Namm 2025 predictions

[ragingplatypi]

At $800, the Tonex Cab better be excellent or at least competitive. It looks promising.

 

[Lysander]

At $800, the Tonex Cab better be excellent or at least competitive. It looks promising.

Early post-embargo reviews are raving about the thing. Let's see what happens when it hits the masses.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

Early post-embargo reviews are raving about the thing. Let's see what happens when it hits the masses.

Paid promotions

 

[ian_dissonance]

At $800, the Tonex Cab better be excellent or at least competitive. It looks promising.

If it can actually do the volume it claims it MIGHT be worth it. There seems to be about a $300 up charge to make it look like a guitar cab. The rest of the features are available on $500 PA speakers.

 

[Lysander]

Paid promotions

The usual suspects? Sure. I don't much like Henning Pauly f.ex., but i've never seen the guy afraid of calling out bad gear, and he gushes about the ToneX Cab in his video.

If it can actually do the volume it claims it MIGHT be worth it. There seems to be about a $300 up charge to make it look like a guitar cab. The rest of the features are available on $500 PA speakers.

I really want to try that myself too. Cordy apparently was gigging one with the volume a 9 o'clock and claims it was plenty loud.

 

[Sascha Franck]

The rest of the features are available on $500 PA speakers.

Which $500 PA speakers feature an IR loader? Or MIDI control?

 

[ian_dissonance]

Which $500 PA speakers feature an IR loader? Or MIDI control?

I can’t imagine a situation where any of that matters in a “FRFR” monitor.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I can’t imagine a situation where any of that matters in a “"FRFR"” monitor.

I can. Would not apply to me, but still.

 

[Dez]

I can’t imagine a situation where any of that matters in a “"FRFR"” monitor.

Agreed, I think it's very niche technology that spikes the price up on that cab. Too many bells and whistles get pitched these days on some products

So...just my opinion but

The FR-12 is killer. They implemented a hiss fix (based on the work @Lysander did) so that's a non-issue at this point for new units. Sounds bigger than it is, and sounds more amp like than other solutions I've tried. If you're US-based you might consider ordering one from GC so you can try it and see what you think. There have been a few skeptical folks who tried it and really enjoyed it. And others who still don't like it soooo

Have you compared running your QC into the FR-12 vs running into a combo amp return or a power amp&cab? At around $500+, I'm wondering if it's better to just get a used combo and run my QC into the return.

 

[Sedaxel]

Have you compared running your QC into the FR-12 vs running into a combo amp return or a power amp&cab? At around $500+, I'm wondering if it's better to just get a used combo and run my QC into the return.

This is what I´m doing with my NC.

It sounds very similar through the return of my tube combo (Boogie Studio22+) vs the aux-in of my Fender Champion XL. I don´t know if a FR-12 would do any better... the only advantage I can see in the FRFR route is that you could try differrent speakers (via IRs), while in a combo you´re obviously stuck to the physical speaker.

 

[ragingplatypi]

Agreed, I think it's very niche technology that spikes the price up on that cab. Too many bells and whistles get pitched these days on some products

I think without the niche technology it’s just a copy of the Fender FRFR or an inconveniently shaped PA speaker. Even if it doesn’t pan out I’m glad they’re trying to bring something else to the game.

 

[ian_dissonance]

Agreed, I think it's very niche technology that spikes the price up on that cab. Too many bells and whistles get pitched these days on some products

The only reason to load the IR into the speaker is because you can, especially if it’s not “speaker modeling” like the power cab, and the only reason for the midi would be to change the IR. Seems redundant.

 

[Dez]

The only reason to load the IR into the speaker is because you can, especially if it’s not “speaker modeling” like the power cab, and the only reason for the midi would be to change the IR. Seems redundant.

Right, and personally I'd just use my modeler to change the IR if that's what I wanted to do.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

Seems like the ‘ir choice’ is about the listener. Live or recording listener. So when creating the guitar sound for the listener we should hear what they will hear.
For playing, creating, etc in a room alone or with other players in that room we can benefit from a more ‘cab in the room sound’.

Having two different sounds going at once kind of implies one of the listeners is disconnected from what the other listener is experiencing…the player hears one thing the audience another thing. It’s like baking in a less optimal sound to some of the listeners.
The only exception is a FOH and room that alters the sound from the stage when it reproduces it for FOH. So you use an ir that gets the two closer together? Maybe in gig you play in a theater same everything every show you could realize and correct for that but that’s a really small segment of users.

Without the concentric delivery system it’s just monitor with some DSP.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

This is what I´m doing with my NC.

It sounds very similar through the return of my tube combo (Boogie Studio22+) vs the aux-in of my Fender Champion XL. I don´t know if a FR-12 would do any better... the only advantage I can see in the "FRFR" route is that you could try differrent speakers (via IRs), while in a combo you´re obviously stuck to the physical speaker.

Fwiw happi3r with Tonex through fx return of a combo or power/amp cab than FRFR.
However there Kemper I dig most through their Kone Kab.

 

[Sedaxel]

Fwiw happi3r with Tonex through fx return of a combo or power/amp cab than "FRFR".

Yeah.

I just use captures created with load boxes if I'm using the Champion XL (to have the poweramp effect present) and captures created from the effects loop if I'm using the return of my tube amp (to avoid duplicating poweramp action).

They just sound right this way.

 

[deadpool_25]

Have you compared running your QC into the FR-12 vs running into a combo amp return or a power amp&cab? At around $500+, I'm wondering if it's better to just get a used combo and run my QC into the return.

Not with the QC, but man I really ran the FM9 (and FM3) through its paces in a variety of ways. I did that with the Fractals using an EVH 2x12 combo, a couple EVH 50w heads and a couple different cabs, a power stage 700 and those cabs, a Boss Katana 100, a Matrix FRFR, a Headrush FRFR, the FR-12, and a few things I'm sure I'm forgetting. Oh yeah. Tremoverb, California Tweed, 5150...

Anyway, a combo can work quite well like the 5150 did (there's something special about those FX loops...I'm not sure why). Or it can be kinda meh like the Katana was. The advantage of something like the 5150 combo is that it looks cooler (to me anyway). The downside is it's (A LOT) heavier and less flexible--there's a significant difference in IRs I notice using the FR-12...not using IRs through a real cab is relatively limiting. There are many ways good to use this gear.

 

[timbuck3]

Anything amazing released at namm this weekend?

 

[timbuck3]

I own a korg kronos x 88 and was happy when kronos 2 was released cause all i had to do was update software to get my synth to be a kronos 2. Now in 2025 kronos 3 is released and via software i can make my kronos 2 into a kronos 3.. this is a great way to not have to sell the old unit to get a new one…

 

[KFF]

Anything amazing released at namm this weekend?

Starts next week.

Looking forward to SSL's offerings.