What to play FM3 through...need monitor equivalent of FM3

[presence]

My invite for the FM3 (with headphone jack) should be coming soon.

This would be my first modeler. Hence, I have no monitors or other speakers to play a modeler through.

Besides my Princeton clone, I sometimes use Scuffham S-Gear using the Yamaha THR10 as interface and monitor, and I think it sounds great for what the THR10 is.

For a while I have been reading through monitor threads on TGP looking for a great sounding, feautre rich, nice looking, well priced monitoring solution for the FM3. Something like the monitor equivalent of the FM3. Something that can sound amp-in-the-room or sound great using IRs. Probably a single cabinet for now.

I've come to the conclusion that no such thing exists. The world of monitors is much more fragmented and seems to be overall less advanced than other parts of the gear industry. There's pricier, heavy, bulky, good sounding stuff designed by pedantic white lab coat types. Then there's cheaper stuff that doesn't sound as good, offers few features and looks very meh.

Maybe the closest thing is the Line 6 Powercab, but I have reservations.

I may hold off buying the FM3 until someone offers an equally great monitoring solution. (Looking at you, Fractal!)

Out of the solutions I've looked at, what I like most is a Mojotone Lite cab loaded with a 12" Neo Creamback. Not an FRFR solution, but at least it would probably sound really good when used as a regular cab with IRs turned off. I can use that while I wait for someone to put out a much more attractive monitoring solution. https://www.mojotone.com/Cabinets_x/Cabinets_xx/Mojotone-Lite-1X12-Guitar-Speaker-Ext-NEO

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[Pat6969]

Unfortunately “amp in room” and FRFR sound different and absolutely no speaker of cab will change that. Closest I’ve come, (after trying pretty much everything), was the Friedman ASC-10. In the end I ditched that as well and went into a real guitar cab. IMO FRFR sounds too processed, which I guess is the point of it, I just didn’t like it. Good luck.

 

[LolainNB]

How about this http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/amplifiers/powerengine-dd/

 

[presence]

How about this http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/amplifiers/powerengine-dd/

Good suggestion. I've looked at the Deuce Deluxe it looks really nice, although it doesn't seem to have gained much traction. Not much out there on it in terms of videos, etc.

 

[toomanyamps]

My invite for the FM3 (with headphone jack) should be coming soon.

This would be my first modeler. Hence, I have no monitors or other speakers to play a modeler through.

Besides my Princeton clone, I sometimes use Scuffham S-Gear using the Yamaha THR10 as interface and monitor, and I think it sounds great for what the THR10 is.

For a while I have been reading through monitor threads on TGP looking for a great sounding, feautre rich, nice looking, well priced monitoring solution for the FM3. Something like the monitor equivalent of the FM3. Something that can sound amp-in-the-room or sound great using IRs. Probably a single cabinet for now.

I've come to the conclusion that no such thing exists. The world of monitors is much more fragmented and seems to be overall less advanced than other parts of the gear industry. There's pricier, heavy, bulky, good sounding stuff designed by pedantic white lab coat types. Then there's cheaper stuff that doesn't sound as good, offers few features and looks very meh.

Maybe the closest thing is the Line 6 Powercab, but I have reservations.

I may hold off buying the FM3 until someone offers an equally great monitoring solution. (Looking at you, Fractal!)

Out of the solutions I've looked at, what I like most is a Mojotone Lite cab loaded with a 12" Neo Creamback. Not an FRFR solution, but at least it would probably sound really good when used as a regular cab with IRs turned off. I can use that while I wait for someone to put out a much more attractive monitoring solution. https://www.mojotone.com/Cabinets_x/Cabinets_xx/Mojotone-Lite-1X12-Guitar-Speaker-Ext-NEO

Any thoughts appreciated.

The FM3 will sound great through a good set of monitors.
It won't sound great through a low budget solution.

 

[68Injunhed]

I like my Axe 3 through the CLR, but it really isn't amp in the room.

Some say the XiTone does a better job at that.

 

[Nota]

Same journey here, over the years. Went back and forth with FAS back in the day, trading around monitors and never being totally happy with portability vs power vs FRFR. As you said, you never really can be

That said, I'll be getting the FM3, it's too portable to resist, and it will be replacing my interface and pedalboard and speaker cab if all goes well.

After a ton of research I've settled on the QSC CP8. Like a really loud monitor. Sound is so even that I thought about getting two and using them for my home speakers, and replacing my desktop monitors. Not hyped like other speakers.

Hated QSC's guitar amps, loving the cheaper and very light/small CP8. We'll see how it sounds with the FM3!

 

[randombastage]

For low volume stuff I’m going to try the Bad Cat The Paw.
It has a stereo effects loop so I’m hoping it is the answer to low volume monitoring.

I have a pair of Line 6 Powercabs For louder work and Adams A7 for when I work with a DAW

 

[Sacredgrooves]

I have had mine for 24 hours now. Last night I played through some mid-level Sennheiser headphones and it sounded great. Today I ran it through JBL 308 monitors and it really came alive. Tomorrow I will run it through the PS2 and a Bogner 4x12 to see where that takes me.

Whatever you pick will likely be a winner. Enjoy!

 

[FPFL]

If you want anything like amp in the room, and you want easy and/or fun you have to buy guitar cabs.
The end.

Seriously. Let us save you heartache, time and money.

These other PA, monitor, special built for IRs thingy choices sound great, but they don't sound like an amp in the room unless you go to great lengths and then if you tweak wrong, you lose it. It can be painful.

If you were playing stadiums to a huge PA, sure then I'd go direct, but I'm not Metallica or Def Leppard.

My advice.
IRs are best for recording. Cabinets are best for jam rooms.

 

[stratzrus]

Monitors are unlikely to give you "amp in the room". For that you need an amp in the room.

A late distortion 6L6 powered amp and a guitar cab with neutral speakers will give you amp in the room tone but will negate the helpfulness of IRs since, in my experience, that kind of rig works best with the cab sims disabled.

You can get great FOH tone through monitors. That's a whole other story.

 

[steetyj]

Any recommendations for an amp/cab setup that would be good for low volume playing at home?

 

[stratzrus]

Any recommendations for an amp/cab setup that would be good for low volume playing at home?

I've been using a Quilter MicroPro 200 8. The 8" speaker version uses a full range speaker, not a guitar speaker and it sounds great up to pretty loud TV volumes. It wouldn't be ideal for playing at concert stage volume in a Metal band but for playing at home it's wonderful.

There's the original version (brown) and the Mach 2 (black). The original version is fine for this application and can be had used at a lower cost.

The Mach 2 has better gain tones but for amplifying a modeler you wouldn't be using the amp's distiortion. I plug into the MIC/Line input which bypasses the preamp and goes directly to the power amp. It works really well with my Axe III and I'll be using it with the FM3 for playing at home as well.

 

[Gasp100]

Any recommendations for an amp/cab setup that would be good for low volume playing at home?

Personally I would think quite a bit before making any decisions on your monitoring choices.
It sounds like total volume control is a major concern as it is for many of us, including myself in between gigs.
So if you start chasing power amp + cab it's going to be moderately expensive and really want to be at least a little louder than your standard nearfield / FRFR monitoring solution to sound good. Here are examples of things I have used / still use and there are some interesting things in the emporium (Kingsley Crucible 1w tube power amp, reactive load with line out but ~$775 used?):

Nearfield monitors / FRFR: Mandatory (in my mind) for recording, low to moderate volume play with precise detail of the entire modeling chain, crystal clear tones/FX when performing live

• Adam A5's (I've had these for YEARS. Fantastic and I'm sure all Adam monitors are killer)
• Alto TS110a (Lower priced FRFR which I think is replaced by newer versions and the Headrush line up as well. This is my real testing ground for moderate to gigging level FRFR because I can assume any good house PA will have wedges, etc. at or better than this level. Also, patches I build usually translate very well between the A5's and the Alto which is obviously very important)
• Yamaha DXR 10's (these are my mains for my PA system; has to sound great through these because that is what most of the audience hears out front. Really nice detail, I would argue "close enough" to Atomic CLR (which I've had several times) and others)
• Shure SE215 IEMs (the standard for IEMs because they come packaged with more Shure IEM systems. I am fine using these and I never upgrade because it's expensive and again, I only want / need what is readily used and available out there. Anything more and I'm spoiled and in Diva territory)

Amp/Cab: Essentially paying for slightly better tactile response and high muted frequency spectrum through a real cab/speaker getting closer to what we all know to be a real amp. My personal opinion is solid state power gets close (enough?), but no cigar. Tube based power is heavy(er), more expensive, more of a PITA especially if you gig. Plus, all of the versatility of different modeling components - amp simulation quality/type, IR's, FX quality is decreased.

• Powerstage 170 with JD Design overzised 1x12 with Creamback or Marshall Silver Jubilee 2x12 on casters (Really nice, pretty darn close, very nice backline rig, still portable, place to put my beer in between sets).
• AX8 into Runt 20 FX return in same Marshall cab + using Runt 20 cab emulated speaker out to mixer (oh man, that was close... probably shoud have stopped there but the Runt 20 is ~$1K used and a shame to have a great little amp being used for only tube power.
• Marshall SV20 (Possibly even better than the Runt 20, EL34's. Also a killer amp in it's own right but LOUD)
• Mesa V:25 (ALSO really great - wow probably the cleanest and most clinical power but dang sounded awesome! The clean and crunch on the V:25 is fantastic, did not like anything on the "red" side; too compressed, middy, yuk)
• FM3 into Dr. Z Jetta 1x12 FX loop (should have been perfect but I didn't like it; to bright, boingy, with or without power amp simulation on the FM3. But the Jetta by itself is KILLER CLEAN to cleanish)

So yea for me it's usually a hybrid deal and I do tons of testing with all sorts of rigs but many times I keep them segregated - Tube amps end up sounding the best through real cabs and without modeling in play.
Modeling ends up making the most sense for ease of use, versatility, cartage when staying in the digital / solid state realm

I will say the III/FM3 and Strymon Iridium to me really capture the essence of amp tone / feel that does translate quite well to louder FRFR to the point of me asking do I really want/need/care about an amp at all.
If you are not gigging I would start with really good nearfield monitors. Just my opinion.
If you do gig and you really on backline or can get to louder volumes with a drummer or maybe you are auditioning for a new band and want to come in more traditional to start I would look for power amp / cab.
If you do it all consider hybrid approaches as listed above.

None of which is cheap, YMMV.

 

[FPFL]

Good point. if you aren't gigging, nearfield monitors will be much more satisfying than PA gear turned to quiet.
I love my Yammy HS8s pointed at my head : )
Still not AITR but satisfying for sure.

 

[chrisjnyc]

My invite for the FM3 (with headphone jack) should be coming soon.

This would be my first modeler. Hence, I have no monitors or other speakers to play a modeler through.

Besides my Princeton clone, I sometimes use Scuffham S-Gear using the Yamaha THR10 as interface and monitor, and I think it sounds great for what the THR10 is.

For a while I have been reading through monitor threads on TGP looking for a great sounding, feautre rich, nice looking, well priced monitoring solution for the FM3. Something like the monitor equivalent of the FM3. Something that can sound amp-in-the-room or sound great using IRs. Probably a single cabinet for now.

I've come to the conclusion that no such thing exists. The world of monitors is much more fragmented and seems to be overall less advanced than other parts of the gear industry. There's pricier, heavy, bulky, good sounding stuff designed by pedantic white lab coat types. Then there's cheaper stuff that doesn't sound as good, offers few features and looks very meh.

Maybe the closest thing is the Line 6 Powercab, but I have reservations.

I may hold off buying the FM3 until someone offers an equally great monitoring solution. (Looking at you, Fractal!)

Out of the solutions I've looked at, what I like most is a Mojotone Lite cab loaded with a 12" Neo Creamback. Not an FRFR solution, but at least it would probably sound really good when used as a regular cab with IRs turned off. I can use that while I wait for someone to put out a much more attractive monitoring solution. https://www.mojotone.com/Cabinets_x/Cabinets_xx/Mojotone-Lite-1X12-Guitar-Speaker-Ext-NEO

Any thoughts appreciated.

Fractal already said they dont want to be in the speaker cab business. Plenty of options out there, from PA speakers to hybrid speaker cabs... just goggle "FRFR"

Alto TS308 is $230 and 20 pounds

Powercab
Xitone
CLR
Mission
Friedman
etc

 

[AcceptableNorm]

For my GT-1 I run it into my Behringer x1204 mixer then out to my Presonus E8 monitors. Total volume control from whisper quiet to pretty damn loud if I want it.
Cheap and very effective, and sounds damn good.

 

[ufguy73]

I've tried higher end monitors (relatively, anyway - products like Barefoot mm45, Focal Twin6, basically 4k-6k)...I currently have a pair of Atomic CLR's....and ive tried reamping my axe III through my Power Station and guitar cabs....

absolutely, unequivocally if you are chasing similar feel to amp in the room - reamping through guitar cabs is the only thing that came close for me.

the higher end monitors were great for that mic'd sound sitting at my desk...and the CLR's were a little bit almost in between the monitors and amp/cab.

just have to decide what aspects are most important

 

[Jarick]

Here's something I wrote up on the topic:

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/i...guide-to-monitoring-your-amp-modeler.2118989/

 

[Ejay]

Fm3 will sound great through a regular cab, or the return of an amp/combo.
Your other option is studio monitors...not amp in the room...but its nice to own a pair regardless of playing guitar through them...audio playback system, recording, backing tracks.
A decent pair for non pro use don’t break the bank anymore..and sound fine. Adding a traditional cab to that is easy and cheap enough.

All in one solution....kemper and its Kone does it well.