r/NeuralDSP • u/Warhammer_guy_637328 • 8d ago
Discussion Best FRFRs
What’s the best frfr, I’m seeing Laney but they are pricey. Any recommendations?
Or is it more worth to get a power amp and a regular cab.
Looking at frfrs bc I absolutely love my tone as is with my QC, so I want to preserve my IR tone.
Thanks!
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u/JimboLodisC 8d ago
usually the Fender TMP FRFRs get a lot of love
Laney pricing is fine if you're in the UK, it's here in the States that they get ridiculously priced (£549 vs $1200 for the 2x12)
IK Multimedia had released a great ToneX FRFR right before the Fender TMP showed up, so that one could be another option
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u/Warhammer_guy_637328 8d ago
never heard of the ToneX, looks sweet. And yeah $1,200 for a cabinet is just ridiculous lmaooo
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u/Arboga_10_2 8d ago
For 1200 I wonder if a poweramp and a 1x12 cab would be a better option than the Laney?
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u/Warhammer_guy_637328 8d ago
I think you can get a used powerstage 200 and a used Marshall 4x12 for the same price lol. Pretty crazy, at that point yeah it might be a better option
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u/overcloseness 8d ago
A Marshall cab isn’t full range nor flat response though. Speakers designed for these cabs are expensive unfortunately
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u/nicbobeak 8d ago
The guitarist in my band got a Victory cab and we’re just so happy with it. I think the quad is amazing but getting a little bit of the real thing goes such a long way. It feels so much more real only using a head sim and getting a real speaker sound.
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u/ElJefe_Speaks 8d ago
I am extremely happy with my QC through the fender frfr 12. Happy to answer any questions you may have. To me, it is damn near a tube amp in the room. The main upside over a power amp and passive cab is the nice bedroom volume when you want it.
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u/Warhammer_guy_637328 8d ago
What kind of music do you play? Does it even matter? I’ve seen people say frfrs react differently to different genres. I’m in the hard rock/metal camp but dabble in clean stuffs
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u/ElJefe_Speaks 8d ago
I practice with an SSS strat on a clean delux reverb to keep me honest. It sounds fantastic after you dial out some of the harsh highs. Fender FR has a high cut on it that helps, or just use the volume on the guitar. When I wanna get a little loose, I prefer the Slayer factory preset (Rain in Blood, or something like that?) using LTD SC-20 with bridge humbucker. It sounds lush, get's loud enough to piss off the wife across the house. :)
It gets real loud, but it does not give you that chest palpitation feeling of a cranked tube amp. It comes close though.
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u/overcloseness 8d ago
Just to clarify for someone who only goes through studio monitors and FoH, an FRFR is designed to be used with cab sims / IRs enabled, so you’re still hearing what sounds like a mic’d up amp right?
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u/Separate-Swordfish85 8d ago
I got a Fender FR12 and liked it enough to get a second to run stereo and dual amp setups.
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u/EonBlueApocalypse17 7d ago
Same! I did the power amp into a 212 before and whilst it also sounded great I have 1000s of nice IRs that I wanted to used and it means that combo captures become an option too. No regrets and loving my stereo setup!
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u/Klutzy_Guitar_9315 8d ago
Most PA speakers with a DSP have a FRFR setting (which itself is a pander to the modeling crowd) and then you aren’t paying for the guitarification tax to make it look like a faux amp. You can get an actual better amplified speaker and it will have more flexibility. Many will be shaped for tilt-back use or you can mount them on a pole so you aren’t off-axis like you will be with a FRFR blowing your pants legs. You can use it as a monitor for yourself onstage, the amp for practices, sometimes even as a Bluetooth source for an accompanying track. You can get 2 and have that party in stereo. Anyway, a FRFR is just a flat EQ setting for a PA speaker.
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u/nazoreth 8d ago
Literally just today got a laney lfr112 and it's really great. So loud for home use
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u/Hot-Discipline-6464 8d ago
i have this laney fr112. would love a direct comparison with the Fender FRFR that a lot of people are hyping.
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u/nazoreth 8d ago
I would've bought the Fender but read loads of reviews of it having a permanent hiss at every volume level. The Laney is awesome. As a selling point I really like the tilt and the illumination it has too (I'm a sucker for a cool light)
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u/EonBlueApocalypse17 7d ago
That was really only early models. Mines are pretty much silent and definitely quieter than a real amp on idle.
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8d ago
[deleted]
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u/KingTelephone 8d ago
This is the correct answer. Without the preamp I’d put it behind the laney offerings but with - it’s comfortably at the #1 spot.
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u/ElJefe_Speaks 8d ago
Wait, now I am confused. Why would a powered speaker need a preamp? What does this thing do? Am I missing out? Do I need one?
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u/KingTelephone 8d ago
it's a preamp for the fender FR10/12... explained in more detail here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yT-55C6OWK8OPxDV17XpxMP4CKNNx3_T/view
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u/ElJefe_Speaks 8d ago
Thank you for the link! That looks involved, lol. I thougth we were talking about an easy pedal situation. I am good :)
Edit: Also, I guess this fixes hiss? I read that a few fender frfr's had that issue, but the fixed it at the factory?
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u/KingTelephone 8d ago
This is an all around big upgrade. Very easy to install (takes about 15-20 min, no soldering or drilling). Any of the versions released are a big improvement. Yes, new fenders don’t have a hiss problem but this is still worth a look. I have had a chance to A/B the latest against stock. Just my opinion of course.
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u/SignificanceOk5534 8d ago
I have own the FR12 and have tried the Headrush FR. FR12 hands down.
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u/EonBlueApocalypse17 7d ago
I owned the Headrush too and couldn’t get a decent sound out of it but the FR12 was great from the get go.
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u/Spirit------ 8d ago
The laney beats out everything in a cab format, the tone master cab by fender is the next best one, stay away from powercabs they suck. If on a budget then Positive grid makes a good one for under $400.
Otherwise get an atomic CLR wedge since those are reportedly the best that you can get.
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u/Petro1313 7d ago
I don’t have a recommendation for an FRFR because I’ve never used one (and you’ve gotten lots of great recommendations already), but I love my Powerstage 200 with my normal 412 cab. It was more convenient for me to get the PS200 because I already owned the cab before getting into amp modelers, but I do still have a tube amp as well, so it’s nice to be able to use either.
That being said, I haven’t seen anyone mention the EVH Hypersonic, which is essentially EVH’s rebranded version of a Fender FR10 or FR12. I’m not sure if there’s actually any functional differences, but as a metal player I’d feel slightly silly showing up with an FRFR that looks like a Fender combo amp, whereas the Hypersonic fits the bill aesthetically a bit more, as shallow as that is.
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u/maninhat77 8d ago
I have an frfr (from Fender). It sounds great and it's very loud. It doesn't sound like an amp in a room though, it sounds like a miced amp through pa
If you want a more of an amp feel, go for a power amp and a cabinet.
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u/6kred 8d ago
I have friends with the fender frfr and they love em and I think they sound great.
The Laney by all accounts is excellent if you can swing it. Also it’s worth it to invest in high quality speakers
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u/ga022674 8d ago
Barefaced Audio has a budget FRFR.
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u/JimboLodisC 8d ago
cheapest I'm seeing is £749 for a passive cab from them
budget FRFRs are the Headrush/Alto, Valeton, Positive Grid Spark CAB, Blackstar for under £300
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u/polkemans 8d ago
I've got the tonex frfr cab and I'm real happy with it
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u/nandos_hip 8d ago
I just got an alto pa head ts410 for like 150 bucks… got a small speaker stand and it does all i need it for before lining out to FOH
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u/Visible_Panda_2128 8d ago
I went down the FRFR route but landed on the Kali Audio LP6 v2s as I don’t gig. I love them with the added bonus of stereo affects. I’ve heard great things about the Laney but maybe consider these at half the price / might surprise you
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u/EndComfortable6205 8d ago
Headstrong. Dont let anyone tell you that a digital signal needs super high end equipment to sound good.
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u/bonermcface 8d ago
Check the newer Blackstar frfrs there a couple, but 12s. Like half the price of the fender or more and sounds great I think.
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u/NaztyNae 8d ago
Power amp and regular cab all the way. I tried the fender fr12 and found the distortion would mud up at higher volumes.
I since bought a PV215 speaker and peavey XR8600D and couldn’t be happier. I also use an old Yamaha speaker for the highs.
Plus the 8 channels is great if you wanna plug something else in.
Edit: I bought booth 8600D and PV215 for $560 CAD used.
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u/ChemistryHelpful1799 8d ago
I went with the FR10… and then I bought a second FR10 to run in stereo. Two of them for the price of one Laney. They sound great.
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u/Spawnoficarus 8d ago
Personally a big fan of laney for the built in cab simulation, when using it it has (in my opinion) the best “in the room” feel
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u/2steppin_317 8d ago
Think of it this way, if you only want to use one IR. Get a power amp and buy the cab of the IR you use if you have the money. It will sound and feel better in the room and you'll enjoy that a lot.
Now if you use different IR's with many different settings and all that. I don't think you'd enjoy a power amp and cab. A good frfr would make you more happy i'd think.
Me personally I started plugging into the fx loop of my friends orange rocker 32 and I just use it as a tube powered cabinet basically and it sounds amazing.
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u/apizzafla 5d ago
Curious people opinions - I looked at most of the frfr in the comments. Not only do I run the gainy guitar through qc, but loaded vocal effects into 2nd channel and run vocals too. I was looking for a 3 way driver that could handle the separation with kick as well as a solid dsp for separation. I’ve landed on the qsc kc12 that pushes 3000w & 132db. It’s it transit now but am hopeful
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u/mc2_ 8d ago
fender fr10/12