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Anyone using RCF with helix?


joemoder
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I am currently using a Behringer Eurolive B112W and it sounds pretty ruff with the helix. It sounds ok with my GT100 and GT8. I went cheap and am paying the price. I'm now ready to shell out the scratch for something much better. I have done a lot of online research on powered speakers and the RCF gets much praise. Very little on how it performs with guitar amp modelling other than the NX coax wedge the fractal guys seem to like. I pole mount so the NX connections would be at the top and that's a deal breaker for me. I am seriously considering the HD32a and would love to hear from helix users who have experience with RCF. I play mostly at home and jam with a loud drummer and a bass player. Just me and drummer-straight death metal. Bass player shows up and things become more blues and jazz. Drummer has a Roland pa I plug into and the helix sounds so much better than with the behringer. Music playback sounds bad through the behringer so I know its not my patch settings. My behringer just sucks.

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Funny, although on floor as wedges (why do you pole mount - removes any bass coupling with the floor) - my Behringers sound pretty good. 2 of what you got in stereo.  I have serious top end cut - but I tested it with other boxes and they all seemed to need that............

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I think you can get what you're after without breaking the bank on an RCF HD32a.  I'm sure it's a great speaker, but it's claim to fame is based on a 3" voice coil compression driver which is great for vocal articulation, a little bit of overkill and somewhat counter-productive for your application.

 

In that upper tier of powered speakers you're going to find a lot of folks here are using QSC, Yamaha, Line 6, JBL, and Electro Voice, and are quite happy with them.

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Interesting Massimo. How do you like it? I've wondered about a line array for guitar, but between price and not many others using them for this application, I just let it go. Would be interested to know how it's working out for you. Just electric guitar?

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Our band uses RCF712A for PA on pub gigs. I took one home to tweak presets and really liked it, although i go from Helix XLR with IR to PA but use 1/4" no IR to fx return on a combo for back line. Tried quite a few options when searching for an frfr, Yamaha Mackie EV etc, RCF was definitely in the top. Bass is tight punchy and tuneful not boomy and nondescript like the Mackies. Good balanced sound. The Italian stuff RCF and FBTs are class

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Interesting Massimo. How do you like it? I've wondered about a line array for guitar, but between price and not many others using them for this application, I just let it go. Would be interested to know how it's working out for you. Just electric guitar?

electric and acoustic, for me it's great, I also have 2 rcf 710 but evox sounds fuller, bigger and with more definition, it's expensive but very easy to set and to carry.

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I have a pair of RCF 712A.  Mainly use them for PA - in which case they can handle the FOH for a full band (including miked drum kit) and cover small to medium pub gigs no problem without subs and have plenty of bass end.  I have used one of them just with Helix sometimes, in which case it works very well - but is probably overkill - the 710 s would still have plenty of bass for use with guitar.

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electric and acoustic, for me it's great, I also have 2 rcf 710 but evox sounds fuller, bigger and with more definition, it's expensive but very easy to set and to carry.

Nice how the top slides into the sub. I looked at this and the 12. Like window shopping at a Ferrari dealer with a pocket full of Toyota money though. Lowest price I've seen on the 8 is 1800 US. I appreciate your feedback. Is the 10'' monitor bassy enough for just guitar.

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I have a pair of RCF 712A.  Mainly use them for PA - in which case they can handle the FOH for a full band (including miked drum kit) and cover small to medium pub gigs no problem without subs and have plenty of bass end.  I have used one of them just with Helix sometimes, in which case it works very well - but is probably overkill - the 710 s would still have plenty of bass for use with guitar.

Thanks for the reply. I am considering a 10'' if its bassy enough for a guitar that likes to sing in the key of death. I was under the impression that the HD line is better than the 7 series which is why the HD32a is on my radar. 99 percent of the reviews I have seen are from DJ'S and that makes it difficult for me to choose the right monitor for my application. Great to hear from guitar players,and helix owners. Thanks again.

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Funny, although on floor as wedges (why do you pole mount - removes any bass coupling with the floor) - my Behringers sound pretty good. 2 of what you got in stereo.  I have serious top end cut - but I tested it with other boxes and they all seemed to need that............

The guys I jam with hear it better in the air as apposed to the floor. My ears agree with them. Seems to fill the room better. I purchased two as well. My son has the other along with the boss gt100. He will get mine for stereo use when I replace it. The boss is more subdued and doesn't push the behringer as much as the helix. Far less distorted for sure.

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Funny, although on floor as wedges (why do you pole mount - removes any bass coupling with the floor) - my Behringers sound pretty good. 2 of what you got in stereo.  I have serious top end cut - but I tested it with other boxes and they all seemed to need that............

 

I'm guessing that's because we're use to having our guitar amps behind us and down low on the floor. This makes them sound a lot warmer since the speakers are very directional for high frequencies. If you're using a floor monitor with a horn, tipped up to point right at you, that's going to sound a lot different. Note that what you're hearing through the monitor is likely pretty similar to what someone is hearing from FOH unless they're pretty far off axes, or listening through the damping of a lot of people. 

 

So although Helix cab models and speaker IRs do reproduce the speaker tones pretty well, how you're monitoring them can be quite different than the typical guitar amp setup, and that can have a big impact on your perception of the tone.

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Thanks for the reply. I am considering a 10'' if its bassy enough for a guitar that likes to sing in the key of death. I was under the impression that the HD line is better than the 7 series which is why the HD32a is on my radar. 99 percent of the reviews I have seen are from DJ'S and that makes it difficult for me to choose the right monitor for my application. Great to hear from guitar players,and helix owners. Thanks again.

 

 

Yes the HD32a are better speakers than the 7 series - they will have much more clarity to them due to the better quality HF drivers... but the thing you have to remember when using them for electric guitar is that you'll be cutting most of the frequencies above 5hKz so it will probably make little difference!  Acoustic guitars and vocals will sound crisper though.

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of course hd speakers are better..in fact they cost twice the 7 series

The 712a is 700 and the 732a is 900. I just ordered the hd32a with the cover included for 900. My many months of research on powered monitors keeps bringing me back to the RCF. So many really good options like Yamaha, EV and QSC. I will post back when I have spent a little time with the HD32a and share my opinion. In the end it is just a matter of personal opinion I suppose.

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The 712a is 700 and the 732a is 900. I just ordered the hd32a with the cover included for 900. My many months of research on powered monitors keeps bringing me back to the RCF. So many really good options like Yamaha, EV and QSC. I will post back when I have spent a little time with the HD32a and share my opinion. In the end it is just a matter of personal opinion I suppose.

 

ah ok, I was talking about 710 or 712. the 732 is similar to hd32 (this one is better ). both are really good speakers.

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Well,the helix sounds pretty damn good through a good monitor.I took my helix and my 7 string kiesel vader to GC and sampled a few 12'' monitors they had like QSC,EV and Yamaha. All blew away my behringer but the electro-voice sounded a little better to me than the others. The Kiesel Lithium pick ups are the strangest and most difficult I have ever experienced but I kinda like them. These are the first pick ups I have ever owned that I actually have a use for the tone knob and respond to the volume really well. The RCF HD32a arrived a few days later and I must say I am very pleased with my purchase. I have it on a pole and at half volume the floor was shaking. The highs in my patches were already cut to 6k but now there between 3k and 5k. I do the cuts in either the cabs or IR's and my tone is amazing. The effects like dual pitch and twin harmony sounded horrible before. Now there awesome. I have to admit I felt a little cheated pissing away 1500 on a modeller that sounded inferior to the $400 one I already owned. I am glad I stuck it out. I hate tweaking, I just wanna play. In comparison to the other monitors I tried the RCF is is a little clearer and crisper to my ears . Not bashing the others,they sounded really good. Given what I had been experiencing with the cheaper monitor I was in awe at what I was hearing. If I had not already ordered the RCF I would have walked out with the EV. The QSC AND Yamaha were great too. I am not surprised when I see a thread entitled "helix sounds bad" or "my tone sucks". Not everyone knows what to do or already owns quality amps or monitors. That's why this forum is important. It is also important to understand how all this stuff works and to do the research. I am a lot farther along in understanding than I was but still have much to learn. Thanks to the forum and all that responded to my query. Now I'm gonna go PLAY.

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