Guitar Cabinet VS FRFR Speaker

    I'm using a guitar cab (and disabling the cab sim) to play my kemper, well .. actually I'm using a couple of them ... two orange ppc112's converted to open back.


    Sound is very good in my setup but I believe I'm missing out on a major component of what makes an amp "simulation": the IR of it's speakers


    I state this because my sound is actually less diverse running through a guitar cab ... I've found that most profiles I use tend to put out a have a "patterned" sound and I believe this is mostly due to using the same cab to play all of them.


    Preamp and power amp is simulated in the profiler but then the speaker is always the same. It's a good sound, but it's not as real as it could be and not so diverse.


    I'm interested in your opinions, specially from those who have tested both setups:
    - Will changing to a FRFR speaker make my sound more diverse and still retain that "punchy" and "fat" sound you get from playing through a guitar speaker?


    (I'm considering the new 2K watt FRFR from Headrush, seems to be pretty good value!)


    Please let me know what you think and what you have tested, thanks!

    Hey Paulo,


    I struggled with this for a while. After looking at all of the FRFR options, I have ended up using a guitar cabinet because I like the "cab in the room" feel more than the diversity of FRFR for cabinets. I still find I get a lot of tonal variance, I definitely tell the difference between a Soldano / Mesa / Fryette / Diesel profile, even though I disabled the guitar cab portion of the profile and run through a V30 speaker.


    I feel like I may try a Matrix FR12 some day though! :)

    Bizarrely I use both..for different reasons..


    Assuming you intend to go direct into a PA ( which I would definitely recommend), FRFR will be closest to what is coming through the PA, both for set up and monitoring during a gig.


    I also like the punch and look of a cab, so sometimes take that and use it for backline. If doing this, definitely try merged profiles...


    It was a big switch for me to go from conventional to direct/FRFR ( I used it conventionally for the first 18 months). The main jump was getting profiles that sounded good as crap profiles can sound good through a cab...FRFR will show that up...


    For FRFR I have a powered rack, so I use an unpowered 12" monitor that I tested back to back with a Yamaha DXR10 as a reference. Cost me £180...I also have a camper 1 x 12 which is also pretty good...I avoided a mega expensive set up doing this and it is good enough.

    Dean, you make a great point… I have experimented much lately, with direct profiles of all my high gain amplifiers and they do sound different through my 4×12 speaker cabinets, but one high gain amplifier sounds a lot like another high gain amplifier through the same 4×12 cabinet… just like real amplifiers…
    but when I add a cab (in the Kemper) to them and run them through my studio monitors, that’s where you really notice the personality of each amplifier to the fullest!

    Quote from SQUAREHEAD

    Dean, you make a great point… I have experimented much lately, with direct profiles of all my high gain amplifiers and they do sound different through my 4×12 speaker cabinets, but one high gain amplifier sounds a lot like another high gain amplifier through the same 4×12 cabinet… just like real amplifiers…
    but when I add a cab (in the Kemper) to them and run them through my studio monitors, that’s where you really notice the personality of each amplifier to the fullest!

    That's what I pray for a long time. I used a mesa boogie 2x12 celestion V30. Rock n' roll, but nearly the same sound with every profile. Changed to atomic ( old generation) , sold it because sound was like crap.
    Bought an rcf 10" sma nx and bang, that was the sound with cab sim on. I love this power beast. Some say it's too hifi. Bullshit, I use purecab and low and high cut if needed. This frfr hasn't the boomy midrange sound like other frfr I tested. Rcf is well know for cool pa but it's expensive. A friend of mine plays an alto ts12 and he says that this frfr is the bang for the bug. The headrush looks like 100% the same than the alto. Also db flexsys 12 meant to be a good choice. The reduced the price these days and you get two for one rcf. I highly recommend two because of the fantastic stereo sound of the kemper, especially the delays and chorus.....


    I also tested the dxr10 and I must say that this one is absolute not my cup of tea, because for me it sound too midrangy. A matter of taste. If you have the chance, check different ones, here is a wide range between shit and heaven.


    At home I play two rokit rp6 g3 active nearfield monitors. Cool sound for the money, got a pair used, half a year old for 280€. I saw some on ebay last month for 320€. Also a good deal.


    My statement again: The key to a good kempersound is the right cabsim. I have found prox. 5 cab gems that i use and for clean sounds I often switched off the cab sim. This is like olaying direct to the desk in a studio and for cleans it also works with and frfr.


    Just my 2 cent's


    Cheers
    Frank

    Loving all the input here.


    I'm pretty sure not understanding how the Kemper actually works as far as the separate parts of the sim and their interaction is the main reason as to why some users can't get a good sound out of the unit.


    I'm having the exact same experience as some of you: I use the unit through a cab and the sound is OK, but the simulation is lacking .. most profiles tend to sound similar and they really don't sound like the "real" amps because the speaker portion of the simulation is missing.


    Although I do actually like my setup and pretend on using it, I'm getting a FRFR slant to add to it and get a more realistic perspective of what goes to the PA.