Seeking lighter alternative to Friedman ASM-12

Quote from Stringtheorist

I've run my KPA through a succession of active floor monitors including the Atomic CLR and currently the Friedman ASM-12. I love the Friedman more than anything else I've used but it's an absolute beast to carry and it's put my back out more than once. So I'm looking now for a lighter alternative, preferably without any loss in tone. My KPA is a Power Rack; are there any passive monitors that would fit the bill?

Hey Stringtheorist I own a Friedman ASM-10 which is lighter than the ASM12. I'm selling my ASM10 because my Alto TS210 sounds just as good or better, is much much lighter and less expensive. So I'm selling my ASM10. So try the Alto TS210 or TS310. You can buy 2 for under $500! Great full sound and very light weight.

Quote from Stringtheorist

Cheers for the recommendation. I have to note that reviews I saw on Youtube suggest the Altos don't sound that great and have an excessive amount of bass which can't be dialled out. Obviously, your opinion differs.

Excessive bass? Well that may be the TS212 or TS312. My TS210 has a perfect mix of everything, certainly not excessive bass. I play in a cover band which requires a big pallet of tones. For self monitoring and playing at home you can't beat the TS210 or two of them. They sound beautiful.

Quote from Stringtheorist

Thanks Rik. Yeah, the review I watched was of a TS312. I'll definitely consider the TS210. Thanks again!

You're welcome! Hope it works out.

Im still using an Atomic Neo cab. It's light and to me sounds great

Quote from Stringtheorist

Hey Rik

How closely does the TS210 behave to a guitar cabinet re. getting natural feedback at volume?

You could get natural feedback off certain notes with the right profiles, that's the key. It really puts out what you put into it.

Quote from Stringtheorist

I've bitten the bullet and bought a TS310 (the newer model). I'll try it side by side with my ASM-12 and post my findings.

That's the best thing you can do! Try them side by side. That's what I did and decided to keep the Alto and put the Friedman up for sale. Curious to hear what you think. Try it with different profiles.

Quote from Stringtheorist

Well, after trying the monitors side by side at home, I took my TS310 to band practise yesterday and spent a good few hours running through the majority of our set. I'm really very, very impressed; I had no problem getting good natural feedback at my typical practice volume. My overall impression is that the highs seemed to be a little bit harsher on the Alto, which was solved by tweaking the Kemper's monitor output EQ slightly. The Friedman seems to naturally sweeten the top end in a manner similar to a real guitar cabinet... Maybe the wooden construction has something to do with that? In any case, I think whatever the Alto may lack is offset by its portability. I haven't reached a definitive conclusion yet, but it's looking very like I shall be keeping the Alto and moving the Friedman on. I do want to try one more rehearsal with the Friedman to be sure.

There you go. I made the same decision and put the Friedman on sale. The Alto sounds great and two are even better.

Quote from Stringtheorist

Can I assume you run a stereo rig? This is something I'm keen to try but I'm struggling to figure out what the connections would be. At present I'm only using the Monitor Out. How do I hook up two monitors in stereo and send a stereo signal to FOH, with independent control of my monitor signal level?

Direct out can be re-configured as Monitor out R, whereas the normal Monitor Out becomes Monitor Out L.

And there's a tickbox in the output menu named "Monitor Stereo".

Quote from Stringtheorist

Can I assume you run a stereo rig? This is something I'm keen to try but I'm struggling to figure out what the connections would be. At present I'm only using the Monitor Out. How do I hook up two monitors in stereo and send a stereo signal to FOH, with independent control of my monitor signal level?

Ingolf is correct! But most of the time I run stereo here at home to dial in my performances. The tones I get at home through my 2 Altos sounds close enough to the QSCs where I perform at. But yes like Ingolf said on this thread, "Direct out can be re-configured as Monitor out R, whereas the normal Monitor Out becomes Monitor Out L." And Kempermaniac as well.