I have been a Fractal user since the day the Standard came out many moons ago and now have an AXE 3. My question is that I for some reason cannot get along with FRFR solutions or even studio monitors running IR's. I love the AXE 3 tone with IR's when using headphones and love the AXE 3 tone when playing through traditional guitar cabinets with the CAB sims turned off.
I have tried numerous brands of FRFR solutions from Xitone to Friedman to the newer Celestion FRFR traditional guitar speakers and I can get these to sound glorious when l play extremely quiet but once I turn the volume up to a stage level, the whole thing sounds boxy and fizzy and not right. When I run through traditional guitar cabinets, the sound it absolutely huge and ballsy but not so much with FRFR and IR's.
I am extremely familiar with all of the tricks to cut the high end and low end, etc and have watched numerous tutorials from Leon Todd, to Cooper Carter, Mark Day and others and I cannot get this part of the equation to work for me no matter what I try. I have purchase numerous IR packs from York Audio and others to see if these make a difference and have even purchased IR packs to match my traditional Friedman cabinet running GB/V30s to see if I could use the real cabinet as a benchmark tone reference and I am failing miserably.
I understand the Fletcher Munsion curve and how it affects tone and lower volumes as opposed to loud volumes but how does a patch with my traditional guitar cabinets sound awesome at low volumes and even more awesome at band volumes, but my FRFR/IR patches do not translate the same way? I understand the IR's are a capture of a sound but I sure would like to be able to utilize the FRFR and IR's like many others on this site and many of the biggest touring bands out there such as Neal Schon, Def Leppard, and many others.
Ready to take up the tuba.
FWIW, I’ve never played through a consumer grade FRFR cab that sounded “right.” They’re normally boxy in the mids or have boosted top end. When I listen to a real mic’d cab through my studio monitors and A/B it with an IR, it’s identical, so I think it comes down to the color the FRFR cab adds to your tone.
If your studio monitors aren’t sounding good either, I imagine you’re getting a lot of reflections in your room that can enhance harsh top end. I HIGHLY recommend investing in some room treatment to smooth everything out. Your listening environment plays a massive part in your overall experience.
Since Meyer cabs are pricy, here’s a potential solution that might help you with what you already have that will keep your direct line sounding good (what you hear in your headphones) while making your FRFR cab sound better.
You’ll want to route your FRFR cab to Output 2. Try creating a preset that’s just Input 1 going to Output 2. Connect your phone or run a line out from your DAW into the Axe’s Input 1 so you can play music (something well-recorded that you’re familiar with) through your FRFR cab.
On your Axe, go to Setup - Global Settings and page over to Output 2 EQ. While listening at a decent volume, make EQ adjustments to get the music sounding balanced and neutral. You make need to cut mids and/or highs and boost low end. Once it’s sounding good, raise the volume and see if you need to make further adjustments. This is basically “tuning” your FRFR cab the same way a FOH/Monitor guy tunes a PA.
Now that it’s sounding good, try one of your presets and see how it translates.
As others have mentioned, a 1x12 cab isn’t going to hit the same way a 4x12 will, so you’re listening to it more like a floor monitor giving you the mic’d signal rather than hearing a roaring 4x12 behind you.
I hope this helps, and sorry for the long post.
