Is the Headrush FRFR the best option at the price?

gearaddict

...for monitoring a modelling setup? I know there are better sounding speakers out there but are there any at around the £200 mark?

John_A

is this for gigging or just home.  The headrush/alto speakers are great for home or a close monitoring wedge, they just aren’t as convincing when pushed as some more expensive options 

sw67

If you can up the budget by £50 the RCF art310 is a good speaker. I have used one with a helix for a couple of years now and the other guitarist in the band has just went with the same set up. I am quite fussy and have MJW and rift amps but use the RCF for pub gigs

gearaddict

sw67 said:

If you can up the budget by £50 the RCF art310 is a good speaker. I have used one with a helix for a couple of years now and the other guitarist in the band has just went with the same set up. I am quite fussy and have MJW and rift amps but use the RCF for pub gigs

Interesting - not come across those before. Do they have a 1/4" input as well as XLR? My Headrush gigboard doesn't have an XLR.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

gearaddict said:

sw67 said:

If you can up the budget by £50 the RCF art310 is a good speaker. I have used one with a helix for a couple of years now and the other guitarist in the band has just went with the same set up. I am quite fussy and have MJW and rift amps but use the RCF for pub gigs

Interesting - not come across those before. Do they have a 1/4" input as well as XLR? My Headrush gigboard doesn't have an XLR.

If not you can just use a Jack-to-XLR cable. That's what I use for my HX Stomp to go direct into the PA or into a studio desk, as that doesn't have XLR-out either.

gearaddict

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

gearaddict said:

sw67 said:

If you can up the budget by £50 the RCF art310 is a good speaker. I have used one with a helix for a couple of years now and the other guitarist in the band has just went with the same set up. I am quite fussy and have MJW and rift amps but use the RCF for pub gigs

Interesting - not come across those before. Do they have a 1/4" input as well as XLR? My Headrush gigboard doesn't have an XLR.

If not you can just use a Jack-to-XLR cable. That's what I use for my HX Stomp to go direct into the PA or into a studio desk, as that doesn't have XLR-out either.

Would that be a XLR to TRS/stereo 1/4"? Is that ok to use with the mono output on the Headrush?

[edit] actually, I see you can get mono ones...would that be the best thing to use?

sw67

The RCF has both xlr and jack input - see pics on thomann. Specs below

FREQUENCY RESPONSE:

50 Hz ÷ 20000 Hz

MAX SPL @ 1M:

127 dB

HORIZONTAL COVERAGE ANGLE:

90°

VERTICAL COVERAGE ANGLE:

70°

Transducers 

COMPRESSION DRIVER:

1.0'', 1.5'' v.c

WOOFER:

10'', 2.0'' v.c

Input/Output section 

INPUT SIGNAL:

bal/unbal

INPUT CONNECTORS:

XRL, Jack

OUTPUT CONNECTORS:

XLR

INPUT SENSITIVITY:

-2 dBu/+4 dBu

John_A

sw67 said:

If you can up the budget by £50 the RCF art310 is a good speaker. I have used one with a helix for a couple of years now and the other guitarist in the band has just went with the same set up. I am quite fussy and have MJW and rift amps but use the RCF for pub gigs

Good call - excellent speaker

gearaddict

John_A said:

is this for gigging or just home.  The headrush/alto speakers are great for home or a close monitoring wedge, they just aren’t as convincing when pushed as some more expensive options 

Mainly home but I may use it as a close monitor for gigging. I kind of want it to sound good, just so I can enjoy my home playing. I'm not sure if that kind of PA speaker is the best way to go. They do sound very nasal and compressed compared to more traditional guitar cabs...as per the below video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioFesfEOTR0&t=298s

I wonder if I am better off using a power amp into a traditional cab.

sw67

Only you can decide. I would rather use my valve amp than carry and set up a power amp and cab. I am in a 2 helix band and we are set up and ready to go without soundcheck in 20 mins. For me thats the point of helix / pa speaker - great sound gig after gig without risking damage to my amps. We only run through one song so we can tell the bass player to turn down 

gearaddict

sw67 said:

Only you can decide. I would rather use my valve amp than carry and set up a power amp and cab. I am in a 2 helix band and we are set up and ready to go without soundcheck in 20 mins. For me thats the point of helix / pa speaker - great sound gig after gig without risking damage to my amps. We only run through one song so we can tell the bass player to turn down 

We usually tell him to turn down before soundcheck. Saves time.

Vaiai

I have tried various options and my preferred is to use a combo amp and run my Helix into the power (FX Return) - all the other options never quite sound right but using a combo gives you an actual guitar speaker - no more messing with high and lo cut and IR etc! Plus you have a backup if your modeller dies.

FRFR is great as a monitor if you are going FOH direct but I don't like it as my only source of sound!
All IMHO - it's just what works for me

Altho the Alto TS210 is good...I think they also do an 8" and I have heard good things too - Alto stuff is great for the price

gearaddict

sw67 said:

If you can up the budget by £50 the RCF art310 is a good speaker. I have used one with a helix for a couple of years now and the other guitarist in the band has just went with the same set up. I am quite fussy and have MJW and rift amps but use the RCF for pub gigs

The ART310 is nearly 300 though, no?

sw67

https://www.thomann.de/gb/rcf_art_310_a_mk_iii.htm

I should add that we are going direct to pa and the RCF speakers are on a pole behind us for monitoring and so the drummer can hear the guitar

gearaddict

On Amazon for 289...might give it a punt. It's my birthday at the w/e

I kind of want to go 10" and the Headrush is either 8" or 12". Those 12" Altos sound really thumpy and I'm not sure 8" will have enough oomph. I have a Bhype 8" that my son uses for drums (and as a PC speaker!) and that definitely runs out of steam as you wind it up. It's loud...just gets a bit thin.

kennedydream1980

I always preferred the sound of coaxial designed speakers when used with guitar modellers. The Atomic CLR was always out of my reach price wise so I opted for the DB Technologies Flexsys FM8. They also do a 10 and 12 inch version. They sound excellent.

paulphoenix

I’ve just been around the FRFR merry go round and ended up with a Turbosound Milan M10 and I’m pretty happy thus far. 

Great sound, plenty loud and aesthetically very FRFRish. The two channels, two band eq plus a few other switches and features make it (to me) a really useful bit of kit for both my HX Stomp and my PA system (my tech 21 fly rig sounded pretty epic through it too). 

The only thing it didn’t have was a ground lift. 

Might be worth a look? 

gearaddict

paulphoenix said:

I’ve just been around the FRFR merry go round and ended up with a Turbosound Milan M10 and I’m pretty happy thus far. 

Great sound, plenty loud and aesthetically very FRFRish. The two channels, two band eq plus a few other switches and features make it (to me) a really useful bit of kit for both my HX Stomp and my PA system (my tech 21 fly rig sounded pretty epic through it too). 

The only thing it didn’t have was a ground lift. 

Might be worth a look? 

Cool - which other ones did you try?

John_A

I’ve tried a few.

Alto ts110. Ok but not loud enough for band use as main speaker
db bhype 8. Ok as a personal monitor, didn’t sound fab but really small and light
dxr10 sounded great but wobbly when used as a monitor
db flexsys fm10 perfect for me, as monitor or back line, loud and excellent quality - kept this one
laney fr12 good but big and heavy compared to most

gearaddict

The whole coaxial thing is new to me. People seem to say coaxial is better for monitors for some reason. Instinctively I’d have thought sticking the tweeter in front of the woofer would be a bad idea! 

paulphoenix

gearaddict said:

paulphoenix said:

I’ve just been around the FRFR merry go round and ended up with a Turbosound Milan M10 and I’m pretty happy thus far. 

Great sound, plenty loud and aesthetically very FRFRish. The two channels, two band eq plus a few other switches and features make it (to me) a really useful bit of kit for both my HX Stomp and my PA system (my tech 21 fly rig sounded pretty epic through it too). 

The only thing it didn’t have was a ground lift. 

Might be worth a look? 

Cool - which other ones did you try?

I had to buy blind (or should that be deaf?) because I live at the arse end of Cornwall. 

I started by listing all the features I wanted and ended up with a very short list of possible options due to my available budget. Then I trawled the internet for months looking for reviews and opinions. I was all but set on another speaker until a fellow fret boarder recommended I look at the Turbosound Milans.

I've only had it a few weeks and I haven't used it in anger yet as I finished with my gigging band of 6 years last November and haven't played out much since, but from what I've heard of the M10 I am pleased with my decision.