Fender Tone Master FR-10 and FR-12 "FRFR" cabs

james cameron aliens GIF
 
Ledvedder said:
Hi everyone! I'm new here. I just learned about the FR-12 and FR-10. I want to purchase one to use with both my Line 6 HX Stomp XL and Fractal FM3 for live use. Is there a big tone difference between the 10 and the 12?
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Excellent question. But it doesn't seem like anyone here has had the opportunity to hear both of them side by side yet. Or both of them period.
 
Ledvedder said:
Hi everyone! I'm new here. I just learned about the FR-12 and FR-10. I want to purchase one to use with both my Line 6 HX Stomp XL and Fractal FM3 for live use. Is there a big tone difference between the 10 and the 12?
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Member "Willbnd" at the Fractal Audio Systems forum has this to say:

"Got the FR-12 after having the FR-10. The hiss isn’t that different imo so anyone opting for the 10 to avoid the hiss is misguided. When I had the 10” I would add bass on the EQ of the Fender but with the 12” things just sound right. I would say though that I really liked the 10” and would have been thrilled with it. You do get the vibe of a bigger cab with the 12 because it’s a bigger cab… but it doesn’t sound better apart from more bass. To be honest I just like the look of a big amp sitting in my room 😅"
 
Just cranked the living FUCK out my Recto and JP IIC+ FAS presets through the FR12. Jesus christ this thing is :satan I also ran the FM through my Badlander power section and 2 F12 112 cabs (without any "oh should I use "FRFR" mode" blahblahblah). Presence at noon, 50 watt bold mode with master on about 40%ish? Lord have mercy.
 
I'm pretty interested in these, particularly the 10" one. Is the noise really that bad for home use? I mean, it seems like some people are more sensitive to it than others, but how does it compare to, say, an old tube amp? Or a JC-120?

Right now, I'm just using a Headrush "FRFR"-108 for my HX Stomp, and I can't say I hate it (some global EQ tweaking on the Stomp really improved it!), but part of me does want a bigger speaker and, honestly, something that looks better. That part is important!

I was looking at the Powercab, and it seems really cool to me. I like the idea of the speaker model modes too, though I'm not sure if I'd use that or not, but it seems really cool in theory. That said, I've heard really mixed things about them, and that they're not worth the price... though most of the complaints I've heard are super vague, so I'm not sure what to think. And then I've seen people say to go with the Catalyst instead, but isn't that basically just like running your modeler into a power amp + guitar speaker? Which is cool, but a different thing. But then John Nathan Cordy recommends leaving cab sims on when running into the Catalyst regardless.

Anyway, the Tone Master FRs are cheaper and reception to their sound seems way better. I also love the look. The 10" one is cool too; I love 10" guitar speakers (I know this isn't the same), the slightly smaller size is great for my space, and the comment above that it doesn't sound worse than the 12" one (mainly just less bass) is reassuring. Even though it doesn't have the speaker model part, it seems pretty great.

But the noise issue... it's confusing. Ignoring pro reviews, so many user reviews don't mention it at all (e.g. only one on Sweetwater does), and with some videos that show the hiss, sometimes it seems really loud, and sometimes it seems like no big deal. Some people say it's way too loud for home playing, and other people say things like "The hiss is sooo quiet in real life if you play even at bedroom levels you wouldn't know its there".
 
synthpenguin said:
I'm pretty interested in these, particularly the 10" one. Is the noise really that bad for home use? I mean, it seems like some people are more sensitive to it than others, but how does it compare to, say, an old tube amp? Or a JC-120?
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I suggest you try one in real life and see for yourself - being a Fender product, it's available pretty much anywhere.

The FR-12 has a noise floor of ~35dBA, which will be definitely noticeable for home use.

synthpenguin said:
I was looking at the Powercab, and it seems really cool to me. I like the idea of the speaker model modes too, though I'm not sure if I'd use that or not, but it seems really cool in theory. That said, I've heard really mixed things about them, and that they're not worth the price... though most of the complaints I've heard are super vague, so I'm not sure what to think. And then I've seen people say to go with the Catalyst instead, but isn't that basically just like running your modeler into a power amp + guitar speaker? Which is cool, but a different thing. But then John Nathan Cordy recommends leaving cab sims on when running into the Catalyst regardless.
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The main problem with the Powercab line IMHO is that they're a tad overpriced. Other than that, they're excellent "FRFR" solutions; i used to have a PC 112 which i really liked, but i don't think i'd ever pay $650 for a new one. There're plenty of used Powercabs going around though, so these can be sourced second-hand for much less than that.

The speaker sim thing is kinda cool, but i don't think i ever used it in mine more than a couple times. I ran it in flat mode exclusively.
 
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I think if they would have dumped all the "advanced functionality" that really translated into a headache for them ("when are you fixing this that or the other?") and the end user ("which mode do I use? these speakers don't sound like the real thing") and just focused on it for the "FRFR" purposes; it would be a much different discussion today.
 
JiveTurkey said:
I think if they would have dumped all the "advanced functionality" that really translated into a headache for them ("when are you fixing this that or the other?") and the end user ("which mode do I use? these speakers don't sound like the real thing") and just focused on it for the "FRFR" purposes; it would be a much different discussion today.
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100% you dont need speaker Emulation and IR loading and LCD displays and Menu's
the Only thing they could have done was put a BMT and yes since its a L6 product be able to control the PC from Within HX edit
 
Lysander said:
I suggest you try one in real life and see for yourself - being a Fender product, it's available pretty much anywhere.

The FR-12 has a noise floor of ~35dBA, which will be definitely noticeable for home use.



The main problem with the Powercab line IMHO is that they're a tad overpriced. Other than that, they're excellent "FRFR" solutions; i used to have a PC 112 which i really liked, but i don't think i'd ever pay $650 for a new one. There're plenty of used Powercabs going around though, so these can be sourced second-hand for much less than that.

The speaker sim thing is kinda cool, but i don't think i ever used it in mine more than a couple times. I ran it in flat mode exclusively.
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Thanks for the response!

Yeah, 35dBA is definitely noticeable in a quiet room, even if not particularly loud. Hmm.

Unfortunately, neither Guitar Center near me has them or seems to carry them (though I can get the FR-10 shipped to a store within 3-5 business days; the FR-12 is backordered), which isn't a huge surprise since they don't have, well, a lot of things anymore. I'll have to look around to see if any of the few smaller places have them.

And that's good to hear about the Powercab! I'll check out used prices! It definitely seems like a much more "pro" product, even if the look isn't my favorite (they still look nice though).

Also, really more of a side thing, but since you have experience with it: did the speaker sim thing seem pretty "realistic" to you? Not in an "oh, this is exactly this speaker" way, but was it competitive with good IRs running into flat mode? I like the simplicity and the idea of being able to offset a little DSP to it, and the integration with my HX Stomp would be nice, but only if it's, well, good.

Thinking of that though, I really need to try running the HX Stomp into an amp effects return > cab!

Thank you again! I really appreciate it!
 
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