Need help deciding what to buy

B

Bigeclipse

Member
All,

I am not exactly new to guitar but I am 100% new to things like Fractal and Kempers and they just confuse me as what I need to buy in order to play. I currently play using a Fender Mustang V head through a Bugera cab and I'm tired of just how mediocre it sounds. I saw a video for a Kemper and for Fractals and they have peaked my interest but I'm so confused on what I need and how they work for at home playing. I do not gig or play with a band. My taste in guitar music is VAST and I could never afford 10+ different tube amps and cabs and all the pedals id need. I just do not get what I need to buy with the fractal AX8 or kemper to make them produce sound hahaha. I keep seeing a term of FRFR and it appears it is a powered speaker of sorts which means I will not be using the guitar cab I already own?!? So are these units basically just glorified pedal boards? I am just confused as all get out on how these would work in an at home use only type setting. I play anything from country twang/classic rock on my fender strat, to 80s hair metal on my Ibanez rg2570, and modern metal on my PRS Mark Holcomb SE just to show I do like to play a wide variety of music. Please help me understand how these units work and what I would need to buy to get started. I am simply looking for something similar to the Fender Mustang head I have (multiple amp models, many effects...etc) but actually sounds great. Any ideas or comments would be greatly appreciated.
 
I would not run a $1000+ modeler or real amp head through a Bugera cab. That cab is a budget piece of gear and will bring down the quality of anything running through it.

What is your budget for the AX8/Kemper approach?
 
Bigeclipse said:
All,

I am not exactly new to guitar but I am 100% new to things like Fractal and Kempers and they just confuse me as what I need to buy in order to play. I currently play using a Fender Mustang V head through a Bugera cab and I'm tired of just how mediocre it sounds. I saw a video for a Kemper and for Fractals and they have peaked my interest but I'm so confused on what I need and how they work for at home playing. I do not gig or play with a band. My taste in guitar music is VAST and I could never afford 10+ different tube amps and cabs and all the pedals id need. I just do not get what I need to buy with the fractal AX8 or kemper to make them produce sound hahaha. I keep seeing a term of FRFR and it appears it is a powered speaker of sorts which means I will not be using the guitar cab I already own?!? So are these units basically just glorified pedal boards? I am just confused as all get out on how these would work in an at home use only type setting. I play anything from country twang/classic rock on my fender strat, to 80s hair metal on my Ibanez rg2570, and modern metal on my PRS Mark Holcomb SE just to show I do like to play a wide variety of music. Please help me understand how these units work and what I would need to buy to get started. I am simply looking for something similar to the Fender Mustang head I have (multiple amp models, many effects...etc) but actually sounds great. Any ideas or comments would be greatly appreciated.
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FRFR stands for Full Range Flat Response. This basically just means it is suppose to be a neutral sounding speaker that doesn't color the tone. For instance a PA speaker would be FRFR but your cab would not. FRFR speakers can be ideal since the AX8 has a digital cab and the FRFR does a good job of replicating it because its neutral. I don't know what kind of computer speakers you have but I had nice ones used those for a long time before getting a dedicated one for my AX8.
 
Bigeclipse said:
I'm so confused on what I need and how they work for at home playing.
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The AX8 will give you a line-level output. You will need powered speakers (or an amp+speakers) to listen to it. Or, an audio interface with line-level input and headphone output to use headphones.

The AX8 will replace your pedalboard + amps + cabinets. You hear the sound of a mic'd rig from the outputs of the AX8.

FRFR is just a fancy way of saying normal speakers vs. a guitar cabinet. You can use an amp+guitar cabinet if you want, you would then bypass the cabinet modeling of the AX8. For maximum flexibility, you'd want to use the cabinet modeling in the AX8 and listen through uncolored or "FRFR" speakers.
 
fractalz said:
The AX8 will give you a line-level output. You will need powered speakers (or an amp+speakers) to listen to it. Or, an audio interface with line-level input and headphone output to use headphones.

The AX8 will replace your pedalboard + amps + cabinets. You hear the sound of a mic'd rig from the outputs of the AX8.

FRFR is just a fancy way of saying normal speakers vs. a guitar cabinet. You can use an amp+guitar cabinet if you want, you would then bypass the cabinet modeling of the AX8. For maximum flexibility, you'd want to use the cabinet modeling in the AX8 and listen through uncolored or "FRFR" speakers.
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Thanks. This clears it up. Are there more budget friendly FRFRs which sound good for home use and maybe with a drummer? As I stated, I will likely never play with a band but one never knows.
 
Bigeclipse said:
Thanks. This clears it up. Are there more budget friendly FRFRs which sound good for home use and maybe with a drummer? As I stated, I will likely never play with a band but one never knows.
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There are tons of threads in this if you search. I use a Yamaha DBR10. Fairly inexpensive and can be loud if needed. At home I go through focal alpha 50 monitors.
 
There is something to be said for going with one amp: especially if you're used to them. But unless you can get all the tones you want out of a current production Fender or a Blackstar HT-20 or the like, I'd go for the AX8. Its also got all the pedals you'll ever need - and when you need them - all perfectly virtually wired and velcroed, along with whatever amps you learn to love. If you don't really know what amps you'll need: it may be better to figure it over time than being frustrated with "not being able to quite get there" with a specific hardware amp.

The garden variety tube amps I've owned have been mere shadows of the (unobtainium) Tweed Twin, Matchless DC30, 50 watt Plexi, Tucana, etc. (never mind the Dumble) I have well and truly become enamored of as models of in the AX8: Even if I only used one of these amp models and a few pedals, it's been worth it to me for the exacting expressive sound quality at any volume. I've got them dialed in just for me: some presets re-biased for silky smooth upper mids, some for visceral low mid grind and gritty crunch. Far more flexibility than what I could do with actual tube amps (I still have two low wattage amps) without getting into the chassis, and outboard EQ. Of particular value: With the AX8 Input Trim and Gain: Precisely set up how each amp model handles the gain staging nuances of the volume knob sweep on the guitar.

OP: As far as FRFR, I wouldn't be in a hurry to make a commitment other than have decent studio monitors for home. Borrow or rent stuff and figure that out by ear as you go. For example: I really prefer 10" over 12" FRFR PA monitors for performance (whereas I really don't care for 10" guitar speakers) - Wouldn't have known that without comparisons.

In my case: Really great sounding gig worthy FRFR is far more than I'm willing to spend: If the house system is excellent: I'm happy to plug into that. Otherwise, I've preferred my well travelled stellar sounding stereo wired 2x12 with Celestions driven by a SS power amp over lower end FRFR solutions. (The Celestion IRs are close enough of a match to my actual cabinet, that I can go either FRFR or to the 2x12 cabinet just by routing through or bypassing the cab block). YMMV, of course.

On the occasions I use a tube amp: its for that basic mojo of amp and guitar. Here; the AX8 works great for adding a few effects. Either In the amp's FX loop for reverb or rotary, or AX8 into the front as a TS808 or boost and trem. I'Il probably never do 4CM again. If it's going to get that complicated: the amp can stay at home and I go all AX8.

You can run a guitar synth or keyboard in stereo through the FX send and return if you want to get into that whole can of worms.

Along with the guitar: the AX8 is a foundational piece of equipment. Its been inspirationally satisfying for anything I've come up with over the three years I've had it.

And finally, its super easy to record with. I personally just route the SPDIF to its track in the DAW template. Perfect level every time. If only the playing was better.
 
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