seems "boxy". I can't explain it.
I have seen other people use CLRs, etc and get good results - just not for me.
The only other set up I have used is either a 4x12 or 2x12 passive with GT1000FX. But that seems to be too much on stage volume, unless its a really big show, and then access to QSCs is just easier than bringing an extra power amp.
I saw Dweezil Zappa and he was using QSC boxes...was such a great sound.
Ended up getting four - two for stereo and a set for back ups.
Unless the gig requires something else, I haven't used anything else since.
 
When I had an NX12 SMA it's curve looked quite flat on a paper when I took messures. Only a little tiny bit too much between 100hz and 500hz and a slow roll off in the highs, but overall very flat.

But it sounded bassy and highs were missing compared to everything else (studio monitors, stage monitors, PA systems, in-ears).

I din't have any explanation for that at first since the graph looked good on paper and it wasn't the manufacturers graph, it was my own take with my certified mic.
So I started searching and comparing.

I have found one explantion for me that I still believe to be true:
The cheaper stuff has always boosted highs. It's easier to sell stuff when it sounds open and bright. For a manufacturer it's also cheaper to improve highs than to improve lows.

My consequence: I sold the NX12. I could live with a cheap bass from my monitor but I need some highs, that's what makes me cut through.
 
QSC K10 definitely adds more bass... sounds nice for live but if you make patches using them and listen in a studio without the K10, signal will sound thin, weak, and/or tinny.
 
I don’t think the HF driver is faulty, if I increase the treble, bright and presence it’s trebly though not cuttingly bright. It’s such a ‘big and full’ sound but it’s so far removed from what’s going out front, or when I connect mr Q12 which has much less bass, and bright highs and a brighter upper mid. Obviously all cabs have their own sound but the difference here is massive.
 
Everything else seems "boxy". I can't explain it.

When I sold PA gear it was difficult to get a nice round even PA speaker and another thing is the power amp that you think is a neutral player had a HUGE effect on the sound. Had a 50ft stage with everything set up with switchers and the only thing that sounded like a studio sound was an old URIE power amp into old JBL boxes that were giant. The rest sounded "Boxy" and I think you explained it well because you can't see it in freq response charts or specs. Back then Yamaha had the worst problem and the rep explained to me that different cultures found different sounds pleasant. He also said they were trying to convince the Japanese engineers to make them sound "American" Don't know if that was just sales bullshit but it sounded convincing at the time. Another good sounding system was Ramsa which is Panasonic. Their rep said it was all about damping negative feedback and matching those to speakers. There stuff sounded great and was the precursor to light weight stuff you see today. I just picked up an old Ramsa power amp for 50 bucks. Was hoping to figure out what smallish pa speakers might work. But you really have to hook them up and play through them to know.
 
This whole thing is very frustrating. After all the time spent to get a good sound through your studio monitors that translates to mobile devices and internet etc. You have to start over again and try to make it work. PITA as far as I'm concerned. Be nice if FAS had a complete solution. But hey...

So why do guys like the Yamaha stuff these days?

Was thinking about the DXR? whatever the unpowered 10s they have are..Saw a few pop up pretty cheap. don't see anyone talking about anything but the powered ones though....
 
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This whole thing is very frustrating. After all the time spent to get a good sound through your studio monitors that translates to mobile devices and internet etc. You have to start over again and try to make it work. PITA as far as I'm concerned. Be nice if FAS had a complete solution. But hey...

So why do guys like the Yamaha stuff these days?

Was thinking about the DXR? whatever the unpowered 10s they have are..Saw a few pop up pretty cheap. don't see anyone talking about anything but the powered ones though....
The Yami speakers are pretty good. I don't as good results with external power and unpowered speakers - except if I am using a power amp/guitar cab set up. There just seems to be something lost with passive monitors.
For the "PA" speaker set the QSCs seem to rule for me.

I tried the mission stuff...and that is ok just not too much power...the 1000 watt range is kind of the sweet spot to get that true "tube amp" live sound.
 
In what way did it not work for you? Did you find the RCF over bassy and muddy?
Not so much bassy...just "dull" if that makes sense. Lots of volume just very bland. Maybe sterile? Too dry? Which is what you want in some was for a "flat speaker". But the pairing with an AXE wasn't the one. I bought them after seeing band using them as mains and the guitarist running FOH through them.
BTW...they work great for that...just not a on stage monitor...imo

I mean for about 450-500 you can get K12's clean. They are built like tanks and they work fantastic.

I have two Xitone (800 watts) powered 12's (1000 or 2000 depending on the version). They are pretty good, but not as good as the QSC K12s. I don't use them unless there is lots of passive monitors on stage and volume needs to somewhat low. I mentioned to someone recently, they are like using a deluxe reverb vs the QSCs are like a twin/mark v if you were trying to put in a conventional amp mindset.

I should say, though, you will get more bass from any of these powered monitors...they were not really designed with an axe in mind...more for mixed music, so I do find that sometimes I have to roll off bass a tad in my live mixes...but not too much.
I noticed with any mesa set up...bass is always a problem with mesa amps. When I was using real Mark Vs I would keep my bass at about 2.5 or less.
I am not using too much mesa sounds now, but when I did, I kept my AXE mesa bass at 1.5, using either the QSC or Xitone.

Again for the price and the sound...these are great speakers, not digital sounding at all. Good cleans, nice tight overdrive sounds, bright acoustic sounds, etc.
 
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