… not very easy just to checkthe Elis.8 or MF.10 out in my own environment.
Definitely an issue. The same would be said of Fractal except they have a well published return policy. If REDSOUND had the same thing it’d help I think.
As far as how these powered speakers actually sound I really have not much of a better idea than when I started. Varying opinions really do not help much. As soon as you start thinking well these might actually be for me another thread comes along and says wow mine have a weird noise or they suck if you play general music thru them.
Perhaps this will help: I have a pair, and without any tweaks to EQ I think mine sound like the sound Marco Fanton gets in his demos of them. Clear, well-balanced, musical are the adjectives I’d use. They’re loud enough for your personal stage monitoring but I wouldn’t try to fill a room with them unless it’s a small room.
Yes, they would suck for general music, but that’s to be expected because they are not designed to be used that way. Their frequency is tailored for a guitar’s range, and they do that extremely well. It’s kind of like complaining that a Porsche is lousy for pulling a travel trailer… well, yeah, it’s not made for that.
My only issue with the ELIS.8 speaker is that it can’t tip back far enough for me on a tight stage. I’m tall, and when I’m standing immediately in front of them the sound shoots into my knees, effectively cutting a lot of the volume I need to hear myself in a band situation. As a result I needed a more traditional floor monitor shape that could be positioned using multiple angles.
These units are not exactly cheap and the actual manufacturer really gives very little spec information on them. Would not buy something based on specs alone but certainly is somewhat helpful in understanding some sort of relationship to some other device in its class.
Somewhere I think I saw a frequency chart of them, along with the power specs, but I’m not at my computer.
The problem with specs is they’re so easily twisted, especially power ratings. The hi-fi industry tried to tame the amplifier industry into using common and consistent measurements but the manufacturers were afraid of losing sales because the average consumers don’t understand what is important to understand in the specs, so they abandoned or ignored the standardization effort. And, we see disconnects between ratings for various classes of amps, which is frustrating as heck. Those frustrations can’t be focused on REDSOUND though, all the manufacturers are to blame for the mess.
On another rant none of these modeling amps/speakers/cabs have a frequency response that is 'flat'. Your room isn't flat, your ears aren't flat and transducers and or cabinets are not flat. You are going to get the IR response that is to be influenced by everything that it flows thru. The FRFR thing is really more theory than actual reality. Kind of a rabbit hole. It is very interesting that we have really good modelers now (FM3 here) but have fits over how to get the sound out of them as was originally intended or recorded from the IR files. It goes back around to my original thought of how to find the thing that works for me.
Exactly, there are a number of issues. In addition, we get used to a particular sound and something different gets labeled as being bad, even though it might be more accurate or flatter. Without the equipment to measure and chart in a neutral/flat environment, people speak their opinions based on their preferences formed from their brain having grown accustomed to what their usual sound is.
Maybe hauling that Fender deluxe reverb around or similar wasn't so bad after all. At least I knew what it generally sounded like.
I do that also.
Sometimes a combo is a much better solution. They take up less space, they’re faster and easier to set up, and they’re lighter than a full modeling rig. And if you spend an equivalent amount on the combo as the modeler, it’ll kick some major ass sound-wise. I use a Toneking Imperial Mk II for my grab and go amp, and a Mesa Lonestar Special as an alternate, and they are spectacular sounding, but the modeler is so flexible and sounds so good I prefer it now. So, it gets used when I have a bit more space and the time to set up and tear down.
To fix the cab angle issue with the ELIS.8, I bought a pair of the EV PXM-12MP monitors. I think they are equally as clear and musical sounding, they’re a reasonable size and weight, and are more flexibly positioned. They don’t claim they’re FRFR, but they have built-in EQ curves and a recallable custom curve you can set, and the one of the curves is relatively flat. I think they’re also equipped with a more powerful amp, which, combined with their 12” coaxial speaker, can get really loud. I haven’t ever turned them full up but they’ll shake the stage if I want. And, they’re domestic, and should be available in local music stores where you can try them. And, of course you will hear people bitch about them too, but I have never been able to replicate the problems I’ve read people talk about.
My fault for not sending the request to the right place to begin with I suppose.
