Red Sound Elis8 FRFR Review and MF 10 Comparision

@Sashman
@Jeronimo
@Greg Ferguson

The custom preset creator told me single coils are my problem with the G&R sound. Single coils for eg. on a strat produce feedback and squeal.

I can't post custom presets. There is no drive model. Only amp and cab...

The easiest solution he said is to play Slash on a Les Paul. You need the proper sustain. The strat can't produce that sweet sustain sound of the Les Paul as effectively, even with the great AX8 presets dialed in.

Kinda common sense.

I tried turning the amp's DB output volume down a lot and the Input gain amount down a lot but it didn't help much. Still feedback and squeal.

Also it's not 60 cycle hum. Even on PU position 2 and 4 I get some white noise from the speakers which is due to the 800 #34 amp model he uses to create Slash's sound.

I may just buy me a Les Paul next. Looking into either a NEW Tribute (I think these used to be called Studio) or a USED Standard. Roughly, the same cost. Which would you buy?
Never heard that single coil pickups more feedback than humbuckers. What can be a contributing factor is the way your pickups are mounted. Pickups suspended in the pickguard of a Strat would more easily pick up vibration compared to body mounted pickups.

For playing Slash’s style a LP would of course be a great choice. Go to a store and play as many different ones and hope there is one you will like enough for buying. A used standard is always a safe choice as it will most likely keep its value.

Two years ago I bought a beautiful used LP standards Honey Burst but I ended up selling because I could not bond with the guitar. Sold it a year ago for the same amount.
Again: try before you buy!
 
Thanks for the review, I am also considering these. Sounds like these speakers are voiced a little darker than regular studio monitors. How much of a difference would you say there is in sounds dialed in on monitors when you try them on the red sound speakers? The previous generations of Red Sound guitar cabs have a reputation for being very dark.
After having these for a bit now, I can see how some would call them dark. There is plenty of top end to contradict that. I would say that they are very focused. You do have to have them far enough away to "hear" the top well, or be directly in front of them. I would also say that they may not be totally flat from 70-20000. It seems like there is some amount of frequency dampening. Not in a bad way, but in a way that more closely represents guitar cabs well. This actually helps live. I don't have to add so much low and high cuts to fit into the stage mix, while allowing the FOH to cut whatever they need to. This seems very ideal to me. Not having to add more eq to my stage mix saves cpu, effort, and headache. These speakers are so incredibly small and light for how crazy crazy crazy loud they can be.
 
If I just hit the back of the guitar (which I have it on me via a strap) with my body it will send off a huge slew of feedback from the RS's. This is only with some presets. I don't know if this is due to the level of gain, or something to do with the presets or it has to do with the RS vol. But I did a test today I tried the RS Elis 8 at Vol 8, 5, 4, and 2 .. And had my AX8 output one knob turned up anywhere from 8 am to 5 pm and the result was the same... Too much feedback from even the slightest touches of the strings.

The strings don't necessarily vibrate but it's fuzzy. It happens only with very hard rock or metal presets.
Sounds like the pickups are not potted, and maybe hitting the guitar is disengaging the gate?
 
I just ordered the ELIS.8 active. The passive is out of stock. So for now, I will just use one. I'm thinking of getting another active to be able to run stereo and as a backup in case one goes out. Question....If you run an active into a passive, this would not be stereo, correct?
 
I just ordered the ELIS.8 active. The passive is out of stock. So for now, I will just use one. I'm thinking of getting another active to be able to run stereo and as a backup in case one goes out. Question....If you run an active into a passive, this would not be stereo, correct?

The passive cab takes a feed from the active cab (which has two inputs - L & R) to give you a stereo setup. I guess there would be no reason why you couldn't achieve the same with 2 active cabs - you'd just run the L output to one speaker and the R output to the other from the Axe-FX.
 
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The passive cab takes a feed from the active cab (which has two inputs - L & R) to give you a stereo setup. I guess there would be no reason why you couldn't achieve the same with 2 active cabs - you'd just run the L output to one can and the R output to the other from the Axe-FX.
So with the active/passive setup, you'd run L&R from the unit into the active, then a feed from the active into the passive to get stereo? Thanks for the info!

I really hope this is the solution for me. Ever since going modeler a few years ago, I've battled harsh highs and just overall not been satisfied. I've had 2 different frfr cabs, the hr 108 and the powercab 112.
 
So with the active/passive setup, you'd run L&R from the unit into the active, then a feed from the active into the passive to get stereo?
Yes.

I really hope this is the solution for me. Ever since going modeler a few years ago, I've battled harsh highs and just overall not been satisfied. I've had 2 different frfr cabs, the hr 108 and the powercab 112.
Harsh highs are a symptom of setting your EQ at too low of a volume.

Read Fletcher-Munson. It’s important to be running the system at stage volume when you dial in the EQ of a preset. It doesn’t matter whether you use the same speakers at home to tune your sound as what you use live, as long as they both have a flat response so you can trust their accuracy and that they are not coloring the sound. This is very important. Once the EQ is adjusted you can turn the volume down to whatever your normal listening level is, but don’t readjust the EQ except at the louder volume.

The ELIS.8 are very good sounding speakers and do a great job reproducing the sound of the modeler. Marco Fanton has a great YouTube video demonstrating the speakers, and listening to it with good headphones sounded just like the pair of ELIS.8 that I had.
 
Yes.


Harsh highs are a symptom of setting your EQ at too low of a volume.

Read Fletcher-Munson. It’s important to be running the system at stage volume when you dial in the EQ of a preset. It doesn’t matter whether you use the same speakers at home to tune your sound as what you use live, as long as they both have a flat response so you can trust their accuracy and that they are not coloring the sound. This is very important. Once the EQ is adjusted you can turn the volume down to whatever your normal listening level is, but don’t readjust the EQ except at the louder volume.

The ELIS.8 are very good sounding speakers and do a great job reproducing the sound of the modeler. Marco Fanton has a great YouTube video demonstrating the speakers, and listening to it with good headphones sounded just like the pair of ELIS.8 that I had.
Believe me, I know about the FC Curve. I always dial in at gig volumes. I just think it is the FRFRs I've used...I'd assume some good studio monitors would've solved this, but I want to get the FRFR correct first. When I upgraded to the FM9 a few weeks ago, my tone did improve but it still lacked. I knew then it has to be what I've played through.
 
So with the active/passive setup, you'd run L&R from the unit into the active, then a feed from the active into the passive to get stereo? Thanks for the info!

I really hope this is the solution for me. Ever since going modeler a few years ago, I've battled harsh highs and just overall not been satisfied. I've had 2 different frfr cabs, the hr 108 and the powercab 112.
yep - exactly!
 
Believe me, I know about the FC Curve. I always dial in at gig volumes. I just think it is the FRFRs I've used...I'd assume some good studio monitors would've solved this, but I want to get the FRFR correct first. When I upgraded to the FM9 a few weeks ago, my tone did improve but it still lacked. I knew then it has to be what I've played through.
Well, one thing I liked about the ELIS.8 cabs was they are sized nicely for a bedroom, both the physical size of the unit itself, and the 8” speaker. They have enough bass to match the guitar’s frequency response without being boomy in a small space, and the highs roll off gently so they sound very sweet.
 
Well, one thing I liked about the ELIS.8 cabs was they are sized nicely for a bedroom, both the physical size of the unit itself, and the 8” speaker. They have enough bass to match the guitar’s frequency response without being boomy in a small space, and the highs roll off gently so they sound very sweet.
I am of the same opinion concerning the Elis 8, well adapted to the room with rather soft highs,
today I use the more powerful Redsound LG12SE NEO or a pair of CAB equipped with Celestion F12-X200 according to the desire and the situation , both are well suited for group play
 
Well, was thinking EV but the form factor of the Elis.8 seems perfect for my uses. Have an active headed my way, if I dig it, could a passive be far behind? Time will tell…
 
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I've had the Elis 8 for about a week and love it. I am going to pick up a passive one in order to occasionally run stereo.
 
Why are folks selling the Ellis.8s?
I really liked the sound and their size. The only complaint I had was that on a tiny stage, I had to stand with my feet immediately in front of the cabs so they were almost touching, and I couldn't hear them because the sound dispersion was not hitting my ears. That was the only reason.

What’s your new choice?
The EV PXM-12MP. Its default position points more vertically because it's a floor monitor. But, because it has two other angles I can use they'll act like a backline very nicely too.

The EVs are a bit heavier, they have more solid lows because of the 12" speaker, but that's not necessarily a good thing, because the ELIS.8 are tuned for the guitar frequency range.

Currently, it seems like we can't get RED SOUND's products in the U.S., which I suspect is because they're having problems getting parts just like all the small electronics companies are.

I don't think you can go wrong with either, recognizing there are tradeoffs in output and size between the two.

PS - I had StudioSlips create bags for the ELIS.8 that I really liked. They're documented in a thread somewhere around here.
 
I really liked the sound and their size. The only complaint I had was that on a tiny stage, I had to stand with my feet immediately in front of the cabs so they were almost touching, and I couldn't hear them because the sound dispersion was not hitting my ears. That was the only reason.


The EV PXM-12MP. Its default position points more vertically because it's a floor monitor. But, because it has two other angles I can use they'll act like a backline very nicely too.

The EVs are a bit heavier, they have more solid lows because of the 12" speaker, but that's not necessarily a good thing, because the ELIS.8 are tuned for the guitar frequency range.

Currently, it seems like we can't get RED SOUND's products in the U.S., which I suspect is because they're having problems getting parts just like all the small electronics companies are.

I don't think you can go wrong with either, recognizing there are tradeoffs in output and size between the two.

PS - I had StudioSlips create bags for the ELIS.8 that I really liked. They're documented in a thread somewhere around here.
Did you find that the Ellis lows stayed tight enough w the 8speaker
If you were using higher gain like recto having the 8s flub out with the lows or get muddy would be my biggest concern
 
Did you find that the Ellis lows stayed tight enough w the 8speaker
If you were using higher gain like recto having the 8s flub out with the lows or get muddy would be my biggest concern
In general, larger speakers are more likely to flub out than smaller speakers.
 
Well, was thinking EV but the form factor of the Elis.8 seems perfect for my uses. Have an active headed my way, if I dig it, could a passive be far behind? Time will tell…

Let us know how you like them when you get a chance.
 
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