Hate to be that guy but...Help Recommend Me a FRFR/GRFR Solution

  • I bought a Kemper with the sole intention of using it on stage and ditching my less than desirable VOX Valvatronix. It is two years later and this poor Kemper hasn't seen the stage once. I bought a Line 6 L3t to use as a backline/monitor, but I have not been a huge fan of what I'm hearing. Just to remind everyone I also suffer from a case of "shit ears" where everything (even the most godliest of tones) sounds like a garbage disposal.


    I've had may eye on a few different options including the MBritt Xitone, Redsound, and now MBritt ValveTrain. I have a few concerns with each. I can't find the MBritt Xitone on the Xitone website anymore, or really anywhere. Does anyone know if this has been discontinued? Redsound really interests me, but I'm concerned about the limited options. The ValveTrain interests me most. When looking at the specs it says that it contains a solid state rectifier. Has does this differ from a tube rectifier? I though the general attraction to the ValveTrain was that it was all tube.


    Many have now said Kemper Cabinet will be active as well as passive. This option is best suited considering its specifically for the Kemper, but I'm concerned about the timeline. I need instant gratification and I need it now! :S Do you guys think I should just hold out for this, or go with one of the earlier options?

  • This is a tough one since one man's trash is another man's treasure. When I first got my Kemper powered head about four and a half months ago I used a variety of 4x12 and 1x12 guitar cabinets I had on hand and I liked the results overall but could hear each cabinet impart its own footprint on the sound as cabinets do. I wanted to try the powered monitor route. There was no way locally to carry my Kemper and audition various units side by side (and I live in a major US market) so I read reviews. I settled on the Yamaha DXR10 powered monitor since it gets universally good reviews across the internet and it gets a lot of love here on the Kemper forums. It took a bit of experimentation with it as far as position for me. Standing upright at waist level - on it's side at waist level - et cetera. I found that I like them best on the floor angled up like a stage monitor. I just walked to my front door to find that Amazon has just delivered a set of Rockville speaker stands. I am going to try that option.


    I am very pleased with the sounds I am getting. I bought a second DXR10 not to run in stereo but to create a bigger sound field. One 10" monitor wasn't cutting it from a sound pressure standpoint after years of playing two 4x12 cabinets. Having said all of that, you might really not like the DXR series monitors. It's a tough question to answer. Why does one person favor an open back speaker cabinet while another loves closed back front loaded cabinets? There is no universal solution to some issues.

  • I have the XiTone MBritt, a DXR10, and a Bose L1 model II with B2 bass.

    They all have fantastic sound.

    You are correct about the XiTone, I guess MBritt put his name on the ValveTrain instead. That said, XiTone seems to be still making the same unit, just without the name https://xitonecabs.com/product/12-open-closed/


    I currently have the DXR10 at home and use it for practice, and auditioning profiles etc.

    At our studio, lately I've been running both my vocals and Kemper through the Bose.

    The XiTone is there too, and I'm going to start using it again this Wed night practice, prepping for our next gig.

    I love the XiTone because it's so flexible, with 5 DSP choices and open/closed back choices. And... I may be nuts but I swear that the XiTone can project further back into the room than the Bose... I sure didn't expect that! The side-side dispersal is amazing as well.

    Make no mistake, the DXR10 has excellent dispersal and projection as well. It's a great choice.

    But... I'll take the XiTone to the gig. The Kemper sits nicely on it like any normal cab as well.


    I really want to try the Kemper Kone though... It's a disease, and I've got it bad!:P

  • I've got a Line 6 Powercab it's pretty good, I really want a Valvetrain though, they're not supposed to color the profile and they're 100% amp in the room from what HW, and Michael Britt say.

  • I have a power rack and this is what I did:

    1) Ran a regular cab for 2 years, miked it - quite happy

    2) Decided to move to FRFR and go direct to FOH - used DXR10 as a baseline and tested a load of PA monitors. Ended up with a own branded PA wedge for £180...sounds great BUT realised all my profiles were duff as they had been masked by the cab. Sorted profiles, went direct.

    3) Bought a second hand Camper 1x12 for £120 as it has a more cab like look.

    4) Built a fake 4x12 for "the look"


    What I have come to relaise that the amp in the room sound is now less important to me. On stage monitoring is so hard any way and I've learnt to reduce its impact. I care mainly about the FOH sound which I know is really good - I have shit ears but others have told me.


    My personal view is you need something only good enough...good enough to audition profiles so you know they are good FOH and good enough that they inspire you enough when playing.

  • Several alternatives and preferences. There's no "one size fits all". It depends on what you are looking for to suit how loud your band plays, the type of venue and what you expect for the style you play, is there another guitar player in your band? are you looking for "amp in the room/stage" experience for yourself or a good PA monitor to hear what your audience is listening to?, etc. ...


    I've tried DXR10, Matrix FR12 and finally settled for a Mission Gemini 1 powered, it has an "EmPower EQ" that blends between flat and guitar cab freq. response.


    But it looks that you are after MBritts path, so MB PowerTrain 50 worths your review. Tubes and guitar speakers color the sound, so I wonder how it handles different kind of high gain amps, or IR speakers, it worths to try.


    Try to test your wishlist ordering from a retailer with 30days return option, if you can.

  • Last night I changed over from the Bose to the XiTone MBritt at practice.

    Wow, does it ever reach deep into the room!

    Standing 6' in front of it while the cab is sitting on the floor of the stage, I dialed it to where I thought it should be volume wise.

    Then I stepped off the stage and into the crowd area. Holy crap! Way better out there, and much louder!

    The stage is only a 6 - 8" rise!

    Hmmm... might need to raise it a bit so I can get a better sense of what the audience hears.

  • I’m using the Headrush FRFR12 or whatever it’s called. Musicians Friend gave me 12% backstage points when I bought my Kemper so it was essentially free. I have yet to gig with it, but have one coming up in two weeks. I use in ears, but will be using the Headrush to provide sound to my drummer and bass player because they need to hear me much more than our singer/second guitarist, as I’m the “main course” and he’s “garnish” on most of our songs. Got one of those short pa speaker stands to get it off the floor as recommended, and I’m very happy with it so far.

    -StumblinMan

    (Gary)

  • I dialed it to where I thought it should be volume wise.

    Then I stepped off the stage and into the crowd area. Holy crap! Way better out there, and much louder!

    that’s exactly the same issue as using a 4x12 onstage too. The sound doesn’t fully develop until about 20 -30’ in front of the cab which is way beyond where most of us stand when playing. Add that to the fact that most of the sound is traveling past us at below waist height and it’s little wonder sound guys are always complaining the guitar is too loud on stage ?

  • that’s exactly the same issue as using a 4x12 onstage too. The sound doesn’t fully develop until about 20 -30’ in front of the cab which is way beyond where most of us stand when playing. Add that to the fact that most of the sound is traveling past us at below waist height and it’s little wonder sound guys are always complaining the guitar is too loud on stage ?

    I used to run a 50w combo on top of a 2x12, resulting in 3x12.

    Angling the combo a little it covered the stage nicely. That being said, oddly the sound sort of crawled halfway into the room and promptly keeled over and died on the floor.

    The difference between the Bose and the MBritt is quite noticeable. The Bose sounds great on the stage, and the "stick" has a lot to do with that. It also sounds great out in the room, but does seem to peter out about 75% of the way near the back of the studio.

    The MBritt wants to run all the way to the back of the room and jump out the window!

    More testing required.