just ordered an Eleven Rack w/PT10

[strangedogs]

I usually play through headphones 99% of the time but if I wanted to use it with an external speaker Cab ( I have a few laying round here) would I need powered speakers of some sort or a power amp? any recommendations that won't break the bank? I don't need anything more than bedroom volumes as it's just here at the house... Budget is as cheap as possible (and still sound decent)... I prefer 10" or 12".

Thanks - I'll be hanging out here a lot once this "baby" shows up

[DMannDann]

I just got my Eleven Rack on Tuesday. I did "Y" it out of the headphone jack and into 2 4x12 cabs. It works ok but not loud and didn't sound too good on some patches but not bad on others. Now I am running it into my home stereo for the time being. I got a power amp i just ordered so hopefully I will get the full power out of this with it.

[Benoni]

Well if you want to do recording and mixing, then a pair of active studio monitors is what I would recommend. This will also give you a flat response if you just want to play. Studio monitors can range from $199 a pair to $50,000+ depending on what you want.

If you want to play through a guitar cab then you can use Amp Out into a guitar amp, or you could use a power amp. When playing through a guitar cab you would normally turn-off the cab modeling in the Eleven Rack.

Another option that many use for just playing/practicing, and playing live is using a powered loud speaker/personal monitor/FRFR speaker like a Mackie Thump, Behringer EuroLive, JBL Eon, or QCS K10/12/15 ect.. ect...

Links are provided as an example, none of these models are required.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Thump12/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/B210D/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EON515XT/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/K12/

Powered Studio Monitor examples would be:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M1Active520/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HS50M/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Rokit5G2/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MR5mk2/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BX5D2/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/B3030A/

again, these models and the store linked to are just an example.

[musicman691]

A couple of things to try:
For small powered monitors that will do the job you might try Yamaha MSP5's on the main outs of the 11R. This will give you a stereo out. And if you have a guitar amp with an effects loop and stereo isn't needed then take one of the amp outs (I use the front panel one) on the 11R and plug it into the effects loop return. This way you bypass the preamp in the guitar amp and go right into the power amp (at least it does on my Marshall DSL401).

Of course you'll want to pay attention as to whether you want the speaker modeling in the 11R on or not as with it on you'd be getting double speaker effect especially if you're going into a guitar amp. You'd not really hear either speaker effect/sound. Imagine having the speakers in a modeled Twin Reverb going into an amp with Celestion Vintage 30's - you'd get a combined sound which has no real relation to either.

[guitardom]

Originally Posted by DMannDann

I just got my Eleven Rack on Tuesday. I did "Y" it out of the headphone jack and into 2 4x12 cabs. It works ok but not loud and didn't sound too good on some patches but not bad on others. Now I am running it into my home stereo for the time being. I got a power amp i just ordered so hopefully I will get the full power out of this with it.

Coming out of your headphone jack is terrible and the absolute wrong impedance that can fry pieces of gear. Do not do this!!! You have various outputs on the 11r for these reasons.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by guitardom

Coming out of your headphone jack is terrible and the absolute wrong impedance that can fry pieces of gear. Do not do this!!! You have various outputs on the 11r for these reasons.

Not to mention no headphone output has enough power to drive speakers no matter how efficient those speakers may be. There's not enough current in the headphone driver output to do the job to speakers. Speakers in a Marshall 4x12 can be either 8 or 16 ohm; most headphones are 55 ohms and up.

[PatriotsBiker]

The only thing I like more than a Fender amp with a twelve inch speaker is one with two twelve inch speakers. I'm with you on the peaker size thing. However, the eleven Rack is the one area I strayed away from my fondness of the big amp speaker and went with the powered tudio monitors as others have pointed out. I have a not so expensive pair of 8" Mackies that do the trick.

The flat response is a nice match for using the amp and cab modeling with the 11R. I also have a Behringer 18" keyboard amp that I've used a few times with it, but used to use it a ton when I had a Boss GT-10. It did the job, but the 11R into the studio monitors definitely do it for me.

Good luck with whichever way you go, and welcome to the 11R section.