Extreme newb question

[bellyflip]

Hi everybody, first post here, hoping you can answer what is likely a ridiculous question.

 

I just purchased a Helix and I'm currently playing it through my amp.

I would like to try out what it sounds like through frfr monitors, but I don't want to spend the money just to find out it's not for me personally.

 

I did some research since I'm so new to this, and it appears as though most speakers are frfr, just not your average guitar speakers.

 

Am I way out of line for thinking I could just hook the Helix up to my old home theatre system somehow (headphone out to aux in or something like that?) and go to town?

I'm just a home player, so I don't need the ease of loading a single monitor in and out of venues, so I thought this might work.

 

Any thoughts on this?

[rd2rk]

FRFR means Full Range Flat Response. Most speakers, PA, monitor or home theater, are Full Range.

 

Flat Response means that the speakers don't color the sound, that is, no part of the frequency spectrum is enhanced or attenuated. What goes in is what comes out. ALL speakers color the sound in one way or another.

 

1 - What's your favorite color?

2 - How much can you spend?

 

Home theater speakers color your sound the most, but are totally OK for just practicing at home.

 

Computer monitor speakers usually sound like crap, they just aren't designed for this. For home use with most accurate reproduction of your Helix, get proper mixing monitors. Go to a GC and try several to see what your favorite color is in your price range.

 

For live use, your options are nearly unlimited, but the idea is that you want your sound to be close to what your audience will be hearing, so most people go for a PA type powered speaker. Alto makes a very affordable ($250-$350) range - TS210 (what I use) and TS212. Yamaha, JBL and QSC also make pricier but very popular units. Again, go to GC and try them out.

[bellyflip]

Thank you for the reply, I think your advice of going and checking a few out and talking to the salesperson will help me to grasp exactly what it is that I'm looking for.

I was just thinking that I may be able to get away with not buying and just use something that I already have kicking around, collecting dust.

It seems like home theatre speakers are not ideal though, so I'll have to dig a little bit deeper.

[PeterHamm]

I was just thinking that I may be able to get away with not buying and just use something that I already have kicking around, collecting dust.

It seems like home theatre speakers are not ideal though, so I'll have to dig a little bit deeper.

 

 

I've used speakers designed for home systems as "studio monitors" with great success.

 

It's a fine way to get your feet wet and decide if you want to go whole hog into FRFR.

[rd2rk]

"Home theater speakers color your sound the most, but are totally OK for just practicing at home."

 

Is what I actually said. Try it, you might like it! If you have a really cheap home theater setup, it likely won't sound as good as a top shelf setup, but you won't know till you try. I have a Sony bookshelf system, 6" speakers and a 10" sub, sounds pretty good in close quarters. In my bigger room I use 6" Rokit monitors w/o sub, would kill my neighbors (apartment) if I cranked them. Much of what a system sounds like depends on the environment it's used in and the levels expected of it.

[bellyflip]

"Home theater speakers color your sound the most, but are totally OK for just practicing at home."

 

Is what I actually said. Try it, you might like it! If you have a really cheap home theater setup, it likely won't sound as good as a top shelf setup, but you won't know till you try. I have a Sony bookshelf system, 6" speakers and a 10" sub, sounds pretty good in close quarters. In my bigger room I use 6" Rokit monitors w/o sub, would kill my neighbors (apartment) if I cranked them. Much of what a system sounds like depends on the environment it's used in and the levels expected of it.

Sorry, I should've mentioned in my last post that I actually did try it, which led me to the conclusion that they weren't ideal.

It didn't sound completely horrible, but it didn't sound great either.

I much prefer the sound I get through my amp's effects loop right now.

 

It was definitely worth a shot though, and would work in a pinch.

[sleezye1]

If you or a buddy has a pa system just run it through that.. should give you an idea

[PeterHamm]

Sorry, I should've mentioned in my last post that I actually did try it, which led me to the conclusion that they weren't ideal.

It didn't sound completely horrible, but it didn't sound great either.

I much prefer the sound I get through my amp's effects loop right now.

 

It was definitely worth a shot though, and would work in a pinch.

 

 

The issue is that if FRFR is a solution that works well in your situation, it is an adjustment from a guitar amp. If you don't need to make that adjustment, that's okay.

 

I am going to guess you were looking for the "amp in the room" feel/sound. That's fine. Obviously, Helix gives that to you through a guitar amp return input.

 

What the FRFR solution gives you is the amp in the NEXT room, miked and put through a speaker in THIS room. Very helpful in many situations.

 

It's the difference between the way the two kinds of speakers move air, among other things.

 

Great that you have your own personal solution, though. Cheers!

[jbuhajla]

It was definitely worth a shot though, and would work in a pinch.

You won't be able to take your preset made for your amp and play it though the PA and have it sound the same at all. I would recommend spending at least 2-4 hours playing around with it on the PA before you get the feel for how it could sound. Just drop in your favorite amp model and a cab, and start from scratch. Play around with the mic settings on the cab for a while, then the amp settings. After doing that for a while, then add some reverb and delay. Always start with your core tone until you get it dialed in. 

[bellyflip]

 

 

I am going to guess you were looking for the "amp in the room" feel/sound. That's fine. Obviously, Helix gives that to you through a guitar amp return input.

 

 

I think you nailed it right on the head here.

I don't think it's that I'm looking for or needing the amp in the room feeling, just more so that that's what I'm used to, so any deviation from that seems a little "off" to me.

 

I would really like to take advantage of the cabs and IRs with the Helix though, so I'm not giving up just yet.

 

Thanks everyone, your input and experience is very helpful.