One or Two speakers for Axe-FXII ?

S

stevegoldy

New Member
I have no experience with speakers / sound / anything for that matter besides intermediate playing. I just picked up an Axe FX II and was really disappointed with the sound due to not having proper equipment (using computer speakers / VMODA headphones )
After some research, and trying to decide if it's smarter for me to splurge on a high end headphone or FRFR, it seems that a lot of people go for the QSC K12's. My question is do I need to buy a pair of these to make it sound good? Or can I get away with just buying one speaker. 99% of the time that I am going to be playing is going to be in a small bedroom. All help is very much appreciated!
 
You can get great sound with headphones in my opinion as that is only how I ues the Axe (along with IEMs with my band).
If you have cheap headphones obviously it's like squeezing water out of a rock.
Alot of people here hate the Axe with headphones because they need the sound of speakers pushing air.
It's a personal preference.
If cost is an issue and you're not playing live, a good set of headphones is one way to go.
I have used a one QSC 10 live and it sounded great but I always prefer the Axe in stereo, so that doubles the cost (but sounds twice as good).
 
My preference is also two...much fuller sound and the stereo effects are more pronounced. There have been times where I play through one though, and the sound has been great. Used to have a pair of the K12's, there were alright but it seems that they got a little boomy at times. Sold those and bought a pair of Atomic CLR's, don't have any plans to change that unless something jumps up and really hits me as a far superior product. Regarding headphones, never tried them.
 
What exactly does boomy bass mean? Lacks clarity? My bank account is not going to be happy if I purchase those CLR's after purchasing an Axe Fx II. Lmao
 
TWO... 2... too... to, however you want to say it spell or it. There is no way you will ever get me to monitor any other way! For the love of mike... you have 2 ears so unless you are deaf in one, your mind, body and soul will forever thank you for getting 2 monitors :D
 
If you're only going to be playing in a small bedroom then maybe it would be better looking at some studio monitors? As well as just playing through them you could record and mix with them or jam along with mp3s etc.

PC with DAW, USB cable and the AxeFX as the sound interface and some 8 inch monitors. Hours of fun to be had in a small bedroom (without damaging your eyesight).

I find headphones can sound great ...... in fact I use them 99% of the time at home ...... but I keep their presets separate from my live gear presets.
 
IMHO 2 K12s for playing bedroom would be double overkill, you´d be much better off with studio monitors if you´re not planning to gig. As maxdown stated, I would go with 8 inch monitors for that thump.
 
For bedroom play, one K12 I'm sure would be more than sufficient. It may or not be the best option for you though. As others have said, a pair of studio monitors can work quite well. I have a pair of Yamaha HS7s and they work excellently with my Axe FX. They get plenty loud if you need, but sound great at low volume too. They also benefit from the Axe's stereo capabilities.
 
If you are not gigging, dump the K12 and get a nice set of studio monitors, your future hearing and relationship to neighbors will benefit .
 
Why buy one monitor when you can buy 2 for twice the price? ;-)

Seriously, properly-picked a single stage monitor with good wood in the cab will give you that amp in the room experience. Two are even better. I was happy with one Atomic cab and was better with 2. When I moved to Friedman, I was happy with one but am even happier now that I have 2.

That said, for the price of one ASM-12 or CLR you could get a pair of Equator D8s (I have those too!) that are awesome and can make good computer speakers and monitors to boot.
 
I have a pair of K12s, and use them occasionally at home to dial in my live gig* presets, but for your purposes, a pair of decent (not necessarily expensive) powered studio monitors would serve your needs better, IMO. I have a pair of M-Audio SP-5Bs that I use for my computer speakers, and I run my Axe-Fx into them from time to time. They sound fine a bedroom levels. My second choice if I was in your situation would be a decent pair of headphones. I have an older pair of AKG K271 headphones that work fine for me plugged into the Axe-Fx. I'm sure there are better headphones and studio monitors out there, but what I have are workable for bedroom playing.


* At live gigs, the K12s are our FOH speakers running in stereo, and I hear myself in mono along with the rest of the mix through a single K10 in front of me. The only things I'm using stereo effects for are things like chorus, so the typical rules about not running stereo FOH don't seem to apply. It just fattens things up a bit in the room. Plus, we tend to play smaller venues so there's not much stereo separation anyway. I wouldn't use a lot of ping-pong delays or other prominent stereo effects if I was running a stereo FOH mix, especially in a larger venue. (I wouldn't be running a stereo FOH mix in a larger venue anyway.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom