Reality 112FR

Regular price ~~£399.00~~ £749.00 Sale

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1 x 12" high accuracy loudspeaker cabinet for FRFR guitar and acoustic instruments - the ultimate solution for the amplification of both acoustic instruments and digitally modelled guitar sounds.

The requirements are the same - maximum accuracy, excellent audibility and controlled feedback. The only difference is that the output level for FRFR guitar in a rock band is usually much greater than the SPL for solo acoustic instruments - but this means that the Reality 112FR has the headroom to handle multiple acoustic instruments, vocals and even recorded music, making it a true gigging problem solver. Don't expect thunderous or massively deep lows (it isn't a bass cab) but it'll still give enough fatness for most full-range acoustic music.

Please skip the following if you just want to get to the specs or buy one - this is the story of why this cab is how it is:

This is not just a lightweight FRFR cab with classic styling - it's so much more! The Reality 112FR combines the might of Celestion's F12-X200 full-range live-response coaxial loudspeaker with an AVD enclosure and custom rear-firing tweeter / adjustable crossover, for the best possible reproduction of modelled/profiled tones.

Full Range Flat Response is not enough because this only describes steady state sound in one location. If you want "high accuracy" (and if you want to hear your digital magic then you really do) then you need the following:

Accurate frequency response (aka FRFR)
Accurate polar response
Accurate transient response
Accurate dynamic response

These are the four critical links of sound reproduction. You may not know it but you WILL hear the weakest link - it's no good having "perfect" FRFR if the dynamic, transient or polar response is poor because the human ear is very good at hearing the deficiencies, not the best aspects.

This isn't our first FRFR cab, we've been doing this since Barefaced started out making radical high accuracy bass cabs. The Big Baby 2 and Big Twin 2 are already being used by bassists, keyboardists and guitarists who need to hear the truth of their tone, some through amps like Kempers. But the BB2 and BT2 have so much more low frequency depth and output than any guitarist needs, making them bigger, heavier and more expensive. So this is our first guitar specific FRFR cab.

We found that the F12-X200's coaxial 12" driver and tweeter with integrated crossover made for a great-sounding, efficient and elegant starting point but how it was used made a big difference in the resulting sound.

An F12-X200 in a closed cab does a good job of frequency response but polar response isn't so good further off-axis. Transient response is good too but dynamic response is limited at lower frequencies like with louder or chunkier rhythm guitar work.

An F12-X200 in an open cab will do slightly better with polar response but worse frequency response; transient response will still be good but dynamic response will really struggle when playing louder chords, low notes, etc.

Another option is a speaker like the F12-X200 but without the coaxial tweeter (using DSP to boost the higher frequencies where the cone's treble output is dropping). This can achieve the target frequency response and transient response, the dynamic response will be similar although more demanding on amps (causing clipping at high SPL) but most importantly the polar response will be very poor at higher frequencies. However it's far less expensive than having a coaxial speaker with a crossover.

An F12-X200 in an AVD cab achieves good frequency, transient and dynamic response with much improved polar response up to the upper midrange / lower treble region. However testing showed that improving the polar response higher up made a huge difference in real world situations.

Adding a rear-firing tweeter with its own custom crossover to coherently combine with the AVD's ouput makes the polar response a near perfect figure 8, which gives you incredibly consistent tone wherever you're listening from. It's almost surreal to hear the improvement in audibility from turning up the tweeter control, considering that tweeter is firing away from you!

Specifications

Dimensions (H x W x D)	40cm x 45cm x 31cm 16" x 18" x 12"
Weight	9.5kg / 21lbs passive - 10.5kg / 23lbs Activier
Enclosure design	AVD-8
RMS power handling	200 W
Nominal Impedance	8 ohm
Speakers	Celestion F12-X200 + Eminence APT80

Features

Barefaced AVD-8 enclosure for superior audibility, efficiency, power handling and truly accurate FRFR sound
Celestion F12-X200 coaxial 12" 2-way driver - "Full Range Live Response"
Rear-firing Eminence APT80 tweeter with custom 4th order crossover for radically improved clarity and tonal accuracy
Independent adjustment of rear-firing tweeter for acoustic correction in real rooms on real gigs
CNC machined dual-density plywood construction - better tone, gig tough, lower weight
Single top strap handle - low profile to fit under amps; steel core, brackets, bolts and t-nuts for durablity; replaceable chrome trim for aesthetics; rubber sleeve for comfort; nylon washers to add friction and damping to ensure it remains rattle free
Rubber feet on base - medium compound to damp vibration and add stability, tall enough to clear another handle if stacking
Dual combi 1/4” + speakon sockets - use standard 1/4" leads, or have a locking speakon on the cab end which you can leave locked in place during transport
Two grill cloth options: Deep Black or Bright Silver, with white piping
Two tolex options: British Raging Green or Black In Black
Custom tolex or grill cloth also available - extra cost, subject to availability, longer lead times likely.

Questions

What is an "FRFR" guitar cab and what is it for?

Full Range Flat Response guitar cabs were created so guitarists using modelling amps (as originally popularised by Line6) could hear the true sound of their modelled amp AND cabs - rather than hear the sound of the guitar speaker they were using. So the earliest FRFR cabs were simply little PA speakers as they have reasonably FRFR.

How is the Reality 112FR different?

At Barefaced we know that FRFR is not enough - we want TRUE SONIC ACCURACY. That means not only frequency response but also polar response, transient response and dynamic response. No other FRFR guitar cab on the market properly addresses all four aspects of tonal accuracy. In your bedroom, sitting right in front of the speaker you'll notice it feels more 3D, like you're surrounded by tone with so much presence without harshness - but take it to a rehearsal or gig and you, your bandmates and your audience will be blown away by how well they hear you, not louder but just THERE in the mix, wherever they're standing. And that creates a virtuous circle of performance, where the whole band ends up playing better and making better music. This is about making music, not just reproducing it like in the world of hi-fi!

How can this be a guitar cab and an acoustic instrument cab too?

FRFR guitar cabs do not sound like normal guitar cabs - a normal guitar speaker has limited bandwidth and large amounts of colouration (i.e. distortion) which filters the sound of an electric guitar through an amp giving the tones we all know and love. An FRFR speaker is fed a modelled sound like those that come from guitar speakers, so there is no need for the speaker to add another layer of colour. It's a bit like cooking - if the chef has already added the seasonings, herbs and spices and then you add the same again at the table it won't taste good. With modelled sound including speaker and cabinet emulation you want the actual loudspeaker to simply turn that electrical signal into acoustic sound without changing it, not adding more spice.

But if you want to hear an acoustic instrument louder then you need to put a mic or piezo pickup on it, maybe add some EQ to help and then turn that up loud with a clean amplifier through a really honest sounding speaker. And in an ideal world you want that speaker to be omnidirectional, filling the room with sound just like an acoustic guitar does - just like the Reality 112FR!

What is an AVD-8 enclosure and what does it do?

"Augmented Vent Diffractor - Figure 8" is the latest patented technology from Barefaced Audio. It improves low frequency efficiency and power handling whilst reducing distortion, generates rear-firing midrange output with even response and broad dispersion and integrates a phase coherent rear tweeter. The end result is highly accurate response from both front and rear of the loudspeaker, giving incredibly "real" live sound and outstanding resistance to the problems caused by noisy bandmates or difficult room acoustics.

How does the AVD-8 enclosure work?

This may take a while to get your head around! At lower frequencies the slot and horn acts as a Helmholtz resonator, like a reflex port. Above these frequencies the slot allows midrange and treble frequencies through, diffracting them sideways for improved dispersion, with the horn panels improving acoustic coupling with the room.
If the AVD worked like a horn then output through most of the midrange and all of the treble bandwidth would be minimal (because in a horn the air masses in the coupling chamber, throat and horn act as an acoustic inductance with a low pass effect). Fortunately the AVD system instead allows good response into the lower treble region but that leaves a few octaves missing from the rearwards output for many guitar sounds.

The AVD-8 system therefore has a high output low distortion tweeter mounted on the rear baffle This tweeter is crossed over where the 12" driver's rearward output rolls off, which is over an octave lower than its forwards output. The tweeter thus takes over the rearward output throughout the whole treble bandwidth, which is only possible due to the very steep crossover slope protecting the diaphragm from over excursion.

One other clear acoustic benefit of the AVD-8 enclosure is in how it controls internal reflections and standing waves compared to a conventional cuboid-shaped guitar cab. The angled AVD panels and asymmetric baffle measurably reduce the amount of internally reflected sound that manages to escape through the cone interfering with the original tone, often causing conventional guitar cabs to literally sound "boxy".

How does the near-omnidirectional figure 8 response affect both acoustic and electric feedback?

One of the almost magical abilities of the AVD-8 enclosure is that to your ears it has very broad dispersion but to your guitar it has much more controlled dispersion. This is due to the psycho-acoustic phenomenon known as "precedence effect", whereby the brain combines near-identical sounds even if they're coming from different locations, as long as the delay between the two sounds is less than ~50ms. Consequently your brain hears the rear output as it reflects off room boundaries and miraculously combines it with the front output, hugely improving audibility, but that delayed sound has a less strong effect in acoustically generating guitar feedback. No conventional cab is as easy for lead guitarists to coax singing feedback from.

Obviously with acoustic instruments you don't "play" with feedback like with an electric guitar but feedback is certainly a big issue. If you crank your acoustic guitar, violin, cello, etc up super loud through the Reality 112FR just like a wailing lead guitarist then you will run into the usual feedback problems and have to flip phase, use notch filters etc. But if you're not going so crazy and just turning up normal acoustic gig loud then the narrower forwards dispersion and broader rearwards dispersion will result in greater feedback resistance at a given level of perceived loudness than any conventional cab.

What does the tweeter control do and what is it for?

The tweeter control independently adjusts the level of the rear-firing tweeter - note that this tweeter is crossed over very low, as much as two octaves below where a tweeter on a typical guitar FRFR cab might be, so it has a big sonic affect as it deals with the full treble bandwidth and what many guitarists will also consider their upper midrange tone. This gives a unique dimension of acoustic control, so in a very bright sounding room with lots of hard surfaces you may keep it turned down low whilst in a more acoustically dead room you'll turn it up more.

This is particularly valuable when playing smaller venues where your guitar cab is providing the house guitar sound or the bleed from the stage is loud out front, especially in terms of how the sound changes between soundcheck in an empty room and a packed gig - humans are very efficient acoustic absorbers. Simply turn up the tweeter control and bring that clarity and liveliness back.

With acoustic instruments of all kinds, turning up the rear-firing tweeter will not just add audibility but more importantly make the sound far more 'acoustic'. Instruments acoustically radiate sound in all directions and that is one of the main reasons why the vibe and character of an unplugged acoustic is so different to hearing it through a typical "acoustic" amp.

What is "CNC machined dual-density plywood" construction?

In 2008 Barefaced pioneered the use of unconventional plywood, bracing and assembly techniques within the guitar and bass amp industry. For more than a decade we've continued to develop our enclosure designs, for the best possible sound through management of internal reflections for clear detailed mids and highs, and rigid non-resonant enclosures for tight controlled lows. This method of extensive bracing and calculated reinforcement allows us to make the cabinets incredibly low in weight but tough enough to gig for a lifetime. Since 2012 they've been precisely machined using our own CNC mill and then hand assembled in our Brighton factory.

Customer feedback

27/06/25 - Big Baby 3 - CZ

I must say, that the Big Baby 3 is wonderful speaker, it could play almost open air (in an open tent) with a little band (drums, 2 guitars, singing, bass and piano) even when powered by 60W Mark Bass Micro Mark

:o) Congratulations!

Daniel

02/06/25 - Big Baby 2 - UK

I've recently moved on from a 15 year stint with a band and started a new project, in which we've also decided to try using IEMs and going amp free. That means that the Big Baby 2s that have been sounding fabulous in my bass rig for the last 5 years would have been unused, unless 🤔...

I also run the PA and I'd heard, and read, that BB2s sound great as PA cabs, in fact they were available with optional top hats so you could stick them up on tripods. Mine didn't have these but, since I've built a few decent speaker cabs, I decided to retrofit them myself, so I went past the point of no return and took a 40mm hole saw to them. I fitted the top hats using another layer of ply inside to reinforce the base of the cab. Before drilling holes, I took care to find the centre of gravity ('cos the cab is heavier at the front where the drivers are...turns out it's in line with the strap handle almost as if it was designed that way 🤣) and also took care to seal the top hat and the bolts, nyloc nuts and washers that I'd used to mount the top hats because you can't have air leaks.

Driven by my X32 Rack (my new Wing Rack arrived last Friday but I haven't learned how to use it yet) and a new Yamaha PX8 power amp they sound incredible as full range PA speakers, like a big pair of studio monitors and LOUD! I'm confident that even up on tripods and with some modest EQ they'll kick out enough bass for the kick drum and my low B, have more than enough clout for the places my new rock band will play at and let me leave the heavy old sub at home.

Ironically, their first outing was doing a PA gig at a Jazz Festival in a fairly big church, that I covered for a pal of mine, and they sounded fantastic. Rich, full bodied, well balanced on a mic'd up grand piano and various saxes and guitars throughout the day. Filled the place with quality sound with the amp cruising at -30db.

So now I have some top notch PA cabs and, when I'm doing bass gigs they still sound exactly the same as they always did in my rig. Well happy! I can also confirm that, when you get inside the cab, they're every bit as well designed and constructed as you'd hope!

Jools

25/05/25 - Big Twin 2 + 3 - Denmark

Sold out Vega in Copenhagen tonight. One bass and one synth\

Mads

04/04/25 - Big Baby 2 - USA

2x Big Baby 2 + GK MB800 doin' the business. Outdoors, not in the PA but sounds like i'm in the PA.

Alan

28/05/25 - Big Baby 2 - UK

I own a Barefaced Big Baby 2 bass cabinet provided to me by a good friend. It has proved nothing short of excellent driven by an Eich T900 which is capable of giving 600W into the Big Baby 8ohms nominal resistance which is ample for pretty much any gig.
However, it is a bit ‘overkill’ for practice and rehearsal purposes.

I was thinking, therefore, of adding a Super Mini which when put with the Big Baby 2 would, with 4ohm resistance, make use of the Eich’s full power where necessary and provide a more portable cab for practice purposes etc.

I see from the information available on your website that you recommend pairing a Super Mini cab and a Big Baby 3, so my initial query is; will the Super Mini work as well with the Big Baby 2?

Mike

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Hi Mike,

Great to hear!

Yes, the SM or SMT will work very well with the BB2.

Best regards,

Alex

30/04/25 - Big Baby 3 - Italy

Hey Alex et al!

[Big Baby 3] is here and sounds TERRIFIC, had the best of the afternoons yesterday jamming for hours.

Thank you for sorting out everything for me, super grateful.

All the best,

Fabio

27/04/25 - Big Twin 3 - USA

I’ve had my Big Twin 3 for over a year and absolutely love it! Thanks guys!

Ben

23/04/25 - Big Baby 2 - UK

Well it was sounding nice and well balanced at the rehearsal last night.

Simon

04/04/25 - Big Twin 3 - UK

I picked up this BT2 on Wednesday and let it stretch its legs in the studio last night with the band.

Ibanez BTB805MS
Ibanez PTEQ
HX Stomp
Warwick LWA1000

I was a bit of a sceptic - hadn’t seen much written about hard rock/metal through these cabs - but I’m convinced it can do anything you want.

James

09/04/25 - Big Baby 3 - Canada

These two little fellas showed up today. Incredible.

Ian

22/03/25 - Big Baby 3 + Big Twin 3 - Germany

I just finished a little amp and cab shootout. We compared my BB3 with a BT3 and a Rheingold BA112.

The Barefaced speakers outshined the Rheingold by far (especially in the low end department)

Mischa

22/03/25 - Big Baby 3 - USA

Mezmerized...

Sean

10/03/25 - Activier Reality 112FR - UK

Thanks all for your help with this. It sounds amazing!

What's the little ribbon thing at the bottom of the grille for? Is it just aesthetic?

All the best,

Charlie

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Hey man,

The tab is for taking the grill off if you ever need to change the driver (which you're far less likely to want to do in an FRFR cab than a traditional cab where you might want to play around with different drivers etc.). Top tip though, if you do want to take the grill off, get something pokey under both left corners and pull it out sideways.

Cheers,

Lewie

21/02/25 - Big Baby 3 - USA

The BB3 has been truly amazing this past year. It crushed my last band practice with only half the power from my 250W @4ohm amp (BH250). The performance is just as good if not better than my past MAS manipulated vortex cabs

Cheers!

25/02/25 - Big Baby 3 - UK

I bought two Big Baby 3 cabs from you that have been amazing, but I'm looking for a lighter cab. I saw you had the Super Mini T. If I ordered one, what would the turn over time at the moment be?

Cheers

Alexis

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Hi Alexis,

That's great to hear! The queue is quite long at the moment but if you need a cab urgently we can rush one through:

https://barefacedaudio.com/pages/production-and-delivery-times

Best regards,

Alex

12/01/25 - Big Baby 2 - Belgium

Good afternoon, I just bought a second-hand Barefaced Big Baby 2 cabinet yesterday, which looks like a brand-new cab, but I have some distortion in the low frequencies on the E string when I turn up the volume.

The problem appears with an Aguilar 500 at volume 3 and gain 3, unless the cab can support 800w. Could you tell me if I have to check the HP or another setting? A good advice would be appreciated. Otherwise, the cabinet is perfect - light, with an excellent sound, thank you for that (and for my back!)

Alex

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Hi Alex,

Sorry to hear about the unwanted noise! Are you sure it isn't the amp distorting (I know you don't have the volume very high but that doesn't mean the amp isn't reaching full power and clipping. But do check through this page and report back: https://barefacedaudio.com/pages/cab-troubleshooting?_pos=5&_sid=3af682ffa&_ss=r

Best regards,

Alex

05/02/25 - Big Baby 3 - USA

Hi Alex,

After reading your note, I bought a used Big Baby 3. As I began playing it, I first thought, “Hm, this sounds kind of weird”. As I kept playing it over the next few days and compared it to my other cabs, I began to realise that the sound from the cab just wasn’t what I was used to. Eventually, it began to sink in that the BB3 was doing all kinds of things my other premium cabs approach but don’t fully achieve. The BB3 is clearer, it goes deeper, it has more detail, and is tighter, in terms of the sound starting and stopping on a dime, than any of my other high end cabs. My old cabs have begun to sound unsatisfying in comparison. It’s really cool that the BB3 is small and light and absolutely holds its own as a solo cab, but the BB3 would be my preferred cab now, even if none of those things were true, because it simply sounds better than anything else I have ever played. The BB3 is an amazing achievement!

PS - I don’t need to add another cab to get the depth I’m used to with pairs of cabs. The BB3 does it solo.

Thanks again.

Phil

19/01/25 - Reality 112FR - USA

I bought the first iteration of the Reality FRFR cabs and have always loved how they translated the sounds from my Axe FX III, and how the adjustable tweeter worked for the differing guitars that I have; However, I thought there was something missing and couldn't put my finger on what it was. The chain that I use is the Axe into a Matrix GT 1000 FX (2U); directly into the 2 reality cabs. They were connected by a pair of Dean Markley speaker cables. Sounded great, just not fabulous. 2 weeks ago, one of the speaker cables seemed to start to cut in and out so decided to get a new set to connect to the cabs. I purchased a pair of Gator Cableworks Headliner Series, premium 12-gauge speaker cables and the fabulous is now there. I kind of did not believe all the talk about cables until I started purchasing better guitar cables and heard the difference they made. So, I did it with the cab cables and could not be happier. I recommend these cables highly. Hope this helps users of your cabinets. By the way, I would never get rid of or use any other cabinets for the AXE. One of the best purchases I ever made.

Joseph

10/01/25 - Big Baby 3 - USA

Hi Alex - since our last communication I've used the BB3 in the studio and also used it in rehearsal with one of my four(!) gigging bands and... YES!!! All is good.

The cab sounds amazing. It will be making its gig debut on January 19 and I can't wait! Thank you again for your patience and for holding my hand through the entire process. Means alot to be able to communicate directly with you and your team.

So... now that I've had a chance to use the BB3 at stage volume with a band, I'm thinking I might just want another! I play in loud rock bands (with very loud drummers) so I can definitely envision stacking another BB3 for certain gigs. So while I wait on moving a couple of pieces of other gear to free up funds for another BB3, I thought I would ask your opinion about whether or not it would make any sense to try and pair the BB3 with any of my existing cabs in the event I want to move even more air. Probably I won't need to pair it with anything else before I obtain a second BB3 but I'm also just curious about possibilities. So here's what I have:

(1) Orange OBC115 (1x15, 8 ohms)

(1) TC Electronic K210 (2x10, 8 ohms)

(2) Fender Bassman 115 Neo (1x15, 8 ohms)

(2) EBS Classic Line 410 (4x10, 4 ohms)

(1) Barefaced BB3 (1x12, 8 ohms)

The BB3 is my first 12 inch speaker cab (and I don't know enough about pairing cabs generally) so not sure if it would ever make sense to pair the BB3 with any of my other cabs. What say you?

Best,

Andrew

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Hi Andrew,

Glad it's ok - that was a stress!

You could try it with the Bassman 115 Neo cabs. None will be a great match, they'll all make things blurrier but they will get you more output. Just be careful not to push the Fender cab too hard, same with the OBC115. EBS410 will handle the power better but will lose more of the BB3's tone.

I'd definitely want two BB3 with a LOUD drummer, gives you much more room to be dynamic in the band.

Best regards,

Alex

08/01/25 - Reformer 112 / Reality 112FR - USA

Hi Alex,

Got an interesting question for you: I got a Reformer 112 from you last year and it is spectacular. I use it with my Mesa Mark V and she sings... I was wondering if anyone has ever requested one of your powered FRFR cabinets but with the ability to turn off the amp in the powered cabinet and use it as a standard cabinet with a guitar amp head? Or.. if that is even possible :-) I ask because I have two rigs, my Mark V head and I also have a Quad Cortex. Would like one ( or two for sublime stereo ) to be able to use with both of my rigs. I suppose I could always get another reformer and then use one of the smaller powered amp pedals like the Seymour Duncan power stage to power them off my quad cortex board. And.. what is the current lead times for the reformer 112's as well as your FRFR powered cabs?

Thanks

Kevin

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Hi Kevin,

We have done an "active/passive" Reality 112FR for someone but the issue is that you really need to put an IR filter between the power stage of a guitar amp and the cab because it's an FRFR cab, or if you're running the power stage pretty clean you could put an IR before it - just something to take off all those highs that a normal guitar driver filters out.

However I think a lot of guitarists are going the wrong way with speakers for modellers - FRFR is great if you need all the sounds in the world and/or are using in-ears all the time. But so many guitarists would be better served by turning off the speaker modelling and using a real guitar speaker. So in your specific case, get an active/passive Activier 2 Reformer 112. Then you can use that cab your tube head along with your other Reformer, or you can use the Activier 2 in that cab to drive the new active/passive Reformer and your current passive Reformer in stereo.

Hope that makes sense!

Here's the current lead times - https://barefacedaudio.com/pages/production-and-delivery-times

They need updating though and we've had quite a lot of orders recently, so they'll probably be longer in reality. Hope to get that figured out this week!

Glad you're enjoying your Reformer!

Best regards,

Alex

16/08/23 - Big Baby 3 - USA

Hi - I have a question about the crossover on my Big Baby 3s. The documentation implies that the knob moves the crossover point, rather than just controlling horn level; my question is, where can I set this so as to run the 12" as full-range as possible? Any tips?

Love these boxes - they've changed my thinking on weight, watts, etc...

Thanks,

Chris

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Hi Chris,

Glad you're loving the cabs! The effective crossover point moves but the 12XN always runs full-range. If you have the HF control most of the way up, then the cab sound will be very very close to the DI sound. If you mic the 12XN it'll be smoother/mellower because you won't have the top-end of the HF driver. Lots of options! Trust your ears!

Best regards,

Alex

10/12/24 - Big Baby 3 - USA

Could not be happier with my BB3 cab , I'm pairing it with the new Boss Katana-500 bass amp and it's the best bass rig I have ever used... period!

James

19/09/24 - Big Baby 3 - UK

I'm liking the BB3s very much. I love being able to pick them up with one hand, and the fact that they are half the weight of my Pearson/Beyma cabs. They bring a bit more heft to the bottom end of my sound, which I also like. I'm looking forward playing more gigs with them.

Richard

14/10/23 - Big Baby 2 - USA

I have the BB2 which I love. What’s the difference between BB2 and BB3?

Chris

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Hi Chris,

Here's a rundown of the 3 vs 2 differences: https://barefacedaudio.com/pages/top-secret

Glad you're loving your BB2!

Best regards,

Alex

10/10/24 - Big Baby 3 - UK

Loving my big baby 3 still and will be looking at some of your AVD guitar cabs next year :)

Shane

10/10/24 - Big Twin 3 + Big Baby 3 - USA

I have a BT3 and a BB3 and love them both ! Would definitely have paid 5-600 more per cab if I had to! Thank y'all and God speed!

Corey

11/10/24 - Big Baby 3 - USA

I’ve been thrilled with my BB3 I acquired earlier this year. But the 10CR is so compelling, I’m planning a Three 10 order. Not ready now, but expect an order in early 2025

10/10/24 - Big Baby 2 - UK

Hi! I’ve been the proud owner of Big Twin 2 (Gen 3) for many years now.

Always loved the transparency of the cab with my Genz Benz & Darkglass heads. I’ve recently moved over to a Neural DSP Quad Cortex and I’ve found it a struggle to get a tone I’m happy with thus far. Being an FRFR cab (though no ordinary FRFR ofc), I expected using a modelled head & cab IR I’m familiar with, it to be an instant hit, but I’m finding that the bass response is overwhelming, almost head splitting where I have to turn it down where It gets lost in a rehearsal mix, or it’s too spiky in the high end using overdrives.

I can’t find the balance! I’m happy with the tone in IEMS in general so I’m a little lost! Do you have any advice for optimising the Quad Cortex for the BT2? EQ or general tips for modellers with the Big Twin series?

Thank you so much for any advice you may have!

Tom

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Hi Tom,

There's a few things it could be - if the cab is in the corner of a room with solid walls then you get a load of extra lows. If the HF control is all the way up then you may want to back it off a bit. The quality of IRs is very variable (the more I learn about them, the more incomplete I realise they are). Or is there any EQ in the signal chain going to the cab? In a normal half-space environment (on the ground, walls a long way away) the response of the BT2 is pretty damned flat until it rolls off the in the lows and highs - no peaks or dips of significance. From our experimentation with guitar FRFR cabs, we've found that it's rarely plug and play, it takes quite some work to get it all sorted.

Best regards,

Alex

20/09/24 - Six10 + Big Twin 2 - USA

Hello!

I finally repaired my 6x10 from the shipping damage, loving the cab and currently using it with a Fender Bassman 800 - unfortunately the grill material does not match on these Fenders (it's darker), could you please point me to how I can get ahold of the material so I can get them to match? (please see attached)

I'm about to take delivery on an Orange AD200 and do not want to lug around a pair of 95 pound OBC 410 cabinets (lovely as they are), would it be possible to get a Super Twin done up to match the Orange? I've seen some cabs/baffles done in interesting colors but haven't seen one in Orange.

PS loving my Big Twin 2 as well with a Fractal FM9 setup.

Thanks again!

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Hi Oz,

Nice picture, that rig looks glorious! Glad the smashed foot is sorted now.

The Six10 cloth is Fender B/W/S (https://www.mojotone.com/Fender-Style-Black-White-Silver-Grill-Cloth-36-W) which we order in bulk from Mojotone.

It looks like the Fenders used the aged version (https://www.mojotone.com/Fender-Style-Aged-Black-White-Silver-Grill-Cloth-36-W) or are just old! We can only order from Mojotone in bulk and our UK supplier doesn't offer this Aged cloth

So you could either get the B/W/S cloth from Mojotone to redo the Fenders or grab the Aged B/W/S to redo the Six10. If you wanted to redo the Six10 grill we could send a badge and some beading (piping) to finish the grill.

Regarding the Super Twin - we're currently doing a cabinet for someone to pair with an Orange amp and they've chosen to use this Tolex (https://www.allparts.uk.com/products/tolex-vox-hiwatt-57-inch-wide-per-yard?variant=660533249) which we think is the best match. But have a look on AllParts as there a few choices of orange Tolex. Bear in mind that all computer screens are different though so colours might seem different between us.

You can always send a photo of the AD200 when it arrives and we can help find a Tolex/Grill cloth to match.

Thanks for the love on the Big Twin 2! If there's anything else you need just let us know.

Kind regards,

Isaac

19/09/24 - Big Baby 3 - Taiwan

The BB3 with its tweeter fully on is just such a joy to play through. Super happy.

Thanks a lot for your help!

Jay

03/06/24 - Reformer 112 + Reality 112FR - UK

Hi Alex,

For the last few years I have been learning to play an NS Design electric cello. I normally play sax/clarinet with different jazz, folk and experimental musicians, often with a PA, often with a mixture of acoustic and electric instruments, rarely at high volume or in large venues.

Now I want to try using the cello with these musicians too. The NS Design has a completely solid body and piezo pickups. My priority so far has been trying to create a core sound which is as close as possible to an acoustic cello. However, I also want to explore its great potential as an electric bowed instrument in the future. Until recently, I had long term loan of an AER amp which I used with the cello. The sound I got was quite mediocre. It improved massively with the addition of Cello IR software from a firm called 3 Sigma Audio, I run it in a TC Electronic IR loader pedal. However, the sound still remained rather dull and boxy.

I have now returned the AER to its owner and have bought a Katana 100W head. I decided on this because (1) my cello is an electric instrument, not acoustic (2) It is highly dependent on Impulse Response to create a decent acoustic sound (3) the Katana has powerful multi effects built in, modelled on classic Boss pedals, giving lots of potential to explore experimental playing.

So far, I’m very pleased with the Katana plus IR loader combination. The cello sounds a lot better using the ‘clean’ amp models (set to minimum gain) rather than the ‘acoustic’ settings - ie it’s more authentic, vibrant, dynamic. I now need to decide what to do about a speaker cab.

So far, I have tried:

1. The Katana head has a 35W 5 inch driver built in, intended for home practice. Considering its size, it sounds amazingly good, even at the lower end of the cello’s range. It has a vibrancy which the AER lacked and it produces a lot of volume, though not really the depth/richness to make it suitable for playing with other people. Bowing vigorously can produce unpleasant woomphing distortion.

2. I have a small HK Audio Polar PA. I have put the Line Out from the Katana through it and the signal is surprisingly weak, it needs a lot of boosting. Even then, the tone remains soft edged and very bass heavy. I’m sure I could improve it with some EQ work but it’s not inspiring.

3. I have tried a friend’s 1x12 cab for guitar which has a small port on the back. It’s old, unbranded, but apparently has a Celestion driver in it, I don’t know which model. The sound from this is the best I have had from anything, with lots of depth, detail and sparkle. Interestingly, I need to cut both bass and treble on the amp. The Katana has three options for modelling Cab Resonance (Vintage, Modern and Deep) and Vintage sounds the best. The sound to the rear of the cab is fairly good (due to the port, I guess) but at the sides is very weak.

All this makes me think that a 1x12 cab is what I should buy. Whilst researching different makes I came across your website and I am impressed by your approach to speaker design. In particular, I love your aim of filling a room with high quality (but not necessarily high volume) sound in the same way as happens with an acoustic instrument. I also very much want to be able to hear myself play as clearly as possible when I am with other musicians - being able to do this feels crucial on an unfretted instrument. I would greatly appreciate advice as to which of your speaker designs would best suit my needs: I read initially about the Reformer 112 and thought it sounded ideal. However, I then learnt about the Reality 112FR and suspect this might make more sense given my use of Cello IR software and the Katana?

Many thanks for your help!

Andrew

--------------------------------------

Hi Andrew,

If you don't think this is a crazy idea, as we have a one month trial period then you could order both a Reality and a Reformer, compare them head to head and then return whichever one isn't best for you.

Alex

---------------------------------------

Hi Alex,

It has been very interesting comparing the two side by side. They both sound very good, much better than anything else I have used and I would happily live with either of them. The differences I noticed were:

1. More powerful bass on the Reality, with enormous dynamic headroom at the bottom end. Fantastic, but actually the bass is overwhelming most of the time and I had to cut it to a minimum on the amp which seemed a shame.

2. It’s hard to put into words, but the Reality sounds a bit too refined, particularly in the low midrange where I sense a kind of stuffiness. I had a subtle feeling of there being something in between the instrument and the sound generated from it - as if the sound is artificial and coming out of a loudspeaker... a ridiculous thing to say because obviously it is exactly that, particularly as I am playing through both a cello IR and a modelling amp!! I get the same feeling (but to a greater degree) when playing through a PA - however, playing through the Reformer feels vibrant, gritty and directly connected to the instrument.

3. As you would probably expect, the sound from the Reality was more consistent at the sides and the rear of the cab than the Reformer. That’s a great bonus and I really liked it. In fact, ironically, I think the best sound of all came from sitting directly behind the cab with the tweeter full on! Maybe you need to add a second tweeter on the front...

4. I have spent a while experimenting with the tone controls and can get the Reality feeling quite similar to the Reformer. That tempts me to choose the Reality and I imagine it’s possible that careful tweaking with a parametric EQ might completely solve the issues of excessive bass, stuffiness and feeling distanced. However, I don’t have the experience to do that quickly or to know if it’s really achievable. It would also feel a bit perverse to be needing to manipulate the EQ in sophisticated ways. So, I think I’m choosing the Reformer because it feels straightforward, honest, connected, vibrant.

Hope this all makes sense. I’m interested to know how my experience compares with that of anyone else using your cabs with modelling amps and instruments other than electric guitars…

Kind regards,

Andrew

23/07/24 - Reality + Activier - Australia

I just received my 2 Reality cabs. One with the Activier fitted as well as the 2nd passive cab.

Do I assume input 1 on the Activier is already connected to the speaker inside the active cab?

I ask because I noticed there are speaker outs on the active cab labelled output 1 and 2 so I am confused what speaker output 1 is used for.

There is no diagram or document explaining the way to connect a stereo setup so I want to be sure I don't damage anything doing it incorrectly.

Also on the passive cab what is the 2nd speaker input used for? Do I assume the left input is the one connected to the speaker?

Lastly the passive cab has the tweeter adjustment but there is no similar knob on the active cab but there are the tweeter pad switches on the Activier.
Depending which pad setting I use (-3db, -6 or -9) how do I make sure the passive speaker tweeter knob is matching? Where do I set the knob for -3, -6 and -9 settings?

Oh and there was a document in the box saying something about a low cut switch which I can't find. I assume that switch isn't relevant for the Reality cabs?

Cheers,
Andrew

--------------------------------

Hi Andrew,

Apologies, I have yet to find the time to write a user guide for the Activier!

Output 1 on the Activier Reality is already connected to the internal speaker. Speaker output 1 can be used to add an extension cab on that channel (each power amp channel will run down to 2 ohms) or if someone has chosen the optional passive input then we don't connect output 1 internally and instead the speaker output on the Activier module is connected to a passive input plate (like on your other Reality) via an external speakon lead (a short jumper cable about 6"/15cm long).

The two inputs on the passive Reality are both in parallel, so you can daisy-chain a second cab by using one as an output.

Regarding the rotary L-pad vs the switchable one, as both cabs will be in different places in the room they shouldn't be set the same but should be adjusted so they sound roughly the same (they'll rarely sound identical because of the differing room acoustics). I'd probably start with the pad at -3 or -6 and the rotary knob turned down about half to a quarter.

Yes, that thing about the low cut switch is for the non-FRFR - definitely need an FRFR + Activier user guide! Please email any questions you have, however silly they may seem. Off the top of my head, the only thing you shouldn't do is connect output 1 to output 2 or the outputs to any inputs. Normal stereo active + passive slave cab configuration is one side of signal chain to input 1, other side of signal chain to input 2, output 2 to passive Reality and that should be it - two 1/4" leads to the Activier module and one speakon lead from the Activier to the passive Reality.

Let us know how they sound!

Best regards,

Alex

09/07/24 - Reality 112FR - USA

I guess you know you're doing things right when someone orders another cab immediately after their first one haha!

I have a unique question for you... I was curious, I did not see that y'all could make the Reality as a 2x12 when I place my order.

I was curious, if I were to send mine back (and pay for the shipping and whatever upgrade costs) you would accept the return and make me this thing as a 2x12?

If not, no worries. I understand being oceans away from each other and I do love the cab still. I just think a 2x12 would have been "more perfect"

Anyways, let me know. I do not intend to cancel my 2x12 order for the radical. That'll be specifically for my tube amp.

Get back when you can

McClain

-----------

Hi McClain,

Glad you're so pleased with the Reality! Regarding sending it back for a 2x12" version, that would be v expensive because we can't arrange shipping from the USA to UK so you'd be paying retail rates which are a lot. However, we can make you an extension cab, so for louder gigs you can stack the Reality 112FR on another 1x12", so it'll be the same as a Reality 212FRV, just in two boxes (which is how I do my 2x12" FRFR bass rig, with two BB3 rather than one BT3). Hope that makes sense!

Best regards,

Alex

27/06/24 - Reality FR w/Activier - USA

Just got mine in the mail yesterday and I'm sold. The quality of the sound and how it fills the area around you is epic. 100% worth the $$

McClain

15/04/24 - Big Twin 3 - UK

To say I’m impressed with BT2’s replacement would be an understatement. BT3 and I have been out to a number of different stage settings since I took delivery, garnering lots of comments and interest! Of course when it boils down to it, it’s the sound quality and its performance that matters: it is so consistent across the range and I’m definitely enjoying balanced ‘feel’ across the fretboard as there are no dips and peaks in response etc.

Dan

14/02/24 - Reality 112FR - USA

Gentlemen, I purchased your 12" Digital platform speaker cab. I'm using a Fractal FM9 turbo thru a Fryette PS-100. We are blown away with the efficiency and reproduction of the system. My 59 Bassman never sounded that good! I'm glad I decided on this instead of a powered speaker. I had a Friedman already. This is definitely superior. It's also incredibly light rig with a big punch!

Marvin

10/03/25 - Activier Reality 112FR - UK

Thanks all for your help with this. It sounds amazing!

What's the little ribbon thing at the bottom of the grille for? Is it just aesthetic?

All the best,

Charlie

-------------------------------------------------------------

Hey man,

Cheers,

Lewie

31/01/25 - Reality 112FR - Australia

Received the cab so many thanks for rushing this through - sounds amazing.

Jon

19/01/25 - Reality 112FR - USA

Joseph

08/01/25 - Reformer 112 / Reality 112FR - USA

Hi Alex,

Thanks

Kevin

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Kevin,

Hope that makes sense!

Here's the current lead times - https://barefacedaudio.com/pages/production-and-delivery-times

They need updating though and we've had quite a lot of orders recently, so they'll probably be longer in reality. Hope to get that figured out this week!

Glad you're enjoying your Reformer!

Best regards,

Alex

03/06/24 - Reformer 112 + Reality 112FR - UK

Hi Alex,

So far, I have tried:

Many thanks for your help!

Andrew

--------------------------------------

Hi Andrew,

Alex

---------------------------------------

Hi Alex,

Hope this all makes sense. I’m interested to know how my experience compares with that of anyone else using your cabs with modelling amps and instruments other than electric guitars…

Kind regards,

Andrew

23/07/24 - Reality + Activier - Australia

--------------------------------

Hi Andrew,

Apologies, I have yet to find the time to write a user guide for the Activier!

The two inputs on the passive Reality are both in parallel, so you can daisy-chain a second cab by using one as an output.

Let us know how they sound!

Best regards,

Alex

09/07/24 - Reality 112FR - USA

I guess you know you're doing things right when someone orders another cab immediately after their first one haha!

I have a unique question for you... I was curious, I did not see that y'all could make the Reality as a 2x12 when I place my order.

I was curious, if I were to send mine back (and pay for the shipping and whatever upgrade costs) you would accept the return and make me this thing as a 2x12?

If not, no worries. I understand being oceans away from each other and I do love the cab still. I just think a 2x12 would have been "more perfect"

Anyways, let me know. I do not intend to cancel my 2x12 order for the radical. That'll be specifically for my tube amp.

Get back when you can

McClain

-----------

Hi McClain,

Best regards,

Alex

08/07/24 - Reality (active + passive) - N/A

I purchased two Reality cabs, one with Stereo Activier, and one without.

My rig: Quad Cortex with built-in speaker models, and York Audio IRs. This stereo rig is an absolute monster in terms of tone. My friend and I have A/B tested it in the room with a Two-Rock stereo rig in vertical 212 format, and the Barefaced went toe-to-toe in a magnificent way. I also have been running a Boss GM-800 synth into the rig over the past two weeks; this is where the FRFR nature really shines through. I am able to scene swap on QC from synth, to guitar, to synth plus guitar, and it takes all the tone and creates a beautiful product where all sounds feel as they should.

Alex and the team have created something in the Reality that all guitarists should be looking forward to trying. You won't be disappointed once you have a chance to really mess around with one of these (preferably two... it's a ton of fun).

@NSRider24

27/06/24 - Reality FR w/Activier - USA

Just got mine in the mail yesterday and I'm sold. The quality of the sound and how it fills the area around you is epic. 100% worth the $$

McClain

14/02/24 - Reality 112FR - USA

Marvin