Matrix FR10

[AeroUSA]

Has anyone tried these yet?

[ur2funky]

My Matrix FR10  http://usa.matrixamplification.com/fr10.html arrived a little while ago. 

First impressions are it looks great, and more importantly sounds great. Anyone want to buy a QSC K8?

It's a little awkward for such a small guy. It's a light 24.5 pounds (which is 3 pounds over the spec weight), but it's not that. I guess if it had a better handle and feet on the side would help (coming soon). I have a CPS SpaceStation which weights 20 pounds more and seems easier to move.

I'm not sure on how loud it is. With my Helix volume knob and the volume on the Matrix both all the way up, the volume wasn't loud enough to play with drums. I am new to Helix and I've built my patches so they're only slightly louder than a new unused patch with no blocks. I thought I read that was the thing to do. 

My first thought was I have to send this back. Won't work for even my quite gigs. I plugged into the K8 and the CPS SS and back into the Matrix. The night and day tone improvement over the QSC made me need to make this work lol. I cranked up the output block of the Helix to see if...if...there's the volume!!! Yes! It quickly got into the painful volume limit of my house, so I know it's good to take to a gig. I can't test true gig volumes in my house, it's just too painful with my ear damage. I have bass gigs this weekend, so not until next friday.

The clean tones sounded great. Nice and spanky bright but without any ear fatigue. My Variax acoustic tones sounded great. High gain was rockin', but I think I need to dial in the high gain tones a bit more for the Matrix. Nothing against the speaker, I just think I can get even better high gain tones with this than what I'm used to.

Only first impressions, but I'm delighted. 

Seriously, who wants a k8?  

[AeroUSA]

Thanks for this, please update us again after the gig!

[specracer986]

I see the Matrix is 300W. Would that be considered the minimum needed to play with a live rock band? I haven't gotten a FRFR yet, so I'm still researching both speakers and amps.

[ur2funky]

I've used a Fender Mustang iii solid state combo which is rated @ 100w and it easily keeps up with a drummer.  

 

I think some manufacturers take some liberties with wattage ratings, so I wouldn't just trust the number.  Plus how efficient the speakers are plays a role too.

[vaxed]

Just received my FR12 - Really pleased looks good to me, as light as a feather and most importantly the Helix sounds great through it.

:)

[ur2funky]

I ended up taking my CPS SpaceStation to the gig.  The gig is a restaurant/bar in a long room with the stage in the middle, so there are people far left and right of the stage and not many straight ahead of the speaker, with no PA for the guitar.  Perfect environment for the CPS with it's 310 degree coverage.  The Matrix would have been blasting straight at the bartenders, who are the ones that make the noise complaints,  lol.  Sorry, the CPS just works for this room much better.  And it turns out my next 3 guitar gigs are there.  The place I'm playing bass tonight would be a good candidate, with the stage at one end of the room, if I weren't on bass...

[bjoecool]

Have you tried playing bass through the FR10? I'm thinking you could get a good solid tight sound with it.

 

I ended up taking my CPS SpaceStation to the gig. The gig is a restaurant/bar in a long room with the stage in the middle, so there are people far left and right of the stage and not many straight ahead of the speaker, with no PA for the guitar. Perfect environment for the CPS with it's 310 degree coverage. The Matrix would have been blasting straight at the bartenders, who are the ones that make the noise complaints, lol. Sorry, the CPS just works for this room much better. And it turns out my next 3 guitar gigs are there. The place I'm playing bass tonight would be a good candidate, with the stage at one end of the room, if I weren't on bass...

[ur2funky]

I haven't.  I don't think it would be loud enough for my normal rock bass gigs.  When I've used a solo TC RS210 cab, it's pushing it's limits, so I use it with another RS210 or a RS212.

 

Maybe for a quite bass jazz gig it would work.

 

But it's loud enough used with guitar.

[DunedinDragon]

I see the Matrix is 300W. Would that be considered the minimum needed to play with a live rock band? I haven't gotten a FRFR yet, so I'm still researching both speakers and amps.

 

I would be a little skeptical on the 300 wattage rating.  Manufacturers seem to be taking a lot of latitude in how they rate these.  The reason I say this is the cabinet appears to be similar construction to a typical FRFR powered speaker with closed enclosure, a bass driver and compression driver and all the normal DSP stuff that comes in those types of speakers.  Most of those types of speakers tend to have a bit higher rating.  For example one of the more popular FRFR speakers for modelers is the Alto TS210 which has a rating of 550 watts continuous and 1100 peak.

 

It's probably still more than enough for most bands unless you're playing with a bunch of folks that like to bust eardrums.  But if you're going through the PA, how much volume do your really need on stage?

[roscoe5]

If I remember correctly, the Matrix FR10 & 12 have an class AB power amp. Not sure if this means it's an analog power amp and not digital power. But if so, 300w analog power should be enough for that 12" and horn. My 300w Mesa Walkabout Bass Amp and 1x12 Scout cab can carry a small club.

[ur2funky]

(This post is regarding playing bass...)

 

I used a Mesa Walkabout for a couple years in a medium sized Rock bar.  Nice sound.  My Matrix Fr10 sure doesn't seem up to the challenge.  Maybe with the right preamp, but I'd have to hear it to believe it.  Two of them?  Probably...but still not sure.

 

The Matrix sounds great with guitar though.

[roscoe5]

One of the reasons I haven't gone to the FRFR side quite yet is that my gigs are half bass half guitar.  The Matrix FR10/12 didn't seem suited for bass, which I think you are also suspecting.  Right now, the Matrix FR series does seem to be the best bang for the buck guitar & Helix.  Firehawk 1500 seems great too, but 68-75% more $.

 

I think the best solution I have seen for double duty is probably the L6 Stagesource.   I had an L2M that sounded great with with my Markbass Super Booster and Compressore as a bass preamp.   But one L2M for live bass didn't quite cut it with a full band without PA support like the Mesa Walkabout can.