Suggestions for FRFR and power amp for the Axe-Fx III that are available in EU?

l4mpi

Inspired
My live rig currently consists of my Axe III with a tube power amp and a real cab (an old modded Engl 2x35 and a 1960A, leftovers from my previous setup that used a Triaxis as a preamp). Although I'm not unhappy with my sound, I want to transition to a FRFR setup and going directly to FOH from the Axe. As my band sometimes plays small venues with shared backlines and no proper monitoring, I would also need a neutral power amp for gigs where I have to play through a cab. Going by the recommendations I've seen on this forum, the best FRFR around seems to be the Atomic CLR, and the power amp of choice is the Matrix GT1000FX. And I would buy both in a heartbeat if I could, but neither the CLRs nor the Matrix amps are currently available in the EU and it seems like they will stay unavailable for a while.

According to an employee post in the Atomic forum from July, the CLR production seems to have run into an issue with parts from a supplier being unavailable (cue the FC flashbacks) and it's unclear when production will continue. For the Matrix power amps, G66 is the EU distributor but they've been out of stock since forever. I asked them about it roughly 3 months ago and was told they don't know when they get new stock (they said something along the lines of "we hope it's next month" but that obviously didn't happen and I'm not sure how much of that statement was wishful thinking). The US Matrix website shows the GT1000s in stock but importing one from the US would obviously have a lot of drawbacks such as giving up my warranty. I've also tried to find both products used on ebay etc, but without any luck.

So, are there any good alternatives for FRFRs and neutral power amps that are actually available from an EU distributor right now? I'm looking for the highest quality options I can get as I'd rather spend a bit more than risk being unhappy with my choice. I've seen various other posts which recommend gear other than the CLRs/GT1000s but most are either old or budget oriented or US centric (e.g. I don't think I Xitone has an EU distributor, which would cause the same hassles with warranty etc). I've also seen a few recommendations for gear that's not guitar specific such as Yamaha monitors or Crown amplifiers, but was under the impression that a solution aimed at guitarrists such as the GT1000s would be preferable to a "generic" product - or is that just marketing?

Bonus question: I could get either an active or passive FRFR as I'm getting a power amp anyways. Intuitively I would choose an active FRFR in the absence of any other deciding factors, simply because I could use it without bringing the power amp along. But are there any other things I should keep in mind when deciding between an active or passive box?

TL;DR: What are the best options for a) a neutral power amp to pair with a guitar cab and b) an active or passive FRFR which I can buy right now from an EU distributor?
 
My live rig currently consists of my Axe III with a tube power amp and a real cab (an old modded Engl 2x35 and a 1960A, leftovers from my previous setup that used a Triaxis as a preamp). Although I'm not unhappy with my sound, I want to transition to a FRFR setup and going directly to FOH from the Axe. As my band sometimes plays small venues with shared backlines and no proper monitoring, I would also need a neutral power amp for gigs where I have to play through a cab. Going by the recommendations I've seen on this forum, the best FRFR around seems to be the Atomic CLR, and the power amp of choice is the Matrix GT1000FX. And I would buy both in a heartbeat if I could, but neither the CLRs nor the Matrix amps are currently available in the EU and it seems like they will stay unavailable for a while.

According to an employee post in the Atomic forum from July, the CLR production seems to have run into an issue with parts from a supplier being unavailable (cue the FC flashbacks) and it's unclear when production will continue. For the Matrix power amps, G66 is the EU distributor but they've been out of stock since forever. I asked them about it roughly 3 months ago and was told they don't know when they get new stock (they said something along the lines of "we hope it's next month" but that obviously didn't happen and I'm not sure how much of that statement was wishful thinking). The US Matrix website shows the GT1000s in stock but importing one from the US would obviously have a lot of drawbacks such as giving up my warranty. I've also tried to find both products used on ebay etc, but without any luck.

So, are there any good alternatives for FRFRs and neutral power amps that are actually available from an EU distributor right now? I'm looking for the highest quality options I can get as I'd rather spend a bit more than risk being unhappy with my choice. I've seen various other posts which recommend gear other than the CLRs/GT1000s but most are either old or budget oriented or US centric (e.g. I don't think I Xitone has an EU distributor, which would cause the same hassles with warranty etc). I've also seen a few recommendations for gear that's not guitar specific such as Yamaha monitors or Crown amplifiers, but was under the impression that a solution aimed at guitarrists such as the GT1000s would be preferable to a "generic" product - or is that just marketing?

Bonus question: I could get either an active or passive FRFR as I'm getting a power amp anyways. Intuitively I would choose an active FRFR in the absence of any other deciding factors, simply because I could use it without bringing the power amp along. But are there any other things I should keep in mind when deciding between an active or passive box?

TL;DR: What are the best options for a) a neutral power amp to pair with a guitar cab and b) an active or passive FRFR which I can buy right now from an EU distributor?
http://uk.matrixamplification.com/rack-amplifers.html
 
Buy A Xitone

Not without an EU distributor, because I'm not shipping it back to the US in case of a warranty issue...



Oh, wasn't aware that there still is an UK arm of Matrix. This might be an option, although they only seem to have the 2u variant in stock as well. Only issue is that I'm in the continental EU and nobody knows how the brexit saga will end and which new hassles it will bring if I need to send it in for repairs after a few months. But as this eliminates most problems with customs and shipping I'll consider it.
 
I find the Dynacord to be a step up from the RCF. Sounds a bit better (more similar to the CLR), lighter, more options, broader dispersion, cheaper...
 
I am digging my Laney FRFR's and the Headrush is great as well...I use the Laney 8" and the Headrush 8" in stereo with the Laney 12" in middle summed...the Laney LFR12 would be my choice if I had just one FRFR it fills out the sound better than the 8's
 
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm leaning towards the Dynacord AXM 12A for the FRFR right now for the reasons merlin mentions. From the reviews I read it doesn't seem like I'd be missing something if I choose it over the 550€ more expensive RCF.

As for power amps, the SD Power Stage 170 seems really interesting due to its small footprint. Just not sure if it would have enough headroom for a 16ohm cab if I ever need to crank it up. I'll have to look into that a bit more, but the power amp is the less pressing concern as I can just continue to use my tube amp for now for the gigs where I have no choice but to use a cab.
 
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