Do I really need a FRFR speaker (Friedman ASM-12) or just use my studio monitors for jammin?

Quote from VictorRattlehead

If the only thing getting a FRFR speaker will give me is an increase in volume then maybe Im barking up the wrong tree and should just stick with my monitors I currently have.

Mhhh... well, I didn't just said that, actually. If the cab you would end up buying was more linear than your monitors you would have a better overall response. For example, they might be lacking in the lower frequency region, or elsewhere, or whatever...
I guess the point is: if you want to go the "linear" route, then buy the most linear cab you can afford
OTOH, if you are really looking for "the punch", I'd renew my advise about looking at an FR cab: you might get great satisfaction from it, and keep your monitors for listening to music, mixing and the like.

Quote from Grooguit

I've never understood the fascination with stereo.
1) almost all sound guys will only give you one mic or one XLR, rendering your carefully created stereo effects largely inaccurate as you switch to using the Left main output. Those that will humor you probably are only doing a mono house mix anyway.
2) when recording, it is better to record two separate tracks and pan L and R, with the option of different tones on each, than one stereo track. Especially since it's generally preferable to record dry and add delays and reverbs later, in which stereo effects can be added to mono tracks just as easily as stereo ones.

I get why you don't understand, and it is because you are misinformed or confused about how the Kemper operates in stereo mode.

Regarding using the "Left main" output, you would (and should) set your mains to mono in the output section. This sums both the left and right channels into a single mono channel. All stereo effects become mono effects though mono outs. If you only have one input, you shouldn't run stereo at all - disable it and run mono.

That said, the reason sound guys will "only give you one mic or one XLR" is because most guitarists don't have stereo rigs or rigs capable of even running in stereo. It's just like it's common to have two channels for a keyboard, expecting they are in stereo, even if it's flat piano samples being played all night. For live use, it is pretty useless though, unless you can get everyone in the room to stand in the sweet spot. Otherwise, everyone's going to hear something differently. Stereo's great in live performance for, say, panorama (panning effect), but not as much for delay and reverb, as it will just get lost.

When it comes to recording, the beauty of the Kemper is you can configure it to send out an unprocessed (raw/DI) signal, a mono signal sans stereo FX (Mod/X/Delay/Reverb), and a stereo signal, all at the same time. This gives you the option to reamp at any time as well. And because the "stereo signal" is stereo doesn't mean you need to record it as a single stereo file - it can be tracked (and should be tracked) as individual tracks, because they are individual tracks. Remember, stereo is nothing more than two individual channels, and they don't need (or have) to be combined. If you only have one input, again, change your output settings to mono, and carry on.

Man does viabcroce have a twin brother?
Dougy that was a great explanation my friend, for those that don't get it, ill try and record some DIFFERENCES
between Monitor and stereo Gemini @\2 effects when it arrives, i have the monitor, (just ordered the Gemini 2)

Maybe that will help people ? Yes try playing Floyd and Van H on a Stereo verse Mono , even in your room it kicks ass
again all is subjective huh? lets see

Ash

Quote

I agree with all of that except, setting the mains to mono. I had asked this question on a thread once and Mr. Kemper himself said that it would be better for my needs to keep the mains assigned to stereo. Here why, and my set up. My Kemper sits in a closet on the side of the stage at my church with my H9, and only a the midi controller and wireless pedal at my feet. While I always listen to what everything sounds like on the mains in the room's PA, (as my favorite profiles that I use on just about everything are done being tweaked at this point) I generally put on headphones in the closet and set up delays, reverbs, and general organization. What I noticed when tweaking with the headphones (which are originally $150 ear muffs, not cheap in-ears) was that I'd have to drastically increase delays in reverb in my headphones to sound more than I want, for the appropriate amount to end up in the mains of the PA, which is the sound that ultimately matters. What was happening is that the mono summing hides some of the echos, supposedly most of your reflections are handled just fine using the stereo left main. That's the best I can describe the conversation. (perhaps that's why your supposed to used L stereo output for mono on most stereo pedals) in any case, I found that what I was getting out the house PA was pretty darn close to what I was getting out of my headphones. In other words, if I set the delays and reverbs to taste in the headphones, it translated very well to the house mains using only the left main output in stereo mode. summed mono wasn't even close.

As far as stereo in general is concerned, my main point was stereo effects usually have no platform to be heard by anyone but the user in practice. the ability to send a dry signal out one side of stereo is of course useful in the studio. I meant that in general mixing stereo effect to taste in monitors or headphones seldom has an outlet to be used for guitarists that play live or record with a full band, as they are almost always heard in mono. Saying that, I know some guitarists have found creative uses for it, perhaps those that tour with their own PA. However, the average weekend warrior which constitutes most guitarists, even many pro guitarists live in the mono world, at least as far as their own guitar is concerned.

A simple workaround would be to use a stereo-to-mono adapter for HPs.

Quote from VictorRattlehead

Hi everyone, I am about to buy a Friedman ASM-12 FRFR speaker for my Kemper. My reason for it is ordinary jammin. Mostly along with backing tracks and just practicing and playing in my bedroom. I dont intend to use it for a band situation. I currently have a pair of Mackie M8 monitors that I use for playing and recording.

My question is, do I really need a FRFR speaker? What advantage will it give me compared to my monitors? Will it give me a true 'Amp in the room' sound? Is it worth it to get the Friedman FRFR for what I want to use it for? I am just wondering if it will give me much more than just a slight increase in punch and volume.

Thanks for any opinions. Currently I'm swayed to buy the FRFR but I'd like to hear what some of you with FRFR speakers in addition to monitors think before I plunk down the cash.

Thanks so much!

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Note that I only read the original post, but I play through monitors, a FRFR (Laney IRT-X), and a cab, and to me there is a difference between monitors and FRFR in that FRFR has more of an "amp in the room" quality while still retaining the studio/merged profile characteristics. So personally I like having all three: monitors for precision, cab for "fun"/amp in the room feel, FRFR for a nice middle ground.

Pretty good advice here to contemplate, remember if you have a good sound at home where you write music, then a good tone will make you write BETTER, thats universal , do you really NEED an FRFR, no you don't really NEED one, the posters have explained WHY that is, BUT YOU CANNOT DENY THE POST ABOVE and the positive aspect of having an FRFR, especially a stereo FRFR at home in your bed room, if monitors and hearing a generic sound is all you NEED then so be it,...

HOWEVER, you have an expensive kemper, why not get the most out of it?

Ash