Just bought some EV PXM - 12MP’s

[BCy2k]

Sometimes you might get a cut of the door and/or bar IF you sold more than X tickets.

The people I know who have dealt with the pay to play environment were all in the LA/Southern California area. I know this was the norm for a few years there, and no one I spoke with about it had anything good to say about the practice. I never ever ran into it. I did lots of lousy $50 a night gigs, but I've never had to pay to play. That's a non-starter for where I'm at in the local food chain. No one I gig with would tolerate this idea, and they'd be pretty loud about it too. It's that unheard of - at least where I'm located (Denver, Colorado area). I've only ever heard of this being associated with the SoCal live music scene.

Most of the venues I play that do ticketed events are relatively lucrative compared to a typical bar situation. Our net is usually 50% of ticket sales for most venues. I play in several bands currently (easier than it sounds) and a couple are 8, and 10 pieces in size. Even those bands will still net enough that even the 10 pc band makes a minimum of $300 per person. Usually more.

Most of my gigs are straight up contracted events with everything defined at a fixed price etc. The bands I'm in that also do ticketed events are somewhat known quantities and tend to draw enough to actually be competitive with what corporate event & wedding bands make. I also play with one of the latter types of bands too.

Back to the EV wedge, I too, got mine from Pro Audio Star and I felt like everything went really well with the deal. Really good price and very fast delivery. I'm going to hang on to my XiTone, but I'm keeping an eye out for a "deal" on another wedge. I'm open to another Xitone, or EV PXM-12MP, when the opportunity presents itself. The idea being I want a semi-matched pair of one or the other. I'm not too picky which.

 

[Scooterjohn]

I ran music quite loudly through mine this morning (I used Big Wreck) in a closed room for about an hour and a half, and it definitely improved the feel. I hooked the FM9 up again, and played guitar for hours afterward, trying different amps.
I'll do the same again in the morning. I remember a bassist friend of mine getting EV's in his bass cabinet years ago...and he wasn't happy with them until he'd put some time on them.

There's amps here that would work for a lot of different types of live bands, I'm still deciding on which to use with what I'll be rehearsing for. Maybe work with two or three, and see what works best with a full band.

 

[Sauro_on_guitar]

One of the best monitor I ever had (and I had dozens). Compact, good sounding, wedge format that can let you have a real “in your face” sound, two inputs… maybe it’s a little heavy…

 

[Timgo]

The people I know who have dealt with the pay to play environment were all in the LA/Southern California area. I know this was the norm for a few years there, and no one I spoke with about it had anything good to say about the practice. I never ever ran into it. I did lots of lousy $50 a night gigs, but I've never had to pay to play. That's a non-starter for where I'm at in the local food chain. No one I gig with would tolerate this idea, and they'd be pretty loud about it too. It's that unheard of - at least where I'm located (Denver, Colorado area). I've only ever heard of this being associated with the SoCal live music scene.

Most of the venues I play that do ticketed events are relatively lucrative compared to a typical bar situation. Our net is usually 50% of ticket sales for most venues. I play in several bands currently (easier than it sounds) and a couple are 8, and 10 pieces in size. Even those bands will still net enough that even the 10 pc band makes a minimum of $300 per person. Usually more.

Most of my gigs are straight up contracted events with everything defined at a fixed price etc. The bands I'm in that also do ticketed events are somewhat known quantities and tend to draw enough to actually be competitive with what corporate event & wedding bands make. I also play with one of the latter types of bands too.

Back to the EV wedge, I too, got mine from Pro Audio Star and I felt like everything went really well with the deal. Really good price and very fast delivery. I'm going to hang on to my XiTone, but I'm keeping an eye out for a "deal" on another wedge. I'm open to another Xitone, or EV PXM-12MP, when the opportunity presents itself. The idea being I want a semi-matched pair of one or the other. I'm not too picky which.

I can attest that this is still prevalent in SoCal. Total BS, promoters/venues take advantage of the bands as SOP.

 

[Deadpool_25]

So I have one PXM on the way and though I haven't tried it yet, I'm already thinking I'll grab another to use in stereo. But of course my real-cab w/d/w rig has me envisioning getting a third one for w/d/w lol

 

[Scooterjohn]

I'll most likely use gig money to purchase a second one.

 

[fstrat76]

Based on the high praise for the PXM in this thread, I ordered one and just received mine today. I set it up as Monitor 2, and it sounds really good; except maybe a little boxy. I switched to Monitor 1 but preferred Monitor 2. I adjusted the FM9 Output EQ cutting a bit of mud, and boosting 3.2k about 1.5db, and its getting there.

While I really like the sound of my Friedman ASM-12, the weight (and handle!) has become unbearable and a serious pain to move. If the EV works out, I will probably sell the ASM or keep it around in my rehearsal space.

Once the EV breaks in a bit more, and I tweak some EQ here and there, I'm hoping I'll be able to reduce more of that boxy sound.

Otherwise, the overall sound is very good, dispersion is great, and my back is happy with the weight.

 

[Sergius9]

Great thread! I like the fact that the PXM has 3 angles to stand on.

 

[Deadpool_25]

Based on the high praise for the PXM in this thread, I ordered one and just received mine today. I set it up as Monitor 2, and it sounds really good; except maybe a little boxy.

Once the EV breaks in a bit more, and I tweak some EQ here and there, I'm hoping I'll be able to reduce more of that boxy sound.

The boxiness has been my issue with other FRFRs so I should expect it to an extent with these as well.

It likely just comes down to size as I've felt the same way about 1x12s. Even most 2x12s exhibit that to an extent imo, and it's only as I move up to a 4x12 that I feel like it's gone. However even then, when comparing to a smaller speaker, if I think about it, I feel like I'm still hearing "the cabinet"--it just sounds bigger and fuller--probably because it is physically bigger.

Perhaps a good but-physically-small FRFR can impart some or all of the low end girth you get from a 4x12, but can never quite overcome the physics of its own smaller size, causing what we perceive as boxiness? That might explain why a number of people can never quite get along with them. And maybe the people who do get along with them are either used to that sound, are more tolerant of it, or are less sensitive to it?

 

[Rex]

Boxiness comes from emphasizing frequencies around 500 Hz. Too much of it can get annoying. But if you pick apart lead tones that really command a mix, there's often some boxiness going on.

 

[Deadpool_25]

Boxiness comes from emphasizing frequencies around 500 Hz. Too much of it can ge annoying. But if you pick apart lead tones that really command a mix, there's often some boxiness going on.

May try some parametric EQ around there to see if I can reduce it a bit on my Simmons speakers (and the EVs if need be once they arrive; yeah I have two on order now)

 

[fstrat76]

Boxiness comes from emphasizing frequencies around 500 Hz. Too much of it can ge annoying. But if you pick apart lead tones that really command a mix, there's often some boxiness going on.

The ASM-12 doesn't seem to produce the boxiness, maybe because its a bigger (and much heavier) cabinet. Although I may just be used to it.
I'll do a side by side with the EV and ASM sometime this week.

I did cut about 2db of 400Hz, so that's in the mud/ boxy territory. I'd like to get a little more lower end though, so I'll play with adjusting those frequencies. Overall its really decent considering its size and weight.

 

[ESPer]

Back in the late '80s / early '90s, the clubs in the San Francisco bay area that booked (primarily) hard rock and metal, most used a scheme like this:

(another 80s/90s flashback)

There was one club in Dallas that did that for a while. After a couple shows where we had a full house and they claimed no or low tickets we put someone at the door with a counter. Busted the club throwing tickets in the trash and not counting them. Word got around quick (Dallas was a very tight knit scene back then) and they changed their model.

Had another incident with a club that was only in existence for a few months. We used to cover Extreme's Get the Funk Out. Club owner got drunk, decided we were saying a different "F" word and that he was so offended he wasn't going to pay us. I pointed out that we had the show on video and would be happy to take him to court. He paid up. We never played there again. Club closed a few months later.

 

[Gasp100]

Thanks man. Used as backline in the normal floor monitor position, I prefer it behind me so I can crank them a bit more.

This is how I think I will use mine. It is meant to completely replace my amp rig.

 

[Scooterjohn]

Some live footage of using the FM9 into two EV’s. I was at noon on the fm9 and the EV’s. Plenty of volume really living these!

You say you were at noon on the EV's. You mean you had the input level at "0" (unity)? I'm curious at where the input level meter was sitting...obviously you don't want to clip the amp, but I wonder where it was running...1/2, 3/4?

 

[Scooterjohn]

May try some parametric EQ around there to see if I can reduce it a bit on my Simmons speakers (and the EVs if need be once they arrive; yeah I have two on order now)

Don't be too hasty on deciding if you like the sound/feel of the EV's. After three days (a couple of hours each time) of running loud music through mine, and then playing guitar...today was like a revelation. I mean, it was showing some improvement after day one of doing this, but today I just went to the first preset (59 Bassman...which isn't even one of the presets I intended to use) and the thing sounded just like a great old Fender, with good dynamics.
I was giving the volume knobs a workout, trying both pickups together and separately at all different volumes, and it was all very nice. I was having fun with those first page scenes...and the "lead" scene was so good. Probably played at least a couple of hours with that preset, before moving on to other presets I've been deciding between. What a relief! This was all at pretty high volume too.

I will have to do something about the effects. Some of them are just too much for a mono setup. Maybe there's a way to have mono effects on Out 2, while keeping my stereo effects for FOH on Out 1.

 

[Greg Ferguson]

Maybe there's a way to have mono effects on Out 2, while keeping my stereo effects for FOH on Out 1.

Look at the "Mono Vs. Stereo" section in the manual, then follow the links, then see the Output "n" Mode settings in the Settings > I/O page in the modeler.

 

[Deadpool_25]

Don't be too hasty on deciding if you like the sound/feel of the EV's. After three days (a couple of hours each time) of running loud music through mine, and then playing guitar...today was like a revelation. I mean, it was showing some improvement after day one of doing this, but today I just went to the first preset (59 Bassman...which isn't even one of the presets I intended to use) and the thing sounded just like a great old Fender, with good dynamics.
I was giving the volume knobs a workout, trying both pickups together and separately at all different volumes, and it was all very nice. I was having fun with those first page scenes...and the "lead" scene was so good. Probably played at least a couple of hours with that preset, before moving on to other presets I've been deciding between. What a relief! This was all at pretty high volume too.

I will have to do something about the effects. Some of them are just too much for a mono setup. Maybe there's a way to have mono effects on Out 2, while keeping my stereo effects for FOH on Out 1.

Good tip. I'll run some music through them loudly for a day or two while I'm at work.

 

[boyedav]

I've had my PXM for a little over a week now, and I'm loving it so far. I tried FRFR about 4 years ago and it didn't work for me, probably because I had the wrong expectations. I've been using a solid state amp into a traditional guitar cab with my digital stuff since then.

I turned cab modeling back on, switched from solid state to FRFR, started adding cabs and making a few tweaks, and within an hour or two felt like I was getting better tones than I was with my solid state amp/cab via AITR.

Still honeymoon phase, but so far I'm thrilled with the results.

 

[Deadpool_25]

One of them arrived today. It sounds pretty damn good right out of the box (I have it on Monitor 2).

First I very quickly compared it to one of the Simmons DA2012Bs I have. With everything flat, no EQ on anything, the PXM sounds so much better it's almost ridiculous even making a point of it. I'll come back to this though.

Next, I did the test I was really interested in; I compared it to one of my Mesa 4x12 cabs (being powered by my EVH 50w head). That setup is awesome so I wanted to see how close I could get with the PXM. Volume is no problem as both can get too loud (I had them up to 102.5 db). The PXM wasn't very close across the board. Too much highs, lows weren't quite right, mids weren't right. It didn't sound bad exactly, but it wasn't close to my target.

So I started tweaking and I ended up tweaking a LOT. I started with adjustments to the cab block, trying a few different IRs and various Dynacabs. I added a PEQ block and two GEQ blocks. I adjusted the output EQ. And after all that it still doesn't sound like my cab...I think it might sound better.

I've never been a big fan of FRFRs but I think I'm now a convert. At least for this one. I have a second one on the way already.

Back to the Simmons DA2012B. I swear I thought it sounded half decent a week ago but I also remember tweaking it a bit and adding some EQ. I will revisit it to see if I can get it in the ballpark of the PXM. Partially I'm curious, but my main reason for doing so is because I want to get it close-ish and test the viability of using three FRFRs for W/D/W. I'm already thinking about buying a third PXM.

So my initial impression is that the PXMs are great and I suspect I'll be using them for a long time to come. We'll see if the honeymoon comes to an end though.