Monitor cab ON to guitar cab ??

I turn it off. But I had a gig recently where I forgot to, and it sounded great

I guess if it sounds good, that’s all that matters.

Sam Brox was saying just the other day that he does it too, Chris.

It's not textbook by any means, but the bottom line of course is always the old adage that if it sounds good / right, it is good / right.

I can tell you that running through FRFR with the monitor cab off sounds like absolute crap and is very obvious. I forgot to engage the cab the first time I hooked up my FRFR and it was so bad I was ready to send the damn monitor back. But, I have tried what you are saying through a guitar cab and while very noticeable, I wouldn't say it was bad. Just different.

I equate it with running Bluetooth music through a guitar or bass cab.
Dull hammered shit that if you tweaked it on stage, FOH couldn't help you out there.

I’ve noticed over the years that there have been a couple periods (maybe a glitch or software bug?) that I felt I needed to keep the cab section on with my 4x12. It would get real harsh and raspy if it was “Monitor Cab Off” just like it sounds through a PA or FRFR without cab emulation.
This was even occurring recently, up until I did the spring reverb update, and it corrected itself. Now I can toggle the Cab button on and off with no difference in tone from my cab. I’m not sure what caused it, but I did the update and dumped all but maybe 30 profiles (vs 500+ before). I definitely prefer the sound now vs needing to run the cab sim on. It sounded okay, but was always very dark and bass heavy. Worked well for clean profiles though.

I had to run through a randall god knows what speakers 4x12 that was provided on a fly date...sounded horrible...I had a big 'oh no' moment....but just thought to try the monitor cab on...and it smoothed it all out....settled me down...and I played a gig where I only had to worry about my stink fingers and not my tones

Whether it "works" or not will generally be a function of the following, IMHO:

1) If the original tone contains harsh high frequencies that the additional cab "filtration" happens to dampen or eliminate altogether.

2) If the additional cab's low-mid resonances don't double up (coincide) with the existing one's peaks, thereby causing unwanted / annoying low-mid-frequency muddiness.

3) If the additional cab's low resonances don't double up (coincide) with the existing one's peaks, thereby causing recording-unfriendly low-frequency weight.

If all three of these criteria are met, chances are you'll be good-to-go.

So, to say, "Hey, you must try this 'cause it works" or "It simply doesn't work" would be a blanket statement that in both cases would be incorrect in some instances, and correct in others; it all depends upon the cab, cab model, amp and gain combination.

nevertheless the fact remains, that using a guitar cab and the internal CABINET runs your signal through two cabinet in series.

I could imagine that very occasionally a for example very thin sounding Profile could actually benefit from the extra filtering a second cab (in series) provides, but it is clearly recommended to use a 'Cabinet Off' signal with guitar cabinets.

I think this might call for a feature request?

Like pure cab, a monitor off selection for each rig. Ya?

I have yet to experience a profile with ‘Monitor cab on’ that sounded and felt even somewhat believable through a guitar speaker cabinet…
In fact, they have ALL sounded horrible.
Monitor cab off!

I've done overseas gig and had to use the cab offered and one was a cheap marshall cab with the cheaper speakers with a aggressive top end, no v30 or greenbacks
anyway sounded better with cab feature on , smoothed out the top end for that instance

although the new feature of independent high pass \ low pass coming, will be a better option if I run into that kind of situation again

I like to run double cab SIM with a mix of a single cab blended at about 60/40

So independent monitor cab off for rigs plus a blend control would be my jam

Quote from Monkey_Man

Sam Brox was saying just the other day that he does it too, Chris.

This is true, though I’m mostly running through a Matrix NL12 (actually just bought the NL212, too), which has an extended range compared to other cabinets. Slightly more in the high end, quite a lot more in the lows. Not all profiles that sound great through full-range speakers sound good through the NL series, but when you find ones that do, there’s absolutely no need to run with the Cabs switched off.

I think my ears are shot because I can notice a difference but I'm not too bothered either way.

I do prefer it off with a cab but I've done a few gigs with it on by accident and its not sounded terrible..

There is no debate that you need it on with FRFR - you know straight away.

My ears are shot and I still cannot fathom playing with the cabsim ‘on’ through a guitar cabinet with my powered KPA…
It just sounds and feels completely wrong… Horrible, nothing at all like a real amplifier and cabinet sound / feel…
Ya , V8... FRFR, definitely ‘cab sim on’

Quote from Awesome_Elvis

I like to run double cab SIM with a mix of a single cab blended at about 60/40

So independent monitor cab off for rigs plus a blend control would be my jam

There is no blend control on the real cab you are running into - so you'll get 40 percent (or whatever) cab simulation before 100 percent guitar cab. Not what you are after I guess.

Quote from musicmad

There is no blend control on the real cab you are running into - so you'll get 40 percent (or whatever) cab simulation before 100 percent guitar cab. Not what you are after I guess.

Right! This would be for a direct or frfr setup but, if there was a blend control on the cab for monitor out then I could dial in how much of the 1st cab goes into the 2nd or real cab for that instance, as well.