HeadRush has launched an updated line of power speaker cabinets to complement its Prime and Headrush Core amp modellers, with the FRFR-108 MKII and FRFR-112 MKII offering a powerful 2000/2500-watt platform for the guitar player who has made the transition to digital.
These will, of course, work a treat no matter which brand of modeller you use, offering wholly transparent response (hence the ‘full-range, flat-response’ FRFR designation), and they come packed with features. There is Bluetooth connectivity, a pair of XLR and 1/4” inputs,
and an XLR output. Both come with carry handles and can be used as a wedge, positioned upright, or mounted on a pole. These are the sorts of powered speaker cabinets that traditional guitar amp designers might reasonably fear, because if you are using a modeller it could well be preferably to retire your old amp and go direct through these.
That’s the thing about the digital transformation of electric guitar and bass tone; there comes a point where you ask yourself whether a traditional amp is really the best outlet for a modeller.
Sometimes, you need something completely transparent, built for the specific purpose of faithfully rendering you amp and cab emulations, and crucially with enough power to be the physical amplifier you need it to be. As the tube amp set might say, to push some air about the room.
The HeadRush FRFR speaker does that and then some. The FRFR-108 MKII is rated at 2000-watts and has a single 8” driver and a 1” high-frequency compression. The FRFR-112 MKII is rated at 2500-watts and has a 12” driver and the same 1” high-frequency compression driver as its sibling. The XLR and 1/4” inputs each have their own independent volume controls.
If you want to avail yourself of the Bluetooth connectivity you can stream external audio from a smart device to the speakers, making it easier to share ideas with bandmates at practice. No need to entrust the sound engineer with running your intro tape before the show either.
The XLR output allows players to send their signal direct to front-of-house when playing live, or to daisy-chain these powered speaker units together. Both speakers come equipped with a ground lift switch to kill noise and hum. They both have a HPF cut switch to nix troublesome frequencies in a live mix.
As the pics show, these are designed to be carried, and are most likely going to be more portable than the tube combo in your life. The FRFR-108 MKII weighs just 9.53kg, the FRFR-112 MKII 15.7kg. They'll cater to both guitarists and bassists and are available now, with the 12" model priced $399 street, the 8" model $299.
See HeadRush for more details.
