Headrush 108 FRFR Guitar Monitor - 4 Month Review from a Gigging Musician
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ต.ค. 2021
- I've now owned & gigged the Headrush 108 for around 4 months with various different setups. This is my in depth look at the features and any pros & cons I've discovered along the way. This could be the perfect budget option for any Kemper, Helix, Quad Cortex, AxeFX or Headrush users.
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Well done. Nice to hear it from someone actually using it and thanks for pointing out the pros and cons........for me it sounds right.
Great review - you have it's pros and cons nailed. Thanks.
Thanks for the review. I'm a karaoke host and use one of these at my gigs. I run my column array (EV Evolve 50) facing the audience running off my "Main Out" and I run my 8 inch Headrush FRFR off the "Phones/Ctrl Room Out" facing me and the singer(s). This fills the room with a lovely, full sound and I can tailor the "on stage" & "front of house" levels accordingly.
Omg! Thank-you! I've been going back and forth between buying a Combo amp/power amp + cab/or a FRFR powered speaker to go along with my GX-100. What you said 1:40 into the video was information I hadn't previously heard even though I've watched dozens of YT videos on the subject. Maybe it's because it's a well known fact and I'm new to this gear stuff. Because of my specific case use it was a deal breaker so I now know what I should buy. Thank u again!
Thanks. Great review. Very helpful.
Great review. Cheers.
Very good points. I very much agree with your pros and cons analysis. Especially about the connector and clipping led position issue. You have given me the idea to try to flip the front grille. Thank you very much.
Let me know if the grille flip works 👍
@@DanLeggatt As soon as I do, I will let you know 👍🏻
as others have noted, THE MOST comprehensive review of the 108. Hopefully Headrush hears your critiques esp the body orientation (when laying on the floor and impact to cables) and the DI levels....
This has to be the best review I've seen on the Headrush 108. It's great Dan used it for a while before reviewing it. All the comments are to the point and very useful. Great job!
Thank you
Thanks Dan , great review ,this seems like it needs a few tweaks to make it almost perfect second generation always are better hope Headrush sees this video
Thank you for your review! I purchased one of these to try it out with my helix. Yeah... playing for more than 45 years through tube amps/cabs and combos, that's a... "steep learning curve" to adjust myself to this little thing.
Absolutely, it’ll never be the same experience in my opinion but it’s a different, equally good experience once it’s dialled in. I find both amp rigs and modelling rigs have their pros and cons in a lot of situations.
I’m always going to be a valve amp guy at heart but practicality, convenience and reliability wins out a lot of the time.
Good luck on the tone chasing 👍
Excellent. I wanted to buy to run my vocalist effect unit for my saxophone and use as a monitor then send to the Board. Not having a master send volume level as you said will affect the board send volume. If it wasn’t for that it would be so perfect ! Great review and info!!
I snagged 2 of these and I actually got a 10db pad XLR adapter for the output. At normal volumes, the signal was really hot. Pad fixed it, but it being bass heavy and the volume affecting the di signal out is it's 2 main cons for me. However nothing beats walking into a gig now carrying all gear in 2 hands.
Great review thanks!
Great review, thanks. I have the 112 but also was curious about 108 since we just got a residency at a nice blues/rock bar, just gonna leave it there. I love the 112 and use it with all my Line 6 Helixes and HX Stomps, deffo need to eq them properly. Shame Line 6 cabinets are so big so Headrush becomes so handy. Thanks for sharing , much appreciated.
Thanks for the info im thinkin of takin up modeling 👍
Thinking of picking one of these up so did the old TH-cam review thing - and this popped up (really useful insight btw). It then dawned on me, this is the guy that bought my Mex Tele back in 2015, so checked out some of your older vids and there it was! Really great content too Dan, keep it coming!
Blimey! Good memory. Sadly the guitar was traded away a little while ago. How’s it all going mate?
@@DanLeggatt Never forget a face! All good cheers, great to see you're still doing your thing.
Fantastic. Inspiring for me as a composer. Thanks🙏🌹☘🌱
Genuinely the most informative review of this speaker I've seen so far!!! Nice work man! Thanks
Cheers 👍
i have two. i use them for live fold back wedges. they are very nice even without an eq to tune to the room. I've been very happy with them. did have a headrush pedal board, but prefer and use my valve amp. kept the 108's. but yes, too much bottom end, but cut that out on my desk usually.
Another great vid
Thanks dude 👊
I’ve got the 108 I use at home for practice on a pa stand with the pod go and dialed in using ir’s it sounds quite good!
Nice one dude, I really wish I hadn’t missed out on the other used one at the time. Very tempted to pick up a couple as I’ve been thinking of going stereo on the monitoring and sacking off the cab because who doesn’t like overkill!
Yeah man, I’m kind of regretting not buying both now 😂 Welcome to try mine out when I’ve got a gap from the shows in a week or so 👍
Didn't know it existed! Pretty close to what I'm looking for
Have both the 108s & 112s that double as my band’s PA. Both sizes sound great and are flippin crazy loud…that said, the 112s definitely pushes more air to say it, “envelops” you in a more comprehensive way overall. Biggest things one must do is like Nick says here….#1) get the speakers OFF the floor and #2) adjust your low-cut to pull roughly -3.5dB or more out of 95kHz on up to about 160kHz in order to kill the low farting rumble…I also pull about -12.0dB the high-cut band of 8000kHz area so it’s not so ice-picky….also maybe do the same w/your IR cabs….nothing written in stone here…just experiment y’all! It’s the best $200 to $300 pieces of gear you will probably invest in!😎 I have dropped mine soo many times down stairs, into puddles of water etc. and still solid as ever! Really GREAT vid Nick!
I know it really doesn't need saying but you need to drop the k from in front of your Hz listings. Its simply Hz not kHz (8000kHz = 8 MHz, etc).
Excellent video again Dan and affirmation of my current set up. I use my 108 with my Pod Go and now my Blackstar Dept 10 Dual Drive which I bought primarily as back up for the PodGo. Both sound excellent if you spend some time refining the sound. Like you Dan I have used the 108 with the PodGo on a few gigs and it works fine with loads of headroom even with our really LOUD drummer!. I use it behind me raised on a plastic step stool (which looks way better than you may think ha ha) as I would a guitar cab with an output sent to FOH. Works great and is so light and easy to transport.
PS you may want to look at / review the new Blackstar Dept 10 pedals they really are excellent and a bit of a guitarists "Swiss army knife".
I spotted those new blackstar pedals. They look very cool! I’ll have to see if I can check one out soon. Thanks for the tip 👍 I was considering picking up a pod go to check out too. How are you liking it? Have you used other modellers in the past to compare to?
@@DanLeggatt I'm old ha ha and can also afford a Kemper too which I have not used live. Sonically the Kemper is probably the most amp accurate in my view but the PodGo is not too far behind .... the Blackstar is the new curve ball I reckon, sounds really great with a few pedals! It really is a close call but for live the PodGo and the headrush are a really light and convenient way to go.... years of lugging tube amps and pedal boards are over for me as I think, for a pub rocker like me, very few punters would be able to tell the difference between tubes and modelling! Would I recommend the PodGo....Yes. Would I recommend the Blackstar Dual Drive .... Yes, both are worth spending some time with. Looking forward to your next video, take care man!
@@369jpm Does the dual drive work without a passive speaker cabinet? What passive speaker cabinet pairs with it for the real amp experience?
Thanks for the great video with answers to questions I have…! I’m 70 years old and my ears have failed me to a certain extent…due to my own lack of care…I’ve been using in ear monitors and it has been good but lately I have not been able to get a good guitar tone in situations where I have had great tone…A lot of it is my hearing issue but I want to try something different…We are a six piece band with drums guitars keys and horns as well as vocals we’re not excessively loud and when we rehearse the only actual sounds are the drums surrounded by plexiglass, a couple of guitar amps that are not cranked and a bass amp…the amps are mic’d and fed to a mixer…there are no main speakers just a couple of monitors and a few guys using in ears…the last rehearsal, I as so disgusted with my tone that I took my in ears out and found my tone to be the complete opposite of what I was hearing before…the in ears were very bright but my amp sound was not…now a bit of that is due to hearing loss in the upper frequencies…But I want to try a low volume monitor and just use my Iridium direct to the board, I believe I can split off a signal for my own monitor and then feed the alternate 108 channel my monitor mix…gonna give it a go anyway…thanks again
Sounds good! It’s always a compromise going direct but I think with the right setup and some tweaking it can be the most consistent and practical option. Especially with IEM’s.
As a bassist im interested in the 112 . Thx for the review.
Thanks for the review. One of these popped up locally for a decent price and I’ll probably grab it. I’ve seen the Simmons drum PA speakers and they have all the controls on the front, which I think these repurposed PA speakers could use. Volume treble bass and as you mentioned the clipping/signal indicators would be great.
I have the Simmons . I wonder how it would compare?
Have the Headrush FRFR112 and it is great, using the Fractal FM3 and it is great especially for the price. Have real amps Marshall JVM, jUBILEE and Friedman BE-100 and love having this as well.
Hello Dan. I been using my pod go directly to the mixer but im getting tired of sound different in every place i play. This frfr would be my finest solution for that?
Your review pretty much mirrors my experiences with the HR108. Overall, a very good value FRFR with convenient size and weight. Initially, using it in the floor, I thought it sounded terrible with my modeller but as soon as I got it off the floor the sound improved significantly. In the end I bought a short PA stand so it was upright and about waist height. I also use it as a stage vox monitor (upside down as you say) and for quiet practice with my HX Stomp.
I think I quizzed you about it long before I picked this up and remembered you saying about getting it off the floor. Spot on 👍
I just got a Line 6 Helix and it's been a headache trying to set a global EQ to get it to pair with my Headrush 112. I had the same problem with this speaker when running Bias FX 2 out to it until I set a global EQ. But for some reason it just won't budge with the Helix. I might have to give raising the speaker off the ground a try.
@@RickGuitarist94 Did you ever get this figured out? I am new to gigging and thinking of picking up this headrush frfr to replace my amp. What do you think? I also just purchased a helix LT and it will be here wednesday.
@@DanLeggatt is it true that there is a big difference between a PA speaker and an FRFR speaker that is marketed specifically for guitar?
Someone here mentioned a point that they are very different because a PA is housed to disperse sound in a wide spectrum for the audience while the FRFR is more directional. Don't know about this but it's interesting. First I ever heard. Your thoughts?
Does this speaker have the ability to have your modeler and vocal monitor at the same time?
Very nice review, thanks very much!
Hi, What is the correct way to connect it to a Pod Go so that it sounds good?
Posso usare le 108 in casa?sn troppo potenti?rendono anche a volumi medi da studio?grazie
these are sold out everywhere currently in oz , I'm tossing up between the 108 and 112 to back order
I want to use two in stereo for home/ rehearsal / coffee shop PA and as a monitor for larger gigs with my helix
seems alot of people suggest the 108 is more portable and loud enough for all of the above but my best guess logic tells me that a
bigger speaker = bigger tone/ volume /headroom = more versatility
your thoughts would be appreciated!!
I will say for anyone looking at them now, they have upgraded them to a high pass filter (100 hz) instead of a mid scoop that is very helpful if you have it on the floor, and a dedicated bluetooth volume. stands are still very nice to get them off the floor but the high pass is a perfect upgrade. On top of that they changed where the cables get plugged in so they don't hit the ground when it's in the wedge format.
Apologies if I've missed the answer to this in the video, but could I use one of these things in place of a guitar amp with my GX100? i.e. as a traditional back line amp?
Would you use it to dial your sounds in at home or just for live applications?
do you also have latency on your headrush 108 frfr? just had wrong cable (stereo) - now it works
Thanks for this! I just picked one up and I hate it! It's too much bottom end as you said, it would be nice if Headrush would add a separate base control for it. It's too mid range, trebely sounding for me. The Prime sounded much better through my amp and normal cab. Have you found a way to contract the bass effect? I heard what you said about putting it up on a stand. I did that at rehearsal & I was almost was rendered deaf! lol I had it on the floor but liked that even less. I don't know about this thing, I might return it!
I have a question for the people in the comments. What’s better, a JBL EON610 or a HeadRush Fr Fr 108?
the fact that the volume knobs affect the XLR line out signal kills it for me for my Boss GT-100 but, for my Arena 2000 it would be fine ( 2 sets of outputs ).... thanks for the info Dan !!!
Gonna sound stupid but what cable would I need from a Tonex to a Headrush frfr?
hi . how do these perform in the home situation ?
Can you run both inputs at once I m running a atomic amplifier right channel sum left and right and the left channel sum left and right..
Do you have jbl 305p mk2? This is much different from frfr cabs? I'm thinking in buy a jbl 308 mk2 to play my guitar with friends but i don't know if they are loud enough to drum
Thank you for your review, very useful! Just a couple of questions: would this monitor work well as any other monitor, or is it "taylored for guitar modelers"? Since it's an FRFR cab, how do ou think would it work with voice and/or other instruments?
Most important: if I set my Pod Go with the Headrush FRFR 108, will they sound more or less the same with other FRFR cab (e.g. when I have to share the stage and the PA with other bands and use the monitors provided by the venue/festival etc.)
Would work fine to monitor other things too. I’ve used it for that purpose no problem. Could do with a bit of EQ at the desk. It should sound similar with other frfr but as I say in a lot of my videos - all frfr speakers do sound different, depending on brand, speaker size and construction.
Very well said u hit it right on listen loud headrush do some changes 👏 👌 love it
How do you try playing your keyboard through it?
As I understand, the contour button is designed to add bass and treble for when you are playing at low volume, so that it corrects for the ear's reduced sensitivity to these frequencies at low volume as described by Fletcher-Munson curves. You would turn it off on stage. Nevertheless, I think a proper EQ control would be much more useful.
The contour button sounds very similar to a loudness button on home stereos. And their intended use at lower volume listening.
I have the Headrush 112 FRFR and it provides a ton of low end and I use it just for home use. I don’t think it’s too much low end though. I use IEM’s live so the Kemper on stage is all I need. Kemper connected straight to front of house. Also, my Sweetwater rep strongly suggested the 12” for more low end response. And it gets loud. Cheers!!
What ever works best for you is the right thing! I just find myself shaving off lows from the 8 so can’t imagine how thunderous the 12 must be 😂
@@DanLeggatt pretty thunderous 😂 but I get a lot of nice crisp highs too.
I’m using a pair of frfr108’s and the Headrush mx5. I use a parametric eq in my patches to roll bass off. Gets flubby without it, especially at loud volumes. Bass rolled off around 80-100 hz works well for me and I can really crank them without all the unnecessary bass
Thanks for an informative review. Could I use this for bass guitar in a basement jam with a drummer? No gigging, just jamming for fun. I've heard that it is just fine for this, while others have written that it clips and vibrates at jam level with bass. Would be great to have one compact unit for both guitar and bass. Thanks!
Depending on volume I think it could work. I would maybe suggest the 112 to have a bit more beef on the low end if using for bass.
Hi Dan, Great review. Looks like it would be a handy thing to have. If you could ever borrow or get your hands on a powered Kemper Kab, I would be interested in what you made of that.
Stay safe, cheers.
🎸
Thanks for watching mate! I would love to check one out. I actually emailed Kemper a while ago to see if they would consider loaning one to do a video but never heard back 🤷♂️
Cool review, but one thing I've often wondered about these FRFR speakers, is whether it is still possible to control feedback, as you would through a hot valve amp at a gig, as it's something I've always enjoyed doing - finding that sweet spot just on the edge then controlling the feedback with the guitar!!
It definitely works but it’s perhaps harder to do than with a valve amp. Bigger speakers and tube compression I guess 🤷♂️
Hi Dan, quick question: couldn't you run a second cable from the modeler to the mixer board? That way the volume settings on the 108 wouldn't affect the output to the board.
Absolutely, that’s how I’ve always done it. It just depends on your modeller and the outputs as to how practical that is to do. It was just to draw attention to what is, in my option, a design flaw to anyone thinking of buying 👍
I'm looking to get something for bedroom volumes, occasionally cranking it up for a jam sesh, is this overkill? I tried studio monitors but they only sound good if you're in the triangle sweet spot. I'd prefer something that fills the room, while not having to blast volume to get a tone
Definitely not overkill and sounds like it would fit your use of home and loud enough to jam. I would say it definitely ‘fills a room’ more than nearfield studio monitors.
congratulations for the review! despite the small size is it sufficient to be used as a personal monitor during live performances in small / medium pubs? i play guitar and helix. Thank you
Definitely loud enough as long as you’ve got the helix levels set properly 👍 as I said in the video, if you have any trouble cutting through consider adding some midrange.
Thanks for the video, great review. I have looking for a review like this about this monitor for some time, in order to make my final decision which speaker / frfr (and size) to buy to use with my multi fx guitar pedal. I was a bit afraid that the 108 wasn't loud enough. But as you explained, it is loud enough and has been a good amount of low frequency. So based on your review, I will buy this one in stead of the 112 version which is heavier and maybe "to bassy".
Btw, do you any experience with the Alto speakers? I'm not sure, but I think that they are from the same company.
As long as it’s positioned well and the modeller is dialled in right it’ll be plenty loud enough. I do have experience with Alto, although not for guitar, just as a regular PA. This is just a re-badged alto as I understand it. They also have an Alesis version for drums. All of the companies are owned by the same people.
Hi Dan, do you think FrFr112 could be a good solution as well on stage by a singer as well for monitoring ?
Yeah should do the job no problem. They are just full range monitors. Most claim these are just rebadged Altos too.
Hello Dan, I have the same one. I come from the monitor out of my Kemper to it. That way I can control the volume and eq of the Head rush in the output section of the Kemper without changing what goes to the FOH.
Same way I’m using it 👍 Unfortunately not as easy to achieve with other modellers with limited processing.
@danleg do you know if this is possible with my HX Stomp XL? If I would buy an 108 headrush and maybe it needs some eq’ing on the stage but I don’t want the preset to change for FOH is that possible with my set-up, do you know how to do it? Thanks for this video, I doubted to buy one but if this would be possible what I hear here I will buy one.
When people compare this to its sister product, the Alto TS308, they mention the EQ curve being different because of the mic pre's on the Alto. I'm wondering which unit sounds more like a traditional powered PA cab. I want something that sounds similar to the FOH mains, so when I EQ my sounds on my personal monitor system, it will be very similar going through the PA. InMusic makes it seem like the Headrush is voiced specifically for guitar (though they say "flat") whereas the Alto is voiced for DJs or public address (wouldn't that also be "flat"?). Basically I don't want something tailored to guitar (even if it's FRFR) when everyone else is going to be hearing my guitar through the FOH. Since I'm not looking for the best sound, but the most similar-to-FOH sound, I'm wondering if the Alto or Headrush is the better choice. Maybe I need the heardrush but with the countour button pressed in and my patches EQ'ed for that. Price is fantastic on either. Also was looking at the Mackie Thrash series of powered PA cabs. But didn't see anything under 12" driver.
The Headrush does well as a pa. I can play music through it and it sounds like a PA.
Hi, great review! You covered everything I had questions on - but I saw a few comments in my searches about these getting hot. Not sure if this is anything you have noticed or if that could cause any issues.
It gets warm for sure but that’s totally normal. No where near as hot as a valve amp for example
Thank you for the review Dan!
If I understood correctly (English is not my first language), you use it as a monitor, is that right?
But would you say it's also good for facing the crowd at a venue like it is an amp?
I plan to use it along with my modeler as an amp replacement, but I'm not sure whether to get a Katana 50 MKII or the Headrush 108. Which one do you think would be best for playing at small to mid size venues as an amp eplacement?
I do use this as more of a personal monitor for gigs. You can use it like an amp but I would highly recommend also running into the PA for reinforcement.
I would say it doesn’t ‘spread’ the sound through a room as well as a traditional amp. You may have better results using it on a speaker stand if you were trying to use it without a PA to get more throw.
The Katana is a good choice too but depending on how you were going to run it, it may not be the best option. All of your models will be coloured by the Katana speaker using the fx return and you’d need to ensure speaker simulation is off on your modeller for the amp output.
I’m pretty new to all this. Would sending the modeller to a mixer and EQing there and then sending to the 108 work to get that hands-on EQ?
It would, but depending on your situation you would also be changing your front of house EQ if you are playing live. Best thing is to set up an output EQ for the monitor on your modeller.
Basic question, I am sure many people ask, how does this compare to a Valve Amp with a 4x12 or say a Katana 100 2x12, I'm not sentimental about gear, have Marshall and Vox amps, but mainly use a Katana now, would 2 of these work as a PA for singing and combined Amp solution, I have small PA, with a Mixer , I used to use for my Duo work, with Reverb etc built in, thinking to use that to put into these more powerful Speakers, venues, typically Pubs etc.
These are, for all intents and purposes, re-badged Alto PA speakers. They would be fine to use as standard Front of house speakers or monitors. As a combined amps solution they would be fine but obviously you’d need some kind of amp modelling in an external unit to plug into your mixer 👍
6:10 I hate that so much. Mi signal is always clipping in the desk. Any solution? 😣☹️
What modeller are you using? Best thing would be to split the signal to 2 different outputs. One at a fixed level for FOH and one variable just for the monitor.
Why don't you just unscrew the grill and flip it to solve the cable issue hitting the floor?
Any overheating issues? Testing out two 108s from a friemd and this is the only flaw I've noticed. 45 minutes of playing and they're already moderately hot..
None. It gets warm but no more than any other piece of gear. The back plate is designed to be a heat sink so it will naturally get hot during use.
For someone who will be using the 108FRFR mostly at home, would you say it sounds better or on par with a regular 1x12 or 2x12 cab?
It’s a different experience. It’s important to remember that what comes out of a FRFR monitor is the sound of a mic’d up amp NOT the sound of standing in front of a cab. Although it sounds similar, it’s not the same. I think you can get a broader spectrum of tones from an frfr because you don’t have a guitar speaker colouring every profile. Check out my video on monitoring if you need more info 👍
@@DanLeggatt Thanks I will check out your other video. However, it seems like if you pair an FRFR with a good IR loader, it basically provides a better listening experience.
I always use it with a mixer. You can make it do what you want then I have the 112. I will add the 108.
Hi Dan I realise this is a review of the headrush but my grandson recently bought a Roland Cube Street-EX to use when busking. I tried to put the Kemper through it asnd it didn't sound that good to me. Is this Roland similar to the Headrush or a different beast altogether.. Cheers
I think in principle they are both FRFR to some extent but the Headrush is designed for this purpose. I’ve never tried the cube personally.
@@DanLeggatt Thanks Dan I didn't see this reply from your good self. I recently learned to turn down the Rig volume on the Kemper which had a possitive effect on the over all sound. Almost a case of too loud made it 'too hot' for the Roland. Used the volume in rig manager on the rig I was using.. Sounded a lot better. Don't know if this s the way to do it but defo sounded better...!! Thanks for the response.
Any benefit to using two 108's vs. using one and using two XLR's L/R?
Yeah big advantage. If you plug in L & R into one of these you will just get a mono signal out the other end. With possible phase cancellation between the 2 depending on routing and FX. The only way to get stereo L & R is with 2 cabs or speakers.
Excellent review, concise and informative.I like the Cons too, it demonstrates this is an unbiased review by the inclusion of the 'cons' . Thank you very much, helped make up my mind to purchase one!
Awesome reveiew as usual, curious to know.. made the switch from tube to helix,
Just wondering if you think this would be loud enough in a band rehearsal setting? (Using the helix and headrush as my "amp")
I play in a Death Metal band with a loud drummer.
I doubt it would stand up to that if it’s the only thing you’re running through. I think this speaker works best as a personal monitor along with running into a pa / larger setup
@@DanLeggatt good to know, thanks mate 👍
Hi, Dan! Great review! I have a big question: what kind of guitar effects processor do you recommend to use with the Headrush 108? I can`t `decide which model to buy (in a decent budget)... Will a BOSS GT100 will do the job? Are there any special settings needed? Thank you! - Catalin.
What’s your budget and what kind of tones do you like?
@@DanLeggatt around 600 Euros, and I'm more into metal, but I will also enjoy a good clean sound.
Great review! As you have said, there are a couple of things that don’t make sense, seeing as it was designed for guitar and modelers in particular. It ain’t cheap either (at least in my country). I think, for my Kemper, I would rather go with the Kemper Kab and my Seymour Duncan Powerstage, if I were still performing live.
Unfortunately still haven’t had chance to try the Kemper Kab, would like to check it out at some point in the future.
this may sound dumb but how do I know I am clipping? I have gigged with my 108 and it is definitely not loud enough especially with a very loud drummer in a very loud genre. I have noticed that when I am turning up the volume, the red blinker at the back of it is lit.
That’s your clip light. Coming on occasionally shouldn’t be a problem but it shouldn’t be on more than it’s off.
@@DanLeggatt does that mean that the signal I am sending to my frfr is too hot?
The real reason, I suspect, for these oversights is that the company who owns this manufactures 3 identical units marketed to different users: The Alesis Strike, for electronic drums, the Alto, to be used as PA speakers, and of course the Headrush aimed at guitarists and bassists. From what I understand they're identical except the price and the badges. (Alesis one is the cheapest). None of these are "specially designed" for drums, PA, or guitar. It's all about the marketing.
Good info
Is it recommended for home use (bedroom levels) or more only for live situations?
It will work fine but for strictly house volumes I would lean towards a decent set of studio monitors
Dan, I am in a Heavy Metal band and playing with my Kemper i dont have a lot of DI ready profiles i can use in fact its just one, but have tons of others. My question is will this cab hold up with the 5 piece volume hungry beasts i work with ? I failed to mention i have the powered rack Kemper at 600 Watts
In your situation, personally I would stick with the Kemper power amp into a regular guitar cab.
Been doing that for two years now but i have so many great profiles that just sound fizzy when i run through a real cab and disable the monitor out cab sim, but thank you for your quick response !@@DanLeggatt
I have used this cab for about 2.5 years with a Headrush Pedalboard and really have no complaints. My only suggestions would be the same as the reviewer, a small EQ section would be useful and flip the logo so your cables aren't hitting the floor. I may try to flip the grill around to solve that.
Hey man! Great video! I have a question. How different does it feel to play through this then let’s say studio monitors? I just got myself a Quad Cortex and I’m playing through a good pair of monitors but it feels like it’s not quite it. Cheers from Sweden!
I would say this is more ‘ballsy’ than studio monitors. Studio monitors would be more flat and accurate than this. Depends what you want to be honest. Studio monitors tend to be very in your face position wise, often can feel quite brittle coming from an amp on the floor. I think a lot of what’s missing with this stuff is just volume really.
He’s right, this punch harder, and can get louder. I use Adam audio 8’s, while they sound great, especially for ambient clean tones, they were never loud enough or punched as hard as I wanted sometimes. The use of a pa like the qsc series or this headrush scratches that itch.
Thanks for the video. Have you used this with an audio interface and amp sims plugins? I’m looking for a simple but versatile solution to guitar teaching
I have used the Headrush 112 with an interface and amp plugins and it’s superb!
I’m looking to get a tonex pedal to simplify the setup even more. Just a pedal and the speaker.
Can i run the headrush mx5 directly into rhe headrush monitor?
Yep, provided all the levels are set right on the HR it will run straight in no worries 👍
I always found it weird when guitarists talk about having their cabs on the waist/belly level because it's too trebly if you listen to it straight up on your head level. Doesn't that mean that you're hearing your tone wrong protecting your hearing while the audience is listening to an overly bright tone? I've always angled my cabs straight to my ears because I want to hear the real tone and then fix it if it's not right.
Obviously there's more to that with mic positions etc. But often enough the audience is hearing leak from your cab too, which is probably on their ear level now. I've held it as a good practise to make the tone as ready as possible before it's mic'd up.
Not claiming I'm in the right here though. Whatever works, right :)
Looking at FRFR cabs for new band stuff now while moving to digital so thanks for the video!
Great insights. I hope they listen to your ideas. Nothing you mentioned was "rocket science" - it's just the difference of perspective a real player brings to the table. They could easily implement your ideas without increasing their cost (which hopefully, but doubtfully means it doesn't increase the price).
Can we use this head rush live gig outdoor??
You can definitely use it. Whether it will be loud enough and do the job you want it to depends entirely on your circumstances and setup.
Angled plugs eliminate the problem of touching the floor
Can you play a big bar using this as the sound system for projecting your guitar to the audience?
Just this on its own without sending to the main front of house PA? I would say unlikely
This 2000w amp wont fill a bar-room on its own.. A 40w Fender Blues Deville will and a 60w Peavey VTX from the 1980s will fill a stadium. 😂
I'm thinking about getting one for playing (mostly) metal, for both guitar, and bass guitar. Would it be more benefitial to go with the 112 in that case? I'm just unsure that an 8" speaker can give me enough juice for the bass. I know there are some bass cabinets out there with 8" speakers, but they seem to be fairly uncommon. Thanks Dan! Great review!
If you play live, 12 inch for sure. If you don’t play live, the smaller one. You’ll end up eqing that bass out anyways on the 12 at home. It’s too boomy. I play death metal, and Deathcore. White chapel, Lorna shore.
The portable size is nice on the 108. I also have a qsc k10.2 and that beats the Headrush by a good margin. Sounds clearer.
It’s a good amount more cleaner and tighter bass than the 112.
I use one in combination with a Kemper.
I use mainly HiGain Metal amps/sounds and have to this day not been able to get it to sound any good.(More of a complete fizzfest)
So it's either broken, or not really suited for higain sounds....
No reason it should sound any better or worse with high gain. I would say it’s more likely an issue with the profile or output settings. The FRFR thing will sound different to a cab. Maybe you’ll have better results with a standard cab.
Would this work for acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, synth and organs? Or would I just be better of with a "real" PA speaker?
Would work with anything, this is a ‘real’ Pa speaker. Most say it’s just a re-badged Alto pa speaker 👍
@@DanLeggatt my concern is about the fact that "speaker wise" this is focused at guitar sounds, where as the Alto TS308, 310 etc does seem to be just flat and not guitar focused (if I understood it all correctly).
Great info, thank you! Love your breakdowns that I can definitely trust. However, not a fan of background music on informational vids like these. It’s very over stimulating.
Cheers! Feedback noted about the background music. I was told by a fellow youtube’r that music helps engage people more in talking only videos. Obviously not the case 😂 Is it the type of music or do you prefer nothing at all?
i didnt hear anything come out of the speaker , why ?
@@jeffreynolds2190 For the reasons explained in the video..
I use the 108 as a wedge, so flipped the grill because of my OCD 😂
Ah good to know you actually can! I’ll get on that this week 😂 Cheers
Lol… yes the logo being upside down would drive me crazy!
Can you sing through it , with a decent sound??
Yep, it's just a full range monitor. You can't plug a mic directly into it as there is no mic pre so the feed would have to come from a mixer like a normal monitor or PA speaker.
Can you do a tutorial of the different sounds effects that this unit has etc 😕🥺😰🤦🏻♂️
This is a powered speaker. No sound effects.
@@DanLeggatt NNNOOO !! I meant the HeadRush ! + with the speaker OK 😕🤦🏻♂️
This is not designed for guitarrists. It is Just a white labeled P.A. speaker. There are plenty of other brands with the exact same design (except for the logo, of course).
Please write some of them. Thanks
Alto TS308 - identical to this.
Yamaha DXR8
QSC K8
"so my OCD doesn't go crazy" LOL love it. #same
😂😂