FRFR

thomasross20

Prompted by a post in another thread... who's using these and why? 

Better than a normal cab? 

hubobulous

/sits down, grabs beer and snacks and waits for the inevitable outpourings of @thomasross20 's inner thoughts.

Now ladies and gentlemen, play nice and don't try to convince him that he needs some just yet. :-)

John_P

Wis or lol?

I've tried it plenty of times in the past but was never happy - that was with older modelling tech though. Now I've got the new fractal modelling I could try it again but I like the extra redundancy of using a regular cab if I need to switch in a backup and I'm happy with the sound so I'm sticking with all my regular cabs.

For someone running a fractal or helix setup I can see advantages though.

thomasross20

Lol I'm like a kid in a sweet shop

MatthewShreddery

I'm currently running an axe fx 2xl into a matrix power amp into a matrix frfr cab. <p> I like it at home when I'm just playing on my own, plus youtube videos etc sound great through it! <p>However, I'm really not liking it for use in band rehearsals and am seriously thinking of getting a valve combo and some pedals again. The axe is great as a direct to pa option though. 

MatthewShreddery

No idea what I've done with the formatting in my previous comment! I'd like to add that I ran the axe through a twin reverb the other day and that sounded pretty sweet!

thomasross20

MatthewShreddery said:

I'm currently running an axe fx 2xl into a matrix power amp into a matrix frfr cab. <p> I like it at home when I'm just playing on my own, plus youtube videos etc sound great through it! <p>However, I'm really not liking it for use in band rehearsals and am seriously thinking of getting a valve combo and some pedals again. The axe is great as a direct to pa option though. 

Have you considered the NL212?

MatthewShreddery

No, mine is the matrix 212 and that's a good cab. Can't be arsed with trying any more frfr.

monquixote

I don't see the point of frfr

Put it through a guitar cab or put it through the PA.

ICBM

monquixote said:

I don't see the point of frfr 

Put it through a guitar cab or put it through the PA.

+1. The only point is if you want to make non-typical guitar sounds, or be Mike Oldfield. (Which is more or less the same thing.)

Normal clean and overdriven electric guitar sounds sound best through guitar cabinets, so don't faff around reproducing frequencies and dynamics that you don't want and then having to suppress them again with more processing to simulate a guitar cabinet!

Cabicular

Did I not do this already?

Cabicular

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/69507/frfr-is-there-any-point/p1

thomasross20

Ah, apologies! Feel free to merge, mods!

octatonic

Personally I'm completely over FRFR.

For recording it is a convenient thing to have and the Axe FX 2 sounds on par with a well recorded tube amp... just.

But the translation to using FRFR live- I just don't enjoy it.

I think part of my current interest in drums is because there is nothing artificial or simulated about an acoustic drum kit.

kjdowd

agree with all the above. Tried it and it was fine, but vastly prefer and amp power section and cab. Now using helix 4cm allowing use of the amp preamp and modelling into the fx return as needed. Sounds great.

Benson

The point is that with FRFR you are hearing what goes to the PA and exactly what the audience hears. The only person that hears your regular guitar cab in the same way that you do is you. Nobody else is stood in the same proximity to it as you and by the time the sound has dispersed to an audience it will sound totally different. Granted it's a different feel to a guitar CAB and takes some getting used to, and skill to dial in, but your tone is far more consistent with what goes to FOH. A properly dialled in FRFR will sound no different to an audience but give lots more flexibility to digital modelling users in terms of using different cabinet models (impulse responses).

monquixote

That's fair enough but at that point just use the regular stage monitors or better yet in ears

ICBM

Benson said:

The point is that with FRFR you are hearing what goes to the PA and exactly what the audience hears.

I've never been that fussed about that because the sound engineer can - and will, usually - change your entire tone just by turning a couple of knobs. The sound of the PA cabs in the room is never the same as the sound of even a FRFR cab onstage anyway.

So I would prefer just to get a good sound on stage that I like and can play well with, and let the soundman do the rest out front.

Benson said:

lots more flexibility to digital modelling users in terms of using different cabinet models (impulse responses).

I really feel that using too many different sounds like that is a curse not an advantage. It makes it much harder to get a consistent mix if you're constantly changing your core sound.

Cabicular

I also think it's quite jarring for the audience
People don't tend to go to gigs where the guitarist wheels out an entirely new rig every couple of songs.
Also takes me about a minute to get used to the tone 'under my fingers' I don't want to be doing that all the way through a gig
(Disclaimer : I'm really old fashioned)

Benson

The key word is flexibility and freedom of choice. You're not going to be convinced otherwise so there's no point trying. You chaps are welcome to carry on using guitar cabs, it would be a boring ol' world if we all played through the same thing.

Cabicular

At least I've tried this and given it a fair shake on both the Helix and the Amplifire through Atomic reactor and L2ts. So it's not like I haven't given it a chance but it's not for me as you say vive le difference